Travelers - General Discussion

[Meredith Quill]

Discuss Travelers Here!

[numbnut]

I want to enjoy the premise but I'm not sure if I buy it -- when they travel into new bodies, they know nothing about the lives of the hosts so how do they know where the hosts live? The plotting is rushed and spotty but I'll try one more ep.

Edited October 18, 2016 by numbnut

[Irishmaple]

That's how I felt about it too. Putting another consciousness into an intellectually challenged woman was irresponsible, as was putting somebody into a single mother with a vulnerable child who needs  tons of care. You can't just park an infant while you go save the world. Choosing a crackhead seems shortsighted too. Sure people living that kind of marginalized life die with tragic regularity but wouldn't the rebooted body still crave the drug? The social worker and his rebooted ex-client now crushing on each other is icky. If the characters stay on that path, I'm out. 

[numbnut]

9 hours ago, Irishmaple said:

That's how I felt about it too. Putting another consciousness into an intellectually challenged woman was irresponsible, as was putting somebody into a single mother with a vulnerable child who needs  tons of care. You can't just park an infant while you go save the world. Choosing a crackhead seems shortsighted too. Sure people living that kind of marginalized life die with tragic regularity but wouldn't the rebooted body still crave the drug? The social worker and his rebooted ex-client now crushing on each other is icky. If the characters stay on that path, I'm out. 

That kiss totally came out of nowhere. Why would she be thinking about romance when she's on a tight deadline to save the world? And who did the young mother leave the kid with? The writing is sloppy and I'm not a fan of Eric McCormack. If there's no improvement in episode two, I'm out too.

Edited October 19, 2016 by numbnut

[Cigale]

21 hours ago, numbnut said:

I want to enjoy the premise but I'm not sure if I buy it -- when they travel into new bodies, they know nothing about the lives of the hosts so how do they know where the hosts live? The plotting is rushed and spotty but I'll try one more ep.

They know all sorts of things about the hosts; the "invaders" said they had been able to consult their Facebook, twitter, etc, accounts.  That also explains why they took the body of the intellectually challenged woman:she and her case-worker had constructed a false Facebook profile for her, I don't remember why, where she identified her profession as librarian.  

[Latverian Diplomat]

I like the premise, but the first episode was table setting. A lot will depend on what their goals are, and what obstacles/adversaries they will have to deal with.

There are a few host complications that they didn't see to plan for/didn't know about? but there must be more obstacles on the way.

It was also unclear how they could know all those times of death so precisely. Unless someone dies with medical staff in attendance, time of death is just an estimate, right?

[Canada]

Even with the flaws, I already love this 100x more than Timeless, which I've now given up on.

[Meredith Quill]

Whilst watching, the question I kept asking myself is; if the host body died how does simply downloading a new consciousness into it prevent the body dying?? The injury that caused the host to die still exists?

#confused.

[Fex]

15 hours ago, SilverStormm said:

Whilst watching, the question I kept asking myself is; if the host body died how does simply downloading a new consciousness into it prevent the body dying?? The injury that caused the host to die still exists?

#confused.

I think that they download right before the death and prevent it? Like with Will Truman and the elevator shaft. And the young guy walked away from the fight, so he got a concussion, instead of dying. But if that's the case, why was the police officer that had a heart attack considered? Hopefully we'll get more explanation.

I really liked the premiere, but we'll see how I feel after another episode. I too have given up on Timeless.

Edited October 22, 2016 by Fex

[zxy556575]

I really enjoyed it although I thought it would have been more interesting to have MacLaren stay as himself in the present and work with the travelers. I tend to like body switching and fish out of water plots, so am favorably predisposed. I'll be interested to see what kind of problems the travelers create for themselves as they try to blend. Glad that Trevor refused to have sex with not-his-girlfriend.

Social worker David is featured on the posters I've seen so apparently he will remain in the picture even though it seems like Marcy would no longer need him around?

Edited October 23, 2016 by lordonia

[Irishmaple]

The second episode didn't hold my attention. Despite the major historical event averted by the team, I found the episode dull. I never felt any suspense or tension because all of the actors delivered their lines in monotones.

I wish they hadn't included the infant in the storyline because every time I see his "mother", it takes me out of the show. I saw she had a babysitter but she's out day and night, and the infant has a violent, vindictive father. The social worker should make himself useful and check out that baby's situation.

I'm struggling with the doctor/social worker storyline too. He has allowed all professional boundaries to collapse and is entering unethical conduct territory.He is still Marcy's case worker and she is behaving atypically. He's just going to believe her when she says she wasn't involved with the plane crash, despite hearing a small explosion and then the CPR? Social workers are generally not that gullible. Overworked, yes, but not gullible.

I did enjoy the reveal that the heroin addiction didn't die with the body and that Traveler is struggling with his corpse. The Director seems to be half-assing this vital mission.

[Fex]

I'm still liking it, and looking forward to seeing where it goes. 

On 10/25/2016 at 10:52 AM, Irishmaple said:

The social worker should make himself useful and check out that baby's situation.

Ha! That is awesome. And also, completely true. I don't know if that poor kid is much better off than if his mother had died!

I just noticed that in my post last week, I referred to the FBI agent as "Will Truman" when I thought I was using the actor's name... whoops! Maybe I should just learn the character's name.

[Irishmaple]

If anyone from the show is monitoring this thread, they must be delighted to see they held on to two viewers from last week!

"Will's" character is named McLaren or some variant of that. Aside from Marcy, I remember none of the other characters' names and that's a really bad sign for me. I was on another thread elsewhere on the site today and I recalled the name of a character from a show that aired probably around 1984. I rarely forget anyone's name. This episode aired Monday night and I remember two characters by name. Both of them annoy me so there's that. The rest of them don't stand out beyond Mother of Infant, Heroin Addict and the MMA kid. I think I'm watching the show to make sure the baby is ok. (My work is Family Support so the storyline is killing me!)

[zxy556575]

45 minutes ago, Irishmaple said:

If anyone from the show is monitoring this thread, they must be delighted to see they held on to two viewers from last week!

I'm still on board but the show doesn't inspire a lot of exited chatter. To say the least.

It looks like the focus is going to be on the Travelers' quest to fix the future. I'm kind of more interested to see how they cope with their pretend lives -- kids, family, jobs but it's not that kind of show. In reality, I don't think it would take but a couple of days before spouses or close friends would start reaching for the psychiatric help line.

[KoBnR]

On 10/27/2016 at 8:59 PM, lordonia said:

I'm still on board but the show doesn't inspire a lot of exited chatter. To say the least.

It looks like the focus is going to be on the Travelers' quest to fix the future. I'm kind of more interested to see how they cope with their pretend lives -- kids, family, jobs but it's not that kind of show. In reality, I don't think it would take but a couple of days before spouses or close friends would start reaching for the psychiatric help line.

Episode 3 did just that in my opinion. The strongest episode so far. I'm really enjoying the show. I hope it sticks around. Timeless and Frequency lost me. Travelers and Westworld grabbed me. Great shows with great potential. Loved tonight's episode. Glad one of them wants to save some of the lives. And great cliff-hanger.

[zxy556575]

I liked episode 3 a lot, now that the travelers are settling in a bit. Canned corn, yum!

I wonder if we'll get to see the future at any point.

I'm not sure how the Director can know that a child who died would have done or become something important as an adult, because that future never happened.

Poor Phillip, being all doped up and trying to buck the system in order to help random strangers. He might not have been the best personality type to send back.

[Irishmaple]

I'm still struggling with the show and three episodes is my limit but last night's was better. I liked Philip for the first time. It was interesting to watch him develop a conscience and try to repair some of the damage caused by his host. Going off-mission and trying to save people was also intriguing. Trevor found someone he might be invested in too so I want to see if he and Philip will continue the side missions. I wonder if the person Trevor identified is the blonde girl from his school? The one bullied by his host's girlfriend.

I wish I liked the female characters better but Marcy isn't working for me because I don't enjoy her storyline with the social worker. And I really don't like the baby's mother. I think McLaren is going to get his FBI partner hurt or killed so I'm not thrilled with him either. The show is also playing coy with his relationship with Kat. Is he sleeping with his host's wife? 

I also liked the hints of disenchantment with the Director because I'm not impressed with him either. Stop possessing little kids already!

[Irishmaple]

I didn't see this episode due to a work thing. Did I miss anything?

[zxy556575]

3 hours ago, Irishmaple said:

I didn't see this episode due to a work thing. Did I miss anything?

Mission went awry. ;)

Full episodes are available at Showcase, if that's an option for you.

[Irishmaple]

Finally caught this episode on demand and, yeah, I don't know that this show is working for me any more. I was very intrigued by the premise: these future humans coming back to save humanity from extinction, somehow transferring their own consciousness into present day corpses. It had some flaws but I did like the idea. It's the execution I'm finding lacking.

It's been four episodes and I have no idea what the plan is. Exactly how is the future intending to save the present? The team averted that big explosion in the premiere but why were those particular lives valuable? What changed for the present when the truck didn't go boom? If saving humanity is that important, why can't Philip go out and save random humans? What's the big play here? The teams seem to be moving pieces on a board but I'd like a hint of where it's all supposed to go.

I also find the character stuff uninteresting. I don't really care about McLaren and his tactician having a pre-existing relationship. I was interested in seeing him adapt to the intimacies and frustrations of a long term marriage. Kat seems like a lovely woman and she's getting a crappy deal. The baby's mother isn't at all inconvenienced by having an infant and I was hoping she would start bonding with him, putting her part in the mission into question.  Marcy bores me. Did anyone here watch Hell on Wheels? I think I just recognized the actress from that show where she played Bohannon's Mormon wife, Naomi. I do like Philip and Trevor, and their storylines, but who did Trevor recognize last week and why was that just dropped? 

My final complaint concerns the lack of interest, surprise, horror or pleasure that the team members get from being in the present. McLaren is vegetarian. By choice for ethical reasons or because that was his only option? I get that they're supposed to be focused, but nothing they see, hear or experience seems to have any meaning to most of them. Trevor is clearly enjoying the physicality of his new body and is adapting to what must be the bizarre experience of having helicopter parents. Philip continues to try to manage his addiction and I give him credit for not burying Ian Tracy in the garden. I'm not really caring about the mission or three of the main characters. I like the two guys and Forbes, and I'd like to see more of Kat and Trevor's mother.

[Irishmaple]

Apologies for hogging the thread but there don't seem to be many of us watching and I may abandon the ship as well. That was a very tedious episode. Aside from cementing my love of Trevor and the reveal that Philip was modified, I was bored. Who has them? Don't care. What's with the questions? Don't care. The baby's mother is ready to lay waste to anyone who hurts Jeffrey despite spending little to no time with him?  That baby is going to develop a massive attachment disorder. I was unconvinced. Marcy and David? The less I see of them, the better. The family annihilation at the beginning was horrifying and now I'm concerned about that poor, traumatized teen girl as well. The collateral damage on this show is more compelling than most of the main characters. My take on future humans? They're mostly jerks.

[zxy556575]

The show is poorly plotted and ridiculous and I don't care about any of the team, but I'm still hanging in for some reason. Guess I'm curious where they can possibly take it?

[zibnchy]

I suppose it's stupid to ask a question about this stupid show but. . .

Episode 5 begins with an almost car crash that "kills" 3 of the 4 people. So the parents and brother become travelers but something goes wrong and the teen girl is left alive and, well, untraveler-ized. So the mother/traveler says something to the daughter like "Go to visit grandma and in a few days I'll come get you and we'll be all happy and normal again."

So this new traveler team's mission is supposed to last ~48 hours. What happens then? Do they go back to their present time home and just live out their lives pretending to be the dead people? Or do they go on more missions and just ignore their "daughter" (like Phillip and Elizabeth ignore Henry on The Americans.)?

What about the high school guy who, in the future, was obviously older and wiser? Does he go back to the future after the mission or stay in HS?

One more thing, Eric M's character seems really useless and uninteresting. Does he have a producer credit? Doesn't he have enough clout to get his character written better?

[zxy556575]

1 hour ago, zibnchy said:

So this new traveler team's mission is supposed to last ~48 hours. What happens then? Do they go back to their present time home and just live out their lives pretending to be the dead people?

My assumption has been that all the incoming teams continue on in the bodies they took over, just like the team we're following and the ones they interact with. They're supposed to complete various missions while living out the lives of the dead. Whether they ever get to return to their future time once the past is "fixed," I got no clue.

[waving feather]

I actually am enjoying the show. The plots every week aren't the most riveting but I like the actors and how it was shot. The cinematography and direction is good.

The main focus on this show, to me, is not their big end game of fixing the future or not even living the lives of their hosts but how they navigate through the vague missions the director gives them and their team work. My favorites are Philip and Trevor. Philip is such an interesting character and I see the connection he has with Marcy. Marcy is so much more likable whenever she's away from her social worker. I was alright with the social worker in the first episode because he was taken by surprise, but it seems like he purposely wants to blur the boundaries now... making dinner for her etc. So inappropriate. I actually like McLaren better when he was actually McLaren. That dude was cool. This version from the future, he's uptight and boring.

I don't have any clue what is going to happen next each episode and am just enjoying the ride so far.

[Snarkette]

I just want this to be cancelled and to read the "how it would have ended article". Instead, I'm watching regularly and I'm not enjoying it.

(I like the social worker)

[Irishmaple]

This episode was actually good. It had plot and new characters important to the plot. It would have made one hell of a second or third episode, and made this a series in which I could invest. Instead, this is episode 6, halfway through the season (It's on Showcase and most of their series run twelve episodes per season) and now they get to the interesting stuff? Did I miss a hint that an asteroid was on a collision course with Earth? Because I would have been willing to overlook all manner of questionable shit if I knew there was an asteroid on its way.

I had a feeling over the last week or so that the show was spinning its wheels, holding back something while irritating me with annoying storylines, and it seems that was so. None of the episodes between averting the explosion and last night's attempt to deflect the asteroid seemed to be leading here. Why is Philip worried about random strangers (even though I liked that about him) when Asteroid? Why kidnap the team and question them when Asteroid? Was someone assembling that huge laser piece by tiny piece in a shed somewhere while various teams brought little components? Couldn't Trevor have done that onscreen so we could understand the importance of the deliveries and why the Russians going rogue was so bad? And shortsighted. What's the Russian for Asteroid?

I really like Trevor. The actor is doing great, both as the kid finding his place and as the older soul inside. I was really disappointed that Bruce didn't survive because The Engineer would have been a great addition to the show. I hope some of the elderly people survived too because it would suck to come all that way just to die. The Director gets shit done like a boss though. The military guy caught on but he was completely outmatched. Solid episode. I wish it had aired sooner and given the series structure. 

[zxy556575]

Yeah, I don't see why the show couldn't have explained the asteroid hit from the start and had the first few episodes feature the team settling in and doing small jobs leading up to it.

I don't see how MacLaren is going to be able to keep his FBI job when he keeps ditching work and acting like a paranoid flake.

At the chemical plant (or whatever), once Gleason's Army guys figured out that the Traveler snipers weren't shooting to kill, why not just stop firing back and walk to the building. Jeez. Gleason's magic gun must have had 50 rounds.

I'm still hanging it to find out what happens. Marcy's stupid goodbye call to David is going to come back to haunt her, is my guess.

[Irishmaple]

And after a good episode last week, the show immediately reverts to sheer, unrelenting tedium. What the hell was that? I seriously can't stand McLaren any more. Child Protection Services finally comes around and then tamely leaves in the face of hostility and paranoia. I wouldn't be leaving that room without the baby.  Marcy guides David through a spinal tap and ...is he on drugs? How can he consider that appropriate?  Performing surgery on oneself, that degree of self harming, is not indicative of a psychologically healthy person, and is a freaking huge red flag, and he walked into a literal bloodbath. To someone unfamiliar with her actual story, Marcy looks like she belongs on a locked ward. There's trust, and then there's too stupid to live, and David is falling on the wrong side of that line for me.

The only things that made me happy was Philip's adoption of the turtle and his apparent determination to get a grasp on his addiction. And Trevor. Trevor seriously makes everything better.

[zxy556575]

Thanks for posting, @Irishmaple. I watch online and sometimes forget about new episodes until this forum comes up bold on my home page. :)

The literal bloodbath after Marcy's surgery was ridiculous. Why was she even in the tub? She only cut into her skin 1/4 of an inch. I agree with all your points on the stupidity.

Anyway. What are we to make of the Ian Tracey character turning out to be a Traveler? Why didn't he say something before this?

Edited December 1, 2016 by lordonia

[Irishmaple]

Did that actually happen? It was at the NA meeting, right? I thought Philip was hallucinating that all the members were Travelers and that's what got him to admit to his addiction.  At this stage, Vancouver seems to be playing host to more Travelers than actual present-day humans. 

[zxy556575]

Ah, could be. Maybe I was hallucinating right along with Phillip.

[waving feather]

Philip and Trevor are the only ones I like now. I used to like Marcy until she and her social worker started to have the is weird relationship. The social worker gives me the creeps because he's crossing so many boundaries.

[Irishmaple]

I'm starting to see why humanity is almost extinct in The Future; it's because they're all freaking here. Vancouver is thick with Travelers. It seems like every second person on this show is from elsewhere. Maybe that was a Travelers NA meeting last week. They certainly have the numbers. 

Everything in this episode would have been better shown earlier in the season, particularly the Carly bits. I wanted to see her bond with baby Jeffrey but not in episode 8 or 9. I wanted David censured for his inappropriate actions with Marcy but again earlier. I didn't like that the administrator was painted as a bad guy for having serious reservations about Marcy. He was right, based on the evidence he had. David was having an inappropriate personal relationship with a woman defrauding the notoriously underfunded social services. Even the new guy didn't interest me because Travelers have gone rogue before, but really none of this matters to me because Asteroid. I mean, isn't this the show's hook? There's an extinction event asteroid out there and no one is even mildly concerned anymore. Honestly I give up. This show makes no sense.

Is Trevor courting his teacher? I realize he is a hundred years old but his host is a teen so he might want to dial that back. However it is Trevor and Betty from Continuum so I think it's cute too!

[waving feather]

I've been enjoying this show but if they pursue the gross relationship or even friendship between David and Marcy, I may give up on it.  David's boss was the only one making sense and they make him out to be the bad guy with Marcy threatening him at the end of the episode. Don't BS me that their relationship is purely platonic. They have touched lips twice and she has slept on his lap etc. And Marcy is so busy with David, she hardly has time for the mission or the team. It seems like Philip is the most focused on the mission at hand because he has no other life besides being a druggie. I loved him coming as the lawyer. And poor Trevor, he can't ever be the good student.

[Irishmaple]

I really enjoyed watching old soul Trevor and his Dad try to figure each other out. Too bad the others got in the way of their attempt at bonding.

I like Philip trying to gut out his detox and rehab.

So Kat knows now. I wish I cared. 

[zxy556575]

Goodness, if the plane needed to crash for future reasons, why not just stop that Senator guy from getting on? Or if he needed to be on the plane to die, why did Marcy defibrillate him back to life in the first place?

Not that I'd be broken up about losing MacLaren, but I'm pretty sure he survives. Although he missed the perfect opportunity to be rid of an impediment to his mission, i.e., Kat.

Along those lines, Carly needs to give up on: the baby, trying to make CPS happy, getting a job, and the dangerous cop boyfriend. Move into the hideout and concentrate on the mission. I can see no reason for Marcy not to do the same, either, except for being in damned love.

Does it seem like the team has been off mission more than they've been on?

On 12/6/2016 at 10:09 AM, waving feather said:

I've been enjoying this show but if they pursue the gross relationship or even friendship between David and Marcy, I may give up on it.

Uh oh.

Edited December 20, 2016 by lordonia

[waving feather]

6 minutes ago, lordonia said:

Does it seem like the team has been off mission more than they've been on?

On 12/6/2016 at 11:09 PM, waving feather said:

I've been enjoying this show but if they pursue the gross relationship or even friendship between David and Marcy, I may give up on it.

Uh oh.

UH OH is right. I'm the few who actually liked this show, but now I don't know whether I can continue to watch.

[zibnchy]

Ep. 10 was dull. McLaren is the dullest character and his flashbacks are dull. So here's a question - Traveler McLaren doesn't retain any of Original McLaren's memories. None of the travelers receive their original's memories. So how do the travelers so convincingly portray the person after taking over. Do they study them from the future? If so, why was Philip's little heroin addiction a surprise? And Marcy's seizures or whatever her deal is.

You know what I'd like to see? Supposedly Trevor is an old soul or something. I want more information about that, maybe a little backstory (I know they aren't supposed to talk about the before time). I'd also like to see Trevor ace his GED and leave high school and that toxic family and girlfriend behind.

[Irishmaple]

I guess my relationship with this show is ending. I forgot it was on last night. Totally forgot.

[zxy556575]

This show is sure stretching out the interesting parts.

[FrankOFoley]

Jumping in here to say that I really like this show--the characters, the actors portraying them, the pacing, the predicaments, the technology from the future. It is one of the few that I look forward to each week while I wait for Better Call Saul, GOT, ummm that's about it.

[waving feather]

I wish the focus is more on Philip and Trevor and less on Grant and his boring life or Marcy and her gross relationship.

[zxy556575]

Will there be more interest when the series drops on U.S. Netflix? Who knows, but the All Episodes thread is spoiler city.

[JohnnyBravo]

I like this show very much and look forward to each new episode.

[blueray]

I just finished watching the pilot on netflix. I guess it was okay, not the but not amazing. I was disappointed at the end when the detective turned into one of them too. That immediately lost the connection to the present time by a main character.  I personally was looking forward to seeing him interact with them as himself not some random future guy. Also since they did save him from falling, what happened to the real one, as he didn't die like the others?

Maybe it's because I work with the developmentally disabled population but Marcy's storyline bothered me. First of all, it seemed like she had a moderate intellectual disability (they said severe at one point) sure it's minor mistake. They mention how she has been in an institution most of her life, I feel like that wouldn't be the case, seeing as she seems to be in her 20's.  Most of that kind of thinking would have been outlawed when she was born.  Also the role of her social worker seems to be taking up multiple jobs.  He most likely wouldn't be her job coach, community instructor and case worker. Sadly, there is no way he would have enough time to devote that much time to her, as he would have at least 15 other cases just like hers. Also how did she figure out where he lived and why didn't he find that weird. The last thing that bothered me was that they never mentioned the death of the librarian. She would have been found dead outside. This of course could be dealt with later. Hopefully it is and she revenges her death as well as Marcy's.

Anyhow, this show was okay. It's not as good as similar shows such as Continuum and the 4400.

[enchantingmonkey]

Didn't the librarian run off when Marcy was banging on the window?  

[Clanstarling]

I wasn't particularly wowed by the trailer, but I enjoyed the pilot. I was surprised the detective was taken over, but I'm willing to roll with it. I think Marcy's social worker may be the connection to the present time for the show.

When it came to saving the detective from the fall, my main thought was, well, that was a very long fall since they stood around and talked a bit before he got the download.

Minor things: Was the baby left entirely alone? Was the dead cop and lawyer trying to set the one with the junkie's body up? (the cop mentioned something about being able to find him with drugs on him, and the lawyer is the one who provided some.)

Anyway, I have a love of most things time travel related, so I'll keep watching it. Good time for it to debut- none of my regular shows are on.

Speaking of Continuum and the 4400, it's always good to see Ian Tracey (the lawyer) who was in both.

[blueray]

On 12/24/2016 at 8:16 PM, enchantingmonkey said:

Didn't the librarian run off when Marcy was banging on the window?  

I rewatched the scene and your right she did get away.

And I agree its nice to see Ian, who still Adam in Sanctuary even though I've seen him in a lot of other shows.

[snowwhyte]

I thought this was interesting. The Quantum Leap method of time travel, inhabit someone else's body in the past, seems like one of the worst ways to time travel. I couldn't imagine trying to figure out fitting into someone else's life and pretending to be someone else while adjusting to living in the past.