That was one hell of an ending last week on 12 Monkeys Season 1 Episode 5 wasn't it?
I had a chance to chat with Terry Matalas – one of the creators of 12 Monkeys – last week, and he was kind enough to discuss "The Night Room" with me. Terry cleared up a few of the more confusing time travel bits, and he even dropped a few hints about what we can expect on 12 Monkeys Season 1 Episode 6 this Friday.
Hope you guys enjoy this exclusive interview with one of the creative minds behind Syfy's 12 Monkeys.
TV Fanatic: Let's kick things off with some background on how you became involved with 12 Monkeys.
Terry Matalas: Travis [Fickett] and I had written a time travel spec, and that ended up in the hands of Atlas – who produced the original 12 Monkeys movie – with Charles Roven and Richard Suckle. When they read it, they really liked our approach to the time travel conspiracy and they had been working on turning 12 Monkeys into a TV series for some time, but were never able to crack it.
Obviously, we took the meeting because 12 Monkeys is one of our favorite films, but we showed a good amount of resistance in the meeting by saying you know 12 Monkeys is a perfect puzzle. I don't know if that's the right thing to do, it's so perfect. So we kind of walked away and said you know we don't think so.
Then later on, we started talking over lunch and we're like, but you know what you could do is this and you can introduce this character and we started asking all these moral questions about changing time. What would other people feel about you changing their future? What came out of it was a really interesting new take on a gritty sci-fi time travel story and we were like okay lets give it a shot. We went back in and said here's how we would adapt 12 Monkey and the rest is history.
TVF: So from those first talks is where changing time and all that came into play?
TM: Yeah I mean, it felt like in the movie there's this rule that you cannot change time no matter what you do. It's a great thing for a time travel movie, but for a time travel series we felt like you're really starting to limit yourself. So that was the first thing to change, and it happens in the first couple of minutes of the pilot. We, right away, say look you can break time; you can change time. Because we just felt like that's where you had to go with it.
TVF: Did you and co-creator Travis Fickett research wormholes, quantum mechanics, paradoxes, that kind of stuff to get this show just right? Was a consultant involved during the writing process? I know Helix has a consultant from CDC on set.
TM: We consulted on all our virus stuff, but as far as the time travel goes there's not one form of time travel. There's a million theories about how time works. And we decided we needed to have our own brand. And our brand of time, really is what Jones says in the second episode, which is, "I've learned enough to fear time, time is a malevolent force." You know, that there seems to be some sort of rhyme and reason to the way it does what it does.
So we kind of went with that and we have different kinds of time travel. A lot people have commented that we have what Jones will call later in the season, causality loops (or Jinns) and that's sort of what you saw in Atari. And it's sort of the loop of Cole being part of Pallid Man's scar, and Pallid Man knowing Cole before him because that has all been part of a loop.
But as you see at the end of the Night Room – leading into episode 6 – is that big changes can happen. That sometimes you can be part of a loop, and time will correct itself, but if you make a big change then something drastic will happen; you can break time, like the watch. And that's what happened at the end of episode 5.
12 Monkeys Photos from "The Red Forest"
1.
Cole Returns to Alt-2043 - 12 Monkeys Season 1 Episode 6
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In the previous episode, something happened that caused Cole to return to an alternate 2043. What do you think that was? Tune in to 12 Monkeys Season 1 Episode 6 for the answer!
2.
The Temporal Facility Changed - 12 Monkeys Season 1 Episode 6
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The temporal facility sure has changed. What's with all the hanging laundry everywhere? On a positive note, seems like the West VII are showering regularly in this reality.
3.
Jones Lives - 12 Monkeys Season 1 Episode 6
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Luckily for Cole, Jones is still alive in this alternate 2043 and still working at the temporal facility. Is she in charge though? Her new "look" suggests otherwise.
4.
Fix the Past - 12 Monkeys Season 1 Episode 6
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Cole's mission this week is to get back to 2015 and fix whatever caused this alternate reality. Bet he never imagined his 2043 could get any worse.
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Whitley's Not Happy - 12 Monkeys Season 1 Episode 6
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Who is Whitley threatening with a gun? Is it possible he doesn't want Cole to return to 2015?
6.
Cole Can Be Persuasive - 12 Monkeys Season 1 Episode 6
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Here's a shot of Cole trying talk some sense into someone. Could he be attempting to convince Whitley he can rewrite the past and change this alternate reality?
7.
Cole and Aaron Partner Up - 12 Monkeys Season 1 Episode 6
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Looks like Cole and Aaron partner up this week. Will Cassie's ex finally believe Cole is a time traveler?
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Aaron Calming Cole Down - 12 Monkeys Season 1 Episode 6
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What is Aaron telling Cole in this photo? Is he trying to talk him out of killing someone? You know Cole, shoot first ask questions later.
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Maybe Aaron's Not So Bad - 12 Monkeys Season 1 Episode 6
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Bet you ten bucks this guy's still breathing thanks to Aaron. Is the mysterious stranger one of the 12 Monkeys? What do Cole and Aaron want with him? Tune in Friday, February 20 to 12 Monkeys Season 1 Episode 6 to find out!
The End.
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TVF: I was hoping we'd see Jennifer before she went bananas. What a great moment when she saw the Big Burn system and said, "Complete with evening stars." A great call back to 12 Monkeys Season 1 Episode 2. Loving the payoffs!
TM: Seeing Jennifer before she was crazy was kind of a last minute addition to the script. When the script came in, it felt like it needed a new sort of point of view. And the point of view of the episode became, well what if you get to see Jennifer before she was crazy. And what if this is all a ruse, her revenge against Pallid Man and she's going to set them up. So it sort of plays out like a classic spy movie really, where one party is duping the other and the other party is actually duping the other. It was initially supposed to be a bottle episode, in which you save a bunch of money by being in one location and I think it ended up being one of our most expensive episodes [Laughs] by the time we were done.
TVF: It's pretty clear the 13 episodes were meticulously planned out. Was there a giant timeline on the wall in the writers room? Storyboards?
TM: It's kind of just in our heads. Everybody asks if we have like a big timeline to keep track of where we are. You write all these scripts really close to each other, so "complete with evening stars" we had literally only written that two months earlier and then we went and shot it, and then you hear Emily say it out loud and you see if it works. You've heard it in the auditions a million times so, "complete with evening stars" becomes a thing, you know? So when she walks into the room, you're like of course she's going to say that to reference the Big Burn. So it all becomes, hopefully, of a piece. Jennifer has a lot of sayings that you'll hear and some of her craziness isn't so crazy, as you'll come to see by the end of the season. There's a lot more going on there than just crazy.
TVF: At the end of 12 Monkeys Season 1 Episode 5 we obviously have an alternate reality. Folks seem confused by this and the events of Atari, the two Cole's running around. Can you speak to that a bit?
TM: I don't know, it's just Back to the Future really. He's at the mall, he goes back to 1955, he goes to the clock tower comes back to 1985 a few minutes earlier and he sees himself leave. It's exactly the same.
In this case, I think what's a little bit more complicated is the fact that Cole was always part of this loop. That he always heard Max, and that he always saved Ramse. Ramse never truly died, he was hearing himself save Ramsey. So that this loop was always part of the continuum.
It's totally reasonable to take a minute and try and wrap your head around it. I think that's half the fun. We hear a lot from people that after the show, they turn it off and they're talking about it with friends. I mean, that's great they're talking about it. And not every episode is going to have some twisty time causality loop or a big change that requires diagrams and sculptures to figure out. But it is fun sometimes to have that kind of puzzle. To be honest with you, the whole season is a bit of a puzzle as you'll come to see. Some of the things that you're watching, you will be asking questions and you won't know until the end of the season and you're like that is why this all happened.
12 Monkeys Sneak Peek - "The Red Forest"
TVF: One of the things that bummed me out about the film, was the 12 Monkeys being just a red herring. How did you guys decide to make them a real threat?
TM: Well, it was very very early on. I mean, I remember being in the movie theater and just being really intrigued by the name the Army of the 12 Monkeys. It's so bizarre and it really just felt like the right way to go. Like what if there was an Army of the 12 Monkeys and it was baffling as to why they were doing what they were doing? It was a mystery, a conspiracy mystery as to why would they want to destroy the world. What would their point of view be? It just seemed sort of naturally to be the right thing to do. So that's what we went with.
TVF: Now that several episodes have aired, have the skeptics changed their tune? Have you noticed a difference on social media?
TM: I think the people that are watching are into it for sure. I think there's definitely going to be some people who consider this a sacrilege to do.
I've said this before, a remake or reboot doesn't erase the original. You can always go back and enjoy the original. I mean, I go back and love the original Total Recall or the original Star Trek or whatever. Then again, I was one of those people who if they announced 12 Monkeys I probably would have said, well I don't know about that. Or Fargo, but you know I enjoyed Fargo Season 1 more than I enjoyed Fargo the movie.
So, to each their own. It's totally within everyone's right to feel that way. I totally understand, but we hope that they give us a chance. Because we think we're doing something a little different and cool. Hopefully, we'll get it to season two and you're going to really love where we're going.
TVF: You've directed several webisodes that are up at on Syfy.com. Any plans to direct an episode of the show next season?
TM: You know, if they would let me I would definitely be up for it. It's a lot of fun. I had a really great time working with Emily Hampshire and Alisen Down – who you haven't met yet – on the ones that I did. Alisen Down you won't meet till episode 6, but she is one of the figure heads of the Army of the 12 Monkeys. So I did a couple of webisodes with her, and a bunch with Emily as Jennifer Goines, which two of them are already up I think. Yeah I would love to.
TVF: This week's episode 6 is titled "The Red Forest," what can you tease about it and the new alternate reality?
TM: What can I tease about it? The very last scene, changing time and changing the future to something you don't want it to be is not the only consequence Cole will face. And the last scene in episode 6, will tell you very much what the stakes are for Cole for the rest of the season.
12 Movie to Television Show Adaptations
1.
12 Monkeys
Syfy's 12 Monkeys premiered January 16 and it's just the latest film to make the jump to television. Many fans were skeptical that Terry Gilliam's 1995 film was being revisited as a TV series. What they might not realize is that Gilliam's version was inspired by the 1962 short film La Jetee. In other words, this series is a reimagining of a remake. With clever writing and a great cast, you owe it to yourself to check out 12 Monkeys. Trust me, you'll thank me later.
2.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy is the perfect example of a forgettable film becoming a TV/pop culture phenomena. Did you know Joss Whedon wrote the 1992 comedy/horror flick? The studio took the film in a more jokey direction, but just a few years later Whedon was able to bring his vision to the small screen. The result, of course, was the critically acclaimed TV series starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. Buffy has since influenced the showrunners/writers of many of our favorite TV series.
3.
Hannibal
Anthony Hopkins' iconic portrayal of serial killer, Hannibal Lecter, had many fans fearing the worst when the series was announced. I mean, the guy won the "Best Actor" Academy Award back in 1992 for the role. How could anyone even come close? Leave it to Bryan Fuller and Mads Mikkelsen to completely reinvent the character. Mikkelsen's version is sophisticated, classy yet the devil in a three-piece suit. Hugh Dancy is not too shabby as Will Graham either. Fuller lists Lynch and Kubrick as inspiration for the show, making it one of the most beautifully shot yet unpleasantly creepy series on TV.
4.
Parenthood
Sadly we'll be saying goodbye to the Braverman's at the end of this month. 100 episodes of Parenthood is not bad for a second attempt at a television series based on Ron Howard's 1989 film. Yup, another version aired in 1990 on NBC, but it turned out to be a dud and was quickly cancelled. If you're a fan of the show it's not going to be easy to say farewell, but at least NBC gave you those final 13-episodes to get used to the idea.
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5.
Bates Motel
A teenage Norman Bates, seriously? All signs pointed to a major bomb when Bates Motel was first announced. However, its clever writing and wonderful actors have proven the naysayers wrong. The show is a hit for A&E and heading into its 10-episode third season on March 9.
6.
Fargo
Did you know that Fargo was inducted into the United States National Film Registry for preservation by the Library of Congress? That's right, being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and earning seven Academy Award nominations what's surprising is that it took so long to appear on TV. The series met with similar acclaim, winning the Emmy for Outstanding Miniseries and Outstanding Directing. Future seasons will be set in a different era and feature a different story, cast and set of characters.
7.
Dominion
Let's be honest, Legion was not a great film. Hell, it wasn't even a good film. That said, the one thing many of us did wonder at the end was what would become of Charlie's baby? Dominion not only provided the answer, enter Alex (the chosen one), but introduced an interesting post apocalyptic world with a strict caste system. Though the series received mixed or average reviews, a loyal fanbase quickly grew and the show's second season airs this summer.
8.
Nikita
The CW's Nikita was a reboot of USA Network's 1997 La Femme Nikita, which lasted five seasons. However, that series was inspired by Luc Besson's 1990 film of the same name. Nikita picked up a large fanbase in season one, but it's ratings declined steadily each year. Ultimately, The CW chose to end the show giving the fans 6 final episodes to wrap up any loose ends.
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9.
From Dusk Til Dawn
Sure, From Dusk til Dawn has become a cult classic, but tell me it didn't confuse the hell out of you in theaters? What started as your typical heist/car chase flick turned into a full fledged vampire horror movie halfway through. From Dusk til Dawn: The Series, however, began introducing those supernatural elements in the pilot. With 10 hours to tell his story, Robert Rodriguez was able to flesh out his characters and expand the Mesoamerican mythology. Reviews were favorable, but many folks missed it because Rodriguez's newly launched channel "El Rey" wasn't part of their cable package. The series is now on Netflix, in case you're curious.
10.
Teen Wolf
Look at this silly picture of Michael J. Fox and tell me the thought of a Teen Wolf TV series didn't sound like a joke. Luckily for genre fans the show is very loosely based on the 1985 film. By loosely I mean the characters share the same names and the teen in question is bitten by a werewolf. Other than that, the series is a re-imagining that focuses on horror, mythology and romance. The creative team developed a darker, sexier and edgier version with comedic overtones closer to The Lost Boys. Teen Wolf has received generally positive reviews and like Buffy is a series that improved on the original. The series is headed into Season 5 this summer for a 20 episode run.
11.
Stargate
Roland Emmerich's Stargate starring Kurt Russell and James Spader received lukewarm reviews from critics, but a warmer reception from audiences grossing close to $200 million. Its biggest success is probably the fact it spawned 4 spin-off TV series. Stargate SG-1 premiered on Showtime in 1997 and lasted a whopping 10 years. That series, gave us the animated Stargate Infinity (2002–2003), the live-action Stargate Atlantis (2004–2009) and finally Stargate Universe (2009–2011). Not bad for a French-American sci-fi flick released in 1994.
12.
Terminator
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles brought our favorite characters, Sarah and John Connor, to FOX. The show opened with a shortened run of nine episodes but was the highest-rated new scripted series of the 2007–08 TV season. Naturally, a second season was quickly green-lit. Unfortunately, ratings declined drastically in Season 2 and it was not renewed for a third season. FOX doesn't have much luck with sci-fi... Firefly, Almost Human, Alcatraz, Dollhouse, Fringe, Terra Nova, Terminator: TSCC. Why would they think a Minority Report series will fly? It's been a long time since the X-Files guys, quit while you're ahead.
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The End.
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12 Monkeys Season 1 Episode 6 is titled "The Red Forest" and airs Friday, February 20 at 9/8c.