Ah, Travelers is back.
The long gap between season 1 and 2 (at least here on Netflix) made me somewhat forget about this series. I needed a quick recap of season 1 before diving in.
And I wonder if there ever will be a season 3...
Old friends
First thing: I've just spotted some new yet very familiar characters... That's Star Gate Amanda Tapping, and there's Person of Interest Enrico Colantoni, Continuum's Ian Tracey and Stephen Lobo. All that's left is Amy Acker or Summer Glau to show up...
And Tapping, she's expensive. I wonder how much screen time they will give her?
Then, finally, am I the only one, or does the 'Quantum Frame' device sound like Trek's technobabble and look like a Doctor Who cardboard prop?
S02E01 - Ave Machina
Interesting... is the whole 'unkown first traveler / psychiatrist' scheme just something to bring new viewers into the game? As this is only the very first episode of the second season, I can't tell yet.
S02E02 - Protocol 4
Ah! Now I know who controlled the screens... I wonder why he didn't clean up the remains... Just bricking up some hole doesn't do it.
S02E03 - Jacob
... and Traveller 0001 is gone...
Is that a sniper rifle? Seriously?!?
S02E04 - 11:27
... and Traveller 0001 is gone. Again.
Hmmm. It's clear the show runners / writers have been adding a few threads / plots / secrets / mysteries left and right, either to keep the viewers interested right now, or to have something in reserve for future seasons.
However, things are getting a little bit confusing, how much is going to be explained this season, and how much is going to be left in limbo. What if this series would be canceled?
S02E07 - 17 minutes
Episode 7 changes the rules. Suddenly retries are possible (though to be honest they were never explictly forbidden). I have no idea in how many ways that breaks the rules. Also 5001 / 5002 / 5003 (?) seem to learn from previous failures. Or is the director simply throwing different (incarnation of a) traveller(s) at that event, gambling on the differential butterfly effect by inserting the agent a few seconds / minutes earlier?
Is it actually earlier?
Anyway, the plot is silly. It would have made more sense to have the agent paraglide all the way to the lake, it can't be that far away if the agent can walk / drive there in (what I assume) a relative short time frame...
So why does 5007 leave his motorbike behind and continue walking? Why take the motorbike anyway? Aaargh.
Some rules seem to apply...
- You can only go as far back as the arrival point of the most recent traveler
- Overwriting a personality 'damages' the host somewhat
- The link into the future is flexible
- It's okay to ignore events
Rule #1 has been somewhere / when 😅 discussed in the show. I actually missed it, but okay... We're never explained why this is the case though.
Rule #2 has been somewhat obvious due to all the yelling and screaming during takeovers. Each takeover looks like my last root canal infection treatment...
Rule #3 has to exist, otherwise the Director would have failed, and would no longer exist, but it exists because it managed to reinsert another traveler. Or something like that. On the other hand, perhaps it is very difficult to change the future (though it is possible, as proven).
It also makes me wonder if the Director actually wants any changes serious enough to wipe out its own existence. Perhaps, and perhaps not.
Whilst investigating these rules (and googling a bit) I noticed several people complaining about this show, and especially this episode. And I think they are probably right. It is a mess. Which brings me to #4. There are too many loopholes...
S02E12 - 001
This episode was so utterly predictable it is almost sad. Vincent looking for a new host was so NOT surprising, sigh.
Will there be a third season of Travelers? I fear not. Which leaves us with a huge cliffhanger.
Frankly, perhaps it is better that way because I do not see a believable way out of this predicament. The whole world knows about the travelers, so any secret 'spiel' is out the window. Unless the writes come up with some really good ideas any solution would be laughable and loom like a shadow over the remainder of the show. May I suggest a kind of 'shattered reality' solution?
Then Tapping... Will Tapping become a regular? Of course not. She's too expensive.
Now let's assume there will be another season, in spite of my gloomy forecast. Then here are my two favorite theories and a prediction for the final episode of season three, if it ever arrives...
1. Traveler 0001 isn't human. Could it perhaps be an AI? Perhaps the seed of the Director? (Talking about a time loop!)
2. The Director is evil. Well, could be. Overwriting someone is like killing someone, which, in general, is rather considered 'evil' instead of 'good'. A machine might be of a different opinion though.
3. In the (last episode of currently the final) third season the team manages to destroy the bad future, leaving everything wide open. Humanity's free will returns, and all is well... Talking about tropes... One day I am going to analyze all those time-travel shows, and proof they are all sponsored by an evil wizard who came from a great, fantastic, sunny and happy future and who is trying to kill us all to make sure we never will enjoy the great, fantastic, sunny and happy future he came from.
Anyway, here's an interesting blog talking about (among other things) Travelers:
https://www.dayofthehuman.com/category/tvandmovies/travelers/
And for those in need or more time travelin' try this list.
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