Late
update tonight, since I wanted to wait for this sci-fi series’ first-season
finale to air. Inspired by the Terry Gilliam
film of the same name, 12 Monkeys
first came on my radar due to its male lead, Aaron Stanford (Birkhoff from Nikita); after finishing Nikita, I was jonesing for more from its
cast, and the prospect of Stanford was enough to overcome any presumptions
about the quality of SyFy originals or apprehension about the show’s
premise. Lucky I got past both of these
hurdles, because it’s a terrific show.
The
premise that gave me pause? A worldwide
pandemic that wipes out 7 billion people.
Brrr… In a post-apocalyptic 2043, a
single-minded scientist reignites a long-abandoned project to save the present
by changing the past. With the aid of a
rickety, temperamental time machine, she sends world-weary survivor James Cole
back to 2015 to prevent the virus. His
mission changes the life of Dr. Cassandra Railly, a dedicated virologist, in
the process; initially, she’s his only lead on the virus’s origins, but shaky
temporal tinkering throws them together too early in her timeline. Despite her early skepticism, Cassie is soon
converted to the cause, and she works with Cole to uncover the conspiracy
behind the virus’s release.
No, it’s
not a perfect show. It sometimes gets
tangled up in its own intricately-crossed timelines, it takes occasional
detours that, while still entertaining, distract from the central story, and a few
episodes suffer from separating Cole and Cassie for too-long stretches. However, it’s pretty darn great – savvy sci-fi
with a geeky eye for detail, strong characters at its core, and lots of stylish
design elements. There’s some terrific
dialogue, weighty without being overwritten, and all the various character
voices are distinct and engaging in their own ways. The show takes full advantage of its
time-travel framework and, so far, seems to be maintaining as reasonable an
internal consistency as one can expect of a time travel show. Best of all, thoughtful character work and
themes remain at the heart of the story.
In the midst of all the action, conspiracies, and timeline shenanigans,
we’re anchored by the growing connection between Cole and Cassie, and the show
always takes time out to explore larger issues.
When nearly the entire world is dead, how far can one go to change the past? If someone died of a virus anyway, is it
wrong to kill them in the past? Will
creating a new future absolve the sins it took to get there?
Aaron Stanford
is excellent as the brusque, obsessive Cole.
He conveys the weight of the ravaged life Cole has lived in 2043 while
still bringing humor and heart to his lighter moments. Amanda Schull does a fine job as Cassie, carrying
us on her journey from disbeliever to crusader.
She’s intelligent, strong, and caring, and her scenes with Cole
sparkle. Other notable performances
include Barbara Sukowa as Jones, the scientist desperate to change the past,
and Emily Hampshire as Jennifer, an unstable young woman with secrets about the
virus locked within her fractured mind. A
lot of Stanford’s friends from Nikita
along for the ride as well. Noah Bean
(Ryan) plays another major character on the show, and Xander Berkley (Percy)
and Peter Outerbridge (Ari) both make guest appearances. How long before Maggie Q or Lyndsy Fonseca
show up? Season 2, please?
Warnings
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