Hidden Sci-Fi Gem on Netflix Sitting on Rare 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score
One of the most original takes on the time travel concept developed by the creator of the Stargate series.
Summary
- In 2016, a new sci-fi show from the creator of the Stargate series, Brad Wright, was released on Netflix.
- Already from the first season, critics and viewers came to full delight, noting the deep and exciting plot of the series.
- Although the series was canceled, it is one of the best in the sci-fi genre.
Over the years, Netflix has released countless movies and TV shows, making its library one of the most diverse and exciting of any streaming service. But while this is a huge boon to us, ordinary viewers, there are drawbacks to this approach. For example, when two or three shows become Netflix's flagships and are discussed in all corners of the media and social platforms, many other equally quality projects get overlooked.
Unfortunately, the situation is exacerbated by Netflix's maniacal pursuit of ratings: even if a show starts out as an instant hit, if it drops even a little, the streaming service immediately tries to cancel it, and the highest-quality but under-discussed shows are subject to oblivion.
Such was the case with the canceled sci-fi series Travelers, a Canadian-American production that can now be considered a hidden gem. Yet it is undoubtedly one of the best projects on Netflix, with critics and viewers alike giving it top marks for each of its released seasons.
A Great Series from the Maestro of Sci-Fi Television
Many know Canadian producer and screenwriter Brad Wright for his immeasurable contributions to the sci-fi genre, especially on television, especially his development of the Stargate franchise. Along with Jonathan Glassner, he created the iconic Stargate SG-1, which continued the story of the original 1994 film directed by Roland Emmerich. Then, with Robert C. Cooper, he created two other equally popular projects in the franchise, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe.
5 years after the completion of Stargate Universe, Brad Wright presented a new promising project — Travelers. According to the plot, in a post-apocalyptic future, humans have learned to time travel, sending their minds back in time into the bodies of ordinary people who are about to die (as this minimizes the impact on global history) in order to prevent the collapse of human society. Since the people of the future need the exact coordinates of the bodies they will inhabit, they travel to the 21st century using archived GPS and Internet data.
The time travelers are controlled by an artificial intelligence known as the Director, whose goal is to prevent disaster at all costs. The Director provides the heroes with protocols that require them to impersonate the people they've possessed, while never interfering with the events around them without being ordered to do so, even if a moral imperative requires it. Yes, you can't save a person from being killed, for example. Only the travelers don't know that the Director has additional protocols that the AI can cynically activate when it no longer needs them.
Rave Reviews from Critics and Audiences Alike
Travelers is a rare example of a show where critics and viewers have not only come to a consensus about it, but have begun to herald it as one of the best sci-fi series of all time.
If we turn to Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has a 100% rating from critics and 95% from viewers, as many noted the original concept of time travel, fueled by challenging moral dilemmas and plot twists, while not shying away from comedic scenes. Season 2 received even more rave reviews, scoring 100% and 97% respectively. As for Season 3, it only has a 99% audience rating on RT, but all four critics' reviews are also incredibly positive.
Unfortunately, Netflix canceled the series after Season 3 without giving a reason, but Wright thankfully left no agonizing cliffhangers, providing a fairly clear conclusion to the story that is sure to be a great option for an entertaining binge-watching experience.