How HBO’s ‘The Time Traveler’s Spouse’ is completely different from the e book

Large spoilers forward, in addition to triggering content material.

Audrey Niffenegger’s 2003 novel The Time Traveler’s Spouse has been tailored to the display screen twice: as a movie in 2009, and now as a TV collection on HBO.

The story of The Time Traveler’s Spouse — a science-fiction romance spanning many years — is extraordinarily tough to adapt. Clare Abshire (Rose Leslie) meets her future husband Henry DeTamble (Theo James) when he has involuntarily traveled again in time, at which level she is 6 and he is 36. The novel tells the story of their relationship out of chronological order, together with their first assembly within the “current” and their marriage.

As with all adaptation, screenwriter Steven Moffat’s new model of The Time Traveler’s Spouse has to make some changes. However which of them work, and which of them fall flat? Listed here are the largest adjustments from the novel thus far. Beware: the checklist consists of spoilers for the present and the books.

A brand new framing system

Proper off the bat, the primary episode of The Time Traveler’s Spouse hits us with a structural change. The collection opens with Henry and Clare recording movies of themselves talking on to digital camera about their relationship to time journey. This framing system is not within the novel, however Moffat makes use of this direct deal with so as to carry some prose straight from Niffenegger’s novel, particularly from the prologue. Why are they making movies? Who’re they talking to? Solely time will inform.

We’re updating this complete story

The TV model of The Time Traveler’s Spouse takes place from the Nineteen Nineties to the current day, whereas the novel takes place from the Sixties to the early 2000s. This resolution is prone to make the story really feel extra related, however it will likely be attention-grabbing to see how (and if) extra fashionable expertise impacts the story.

The battle about Ingrid

Positively the largest change between the e book and the present within the first episode is Clare’s response to discovering out Henry has a girlfriend, named Ingrid (Chelsea Frei). Clare finds Ingrid’s toiletries in Henry’s rest room and fights with him, calling him an asshole and storming out of his condominium. Solely an intervention from Henry’s older self makes Clare take into account seeing Henry once more.

Within the e book, Clare’s response to seeing Ingrid’s stuff is lots milder. She thinks, “Whoever you might be, I am right here now. You could be Henry’s previous, however I am his future.” Henry explains the scenario with Ingrid and apologizes to Clare, and that is that. Present Clare’s response is likely to be a bit extra reasonable than e book Clare’s, however the battle additionally places Henry and Clare’s relationship on a much more antagonistic path.

Henry’s child enamel can time journey?

Moffat provides some new time journey lore to The Time Traveler’s Spouse. Within the present, components of Henry’s physique, reminiscent of his child enamel, are in a position to time journey individually. The primary episode additionally explores this concept with the double whammy of a time-traveling pool of blood and a time-traveling pair of indifferent ft. These moments, all show-only creations, foreshadow the darkest moments of Henry’s future. Alternatively, they increase some questions on what different bodily… fluids of Henry’s are simply time touring willy-nilly internationally.

Henry and Clare maintain preventing.

Episode 2 of The Time Traveler’s Spouse options 20-year-old Clare and 28-year-old Henry nonetheless arguing about Henry being a jerk and dishonest on Ingrid. They maintain preventing, and Clare even tries to vary the long run and get away from their date. Nevertheless, because the future’s already set in stone, the date goes on anyway.

Whereas Clare and Henry start to make up this episode — with Clare even admitting she’s been horrible to Henry too — the selection to make them so antagonistic from the beginning actually sours their relationship. The place’s the take care of one another? The place’s the tenderness? Henry and Clare’s love story is already embroiled in discomfort on condition that they met when she was 6 and he was absolutely grown. Why make it even more durable to root for them by making them each so relentlessly imply? This complete sequence simply appears like Moffat mistook an argument for frolicsome romantic banter. Sorry, it would not work.

A message from the previous

Annette delivers a message to Clare within the present.
Credit score: Macall Polay/HBO

The primary focus of The Time Traveler’s Spouse‘s second episode is displaying simply how a lot the dying of Henry’s mom Annette (Kate Siegel) impacted him. We see the fateful Christmas automotive accident play out a couple of too many occasions should you ask me. Later, Henry watches his youthful self (Jason David) attempt to warn his mom in regards to the accident in a show-only scene that emphasizes how Henry is unable to vary the trail.

Henry and Clare’s second date culminates in a visit to the Newberry Library, the place Henry performs Clare a recording of one in all his mom’s performances. He asks Clare if she has something she’d have appreciated to ask his mom whereas she was nonetheless alive, at which level Henry reveals that Annette solutions Clare’s query — “How does any couple get collectively?” — within the previous recording. Annette tells future-Clare that {couples} do not get collectively. They get collectively for a brief period of time, however relationships all the time finish. And that is okay as a result of it is higher to have been pleased for a short while than in no way. Candy, I suppose?

Whereas this speech is new to the present, it units up the tragic finish of Henry and Clare’s relationship and continues to play with the mechanics of time journey. It additionally permits two crucial individuals in Henry’s life to work together in a means they usually could not have.

The Time Traveler’s Spouse makes the worst potential book-to-TV present change in Episode 3

With regards to Episode 3 of The Time Traveler’s Spouse, there are a selection of small book-to-show adjustments I might speak about. However I solely wish to concentrate on one change, which is the incomprehensible resolution so as to add a rape to the present that is not within the e book.

In Niffenegger’s novel, 16-year-old Clare goes on a date with a jock named Jason. When she chooses to not have intercourse with him, he beats her and burns her with a cigarette. Clare enlists Henry to beat him up for her, telling him what occurred, together with the truth that Jason did not rape her. Within the present, Clare tells Henry the very same factor. Nevertheless, the scene then cuts to future Clare, speaking straight to digital camera as a part of the present’s new framing system, saying, “After all he raped me.” From that time on, the remainder of the episode barely registers.

To place it mildly, this can be a wildly irresponsible and disgusting adaptation resolution. Jason’s assault of Clare within the books is already vile, but the present traumatizes her additional for no good purpose. Depictions of rape and assault on-screen have to be dealt with with care. The Time Traveler’s Spouse doesn’t do this. If something, it frames Clare’s rape as a surprising revelation after which has the audacity to make her assault about Henry, with Henry’s response to Clare’s accidents resulting in him revealing he is her husband sooner or later. The remainder of the episode treats the rape, and the truth that Clare by no means tells Henry about it, extra as background noise. Nevertheless, it is unattainable to neglect it, regardless of how a lot The Time Traveler’s Spouse tries to maneuver on with enterprise as ordinary.

Steven Moffat, I wish to know what prompted you to make this alternative. What in regards to the supply materials made you suppose, “I ought to add rape to this”? Did you suppose it will make for extra impactful tv?

I can guarantee you, it doesn’t. It is jarring, it is a slap within the face to individuals acquainted with the novel, and it needlessly places a personality — who has already gone via lots of ache — via much more. Of all of the adjustments you might have made when adapting Niffenegger’s novel to the display screen, this one should not have even been in your radar. It is ridiculous that it crossed your thoughts, and it is ridiculous that it made it to air.

The Time Traveler’s Spouse airs on HBO and streams on HBO Max.

We’ll be updating this checklist weekly with the discharge of each new episode of The Time Traveler’s Spouse, so you should definitely verify again in to study extra in regards to the variations between the e book and the present.