Jake Epping, a recently divorced English teacher from Lisbon, Maine, is presented with the chance to travel back in time to 1960 by his long-time friend Al Templeton. He is persuaded into going in an attempt to prevent the assassination of United States President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963; however, he becomes attached to the life he makes in the past, which could be the mission's undoing. He must find a way to secretly gather information about people and events leading up to the assassination while also creating and maintaining a new life to avoid suspicion.
Diner owner Al Templeton reveals a time portal to October 21, 1960, in his closet to his friend, English teacher Jake Epping. Dying of cancer, Al asks Jake to travel back to the 1960s and prevent the assassination of United States President John F. Kennedy. Al explains his own past attempts and mistakes to Jake to stop it, noting his apparent onset of cancer prevented him from spending extended time in the past. Armed with Al's research, Jake goes to 1960 (under the name James Amberson) and surveils a Kennedy intimate, believed to be Lee Harvey Oswald's handler. He finds that the past is "pushing back" as accidents and incidents make it difficult for him to achieve his goals. He returns to his lodgings to find them burning, Al's notes nearly all destroyed, and the landlady's son dead. He decides to give up, and "return to Maine", but stops to try and prevent a multiple murder he had heard about in the present.
In 1960 Kentucky, Jake tests his ability to alter the past by attempting to prevent the murder of the family of one of his future night school students, Harry Dunning, by his father Frank, an abusive alcoholic. Jake learns from Bill Turcotte that Frank had also killed his sister and her baby when he was a small boy. Jake is forced to reveal to Bill that he is from the future.
Jake takes Bill on a walking tour of Dealey Plaza, sharing an outline of the future events. Jake moves to Fort Worth and finds a job at a school in the nearby small town of Jodie, where he forms a connection with a librarian, Sadie Dunhill. Jake and Bill surveil Lee Harvey Oswald, who has just returned from Russia. Bill insists on experiencing the night life of Dallas, and they unintentionally encounter Jack Ruby as the owner of a strip club. Bill is talkative when drunk, and Jack tries to cultivate a more serious behavior the next morning. Jake purchases wireless microphones and tape recording equipment. Jake is clumsy in both his school relationship with Sadie and the installation of the microphones.
4
"The Eyes of Texas"
Fred Toye
Quinton Peeples & Bridgette Wilson
March 7, 2016 (2016-03-07)
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Oswald practices assembling his sniper rifle and takes the infamous picture with it. Jake and Bill follow Oswald and George to a brothel but things go wrong. Miss Mimi confronts Jake after discovering he's using a fake name, forcing Jake to make up a cover story. Sadie and Jake's relationship is tested by the return of Sadie's abusive ex-husband, Johnny Clayton, who refuses to finalize their divorce. Sadie discovers recordings of Oswald in the basement of Jake's house.
Jake and Bill get ready to discover if Oswald acted alone in shooting General Walker. However, Time intervenes by distracting Bill with an illusion of his sister. Meanwhile, Johnny demands Jake come to Sadie's house where he holds both hostage with a gun after disfiguring her. Eventually, Jake and Sadie blind and then kill Johnny. Later at the hospital Jake decides to reveal to Sadie the whole truth about who he really is and where he's from.
Jake discovers Bill has become intimately involved with Marina and has become Oswald's best friend. Bill reveals to Oswald that his apartment is under surveillance. Fearing Bill will become the second shooter, Jake has him committed. Time begins to push back by threatening Sadie's life during plastic surgery. After finding out that Oswald is acting alone and without CIA backing, Jake decides to kill Oswald. Before he can, he's attacked by his bookie and his thugs leaving him unable to remember anything.
7
"Soldier Boy"
James Kent
Bridget Carpenter & Quinton Peeples
March 28, 2016 (2016-03-28)
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Jake wakes from his coma just days before the assassination date, suffering from amnesia. Sadie tries to help him as he struggles to remember what he needs to do. They visit Bill at the asylum in the hope that he will jog Jake's memory; however, addled by his treatment and Jake's insistence that time travel is real, Bill commits suicide. Jake relies on Sadie's help to recover his memory. Jake has full recall after a visit with Oswald in his house.
8
"The Day in Question"
James Strong
Bridget Carpenter
April 4, 2016 (2016-04-04)
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During the events of November 22, 1963, Jake and Sadie struggle against the past on their way to the final confrontation with Oswald. Jake stops Oswald but during the scuffle, Sadie is killed. Jake travels back to 2016 only to find it has become a wasteland. Through Harry Dunning he learns that after JFK served two terms, Alabama governor and segregationistGeorge Wallace was elected president. War broke out and although Kennedy founded a series of refugee camps, there is great suffering in the world. A resigned Jake travels back to October 1960, thus resetting the timeline, where he immediately meets Sadie again, but decides not to pursue a relationship in order to save her life. In the present Jake travels back to Jodie and finds Sadie in her 80s receiving a prestigious lifetime achievement award. Jake shares a dance with her.
Production
Development
In August 2011, before the novel's release, it was announced that Jonathan Demme had attached himself to write, produce, and direct a film adaptation of 11/22/63 with King serving as executive producer.[11] However, in December 2012, Demme announced that he had withdrawn from the project, after disagreeing with King over what to include in the script.[12]
On April 26, 2013, it was reported that Warner Bros. Television and J. J. Abrams' Bad Robot were in negotiations for the rights to adapt the novel as a TV series or miniseries.[13] On September 22, 2014, it was announced that a TV series based on the novel was picked up by Hulu.[14]Carol Spier would be a production designer.[15] The first trailer for the series was released on November 19, 2015.[1]
When asked about developing a sequel series, King stated, "I'd love to revisit Jake and Sadie, and also revisit the rabbit hole that dumps people into the past, but sometimes it's best not to go back for a second helping."[16]
Casting
James Franco was chosen to star as the character of Jake Epping.[3] After reading the novel, Franco contacted King about the rights to adapt it to film only to be told that Abrams had already acquired them.[17] Franco wrote an essay about the book for Vice, which was noticed by Abrams, and tweeted about his disappointment at not getting the film rights, which was noticed by Bridget Carpenter. Soon after, they offered him the lead role.[18] He accepted the role under the condition that he would be able to direct part of the series.[19]Sarah Gadon was cast for the role of Sadie Dunhill. She was interested in the role in part because it gave her the opportunity to work with Abrams.[20]
Filming
Filming began on June 9, 2015, in Hespeler, Ontario.[21] Filming during June 2015 also took place in Guelph, Ontario, as well as in Ayr, Ontario, at the Queen's Tavern Hamilton, Ontario, and in Knowles Restaurant in Dunnville, Ontario, during September 2015.[22][23] During filming in Guelph, there was an incident where a man on a motorized bicycle drove past security at high speed before being stopped whereupon he was found to have crystal meth in his possession and he was arrested.[22] In early October, the production moved to Dallas to film exterior locations at Dealey Plaza.[24] During this time, the filming of various scenes during rush hour caused bumper to bumper traffic in the surrounding streets.[25]
Reception
The show received positive reviews from most critics. Based on 64 reviews, the show carries an 83% rating, with an average percentage of 7.19/10, on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes where the consensus states: "Though the execution feels almost as dated as the period it represents, 11.22.63 gradually reveals a compelling, well-performed series of events."[26] On Metacritic, the show has a rating of 69 out of 100, based on 35 reviews.[27]
Jack Moore of GQ commented that "the show is moody and supernatural, while somehow also remaining grounded and full of heart", and lauded Franco as the show's standout, saying "what Franco gives is a vanity-free, indulgence-free performance that feels like the work of an Old Hollywood legend. It's earnest and full-hearted."[28] Alan Sepinwall also acclaimed Franco, stating "Franco's a revelation as Jake. He's an immensely talented actor and he's got the star quality you need to carry something this crazy, and this long."[29] Vicki Hyman of the Newark Star-Ledger praised the performances of Franco and Gadon, writing: "Their stirring romance carries with it the same whiff of doom as Epping's visits to Dealey Plaza, and gives what could be merely an interesting and handsomely-made take on the conspiracy thriller genre more texture and depth, resonating across the ages."[30] Hank Stuever of The Washington Post wrote that "King's work doesn't always happily travel through the portal connecting the page to the TV screen, but Hulu scores with an impressively stout-hearted, eight-part adaptation of 11/22/63."[31]
On the other hand, Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly had a more mixed reaction and criticized Franco's performance, calling it "low-watt" and "disinterested". He wrote "11.22.63 reaches some thoughtful, moving conclusions, but oh, what could have been with a more engaged star. If only there were a time machine to fix that mistake."[32] Caroline Framke of Vox describes Franco's performance as inconsistent from scene to scene, but also that the show itself creates even more ambiguity with his character. She wrote "While he's technically old enough to portray 37-year-old Jake, Franco certainly doesn't read as anywhere close to 37, or the world-weariness Jake's supposed to exhibit" [33]Slate author Willa Paskin believes though Franco is well known and well accomplished, he can't seem to get the "average guy" act right for this series.[34]
11.22.63 was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 9, 2016, in Region 1. The release includes all eight episodes, as well as a special feature titled "When the Future Fights Back", where King, Abrams, Carpenter and Franco talk about elements of the production that turned King's novel into an event series.[36]
