The Time Traveler's Wife Doesn't Deserve the Criticism

When it comes to HBO shows, there have been plenty of hits over the years. In that time they’ve probably faced a ton of criticisms and have just let it roll off their backs. Now there’s a new show in their crosshairs that already has people talking, and not in a good way. The Time Traveler’s Wife debuted Sunday and people were less than happy with scenes from the show. While there are moments that can be interpreted a certain way, forcing that opinion on viewers is a bit misguided. Art has never been without its skeptics, but the people claiming The Time Travelers Wife promotes “grooming” is a little off base, such as this article written by The Guardian.

For those that don’t know

Grooming: the action by a pedophile of preparing a child for a meeting, especially via an internet chat room, with the intention of committing a sexual offense.

Granted, if that was intended to be represented in the show, by all means, everyone would have the right to be upset. It’s not something anyone should support, but that’s not what’s going on with the show. The Time Traveler’s Wife is a book, a movie, and now a show about a man who, as the title states, travels through time in random uncontrolled moments. In doing so, he takes with him all his memories, fights to survive, and has to steal clothes and food to get by. Up until now, he has no control over when and where he travels and that’s key to understanding what’s actually going on.

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Cancel culture has people quick to react, but slow to understand. It’s easy to jump to the first conclusion we see, but with art and entertainment, expression and intent need creative freedom. While I can see how someone would end up at their conclusion, it doesn’t make it any less wrong. There are plenty of keys along the way to disprove it.

First and foremost, the scene being referred to is when an older Henry (Theo James) travels back and visits a young Clare (Rose Leslie). Obviously befriending a child should be carefully examined and criticized for any wrongdoing. However, the writer Steven Moffat heavily defends the show’s innocents, in an interview with TV Line. In no way shape or form does the show promote grooming. In these scenes, director David Nutter is careful to steer the audience away from those thoughts. There are many scenes where Henry travels back and shows up without clothes. When Henry first shows up to meet Clare, unlike in every other scene, he never appears in front of her without clothes.

Secondly, despite the obvious reason for concern, there are many instances where Clare refers to Henry as her “imaginary friend” and that’s the lens through which viewers should see it. Shows throughout time have always had kids with close friendships with adults. Think of Dennis the Menace or Boy Meets World. If these two characters were of the same gender, and there wasn’t a future relationship involved, no one would end up jumping to conclusions. These are just two examples where kids form a bond with their neighboring adults.

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Henry doesn’t just go back and visit his future wife at a young age. He also goes back and visits many younger versions of himself. Those interactions faced no criticism because they were with a younger version of himself. However, those meetings are just as important when it comes to the intent of the show. As a man who has no control over his life, who has to fight to get by, and has to steal food and clothes he’s probably constantly scared for his life. You have to imagine the fight for survival takes its physical and mental toll on Henry.

What we’re seeing in The Time Traveler’s Wife is a man tired of running and fighting to survive. He goes back to visit a younger version of himself and a young Clare because these are the only times he’s not trying to survive. These few moments are the only time he feels safe and can let his guard down. The show doesn’t depict him going back to make sure the two end up together. The intention is to show that throughout history, they’ve always had a connection and that love is timeless. If Henry was going back to make her fall in love with him, I’d send up a red flag. However, it’s not meant to show that but rather his need to escape the terror of constant survival mode.

While they eventually form a relationship when they’re older, it shouldn’t take away from the innocence of these scenes. Yes, there is cause for concern, and in no way should grooming be dismissed, but The Time Traveler’s Wife isn’t about that at all. Hopefully, future episodes will help us understand the deeper meaning.