TV Show Review: Timeless - Season 2

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters, fun story

Cons: All cons left in the past

The Bottom Line:

More time traveling

That keeps us glued to TV

Losing track of time

“What Do We Have Here - The Prodigal Princess and Her Boy Toys.”

There is definitely an advantage to getting hooked on a TV show after a couple of seasons have aired; I didn't have to wait long to start season 2 of Timeless since it has already hit DVD by the time I had finished season 1.  While I spaced it out more than I had season 1 (thanks in part to the new TV season having started by that point), I was still hooked, often watching two or three episodes over a weekend.  And season 2 was just as strong as season 1.

The action picks up a few weeks after the cliffhangers that ended the first season.  In that time, Lucy (Abigail Spencer) has been with her mother, Carol (Susanna Thompson) being trained in the ways of Rittenhouse.  She's not given in to their indoctrination, however, much to the announce of Emma (Annie Wersching).  Meanwhile, the rest of our characters have been reduced to hiding out in a bunker attempting to stop Rittenhouse from destroying history.  When they meet up in World War I, Wyatt (Matt Lanter) and Rufus (Malcolm Barrett) quickly help Lucy escape back to their side, where she is welcomed back to the bunker by Agent Christopher (Sakina Jaffrey), Connor (Paterson Joseph), and Jiya (Claudia Doumit).

Even with the gang back together, things aren't all fun and saving history.  Jiya is having visions of the future, visions that scare her since one involves Rufus's death.  Meanwhile, they have to deal with Garcia Flynn (Goran Visnjic), now is prison, as he seems to have information they need to stop Rittenhouse.

And yes, Rittenhouse is still out to destroy history and take over the world.  This season, we make stops in Old Hollywood, the Salem Witch Trials, and 1981 as we attempt to keep history on track.  Will our heroes succeed?

If this isn't making much sense to you, that's a clear sign that this season isn't for you – yet.  You just need to go back to season 1 and start there.  As much as I am burning out on long, drawn out conspiracy shows, this one actually works, but for it to work best, you really need to start from the beginning.  Trust me, it is worth it.

If you've enjoyed season 1, you'll be happy to jump in here.  I'm sure the budget for this show must be high based on the special effects the show calls for and the expert way they bring the past to life on screen each week.  Costumes, locations, effects, everything is absolutely perfect.  And since we hit a different time period each week, they can't reuse much.  In an effort to cut costs, I feel like the modern settings are a bit simpler this season, but maybe that is just me.  And, since much of the modern sets are an underground bunker where the majority of our heroes are hiding out, it sits the story perfectly.  Likewise, I feel like we've cut down on recurring characters.  Not that it hurt the show at all.  It just allows them more time to develop the characters we have.

And character development we get in spades.  I feel like the core four (Lucy, Wyatt, Rufus, and Jiya) are given some nice arcs to work through as we jump back and forth in time.  The other characters are strong, but they are definitely supporting players who are given episodes or moments to shine instead of season long arcs.  It all comes together to bring us strong characters we truly come to care for.  The actors deserve much of the credit here since they pull off their roles perfectly.

The writers get full credit for crafting stories that hook you and cliffhangers that leave you anxious to find out what is going to happen next.  I purposely spread this season out over several weeks instead of binging it all in one weekend.  It took every ounce of self-control I have to do that, too.  I could have easily binged this in one weekend if I really wanted to.

I'd heard the season ended with a doozy of a cliffhanger.  Even expecting that (but not knowing specifics), my jaw hit the ground in the last few minutes of the season.  I'm now anxious for the two-hour movie that will wrap up the series, currently scheduled to air December 20th.  I just don't see how they can wrap everything up in two hours.

Season 2 consisted of 10 episodes, and they are all in this three disc collection.  We get the show in wide screen and full surround sound.  In the way of extras, we get deleted scenes for each episode and a gag reel.

This show really is a fantastic adventure through time.  Buckle in for the fun ride that is Timeless season 2.