The Time Traveler’s Wife has been bought to life in a new Sky Atlantic TV series of the same name and the reviews are now in!
The bestselling novel by Audrey Niffenegger was immensely popular when it was first released in 2003.
It became a bestseller, and won several important awards.
So the new TV series – adapted by Doctor Who and Sherlock writer Steven Moffat – has a LOT to live up to!
Has it been deemed a success by the critics?
Here’s everything you need to know about The Time Traveler’s Wife reviews!
***Warning: possible spoilers from The Time Traveler’s Wife ahead***
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The Time Traveler’s Wife TV reviews – what are the critics saying?
The Time Traveler’s Wife on Sky Atlantic is based on the beloved bestselling book by Audrey Niffenegger.
And reviews have been divided so far.
Fans of the book will know that the storyline follows the intricate and magical love story between artist Clare Abshire, and Henry DeTamble.
Henry is a librarian who is cursed with the ability to travel time – caused by chrono-displacement-disorder.
It is, quite frankly, an elaborate and bizarre plot that is difficult to translate onto TV.
Does Henry “groom” Clare?
Critics have questioned a pivotal detail in the plot of The Time Traveler’s Wife.
Namely, that Henry first meets Clare when she is six and he is 36.
Reviewers have found these scenes uncomfortable – as Henry is a naked adult man and Clare is still a child.
In fact, the fact that Henry could be “grooming” Clare is even hinted at in episode one.
Henry meets a young Clare when she is brushing the mane of her pet horse, and he appears to actually flinch at the word “grooming”.
A problem that wasn’t perceived as an issue in the novel nearly 20 years ago.
Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter says: “The Time Traveler’s Wife starts with a very big ask – one that’ll no doubt have some proportion of the viewing audience responding with a hearty no thank you.
“Namely, it needs you to be okay with the fact that large chunks of the series, but especially the first few episodes, revolve around the relationship between a little girl and an older man who secretly appears naked in the woods behind her house no fewer than 152 times over 14 years.”
She adds: “And no, acknowledging the awkwardness with an offhanded ‘grooming’ joke when Clare is six doesn’t make it not awkward.”
Entertainment Weekly’s Darren Franich says: “The first time his wife meets him, young Clare is six.
“From her perspective, a nude adult stranger just yells out of the wilderness, begging for clothes.
“She ransacks her dad’s closet, and they secretly meet for years, and she never tells her parents about the mysterious visitor, nope, nope, nope. Nope. Noooooope.”
No be fair, though, this is all in the book – but the story was written nearly 20 years ago when things felt a little different.
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The Time Traveler’s Wife TV reviews – is it worth watching?
Joel Golby of the Guardian is somewhat kinder than some.
He says: “This sci-fi romance may be full of TV pet peeves, but it’s very enjoyable.
“[…] Theo James makes a good swing at levelling up from being the handsome guy in forgettable sci-fi.
“Rose Leslie almost pulls off playing an age range of 16 to 80.
“All in all, it’s very good.”
Den of Geek’s Amanda-Rae Prescott also gives it the benefit of the doubt, saying: “This miniseries is not for people who have already made their mind up to hate the premise.
“But it’s for the readers of the novel who wanted more character development from the movie.
“Theo James and Rose Leslie perfectly capture Henry and Clare from the novel.
“Henry may be a jerk but he’s also clearly scared about the future.
“Clare has clearly made the hard choice to stick with someone who won’t always be there.”
Meanwhile, Mashable’s Belen Edwards also argues that the nature of the romance hasn’t aged well, but says: “The Time Traveler’s Wife hinges on the performances of Leslie and James, and luckily, they deliver.
“They have solid chemistry and manage to make Moffat’s overly quip-filled dialogue sound human.”
So, if you’re a fan of the book, it’s probably worth the watch.
More so than the film, which scored a disappointing 38% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Time Traveler’s Wife starts on Monday May 16 2022 at 9pm on Sky Atlantic/Now.
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