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11.22.63 |OT| James Franco in Stephen King's JFK Time-Travel Miniseries

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Only on episode 4 or so. Just after the clothespin deal. Lots of un marked spoilers in the thread...but...I almost don't care.

Since the beginning, I have been struggling to like the show. How can everyone be so down on this show when Franco's actions are so ridiculous? From the incredilbly large (and stupid bet) from the beginning (potentially wiping that "gang" out of money, who know what will happen to them now), to several other areas of trying to blend in and failing miserably, even including that one major time altering incident in episode two or three, with the hammer. I mean wth, what does he think is going to happen. Up to this point too, he is so strict about following the rules of time travel, but yet he is so willing to start a relationship.

I am going to continue watching, but I am having such a hard time being even remotely interested in it now.
 

Skilletor

Member
Only on episode 4 or so. Just after the clothespin deal. Lots of un marked spoilers in the thread...but...I almost don't care.

Since the beginning, I have been struggling to like the show. How can everyone be so down on this show when Franco's actions are so ridiculous? From the incredilbly large (and stupid bet) from the beginning (potentially wiping that "gang" out of money, who know what will happen to them now), to several other areas of trying to blend in and failing miserably, even including that one major time altering incident in episode two or three, with the hammer. I mean wth, what does he think is going to happen. Up to this point too, he is so strict about following the rules of time travel, but yet he is so willing to start a relationship.

I am going to continue watching, but I am having such a hard time being even remotely interested in it now.

What rules of time travel is he trying to follow? The entire premise of the series is that he's there to change the future.
 
What rules of time travel is he trying to follow? The entire premise of the series is that he's there to change the future.
Basic time travel rules, that I am assuming (perhaps wrongfully so in this case) that is in every bit of fiction with time travel? Changing things in the past can drastically alter the future? I guess he could always jump back in the doorway, but who knows what will be waiting for him when he returns. I dunno. Maybe I am expecting much larger things to happen from his "minor" things he does.
 

Skilletor

Member
Basic time travel rules, that I am assuming (perhaps wrongfully so in this case) that is in every bit of fiction with time travel? Changing things in the past can drastically alter the future? I guess he could always jump back in the doorway, but who knows what will be waiting for him when he returns. I dunno. Maybe I am expecting much larger things to happen from his "minor" things he does.

But...like, that's exactly what he's there to do. He's trying to change the future.

I guess I don't understand what your issue is. He's not following any "rules." He's actively trying to change the future. The only thing is that time "pushes back," something they don't explain well enough in the show compared to the books, but he IS trying to change the future.
 
But...like, that's exactly what he's there to do. He's trying to change the future.

I guess I don't understand what your issue is. He's not following any "rules." He's actively trying to change the future. The only thing is that time "pushes back," something they don't explain well enough in the show compared to the books, but he IS trying to change the future.
I understand the premise of the show. But the main guy at the beginning that I could care less what his name was made such a stink about staying hidden, not drawing attention to oneself, and all this other stuff, and it seems Franco's character is doing the opposite of all of that. Yes, the goal is to save JFK (which, is ridiculous enough to think of what impacts that will have on the world), and do whatever possible to not screw everything else up in the past. But so far he has
completely wiped out a small town gang of a couple thousand dollars, killed a man who was going to kill his family, so all of those timelines are now out of wack, and falling in love
, are all I can think of for now. None of that seems like it will bode well for the future. Maybe I am looking too much into the implications of time travel. I dunno. I started watching the show because of James Franco, and so far, I am really not enjoying what I have seen.
 

Skilletor

Member
I understand the premise of the show. But the main guy at the beginning that I could care less what his name was made such a stink about staying hidden, not drawing attention to oneself, and all this other stuff, and it seems Franco's character is doing the opposite of all of that. Yes, the goal is to save JFK (which, is ridiculous enough to think of what impacts that will have on the world), and do whatever possible to not screw everything else up in the past. But so far he has
completely wiped out a small town gang of a couple thousand dollars, killed a man who was going to kill his family, so all of those timelines are now out of wack, and falling in love
, are all I can think of for now. None of that seems like it will bode well for the future. Maybe I am looking too much into the implications of time travel. I dunno. I started watching the show because of James Franco, and so far, I am really not enjoying what I have seen.

The show doesn't handle it very well, I agree. In the book he goes back and forth checking to see what sticks before deciding to go try and save JFK.

I'd say under the premise of the show, you are looking too deep since, if he succeeds, what does it matter that he saved a family and made a huge bet.

I didn't care for the show. Don't like Franco as an actor and they cut way too much from the show for tons of what was, imo, filler.
 
The show doesn't handle it very well, I agree. In the book he goes back and forth checking to see what sticks before deciding to go try and save JFK.

I'd say under the premise of the show, you are looking too deep since, if he succeeds, what does it matter that he saved a family and made a huge bet.

I didn't care for the show. Don't like Franco as an actor and they cut way too much from the show for tons of what was, imo, filler.
Ok, well, knowing all that....I'll cut it some slack. Good to know in the book he did some tests, and didn't just throw himself in once, and this "first time" is the one time he does it. I plan on finishing, I'll see if I can turn my thoughts off. Thanks for the insight.
 

mackattk

Member
The ending was nice, but the show overall was pretty disappointing. I really just watched it since I read the book. If I didn't read the book I don't know if I could have lasted the full season.
 

Skilletor

Member
The ending was nice, but the show overall was pretty disappointing. I really just watched it since I read the book. If I didn't read the book I don't know if I could have lasted the full season.

Same. I felt they bungled the execution, adding a ton of superfluous stuff that took away from the overall story.

James Franco had zero chemistry with the actor who played Sadie. How is that even possible with a woman that gorgeous?
 
After watching this series i cant wait for them to do it again with other king books.

The girl who loved tom gordon and duma key would be pretty good.

Oh and rose madder.
 

Shanlei91

Sonic handles my blue balls
Having successfully turned one formidable Stephen King doorstop into a tight miniseries, do you have aspirations to tackle another?

Yes, absolutely. One of the books has been optioned to somebody else, but I keep hoping that Firestarter will fall into my hands. And I can also say that James Franco really wants to do another one with me, too. So he and I are talking about a couple. I'm on a lookout. Firestarter would be my dream, but I'm going back through the archives, for sure. We had a great time.

I'm glad they're doing another one!
 

Ashhong

Member
Just starting this and I have one question already.

So everytime he goes back it resets. Does the present also reset? IE, the next time he travels and returns, will the JFK carving still be in tree?

If it does reset, what good are those birth certificates and ID that Al gives him? When he goes back those will be useless or just disappear no?
 
Just starting this and I have one question already.

So everytime he goes back it resets. Does the present also reset? IE, the next time he travels and returns, will the JFK carving still be in tree?

If it does reset, what good are those birth certificates and ID that Al gives him? When he goes back those will be useless or just disappear no?

It's one trip there, then one trip back. The carving is still there after he comes back in the pilot the first time. But if he took another trip and came back again it would have reset.

Essentially, going back to 1960 erases what you did the last time you were there.

The ID and certificates are fake anyhow, they'll still do the job.
 

Ashhong

Member
It's one trip there, then one trip back. The carving is still there after he comes back in the pilot the first time. But if he took another trip and came back again it would have reset.

Essentially, going back to 1960 erases what you did the last time you were there.

The ID and certificates are fake anyhow, they'll still do the job.

Ok that's what I figured. So if he stops this assassination and then ever goes back in time again, that would be undone?

I thought the ID was real, as in he created the identity back then so that he would be in the records. Fake ID makes sense.
 

Moozo

Member
I found it weird that they made such a big thing of Al getting ill due to the time travel at the start but then none of it materialising with Jake. I guess Al was doing it much more frequently when he was getting the meat from the butchers.

Then I kind of had the theory that Al had actually done more than he'd let on to Jake - saved Kennedy, fucked it all up as well and got the cancer from radiation poisoning or something.
 
I found it weird that they made such a big thing of Al getting ill due to the time travel at the start but then none of it materialising with Jake. I guess Al was doing it much more frequently when he was getting the meat from the butchers.

Then I kind of had the theory that Al had actually done more than he'd let on to Jake - saved Kennedy, fucked it all up as well and got the cancer from radiation poisoning or something.

Al died from lung cancer due to smoking. His cancer developed during his final trip through the hole. He was stuck in the 60s trying to fulfill his own mission to save JFK and could not get modern day medication to better help him. I believe the book did delve into some radiation poisoning from messing with time, but that only ever affected the Yellow Card Man who were constantly in proximity to the hole.
 

_Ryo_

Member
I really enjoyed this series. It is probably the best adaptation of a Stephen King novel in show form. The Green Mile and The Mist are best of the mini series and movie adaptations respectively.

I'm interested in another series but it'll be really weird if James Franco is the star again. Unless he looks and acts really different.... liie to an extreme degree.
 

Moozo

Member
Talking of Stephen King adaptations, the Cell trailer doesn't look great. Which is a shame, really liked that book.
 

etta

my hard graphic balls
Just finished it, wow. Very powerful acting. Had no idea Franco had it in him. Gadon was incredible as well, as was MacKay.
Shieeeeet, I feel heartbroken now, what a great series.
 

Dalek

Member
Just finished it, wow. Very powerful acting. Had no idea Franco had it in him. Gadon was incredible as well, as was MacKay.
Shieeeeet, I feel heartbroken now, what a great series.


It really was great-one of the best King adaptations ever.
 
I liked this but I did have problems with it.

Most notably they didn't play up the "time pushing back" element enough in my opinion. It never felt like it was too solid of a threat. Most of the time it was just minor annoyances.
 
I liked this but I did have problems with it.

Most notably they didn't play up the "time pushing back" element enough in my opinion. It never felt like it was too solid of a threat. Most of the time it was just minor annoyances.

Yeah, I theorized early that Sadie only came back into Jake's life as a means of the past distracting him from the task at hand.
 
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