The Best Sci-Fi Time Travel Series Is A Netflix Original With A 90s Sitcom Star
Popular sci-fi series Travelers is currently streaming on Netflix. Created by Brad Wright, the show premiered in October 2016 and ran for three seasons until December 2018. It stars Will & Grace actor Eric McCormack as FBI Special Agent Grant MacLaren, alongside MacKenzie Porter, Nesta Cooper, Jared Abrahamson, Reilly Dolman, and Patrick Gilmore.
Each one of the travelers is part of a team with specific roles and responsibilities. They are led by a figure known as “The Director,” an artificial intelligence that guides their actions.
The story is set in a dystopian future where humanity is on the brink of collapse due to several catastrophic events. To alter their grim fate, a group of operatives known as “travelers” use technology to send their consciousnesses back in time to inhabit the bodies of people who are about to die. They then work to prevent the disastrous events that lead to their bleak future.
Each one of the travelers is part of a team with specific roles and responsibilities. They are led by a figure known as “The Director,” an artificial intelligence that guides their actions. The Director sends missions to the travelers via encoded messages that only they can understand. The team must covertly work to change the timeline without revealing their true identities to anyone.
Travelers explores various ethical and moral dilemmas as the group grapples with the challenges of inhabiting the lives of others, maintaining their alternate identities, and trying to avert the future’s catastrophe. This often leads to complex personal and emotional conflicts, as they must balance their own desires and feelings with the greater mission.
The series was praised for its unique premise, character development, and exploration of time travel-related themes. However, it was criticized for its relatively slow pacing and focus on character-driven storytelling over flashy action sequences. Unfortunately, its cancelation after just three seasons resulted in some storylines being left unresolved.
Travelers approached the concept of time travel in a unique way, focusing on sending one’s consciousness back in time rather than physically moving people. The show’s consciousness transfer happens during the last moments of the host’s life, allowing the travelers to inhabit their bodies and take over their lives by mimicking behaviors, relationships, and daily routines.
Travelers explores various ethical and moral dilemmas as the group grapples with the challenges of inhabiting the lives of others, maintaining their alternate identities, and trying to avert the future’s catastrophe.
Travelers also addresses the potential for temporal paradoxes by emphasizing that the travelers’ actions are meant to be subtle and focused on altering specific events to avert the future catastrophe. They avoid significant changes that could create butterfly effects and disrupt the timeline. Despite their efforts, the travelers sometimes encounter unintended consequences due to their actions in the past.
Interestingly, Eric McCormack also served as an executive producer on Travelers and was a driving force behind the series. The show is a Canadian production and was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, like Stargate SG-1 and Supernatural.
The series also takes an interesting approach to character introductions. In the first episode, the main characters are introduced with their assigned traveler numbers rather than their names.
The true identities and backgrounds of the main cast are gradually revealed as the series progresses. Travelers includes subtle nods to real-world events and figures. In one episode, a time traveler assumes the identity of an individual named Marcy Tait, which is a reference to real-life physicist Marcy Tait, known for her work on particle physics.
The opening credits sequence of Travelers contains hidden messages that are revealed when the visuals are slowed down and analyzed frame by frame. These messages provide additional hints and clues about the show’s mysteries. Each season featured an episode that focused on a single character’s background and pre-traveler life, deepening the audience’s understanding of their struggles.
Unfortunately, its cancelation after just three seasons resulted in some storylines being left unresolved.
The show creatively integrated social media and online interactions into its story. The travelers are often seen using social media as part of their cover identities. Additionally, the identity of Traveler Number 001 is a central mystery throughout the series. The character’s true identity and mission are revealed over the course of the show, shedding light on the origins of the time travel program.
In the years following its cancellation, Travelers has maintained a dedicated following and has continued to be discovered by new viewers on streaming platforms. While the show’s cancellation was disappointing, it remains one of the most popular offerings in the sci-fi genre.
Anyone who enjoys science fiction stories that delve into the complexities of time travel, morality, and the human experience, Travelers might be a series worth checking out.
