If Kevin Williamson, Freddie Stroma, and Josh Bowman aren’t reason enough for you to tune in to the Time After Time series premiere, here are five teases that are sure to have you wishing for a time machine of your own.
There has been a rash of time travel shows over the last few years, after Doctor Who reminded us all of how much fun time travel can be on a weekly basis. However, Forever, Frequency, and even Timeless don’t offer what Time After Time does: H.G. Wells, his buddy, Jack the Ripper, and a world they both don’t understand.
If you haven’t seen the 1979 movie that inspired Kevin Williamson, check out our review of the two hour premiere ahead of it’s airing this Sunday and get a good idea of what we can expect from this stellar cast and intriguing concept. We can’t wait to see how differently H.G. and John adjust to life out of their time.
Here are five reasons why we’re excited to tune in this Sunday, and hopefully they are more than enough to convince you to do the same.
1. Josh Bowman dials his Daniel Grayson to its darkest setting for Jack the Ripper
Josh Bowman brings every bit of the suave charisma we saw him utilize in Revenge, but with a darker, more formidable energy than we ever could have imagined. He is every bit the nightmare we’ve believed Jack the Ripper to be, but with more than a few tweaks to keep him from becoming a mustache-twirling villain.
2. While H.G. marvels over his published works, Jack the Ripper Googles himself
The whole man-out-of-time theme is good fun, especially watching H.G. Wells trying to adjust to cleaning up in the 21st century and perusing his published works in someone’s personal library. However, while H.G. has issues adapting, John Stevenson has far fewer problems. How do you think Jack the Ripper would react to the modern world’s view of his late 19th century slayings?
3. In case you were worried, this show is not just another love triangle run amok
While the two-hour premiere gives both of our male leads time to get to know Jane Walker, this show has more going for it than just a possible love triangle. H.G. Wells and Jack the Ripper are each trying to adjust to a future they don’t recognize, and there are so many other incredible plot twists in this premiere that this show promises a bright and twisted future.
4. There’s a little something for every Kevin Williamson fan
While there’s no shortage of romantic and sexual tension a la The Vampire Diaries and Dawson’s Creek, the most interesting link to Kevin Williamson’s impressive résumé is to his original crime drama The Following. John and H.G. are every bit as engaging to watch do battle as Ryan Hardy and Joe Carroll. If you don’t know what I mean by that, give The Following a watch.
5. H.G. Wells gives the best explanation for why a time machine isn’t a magic fix-all that I’ve ever heard
Having been a fan of the time-travel genre for years, I’ve never heard a character so clearly and plainly describe why just taking the time machine back to erase the complicated timeline they are currently in isn’t a valid option. There’s usually some wordy and science-y explanation to explain why a time machine isn’t just a plot-hole fixing device, but H.G. Wells solves that dilemma in minutes, making it clear why the solution to time travel definitely isn’t more time travel.