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Standing among all the zombies, dragons, and comic book–adapted television shows stands 12 Monkeys. A post-apocalyptic time-traveling drama that has helped its host channel, SyFy, experience a resurgence and has revitalized science fiction television.
When most people hear the channel name, SyFy, they immediately think Sharknado and for good reason. The made-for-TV movie has developed a cult following that rivals the likes of The Evil Dead for a new generation. While the silly B movie that spawned three sequels is seen as campy-good fun, it has also left the SyFy network with that same stigma. This in turn has left a lot of its original programs getting unnecessarily pushed to the background and not given much of a chance to resonate with the mainstream audience. 12 Monkeys is leading the SyFy charge to help change that stigma during its second successful season.
Adapted from the movie with the same name, season 1 saw a show that stretched the original story into thirteen mind-bending and engaging episodes that paved the way for compelling story arcs. The plot of the show plays like this, “Follows the journey of a time traveler from the post-apocalyptic future who appears in present day on a mission to locate and eradicate the source of a deadly plague that will nearly destroy the human race.” The great thing about this vague description is that the show is so much more complicated and multilayered in the best possible way. It’s almost misleading but in such a way that it reels you in and never lets go. Characters time travel, or splinter, back and forth from the future to the past constantly. Storylines never falter, and the writing improves with each episode.
A lot of shows stumble and fall during its second season; some have a few missteps and eventually find its footing. It’s called the sophomore slump, and many shows go through it. 12 Monkeys had none of these problems. In fact, I would say its second season was far superior to the first one. That’s not taking anything away from its rookie year, but the writers brought their A game in every single episode that’s aired this season.
Most important, what I want to emphasize about this brilliant show is how in two season it’s managed to fill the Lost void that Hollywood has been so desperately trying to fill. On a network that doesn’t boast the highest rating and doesn’t have the financial legs to stretch, 12 Monkeys has created another cult-following hit that deserves to be talked about just as much as Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead. SyFy has earned its place at the cool kids table.
So, the next time you hear SyFy channel and quality television in the same sentence, don’t be so quick to shrug it off. The network is ushering in a new wave of science fiction television that is focusing on fantastic storytelling and intriguing characters that’s quieting the campy SyFy stigma.
Now is the time to “initiate splinter” sequence and catch up on the first two seasons. You won’t want to miss season 3.
Let us know what you think of 12 Monkeys on Twitter: @PacingPete, @The_GWW or @SplinterBackPOD