Time Traveler’s Wife Proves Moffat’s Biggest Flaw
This article contains spoilers for The Time Traveler's Wife.
The characterization of the main characters Henry and Clare in the HBO Max series The Time Traveler's Wife highlights one of the biggest flaws of its writer and executive producer Steven Moffat. Based on Audrey Niffenegger's 2003 novel of the same name, The Time Traveler's Wife is based on the temporally non-linear relationship of Clare and Henry, the latter of which has a genetic anomaly that causes him to inadvertently leap through time. The HBO Max series is actually the second adaptation of the story; a movie adaptation starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams was released in 2009.
The Time Traveler's Wife's specific story stems from two key persistent elements: Clare and Henry's love, and Henry not being able to control his power. As a result of this, Henry spends his life jumping at random through time, something which affects the man that he grows to be. He's quick-witted but ultimately fails to interact with society in a normal way due to his inherent outsider status thanks to his ability. Clare, on the other hand, is caring and loyal to Henry.
Related: Time Traveler’s Wife Show Already Answers The Movie’s Biggest Question
The way in which the two characters are written — and also the show's approach to its own premise — proves one of Steven Moffat's biggest flaws. Both Henry and Clare fit character tropes established in his other work (Sherlock and Doctor Who, respectively), and the show's story touches on the same themes as many of Moffat's episodes of Doctor Who. In The Time Traveler's Wife, Henry is a Sherlock-esque figure who is forced by his own nature to live outside of societal norms, and Clare shares traits with almost all of the Doctor
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