Traveler

If you've watched ABC any time in the last week or so, you've seen the preview and know the general premise of Traveler:  Three friends go to a museum in New York, and one of the friends bombs the museum, setting the other two up to take the fall.  The two wrongly accused are being chased by the authorities, all the while trying to find the friend they thought they knew in order to clear their name.  As it goes with shows like this, however, it is a little more complicated than that.  It's not just a Fugitive rip-off, if that's what you're worried about.

The biggest problem with the pilot, and likely going forward with the show in general, is something that I'm sure most casual viewers have presumed: the believability of the whole situation is difficult.  There are a number of plot points that take an extreme suspension of disbelief to get through, and this ultimately hurts a drama that's supposed to take place in the real world.  Other than that, Traveler is pretty good.

Here's the premise, more fleshed-out: Three Yale Grad School students and best friends  (Jay Burchell, Tyler Fog, and Will Traveler) set off on what's supposed to be a road trip across the country to celebrate their graduation.  There first stop is New York City, and while there they decide to pull a prank by roller-blading through a crowded Manhattan museum.  Will Traveler presides over the race, saying he'll be right behind the other two, videotaping the whole thing.  Jason and Tyler blade through the museum and out through the front door as they are chased by security guards.  Once free and clear, Jason calls Will.  Will apologizes for having to do “this”, hangs up, and then the museum explodes.  Since Jason and Tyler were caught on the security cameras blading out of the museum right before it exploded, they are the only suspects.

That all occurs in the first five minutes.  The pilot moves at a breakneck speed, and you have to commend it for that.  Traveler is at its best when the chase is on, although I could've used some more clever escapes.  However, as I said earlier, there are so many different points where you'll wonder “Why did they do that?”  The biggest of these is the constant question that will pop into any viewer's mind: “Why wouldn't they immediately turn themselves in?”  The characters discuss this question a few times, and come up with irrational, yet convenient motivations for not cooperating with authorities(at one point, Guantanamo Bay is even brought up).  The real answer is that there wouldn't be a TV show if they turned themselves in. 

There is intrigue, and there are overt hints at a massive conspiracy going on, and it was all more than enough to keep my attention.  If you can look past all the glaring plot inconsistencies and suspect character motivations, then you'll find Traveler to be an entertaining ride.  It's filmed quite well, and the acting is solid all the way around (you might recognize Tyler as Trey from The OC, and Will as Pyro from the X-Men films).  The show has eight episodes in the bag, and will be airing on ABC starting on May 30, so if you're itching for some drama during the barren summer months, Traveler is worth a shot.


-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer

(Image Courtesy of ABC)