#Clockblockers: Take a look at the wildest ‘Timeless’ fan theories

Time-travel films and series naturally gravitate towards wild speculation and off-the-wall theories. That’s no surprise given science fiction’s historical obsession with time travel ever since H.G. Wells’s exploration of a bleak future teeming with nocturnal nasties.

Since the 1800s, sci-fi writers have been exploring every corner of possibility a time-hopping, dimension-melting narrative has to offer. From surprising family trees to desolate wastelands revealed as earth the whole time, nothing gets a fandom’s wires crossed like a good old-fashioned time machine.

Timeless is no exception. Following the traditions of Doctor Who and Quantum Leap but packing in a little bit more oomph, the show features a gang of historical adventurers who travel through the centuries to keep the present from falling to pieces.

The series was criminally cancelled after just two seasons despite solid ratings, a winning cast, and a premise that offers endless possibilities. Last year the series treated us to a feature-length special to round out the show and tie up some loose ends, but we’re still not satisfied – especially given that, for some, the finale asked a hell of a lot more questions than it answered.

We think it’s paramount that Timeless finds itself back on our screens. So, to celebrate the prematurely axed sci-fi extravaganza, here are some of the craziest theories we’ve managed to dig up about what the Lifeboat crew could have faced in later seasons, as well as some wild speculations from earlier episodes that have since been debunked.

Who or what is Rittenhouse?

Since season 1, Lucy has been driven by two goals: get back her sister Amy, and discover the meaning of Rittenhouse. We now know the meaning behind the shadowy organization of course, but it prompted a whole lot of questions from viewers back in 2016.

Some speculated the mysterious moniker referred to just one person (kinda confirmed when the gang meets the society’s founder, David Rittenhouse, in 1778), but a few smart fans used their historical knowledge for their smart speculation, before all their work was debunked.

Initially considering that something significant happened in Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, Bustle got pretty close to the truth when they stumbled across dear old David, a real figure and the first director of the U.S. Mint. Their theory that he could have been an ancestor of Lucy’s didn’t quite hit the nail on the head, though.

Lucy & Flynn are related

Season 1 introduces yet another mystery alongside the sinister recurring presence of Rittenhouse: Garcia Flynn and his possession of a journal that Lucy has not yet written. Confirmed to be a former NSA agent who now travels in time to prevent the rise of Rittenhouse, he is initially introduced as a dangerous threat who could hold the key to the secrets of Lucy’s future.

Ever since he was introduced, it was a popular theory that the two were related in some way. Perhaps he’s her long lost brother, or her son from the future? After season 2 flirts with the possibility of a romance between the two, we’re pretty sure the ship for that theory has sailed. However . . .

Lucy is Flynn’s wife in the future

Maybe. Who knows? This speculation is another that was recently debunked by the show, but Lucy/Flynn ‘shippers can still dream.

Lucy will take over Rittenhouse

We’re not suggesting Lucy could turn to the dark side and start interfering with historical events for selfish gains. However, it was postulated there was a strong possibility of Lucy taking over the organization and transforming Rittenhouse into a force for good.

Of course, the organization is simply defeated, but we can’t rule out the possibility of plans for Rittenhouse to make a comeback in the as-yet unconfirmed season 3.

Emma isn’t dead (and the little girl is her granddaughter)

With Flynn now on the Lifeboat’s side, season 2 needed a new threat. So Emma is introduced as the original pilot of the time machine and subsequently revealed to be a double agent for Rittenhouse. After stranding herself in the 19th century (apparently to avoid Rittenhouse), she infiltrates the team and steals the Mothership.

Emma is eventually defeated by the finale but, as with most shows infamous for misdirection and doublecrossing, many are speculating that the lack of a body could indicate Emma is still alive & well.

The very last shot of the thrilling finale features a young girl drawing plans for a new time machine. Fans have wondered whether, before the series’s cancellation, the girl may have been Emma’s daughter training to continue her mother’s nefarious legacy.

Amy returns

Lucy is determined to restore her lost sister, Amy, back to her timeline, and throughout the series Lucy has come tantalizingly close, before the chance is ripped away again & again. Most brutal may be season one’s cliffhanger in which it is revealed her own mother was an agent of Rittenhouse. Before Lucy gets the chance to enact her plan to save her sister, Mason Industries is bombed in the season 2 opener.

Nothing causes Lucy more pain that the continued absence of her sister, so fans were convinced the pair would finally be reunited in the last episode. No such luck: Lucy is forced to refuse a deal with Emma, making a tearful sacrifice to defeat Rittenhouse once and for all.

Maybe there’s still a slither of hope that Timeless picks up a well-earned third season and the sisters will finally reunite.

Season 3 would feature Kelly Clarkson

This is just a fun theory teased by the showrunners, though we’re not sure how serious of a prospect it would have turned out to be. Like us, pop superstar Kelly Clarkson was an outspoken advocate of Timeless, very vocal on Twitter about her love of the series. As such, fans have been calling for Clarkson to make a cameo.

We can only theorize how Timeless may have stricken a wildly different tone if Clarkson had been promoted to season regular!