12 Monkeys
Stuck the LandingFinale "The Beginning Part 2" scored 9.6, one of its highest-rated episodes.Grew the BeardSeason 1 rated 7.9. From season 3 on it settled around 8.8.
Time travelTime manipulation as a core mechanic.This show: 10/10Puzzle plotNonlinear timelines, twists and structural games that reward attention.This show: 9/10Mystery boxCentral riddles sustained across whole seasons.This show: 9/10SerializedContinuous arcs where every episode builds on the last.This show: 9/10Post-apocalypticLife after civilization's collapse.This show: 8/10TenseSustained suspense and pressure from start to finish.This show: 8/10Dark toneShadowy mood and subject matter, a shade short of outright bleak.This show: 8/10Intellectual challengeRewards close attention and theorizing.This show: 7/10
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Starring
Aaron StanfordAmanda SchullNoah BeanBarbara SukowaEmily HampshireTodd Stashwick
Written by
Travis FickettTerry Matalas
Starring
Aaron StanfordAmanda SchullNoah BeanBarbara SukowaEmily HampshireTodd Stashwick
Written by
Travis FickettTerry Matalas
Ratings per Episode
Votes per Episode
12 Monkeys Episode Ratings Heatmap
| Avg | E1 | E2 | E3 | E4 | E5 | E6 | E7 | E8 | E9 | E10 | E11 | E12 | E13 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 7.5 | 7.6 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 8.4 | 7.7 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 8.3 | 8.6 | 8.4 | |
| S2 | 8.5 | 7.9 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.3 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 8.3 | 9.1 | 8.0 | 8.1 | 8.9 | 9.0 | 9.1 | |
| S3 | 8.6 | 8.3 | 8.4 | 8.1 | 8.7 | 8.5 | 8.4 | 8.8 | 8.4 | 9.1 | 9.2 | ||||
| S4 | 8.9 | 8.3 | 8.2 | 8.5 | 8.2 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.5 | 8.8 | 9.3 | 9.3 | 9.5 |
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About
"A shaky start that earns real heartbreak"
A time traveler is sent back from a ravaged future to stop the release of a virus that will kill most of humanity, but altering the past proves far messier than expected. It starts as a moody, twisty chase thriller and gradually deepens into something stranger and more emotional, layering paradoxes, doomed relationships, and philosophical questions about fate. The pacing tightens season by season, trading procedural time-loop mechanics for genuine heartbreak. It rewards patience: early episodes are serviceable, but the show becomes something far more ambitious and affecting as its mythology locks into place.
Watch it for
the way its time-travel puzzle box pays off with genuine emotional stakes by the end.
Maybe skip if
you need a strong first season, since this one takes time to find its voice.
Written by our AI editor to help you decide, spoiler-free by design.
All Seasons
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Season 12015
7.922K139h 22m
Follow the journey of a time traveler from the post-apocalyptic future who appears in present day on a mission to locate and eradicate the source of a deadly plague that will eventually decimate the human race.
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Season 22016
8.516K139h 15m
Season two finds Cole unable to travel back in time due to an unforeseen paradox. Meanwhile, Jennifer appears to be on the brink of unleashing the deadly virus. Every action has history-altering potential in this mind-bending race against time.
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Season 32017
8.611K107h 12m
With the identity of the Witness - the engineer of the reality ending Army of the 12 Monkeys - now known, Cole and his allies must travel through different eras in history to stop him.
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Season 42018
8.914K117h 57m
In Season 4, James Cole and Dr. Cassandra Railly set out on an epic quest, traveling further back in time than they have ever been before. According to legend, their only hope lies with a weapon capable of stopping the Witness for good. But they'll soon discover that in order to win the final battle and save time itself, they will have to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Full Cast & Crew
Cast
Aaron Stanford James Cole
Amanda Schull Dr. Cassandra Railly
Noah Bean Aaron Marker
Barbara Sukowa Katarina Jones
Emily Hampshire Jennifer Goines
Todd Stashwick Deacon
Andrew Gillies Dr. Julian Adler
Kirk Acevedo José Ramse
Alisen Richmond-Peck Olivia, Striking Woman
Demore Barnes Whitley
Crew
Travis Fickett
Terry Matalas
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