It’s the beginning of the end… and that’s the exact moment that time-traveller James Cole is returned to in 12 Monkeys. But can he change the past to save the future?
It’s an intriguing concept. Can one lone time-traveller change the past in order to save the world? We’ve seen this premise time and time again… most obviously, in the original 1995 sci-fi flick, 12 Monkeys. But while the new TV series seems to tread old ground, it’s not long before you realise that this is one concept that’s really worth remaking.
James Cole (played by Aaron Stanford) is a time-traveller – a man chosen to redeem himself from his murky past by saving the human race as we know it. In the year 2017, a deadly plague is released, wiping out seven billion people and causing civilization to collapse. But that’s all in Cole’s past. You see, for him this happened many years ago.
And when he travels from the year 2048 back to 2013, he’s told that everyone he’ll meet is already dead. But he has the chance to change that. So far, it’s much the same premise as the earlier film starring Bruce Willis. And given that it focusses on the same character, there are likely to be many parallels.
But when he meets Dr Cassandra Railly (Amanda Schull), that all starts to change.
In this version of the 12 Monkeys story, Cole quickly earns Cassandra’s trust by showing her a watch – her very own watch from the future. And in a slightly cheesy visual effect, we get to witness the violent, visceral nature of changing something in the past.
After scratching a line into the face of her watch with a knife, that same line appears on the watch that he possesses.
It’s a rather neat way of showing how changes in the past can affect the future. And it’s all apparently due to injections Cole was given in the future – a serum which makes him immune to paradoxes. Again, it’s a nice way of getting the mainstream audience to wrap their heads around a hard time travel story. And as things get more complicated, I get the feeling this will become more and more useful.
Obviously, fans of the movie will be wondering about Cole and Cassandra’s relationship at this point. In this new TV series, Railly is a virologist… and Cole seems to be more mentally stable. At least, for the time being.
In fact, the way in which Railly first encounters Cole is entirely different. And this time around, it seems he’s been purposely sent back to find her. Even though she doesn’t know it yet, it looks as though Cassandra Railly has information about the deadly viral outbreak.
Clearly there are plenty of differences between the film and the new TV series… and that’s definitely a good thing. The new show isn’t merely retreading old ground, and seems to be adding its own commentary about how humanity got to this stage. And while some characters are remarkably similar, it seems there are plenty of cool twists to be found.
And by the end of the episode, we’re introduced to the biggest of them all – Jennifer Goines.
The daughter of Leland Goines – the man thought to be responsible in some way for the outbreak – is incarcerated in a mental institute. Obviously, this is the new version of Brad Pitt’s classic character. But how this all fits together is a bit of a mystery for the time being.
Like I said, there’s enough new ground here to throw a spanner in the works if you’re planning to work it all out. And it definitely introduces something fresh to what could have been a slightly stale concept.
Of course, the enigmatic Army of the Twelve Monkeys is ever present. But I wonder whether that too will take a swift departure from how it was presented in the film. In fact, I’m very sure it will.
Thankfully, it’s all incredibly fascinating and manages to hold the attention of even the most hardened fan of the movie. And with some excellent acting throughout, it’s easy to get drawn into this vastly different world.
Although the gritty visuals and hard sci-fi pretence is rather similar, there’s plenty of new story here to enjoy. And I get the feeling it’s only going to get better from here. Let’s just hope that 12 Monkeys retains the momentum of this gripping first episode.
What did you think of the first episode of 12 Monkeys? Is this a remake worth making? Let us know what you think in the comments below…
