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.
A journey through a post-apocalyptic future, the result of a deadly virus that decimates humanity could not constitute more timely fare in the age of COVID-19. Created by Travis Flickett and Terry Matalas, “12 Monkeys” offers a loose adaptation of the 1995 film by Terry Gilliam. The updated series ran from 2015 to 2018, now available in one complete set on eight Blu-ray Discs.
Barbara Sukowa as Katarina Jones leads Project Splinter scientists using a time machine of her invention. She and her team seek to track down and thwart the release of the virus by the mysterious Army of the 12 Monkeys, a nefarious group bent on ending the concept of time itself.
Aaron Stanford is James Cole, the character Bruce Willis played in the film version. Cole secures the assistance of Dr. Cassandra “Cassie” Railly (Amanda Schull) when his contact with her in the future becomes known in the present. Emily Hampshire as Jennifer Goines, an apparently unstable math genius who steals most of the scenes in which she appears, also assists in her own enigmatic manner. Kirk Acevedo as José Ramse plays Cole’s best friend, showing up at opportune moments.
The leader of the Army of the 12 Monkeys, known as The Witness, invariably stays one step ahead of the team as it tries to shape a more favorable human history and avoid the demise of seven billion humans. Tom Noonan as the Pallid Man, chief caretaker of The Witness and the face of the Army of 12 Monkeys camps up the screen right along with several of the other players over four seasons.
Somewhat self-contained episodes use the framework of “12 Monkeys” as the basis for having some fun with the idea of time travel forward and back. The cast winks references to present day, adding welcome elements of humor to the intricate unfolding of events. An apt line lifted from the dialog references Olivia Kirschner also known as the Striking Woman (Alisen Down), a high-ranking member of the Army of the 12 Monkeys, by describing her role as slithering through the bowels of causality.
The series does a reasonable job of laying out a coherent narrative while jumping across two centuries and regularly changing history in the process. Though recaps at the beginning of each new episode help to keep things in order, make no mistake – the show requires viewers to pay attention.
Not for the casual spectator, either you get into the show or you get left behind. Multiple characters spanning different pasts, presents and futures makes keeping up decidedly not a no-brainer. Full marks for the production efforts include cinematography, set design, and makeup – with plenty of chemistry among the talented cast to go around. The complete series ties up loose ends satisfactorily by the end of its subtly compelling 47 episodes. Certain to reward repeated viewings, “12 Monkeys” may also pique a re-visitation of the 1995 original film version for comparison purposes.
Now available on Blu-ray from Mill Creek Entertainment
