Journeyman

By levinson.paul@gmail.com (Paul Levinson) Actually, the Visitors are referred to as the "V's" in this incarnation, and I prefer the "Visitors". But V 2009 does have Father Jack Landry (Joel Gretsch, who played Frank Vasser on Journeyman), which opens up some good theological threads (I'm suspecting his superior might be a Visitor undercover), and Lost's Elizabeth Mitchell has a top role as Erica Evans. The new version also has the winning mix of good and bad Visitors, and Visitor-collaborator and rebel humans as the original, as well as some echoes of Battlestar Galactica (the Visitors as Cylons), and an appealing media criticism component, so I'm going to give it a chance. And kudos to ABC for stepping up with science fiction a lot more than once this decade - Lost, Invasion, Flas...   [read the full post]

By Paul Levinson(noreply@blogger.com) Ok, I've gotten it out of my system - Life on Mars, at least in America, is not time travel. It has nothing to do with Journeyman or Quantum Leap or The Sarah Connor Chronicles. One question that sill occurs to me about the coma and no time travel - is Sam definitely in the coma in 2008, dreaming of 1973 - or could it be he's in a coma in 1973, dreaming about 2008? Ok, I think I got it now... See also Life on Mars Debuts in America ... Life on Mars 2nd Episode in America: Coma, Time Travel, Mars Rover ... Life on Mars Goes On in America: What Happens When a Time Traveler Runs Into His Earlier Self? ... Life on Mars #4: All in the Family ... Life on Mars #5 Meets the Wire The Plot to Save Socrates more about The Plot to Save Socrates...   [read the full post]

By bob(noreply@blogger.com) Thanks for reassuring me that there are Journeyman fans out there. I am in the UK and my fellow US-tv fans here all think Journeyman the hit of the season- real and emotional with a genre twist. But I was beginning to despair that the other side of the Atlantic appreciated it as much as us. The only thing I have to add to the theorising is that Langley said Dan didn't fall far from the tree (or words to that effect), on the surface implying that he looks like his father. Which he obviously doesn't so the real motivation to that line must have been that they have time travel in common. I look forward to discovering the role Langley played in Vasser Senior's life.   [read the full post]

By noreply@blogger.com (Paul Levinson) Fine start of Life on Mars on ABC tonight, and you know that I'm going to review this American version of the British series here on Infinite Regress, since I watch everything I can get my hands on regarding time travel, including Journeyman, relevant episodes of Lost and Heroes, and Deja Vu, too. But unlike Journeyman and Quantum Leap, Life on Mars will be one continuing, over-arching story, with Sam from 2008 back in 1973. I'm glad to see this, since I thought both Journeyman and Quantum Leap gave too much attention to specific episode story lines, and not enough to the backbone of the plot (Journeyman improved greatly in this respect near the end). The Plot to Save Socrates more about The Plot to Save Socrates...   [read the full post]

By Shaun Farrell(noreply@blogger.com) I'm not sure why Journeyman's possible concellation is a sign that negotions with the WGA are looking good. Shows are getting cancelled or cut short (Heroes, BSG) because there is no end in sight. If an end where in sight, they wouldn't cancel shows that could be continued. Anyway, if NBC cancels Journeyman they will join FOX in the "Don't know good television" boat. The ratings are not terrible from what I've seen, and this idea that every show needs to garner numbers like the first seasons of Heroes and Lost is just stupid. Those shows have dropped in ratings as well. At least they gave it 10 episodes, but the show is brilliant and deserves another season.   [read the full post]

By Paul Levinson I realized a long time ago, when I was just a kid, and I'd spend hours holed away reading science fiction, and my mother would chide me for wasting my time, that some people, otherwise intelligent and even sensitive, are just blind to the virtues and appeal of science fiction. Years later, when I published my first science fiction novel - The Silk Code, in 1999 - my mother was steadfast in her well-meaning opinion. "You're a good writer. Why don't you write novels about real things?" Ma, science fiction is about real things ... ," I tried to answer. My reviews of other Journeyman episodes ... 1: NBC Quantum Leaps Into Journeyman ...2 ... 3 ... 4 ... 5 ... 6... 7 ... 8. Livia's Story ... 9. Dan Unravels His Present ... 10. Jack's In! ... 11. Livia's Beau ... 12. The Perfect Time Travel Story ... Lucky 13   [read the full post]

By Paul Levinson As it is, we have been treated to the best time travel series ever on television, and a twofer ending which both explained a lot of things and left us hungering for more. Kevin McKidd and Reed Diamond were never better in their acting, and the series reached some real peaks in story telling. I'm predicting that we will indeed see more of Journeyman someday - I just hope we don't have to wait too long... My reviews of other Journeyman episodes ... 1: NBC Quantum Leaps Into Journeyman ...2 ... 3 ... 4 ... 5 ... 6... 7 ... 8. Livia's Story ... 9. Dan Unravels His Present ... 10. Jack's In! ... 11. Livia's Beau ... 12. The Perfect Time Travel Story And Troy Price has a great interview on his podcast with Journeyman creator Kevin Falls! The Plot to Save Socrates more about The Plot to Save Socrates...   [read the full post]

By Paul Levinson Tonight's Episode 12 of Journeyman was one of the best hours of time travel ever on television. I expect it will become a classic- Lovelines and timelines always clash in the better time travel stories, and this episode of Journeyman was one of the best of these I've ever read or seen. I'll save discussion of those themes for Wednesday, and the 13th episode of Journeyman... I'm looking forward to every minute. My reviews of other Journeyman episodes ... 1: NBC Quantum Leaps Into Journeyman ...2 ... 3 ... 4 ... 5 ... 6... 7 ... 8. Livia's Story ... 9. Dan Unravels His Present ... 10. Jack's In! ... 11. Livia's Beau The Plot to Save Socrates more about The Plot to Save Socrates...   [read the full post]

By Paul Levinson Jack and Theresa (played by beautiful Lisa Sheridan) are getting much closer, too. Theresa tells him she's pregnant with their child... And the contest will continue the contest for the next two episodes of Journeyman. I'll give a free, autographed copy of The Plot to Save Socrates to first person, after each show, who e-mails Dan's last word on the show to me! See Extending The Plot to Save Socrates - Journeyman Contest for details. My reviews of other Journeyman episodes ... 1: NBC Quantum Leaps Into Journeyman ...2 ... 3 ... 4 ... 5 ... 6... 7 ... 8. Livia's Story ... 9. Dan Unravels His Present ... 10. Jack's In! The Plot to Save Socrates more about The Plot to Save Socrates...   [read the full post]

By Paul Levinson Tonight's Episode 10 of Journeyman was a wonderful, satisfying chapter, in many ways. Which brings us to Jack - the most satisfying development of all in tonight's episode. Jack has been edging closer in previous shows to believing Dan. Tonight Livia comes to see Jack in the present - because Dan needs his help - and that of course finally convinces Jack that his brother is not crazy, and is really time traveling.... My reviews of other Journeyman episodes ... 1: NBC Quantum Leaps Into Journeyman ...2 ... 3 ... 4 ... 5 ... 6... 7 ... 8. Livia's Story ... 9. Dan Unravels His Present The Plot to Save Socrates more about The Plot to Save Socrates...   [read the full post]

By Paul Levinson Last night's episode was by far the best yet, and I've been pretty much saying that about every episode of Journeyman. It's one of my two-three favorite series now on television, and the best time travel series, ever. It keeps pushing the envelope - which, in time travel stories, means playing ever more dangerously with the paradoxes time travel inevitably engenders. Which brings me to our CONTEST: Here it is: I will send a free, autographed copy of my own time travel novel, The Plot to Save Socrates, to the first person who e-mails me at My reviews of other Journeyman episodes ... 1: NBC Quantum Leaps Into Journeyman ...2 ... 3 ... 4 ... 5 ... 6... 7 ... 8. Livia's Story The Plot to Save Socrates more about The Plot to Save Socrates...   [read the full post]

By Paul Levinson Back with a little focus essay on what could be a very important thread introduced in last night's Journeyman - Episode 4 - on NBC. In 2007, Dan contacts a scientist who has done some work on tachyons - the name our real-life scientists give to particles that might travel at faster-than-light speeds, were such speeds possible. Dan presumably thinks this scientist might know something about time travel (because, again in our reality, some projections of what conditions would permit time travel say it could be linked to faster-than-light travel). Dan has an inconclusive conversation with the scientist, who tells Dan he'll get back to Dan, and- my time-travel novel, The Plot to Save Socrates   [read the full post]

By Paul Levinson One of the key threads in NBC's Journeyman - perhaps the key thread - is how many of the people around Dan in 2007 know what he is doing. And tonight, in Episode 4, Dan's brother Jack (winningly played by Reed Diamond), is in a men's room with Dan, when Dan goes missing. The window is closed, Dan didn't fall in, so ... One other touch I very much enjoyed in tonight's show. Dan contacts a scientist in 2007 who is an expert in tachyons - hypothetical faster-than-light particles which could play a role in building a time-travel machine, were such a device possible. Dan speaks to the scientist in 2007 ... and the scientist unexpectedly calls Dan back ... in the past, in 1998 .... Reviews of other Journeyman episodes: 1 ... 2 ... 3 ... 5 ...   [read the full post]