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Time travel is a difficult concept to pull off—mostly because it’s so easy to get everything wrong when you can change anything.
So the fact that the little-seen sci-fi original series (itself based on the cult Terry Gilliam film from a few decades ago) is all the more surprising. 12 monkeys It ran on Syfy for four seasons from 2015-2018, producing 47 tightly packed episodes for the general fan base in addition to the relatively loyal and ardent fans.
Like the 1995 movie it inspired, 12 monkeys It follows a time traveler named James Cole (Aaron Stanford) who returns from a corrupted future and tries to stop the apocalypse. But this isn’t a well-funded time-travel venture, and Cole is instead sent back with few resources and little intel, on the fly, to relive the events that led to the outbreak that will eventually wipe out humanity. Along the way, he teams up with virologist Cassandra Riley (Amanda Shull) as the two try to solve mysteries together from the present day.
If you’ve seen Gilliam’s acclaimed science lesson before, the idea should be vaguely familiar. That film featured Bruce Willis as Cole and focused parts of the narrative on the mental institution he lands in after traveling through time. The film won an Academy Award for its star Brad Pitt, who played the role of a patient in the asylum where Cole stayed in the first part of the film.
Gilliam received universal acclaim for the film, and although it was a solid box office success in the mid-1990s, it grew in respect and admiration in the years following its release. Simply put, experimenting and adapting was a dangerous asset. Gilliam’s film was known for being smart and ambitious, and any TV adaptation would be judged by that text, and tasked with figuring out how to be just as smart and ambitious while stretching the story through the seasons.
The task fell to Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett, who created the project as a stand-alone time travel TV pilot. SplinterIt was finally fixed inside again 12 monkeysBecause it was generally a good and conceptually natural fit for interpreting IP. It is clear that the two men fully embraced the themes, concepts and iconography. 12 monkeyswith a layered time travel story and a fully developed world that effortlessly jumps between eras, never loses its telling storyline.
Although Stanford and Shul’s Cole and Cassie are at the heart of the story, the show cleverly builds a unique ensemble to create a world that feels real. Barbara Sukowa plays Jones, the scientist in charge of the time travel project; Emily Hampshire (of Shit Creek Fame) plays a bright and crazy woman who is connected to the plot; Kirk AcevedoFringe) plays Coleen’s best friend from the future; and Todd Stashwick (soon to Star Trek The universe is unforgettable Picard Mina) played a future and part-time partner to Cole, the leader of a group of murderous swindlers.
It all starts with the characters, and thankfully, they get it right. The chemistry between Stanford and Shul is electric, and the burgeoning romance between the two provides some necessary “will they, won’t they” to the mix from the jump. As Cole learns about the world and sees himself through these different times, it’s a fascinating journey of a man who had no hope of a future to finally find life in his past. Cassie is drawn into the plot as she slowly comes to believe Cole’s unbelievable story and sees her professional and personal life unravel in a different twist to the saga of a successful scientist.
With this being a time travel story, it’s clear that the creative team took the time to figure out what it meant and how the concept would work in this world. It’s never heavy-handed and always makes sense, and they maintain a consistency that doesn’t survive, but thrives on exploration. Few scenes are better on re-watching, but on re-visiting 12 monkeys It reveals details on details you might have missed the first time around, stretching from the pilot episode to the series finale (and again – we’re talking about time travel, after all).
But above all 12 monkeys It tells a story, a complete story, from beginning to end. No cliff hangers, no unanswered questions as the screen fades to black, no puzzle boxes left to solve. The show wraps a wonderful mystery around the characters you grow to love, and it’s a stealthy journey from start to finish to get there. Then, like any good time loop or temporal paradox, it ends. They really thought of everything, and that amount of care and attention to detail makes this a mostly forgotten gem one of the smartest, most compelling scientists ever (probably) overlooked. And if you do? Well, I guarantee you’ll find some new detail hidden between the margins on your next rewatch.
Watch on Hulu
Trent Moore is a recovering print journalist, and freelance editor and writer at Byline. Pop culture likes to find that sweet spot where it crosses over with other things. Follow him on Twitter at @trentlmoore.
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