Courtesy of Netflix

With The Director’s consciousness uploaded into an AI named Ilsa in the season 3 opener, the link between the travelers and the future seems more tangible. With that tangibility, proximity to The Director is also available to a new player: agent Yates of the FBI. Her link to Ilsa and subsequently to The Director comes through her comatose mother. As Yates’s mother lays essentially braindead, The Director rips a directive through her. In doing this, Yates is introduced to MacLaren and the travelers, while losing her mother.

As the basis for Yates and MacLaren becoming partners is rooted in deception and her mother’s passing, she is notably distrustful of him and the team. It isn’t helpful that a blowhard on television is spreading lies about a political figure, leading to the politician’s wife dying in a hail of gunfire from domestic terrorists. As Yates and MacLaren are tasked with protecting the wack television personality Rockwell, she becomes privy to protocols no other human from the 21st would have access to.

Courtesy of Netflix

Rockwell is the definition of despicable: a nutjob that spews vitriol and ignorance under the auspices of freedom of speech. In his quest for ratings and fame (not to mention money), he misunderstands one key element: Philip the historian knows the happenings and The Director has implemented very precise instructions to stop Rockwell’s path of destruction.

While Yates thinks she has everything in control, that turns out to be completely false. MacLaren and his team are running the operation and know all about the politician’s upcoming attempt to avenge his wife’s murder by killing Rockwell.

Courtesy of Netflix

In a series of smart moves, MacLaren puts his traveler team in position to surround Rockwell. When the politician comes, he finds a clear path to his target. And while the team neutralizes his threat, Rockwell is replaced by a new traveler. With the new traveler firmly ensconced into Rockwell’s personality, the apology tour commences and his reparations begin.

The only one totally unconvinced by this turn of events is Yates. Left out of the planning, still devastated by the death of her mother and completely untrusting of The Director and the travelers, she makes it her mission to make things very difficult for MacLaren and team. Stay tuned for the fireworks.

You can binge Travelers seasons 1-3 on Netflix.