There’s a reason “Traveler” didn’t premiere last fall like it was supposed to. It just isn’t that good.
The idea behind “Traveler” is interesting, but sadly, the execution isn’t up to par. The hour-long action/drama, which has an advance preview tonight on ABC, is about three guys (Matthew Bomer, Logan Marshall-Green and Aaron Stanford) who go on a road trip after graduating college, and when they’re blamed for an explosion at a New York art museum, they’re forced to run from the FBI.
It isn’t the greatest of plots, but it has the potential for some intrigue and mystery, especially given the endless string of conspiracies hinted at in the series’ pilot episode. It soon becomes evident that the guys have been set up for the crime, and it seems they can’t trust anyone as they try to make their way out of the city.
Unfortunately, the show’s pilot doesn’t live up to its potential.
The show starts off with a lot of melodramatic shouting, which doesn’t really stop until the episode does, and the terrible writing means that no one ever seems to say the right thing. When Jay (Bomer) meets up with his girlfriend (Pascale Hutton), and she asks him what happened, his only response is “You know I’m not a terrorist, right?”
Yeah… that’s the logical response… The episode is full of these moments, and the scene where Jay calls the authorities to straighten things out is even more frustrating because everyone is asking questions, but no one is answering them.
The amateur writing continues as the plot unfolds, and the TV news declares the men “terrorists” and “enemy combatants.” The stench of post-Sept. 11 terrorism paranoia is very strong here – perhaps a little too strong for a time when people are no longer as worried about danger so close to home.
And for an action/thriller/drama or whatever you want to call it, “Traveler” is surprisingly light on action. The explosion at the museum is the most exciting part of the episode; all that comes after is a series of unconvincing, anti-climactic chase scenes, including a sequence in which an FBI agent (Viola Davis) clumsily chases one of the guys up a fire escape. It’s pitiful to watch.
One of the better aspects of the show is the music. A modern soundtrack of electronica and electro-rock adds a slight edginess to the show, but it doesn’t improve it much. While it’s evident by the use of music that the show’s creators are courting the young, 18- to 35-year-old demographic, the next episodes are going to have to be much more compelling to entice the most sought-after audience.
There is hope, however: A good portion of the rest of the episodes have been reshot, which (hopefully) was an effort to improve the show, because “Traveler” has the potential to improve.
Catch the pilot of “Traveler” again on May 30 at 10:00 p.m. on ABC.
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“Traveler”
What: An action/drama/thriller about friends on the run from the government
The low-down: It’s an interesting idea that fails to deliver, but there’s potential for improvement
When: Advance preview tonight at 10:00 p.m. on ABC
Premieres in its regular time slot on Wednesday, May 30 at 10:00 p.m. on ABC
