What is this, you ask? More Timeless feels! Well, yes – we have so many of those the roundtables are two parters now! What can I say, that’s what this show does to us, and we’re not even sorry.
Don’t forget to check out the first part of our roundtable HERE if you missed yesterday’s feels.
And let’s just dive into the rest, why don’t we?
Use a gif to describe your reaction to Wyatt and Rufus leaving Flynn in the past.
Lizzie:
Alyssa:
Lyra:
Sarah:
Marta:
Mimi:
Amanda:
Though, this is what I think about them having to take him in the first place. Tee hee…
Samantha: Agent Christopher: You left him there?
Wyatt and Rufus:
Lucy, self sacrificing, noble angel that she is, was the one to convince Jessica to give Wyatt another chance. Why did she do it? Was she right to? And, how do you feel about the way Lucy interacted with both Jessica and Wyatt this episode?
Lizzie: She did it because she loves Wyatt, she wants him to be happy and she thinks this is what will make him happy. It’s possible he even thinks that. They’re both wrong, of course, but this is TV so they can’t figure it out right away. They need to go on a journey. Now, I don’t think she was right to, but that doesn’t really matter, because she thinks that’s what’s right and she’s always going to do what she thinks is best for Wyatt.
As for her interactions with both Jessica and Wyatt, I could see how much it hurt her to spend time with the two of them together, but she’s a strong woman, and she wanted to prove that she was okay, even though she clearly wasn’t, and I sorta appreciated how she was still Lucy and she was still kind – even to the woman who is now with the man she obviously loves.
Alyssa: Lucy wants Wyatt to be happy, simple as that. And right now, Lucy believes that what will make Wyatt happy is being with Jessica. And why shouldn’t she believe that? Lucy watched Wyatt spend an entire year obsessing over getting his wife back; watching all of the bold chances he’s taken in order to accomplish that; listening and watching him reflecting on his regrets. It was why, from the beginning, Lucy’s first instinct was to push Wyatt towards Jessica. All Lucy cares about is Wyatt’s happiness. And even though she’s experienced firsthand Wyatt’s happiness at her own hands, there’s still a part of her that is trying to protect herself from the pain that would come with loving and losing Wyatt to Jessica. So even when Jessica is bowing out, allowing Lucy the chance to make it work with Wyatt, Lucy can’t do it. She’s so convinced that Jessica is Wyatt’s happiness that she’ll do anything to make sure Wyatt doesn’t lose that happiness all over again. She saw what it did to him the first time — and this was years later. I feel like Lucy is protecting herself just as much. She needs Wyatt to try and make it work with Jessica before he could try with her. Lucy is no one’s consolation prize.
With that said, Lucy’s reactions — especially early on — were completely expected and realistic. While Lucy has been pushing for Wyatt to make it work with Jessica, coming face-to-face with the woman that is standing between you and your own happiness is awkward as hell and infuriating, and we saw those emotions early on. But we saw Lucy acclimate to the situation and begin to just take it as it was: now a reality. I was beyond thankful for the way that this show handled the Lucy/Jessica situation. No catfights, just two mature women dealing with their respective situations.
Lyra: Lucy is one the noblest unicorns to grace Timeless. Yes, times have gotten hard and yes she’s done some terrible things to get by, but she does it all with a heart yearning for love, happiness and freedom. That happiness sometimes doesn’t have to be her own. This land mermaid remembered every moment and act of defiance that Wyatt went through to get just one chance with Jessica. Lucy being the noble land mermaid she is, couldn’t put her needs above those around her and convinced Jessica to stay. Just watching them interact and reminisce about the good times in their marriage was enough for Lucy to see that that spark could go somewhere. As for Lucy’s interactions with Wyatt and Jessica, she was respectful of Jessica’s place in Wyatt’s life while still trying to be their friend and save the world at the same time. Those damn land mermaids. They have to be protected at all costs!
Sarah: Describing her as a noble self-sacrificing Angel pretty much nails it on the head why she chose to convince Jessica to give Wyatt another chance. I can’t say whether it was right in the long term, but it was right for Lucy to make because as much as she loves Wyatt, she believes she’s putting his happiness first by stepping aside so he can try and make his second chance work with Jessica. I was really relieved to see her get along with Jessica and that meeting and spending with her didn’t devolve into typical backstabbing or passive aggressive drama. It felt entirely real and as much as I hate she was put into this situation, Lucy handled it like a pro.
Lariel: She did it because she is that noble, self-sacrificing angel. And I don’t believe she knew about the divorce papers? So she wouldn’t want to be a home wrecker, either. She knows just how much heartache and guilt Wyatt had been feeling over Jessica, and I do think she did the right thing. I did like her interactions with Jessica. As I said earlier, wonderful not to see a cat fight erupt.
Marta: She had to. It would’ve been extremely out of character of her not to. She really cares about Wyatt so she just wants what’s best for him, what’s going to make him happier, and right now she believes –though she’s actually wrong, but don’t tell her yet– that him being with Jessica is what makes him happiest. Lucy is someone who always sacrifices her happiness and what she wants in favor of helping everyone else. She could’ve saved her hero, Abe Lincoln, but she knew she couldn’t because she had to protect The Greater Good. She could’ve been so selfish so many times, but she, like Wyatt, always has the impulse to do what’s going to be beneficial for everyone, even if that doesn’t include herself. It’s one of the reasons we love her so much.
But seeing her relationship with Jessica evolve this episode was a gift. She went from awkward and “I’d really rather shoot myself than talk to you” to actually listening to Jessica and working with her. By the end of the episode she seems to be more than fine with Jessica being a guest star on the team.
And watching her stand up for herself and confront Wyatt about his actions was delicious. They both keep a lot of feelings inside so as to not worry the people around them, but when they need to talk about the really important issues that could endanger their relationship they always get those things out in the open and talk about them. And as someone who hates miscommunication as a plot device, I applaud the writers for this.
Mimi: Lucy did that because knows it’s what Wyatt wants even though it’s not what he needs. She sacrificed her own happiness for his, which is love. Lucy loves him so much that she is willing to be miserable so that he can have this moment in time with Jess. I would not have done that, I would not have stayed muted when it came to how I felt about him. I mean, Wyatt saying he has no regrets to Lucy is not the same thing as him telling her he loves her so maybe Lucy has made some peace with it.
Perhaps, Lucy and Jessica might have been kinda friends in another timeline where she wasn’t married to Wyatt? I don’t know? She is NOT on Lucy’s level tho, I know that. It’s like trying to compare Beyonce to Christina Milian, there is no comparison, they are not on the same PLANE of EXISTENCE! I absolutely loved the party scene when Lucy pointed at Jessica, like she looks like a “mom” not me. Priceless! I LOL’d hard during that scene. In fact, I’m chuckling right now.
Amanda: She absolutely did the right thing. To echo the other amazing ladies on this round table, it wouldn’t have felt in character for her to do anything else. We know that Wyatt’s happiness is so important to her — despite her own feelings for him. We saw that when he asked for her help in stealing the time machine to go and get Jessica back the first time.
On a similar note, what’s that old saying? If you love someone, set them free. If they come back, they’re yours. If they don’t, they were never yours to begin with. (THANK YOU, GOOGLE.) She knows that Wyatt needs closure and the only person who can do that is Wyatt. If Jessica left without even saying goodbye — if she left on Lucy’s watch — he wouldn’t be able to get said closure. And Lucy isn’t going to take that opportunity away from him, which is why I don’t think that Wyatt will shoot Carol next week (promo). By taking her out on his watch, he’d be denying Lucy her closure. And yet again, they’re helping each other heal.
(Have I mentioned lately how much I enjoy this show? I mean seriously, y’all.)
I don’t really have much to say about her interactions with Jessica that hasn’t already been brought up. As for with Wyatt, I would have liked to have seen her be a little more direct with him, but I have a feeling that’s coming. Did any of you watch Alias? One of my very favorite scenes was one of the most painful, which you can see here. To make the long story short, Sydney Bristow was kidnapped and held hostage for two years, during which she was presumed dead by her friends and family. When she was released, she found that her serious boyfriend had met, dated, and married someone else during that time. Sydney finally tells him off about it. Is she being irrational? Yes. Are we always rational? No. It was just very raw and real and I want to see something like this from Lucy. Maybe not this harsh, but I need her to not be afraid to tell him how Jessica’s being in the bunker makes her feel. It won’t be rational, but it will be cathartic as hell. And then they can reconcile and go back to making out, right?
Samantha: I think she did the right thing. Lucy is not manipulative, but it is possible she knows Jessica and Wyatt’s relationship is doomed. Jessica wasted no time at all telling Lucy that she and Wyatt are in therapy and that Wyatt has been unfaithful to her. Deep down, maybe Lucy realizes that the quicker Wyatt is back with his wife, the quicker the shizz with hit the fan and he will be over it. If he has to keep chasing Jessica, he’s never going to move on. If she let Jessica walk away, Wyatt would have tracked her down and that would be more painful for Lucy to witness. One of the best parts of Lucy’s character is her loyalty and her willingness to put her friends ahead of herself. It didn’t surprise me that Lucy was friendly to Jessica. I only wish she had been snarkier with Wyatt. He needs to know that watching him with Jessica is breaking her heart.
Ah, the Lyatt of it all. Do you think they love each other? Do you think they’re endgame? Do you think this leads to them getting back together at the end of Season 2? Share your feels!
Lizzie: Yes, yes and yes. I write the easiest questions. I think there can be no doubt, not after this episode, that they love each other, and that the writers are planning this to be endgame. You don’t put a couple through something like this and have them look at each other like Wyatt and Lucy still do for it not to be endgame. And I think these writers are very aware that, as much as it’s good to plan for the future, it’s also important to prepare in case more episodes aren’t coming, and I think they’ll wrap this up.
Alyssa: Do Lyatt love each other? Is this even a question? Of course they love each other. If there’s anything that remains true and continues to build is Lucy and Wyatt’s love for each other. Now, the current circumstances aren’t the right time for these beautiful humans, but that doesn’t mean that their love is any less. Are they endgame? Of course they’re endgame. If we weren’t getting this kind of obstacle — the one that can feel insurmountable at times — then they wouldn’t be endgame. Love, true love, is the kind of love that has to be fought for. It’s the kind of love that while it can bring the happiest of highs can also deliver the lowest of lows. If it didn’t hurt, then it wasn’t real. I’ve had no doubt since the beginning of this season — hell, even the end of last season — that the writers are going for a Lucy/Wyatt endgame. Everything they’ve done has proven that, even when it might not feel that way. This season is about Lucy and Wyatt’s journey. About how their love is greater than any obstacle they encounter. So it’s all but inevitable that the end of season 2 is headed for a Lucy/Wyatt reunion. Not that it’ll be all sunshine and roses, but there should definitely be some resolution and revelation by the end of the season 2 finale.
Lyra: Yes. Yes. And yes. In the words of a random quote pic I found on Pinterest, the Mecca of epic quotes with cool backgrounds and nice fonts, “All of the best love stories have one thing in common, you have to go against the odds to get there.” Right now, all of this that Lucy and Wyatt are going against, these are the odds. And like all great love stories I believe they’ll make it through and into each other’s arms.
Sarah: God yes is the answer to all three of those questions. The writers didn’t spend this much time getting the audience invested in Lyatt if they weren’t meant to end up together. I’m a firm believer of the journey is worth as much as the ending, and we’re just in the middle now. From the second they met in the Pilot, I’ve been invested in their journey through the ups, downs, and dangers and I’m here till the end. These two have cemented their place as an OTP I’ll never forget or regret shipping from how real, thrilling, and well written their journey has been so far.
Does that mean the journey to reuniting will be easy? Oh God no otherwise it wouldn’t be worth it and I can guarantee it’s going to get messy, but despite everything love – the kind Lucy and Wyatt have is worth fighting for. They’ve grown so much as individuals since they met each other, and the inherent trust and affection that’s there can’t be waved away no matter how difficult the circumstance. Lyatt will find their way back to each other, and I’ll be rooting for them the entire way there.
Lariel: Yes, yes and yes! If that wasn’t the case, they wouldn’t make it so difficult. The course of true love never did run smooth (for that matter, we’re seeing a little of that rough road between Rufus and Jiya with their differing philosophies).
Marta: Yes to all of it. They might not be in love, but they certainly have deep feelings for each other. The things they’ve gone through, the shit they’ve seen, the near-death experiences they’ve shared… All of those have made them stronger and now they care more about each other than they care about anyone else in the world, probably. So they’re clearly endgame. They’ve been endgame since the first “m’am”. And this obstacle in the way, this bump in the road towards their happy ending will only make them emerge stronger. It will only make their bond that much more solid.
I don’t think they’ll end up together by the end of this season, however. I fear Jessica’s fate will be pretty terrible and it will affect Wyatt in more than one way. And if the writers want to leave their possibilities open for a third season –which they do– I think what we may get at the end of this season will be a somewhat more romantic version of last season’s finale. Meaning, we’ll get a healing Wyatt trying to come to terms with Jessica’s fate and a patient Lucy being ready to help him through it until he gets to the place where he has to be emotionally to actually start a stable, strong, healthy relationship with her.
Mimi: The Lyatt of it all is right! I ship them soooo hard it hurts! I have not been this invested in a couple on t.v. in YEARS, and that’s real. The fact that I AM SO invested in Lyatt speaks to the writers and to Matt and Abigail’s on screen chemistry, which draws you in DEEP, like the song of a S I R E N. Only with less bloodshed.
At this point in the season, I am wondering through some pretty dense fog with Lyatt. I need a break from the agnst, it gets rough sometimes. Can Lucy be happy for the entirety of one episode? Please? Yes, they completely 100% Love each other, and are in Love with each other.. They are soulmates. Too bad they’re caught in a tempest right now and it doesn’t seem to want to let up anytime soon. I want to bang my head against a wall, because I am so angry they are apart . It’s infuriating and maddening and makes for good television all at the same time! Damn you Shawn Ryan! I’m searching for the light at the end of the tunnel, but I am finding it quite hard. I want Wyatt to choose Lucy and follow his heart. I want Lucy to know she is worth choosing and that SHE IS “Lightning In a Bottle.” With my whole heart, I NEED Lyatt to be ENDGAME, they have such a beautiful love story and journey. Perhaps, them finding their way back each other, is part of the Lyatt of it all?
I can’t make the call for certain, if they will reconcile by the end of this season? God I hope so! My heart hopes so. I think once episode 8 is over I can make a better analysis regarding Lyatt’s future. If they do get back together Wyatt had better show Lucy just how much he LOVES HER and DAMN IT, he needs to tell HER!! He should sing to her, even if he sucks at it. “It Happened One Night” Guys! Wyatt should WOO Lucy and put Lucy on a pedestal! Then they can settle down, get married and have little Lyatt babies. #youmademeloveyou #lyattthemesong
Amanda: Do I think they love each other? (I wish I could properly convey my “pshaw” tone of voice via text…) Of course they do. Lucy basically told him as much by singing the song to him and they both admitted that the other gives them a reason to live. And the looks on their faces after the “Babydoll/Sweetheart” conversation said the exact same things they did in the episode it called back to: despite how much easier it would be to not feel anything for the other, they do. Now they need to actually ‘fess up and use the actual unable-to-be-misconstrued words – and I have faith that that’s coming. I shan’t bring up spoilers, but based on an upcoming press release, I’ve got my suspicions of when this happens. (You can’t see me, but I’m basically Kristin Wiig doing her “I’M SO EXCITED” act.) I do think they’ll be back together at the end of the season, as season three is far from certain (though I’m still cautiously optimistic) and while we know there will be a cliffhanger of some sort, they will probably give us a little bit of sunshine, too. How we get there remains to be seen, but we have five episodes to go, which is an eternity in Timeless land. Don’t believe me? In the span of three episodes, we went from Wyatt “not ready to say goodbye” to Wyatt not ready to get out of bed. Insert Beavis and Butthead laugh here. Because I’m 12.
Samantha: Here’s where I stand right now: Team Lucy. I am almost to the point of being ok with the Doll/Sweetheart exchange being the “goodbye” to their budding relationship because I just want Lucy to find some happiness. Season 2 has become “How to Break Lucy Preston in 10 Episodes or Less” and I can’t take her sweet soul being emotionally kicked in the gut (and me along with her) every week. If she needs to get over Wyatt to be happy, I hope she gets over him soon. (But not under Flynn. I’m sorry Garcy shippers, I just can’t. The last thing Lucy needs is to be romantically entangled with another man who is trying to get back a dead wife.) I really want Lyatt to be endgame, but the longer this drags out and the more Wyatt flaunts the rekindling of his relationship with Jessica in Lucy’s face, the less I want him in her life. Since we are ok with messing up the timeline this season, I am all for Juliet Shakesman going back to the 1860s and having some fun with Robert Lincoln.
All that said, please oh please let them be endgame. When we get a Season 3 (hear me Universe, SEASON 3), I would like to see them as a couple. No random new fiances. No formerly dead wives. Just them being them, going through relationship stuff like any other normal couple who travels through time and saves history. This show doesn’t need will they/won’t they to be compelling.
The Agent Christopher/Carol scenes seem to raise the stakes for the end of the season. Do you think her family, and even Rufus’ family, could come into play? What’s Rittenhouse’s plan right now to take out the people in the bunker? Speculate a little.
Lizzie: I fear for everyone as this season comes to a close. The less they mention you the more likely they are to just trying to lull us into a false sense of security. And I get the sense they’re not pulling any stops for the season finale.
Alyssa: Family is a huge theme of this show, especially this season. Whether that’s Lucy/Carol or Rufus and his family or the Time Team as a family, there’s nothing more powerful than that type of love. I certainly feel like Carol Preston’s story will come to a head at the end of the season. We’re seeing something that we haven’t before: Carol is starting to internally question what’s more important to her: Rittenhouse or Lucy? And, so far, her actions indicate Lucy is the answer, even though Carol might not know or understand. This entire season Carol has tried to protect Lucy, even in her sick, misguided ways. Recruiting her as Rittenhouse where she had to kill? She was trying to protect her. Turning her in as a witch in Salem? Trying to protect her. Carol clearly doesn’t understand how to show her love, but there’s no doubt that love is there. As for Rufus’ family, I feel like it’s inevitable that we’ve got to see them at some point. There’s been mention of them and a lack of resolution. It’s unlike Timeless to leave things unresolved, so I definitely think we’ll get some closure there.
As far as the Rittenhouse of it all, this is where I find myself convinced that Jessica is Rittenhouse. She’s inside the bunker doing recon, learning all their secrets and just waiting for the moment to strike. The moment Wyatt let her inside the bunker sealed the deal for me. So while Rittenhouse certainly has their sights set on Lucy, they have their sights on everyone. Having someone like Jessica in the bunker as a sleeper agent would be the perfect way to back them into a corner and take them all out.
Lyra: Queer God in heaven, hallowed be thy name, if Timeless messes with my interracial gays with kids, I’m gonna flip out and create a time machine of my own that can jump through dimensions, particularly the 4th wall. Representation for the queer community is just blossoming and I need to see a queer woman have a happy ending, especially a badass one like Agent Christopher. Don’t mess with the families, fandom god’s. Not Agent Christopher’s. Not Rufus’. And not Jiya’s, wherever or whoever they may be. Keep it cliche and within the Rittenhouse family aka Lucy and her mom. I know that’s still terrible but it’s better than the alternative.
Sarah: Given the emphasis on family in this show, I’d be surprised if Agent Christopher or Rufus’s family didn’t get come up this season with everything going on. Rittenhouse knows anytime they try to take anyone in the Time Team directly they fail miserably. It wouldn’t surprise me if they tried a more devious route to hurt the bunker mates by going through their families that are still on the outside. It would also explain why they traveled back specifically to bring Jessica back.
Throwing her into the fray set off a chain of events that’s already altered and strained things not just between Lucy and Wyatt but for the whole team since Wyatt brought Jessica into the bunker. If the others, especially Denise and Rufus, were forced to do the same or take even riskier chances to protect their families I know they’d do it even if it affected the mission. I couldn’t blame them either, which is why I’m still really suspicious on Rittenhouse’s motive for bringing Jessica back, and did it at a point where no one besides Lucy and Rufus outside Wyatt would notice the difference.
Lariel: This is sort of where I come back to “is Jessica Rittenhouse?” They’ve planted sleeper agents throughout the past; who’s to say Jessica isn’t one in the present? And yes, I do think the families will come into play. We know from last season that Rittenhouse is ruthless in this respect.
Marta: I honestly don’t know. The only tidbit of information we got about Rittenhouse’s ultimate plan was a little vague and general, so exactly what their end goal is is still a bit of a mystery to me. I want to hope no family members are involved because I cannot stand the pain that the characters –Rufus mainly, the poor boy– will have to sit through, but if I were writing this, I would raise the stakes and involve them because narrative-wise it’s the richest motivation you can give them. They’re undoubtedly planning to take out the Time Team, and the only way they can do that at this point, now that they’ve proven physical damage can’t actually be a thing, is to get them to turn on each other. If Rittenhouse is behind Jessica’s return, that’s the start of making the bunker family implode from within. Trying to pin Lucy and Wyatt against each other, trying to create tension between Denise and Mason, and even Jiya and Rufus is absolutely the best way to take them out. Not only that, but their living conditions already predispose them to be more ready to jump on each other. Flynn’s also around, adding some extra tension to the nerves of it all. So who knows, but taking them out emotionally would be, in my humble opinion, much more efficient than simply trying to kill them.
Mimi: I don’t think Rufus family will come back into play this season, maybe next. I do think agent Denise’s will though, as proven by the episode 8 synopsis. Agent Denise has always said her family comes first and she made that very clear to Lucy in season one, by giving her the jump drive with her family photos on it. On the other side of that, we have Carol, who says she loves Lucy and will do anything to protect her except let her get in the way of RH. However, Carol was going to give Lucy up for adoption to keep her out of RH, so that says a lot as well.
I know Carol doesn’t want Lucy to die or any harm, to come to her, but she has had multiple opportunities to take out Lucy’s two biggest threats and never does! She kidnapped agent Christopher instead. Lucy has a right to feel all alone, because pretty much everyone she loves/loved is erased from history, works for RH or is now copulating with their dead wife. No one in RH knows where the bunker is right? As far as we know. So that makes me think Jess is the mole, and right now the only person outside the Time Team who know where, it is located. Yet another reason for her to go away, and Wyatt to figure out all is not what it seems.
Amanda: I don’t think that Rufus’s family will come into play, as Rittenhouse has already kind of tried to go that route with him. I still kind of think that Jessica is Rittenhouse just because that’s a lot of work for Emma to go through just to upset Lucy and screw with the team dynamics. Subtle is not her M.O.. Emma has one mode: kill. Based on the Canadian promo for the next episode, I think (hope?) that perhaps Carol gives a hint to what’s going on. Someone is the proverbial grenade waiting to explode in that bunker in the attempts to put an end to their resistance. And because I love everyone in that bar bunker, it has to be Jessica and I will hold steadfast to this theory until they pry it out of my cold dead heart. While I do love Jess, I love her the least. She’s basically the red-headed stepchild of my bunker babes. Sorry not sorry.
Samantha: Denise’s and Rufus’s families have already been threatened. Does RH know Jiya is still alive? Is her family safe? Lucy has no family left, but what about Jessica? Is that why they brought her back — to threaten her and thereby manipulate Wyatt? Families are on the table for RH, clearly. Nicholas and Emma seem to have no problem with murder. If I were Denise and Rufus, I’d have put my family into protective custody for the duration.
This show does diversity better than most shows on TV. How does it feel to see that on TV and behind the scenes and how do you think that reflects on the writing?
Lizzie: It feels both SO DAMN GOOD and so much like EVERYTHING should be that I just don’t want to think about a world where this doesn’t exist, where it isn’t part of my day-to-day life. I can take short seasons of Timeless, I can’t take no seasons of Timeless.
Alyssa: There are no words for how important this diversity on Timeless is. While it’s something that should just be commonplace, the sad fact is that it is not. And the effortless way with which Timeless delivers that diversity in an intelligent and caring way is one of my favorite things about this show. From the start this show was a proponent of diversity. With a Time Team of three, two of those three were minorities. Lucy, a woman. Rufus, a black man. Not to mention that Wyatt, the white man, defied those ignorant white man stereotypes. All of these characters bring something unique to the team and to this show. It’s not something that’s flamboyant or bragged about in a way that other shows have been known to do, Timeless just treats its world like our world. They’re not doing it for appearances sake. You can feel that in the writing and its execution. And it’s quite refreshing.
Lyra: Timeless feels like a rare unicorn breaking free from its chrysalis of terrible writing and lack of representation. All are in awe of its power and beauty because many before said it wasn’t possible. Well suck it up naysayers! DIVERSITY IS REAL, POSSIBLE, AND COULD OPEN SO MANY DOORS FOR UNIQUE AND AMAZING STORIES! This rare unicorn is here to stay and inspire other writers to follow in its path.
Sarah: Thrilled is as close I can get to using a single word describer for the diversity on Timeless. As happy as I am though, it also strikes a chord so strongly because this kind of diversity has not been employed like it should be on television today. One of the reasons this show is a powerhouse is because they are self aware to have diversity onscreen and behind the scenes which reflects the quality of the writing I’ve grown to love without a single doubt. If I’m being honest though what I love most about it, is what it gives to those who have not gotten the representation they deserve up to this point. The idea of this show not getting a third season breaks my heart because the writing demonstrates the amount of care, thoughtfulness and respect especially in regards to diversity every single episode.
Lariel: Maybe I’m writing from the middle-aged straight white female perspective, but… I honestly don’t think about the representation because it’s simply so organic. There are no tokens here. Yes, Rufus and Lucy both have to deal with bigotries against blacks and women each time they travel back to the past, but neither of these characters are there simply to show up those historic flaws. They have vital roles beyond being “the black guy” and “the woman.” None of these characters feel like they’re being held up as, “See? WE’VE GOT A (insert minority group here)!!!” in an effort to score social justice points. Instead, we are getting real, breathing people who just so happen to be black, brown, gay, straight… who they are matters more than “what” they are. And it’s wonderful to see.
Marta: The beautiful thing about Timeless is that representation is so well written that you almost forget that these characters are physically different because that’s not what matters. They’re recognized for their differences, and they are celebrated for them, but they’re characters that are so well written that they live beyond that. They each bring something unique and special to the show and so the ability to connect with them and to feel represented by them and to be able to identify with them grows exponentially and expands the richness that the show has. It’s a pleasure to watch, honestly.
Mimi: Timeless does diversity really really well. I don’t think they realize how well. Part of what makes the stories so great to watch is the cast have really great chemistry. Not just Abigail and Matt, but Malcolm and Abigail too. The BTS photos and IG stories prove they all really like each other and like telling the stories they tell each week. This also speaks to the writers as well and how diverse they are. I never thought on television, NBC no less, would I get to see and learn so much history about people of color, and women and it’s done so well! The details they put into each show is remarkable for television right now. The characters on Timeless are people you want to be friends with, even if they weren’t saving the world, week after week. #clockblocker #timeteam
Amanda: Everyone else at this table hit the nail squarely on the head by saying that the show makes the diversity seamless — as it is (should be) in real life. Not one of these characters is treated like the “token” character. They’re our fierce den mother and boss, our brilliant engineer, our second brilliant engineer and sass princess, our fabulous British inventor uncle… AND THAT ONLY ACCOUNTS FOR OUR MAIN CHARACTERS. At the same time, the show doesn’t shy away from showing how these people are affected by external situations. For instance, right off the bat we saw Rufus faced with going back to the 1930s. The show pulled no punches in showing how poorly he would have been (how poorly he was) treated. Wendell Scott was a badass race car driver, but the sad reality was that he was cheated out of wins and recognition. Did that make him a sad-sack? NO. The show is historically accurate, but they never let that accuracy diminish the characters and their strengths. By focusing on stories like Wendell Scott and Bass Reeves and Ethan Cahill*, we see just how amazing these people were, but we also have to see and own up to how horribly said amazing people were (and sometimes still are) treated.
*Yes, I know Ethan Cahill wasn’t a real person, but his struggle with being LGBT in the 1950s was very real. I’d like to point out how much I loved Wyatt telling him that Lucy was right about there being nothing wrong with him. As someone who lives in west Texas, it feels like a bit of a rarity to hear men from here talk like that. You go, Wyatt Logan. (But you’re still on notice.)
Samantha: The diversity of Timeless is fantastic because it is seamless. No one has mentioned that Jiya is a woman in tech. No one has mentioned Denise is married to a woman or that Connor is a black millionaire (billionaire?). The prejudice that Lucy and Rufus encounter in the past are true to life. Women in this show behave and talk like women in the real world (outside of, you know, the time travel stuff). All of these things are true, but they are not pointed to constantly. They just are!
Agree? Disagree? Have any Timeless feels you want to share? Comment below!
Timeless airs Sundays at 10/9c on NBC.