Traveler

This may have been the worst breakup I’ve ever had. I began this blog with the hopes that Traveler would survive the bad decisions of network executives and continue to have a great story line. And although its great story line continued, it did not survive the network ax....

I hate ending relationships with no closure. I was left hoping that ABC had extended the episode to 75 minutes, and then the 11 o'clock news came on. What happened?

The episode seemed rushed and unfulfilled. We were shown so much in one hour, but the content wasn't nearly as entertaining as the other seven episodes. There were also more commercials tonight than any other Wednesday before. Usually we get two to three bathroom/snack breaks, but tonight we could have finished laundry and taken out the dog.

First, the Trio known as Jay, Tyler and Will, escape the FBI. Will (Aaron Stanford) was shot, Marlow (Viola Davis) was pulled off the case and Kim (Pascale Hutton)was arrested. Then, we get to carpool with the Trio. Will's bullet wound isn’t life threatening, so the boys chat for a little. Ultimately, they decide they need to find the painting. I know Jay (Matthew Bomer) and Tyler (Logan Marshall-Green) have mixed feelings towards Will. And Will is still heartbroken over Maya, but I couldn’t feel the tension in the car. It seemed too rushed. Jay got a nice punch in before they got away, but I just couldn’t sense the feelings of betrayal that had been so strong throughout the series.

I admit that I was a little off last week. I went as far as to say that Marlow could be the FBI rat. Of course, we were all correct from the beginning — it was Chambers (Steven Culp). He gave the order for Joseph to kill Marlow (next time I am in a gunfight, I will make sure I am surrounded by thin walls) and he murdered Borjes. It looked like Carlton Fog (William Sadler) survived. I guess we’ll never know. I was sad to see Agent Borjes (Anthony Ruivivar) die, especially since I know that Marlow also didn’t have closure. I hate this feeling.

Will made it clear that the only way they could get to Jack Freed (Neal McDonough) was to promise him the painting. I doubt the painting would have still been in the SUV even if it was well hidden. Those boys were thought to have been terrorists. The SUV would have been in FBI/government possession for months, if not years. But on TV, it was searched and sent to the FBI impound. I wonder how much it will go for in the public auction. Any bids?

When the Trio and Jack Freed met, the old “hide a recorder in the pipes overhead” trick was pulled. Again, it all seemed rushed. I doubt that scene was the original plan for the show, but the writers had to make it work somehow. There was also a lot of talk about the 4th Branch. Apparently, Jay’s dad's service for the country and the sacrifice of Tyler was a part of it. I don’t know if the fathers knew about the 4th Branch or if Freed was using them as patriotic symbols or if he was lying. I guess we’ll never know. Was Jack Freed in the limo? If so, he worked for a person far more powerful than himself. Who would that person be? All this is happening while Marlow realizes Chambers tried to have her killed and Kim is being taken to... be killed? Kim was arrested, but instead of going to jail, she was taken to an undisclosed area. Did she survive?

I commend David DiGilio and his amazing cast and crew for creating a great summer-entertainment show. It isn’t easy to start a show once school’s out. Especially, when it airs after reality shows about impersonators and inventors. I personally thought the show did fairly well for its first run. And if you read David’s Q&A blog, you’ll find that he makes some very important points about giving TV shows time to “grow an audience." Traveler was originally supposed to be 13 episodes but was shortened to eight. In the end the show’s fans suffered. We still have questions and we still want to see more. We're not ready for the show to end.

Hopefully David will be able to give us some closure in his next blog. Perhaps ABC will have a change of heart and pull a Jericho (doubtful). But until then, thanks for reading and have a great summer with those reality shows!

Oh, wait! Closure: What the hell happened to the Porter (Billy Mayo)?!?!


For more clips of Traveler, visit the Online Video Guide!

On Sunday while vactioning, I was informed by a stranger that Traveler had been cancelled. I freaked out. He then looked at me and said, “Didn’t you say you worked for TV Guide?” I was a bit embarrassed. I go out of town for one week and my whole world changes!

Apparently ABC has let the actors' contracts lapse. Basically this means the show will not return, but ABC will air its finale next week. And since this is my blog, I am just going to say it: The ABC executives who made this decision are ignorant. There are many different forms of ignorance, but in this case it's simply blind stupidity. Does that make sense? I made it up and I like it.

For more details, check out Traveler writer/producer David DiGilio’s blog. He explains it much better and nicer than I do. I just don’t get it. I’ve previewed a few of the new pilots that will air this fall and it doesn’t look good for the networks. Why let a great show like Traveler go? Of course, it wasn't a multiple-seasons show, but it would have made a nice 22-episode DVD gift set.

Moving on to tonight’s episode. It was slow at first. However, I won’t criticize, because I’m sure there was supposed to be more to this story.

I don’t trust Agent Marlow anymore. In fact, I don’t trust anyone in the FBI — on TV or in real life. So, I should have known this from the beginning, but Viola Davis is so good, she convinced me otherwise. I could be wrong, but she was too secretive in this episode. Before, I thought she was keeping information to help her reputation and Jay and Tyler, but now I think she’s a “dirty" agent. Did I make that up, too?

This was a "sexy" episode. Both Jay (Matthew Bomer) and Tyler (Logan Marshall-Green) got some lovin’. Personally, I didn’t think it fit. Why do TV shows always have to deal the gratuitous-sex card? The show didn’t need it. The action (and by action, I mean explosions and fights) is entertaining enough. Plus, they didn’t even show anything! It’s a 10 pm show, the kiddies should be in bed (even if it is summer). If you’re going to draw the sex-sells card, you might as well play it. Anyway, Kim (Pascale Hutton) and Jay reunited and now she is an accomplice. Kudos for the power-outage trick at the club. I didn’t know they taught that to art majors, but she’s one smart cookie.

The best scene in the show was Will (Aaron Stanford) in the alley with the tattoo dude. Will let him live, but then tattoo guy said, “Your girl Mary would have appreciated that.” Bang! “Her name was Maya.” Bye tattoo dude. (I could so write a TV script.)

I’m really enjoying the personality twists. Jay breaks into hotel rooms. Tyler is such a badass now. And then Kim just walks into clubs wearing a sweater. (Seriously, of all the unbelievable things people comment on in this show, I am the vain girl who thought, “No way would a bouncer let her cut in line wearing that!”)

It was a decent episode. The ending was great when Will showed up, but how did he know they were there? I don’t want things to be rushed through. Of course, Jay could just go to CNN or YouTube with the audio chip and evidence — but then there wouldn’t be a show. Oh, wait... there really isn't a show anymore. I’m just hoping next week will give us closure.

Sorry for all of my sarcasm. I need another vacation. Last week was way too much fun.

Check out clips from Traveler at our Online Video Guide.

There were some new characters introduced. All of which were either thrown through a window, tied up or shot. It was awesome! I tried to follow attentively, but ABC's local news interrupted the show many times to inform me that a major thunderstorm was headed my way. So, I apologize in advance if I missed anything really important and worth mentioning. Now, on to the blog....

Tyler Fog (Logan Marshall-Green) used to take a backseat to Jay (Matthew Bomer). I’ll repeat: used to. Tyler not only went against his best friend, but he also confronted his father. Tyler knew his father had betrayed him. He had proof dating back to the day he was financially cut off. But he wanted to ask him in person. I wanted to jump through the television screen and beat the crap out of Carlton Fog (William Sadler). Who sacrifices his son for money? Or as Carlton Fog puts it: security for his family. Minus one.

We are beginning to lack sidekicks and wingmen on this show. Tyler stepped up and took control. Agents Borjes (Anthony Ruivivar) and Marlow (Viola Davis) are both doing their own thing. And Traveler (Aaron Stanford) is unemployed and kicking everyone’s ass. Did I miss anyone?

For the record, I do not think Agent Chambers (Steven Culp) is a bad guy. The arrogant jerks of television never seem to be cool enough to be “bad.” Chambers wants to solve this case. As we saw in the first minute, he has been roughed up in the line of fire. Maybe this is his chance to get back in the game. Solving a “terrorist” attack would definitely get him an invite to George Dubb-Ya’s house for some grub and a handshake.

I loved Borjes (with help from forensics) finding the fingerprint on the guard’s body. It was so CSI of them! He is getting more and more show time and I like it. Marlow finally got a clear image of Will Traveler’s face. This doesn’t necessarily help Jay and Tyler. It proves that they were telling the truth about their missing friend; but to the Feds that means third accomplice.

ABC News was right. It’s raining buckets and my power just went out! Lucky for all of you — I hit "save" before it happened!

So, Marlow now has proof that Will Traveler exists from the security camera and Kim’s drawing (By the way, I’m starting to miss Kim [Pascale Hutton]. Where has she been?). Marlow has always believed that there is some truth to Jay and Tyler’s story. The image of Traveler increases her faith in their innocence.

And I saved the best for last: fight scenes. I know, I know: “Didn’t anyone hear the gunshot in the park?” Duh. It’s television. That was the best scene of the entire night — so I do not care that no one saw the fight, heard the shot or noticed that the dude she was "married" to looked like a pedophile. I’ll just go with it. Traveler is becoming very likeable. Sure, he blew up a building, but in some screwball way, that is what the government (Jack from D.C.) hired him to do. He didn’t want to kill his friends, so he changed the plans. If he had done everything the right way, we wouldn’t have an awesome show to watch!

There will not be a new episode next week. I know you will all miss me (and the show). It’s the Fourth of July and I’ll be on vacation. ABC must have known I’d be at the shore with no Internet access. That is so sweet of them.... Traveler returns on July 11 — see you then.

And the award for best episode in summer television goes to: Traveler, June 20, 2007. Take that reality television!

“Holy s---.” That’s all I kept thinking through this entire episode. It was all about Traveler (do we like "Traveler" or should I call him "Will"? I can't make up my mind). We had fights, deaths, explosions and even a little humor. First, there was the key. Was that guy Benedict supposed to be Benjamin Franklin? The actors here in Philadelphia look much more convincing. But who am I to judge? He helped Jay and Tyler, so he’s cool with me. The key led us to a lot of information about our friend Traveler (Aaron Stanford). In fact, it led us to about ten different Traveler aliases. Along with a gun, money and extra information regarding Traveler’s mission (the checks).

The Porter made a nice cameo. He shot Traveler with a tracking device last week, but it didn’t last. The device was cut out of Traveler’s leg and disposed of along the roadside. But somehow the people Traveler once worked for knew how to set a trap, and the Porter was left behind by Jay and Tyler in a shoot-out. I’m sure he survived.

A nagging question: How old is Traveler? The guy has expertise in explosives, combat fighting, secret identities and a whole bunch of other technical secret-agent government stuff. He broke a man’s neck with a jacket! That was proof enough for me that he is not the average graduate student who got paid off to blow up a building. So, when did he get this training? He asked to be assigned to the Drexler job two years prior. Traveler is obviously in his twenties, but I think he’d need some college education to be considered for this. And I’m not just speaking of the Drexler. He had passports from all over the world. He’s been around. This couldn’t have been his first assignment. Did he start fresh out of high school or does the government grab the talented and gifted ones at an early age?

There was no Kim in this episode, but our other heroine, Agent Marlow (Viola Davis), took the spotlight. She has always believed there was a “Will Traveler” and she finally got proof. Everything was explained to us. I really like how the flashbacks are tied into the story. We aren’t left confused in any way. As Marlow finds the identity of the body, Traveler is being interrogated by Kate (a coworker of some sort). Traveler explained exactly what happened at the scene of the bomb. That was entertainment television. Again, he broke a man’s neck with a jacket!

I’m so happy Kate died. I know I sound like an compassionless, blogging jerk, but I really didn’t see that coming! I thought she’d stick around for a few more episodes; maybe sleep around like a Bond-girl-turned-villain, but no. Traveler put those predictions to rest. "Never let it get personal." And if you come across someone who let it get personal, and you kill his girlfriend, you’re going to die, too. So, for future reference to my readers: Stay out of people’s relationships. It never works out well for the third party. And sadly, it didn’t work out for Maya (Sonja Bennett) either. Traveler’s revenge for Maya will not stop at Kate. He set up the car in the airport parking lot and I’m sure there is more to come... by the way, there were no previews of what Traveler will do next, so have no fear hate-on-preview-watchers! I will not ruin next week’s episode for you. Instead, I will ask and answer my own Traveler questions:

— Is Maya really dead? If so, I hope ABC gets her another job. If not, I think she faked the death tape and is working against Traveler. But most likely she’s dead.

— Was Agent Chambers' (Steven Culp) compliment to Marlow really sincere? I can’t say that I don’t trust him, but he is such an arrogant idiot, it pains me to watch him.

— Who is Joseph? Honestly, I don't care who he is right now. He's the boss and that's all I need know.

— Oh and can we get some better disguises? I know, I know... you have all been commenting for weeks about Jay and Tyler’s poor attempt to conceal themselves. I had been hoping for something so I wouldn‘t have to mention it. They are both good-looking guys and I am all for the shaggy hair look, but seriously? A Cubs baseball cap? That wasn’t even funny. Cut your hair, grow some facial hair and buy a Red Sox jersey!


I'm done. Please feel free to comment on anything and everything. I always check back to see what all of you think. And whether it is positive or negative, I enjoy hearing from you.

Don't forget to check our Online Video Guide for clips of Traveler.

I don’t know where to begin. Let’s start with our favorite backstabbing friend, Will Traveler (Aaron Stanford). Or is it Daniel Taft? Either way, we now know that “Traveler” (that will be his alias in this blog until further notice) was supposed to let the bomb go off while Jay and Tyler were still in the building, but his conscience got the best of him and he coaxed the roller-skating stunt to save them. And that was just the preview for next week!

Backtracking to the beginning, the Porter (Billy Mayo) returned and he is not a nice guy. Sure, he’s saved Jay and Tyler’s lives a few times, but he also shot a guy at point-blank rage with no hesitation. That freaked me out a little. I’m still on the fence about him. I know he wants Traveler — whom he shot in the leg — but he's also keeping an eye on Jay and Tyler. Does he care if they live or die? He didn’t try to save them from the explosion on the boat, but then again, the guy who set the bomb was still waiting to make sure it exploded, so maybe the Porter felt helpless.

Kim was thrown in jail because she roughed up a photographer. I didn’t know they actually threw twentysomething women in the slammer for defending their privacy. Maybe she should have run him over with a car instead, that always seems to work for the young Hollywood starlets.

We met Maya (Sonja Bennett), Traveler’s girlfriend. She owns a bookstore and works for the same people Traveler did. She offered a little information about Traveler, stating that he genuinely liked Jay and Tyler and frequently talked about them. She also mentioned that the boat was Traveler's and it was for the two of them to escape. It seems that Traveler thought he was working for the government and doing a good thing for his country by blowing up the Drexler. I have no idea what the key will be used for; it looked antique. I don’t think it’s a door key; perhaps it will open some type of box or trunk.

There are a lot of people after Traveler... the people who hired him, the people against the people who hired him, Jay and Tyler, and anyone who thinks Jay and Tyler are innocent. It almost makes you feel bad for the guy. Almost.

There were a few other story lines that were touched on here and there. Marlow’s last discretion was mentioned. We met Jay’s mother, whom he is not on good terms with. Maya was captured by someone. And Traveler is a lot better-looking with a haircut!

If you want to see a preview for next week's episode, search our Online Video Guide!

Will (Aaron Stanford) is alive. I think we all knew the well-done corpse left behind in the Drexler was not him. Not only did he survive the blast, he also had time to grab a few rare paintings before he skipped out. I figured the bombing was meant to be a distraction in order to steal artwork. I’m hoping the Feds eventually figure it out. I don’t think the bombing will be considered a terrorist attack once priceless artwork is thrown into the equation, but if I’m not mistaken, the prized artwork was a part of the U.S. president’s personal collection.

Once again Kim (Pascale Hutton) was the heroine of the episode. I knew the pictures were gone once she bumped into that man. The pickpocket scheme was so well executed. It shows that Kim has been followed and watched all along. Whoever set up Jay (Matthew Bomer) and Tyler has thought everything through. Right down to storage boxes in an ex-girlfriend’s basement. How crazy was it that the floor plans to the Drexler, anti-government essays and chemistry notes for bombs were all planted in Jay’s stuff? And whoever planted the faux documents also had time to create boxes full of documents and notes in Tyler’s handwriting as well. That blew me away!

Nel (Bree Turner), the ex, seems sketchy to me. I know she helped Tyler and Jay burn the evidence and escape, but the flashback left me uneasy. I have no idea why a college guy would want to interrupt his make-out session (in the basement library no less — so romantic) to say hi to a friend; but Nel was adamant about keeping Tyler’s attention and not disturbing Will. She said Will always gave her the creeps, but I still don’t trust her. She’s not Kim.

I was happy to see Tyler (Logan Marshall-Green) using his head. The flashbacks are very helpful in this series. And the moments remembered are simple but important. Will hid $10,000, a train schedule (with some sort of code) and a gun in the library basement. I’m sure he meant to go back and claim it, but it may have been too risky. Besides, he has priceless artwork under his belt now. I’m not sure if it will sell right away, because it is so well-known and supposed to be ashes, but if it does sell, it could help Will afford a safe getaway.

As always, I enjoyed Agent Marlow (Viola Davis) in this episode. She isn’t afraid to stand up to her boss (Steven Culp) and she still has faith that Jay and Tyler are innocent. It was also refreshing to see her partner, agent Guillermo Borjes (Anthony Ruivivar), agree with her. I hope her correct “hutch” that our boys went south will shed a more confident light on her.

Ellington’s mysterious murder is another framed-crime to add to Jay and Tyler’s rap sheet. Also, Tyler’s father (William Sadler) knows how to work the media to his advantage. He must have known his son escaped and might be listening to the news, because he milked the media to broadcast his “love” and belief of innocence for his son. I’m sure the Homeland Security guy had something to do with that. And where has The Porter (Billy Mayo) been? He helped our boys a great deal in the first episode, but he’s been MIA since. One thing’s for sure, next week we meet someone who knew (or knows) Will Traveler... let’s hope she’s on Jay and Tyler’s side.


Don't forget to check out our Online Video Guide for more clips and previews of Traveler.

Also, check out the Celebrity Blog by Traveler's creator David DiGilio.

I almost missed the second episode! I was so confused — and that’s saying something — look who I work for! I thought it was just going to be a repeat of the pilot episode, but we got lucky. Jay and Tyler were on for two full hours. And I’m glad they repeated the pilot, because my memory needed to be refreshed.

If ABC cancels this show, my heart will be broken. So far, it has me skipping beats. I am not just saying that because I write this blog. I mean it — this show is really entertaining.

So much happened in the second episode. Most of the important information came from the flashbacks. I knew Carlton Fog (William Sadler) was not a good person. He seemed like a jerk from the start and his creepy-bald friend proved me right. But the flashbacks are what really worry me. Will Traveler (Aaron Stanford) knew him. He referred to him as “Carlton” instead of simply saying “Tyler’s Dad” or “Mr. Fog”. And he had supposedly never met him. Lie. He also defended him when Jay would take Tyler’s side. It was almost as if Will felt his father was being insulted.

What was the deal with the polygraph test? I suppose the people framing Jay (Matthew Bomer) and Tyler (Logan Marshall-Green) were hoping that it would prove them to be liars. But instead, they told the truth and if the FBI used the same test on them, it could help prove their story.

The best scenes involved Pascale Hutton, who plays Jay’s girlfriend, Kim. I loved her answer to Agent Marlow‘s lawyer question: “Sure. His name is Jay Burchell, and he’s innocent on whatever charges you’ve brought against him.” Then she produces a perfect portrait sketch of Will Traveler. I was cheering her on the entire time. And was it just me or does every other male character seem to have their eyes on Kim? As soon as she arrived for questioning by the FBI, Agent Chambers (Steven Culp) eyed her up. There also seemed to be some sexual tension when he dropped her off at her home. And in the flashback, Will stared at her as she walked down the stairs. I don’t blame either guy. She’s quite a catch: beauty, brains and stands by her man. I like her.

I also like Agent Marlow (Viola Davis). I know a part of her wants to believe Jay and Tyler. I want to know what mistakes she has made in the past. Agent Chambers made it very clear that she screwed up before and now her instincts cannot always be trusted. And apparently, neither can some guy who works in Homeland Security. Little does he know, Jay and Tyler are still alive and traveling back to New Haven for some answers.

So there you have it, kids. I was supposed to go out, but I don’t have the luxury of TiVo or DVR, so I stayed in to do my job. And now, I am looking forward to staying in next Wednesday as well. See you next week!


If you want some extra information from the star of the show, click here to read an interview with Matthew Bomer.

Also, do you want more clips of our cool new show? Forget the other Internet sites — just stick with us at TVG and check out our Online Video Guide. We’ll take care of you!

I really liked this show. And lately, television and I have not been getting along. Just last week I decided to break up with Grey’s Anatomy. This was a big step for me, because Grey’s and I have been together since the beginning. But I’ve decided to move on… and I’d like you to meet my new love interest: Traveler. Every time I try to explain this show to my friends and family I find myself calling it “The Traveler,” but nope! It’s just Traveler.

My infatuation for Traveler began the moment Jay spoke the words, “My father died, because someone in the government betrayed him. That didn’t make me hate my country — it made me want to fix it.” That line took my breath away and I instantly fell in love with the lead character Jay Burchell (the oh-so-cute Matthew Bomer). I know he’s got a trusting and sympathetic girlfriend, Kim (Pascale Hutton), but a girl can dream.

I barely noticed "Will Traveler" (Aaron Stanford). I don't think he's dead (by the way, it seemed like everyone was wearing a blue track jacket tonight). He's a sneaky guy, and what's with the video camera? He never had his picture taken, but he definitely wanted a lot of footage of my boys. And even though Jay ignored his gut instinct not to play a prank, I still like the guy. Boys will be boys and rollerblading through a museum is hardly a crime. Until the building you rollerbladed through — while being chased by security — blows up. Then there's a problem.

I’ve also decided that anyone who lifts a finger for me at a hotel is getting a huge tip! There was something about the hotel porter (Billy Mayo) that made me rethink his role. He seemed like a cool cat when he asked Jay and Tyler (Logan Marshall-Green) about their road-trip plans. Then he saved them from the feds. Twice. Obviously, he is going to be a big part of this show. He knows more about the situation than anyone else.

Tyler isn’t exactly my favorite character, but I’ll blame his father, Carlton Fog. I do not trust him. I don’t care how much money you have, no parent could be that calm after hearing that their son is a suspect in a bombing and has been dubbed a terrorist. The man is trouble and the previews for the May 30 episode prove it.

I used to watch Desperate Housewives too (I ended it last year). I was upset when they killed off Bree's husband, Rex. But I'm glad to see Steven Culp in a new series and a very different role. I was impressed by the federal agents: Fred Chambers (Steven Culp) and Jan Marlow (Viola Davis). Chambers isn’t exactly on Jay and Tyler’s side, but he’s doing his job. Marlow gave me goosebumps when she said Jay “panicked, but his speech pattern didn’t show that he was lying.” She believes some part of Jay's story and he’ll need her faith to prove his innocence. By the way, that woman can run! She must have chased Tyler through and above six different buildings. After Tyler dropped his bag, I would have stopped on the fire escape to check it for water. Or perhaps some travel mix? I love that salty/sweet mix.

So, now that you’ve met my new show, please let me know what you think. My friends enjoyed hanging out and watching Traveler, and my parents loved it! It’s official — our next date is May 30.

For more clips from Traveler check out our Online Video Guide.