12 Monkeys

I have not written very many reviews for shows and movies on here before but I feel obligated with such a flawless show as 12 Monkeys.

Very few shows have ever captivated me the same way 12 Monkeys did. My only regret is that I did not know about this show or watch it at all while it was airing. I recently ran across it on Hulu and watched the entire show in a matter of a few weeks.

I'm always careful when it comes to time travel in shows and movies because unless it is handled correctly, it can make the show/movie absolutely terrible and unbelievable. Not so with 12 Monkeys. The intellect with which the timelines and stories are written out is nothing short of genius. Things happen in season 1 that you may see in season 3 or 4 that have a totally different meaning and make sense. The story makes sense and is carefully crafted to where when you get to the end, you can look back and say "wow!"

The characters are emotionally deep and compelling. I'm not always a huge crier when it comes to shows movies but this show is one of the few that made me cry multiple times. I love these characters: Cassie, Cole, Jones, Jennifer, Deacon.They are rich, relatable and incredibly acted and performed in this show.

The ending is perfect. Having a good ending to a tv show (much less and science fiction show) is a very rare thing. 12 Monkeys has a fantastically satisfying ending, both emotionally and intellectually. I don't know how the writers did it, but somehow they tied up every single loose end and story arc over the seasons. It makes sense. While at the same time paying off the emotional investment we as the audience had in these characters for 4 seasons. I cannot give higher praise to the ending of this show. Breathtaking.

I think after the dust settles and I have time to process more the story and emotional ride this show took me on, it may just end up being my favorite show of all time at this point. If you have not seen it, do yourself a favor and watch it. I guarantee that you won't regret it. It's sad that shows like this don't always get the praise or the recognition it deserves. This is a true gem. All I can say is thanks for the ride.

This is one of the series that you are happy you started watching. So so so underated. If you like sci-fi and time travel you are simply NOT ALLOWED to miss this show. Most people that write bad reviews here didn't bother to see how the story is unfolding and how many layers there are. Trully appreciate the fact that each season is better than the previous. That is something rare in TV.

So the thing is , i was one of those who watched 12 monkeys the movie in the late 90's and it was a revolution then..

Anyway SyFy is doing a good job in many shows and a TV show based on a blockbuster Hit movie is risky ,, but since the Pilot everything is working smoothly, the dates are attracting, the events and how things in 2016 will get messy , the Time traveling also was spot on.

Also the butterfly effect is present in some episodes. the casting is brilliant, Aaron Stanford was not that memorable face apart from his role in "Nikita" . a new faces like Amanda Schull and the German Barbara Sukowa made it look more fresh.

The writing is good, having 6 writers so far and 12 episode have been credited makes it various and new. and the most important thing , the Cinematography and Visual Effects are great , but it's nothing new on SyFy, i mean they used to things like these.

honestly, nothing elevates to an original story or a first movie , not even a sequel ,, but this show is damn close ;)

In a nutshell, this is, hands-down, one of the greatest shows - aside from Breaking Bad - that I have ever watched. It is even better than Firefly (another of my favorite series), ten times over.

It is an utter shame that lazy critics never took the time to actually watch this spectacular series before reaching into what could only be drawers-full of unpublished reviews, picking a negative one at random and calling it their two cents.

12 Monkeys, the television series, is superbly written and acted; the costumes are spot-on perfection; the eras stupendously depicted; the plot is both excellently engrossing and magnificently moving - it is amazing in almost every which way that a series should be, and then some which other series never even attempt.

Granted, some of the first-season episodes are a little too filler-esque to hold the attention of those who want a series which will grab them from the get-go. In fact, the ONLY problem this series has, is that it wants to give you just a bit much at the beginning, BUT if one is just a little patient _or an expert at skipping just a bit_ not only is the payoff a supremely gratifying payoff, but the journey toward it is a fantastically, IMMENSELY riveting and enveloping ride where you as the audience, feel immersed in every little bit of what the masterful creators are bringing to the screen with what you can tell, is utter love for what they are presenting.

In short, while most television series lose bits of themselves as they count down to their inevitable conclusion, it is NOT an exaggeration to say that each episode of 12 Monkeys, from good beginning to spectacular end, is better than the last episode. There is no way that it will not become a cult classic. It is touching, heartfelt, humorous, sad; it deals with the love and loss of friends, family and lovers; it teaches, points out, reveals. It is magnificent and silly and reverent, deep, thought-provoking, heart-achingly poignant, heart liftingly funny, heartwarming and heart-wrenching.

I am so glad I found it; would highly recommend no one miss it, and will go a step further in saying that if you do, you are robbing yourself of a wonderful viewing experience.

It's a sad truth today that complicated story lines result in low viewership for programs. 12 Monkeys arc and continuing build of that arc are the result of an overarching and very cleverly written intentionally time limited design.

The characters have depth and real emotions. The story "makes sense" inside the framework built by the creators. That's important for good SCIENCE fiction. At the same time, that makes it hard for some audiences to appreciate.

It's really, IMHO, a shame that SYFY forced them to make this "like" 12 Monkeys and they have fortunately gone well beyond the story arc presented in that book and film. But I suspect many people have just assumed it's a rehash of the movie. It's not.

If you want to watch something that has depth, well rounded characters, and a good story - this is the place to find it.