Journeyman: Pilot
By fred | September 26, 2007
(S01E01) Well, I think you cannot read something about NBC’s new series Journeyman without a mention of reference to Quantum Leap. And it makes sense, of course, seeing how both show are about a guy traveling through time. Traveling back in time actually, as our new hero Dan does not seem to ever go to the future either.
But let’s be honest, that isn’t enough to justify a name of “remake”. And after watching, it is clear that – while both shows have many things in common, of course – this is definitely not a remake of the old Quantum Leap.
And that’s a good thing. Now, this does not mean it is a good show ; so, is it?
Honestly I am not sure yet how I feel about it. Pretty mixed feelings, a few things I didn’t like, but some quite interesting or intriguing ideas as well.
Yes, as his older cousin this is about a man who travels back in time. But this time he is no scientist who knew what he was getting into it, he’s just a random guy who find himself traveling back in time, without the single clue about why, or even how this is possible. And like him, we don’t know either.
But there’s a twist : apparently, he is not alone. There are others who, too, travel through time. And, those trips are not random, they are very well thought out, like planned, it’s almost as if there were people behind it all. People with knowledge of what occurred in the past, and what would have occurred if some events had gone another way.
People who are not only able to make others go back in time, but somehow even to have those people to “know” what they have to do. Because for an unexplainable reason, whenever he goes back in time he has something to do. The time and place he end up isn’t random, he was meant to be there, in order to do something. He has something to accomplish, and following his instinct will get him to do it.
And to do it right, always. If he follows his instinct, he won’t get it wrong — that’s part of it.
Now this is a pretty interesting thing, an overall mystery that will be revealed little by little over time, mixed with the actual story – as I suspect each week he’ll have to change something in the past. I wonder if it will always be for the better, or if at some point he’ll question the motives behind whoever is working this.
Another difference is that when Dan goes back into the past, he leaves “his present”. He goes missing, until he jumps back in time. But while he may feel like he spend only a few hours in the past, he might actually have been missing from his present for a few days.
Now that’s gonna make it hard on his family, starting with the wife. And here we enter the area I didn’t like so much about the show. Leaning towards hate actually.
Posted in Reviews
Shows: Journeyman
