Diksha Sundriyal
‘11.22.63’ is a historical drama series that uses the twist of time travel to explore a compelling possibility. In 2016, an English teacher from Maine, Jake Epping, finds out about a portal that allows a person to travel into time. When he steps out of it, he finds himself in 1960, and a mission is presented to him. The portal exists in a diner, whose owner, Al, tells Jake that by travelling back in time, they can save JFK and change the fate of the world as we know it. Since the assassination doesn’t happen for the next three years, he must establish a life for himself in the 60s, and he chooses to settle down in a small Texan town called Jodie. With all the historical details that pop up in the show, Jodie appears to be the odd place out. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Fictional Jodie, Texas, was Brought to Life in Canada
Jodie is a fictional town created by Stephen King for his book, ’11/22/63,’ which serves as the inspiration for the James Franco series. According to the story, it is located somewhere between Dallas and Fort Worth, keeping Jake at a short distance from both towns. This allows him to continue with his mission, mainly by keeping an eye on Lee Harvey Oswald. At the same time, the lower cost of living in Jodie gives him the space to live his own life. Reportedly, King named the town Jodie after the author, Jodi Picoult, and “added an ‘e’ to make it sound more 50s.”
When the time came to bring the town to life on the screen, the show’s cast and crew turned towards Ontario, Canada, to find the picturesque small town that becomes Jake’s home for the next two years or so. The storyline jumps from Maine to Kentucky to Texas, and the Canadian province offered different locales to portray the different states that Jake visits. For the town of Jodie, the surroundings of Hamilton were used. One of the major locations in the story is Jodie High School, where Jake starts working as an English teacher. It not only provides him a cover, but also becomes the reason for crossing paths with Sadie, the woman he falls in love with.
The filming for the high school took place at the Mount Mary Retreat Centre, located at 437 Wilson Street East, Ancaster, Ontario, which was previously Mount Mary Immaculate School. In the same vein, locations across towns like Cambridge, Downsview, Ayr, Guelph, Orono, and Hespeler were used to bring together not just Jodie, but the other locations that Jake frequents throughout the story. The crew turned all these towns into a detailed version of the 50s to transport Jake, and the audience with him, to a different timeline, where they believe future can be changed by altering the past.
