Rarely has a show like FlashForward posed so many questions and so few answers. As competitive of a title that may be, with shows like Lost hanging around, FlashForward tries to go above and beyond other shows by showing viewers what will happen in the future. It is obvious why the executives at ABC would find a show like FlashForward so appealing, but in only six episodes, the show already has become too mysterious while failing to progress and develop the plot in a meaningful way. Some Lost fans will love the mysteriousness of FlashForward, but for most, this show will not offer enough to have them flipping to ABC at 8 p.m. Thursdays for more episodes.
FlashForward is centered on the investigation and aftermath of a worldwide blackout. Everyone in the world lost consciousness for 137 seconds and - during that time - saw what they would be doing in exactly six months. FBI agent Mark Benford, played by Joseph Fiennes, takes the dreams for fact and starts the investigation into the cause of the blackout based on his vision, in which he looked into the evidence for the case. The show follows several characters as they try to piece together why their professional and personal lives will take such drastic turns in half a year.
FlashForward goes all out in trying to hook the audience. Nearly every episode ends as if the case will be solved as more evidence is uncovered, but these only ever amount to be the most superficial of revelations. Although the show does well to end each episode with the audience wanting more, this viewer is not willing to turn on the TV to find out the next useless discovery. Through six episodes, the show has frustratingly made no attempts to uncover any of the questions that it raises.
One of FlashForward's biggest problems is that the idea of the show, which was inspired by Robert Sawyer's 1999 novel of the same name, would be better suited to be played out in a movie. But, in an attempt to use this idea and adapt it to a 25-episode season, the show stretches itself and its premise out too far. There are too many characters with storylines, some of whom seem completely unnecessary in the show right now.
Furthermore, the show seems to be headed down the path of Lost, with some far-fetched traumatic event. One positive aspect of the show is the motif of fate. But I fear that the show will have some solution through which everyone is controlled by another individual, instead of exploring the complexities of the role of fate and human agency. Through the first six episodes, the way that people react to knowing their own futures is stimulating and hopefully will be expanded upon.
The casting of Joseph Fiennes as the main character is a bit of a mystery to me. The tough detective is constantly making wide-eyed glossy expressions, making him seem less like an FBI detective and more like a cast member of Grey's Anatomy. John Cho, of Harold and Kumar fame, continues to illustrate the surprising fact that a stoner movie is capable of producing good, serious actors. As FBI agent Demetri Noh, who is obsessed with the date of his own death, Cho and FlashForward showed great promise for the first episode. But for now, the show is stuck in the mud and refuses to give the audience what it wants.
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