The Timeless Connection of History

WARNING: This review contains spoilers! 

Last night on NBC hit another home run for the television show, Timeless. The brand new episode, "The Kennedy Curse" aired on its usual time slot on Sunday night and not only did the writers bring the energy up for this one, but the show took a new direction from their regular format. It's no surprise Timeless offers just about everything for audiences of all kind. The show offers a great amount of suspense, romantic storylines, and twists and turns that keep the viewer guessing and constantly intrigued. This show is so smart and well-written, that it always keeps the audience wanting more each week.

The usual format for Timeless for the past season and a half so far has been following Lucy (Abigail Spencer), Wyatt (Matt Lanter), and Rufus (Malcolm Barrett) in the time machine to another point in history. The show has taken their fans on epic adventures throughout time like the Hindenburg, the Salem Witch Trials, 1940s Hollywood, and more. One of the most difficult challenges that comes with time travel in television is constantly keeping a balance between present time and past time, but the show has no problem with that at all. The writing flows effortlessly that it never confuses the audience and the characters are easy to keep track of. 

While Lucy, Wyatt, and Rufus are a huge part of the show, as well as Flynn (Goran Visjnic) and the entire time team, perhaps one of the most incredible reasons this show stands out is the historical characters they feature every week. "The Kennedy Curse" took so many brilliant risks that it elevated the strength of the already established Timeless energy. Rather than going back in time, Wyatt and Rufus go with Flynn to 1934 to chase Rittenhouse to stop them from killing a young John F. Kennedy. However, in order to protect Kennedy, Wyatt and Rufus kidnap him, leave Flynn behind, and bring Kennedy to present time 2018. 

For the past season and a half, Timeless has brought their Time Team to history and last night, the writers brought history to the fans. Each historical character has been magnificent to watch in each episode. From Bonnie and Clyde to Lincoln to Hedy Lamarr and more; the show has created impressive and lovable versions of monumental figures in time. When it comes to introducing such an important historical figure like John F. Kennedy in the show, Timeless didn't disappoint.

Grant Jordan played the beloved young JFK in the episode and blended well with the other Timeless veterans. Kennedy woke up in the bunker and was greeted by a stunned Lucy, who couldn't believe Wyatt and Rufus kidnapped him. When Kennedy asked what was going on, Lucy informs him that someone tried to kill him and his father requested security watch out for him. She tells him that Wyatt and Rufus saved his life, but when they leave the room, something feels off to Kennedy. Lucy goes back into the room later on to find out that Kennedy has escaped the bunker through the air vents. 

Wyatt, Lucy, and Wyatt's wife, Jessica form a search party to find Kennedy. At this point, Jessica has been informed of the time traveling Lifeboat in the previous episode and has come back into Wyatt's life, causing some uneasiness between Lucy and Wyatt. Meanwhile, Agent Christopher is kidnapped by Carol (Susanna Thompson) and threatened when she is trying to find out where Kennedy is. 

Kennedy has made his way around present time to a gas station and immediately discovers it is the year 2018 from a magazine. He then, meets a few young students and hitches a ride with them to a party. While on the way to the party, Kennedy's issues with his health start to affect him and he ends up in the hospital. Knowing his history very well, Lucy manages to track Kennedy to the hospital with Wyatt and Jessica. The only problem is that Emma (Anna Wersching) tracks Kennedy to the hospital and tries to kill him. 

Kennedy makes it to the party with help from his new friends and eventually tells the young girl he is with that he is John F. Kennedy from 1934. Rather than think he is crazy, she indulges his proclamation and she shows Kennedy who he becomes. Kennedy finds out that he becomes President of the United States, but also that his family suffers tragedy after tragedy. Finally, he discovers he is killed two years into his term.

For every moment in this show, the biggest thing that was important to Lucy and the others was to never mess with history. Lucy was the one member of the team who cared the most about keeping the timeline the same. Timeless decided to take an entirely different route and informed a major historical character of his future before it happened. Grant Jordan's genuine reactions to these events came off the screen phenomenally.

His portrayal as one of the most amazing Presidents in the world was real and heartfelt. His character fit in effortlessly with the Timeless cast. The reason this episode made more of an impact on most of the fans was because Timeless has spent the past season and a half following history, but in this episode the show redefined history. 

By bringing Kennedy to 2018, the show created an incredible and unique connection between this amazing historical figure and the fans. The idea that a show can profoundly affect viewers in this timeframe by bringing them closer to people who made huge impacts on the world is one of the most impressive and exciting feelings ever. 

When they return Kennedy to his time, he asks Lucy if he was a great President. Lucy informs him that he was one of the best. This moment is a real defining point in Lucy's transformation as well because Rufus tells Kennedy to not go to Dallas. He tries to stop Kennedy from being assassinated and while Rufus makes the mistake in telling him the wrong city, Lucy didn't stop Rufus. Lucy wanted Kennedy to change his fate and knowing how strongly she felt about keeping history the same, watching her make that kind of decision shows how passionately she felt about this amazing human being.

When fans feel that connection with the main characters, when they sense the passion and admiration that Lucy and Rufus have for Kennedy and what he accomplished, it is heartbreaking. Because Timeless has redefined a moment in history for an entire generation that brought them closer to John F. Kennedy himself.

That is the impressive and beautiful thing about this show. Watching it every week is a Timeless Connection to History. 

You can catch Timeless on NBC on Sunday night at 10/9c. 

Timeless: Making a Mark on History

Warning: This post contains spoilers! 

The art of storytelling through television is one that leaves a huge impression on an audience, especially when those particular shows create a loyal fanbase. Television networks are no strangers to the infamous fan campaigns that start after they make the decision to cut off a favorite from their lineup. This has happened in more than one case for the television network, NBC. Back in 2016, NBC aired the pilot for its Action/Adventure Drama series, Timeless. The creators, Eric Kripke (CW's Supernatural, NBC's Revolution) and Shawn Ryan (The Shield), had what appeared to be a hit on their hands when the pilot debuted to a viewership of 7.60 million. However, the ratings continued to drop throughout the first season and eventually, NBC made the decision to cut Timeless from their regular programming. 

Back in 2009, around that timeframe, NBC had an action-packed comedy series premiere called Chuck starring Zachary Levi (Tangled, DC's Shazam). The show had aired for two seasons and then after the season two finale, NBC was putting Chuck up on the chopping block until a fan campaign with Zachary Levi and Subway at the forefront saved the series for another three seasons. 

After the cancellation of Timeless, the loyal fanbase gained from season one banned together for another campaign against NBC's decision. With their dedication and efforts, the show was given a second season on the network and has recently started airing their new episodes. This show's tribute to historical moments throughout the years is phenomenal. 

For those who don't know the show very well, Timeless follows three main characters: Lucy (Abigail Spencer), Wyatt (Matt Lanter), and Rufus (Malcolm Barrett). The team is brought together in season one to chase after Garcia Flynn (Goran Višnjić) who steals a time machine from Mason Industries. Flynn makes it his mission to travel throughout time to stop certain things from happening in an effort to take down the organization called Rittenhouse. Without knowing his exact intentions, the Department of Homeland Security puts together the team of Lucy, Wyatt, and Rufus in order to stop Flynn. In the first season, Flynn is portrayed as the enemy when slowly it is revealed that Rittenhouse is the real threat. 

When the series returned for their second season, the Time Team started off separated as Lucy was missing and Wyatt and Rufus were desperately trying to recover from an explosion that occurred at Mason Industries. Wyatt and Rufus work together with Agent Christopher (Sakina Jaffrey), Jiya Marri (Claudia Doumit), and Connor Mason (Paterson Joseph) to get Lucy home by taking the other time machine back in time to save her. Lucy has been kidnapped by her mother who turned out to be Rittenhouse and is being forced to go throughout time to work for them. When Wyatt and Rufus reunite with Lucy, they discover that Rittenhouse has planted agents throughout history to disrupt the order of time. Even after Lucy is rescued, it appears now the Time Team is going head to head in a literal race against time with Rittenhouse to stop their agents from threatening history itself.

Currently, the show has thrown amazing twists and turns at the audience by resurrecting Wyatt's dead wife, Jessica, which causes a bit of a rift between him and Lucy. Fans knew in the past that there was a romantic connection between the two leads and just when the writers gave the fans a taste of Lucy and Wyatt, they took it away. With Wyatt stepping down in the recent episode, the Time Team needed another partner to join the trip to the Salem Witch Trials. They instilled the help of prisoner, Garcia Flynn, who was captured at the end of season one.

The show did start off finding its own footing throughout season one and was in a competitive race with other shows that aired around the same timeframe like Time After Time. However, coming into season two has clearly shown the fans that Timeless isn't going down without a fight. Season Two offers a great sense of energy. The show is fast-paced with interesting twists and turns, strong character developments, and exciting adventures.

Timeless stands out with well-written characters brilliantly performed by the actors in the role. Abigail Spencer is strong, confident, and empowering in her role as Lucy. Spencer dominates her scenes with grace and intelligence. Just recently Lucy has gone through some powerful and heartbreaking character transformations as her mother is a part of Rittenhouse and has numerous times betrayed her own daughter. Watching Spencer deliver the heartbreak and pain that Lucy feels for what she's going through is absolutely stunning. She has a real connection to the audience and it is clear that Spencer has helped embody a character that fans really respect and adore. This season also has given Spencer a chance to show off her singing ability in a recent 1940s Hollywood episode. 

Time Team members Wyatt and Rufus have had to go through a bit of a transformation as well. Lanter's character has gone through heartache when he thought he lost Lucy and then discovered his true feelings for her. While Wyatt still remains determined, stubborn, and strong, he's also been more reckless and emotional this season. Matt Lanter is absolutely powerful in these more emotional scenes, which is no surprise as his experience in drama television is extensive. There is undeniable chemistry between Spencer and Lanter when Lucy and Wyatt are together and it is written in a way where it doesn't overpower the actual purpose of the series. Sometimes two characters' love story can overpower a show and this one definitely doesn't take away from what makes Timeless special. 

Malcolm Barrett has continued to offer his comedic sense of timing in the role of Rufus, but has also become more of the leader of the group. Rufus is the one who continues to keep the team grounded, provides a support system for what Jiya is going through, and has an admirable loyalty to the entire team. Rufus is currently going through a change of his own, starting to experience the dark sides of messing with time travel. Whenever Barrett is on the scene, he not only dominates with his humor, but his heart and his honesty.

Just recently, Goran Višnjić has come back into the Time Team as ally, Flynn, and has immediately offered an unorthodox, but refreshing energy to the team. While they spent an entire year chasing after Flynn, having him on the team now makes the dynamic on the show more unpredictable and exciting. It is clear that Višnjić brings great fire to the role and there is no doubt fans are eager to see how his connection with Lucy plays out this season. 

Timeless clearly shows their appreciation and love of history throughout the series by not only creating these incredible and strong characters, but by doing historical figures justice. The characters throughout time that are brought onto this show are portrayed in such a pure and honorable way that it seems fans can really find a new appreciation for history. The show connects people to these characters as if they could have actually lived in that timeframe and been a part of that moment. Timeless also does this through their brilliant wardrobe team and production design.

The cast and crew is also dedicated to their product, which means a lot to their fans. Constantly, the cast keeps their connection to their loyal fanbase by participating in live Twitter postings and sharing BTS photos from the set. Their love and passion for the show, not to mention their off-screen friendships with each other add to the spirit and heart of Timeless and is apparent whenever they are on screen together. 

Overall, Kripke and Ryan have brought a new appreciation to history and have done it in such an exciting way that makes it enjoyable for everyone. The characters are well-written, especially in season two, and the storyline continues to flow effortlessly in a fresh way. Hopefully NBC doesn't make the same mistake twice and cancel Timeless as there is a chance a fan campaign won't keep the show afloat for a second time. 

At this point, the only way to save Timeless is to continue to watch it on NBC every Sunday at 10/9c. 

Alex, Inc is the New Show the World Needs

When it comes to television, everyone knows fall is the season to get excited for. Fall brings on a whole new line of shows for television fanatics to tune into and hopefully, like dating, they find that perfect match and make an instant connection with. Sure. September is that big month to welcome new faces and new stories to television, but Springtime season also offers a lineup of refreshing shows filled with drama, excitement, heart, and humor. For those looking for a new television show to tune into every week this spring, ABC's new half hour comedy/drama, Alex, Inc, is the show for you! 

Alex, Inc tells the story of a 37-year-old father and husband who quits his job at a company called Cheer Up because they constantly enforce a positive based product. The series is based on a podcast called "StartUp" from Gimlet Media. The show follows Alex Schuman, played by the charming and talented Zach Braff, as he makes the decision to start his own podcast company while maintaining his personal life as a husband and a father to two children. 

Zach Braff is at the helm of this series not only as an actor, but as a director and an executive producer as well. Prior to the series airing, Braff's passion and love for the series was clear from his constant support on his social media accounts. After watching the first three episodes of the series, it is no surprise as to why Braff is proud of the series. In a time where a lot of negativity has been going around and a lot of struggle, Alex, Inc offers a refreshing break from all of that. It is charming, funny, heartwarming, and creative. Fans of Zach Braff can gain that sense of Scrubs familiarity as Braff incorporates his voice-over narration through the episodes like he used to do as J.D. Dorian. 

Braff's humor is also familiar to Dorian's. Rather, his portrayal of Alex Schuman is pretty much effortless as if the character was someone he was born to play. In any scene, Braff is natural, fun, and genuine. Schuman is a lovable father, husband, and friend who has a great sense of humor and a wonderful outlook on life. Not only does Braff's talents light up the screen and make this show special, but the cast he is surrounded by add to the greatness of this series. 

Tiya Sircar plays Alex Schuman's wife, Rooni, a lawyer and a fierce woman. It's refreshing to see Sircar portray a female lead that represents not only a supportive partner for Alex, but one that challenges him and believes in him. Sircar offers a sense of grace to the role as well as assertiveness that is not so overpowering. The first three episodes already also prove the heart of the series comes from Schuman's kids, Ben and Soraya, played by Elisha Henig and Audyssie James. Alex Schuman, in the past three episodes, has found a lot of inspiration from his children, making the relationship between his kids and himself all that more special to watch. Braff's family man persona is warm and lighthearted and the strength of the show is apparent whenever the entire family is on screen. 

To balance out the family aspect of the series, Alex Schuman works at his podcast office alongside his two teammates, Deidra and Eddie, played by Hillary Anne Matthews and Michael Imperioli. Deidra is a producer and appears to keep Alex more on the ground, offering up ideas that are reasonable and beneficial to the podcast. She also has an adorably and slightly creepy infatuation with Alex, but who wouldn't? Zach Braff has always been a charming fellow. Meanwhile, Alex's second cousin, Eddie, is a bit more extreme. He is the one who challenges Alex and sometimes makes his job tougher. There is always a necessity for someone to push a lead into doing things that they normally wouldn't do and Eddie is that catalyst for Alex. This is apparent when Eddie builds a booth to record the podcast in since the office they work in is noisy and has multiple start-up businesses.

The show offers a subtle humor that isn't trying too hard to be funny. Each character is written so well that they hold their own without needing to steal from another character's energy or spotlight. Zach Braff truly has something to be proud of along with creator Matt Tarses. 

Alex, Inc is a refreshing break from all of the regular television on air right now. While superhero shows are great and the surplus of cop shows, medical dramas, and sitcoms that seem too hard to be like each other are filling up the time slots, this isn't a show that should fall behind on ABC. In fact, it should be considered at the forefront of most currently. Fans can find a lot of familiarity with a mid-life crisis, but also develop a genuine connection with these characters as they are your neighbors, friends, and family. While one great reason to watch the series is the at-home feel of Braff's monologue narrations and his light, genuine humor, it is truly the heart in this show that makes it worthwhile. 

ABC has a winner on their hands with this show and here's to hoping that they do not make the mistake in letting this one go. And might I say, the dad look looks great on you, Mr. Braff! 

You can unwind from your stress and troubles by tuning into Alex, Inc at 8:30 PM EST on ABC every Wednesday night.