Timestalkers

by Brian Clemens, directed by Michael Schultz

Release: 10 March 1987
Format: Feature Film
Genre: Science Fiction
Audience: Adults
Content: Definite Time Travel
Original Language: English

After the death of his wife and child, Dr. Scott McKenzie stumbles upon a tintype photograph from the Old West showing three corpses, a shooter, and a modern Magnum 357, leading him to develop a theory of time travel that is confirmed when a beautiful woman from the future appears and takes him back to the Old West to chase the shooter, save President Cleveland, and pursue other obvious plot developments.

Spoiler: At the end, I believe that Georgia uses her time crystal to send Scott back for a do-over on the day of his family’s death. This is disappointing since up until that point, the film has set up a perfect example of a single, nonbranching timeline.

— Michael Main

What if Cole came back to set off a chain of events that would eventually destroy the one man who stood in his way?

DEBUT

Timestalkers (CBS-TV, USA, 10 March 1987).

VARIANTS

1 English variant

TAGS(SPOILERS!)

Time Periods

Circa AD 1800 to 1899: AD 1886.
Circa AD 1970 to 1999: AD 1986.
Near Future, AD 2300 and Beyond: George is from AD 2586..

Timeline Models

Do Over

Time Travel Methods

Wellsian Time Machines: The time crystal.

Themes

Real-World Tags

Groupings

Cited in Worlds Enough and Time, edited by Gary Westfahl ()

TIME TRAVEL ITINERARY (SPOILERS!)

From AD 2586 ⋙ to California, spring 1986. Note: Georgia arrives: “I‘ve come all the way from 2586.”
From Crossfire, CA, 15 May 1986 ⋙ to Crossfire, CA, 1 July 1886. Note: Georgia to the Old West.
From Crossfire, CA, 1 July 1886 ⋙ to Crossfire, CA, 15 May 1986. Note: Georgia, after being bit by a rattler.
From Crossfire, CA, 1 July 1886 ⋙ to Crossfire, CA, 15 May 1986. Note: Cole “traces” and follows Georgia.
From near Crossfire, CA, 15 May 1986 ⋙ to near Crossfire, CA, 15 May 1926. Note: quick trip so Cole can rematerialize in a restricted area.
From near Crossfire, CA, 15 May 1926 ⋙ to near Crossfire, CA, 15 May 1986. Note: Cole’s return is inside the restricted area.
From near Crossfire, CA, 15 May 1986 ⋙ to near Crossfire, CA, 11 July 1886. Note: Cole heads for Georgia’s ancestor.
From near Crossfire, CA, 15 May 1986 ⋙ to near Crossfire, CA, 11 July 1886. Note: Scott and Georgia pursue Cole.
From near Crossfire, CA, 11 July 1886 ⋙ to near Crossfire, CA, 15 May 1986. Note: Scott and Georgia—Back to the Future!
From near Crossfire, CA, 15 May 1986 ⋙ to near Crossfire, CA, spring 1985. Note: Georgia sends Scott to younger self for a do-over.

INDEXER NOTES (SPOILERS!)

Cole’s plan is a <a href='Tags-112'>self-defeating act</a> since had it succeeded, there would have been no need for him to have carried out the plan.