Summer Travels

A few months ago, my father and I came home from the hospital for a late dinner. A few days prior to Mother's Day, my mom had been admitted for pneumonia, and would spend a week there before finally coming home. It was a Thursday night, and a special sneak preview of the Summer series Traveler was airing. It was entertaining, something of a mix between Alias and Prison Break, and held my interest enough to tune in once it moved to its regular timeslot on Wednesdays.

I didn't plan to get attached to it. The list of new shows cut down on me this year was already staggering. I already had to see the final episodes of Day Break and The Black Donnellys online. Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for the last two episodes of Drive, originally promised for July 4th, then preempted at the last minute and moved to July 13th, then removed from the schedule completely with no explanation. No, I've learned not to get attached to shows ranging from average to good, and while good, Traveler did initially remind me of things I saw before. Though the only original series in a sea of Summer reality shows, I doubted it would last.

Traveler told the tale of three college roommates, close friends about to embark on a road trip. As a goof, one convinces the other two to rollerblade through a museum while he videotapes them. When a fire alarm goes off, the two run outside while the third, “Will Traveler”, phones them to make sure they got out. “I'm sorry I had to do this,” he apologizes. “Do what?” asks his friend, just as the museum EXPLODES.

Things pick up speed from there. They learn that Will, Aaron Stanford of X-men fame, technically doesn't exist. There are no records of him. Every time they took pictures at parties, they discovered he always turned away or took a drink or did something to hide his face. The FBI suspects the first two friends, who become fugitives. A government conspiracy unfolds, and it's difficult to know who to trust, if anyone. As we learn more about Will through flashbacks, I began to liken him more to Jason Bourne, sans amnesia. The other two leads, initially unremarkable, were fleshed out each week into decent characters. I can honestly say that each episode was better than the one before it.

This week's episode was phenomenal, and had an amazing ending. It all set the stage for the finale next week, and according to the show's creator, they always knew they were guaranteed eight episodes. Some good shows are canceled before they have time to develop. Others run a season or two too long, resulting in decline in quality as storylines are stretched out. A finite series definitely allows for a different kind of storytelling, a more exciting pace with satisfying closure at the end. As with The Lost Room, a miniseries I recently watched, seeds can always be planted for sequels or continuations, but the main story can be wrapped up should no other episodes be made. At first I was disappointed to learn there were only eight episodes, especially after this week's, but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made, and I hope the finale ties up loose ends but leaves room for future adventures with these characters.

It's been a good show, and I'm glad I invested the time I have into it. Let's face it; there's not much else on right now. And if you've missed what's gone before, they have the television on computers now...