by Mike Lunsford, Editor

Last week, the Stephen King-written, JJ-Abrams-produced series 11.22.63 aired the series finale and it did not disappoint. As with most King adaptations, it varied a great deal from the novel but in this particular series, it did not affect the quality of the production.

As I mentioned in my review of the premiere episode, it is unnecessary to have read the book to enjoy this series. As it progresses through 8 episodes, there are many changes to the finer details that were laid out in the novel.  A few characters took on completely different roles, certain details were omitted and entire sequences were removed. For the purist out there, this is blasphemy. For someone like myself who enjoys when directors and producers take some license in their depiction of a cherished story, I loved the ride. I didn’t necessarily know what was going to happen next. That being said, often times when they deviate greatly from the novel, it causes issues within the narrative and you lose what made the story special in the first place. 11.22.63 is one of a select few movies/series I’ve seen where a book is altered for the screen drastically yet still kept the heart that made the original great (the other one is Fight Club).

A few highlights from the series (no spoilers)

• James Franco as Jake Epping
  while already an accomplished and well-received actor, his role as Jake was a revelation for me. I could only see the kid from Freaks & Geeks or Harry Osborne when he was in other roles. Not only did he do the series justice, he dealt with the very complex emotions Jake deals with throughout the story and conveys it on screen.

• Sara Gadon as Sadie Dunhill
  Relatively unknown actress Sara Gadon played this role beautifully. As Jake’s love interest in the series, she was exactly as I imagined her when I read the book. She’s smart, she’s tough, she’s beautiful, and her interactions with Jake are the core of what makes this story so special.

• T.R. Knight as Johnny Clayton
  You may know T.R. from his run on Gray’s Anatomy. I hate that show, so I was skeptical when I saw that he was in this series. Could he pull off quite possibly one of the creepiest characters from the book? And this is in a novel that features Lee Harvey Oswald as a character, the epitome of sleazy and creepy. Let that sink in. Hats off to T.R. Knight though. He played creepy-ass Johnny Clayton perfectly.                                                                                  *I previously mentioned T.R. is the son of Seinfeld alum, Wayne Knight. He is not. I guess you can’t believe every hyperlink on the internet.
• Daniel Webber as Lee Harvey Oswald
  • One of the main supporting characters who wasn’t fictitious.  Oswald has been profiled and studied for years amongst all the other study done surrounding the Kennedy assassination. Webber gives him a depth that most had probably never imagined. Hats off to this young, Australian actor for a chilling portrayal of history’s most infamous assassin.

• Short but powerful performances from Chris Cooper and Josh Duhamel
  Cooper is an Academy Award winner so no surprise there. Josh Duhamel though…I always pegged him as eye candy. His biggest claims to fame were being a model, being in Transformers and his role on Las Vegas. He shut up any preconceived notions that I had about his acting ability as he was in perfect stride as Frank Dunning. Never has a psychopathic, alcoholic murderer been so charming.

I would love to go into detail about the intricacies of the story and what made it so great, but you need to watch it. If you haven’t used your free 1 week trial for Hulu, I highly recommend doing so and binge watching 11.22.63.  If you have used that free trial, pay that 8 bucks and watch this show. Why is it worth watching? The series keeps you on the edge of your seat as that infamous day gets closer and closer. It does a good job of conveying the nervous energy of Jake’s attempt to save JFK and the past’s attempts to keep history intact. Never has there been a greater foe in a series: time itself. There are other struggles, too. As previously mentioned, Jake falls in love with a librarian named Sadie. She is an integral part of the novel and holds the same importance in the series. Will he reveal to her that he’s from the future? How can their relationship work if Jake ends up saving Kennedy? Without giving any spoilers I can tell you that the ending to the series is able to elicit the same powerful emotions of the novel. Do yourself a favor and watch this series.

Rating:

ComicsOnline gives 11.22.63 on Hulu 5 out of 5 Balls of Time-y Wime-y Francos.

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