As much I want to forget that trash fire of a Christmas special- I’ve not been able to stop thinking about what could be done to fix it if the show did get picked up. Here's what I came up with:
1) pick up about where we left off at 2x10 and ignore it completely. I once watched a show where an actor quit two seasons in and they simply never acknowledged his character was there in the first place. Never even explained where he supposedly was, just pretended like he never existed. Was that a good idea? No, but the point is more important things than a bad Christmas special have been ignored by television before.
2) call it an alternative timeline. They could put some sort of sequence at the beginning explaining that the special was just one possible timeline and that this is another. This is probably the option that would appease the most fans seeing as it would provide a “more legitimate" option for those that did like it to indulge in said timeline. And everyone who hated it for how OOC everyone was can just ignore it.
3) call it a fever dream from side effects of coming into contact with yourself. This is my personal favorite because it would explain why so little in the movie made sense. And I just read somewhere that Will and Grace did something similar with their finale- so it has happened before.
4) that girl we saw at the end builds a time machine. Pretty self explanatory, either the time team gets called to action after the new machine comes into the wrong hands or this new story just isn’t about them. I watch this show predominantly for the characters and their arcs (and not their pod people replacements) and I would most likely not watch if this were the case.
5) they could combined option four and option two into someone doing something with this new Time Machine that creates an alternative timeline starting more or less where we left off. And there’s another time traveler running around, doing stuff.
The thing is, I no longer trust the writers; however it is my understanding that the movie was based off of their original plans. And four out of five possibilities I came up with would make the movie timeline obsolete and they would be forced to think about what is really the most logical and interesting direction to take for at least another 10 episodes. And they did write a really great show up until the special, but they also wrote that special so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I know I have been seeing a lot of complaints about the finale, so I figured I'd throw my opinion out there.
I know it felt rushed. I know some things didn't fit. I know there were things that bothered me, but here's the thing. The writers knew this was it. They knew more than likely we will never see this show again and so they did their best to cram in the entire story/series in what amounted to an hour and a half of screen time. I applaud them for that.
Would I have liked to see a more fleshed out story of Lyatt and Garcy given a chance to at least happen even though according to the journal it failed absolutely, but we didn't have that time. I am grateful that we were given the complete story even if it was rushed. There are plenty of shows that never get that. Plenty of stories that are left hanging never to be completely.
We got our story completed, from start to finish. Yes it was faster than I would have liked, but I know where ultimately it would have went and where it would have ended given more time. I know most people don't feel this way, but I am more grateful for a completed story than left hanging in the balance.
There are a lot of people complaining about the Timeless finale, but I loved it. I have an earlier post where I go in detail about what I loved about it. Honestly, I had low expectations. Last year I had a show end that was a Trainwreck from start to finish. Hardly anything was answered, and the questions that were answered...didn't always line up. I had the writers of that show tell us time and time again that "the fans will be happy" that "all your questions would be answered" and all that stuff.... but it was a total lie. Anyway, Timeless was like a dream come true. After putting up with the previous show for 7 years, it was nice to have a show that made sense. It didn't contradict itself. It was full of interesting and diverse characters. And then, when the writers said that they wrote The finale as a love letter to the fans, they were telling the truth. They had to put a lot of information into two hours. They had to tie up a lot of loose ends, and attempt to make as many people happy as they could. There was no way that everyone would be happy, but I would be bold enough to say that Majority of fans are. The ones who aren't are typically upset about the way the ships turned out, which I understand. But honestly, it was a much better ending than a lot of shows get. Timeless was such an important show, the ships weren't the whole story. I love Timeless and I am so thankful for the writers we have, they did amazing with the little time they got. ❤️👍
As I (im)patiently await episode 2x07, I just wanted to express my appreciation to the amazing writers who have given us one of the best Season 2s in television history. What have they given us, you ask?
(Warning this is lengthy…)
History Lessons They Don’t Teach You in School – In nearly every episode, the main historical character is a person who doesn’t get a lot of “press” in the history books or biographical movies. Their stories are both educational and inspiring. What other show gives you that week to week?
Character Exposition – Season two has given us more insight into the backstories of the supporting cast (Jiya, Connor, Carol and soon Denise and Emma). Sometimes they are just a few lines in a scene, but when possible they intertwine their stories with the main plotline, and they do it beautifully. (I’m looking at you, Connor.)
Intriguing Antagonists– Flynn, Carol and possibly now Emma (?) are not your typical “bad guys”. They are not villains for the sake of the story needing villains. They have backstories where they have experienced love and loss. They have moments where you see regret in their eyes, words and actions. They show a need for acceptance and interaction with other humans. They make you question if everything is as simple as black and white or good and evil. They make you FEEL, which is weird and refreshing at the same time.
Riya Front & Center – I would never disrespect Rufus and Jiya by calling their relationship the “B storyline” or “B ship”, because it is not. Their relationship has perhaps progressed faster than Wyatt and Lucy’s, but it has gone through the same natural path that most couples experience – with the additional touch of supernatural tendencies, because let’s face it, they’re proud nerds, who do such storylines justice.
Lyatt Sex – (I fully admit that I’m a sucker for romance – sue me.) I LOVED how slowly the writers developed Wyatt and Lucy’s relationship throughout Season 1, because I don’t think that lightning strikes most couples at first sight. Instead there is a spark of curiosity/interest (“Ma’am”, smirks), empathy for a personal loss (Jessica, Amy), build-up of trust (“I agree with you, but I trust her”/”I trust you”) and potential deal-breaking barriers (guilt and obsession over wife’s death). But conversely, I APPRECIATED how once Wyatt became open to possibilities, they quickly progressed their relationship in 3 episodes! Most of my ships took 3 seasons to get the bedroom.
Lyatt Express to Endgame – (Yes, I know we’re still in the midst of this drama, but I have faith that we’ll be at resolution soon, so I’m calling it now.) I know a lot of people were upset that less than a day after that beautiful morning after scene, it all seemed to go to hell, but I believe that when Wyatt and Lucy reunite, we’ll be grateful Jessica showed up when she did.
Let’s pretend for a second, that Jessica didn’t show up until this season’s finale. Lucy and Wyatt would have had months of love and bliss, and then his wife shows up. First of all, we would have had to spend the entire summer hiatus (or forever) fretting over what would happen next. Secondly, it would have been harder (and even more painful) for Wyatt and Lucy to make the decisions that they did, because they would have had a stronger foundation to put at risk. Which leads me to…
Character Growth for Wyatt – Say what you will about Wyatt, but I wholeheartedly believe that he made the right (and healthy) choice. Even though he was ready to move on with Lucy, the memories of Jessica and how she died were going to haunt his subconscious even if he and Lucy got married and lived happily ever after. You know that “It’s a Wonderful Life” trope where you get to have a glimpse of a key “what if” scenario? Thanks to time travel, he was given the opportunity to find out for sure, and – not-even-close-to-a-spoiler alert – it won’t turn out well. He and Jessica will realize that although they love each other, their time has passed. Wyatt will achieve closure and be free to move on to his future. (And Lucy will never feel like she’s competing against a ghost.)
Character Growth for Lucy – Lucy is hands-down my favorite female television character. She has an accomplished career, and she is a faithful friend, daughter and sister. She’s stubborn, principled and strong, but she’s also not afraid to show her vulnerability and emotion. I am grateful that the writers write her as such a complex, yet relatable character. They allowed her to be selfless for the sake of Wyatt’s happiness, hopeful that they could still be friends, snarky when her personal space was invaded by their new bunkermate and self-preserving when the pain became too much. We are BLESSED to have this character exist in our lifetimes.
Phenomenal Casting – I’m not sure how much of this credit goes to the writers, but the primary reason that their writing works is because of the actors who are chosen to say their words and emote their actions. From the main cast to the guest stars, everyone is perfect for their roles. All I can say to that is “Bravo”.
It’s not uncommon for the second season of a TV show to stray a bit and even end up a little lost, but that’s not the case for Timeless. If anything, they became more focused and succinct, becomes sometimes it takes a second chance at life to find your true mettle. The creators and writers knew these last 10 episodes could be their final bow, but they promised not to write the season as if it was the end, and they delivered. If they don’t get a Season 3, it will be an absolute travesty to network television.
Can we not present Arika's Q&As like they're the word of god? She's ONE writer of MANY and her answers to things have contradicted canon multiple times. Idk, it just seems like when she herself has confirmed that there are differing opinions on different things (character motivations, arcs, etc) in the writers' room, it's inappropriate to present her answers as speaking for the entire team. They aren't "canon."
They are presented simply as tweets of a writer on the staff of Timeless (with a little fan commentary that is obviously not mine but not offensive or else I wouldn’t have reblogged them). I have posted and reblogged many tweets from many writers because this is a general show blog open to all fans and all ships. How much weight you give Arika Lisanne Mittman’s tweets or how you interpret them is completely up to you. I have faith that Clockblockers will use their critical thinking skills to accurately assess the statements.
There are two things to note when considering the accuracy of her tweets. One is that she was part the writers room and therefore was privy to discussions, debates and showrunner thoughts. There are a certain consensus of ideas that they tried to convey through the story. Whether or not we were able to extrapolate that as a viewer determines how successful they were at conveying these points. Two is that in almost all of these statements she uses ‘I think’ or ‘personally’ which implies to us the reader these are her own opinions. If you like her opinion or it helps you understand something you didn’t before, great; if not, feel free to dismiss it.
The show is the only canon. The showrunners’ thoughts are not canon. The actors’ thoughts are not canon. The writers’ thoughts are not canon. And the fandom’s thoughts are not canon. Everyone has their own opinion because everyone has their own perspective. We can’t help it. Sometimes those opinions are shared by the majority, sometimes only by a few, but neither of those things determine their accuracy. I believe the truth can be known but have we found it?
