Pilot (2016) User Reviews (9)

A criminal steals a time machine, and three people are sent to stop him from changing history.

[jedly · 8/10 · 9 October 2016]

TIMELESS (2016-Present) Is a new sci-fi drama with the pilot episode plot focusing around an experimental time machine which is stolen by a criminal named Garcia Flynn (Goran Višnjić), a trio consisting of history professor/anthropologist Lucy Preston( Abigail Spencer), Master Sergeant Wyatt Logan (Matt Lanter), and engineer and time travelling pilot Rufus Carlin (Malcolm Barrett) are sent back in time using a prototype machine to capture him. However, they soon realize that Flynn and his associates are attempting to rewrite American history.

I actually really liked the pilot episode. Carlin is reluctant to travel back because he's black, and he shares some major secret with the time machine's creator, Connor Mason (Paterson Joseph). Logan might military, but he acts more out of impulse and emotion, and Preston shares a yet to be revealed secret with Flynn. The main cast is rounded out with Agent Denise Christopher (Sakina Jaffrey), because until the time machine was stolen, the government didn't know it existed, let alone that it isn't even the first one built.

Of course time travel always come with a price. This isn't like DOCTOR WHO where there are fixed points in time that can't be changed no matter what happens. If something in the past is changed, there's consequences

The episode does have some personal tidbits, but there's only so much that you can cover in an hour. Enough seeds were planted to raise interest. I'm hoping that some of these "secrets" are revealed sooner rather than later.

All in all, the plot is solid and the acting is good. I'm looking forward to the next episode.

Epic start to a promising series

[Kingslaay · 9/10 · 17 April 2017]

The concept of time travel is very interesting to most. Timeless has a great start with this pilot episode. The explanations for the time machine and the team selected to travel through time are passable and reasonable. The characters are interesting and it was nice to find each of them had their own back stories and drama. The concept of them travelling back in time to fight off an evil counterpart who wants to change history for the worst is brilliant. The Hindenburg incident as the subject of the first episode was interesting and thrilling. A better time in history could have not been picked to start this series off. The story lines, acting and drama made for an excellent episode.

Once you get over any doubts about how it works in the show or any paradoxes you are sure to enjoy this show. If you get hellbent on the concept of time travel and have too many questions then perhaps you should skip this show. It is recommended, I am hooked.

***

[edwagreen · 8/10 · 23 November 2016]

Interesting premise was spoiled by unusual ending. Our heroine comes back and the writing makes it appear that she is totally confused or certainly has lost it.

Interesting idea that a time machine has been stolen by quite a character as the latter shall try to destroy history as we know it for his own means.

You know that the subject under consideration in this opening episode was the 1937 Hindenburg Disaster when you hear those famous words as the latter burst into flames- O! The Humanity!

The episode does show that you may want to change or prevent a certain thing from occurring, but unfortunately, the death does still occur.

It looks as though our heroine, a college professor, ready to fight for tenure shall be taken up with other matters.

In the scheme of things, the Nazis here were rather benign since attention is paid to the person who tried to rearrange the Hindenburg disaster.

Such a Great Show!!

[marybeth-91766 · 10/10 · 4 January 2019]

I love how they made the impossible seem like it could actually happen! It is a great combination of history, sci-fy, romance, drama, and comedy! It has it all!! Ending the episode on a cliffhanger was a brilliant way to bring people in.

The Hindenburg looks Realistic

[filmblue-11636 · 10/10 · 28 February 2017]

The first episode which I watched of season one is creative in realism. The characters of Rufus, Wyatt, and Lucy's character really fit well in how a situation of stopping a former NSA agent who stole a mother-ship, while the three are in a lifeboat.

Like the special effects of the time-machines while they look real on a less reflective screen and seeing the Hindenburg like if I was watching a balloon festival in Texas up close. Realistic. I could imagine if Malcolm, Matt, Goran, and Abigail's eye's start to bulge out of their sockets seeing something with some pop-out quality.

Hydrogen was the why.

[gkeith_1 · 10/10 · 17 November 2016]

The Hindenburg was German. They had hydrogen for their airships, which was very flammable.

The Americans had helium, which was a lot safer.

This information is from my aviation history coursework at university.

The Hindenburg disaster took place on American soil. In a few years, ironically, American would be at war with the Hindenburg's country. This is an interesting observation.

This episode of Timeless is interesting because here (I think the pilot episode , but it's been so long) three neophyte time travelers travel back to 1937, which in 2016 (now) is 79, almost 80 years ago.

Three neophytes, yes, but experts in other fields. The pilot is an African-American computer geek, which is against the stereotype. The army tough guy can kill people, and there are apparently many times ahead in which he will knock the blocks off many baddies. There is the female history professor (again, against the old stereotype) who has lost university tenure, and is now apparently unemployed.

The head of the corporation is also African-American, more anti-stereotype. Yay!

The bad guy is white, conniving and sneaky. He enjoys luring the hapless trio all over the time-traveling universe, as we will be seeing in future episodes.

10/10

Smashing.

Entertaining.

Worth a watch

[michaelchikliscares · 10/10 · 29 May 2020]

This show had a fantastic budget, I think it still triumphs over the storylines and make them better. Shawn Ryan had said before that they had 6-10million per episode. Now to the episode, timetraveling to the Hindenburg crash. The concept is nice for a sci fi but still reminds me of the network style writing. Nothing new but the actors make it work.

Time travel yarn with political spin

[dtroyhill-49419 · 3/10 · 25 May 2017]

The acting is okay but they really went out of their way to go against stereo type for most main parts but felt the need of course to make the Villain the ,"evil" white dude.(seems like all movies and shows are going this way currently)

Right off the jump the black character faces, of course, the Omni-present white racist cop from the early 1900's. If that's your thing you will love it. Otherwise its an average re-write on an old theme. They could of done so much more with the material and touch on thought provoking moments in history(that could of changed history) but instead wasted it on modern politicking.

No one is surprised by its low viewership and although NBC picked it up for season 2 unless they stop preaching and do more story telling it wont make a 3rd season. I was very disappointed as I was really excited when I initially heard of the show in the previews.

Sliders was a great concept, the show wasn't so great though. Same sort of thing here with time travel, I'll give it a shot.

[bombersflyup · 5/10 · 24 December 2018]

Timeless is about three individuals the best in their field, going back in time to stop a renegade from changing the past.

The pilot episode itself isn't anything worthy of praise, but it has all kinds of potential that warrants further viewing. Abigail Spencer's an excellent choice for lead. Paterson Joseph from "The Beach," looks to be a regular.