Picture this: a society so progressive that it sends its best and brightest back in time to save itself, yet it’s the very concept of progress that trips them up! That’s the wild rollercoaster ride you embark on with Travelers, a Canadian-American sci-fi TV series created by Brad Wright. Airing between 2016 and 2018, this captivating show takes us to the near (and predictably grim) future where the last remnants of humanity send their consciousness back to the 21st century to steer history away from an impending catastrophe.
Travelers craftily weaves the tale of teams known as "travelers," each team composed of diverse beings who take over the bodies of modern humans at the moment of death. Their mission? To rewrite the human story and alter the trajectory toward a more palatable future. Filmed across bustling Vancouver, the setting itself hints at a politically leftist utopia — emphasizing its highbrow, redemption narrative.
The charm of the series lies in its characters, led by Team Leader Grant MacLaren, portrayed brilliantly by Eric McCormack, who’s best known for his role in Will & Grace. As viewers, we’re supposed to sympathize with their plight — striving for improvement while embodying the issues of today. The Travelers project resonates with themes of technology, camaraderie, and resilience, but does it overstep the boundaries of narrative believability?
Here’s the irony: instead of embracing current societal challenges, this time-travel team works from an authoritarian blueprint called the Director, a supercomputer dictating fate with big-brother precision. So much for free will! Who knew that the solution to bad governance and impending doom would be to rely on an even bigger, morally ambiguous government-like entity? That’s liberal logic at its finest!
The director calls the shots — sending missions, guiding actions, and peering omnisciently from the future like some dystopian oracle. Never mind the fact that this same future technology never learns from historical missteps. Sure, why not use force and subterfuge to correct the chaos? After all, as travelers, they’re expected to follow orders without question, dancing to the digital tune, even when it goes against our current societal norms.
Each character is defined by a series of ethical decisions, often reflecting the clash between directive and morality. Travel is anything but easy for them. Carly Shannon, Trevor Holden, Marcy Warton, and Philip Pearson find themselves confronting societal issues like addiction, abuse, and mental health—elements intended to elicit sympathy but glaringly reveal how far modern television will go to broadcast an agenda.
Let’s take the mental gymnastics for instance. In an attempt to critique modern society, Travelers seem to ignore the elephant in the room. How about showcasing the responsibility of today’s choices? Instead of banking heavily on higher technology and convoluted narratives, why not promote the tried-and-true values of personal accountability? The solitude of the individual and the industrious brilliance of humanity echo louder than a laser-compatible future.
The series excels in keeping the viewer on edge, with plot twists and dense narratives thickening through its seasons. Most notably, however, is its endeavor to challenge contemporary political ideology while unintentionally reinforcing conservative values. The struggle of individual versus state, the age-old narrative of freedom against sovereign overreach, and the preservation of life versus control. The show may have burst onto the screen as a cautionary tale, but in an inadvertent twist, it cinematically unveiled the flaws in espousing a singular worldview.
With the series concluding in its third season, fans and critics alike noticed the storyline drawing closer to a commentary on totalitarianism. Could it be, then, that Travelers serves as a hidden testament at how reliance on the state—or in this case the Director—could be humanity’s biggest transgression?
As thought-provoking as Travelers appears, it serves as a stark reminder of how a narrative rooted in technology's future-driven solutions may do well to embrace the strengths of individual resilience today. The notion that massive, intelligent systems or governing bodies can dictate what's best starkly contrasts with the foundational beliefs of individual liberty and responsibility.
Though applauded for stylistic storytelling and nuance, Travelers accidentally validates the decisive stance that for humanity to excel, freedom and autonomy can't be replaced by any machine or directive — even one claiming to foresee better tomorrows.