12 Monkeys

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.

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.

SyFy has outdone themselves with this remake, I was expecting the typical SyFy lackluster writing and transparent acting. I am glad to say that they have hit this out of the park in my book. The story is close enough to the original that you kind of feel comfortable in the universe but changed enough to freshen it up. The actors and actresses all do a really good job. I am impressed and waiting for more! The story line feels very thought out and not just thrown together, I am enjoying the changes they made to the "present" time it feels more realistic(not sure of how to describe it) than the 1995 movie. The lead actor Aaron Stanford really nails the part of Cole, as does Amanda Schull as Cassie. I hope they get a series 2 and keep this going! Best show SyFy has done in a very long time.

This show has a beginning and an actual ending. Not every show can offer that. This TV show is underrated and that's a shame. People need to watch this!

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.