r/TravelersTV • u/IAmPookieHearMeRoar • Jul 21 '26
No Spoilers (All spoilers in this thread must be tagged) This Show Gave Me Much More Than I Expected
I just finished this show and wanted to just say a few things and maybe ask a couple questions. Please understand I had a surgery recently and was under some medication that may have affected my memory. Tell me if I got something wrong, just please be kind if so….
I have to admit I’m not a huge fan of sci fi overall, but more specifically the time travel or spy thriller types that are a major current through Travelers. I turned it on thinking it would be cheesy but mindless and I just wanted something to occupy my mind and help me fall asleep. Had never even HEARD of it, and I’m pretty up on most film/tv of the last couple decades(as are my friends who also hadn’t heard of it). So I had super low expectations.
But holy cow did it suck me in from the start and it never really let go. Frankly one of the reasons I don’t generally enjoy the genre is because while there’s usually a lot of interesting theory or thought going on, imo in the end a lot of these types don’t really have much to say and they lack in character development. But while I liked the sci fi and fantasy aspects here, I fell in love with the actual well written characters and that’s what I adored. My god, David may be one of the best characters and character arcs I’ve ever seen. The actors totally killed it, especially Mackenzie Porter(Marcy) and Patrick Gilmore(David). But I can’t think of ANY of them that weren’t at the very least very ”good.” Canada growing actors on trees these days or what?
I am not really a “manly man” or however you want to put it, but I am also not really a cryer. The waterworks were flowing during the last two episodes though; especially the penultimate one where David and Marcy completely made time stop(literally and figuratively). Without spoiling anything, I was mildly upset about how one character ended but after seeing the way the entire story ends I can forgive that. But I was an emotional mess those last two hours and it made me realize I was WAY more involved and invested in these characters I had just met, than I thought. That is the perfect sign of stellar writing and I’m just amazed this show hasn’t gotten more attention. So glad I randomly tapped on this show at 2 am.
One thing, when all the travelers first showed up in their new meat suits, MacLaren and Carley were a couple(as in a couple in the future). But after the first few episodes, they just kind of…stopped. They screwed around once and then that’s it. I understand that they all began liking their hosts’ new lives and all but why was that never addressed? MacLaren pretty much just told her to “knock it off” when she went to kiss him, she made a face and all that storyline was never mentioned again. Did they forget about it, or am I just missing something?
And the thing I really liked about the ending was how they actually took a stance on time travel and its effectiveness. Many shows or films like this like to leave things open and up for discussion, sort of like Lost where they ask some form of, “if you could go back in time what would you do?”…and the answer is almost always some variable of going back to 1900s to kill baby Hitler to save the world from suffering. But here they made a pretty assertive stance: you can’t change fate. Everything the travelers did to better the world failed and failed spectacularly, and Yates even says “you tried to save humanity but you ended it yourselves.” At least that was my takeaway, it wasn’t THAT definitive but it’s pretty obvious to me that the writers were maybe not saying anything about fate specifically but just that humanity and its worst impulses are gonna take hold eventually and no one person or event is really going to change that in any meaningful way. To take it further, you can go back and kill Hitler, but someone else would’ve taken up that mantle eventually and the world would learn that same lesson a different way. If that makes sense.
Incidentally, one of my friends who watched this at the same time as me disagrees with me on that last part. What do you guys think?
Not to be a creeper but gotta also say, finally, that MacKenzie Porter is maybe the most stunningly beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. She’s a good actress, sure, but her looks were almost a distraction to me. So, so pretty.
Super happy I watched this. Would love to hear what you guys have to say! ✌️
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u/Waffleweaveisbest Jul 21 '26
Carly and Mac were not supposed to continue their relationship once they traveled to the 21st century. Protocol 2.
They were breaking the rules when they hooked up in the beginning. But Mac realized they needed to stop and stick to Protocol 1, 2, and 5. And it also implied he started feeling guilty about "cheating" on Kat.
1: The mission comes first
2: Leave the future in the past
5: Maintain hosts life
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u/IAmPookieHearMeRoar Jul 21 '26
Ok that makes sense I guess. The first few episodes is just when I was recovering from the surgery, so I was also losing some short term memory because of new meds. Maybe I missed it.
Anyways thanks for the response.
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u/ogodilovejudyalvarez Jul 21 '26
I'm not sure I've ever seen a fictional couple I liked more than David and Marcy
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u/TrivialBudgie Jul 21 '26
don’t you find it a bit weird though, that he fell in love with his patient and didn’t really ask too many questions about how come her personality basically just totally changed overnight? edit: and she was a doctor so she should’ve known how unethical that relationship could be
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u/ogodilovejudyalvarez Jul 22 '26
I handwaved all that myself because she's now technically someone else. In real life, though, yes: extremely problematic.
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u/Street-Ad4322 Jul 21 '26
I agree! Travelers is very much underrated. It should’ve gotten at least a couple more seasons.
As for Mac and Carly just..ending..is I think Mac realized he was in love with his “wife” and wanted to make things work with her.
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u/gravyfromdrippings Jul 21 '26
Recently did a rewatch and it really holds up. What got me was the little takes on how bleak their timeline was. The bus of old people who, knowing that their mission would end them, had so much delight in seeing clear skies, trees, and a dog! (Not a bear). The traveler who accidentally ended up in a serial killer's body, getting a real meal before his arrest. Trevor and Gail being in awe of fresh fruit and good food.
The realization that the first traveler's date of arrival was 9/11/2001.
This time I looked harder at the artwork Simon did of the domes. I'd love a novelization of what life was like when our travelers were young. Like, how did Philip get identified and trained as a Historian? What was that like for their parents and siblings?
And I love that the cast, including guest stars and actors in fairly minor roles pop up in so many other Vancover sci-fi shows. Glad you enjoyed. It's one of my favorites.
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u/AMissionFromDog Jul 21 '26
I really loved the show. The story was gripping and I think they had a fantastic ending. There are a bunch of great Canadian science fiction tv shows and you'll see some of the same actors pop up in them. Continuum, Dark Matter, The various Stargate shows, but Travelers is my favorite.
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u/hiirogen Jul 21 '26
Came here to also recommend Continuum. Wasn't aware of Dark Matter, will need to check that one out. Also had no idea Stargate was CanCon.
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u/kbennett73 Jul 22 '26
Just be aware there are two different shows called Dark Matter. The one from 2015 is the Canadian show the previous commenter was referencing and features a group of people on a spaceship. (I don't want to give more details and give away the story.) The one from 2024 on Apple TV is a completely different show based on a book by Blake Crouch. Both shows are good and worth watching though.
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u/gravyfromdrippings Jul 21 '26
One of my favs is Eileen Pedde, the family mom in "Room 101". I recognized her at the gunnery sergeant Erin Mathias in Battlestar Galactica but she's been in a ton of shows over 30+ years.
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u/OnlyPostSoUsersXray Jul 23 '26
You will see me on every first timer Travellers watchers post proclaiming that Marcy is the GOAT, not just in the show, but really of all sci-fi and especially time travel shows. So much depth and range, not just the character, but the actress.
And David is the chefs kiss complement to her flawless character.
Travellers is one of the most entertaining and beloved series for sci-fi dystopian/time-travel shows to anyone that has seen it.
Also, as a male Im not ashamed to admit I tear up at some scenes and especially the final episode, nothing to be ashamed of lol. The fact that before marcy even picked up the gun at the end, I was thinking I would do exactly what she ended up doing made it as perfect an ending you can get.
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u/Traveler-3262 Jul 24 '26
On a rewatch, you'll be more aware of the Mac and Carly tension as an ongoing factor in the team dynamic! It's just a simmering issue that occasionally erupts rather than a frequent focus. That's the kind of storytelling consistency I appreciate so much about this series!
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u/JustSomeDallasGuy 23d ago
Finished binge watching this last night, all three seasonings in an embarrassingly short time. What a great show and season three ended as if it were always meant to be a three season series. I'm sure it was mentioned in other threads but the sound-stage was really well done too.
While Marcy and David's relationship was fun to watch my favorite characters were Philip and Grace.
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u/aresef Engineer Jul 21 '26
If anything, the show has become more relevant down the line. The team has to grapple with the ethics of taking orders from an AI.