While I’m trying to calm down enough to write my recap of Travelers season 3, episode 1, I’ve decided to write a quick, spoiler-free review of the three episodes I’ve watched so far. I need to watch so closely and pay so much attention to detail in order to write recaps that sometimes I forget how much I LOVE THIS SHOW!!
I suppose a review has to be more than emojis and me saying, “I really, really love Travelers,” over and over, though. 😘❤️
Travelers is smart, consistent and filled with amazing acting and characters. The science and technology are fascinating and based on realistic, cutting edge science, but it doesn’t overwhelm the human aspect of the story. With two seasons behind it, the show has developed enough history to refer back to previous storylines in new episodes and to bring back almost forgotten characters. It’s especially exciting to see dangling plot threads from early in season 1 revisited.
If there’s one thing I adore, it’s a show that remembers its history. The other thing is a show that has consistent rules for its science fiction universe, and sticks to them. Travelers succeeds in this aspect, as well, with a few nods to timeline changes and the Director’s omniscience and long-range planning, which leads to misconceptions that can take more than a season to clear up.
After season 2 had McClaren’s team getting bogged down in their hosts’ original lives*, season 3 begins with those lives exploding around them, thanks to Vincent/001. The season picks up within hours of the end of season 2, episode 12, 001. Viewers don’t have to wait long to discover the answers to many of the questions that were left open at the end of season 2.
Episodes 1 and 2 deal directly with the aftermath of 001’s plot and provide the new set up for season 3. They are exciting and fast-paced. Episode 3 slows the pace down a bit to give viewers time to catch their breath, and functions as more of a character study and a look into the way the Director works through timeline changes. As the series continues, timeline changes become more relevant, so this is an important aspect to explore.
The balance of these three episodes continues the show’s history of dividing its attention between larger political and global historical issues, issues that affect Travelers and the team, social justice issues, glimpses into the future and future technology, and the personal lives of the team. We’re introduced to new recurring characters and a few old friends reassuringly appear.
I’ve gotten my flu shot, so hopefully I can stay healthy through recapping all ten episodes this year! As of the first three episodes, some of my predictions for season 3 were spot on, and some were spectacularly wrong, which is great! It keeps the show exciting and unpredictable, but still logical. Some of the characters are already showing different sides of themselves, so my discussion of them will look different as well.
This is a fantastic beginning to the season and I can’t wait to watch and recap the rest of the episodes. The Travelers universe is expanding in new and exciting directions, some expected and some completely unforeseen. The cast and crew continue to bring us a creative and carefully constructed view into a unique alternate reality.
Netflix’s Travelers was created by Brad Wright of Stargate SG:1 fame. It stars Eric McCormack, MacKenzie Porter, Nesta Cooper, Jared Abrahamson, Reilly Dolman and Patrick Gilmore.
Grade for episodes 1-3: A
*This is all a normal part of the bodyswapping process, according to leading researcher Dr Michel Vautier of Transfers. In case you were wondering.
Check out the rest of Metawitches’ Travelers posts HERE.
Travelers Protocols:
Protocol 1: The mission comes first.
Protocol 2: Leave the future in the past. Don’t jeopardize your cover.
Protocol 2H: Historian updates are not to be discussed with anyone. Ever.
Protocol 3: Don’t take a life. Don’t save a life. Unless otherwise directed.
Protocol 4: Do not reproduce.
Protocol 5: In the absence of direction, resume your host’s life.
Protocol 6: Traveler teams should stay apart unless instructed otherwise.
T.E.L.L.: The Time, Elevation, Latitude, and Longitude of what would have been the historical death of a Traveler’s host body.
Traveler numbers:
MacLaren-3468
Marcy-3569
Trevor-0115
Carly-3465
Phillip-3326
Grace-0027
Forbes-4991
Vincent-001 5692
Katrina Perrow-001
Simon-004 ??
Image courtesy of Netflix.
Metawitches 
Possible Spoilers!!!!!
I too have watched the first three episodes, but I can’t give it an A. Stil, I give it an up and down–or should I say down and up– B-.
First the good: Episode 3 is excellent. It’s filled with emotion and helps to tie up a thread from season 1.
However, the first two episodes tell me that we’re going to have a ton of loose threads running through this season, a season that is only 10 episodes long.
1. Grace disappears after the first episode. She should have been a part of the second episode so that we could see what happened after she was left handcuffed.
2. Simon makes a quick appearance and then disappears. I’ll admit his disappearance might have been explained; but if it was, I apologize.
3. Episode 1 tries to wrap up the cliffhanger from season 2 with one of the no-nos of storytelling–the act of god–or in this case the act of memory inhibitor. But the inhibitor doesn’t work completely. Something tells me that we’ll have to ride this roller coaster throughout the season. A better end to the cliffhanger would be better.
4. I just started episode 4, and we’re finally getting to Travelor 1 and Doctor Perrow. Are you kidding me? They/he/she should have been a part of the first episode or at least the second.
As you might imagine, I did not find the first two episodes compelling, okay but not compelling. I loved episode 3. Unfortunately, the first two episodes seem like so much filler; which means that at only 10 episodes, season 3 is on the road to disappointment.
LikeLike
You make some very good, and interesting, points. I’m especially excited about this season because in the four episodes I’ve now seen, it feels like many of the issues I had with season 2 are being addressed, and I’m starting to see a direction emerge with some other issues, such as Grace. I agree with you, her treatment has been terrible. I got sidetracked from recapping and wrote a whole essay about Grace last night, which I may or may not publish. But I also think there’s a method to the Director’s madness 99% of the time, and the other times the Faction interfered.
The show’s entire premise is Deux ex Machina, and they play with it a lot, becoming blatant in S2 Ep7, 17 minutes, and now exploring the ramifications of overusing it. They also play with time, location, and continuity.
The recurring and guest characters, like Grace and Aleksander, show us the harshness of the protocols. They encourage the Travelers to be single-minded and selfish with real people they encounter everyday, which is actually a real world issue for people who are trying to save the world. The problems of an individual always look petty next to global issues, so people put their families and friends on the backburner indefinitely. The show has explored this multiple ways and continues to explore it.
These are the character issues which interest me and which blend perfectly with the science fiction aspects of the show. I’m fine with them being serialized over the season and the series, especially as time goes on and the longer arcs become more clear.
But I can see where it would be frustrating if you’re mainly watching for other aspects, and it’s annoying that our favorite characters don’t get more attention. The show also used uneven pacing with 001 in season 2. I thought it would have been better to show a bit of the therapy session in S2 Ep1 in each episode all season, so we didn’t forget about Vincent, but I think our experience was supposed to mimic the characters’ experience of 001. I’m not sure the idea worked. I’m also not sure we’ll fully understand this show until it’s done, assuming it gets all of the seasons it needs to tell its story.
Thanks for your comment! I hope you’re enjoying the rest of the season more!
LikeLike
I too am a huge Travelers fan. But I couldn’t watch without recaps, as the plots are too convoluted for me to follow on my own. So, thanks!! And nudge-nudge, please post yours soon!
LikeLike
Working on it! Lots to talk about!
LikeLike