‘Timeless’ Season 1: A spoiler free retrospective and gush-filled review

Before ‘Timeless’ took it’s mid-season break, I told TV lovers to get on board with this phenomenal show before they fell too far behind. Season 1 is about to conclude with what is being teased as a twist-filled and mind-bending finale (tonight at 10 p.m. on NBC), so I thought it would be the perfect time for a retrospective. I gushed about ‘Timeless’ in my video, Why NBC’s ‘Timeless’ is a Must See. Now, I’m expanding on my original post (Why aren’t you watching ‘Timeless’ already?!) and providing a spoiler-free review of the season. Think of this as a gush-filled go-to guide for ‘Timeless’ new-comers and loyal fans. If you’re a newbie, hopefully, I’ll succeed in making you a ‘Timeless’ fan 😉

What makes ‘Timeless’ so loveable 

It’s no secret that I absolutely love NBC’s ‘Timeless’ and think it tops this TV season’s “Must See” list. This thrilling new time-travel drama from Eric Kripke (‘Supernatural’) and Shawn Ryan (‘The Shield’) truly has it all: humor, mystery,  heart, adventure, suspense, drama, (b)romance, wit, emotion, well researched history with a clever twist, engaging and relatable characters, a charismatic cast with great chemistry, fantastic acting, stunning production values, fun-filled stories, thoughtfully written season (potentially series)-long narratives and so much more.

The premise and structure of ‘Timeless’ feels refreshingly new and comfortingly familiar all at once.  I say this because it reminds me of so many others shows and movies that I love, yet it offers a different take on history and time travel than the others. I’m sucker for the genre, so here’s my guarantee: If you’re a fan of CW’s DC shows (especially ‘DC’s Legends of Tomorrow’ and ‘The Flash‘), ‘Sleepy Hollow,’ ‘Outlander,’ ‘Supernatural,’ ‘The Twilight Zone,’ ‘Sliders,’ and love movies like ‘Timeline‘ and ‘Frequency,’ then this show is made for you.

You can watch and rate ‘Timeless’ on Hulu, iTunes, and Amazon. Please check it out and spread the word to your friends. NBC has until May to Renew Timeless , so the more new fans we gain over the next couple of months, the better our chances will be for Season 2! Get info on how you can help with the #RenewTimeless campaign HERE.

But first, here are some things you should know before embarking on this grand adventure…

The People and Plot of ‘Timeless’

Connor Mason (Paterson Joseph) established Mason Industries and they built a super cool time machine (it looks like an eye!). He is under Rittenhouse’s thumb and may even be on their side.

Rittenhouse is some kind of government or political force that has agents way up there in rank, holding powerful and influential positions in society. We learn that they were established a very long time ago and they may be responsible for a lot of huge landmark moments in American history (which makes for some awesome twistory!)

 

 

Mystery man Garcia Flynn (Goran Visnjic) steals the latest model of the time machine called the Mothership and keeps traveling back in time to thwart Rittenhouse’s “evil” plans.

He also has taken Anthony Bruhl (Matt Frewer), a Mason Industry engineer who helped build the machine, along for the ride. Flynn insists his intentions are good and he’s simply misunderstood. He delivers some head-scratching reveals along the way.

 

 

Agent Denise Christopher (Sakina Jaffrey) is a Homeland Security agent who works with Mason to stop Flynn from destroying America (past and present) as we know it.

Together, they assemble a kick-ass team to follow Flynn on his adventures through time. As the season progresses, we learn where Agent Christopher’s loyalties lie. Hint: We like her!

 

Lucy Preston (Abigail Spencer) is a highly respected history professor who knows all sorts of facts off the top of her head.

After their first mission, she returns home to discover that her sister, Amy, no longer exists. What?!? Yeah, I know! Leave it to Kripke to suck us in with a heartbreaking sibling bond (Winchester Brothers style). Like I said, he knows how to make his characters relatable. You really feel for Lucy throughout the season.

Wyatt Logan (Matt Lanter) is a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Army Delta Force. He is badass and charming as hell. He’s the soldier of the bunch, so the gang relies on his survival skills and stellar instincts to get out of jams. We also learn that his wife died, so now that time travel is possible, he wants to go back in time to save her life. Awww!

To make things even more juicy, he has palpable chemistry with Lucy and fans are really hoping these two will get together (#Lyatt/#Wucy!) 

 

Rufus Carlin (Malcolm Barrett) is a brilliant programmer who knows all about the time machine’s intricacies, so he pilots the Lifeboat on all of their missions and uses his tech knowledge to save the day on many occasions. Also, the “powers that be” blackmail Rufus into spying on Lucy and Wyatt during their excursions. Yeah, he doesn’t like it and neither do we!

Rufus also reminds us of the many harsh realities that had to be faced/overcome in the past and offers profound insights on racism and civil rights issues that have been present throughout history.

There’s even a bit of romance brewing between Rufus and his co-worker Jiya (Claudia Doumit), who proves to be a intelligent, funny, sweet and badass in her own right. We start seeing more of her as the season progresses.

 

 

 

Time travel rules

 

You cannot go back to any period of time in which you already exist. There are no “Whoa! It’s me.” slack-jawed moments, freaky doppelgangers, awkward or bizarro self-confrontations.  This also means the Time Team can’t simply go back in time to prevent Flynn from stealing the time machine, so don’t bother arguing about it. The writers thoughtfully covered their bases and have an answer to any question or scenario you can think of. Try them and you’ll see.

Blast to the Past

We have seen some awesome historical moments (and even a little bit of twistory):

The Pilot wonderfully sets the stage for the series and takes us back to the Hindenburg explosion. This is when the Time Team gets their first taste of what happens when history is altered in any way. Flynn also warns Lucy that one day they will be fighting Rittenhouse together. Here’s a season-long head-scratcher: Flynn has a journal Lucy writes in the future and he uses it as his guide for tracking down Rittenhouse.

Episode 2 breaks our hearts with “The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln”. Still one of the best episodes of this series and TV in general. It’s SO well done! The Time Team meets Abraham’s son and feels conflicted about letting Lincoln die. Will they try to save this legendary American hero or not?

Episode 3 distracts us with Rat Pack swagger, but the real focus is on the atom bomb, since Las Vegas is known as the “Atomic City” back in 1962. Time machines and atom bombs…this episode will make you nervous.

Episode 4 is so much fun because we get some killer James Bond action when the ‘Timeless’ trio teams up with Ian Flemming (Sean Maguire) in “Party at Castle Varlar“. Yes, it is as cool as it sounds. And it is surprisingly educational. Maguire is effortlessly smooth as Flemming and the episode is full of hilarious Bond allusions.

Episode 5 keeps us on the edge of our seats as the team becomes part of the action during “The Alamo.” We meet Davey Crocket and learn more about Wyatt’s experiences in the army. Lucy and Rufus also have some wonderful moments of their own. Brace yourself for some feels!

Episode 6 starts giving us more insight on Rittenhouse when the team travels back to 1972 to procure a crucial piece of evidence in “The Watergate Tape.” This episode is a fascinating game-changer that’s full of big revelations and twists. You start getting answers before growing too antsy. You’ll also start asking more questions and develop new theories based on the info revealed.

In Episode 7, Flynn leaves the team “Stranded” in 1754, when he damages the Lifeboat and Rufus has to find a way to repair it with limited resources. Despite how dire the situation sounds, there are a lot of funny moments and some great punchy dialogue mixed within the tension. Another stellar and heart-pounding installment!

“Timeless” soars to the moon in Episode 8. Flynn plants a virus in NASA’s computer system, jeopardizing America’s standing in the “Space Race.” The episode reveals some more interesting history about Flynn and his family. I also love how the history explored in ‘Hidden Figures’  is incorporated into the narrative when Rufus reaches out to Kathrine Johnson (Nadine Ellis) for help. It is very cleverly done. Lucy also stands up for women’s rights (Don’t call her “doll” or expect her to fetch you coffee.) Another powerful episode!

In Episode 9, “Last Ride of Bonnie & Clyde,” we see Wyatt and Lucy working alongside the Depression Era’s most notorious duo. The pair pose as lovers in an attempt to befriend Bonnie and Clyde. This is a huge episode for #Lyatt/#Wucy fans!

Episode 10 covers “The Capture of Benedict Arnold.” Hamilton fever has everyone eating-up stories from the American Revolution, so it is interesting to see their take on the era. This pivotal episode offers a massive revelation regarding Rittenhouse and it’s foundation. Flynn’s morality is questioned more than ever. How much is he willing to sacrifice to stop Rittenhouse? Will Lucy interfere with his plans? We’re left hanging during the hiatus, but it is well worth the wait.

‘Timeless’ returns with “The World’s Columbian Exposition,” a gripping and chilling episode that evokes a dark history, which ‘Supernatural’ fans are familiar with. The Time Team chases Flynn to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. He plans to take out Rittenhouse members: Henry Ford, Roosevelt, and Thomas Edison. Crazy, right?! Lucy enlists the help of Harry Houdini (so cool!) and the gang gets trapped in H.H. Holmes’ Murder Castle. Buckle up for an awesomely wild ride when you watch this one!

Fans of the Wild West love Episode 12, “The Murder of Jesse James.” We not only see Flynn team-up with Jesse James (Daniel Lissing), we also learn that the Lone Ranger was based on Bass Reeves (Colman Domingo). Yup, it sure makes for some fun and dangerous times. ‘Timeless’ throws us another curve ball when we meet a new recurring character, Emma Whitmore (Annie Wersching). 

Tensions rise when ‘Timeless’ takes us back to the 1980’s in “Karma Chameleon.” Episode 13 is full of risk and surprises for the Time Team. Wyatt and Rufus steal the Lifeboat and travel back in time in hopes of preventing the murder of Wyatt’s wife. Check out my detailed preview HERE (if you haven’t watched the season so far, there’ll be spoilers) and watch my animated video review of the episode HERE.

“The Lost Generation” is a special episode for ‘Supernatural’ fans because it marks Jim Beaver’s debut as Agent Neville. Unfortunately, he’s bad news for Agent Christopher. While Wyatt is in the doghouse, a new soldier, Dave Baumgardner (Victor Zinck Jr.), takes his place within the Time Team as they follow Flynn back to 1927 France. They meet Ernest Hemingway (Brandon Barash,) Josephine Baker (Tiffany Daniels) and Charles Lindbergh (Jesse Luken)! Check out my detailed  Episode 14 preview HERE (if you haven’t watched the season so far, there’ll be spoilers).

The penultimate episode of the season, “Public Enemy No. 1“,  is one of the most epic installments yet. ‘Supernatural’s’ Misha Collins guest stars as the untouchable Agent Eliot Ness, whom the Time Team must befriend in order to stop Flynn and his newly-formed alliance with Al Capone (Cameron Gharaee). Get more info on Episode 15 HERE (again, if you haven’t watched the season so far, there’ll be spoilers).

Season 1 comes to an end with “The Red Scare.” The Time Team must stop Flynn when he travels to 1954 D.C. in an effort to thwart an important, once-in-a-generation Rittenhouse meeting. Enjoy my Episode 15 review and a detailed, spoilery and theory-filled preview of the finale HERE.

Live tweet along with me on Twitter to get my reaction on the finale.

UPDATE: The ‘Timeless’ finale surpassed my expectations. It is brilliant, entertaining, surprising and riveting. It answers some of our questions and raises new ones for Season 2. I absolutely loved it! NBC really need to renew this spectacular series.

Here’s a deeper look at the finale: ’Timeless’ Season 1 twists and theories

#RenewTimeless Campaign

Ever since Kripke gave the go-ahead, we’ve been working hard to spread the word and show NBC how much ‘Timeless’ is loved. Please help out our campaign:

• Tell your friends about this show.
• Watch and rate the show online
• Keep tweeting @NBC and @Sony
• Thank advertisers for supporting the show (it makes a difference)
• You can find other ways to help HERE.

We have until May to convince NBC to keep this sensational series, so don’t give up!