Re: Timeless (S1E14) -- "The Lost Generation" -- 2/6/17
 

Time travel subject matter turns off a large segment of the population. I've seen it happen again and again. There are many people that had loved Lost and once they introduced time travel issues, dropped it. There are some viewers that simply can't get past it.

The Flash is starting to hit the same wall as parallel timelines and time travel become a bigger and bigger focus of each season.

Re: Timeless (S1E14) -- "The Lost Generation" -- 2/6/17
 

Not even sure why. That's the reason I'm watching it. Same with magic, powers and supernatural themed shows.

Re: Timeless (S1E14) -- "The Lost Generation" -- 2/6/17
 

Do you want to know why or would you just respond, "That doesn't bother me?" The justification for those who don't like time travel because it does bother them is just as valid.

In my case, I like to keep suspension of disbelief at a certain level. TV shows with time travel has two basic issue for me:

1) Because they're time traveling all the time, the consequences of time travel add up quickly.

2) Because they're time traveling all the time, it's difficult to know what to invest in because anything can be wiped out in an instant.

Even with Timeless, I could watch these history lessons for quite awhile, but the show would probably eventually be crushed under its own weight of changing history so much. And that can go either way. Either it will change history a lot, which disconnects me, or actions won't change history as much as they should, and that loses me.

In movies like Terminator, 12 Monkeys, etc. it's easier for me to accept time travel because it's in a contained environment. But as much as I liked the movie, I eventually got tired of 12 Monkeys the TV show.

Lost didn't lose me because it wasn't constant time travel. There was one incident that had an effect and other than getting back to the present, that was about it (unless you count the last season).

Re: Timeless (S1E14) -- "The Lost Generation" -- 2/6/17
 

Except for the missing sister, it does seem whatever they do in the past hasn't had any major effects on the present. They could do stories when they return and Nazis won WW2 or the Soviet Union took over which would then need for them to go back and fix history.

Re: Timeless (S1E14) -- "The Lost Generation" -- 2/6/17
 

I've always assumed because it's too complicated and people watch tv with only a portion of their attention.
People bitched, and moaned and groaned about the first Mission Impossible movie being to complicated and it sucked. I think it's the best one, plot wise.
I'm amazed that the tv series of Mission Impossible was as popular as it was given it's era. You blink and you miss something.

Re: Timeless (S1E14) -- "The Lost Generation" -- 2/6/17
 

The commonly accepted reason most give as to why time travel isn't more popular in serialized entertainment is that it demands a huge amount of focus and attention on multiple story-lines.

Many people don't want or enjoy complicated television. It requires more thinking than purely emotional reactions to the drama. Once a subject like time travel removes a certain segment of viewers from their familiar headspace, it gets tougher and tougher to make an emotional connection.

Re: Timeless (S1E14) -- "The Lost Generation" -- 2/6/17
 

Me responding "that doesn't bother me" would be a given anyway (based on what I have said so far) and makes for a poor reply to a given reason. We all have reasons for why we like and dislike any given theme or subject matter. Sitcoms never stand out because nothing happens, just people doing nothing. Oddly I would likely still be entertained yet without a hook (Magic, powers, time travel, supernatural etc... ) it likely gets overlooked.

Time travel in general always has flaws even if I enjoy the show or movie. I'll catch myself thinking, that does not make any sense yet just enjoy it anyway.

That's a concept I'm not used to. Doing other things while watching tv etc... maybe if it was fluff and not a story line based show. I know people do it like cleaning while they watch tv etc.. I just must take it more seriously than that.

Re: Timeless (S1E14) -- "The Lost Generation" -- 2/6/17
 

While I like the show I don't think it's coming back either.

Limitless was a much better show than this and look how that turned out.

Re: Timeless (S1E14) -- "The Lost Generation" -- 2/6/17
 

Finally caught up with these last two episodes and am glad to finally see some answers starting to be divulged. I enjoy this show and hope we get another season.