Tru Calling
Tru Calling is an American supernatural drama television series created by Jon Harmon Feldman that premiered on Fox on October 30, 2003, and ran for two seasons until its cancellation on April 21, 2005, comprising 26 aired episodes and one unaired pilot.[1][2] The series follows Tru Davies, a recent college graduate played by Eliza Dushku, who takes a job at a Boston city morgue only to discover she possesses the ability to relive the previous day whenever a corpse implores her with the words "help me," allowing her to prevent murders, accidents, and other tragedies.[1][3] Supporting characters include her younger brother Harrison (Shawn Reaves), best friend Lindsay (A.J. Cook), and morgue colleague Davis (Zach Galifianakis), with recurring antagonist Jack Harper portrayed by Jason Priestley in the second season.[1] Produced by 20th Century Fox Television in association with Original Film and Oh That Gus!, Inc., the show blended elements of mystery, fantasy, and procedural drama, drawing comparisons to films like Groundhog Day for its time-loop mechanics while incorporating forensic and crime-solving aspects reminiscent of CSI.[4][5] Despite a dedicated fanbase and critical praise for Dushku's performance, Tru Calling struggled with inconsistent ratings, leading to its abrupt end after the partial second season, though it has since garnered a cult following and calls for revival.[1][6]Overview
Premise
Tru Calling centers on Tru Davies, a recent college graduate and aspiring medical student who takes a job working the night shift at a city morgue after her internship falls through.[1] There, she discovers a supernatural ability when the recently deceased begin pleading with her for help, uttering phrases like "Help me" or detailing their untimely demises.[7] This triggers a "day rewind," allowing Tru to relive the previous day in an attempt to prevent the deaths or disasters foretold by the corpses.[1] The rewind mechanic resets the day to its beginning, approximately 12 hours earlier, typically in the morning, while Tru retains full knowledge of the original events.[8] Armed with this foresight, she navigates the repeated day, making different choices to avert tragedies, though her interventions often lead to unforeseen ripple effects that alter other outcomes and create new challenges.[9] These changes underscore the series' exploration of moral dilemmas, as Tru grapples with the consequences of tampering with events that may be fated.[9] Throughout the narrative, Tru balances her secret power with her personal life, including her responsibilities toward her family—such as her younger brother Harrison, who often requires her guidance—and budding romantic interests like the crime scene photographer Luc Johnston.[7] The show delves into broader themes of fate versus free will, questioning whether destiny can be rewritten and the ethical burdens of wielding such influence over others' lives.[10]Production history
Tru Calling was created by Jon Harmon Feldman, a television writer and producer known for his work on Dawson's Creek.[11] Feldman drew inspiration from films like Run Lola Run and The Sixth Sense, as well as the TV series Early Edition, to create a supernatural drama centered on a young woman's ability to relive days and alter fates.[12] The concept was developed as a supernatural drama for the Fox network, with the pilot directed by Philip Noyce and the series greenlit for a fall 2003 premiere on October 30.[11] Executive producers on the series included Feldman, alongside Marty Adelstein, Neal H. Moritz, and Dawn Parouse, with production handled by Original Film, Oh That Gus!, Inc., and 20th Century Fox Television.[11] The writing team featured contributions from Feldman and others, focusing on episodic "day-rewind" structures while building underlying personal stakes for the protagonist.[13] Eliza Dushku was cast early in development as Tru Davies, the titular medical student turned morgue worker, capitalizing on her rising profile from playing Faith on Buffy the Vampire Slayer; she opted for Tru Calling over a proposed Faith spin-off pitched by Fox.[14] Supporting roles were filled through auditions, including Zach Galifianakis as the quirky morgue supervisor Davis, providing comic relief amid the supernatural tension.[13] Other key castings included Shawn Reaves as Tru's brother Harrison and A.J. Cook as her roommate Lindsay.[13] Fox ordered 20 episodes for the first season, allowing for a full arc of Tru's discovery and initial struggles with her ability.[15] Production occurred primarily in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, selected for its cost-effective facilities and ability to double as a generic urban American city like Boston.[16] The second season saw significant creative adjustments, with Fox reducing the order to just six episodes and shifting the premiere from fall 2004 to spring 2005, emphasizing more interconnected mythology around the origins and limits of Tru's powers rather than standalone cases.[17]Cast and characters
Main characters
Tru Davies, portrayed by Eliza Dushku, serves as the protagonist and reluctant heroine of the series, a recent college graduate aspiring to attend medical school who takes a job at a city morgue after her internship falls through. Upon discovering her supernatural ability to relive the previous day when called upon by the dead to prevent tragedies, Tru grapples with denial and isolation as she keeps her powers secret from most around her, while evolving toward acceptance and using her gift to protect her family and others. Her character arc emphasizes emotional strain from balancing her personal life, relationships, and the moral weight of altering fates, often leading to conflicts that highlight her determination and compassion.[18][7] Harrison Davies, played by Shawn Reaves, is Tru's carefree and irresponsible younger brother, providing comic relief through his involvement in subplots centered on gambling, cons, and romantic entanglements that frequently land him in trouble. As a slacker figure early on, Harrison's arc involves gradual growth toward responsibility, particularly as he learns about Tru's abilities and begins to support her efforts, though his storyline remains unresolved due to the series' abrupt end. His loyalty to Tru underscores family dynamics, contrasting her seriousness with his lighter, more impulsive nature.[18][19] Davis, portrayed by Zach Galifianakis, acts as Tru's eccentric supervisor and confidant at the morgue, offering humor through his shy, clumsy demeanor around women while providing occasional insights into the supernatural elements tied to Tru's powers. Holding secrets about his own past connections to Tru's family, including an encounter with her mother's abilities, Davis evolves into a reliable ally, developing a subplot romance with the psychologist Dr. Carrie Allen in the second season that adds depth to his supportive role. His presence contributes levity and stability amid the series' darker themes.[18][19] Lindsay Walker, played by A.J. Cook, is Tru's best friend and roommate in the first season, serving as a romantic rival at times while dealing with personal tragedies that intersect with Tru's rewinds. As a series regular initially, Lindsay's arc explores her brief past relationship with Harrison and her own life challenges, leading to her character's departure to Europe after the first season, which shifts focus away from her in subsequent episodes. Her role highlights themes of friendship and loss within Tru's inner circle.[18] Introduced in the first season and becoming central in the second, Jack Harper, portrayed by Jason Priestley, is a mysterious figure with powers similar to Tru's, functioning as both antagonist and potential ally in a complex moral alignment that challenges her interventions. Working covertly for Tru's father to ensure fates unfold without interference, Jack's prickly and pragmatic personality creates tension, believing Tru's actions disrupt a greater balance, yet his arc reveals nuanced ties that complicate their adversarial dynamic. His addition aimed to deepen the narrative's exploration of destiny and opposition.[18][19]Recurring characters
Meredith Davies, portrayed by Jessica Collins, serves as Tru's older sister and a key family figure in the series, appearing in 14 episodes of season 1. Her storyline involves personal struggles with addiction and recovery, which heighten family tensions and occasionally intersect with Tru's rewind experiences during crises. Luc Johnston, played by Matt Bomer, is introduced as Tru's romantic interest and a medical student working part-time as a photographer and crime scene assistant, featuring in 17 episodes in season 1. His relationship with Tru provides emotional support and relational drama, while his hidden background ties into the show's mythology as he begins to uncover elements of her time-rewinding ability. Richard Davies, Tru's estranged father portrayed by Cotter Smith, appears in 8 episodes across both seasons as a special guest star. As an absent parent whose past actions shaped the Davies family dynamics, he emerges as an antagonist influencing key time-altering events and revelations about the origins of Tru's gift. Other recurring supporting characters include Dr. Carrie Allen (Liz Vassey, 6 episodes in season 2), a psychologist who aids in medical-related rewinds, and Jensen Ritchie (Eric Christian Olsen, 5 episodes in season 2), Harrison's friend who adds comedic relief and relational complications. Various guest actors portray "choosers"—the deceased individuals whose pleas initiate Tru's day-rewinds—across multiple episodes, serving narrative functions to drive episodic saves while some recur in arcs that explore the consequences of altered fates. These figures often interact briefly with main characters like Tru and Davis, enhancing the themes of choice and consequence without becoming central to the ongoing mythology.[20]Episodes
Season 1 (2003–2004)
The first season of Tru Calling premiered on Fox on October 30, 2003, and concluded on April 29, 2004, comprising 20 episodes that introduce the central concept of Tru Davies' ability to rewind time upon a corpse's plea for help. The narrative primarily unfolds in a procedural style, with each episode featuring a self-contained "case" where Tru attempts to alter a death, often intersecting with her personal life at the morgue and university. Over the course of the season, these standalone stories gradually weave in serialized elements, exploring themes of fate, family loyalty, and moral dilemmas as Tru grapples with the consequences of her interventions.[1] The season's arc begins with Tru's initial discovery of her powers, establishing her relationships with brother Harrison, a gambler in constant trouble, and colleague Davis, who provides comic relief and support at the morgue. Romantic tensions arise with the introduction of Luc, a charming classmate, and Lindsay, a fellow medical student and friend, adding layers of emotional complexity to Tru's secret life. Key developments include the first rewind in the pilot, which saves a murder victim and sets the pattern for future episodes, and escalating personal stakes such as revelations about their mother's murder and the struggles of Tru's older sister Meredith with drug addiction, heightening the urgency of Tru's choices. By mid-season, the show transitions from isolated cases to interconnected plots, hinting at larger forces influencing the rewinds and introducing subtle antagonistic presences that challenge Tru's sense of control.[21] Production for season 1 adopted an initial procedural format to hook viewers with episodic resolutions, but creators shifted toward serialization around episode 10 to deepen character backstories and build mythology, responding to network feedback on pacing. This evolution allowed for greater exploration of the rewind mechanic's rules and limitations, while maintaining the morgue as a central hub for supernatural encounters. The season was produced by 20th Century Fox Television, with episodes directed by a rotating team including Michael Katleman (seven episodes), David Barrett, and Paul Shapiro, and written primarily by creator Jon Harmon Feldman alongside contributors like Chris Levinson and Zack Estrin.[13] The episodes are summarized below, focusing on key plot points and thematic progression without spoilers for later seasons.| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Pilot | October 30, 2003 | Tru begins her job at the city morgue and experiences her first rewind after a murdered woman begs for help, forcing her to navigate the previous day to prevent the crime while dealing with her brother Harrison's gambling debts.[22] |
| 2 | 2 | Putting Out Fires | November 6, 2003 | Tru aids a firefighter killed in the line of duty, reliving the day to avert a warehouse blaze, as tensions rise with Harrison's involvement in a risky scheme. |
| 3 | 3 | Brother's Keeper | November 13, 2003 | When a young man dies after a confrontation, Tru rewinds to protect Harrison from similar peril, uncovering layers of sibling loyalty amid a street crime. |
| 4 | 4 | Past Tense | November 20, 2003 | Tru encounters a history professor's corpse and must rewrite a campus scandal from the prior day, blending her academic aspirations with supernatural duties. |
| 5 | 5 | Haunted | December 4, 2003 | A ghost-hunter's death prompts Tru to investigate paranormal claims during a rewind, testing her skepticism and strengthening bonds at the morgue. |
| 6 | 6 | Star-Crossed | December 11, 2003 | Tru relives a day to save a woman from a fatal accident on the eve of her wedding, mirroring her own budding romance with Luc. |
| 7 | 7 | Morning After | December 18, 2003 | Awakening to a college party gone wrong, Tru prevents a student's overdose, confronting themes of regret and fleeting youth in her social circle. |
| 8 | 8 | Closure | January 8, 2004 | Tru helps a woman seeking resolution in a bitter divorce, using the rewind to expose hidden truths and achieve emotional catharsis. |
| 9 | 9 | Murder in the Morgue | January 15, 2004 | A stabbing victim in the morgue itself triggers Tru's intervention, turning her workplace into a crime scene she must unravel twice. |
| 10 | 10 | Reunion | January 22, 2004 | Old high school friends reunite amid a suspicious death, prompting Tru to revisit past traumas and family dynamics during the rewind. |
| 11 | 11 | The Longest Day | February 5, 2004 | Stuck reliving an endless loop of the same day, Tru races to save multiple lives, including a young officer, while her exhaustion mounts. |
| 12 | 12 | Valentine | February 12, 2004 | On Valentine's Day, Tru averts a jealous suitor's deadly plan, paralleling her own romantic uncertainties with Luc and Lindsay's growing role. |
| 13 | 13 | Drop Dead Gorgeous | February 19, 2004 | A beauty pageant contestant's murder leads Tru to infiltrate the event, balancing glamour with grit to expose sabotage.[23] |
| 14 | 14 | Family Man | March 25, 2004 | Tru's father visits the morgue, prompting revelations about her mother's murder while Jack Harper joins the staff as a new colleague. |
| 15 | 15 | Truth or Dare | April 1, 2004 | Tru saves a reporter investigating her secret ability during a tense game of truth or dare that uncovers personal vulnerabilities. |
| 16 | 16 | The Source | April 8, 2004 | Two corpses issue pleas for help on the same day, forcing Tru and Harrison to collaborate in saving both while probing the origins of her power. |
| 17 | 17 | Sticks and Stones | April 15, 2004 | Tru intervenes to save an actress from harm linked to past bullying, examining the lasting effects of verbal abuse and childhood trauma. |
| 18 | 18 | Identity | April 22, 2004 | A case of identity theft leads Tru to unravel a scheme where a man has assumed another's life, exploring themes of deception and self. |
| 19 | 19 | Grace | April 29, 2004 | Tru learns that Jack possesses a similar rewind ability but uses it oppositely to enforce deaths; directed by Dan Lerner; written by Zack Estrin and Chris Levinson.[24] |
| 20 | 20 | Twin Souls | April 29, 2004 | Harrison faces mortal danger from a jealous ex-husband; Tru's attempts to save him are thwarted by Jack's interventions, deepening the conflict between their powers. |
Season 2 (2005)
Season 2 of Tru Calling premiered on Fox on March 31, 2005, after a nearly year-long hiatus following the first season's conclusion in April 2004. The season consisted of six produced episodes, though only five aired in the United States during the original broadcast window from March 31 to April 21, 2005, due to declining ratings that led Fox to shorten the order from an initial plan of 13 episodes.[25] The episodes aired in double bills on March 31 and April 14 to accelerate the return amid competition from established shows like American Idol. The unaired sixth episode was later broadcast in international markets starting in September 2005 and first aired in the U.S. on the Sci-Fi Channel on November 5, 2005.[26] This abbreviated run marked a shift from the primarily procedural format of season 1 toward more serialized elements, emphasizing the origins of the rewind ability through hints at opposing supernatural forces manipulating fate, while intertwining personal stakes like Tru's strained relationship with her newly arrived father, Richard Davies.[27] The season expands on Jack Harper's antagonistic role as a counterforce to Tru's interventions, revealing him as an agent enforcing predetermined deaths rather than altering them, which introduces explorations of alternate timelines and moral ambiguities in defying fate. Key developments include Tru confronting revelations about her father's hidden past tied to the morgue's supernatural events, culminating in unresolved tensions between personal redemption and cosmic threats. The narrative builds to a cliffhanger in the finale, teasing a larger mythology involving two competing powers—one benevolent and one punitive—shaping human destinies through chosen individuals like Tru and Jack.[25]| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original U.S. air date | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 1 | "The Perfect Storm" | David Barrett | Jonas Pate & Josh Schwartz | March 31, 2005 | Two months after the season 1 finale, Jack returns to Boston as Tru starts medical school and her father moves to town; a Harbor Patrol officer dies in a storm and calls on Tru for help, pitting her against Jack's interference.[28] |
| 22 | 2 | "Grace" | David Barrett | Scott Rosenbaum | March 31, 2005 | The death of a psychiatrist draws Tru into an investigation of psychological manipulation at the hospital, but Jack's actions create conflicting rewinds that force Tru to question her allies.[29] |
| 23 | 3 | "In the Dark" | Peter Ellis | Catherine Stine | April 7, 2005 | During Tru's birthday party at the morgue, a guest dies under suspicious circumstances; Tru suspects sabotage by a friend, while Davis believes it involves Carrie Allen, escalating interpersonal distrust amid supernatural calls.[30] |
| 24 | 4 | "The Last Good Day" | Milan Cheylov | Robert Levine | April 14, 2005 | Jack encounters a suicidal woman at a train station and receives her call for help, reversing roles as Tru experiences a rewind triggered by his actions, highlighting the limits of their opposing abilities.[31] |
| 25 | 5 | "Enough" | John Behring | Dave T. Cannon | April 21, 2005 | A loved one close to Tru dies without issuing a call, prompting her to intervene anyway despite Jack's warnings of dire consequences; the episode delves into the personal costs of defying fate's rules.[32] |
| 26 | 6 | "'Twas the Night Before Christmas... Again" | Jesús Salvador Treviño | Zack Estrin | November 5, 2005 (U.S. on Sci-Fi Channel; international September 22, 2005) | On Christmas Eve, multiple deaths expose family secrets linked to Richard Davies' past; Tru and Jack temporarily ally to unravel a complex rewind involving hidden motives and broader supernatural origins, ending on a major cliffhanger about the forces behind their powers.[26][33] |