TIMELESS — “Pilot” — Pictured: (l-r) Matt Lanter as Wyatt Logan, Malcolm Barrett as Rufus Carlin, Abigail Spencer as Lucy Preston — (Photo by: Joe Lederer/NBC)

Name of the Episode: “Pilot”

Timeless has been preparing viewers with the promise of time travel and the possibility to rewrite history, as we know it today. The show begins with the story of the German passenger airship, the Hindenburg. Lucy is a history professor being denied tenure she rightfully deserves. She and her sister Amy are caring for their terminally ill mother.  Amy tries to encourage Lucy to fight for her future.

Viewers are next introduced to Rufus, a shy brilliant scientist. Rufus was speaking with his boss when a group of armed men bombards the staff. The assailants take the lead scientist as a hostage and they climb into the time machine. The police are called and Lucy is picked up by homeland security with little information given. They are taken to

Connor Mason’s company to be briefed on the current situation. Wyatt Logan is a soldier recruited from Special Forces. Once everyone is together, the vigilante is seen as Garcia Flynn. It was thought that he killed his wife and child and went off the grid a year ago. His intentions are unclear but he has taken the most recent time machine. Their only option is to use the early prototype called the Lifeboat.

Rufus is a coder and doesn’t want to leave his desk or this timeline for that matter. He has to go because he’s the only one with knowledge of how to use the time machine. Lucy is reluctant to go on the trip because she thinks it’s a big joke; time travel can’t be real. However, the time jump is successful and the group is transported to May 6, 1937 in New Jersey, hours before the airship is set to explode. The trio works quickly to find Flynn to stop his plans for the airship. Lucy spots Flynn in the crowd and tries to follow him, but Wyatt tries to save the life of reporter Kate Drummond. When the airship does not explode, they begin to wonder if this is part of Flynn’s plan. Lucy reads Kate’s article and sees many important dignitaries will be on the return flight to Europe on the Hindenburg. Flynn’s plan seems to be to save the airship only to kill more important people later.

As Lucy makes the realization, the police pick them up and set them in a prison cell. With some quick schemes, they escape and climb onto the airship. With only five minutes until the bomb explodes and the flight under way, Lucy and Rufus threaten the crew to land. One of Flynn’s associates interrupts Wyatt’s attempt to diffuse the bomb. Kate helps to subdue the assailant, but the man shoots his gun and sparks the fire that brings down the Hindenburg. Wyatt saves Kate, but has to save Lucy from Flynn.

Flynn tells Lucy she is meant for more than being a teacher, and tells her to ask the people who sent her what, “Writtenhouse” means. Before he can tell her anything else, Wyatt shoots Flynn. Flynn returns fire, but instead shoots Kate who was standing near. She bleeds out, as there is nothing anyone could do for them. Lucy, Wyatt and Rufus return to the present a little worse for the wear, but all in one piece. History is changed, but changed less than if Flynn succeeded. Homeland security claim to not know what Writtenhouse means, or what Flynn’s ultimate plans are. Lucy believes Flynn is trying to rewrite history before it even begins. Until they have a lead, they cannot disclose any details to anyone.

Once Flynn is seen on the radar, they will be called back into action. It’s also shown that Rufus recorded some information of Wyatt and Lucy; much to his objection. However, his boss doesn’t seem to have any other option, for reasons that are not yet told. At the end of the episode, Lucy comes home to an alternate present that she does not recognize. Her mother is healthy and vivacious, but her sister Amy does not exist anymore. Lucy is also engaged but does not know whom she is engaged to, her mother did not say. As she is trying to process everything, she receives a call saying Flynn has the mothership onto the timeline once again.

On next week’s episode everyone finds themselves at April 14, 1865; the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Seems like each week viewers will find themselves in the middle of history’s biggest moments. Stay tuned for more exciting episode recaps!