Reviews

I have not written very many reviews for shows and movies on here before but I feel obligated with such a flawless show as 12 Monkeys.

Very few shows have ever captivated me the same way 12 Monkeys did. My only regret is that I did not know about this show or watch it at all while it was airing. I recently ran across it on Hulu and watched the entire show in a matter of a few weeks.

I'm always careful when it comes to time travel in shows and movies because unless it is handled correctly, it can make the show/movie absolutely terrible and unbelievable. Not so with 12 Monkeys. The intellect with which the timelines and stories are written out is nothing short of genius. Things happen in season 1 that you may see in season 3 or 4 that have a totally different meaning and make sense. The story makes sense and is carefully crafted to where when you get to the end, you can look back and say "wow!"

The characters are emotionally deep and compelling. I'm not always a huge crier when it comes to shows movies but this show is one of the few that made me cry multiple times. I love these characters: Cassie, Cole, Jones, Jennifer, Deacon.They are rich, relatable and incredibly acted and performed in this show.

The ending is perfect. Having a good ending to a tv show (much less and science fiction show) is a very rare thing. 12 Monkeys has a fantastically satisfying ending, both emotionally and intellectually. I don't know how the writers did it, but somehow they tied up every single loose end and story arc over the seasons. It makes sense. While at the same time paying off the emotional investment we as the audience had in these characters for 4 seasons. I cannot give higher praise to the ending of this show. Breathtaking.

I think after the dust settles and I have time to process more the story and emotional ride this show took me on, it may just end up being my favorite show of all time at this point. If you have not seen it, do yourself a favor and watch it. I guarantee that you won't regret it. It's sad that shows like this don't always get the praise or the recognition it deserves. This is a true gem. All I can say is thanks for the ride.

There has been a good amount of bad reviews on this TV show. I, however, disagree with them on the merit of this show. I remember first hearing about this show and being intrigued by the fact that Spielberg was creating and producing a TV show about an alien invasion. Let's be honest, this is not an original script or idea. The alien invasion/end- of-the-world/post-apocalyptic genre is not something lacking in modern entertainment. There has been and currently is a myriad of movies and TV shows the fit this genre. So yes, if you are looking for a TV show that is completely original and new this is not necessarily the show you are looking for.

However this show is very unique in the way that it tells this age-old story of aliens invading and taking over Earth. It begins 6 months after the aliens have already taken over the world. I really like that start because it skips over what most TV shows and movie(V, Skyline, War of the Worlds, Battle: Los Angeles) completely focus on. It focuses on the struggle for survival of a group of soldiers and civilians (2nd Mass).

This show does an incredible job of showing the reality of the daily struggles these people go through to survive in an alien-occupied world. Everything from getting food, to medical supplies, to transportation and gas, and places to hide and stay is a real struggle they have to face in the show. I love the gritty reality of the show. You really see struggle these characters go through for basic things.

A lot people also complain about the characters saying they are flat and not developed. Let me counter it by saying this. You can't compare this TV show (which only gets 10 episodes a season) with another show that gets 20-24 a season. They have WAY less time to tell story and develop characters. They do a great job with the little amount of episodes they get. The 2nd season vastly improves on the first season and amps up the stakes on all levels.

I would recommend this show to any SciFi fan. It's a fun show to watch and I find myself loving the characters and wanting to see how they survive not only the aliens but also the daily challenges placed before them for basic survival.

Don't write it off because of what other people say. Try watching it for yourself, you won't regret it.

I have to say that when I first watched this series I didn't think much of it. A couple a years ago I had a friend in college who was a huge fan of this show and kept telling me I needed to watch it. Finally I agreed to watch the pilot with some friends. I remember watching the pilot and thinking it was good, but wasn't hooked so i didn't watch the series after that for a while.

Probably about 6 months later I decided to watch the pilot one more time and give the show another chance (This show was the first big plunge into the world of science fiction). After giving it another chance and sticking with the first season per my friend telling me I need to keep watching I got hooked! It is now one of my top shows with LOST, 24, and Chuck.

This show is unique in the fact that it is a mixture of serialized and procedural at the same time. Different seasons lean more in one direction than the other. For example, season 1 begins very procedural and people who love serialized shows may quit because they see no connection, but there is. Later in the first season it becomes more serialized and things start being connect. Season 2 is a great mixture of the two. Season 3 is almost completely serialized. I believe this show strikes the perfect balance of the two to where it can be enjoyed by a wide range of people.

As far as acting and writing, in my opinion it is incredible. Anna Torv does a great job as well as Josh Jackson and especially John Noble who makes the show and is probably one of the most incredible actors on TV right now. I highly recommend this show to everyone, with one disclaimer. You have to at least stick it out through the first season. Because you don't start to understand the show and where it is going until then.

But you should watch this show. Definitely one of the best on TV right now. A cut above the rest.