Every time my job required me to watch Grey's Anatomy last season, I was consoled by only one thing: the presence of Kevin McKidd, whom I loved so much on all 13 of episodes of Journeyman. The show was like Quantum Leap 2.0, with McKidd Desmond-ing around in time, righting wrongs and saving lives with Moon Bloodgood, who was fresh off of the also short-lived Daybreak (or "Groundhog Taye," as we call it in my house.) The show was engrossing and effective light sci fi, but I really loved it because it was just so exquisitely sappy in the most perfect way, just like Leap was.
Every time he saved someone and they were so grateful, or whenever it finally dawned on him what his mission was in each episode, there would be this great heartstrings moment. I re-watched the pilot for this post, and there's a part at the end where he proves to his wife that he's a time traveler by burying her wedding ring in the backyard years before they'd put a porch in and dramatically digs it up in the present to hand it to her and say, "I'll always come home," and she takes it and she cries! And they hug! And it's raining! That's just so wonderfully Hallmark I can't stand it. There were a lot of moments like that, and while that's not always my thing, it just always hit me the right way on this show.
Another little thing I loved was how the show used landmark songs of each year he went back to to help quickly establish where he was. Sometimes it was awesome music like Oasis or Depeche Mode, and sometimes it was Sarah McLachlan or "Livin' La Vida Loca" -- either way it made me happy.
But the saddest part about the show's swift cancellation for me was that an overarching mythology was just getting started, and it was a pretty good one. McKidd's character had learned that he and Bloodgood had been born during a rare celestial occurrence, which may have been what caused their affliction (kinda like Heroes, I know), and there was a mysterious professor wandering around who knew there were time travelers, and definitely had more answers than he gave in the show's final episode. There was plenty of meat for a second season, is what I'm saying, and, as usual, very disappointing that we didn't get to explore it.
Revisit or discover for the first time all 13 episodes on Hulu while you can, and leave your Journeyman love in the comments!
Another little thing I loved was how the show used landmark songs of each year he went back to to help quickly establish where he was. Sometimes it was awesome music like Oasis or Depeche Mode, and sometimes it was Sarah McLachlan or "Livin' La Vida Loca" -- either way it made me happy.
But the saddest part about the show's swift cancellation for me was that an overarching mythology was just getting started, and it was a pretty good one. McKidd's character had learned that he and Bloodgood had been born during a rare celestial occurrence, which may have been what caused their affliction (kinda like Heroes, I know), and there was a mysterious professor wandering around who knew there were time travelers, and definitely had more answers than he gave in the show's final episode. There was plenty of meat for a second season, is what I'm saying, and, as usual, very disappointing that we didn't get to explore it.
Revisit or discover for the first time all 13 episodes on Hulu while you can, and leave your Journeyman love in the comments!
MOST RECENT POSTS
Today's TWoP News: Wednesday, February 20, 2013
New Girl: Roomate Do's and Don'ts of the Week
Wednesday, February 20, 2013: American Idol
Today's TWoP News: Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Saturday Night Live: The Best Sketches of the Night
TV on DVD: Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013: Cult
I Want My DVD: Tuesday, February 19, 2013
BLOG ARCHIVES
Brilliant But Cancelled
January 2013
2 Entries
December 2012
1 Entries
November 2012
2 Entries
August 2012
1 Entries
July 2012
2 Entries
June 2012
2 Entries
May 2012
3 Entries
April 2012
2 Entries
March 2012
1 Entries
February 2012
1 Entries
January 2012
1 Entries
November 2011
2 Entries
October 2011
3 Entries
September 2011
2 Entries
August 2011
3 Entries
July 2011
2 Entries
June 2011
2 Entries
April 2011
4 Entries
March 2011
3 Entries
February 2011
2 Entries
January 2011
2 Entries
November 2010
1 Entries
October 2010
2 Entries
September 2010
2 Entries
July 2010
3 Entries
June 2010
2 Entries
May 2010
1 Entries
April 2010
3 Entries
March 2010
6 Entries
February 2010
2 Entries
January 2010
3 Entries
December 2009
1 Entries
November 2009
2 Entries
October 2009
2 Entries
September 2009
2 Entries
August 2009
5 Entries
July 2009
8 Entries
June 2009
5 Entries
May 2009
3 Entries
April 2009
2 Entries
March 2009
3 Entries
February 2009
2 Entries
January 2009
5 Entries
December 2008
2 Entries
November 2008
3 Entries
October 2008
4 Entries
September 2008
6 Entries
July 2008
5 Entries
June 2008
2 Entries
May 2008
7 Entries
April 2008
9 Entries
March 2008
1 Entries
February 2008
2 Entries
November 2007
1 Entries
Comments