Travelers “Aleksander” continues to be unlike most time travel shows. Not only do the future “saviors” have to adjust to their host’s lives, but they have to change to fit the times. Some of the adjustments are amusing, such as Trevor’s hesitant taste of sweetcorn and his subsequent delight at this new treat.
Others, like Philip’s host’s addiction to heroin threatens his sanity, his conscience and, later, the group’s mission. By violating protocol 3, which equates to neither taking nor saving a life, he endangers not only himself but the purpose of their visit.
Each traveler is affected by the lives that their hosts led before taking over their bodies. Maclaren turns out to be a crack shot with a handgun, something that amazes his partner at the FBI. Amusingly, he also cannot tie a necktie, so he wears the same one for three days.
It is also pointed out, almost in passing, that he was not changing his underwear either. When his wife jokingly poses the question, he says, in a throw-away murmur, “underwear.” In the future, apparently, people do not wear undergarments or, at the very least, do not have to change them.
Trevor, whose host was a bit of a bad lad, changes dramatically. He is now nice, except to his “girlfriend” who is a bully. So too was Trevor before he was taken over.
Marcy is now staying with her social worker and all premises of being mentally challenged, as a result of her terminal illness, has been dispensed with. David is still having issues with the whole thing but he does lie to the cop who comes to question him about his ward.
Philip is not just suffering because of the heroin. He attends the funeral of the friend of his host who died on the same day. His mate’s mother goes off on Philip who then feels guilty. Using his knowledge of the past, he has bets placed on certain things and has the money sent to the parents.
The heroin addict also lies to his fellow travelers telling them that they have a new mission. A Romanian boy has been kidnapped; his name is Aleksander, and his body will be found in a basement if they do not rescue the lad.
The team get together and collect firearms. The lad is located. There are dead bodies in the basement showing that Aleksander is not the first boy that the crazy couple have taken. They call the lad Patrick and Maclaren asks the boy in Romanian if that is really his name. The youngster says no.
A brief shootout ensues. The man and woman are shot dead and Philip is wounded. Marcy fixes him up and as Grant gets angry at the lies and intrusiveness of Philip’s actions. She explains that he is addicted to heroin and that she can, in time, get him off the stuff.
Travelers is not the normal cliched story about time travel. Each character is looked at from two standpoints. The traveler who is there to save the world and the host they must inhabit and emulate. Each episode gives the viewer more insight into how difficult this balancing act is.
However not all characters are being delved into equally. Carly, the single mum, has not had a lot of screen time. She has not been focused upon too much as a result. That may well change as the series goes on but for now Ms.Shannon is a bit of a mystery.
Travelers creator Brad Wright has stepped right outside the box for this time travel tale with a difference. His decision to leave what have become tropes in this particular category of science fiction has delivered a show that entertains while making the audience think and talk about the events as they transpire.
The series is streaming on Netflix and can be downloaded for offline viewing. Head on over and check this one out. See what challenges this group of time travelers still face.
Cast:
- MacKenzie Porter – Marcy Warton
- Nesta Cooper – Carly Shannon
- Eric McCormack – Grant Maclaren
- Jared Abrahamson – Trevor Holden
- Reilly Dolman – Philip Pearson
- Leah Cairns – Leah Maclaren
- Patrick Gilmore – David Mailer
- Arnold Pinnock – Walt Forbes
Guest starring David Raynolds as Aleksander/Patrick.
Mikes Film Talk 