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FLASHFORWARD |
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Series Overview
Mark Benford - Joseph Fiennes Olivia Benford - Sonya Walger Demetri Noh – John Cho Stanford Wedek - Courtney B Vance Bryce Varley - Zachary Knighton Janis Hawk - Christine Woods Aaron stark - Bryan O'Byrne Nicole Kirby - Peyton List Lloyd Simcoe - Jack Davenport Simon - Dominic Monaghan 
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Series OverviewEveryone in the whole world blacks out at the exact same time for the exact same period. In that time, each person experiences a short flash of future consciousness, a short look at what they will be doing at an exact point in the future. For some this brings great hope. For others it brings fear, loss, desolation. Worst of all, there are those who experienced nothing because they will no longer be alive. FLASHFORWARD is a quite brilliant concept that somehow falls far short of fulfilling its promise. It starts with a cracking opening as FBI agents awaken to a world that is in utter chaos. Car crashes litter the roads. Planes have fallen out of the sky. Millions are dead. Who is responsible? What does it all mean? There are all kinds of deep ideas that could be explored by the show such as the conflict between fate and free will, but whilst there are flashes of this in, for example, the suicide cult that springs up amongst those that experienced no flashforward, the show ignores most of the big issues and concentrates instead on the mystery aspect of whodunnit. Sadly, there isn't enough mystery to sustain a 22 episode series and so FLASHFORWARD meanders all over the place, throwing in all kinds of old hat ideas like moles and kidnapped family members that are there merely to fill out the time. Had the show stuck to the central plot and followed that, touching on the deeper side issues then it could have been as important as LOST, the show that it most desperately wants to be. The plotting may not be as tight as it needs to be, but there is little that can be faulted in the ensemble that is put together for the cast here. Headed by Joseph Fiennes it might be, but there is nobody here who puts in a dodgy performance. The characters are a bit cookie cutter, but the quality cast manage to bring them alive and keep our interest in them for much longer than they quite frankly deserve. FLASHFORWARD should have been a genre event of global proportions. In the end, it was a flash in the pan. Top No More Good DaysAn FBI agent crawls out of his overturned car to find the world has gone to hell in a handbasket. There are people all over the place - injured, shocked, dead. For two minutes and seventeen seconds everyone on the planet blacked out. Or rather they didn't. Most everyone has a story to tell, a dream, a vision, a look at the future. Some are good, some are bad. There's no telling if they will come true. And what of those who saw no future at all? The makers of FLASHFORWARD have certainly studied their LOST. The opening sequence is a scene of destruction so reminiscent of the opening scene of that great mystery show that it's almost a case of flashback rather than FLASHFORWARD. Not that this is a bad thing since the opening scene of LOST was amazing and hooked us from minute one. It's fair to say that FLASHFORWARD does exactly the same thing. The central conceit is also mined from the success story of LOST in the provision of hints and clues that are slowly going to build up over time as links are made and the will it/won't it come true will no doubt fry our brains with suspense. That the show is clearly manufactured to hit all the buttons of the worldwide phenomenon of LOST, doesn't matter because the story takes off and runs with what it has stolen. The devastation is excellently realised on screen and creates a stunning backdrop to the more personal stories. The characters are, at first glance, fairly stock. There's a cop who's a recovering alcoholic, a suicide who finds new meaning to life, a wife coming to terms with her husband's problems and so on, but there are also nice wrinkles along the way such as the partner who apparently has no future to look forward to. There's also the mystery of the one person in all the world who didn't fall unconscious. FLASHFORWARD was clinically designed to grip its audience and it doesn't fail. In one week it's jumped to the top of our current unmissable list. Whether it can stay there is another matter. Written by Brannon Braga, David S Goyer, Nicole Prestwich and Dawn YorkinDirected by David S Goyer and Michael Rymer Top White To PlayPeople are trying to come to terms with the small snatches of future that they have glimpsed. The FBI officers investigating the blackout catch a break when one of the names that agent Benford saw on his future pin board walks in through the door to help with their enquiries, leading to an explosive confrontation. The plotting is a bit muddied here as a suspect buys a ticket but doesn’t use it, suddenly leading to the discovery of his lair. Why? How? Perhaps it will become clear, but it currently feels like the plot being manipulated to make sure that an action sequence can be crowbarred into the episode. The more personal drama, however, is the more intriguing as agent Noh learns a bit more about why he didn’t see his future, Olivia meets the man who may be a threat to her and Mark’s relationship and their daughter struggles to come to terms with whatever it was she saw. These personal stories continue to presage what is to come and are well played, giving the drama depth and providing a real backdrop to the more fantastical elements of the plot. Written by Marc Guggenheim & David S GoyerDirected by David S Goyer Top 137 SekundenMark heads to Germany where he is forced to deal with a particularly loathesome Nazi war criminal who claims to have information that will prove critical to the investigation. Is the end of finding out what happened worth the means of freeing a mass murderer? Meanwhile, there is evidence that the visions might not necessarily be real and more evidence that they are. Another excellent episode in what is fast becoming the most unmissable show of the moment. The dealing in Germany with the war criminal might smack of Hannibal Lecter lite, but he is such a nasty piece of work that this doesn't matter. The ethical battle that Mark has to go through is well played by Joseph Fiennes and, whilst they have virtually no screen time in which to show it, the rest of the cast are solid. This, though, is all about the mystery and the pieces are being laid out more and more, though we are still a very long way from being able to see the final picture. That doesn't matter because the skill with which the plot is being put together is such that it is utterly gripping. The questions are piling up. What is the significance of Aaron's vision being apparently disproved? How does Dimitri's wife see him, but he doesn't see her? And what is that tower in the African desert? Do we know what's going on? Not a clue. Do we need to find out? Damn right. Written by Marc Guggenheim & David S GoyerDirected by Michael Rymer Top Black SwanWith the Germany trip revealing only the death of crows in Somalia, there are cracks emerging within the FBI team as to how to investigate further. There are also divisions in the hospital as Olivia's resistance to believing in the visions puts a patient's life at risk. A bus gently eases into a lake when everyone blacks out on board. Only two people survive and those thanks to the absolute calm of a man who has seen his future. Itis a dramtic opening and the rest of the episode is playing catch up right up until the last shot that introduces a new character and plunges the plot into deeper waters. FLASHFORWARD is a game of smoke and mirrors, the good performances and slickly written drama obscuring the fact that for another week the plot hasn't actually advanced anywhere. The skill with which this trick id being pulled, however, is such that it keeps the audience on the hook and drops such a bombshell at the end that you absolutely know that you're going to have to be there for the next episode. Written by Scott M Gimple & Lisa ZwerlingDirected by Michael Rymer Top Gimme Some TruthAs the world gets back to its feet after the blackout, Washington finally starts to bring all of the disparate agency investigations into something a little more coherent. Since most of the team have enemies on Capitol Hill, the hearings are likely to see their funding cut. The investigation into Somalia, however, uncovers important information. Ignoring the information that was given last week about who might be responsible for the blackout, the focus returns to the investigation, but to a much more political aspect. The densely plotted episode manages to balance character against storyline well enough that the more unlikely aspects of the skeletons coming out of the closets are held in bay for the present and there is more than enough to re-establish the compelling nature of the show that drifted a bit in the last episode. Considering the low opinion that everyone has for politicians at present, it is no surprise to find everyone in government shown to be at the very least venal and the very worst evil to the core, but when the action explodes onto the screen in the final few minutes it is testament to the writing and acting that we actually do care about who is going to survive the shootout and who is going to be left in an ever-growing pool of blood. Written by Nicole Yorkin & Dawn PrestwichDirected by Michael Rymer Top Scary Monsters and Super CreepsIn the wake of the shootouts that were the climax of the last episode, one agent lies critically wounded whilst the others try to figure out their next move. Dimitri works out a clue involving blue hands that leads to a grisly fine. Mark, Olivia and Lloyd, the three sides of the foreseen love triangle finally come together in the same room under surprising circumstances. The dramatic attacks of last week give this episode a springboard into action as Janis's life hangs in the balance, but it then splits into two strands. The first is the investigation into a very unlikely clue that Dimitri just happens to have the knowledge to pick up on and the second is the much more interesting coming together of the Benfords and the man set up to destroy their marriage. This brings into focus the problems of knowing the future, or at least part of it, as the characters continue to fight against what they have seen, but find their convictions slipping as the apparently inevitable moves ever closer. This is the emotional heart of the show and allows the the actors to get some serious emoting into the plot. And what is it with the kangaroo that appears? It's far too random an image to not be important. Written by Quinton Peeples & Seth HoffmanDirected by Bobby Roth Top The GiftThe investigation into the man who nearly killed Janis takes Mark and his team into the world of the ghosts, people like Demetri who had no flasforward and therefore know the certainty of their own deaths. One of the team, though, had a flashforward that he can't live with and sets out to prove that this future can be changed. FLASHFORWARD goes racing down another blind alley that apparently goes nowhere, but reveals important developments all the same. The investigation into the suicide cult is straightforward, but does provide an insight into another effect of the blackout. When death is certain then none of the normal rules apply. It's an interesting aspect to the events of the show. Also important, not to mention dramtic, is the proof that the flashforward can be wrong and that the manner in which it is proved. suddenly, all the rules are changed for the characters all over again. It's a compelling moment. Written by Lisa Zwerling & Ian GoldbergDirected by Nick Gomez Top Playing Cards With CoyoteThe news that the future is not set in stone filters around the world and Mark and Olivia do their best to ensure that their future is definitely changed. Lloyd Simcoe, wants to go public with what he knows about the blackout, but his previous colleagues have a different opinion and a different way of choosing who is right. A woman who was witness to a murder proves to be central to Mark's investigations and he uses her as bait to draw out one of the men who he saw trying to kill him so that he can get in there first. It's a murky old world of moral greys with a postscript that makes it all a bit worthless. The story of Lloyd and Simon playing poker to decide whether or not they should go public with their 'experiment' is utterly ludicrous, despite the actors playing it completely straight. Written by Barbara Nance and Marc GuggenheimDirected by Nick Gomez Top BelieveOne time suicidal doctor Bryce saw an asian girl in his flashforward who gave him a reason to live. A chance meeting with a patient sends him to Tokyo in search of her. And so FLASHFORWARD grinds to a complete halt as it explores Bryce's story with all the irrelevance of the flashback sequences from LOST. What we really want to know about is the progress of the investigation into who caused the blackout and why, not a third tier character's abortive love life. That investigation has hit a dead end, although a lead on a phone call is looking likely to take Mark and Demtri to Hong Kong on the grounds that someone called from there. With no more information than that, it's as likely as the rest of the show is becoming. FLASHFORWARD is slipping and it needs to get back on message pretty quick. Written by Dawn Prestwich and Nicole YorkinDirected by Michael Nankin Top A561984Lloyd and Simon go public with their supposed responsibility for the blackout with their experiment, which leads to unexpected problems for them both. Mark and Demetri travel to Hong Kong to track down the owner of the voice that told Demetri of his death and learn some disquieting information. Dominic Monaghan's character in this show is so unlikeable and so against type that he is absolutely fascinating and completely away from his role in LOST. He is certainly making more of an impact that Jack Davenport's Lloyd Simcoe who seems to get wetter and more ineffectual with each passing episode. It is he, however, who supplies the cliffhanger ending. Mark and Demetri's trip to Hong Kong is a nonsense from start to finish. With only a voice on a tape they enter one of the most densely populated cities in the world and track down a woman they have never seen. They manage to enter sovereign Chinese territory with their weapons unconfiscated and think that it's an OK thing to do to try and kidnap the woman when her information proves to be not what they want to hear. It might advance the mythology, but makes no sense at all. The title, in case of interest, refers to the serial number of the gun that will be used in Demetri's murder. Written by David S Goyer and Scott GimpleDirected by Michael Nankin Top Revelation Zero - Part OneMark Benford is off the case, suspended after the mess up that was his an Demetri's trip to Hong Kong. He goes to an FBI psychologist to get checked out and takes a drug to heighten his memory of his flashforward. What he learns scares the hell out of him. Lloyd learns why he has been kidnapped and his partner soon joins him for a spot of torture from the bad guys. FLASHFORWARD is back after a significant layoff before which it was meandering somewhat and losing the impact of its excellent opening. This restart is impressive, marshalling the various storylines into a tight, sharp and entertaining episode that reveals the chances of another blackout and what Lloyd and Simon's involvement in the blackout actually was. The torture scenes are well put together and squirm-worthy when the cigar cutter comes out whilst the various investigations rattle along at a pace that keeps the tempo up. Someone has given this particular show a good kick in the pants and it's just what it needed. Plot takes over a bit from character, but there are still enough moments for the actors to play with and the cast remain solid despite the switch in pace. If this is the future, then we're looking forward to it. Written by Seth Hoffman and Marc GuggenheimDirected by John Polson Top Revelation Zero - Part TwoWith Lloyd and Simon back in safe hands, it is time to start finding out who kidnapped them, but Simon makes a run for his home in Canada. Janis follows him there, but the people he really wants to meet are more than simply relatives. More about the blackout and the people responsible, most specifically Simon's part in it all, come to light in this episode, revealing much more than has been shown before. It also brings Simon very much to the centre of the show, but keeps his part in things suitably questionable. That he was involved with those that caused the blackout is certain, but how much was he forced to and how much did he choose to? And what are his plans now? All of the other plotlines are effectively put on hold whilst this all plays out, but that's fine as the answers are welcome and the action is surprising. How the show will manage following the release of all this information will be interesting to find out and we're left far more excited by it than for a long time. Written by Quinton PeeplesDirected by John Polson & Constantine Makris Top BlowbackAaron's soldier daughter is kidnapped by the people she has been hiding from, the Jericho military contractors. He sets about retrieving her, showing that he is not a man to be trifled with. Mark tries to get more information out of Lloyd and a trip to Somalia is finally sanctioned. Too many plotlines and not enough progress on any of them makes for a disappointing episode after the returning two-parter. There are lapses in logic that undermine the whole thing, like the fact that the gun that might eventually kill Demetri having not been destroyed as soon as that fact was found out or Lloyd not giving up the truth behind the pseudonym D Gibbons when he doesn't even like the person who it likely belongs to. Janis is trying to have her baby despite being told that she probably can't after her shooting and Demetri's girlfriend is willing to do whatever it takes to save his life. That's only half the cast and it's too many balls to keep juggling unless you're really, really good and FLASHFORWARD isn't proving to be that good. Written by Lisa Zwerling and Barbara NanceDirected by Constantine Makris Top Better AngelsThe team that goes into Somalia to take a look at the last remaining tower from the 1991 experiment fall straight into the hands of a local warlord. His flashforward tells of a destiny far different from the one that finally comes to pass. This episode focusses in on the Somalia sojourn and so doesn't suffer from the diffusing effect that has undermined others. The casual brutality of the Somalian is turned on its head by the explanation of his flashforward and his subsequent fate. The truth about what happened in the Somalian village and what became of the villagers also becomes clearer. The supporting storylines are merely setting up some twists that are going to come further down the line as characters are seen (or foreseen) to be doing things that they really shouldn't be. FLASHFORWARD is getting back on track. Written by Ian Goldberg and Scott GimpleDirected by Constantine Makris Top Queen SacrificeDyson Frost explains all about how he knows so much about the investigation into his activities even though his message comes from 1991 Somalia. There is a mole in the Mosaic office and Mark sets out to find out who it is. Whilst the Dyson Frost storyline and the emerging twists on the likelihood of a second blackout continue to intrigue, the investigation into the mole gets sillier and sillier. It all hangs on putting sugar in coffee apparently and the FBI agents are good enough to figure this one out. There is, however, a twist in the tail that will please a lot more than it actually surprises. It's certainly a whole lot more interesting that Bryce consistently missing the woman of his flashforward by seconds whilst falling for a whole different girl. Written by Byron Balasco and Timothy J LeaDirected by Bobby Roth Top Let No Man Put AsunderThe day of Demetri's prophesied death, is getting closer and there are still no clues. Mark's boss gets a visit from the Vice President and sends Aaron to Afghanistan on the quest for his missing daughter whilst Olivia and Lloyd grow ever closer. Demetri finally decides to get married and run away from his impending death, but it is a move the Dyson Frost already knows about. The investigation moves forward, but it is being run by Dyson Frost whose knowledge of future events means that he can anticipate every move that his enemies make. Which kind of makes him a bit dull since he is always one step ahead of everyone. The sudden appearance of the Vice President getting involved in the Aaron and Jericho story is stretching things a bit thing and the romance between Olivia and Lloyd just really doesn't stack up at all. Still, we like Demetri too much to see him die and the cliffhanger ending is a nice touch. Written by Seth Hoffman and Quinton PeeplesDirected by Bobby Roth Top The Garden of Forking PathsDemetri is locked in a warehouse with a gun pointed at his chest and a laser system that means if he moves too far he will be shot and it's Mark's gun so the prophecy of his death will be fulfilled. Dyson Frost plays his game until he gets Mark where he wants him, but then things don't go to plan. The main plot is put aside for the against-the-clock race to save Demetri. It's fairly standard stuff with Mark being bounced all over the place by instructions relayed by mobile phone, but it's fast and exciting and proves to be one of the better episodes that the show has produced. Now if they could get on with finding who caused the blackout then that would be good. Written by David S Goyer and Lisa ZwerlingDirected by Nick Gomez Top Goodbye Yellow Brick RoadDemetri is still alive, but with the death of Dyson Frost, all of the FBI's leads seem to have disappeared. All they have are some drawings of a strange device, drawings that Janis is ordered to recover by her contact, however there is some important information about which side she is actually on. The emphasis falls squarely on Janis in this episode. There are flashbacks to how she was recruited and how she felt when she realised the day of the blackout was something that she had helped to create. The most important revelation, however, is saved for last. Aaron's trip to Afghanistan to find his daughter seems pretty irrelevant at the moment and Olivia's trip to find out where the blackout experiments began lead to an autistic savant (James Callis from BATTLESTAR GALACTICA) and a revelation that her private life may be more important than just to her. Written by Nicole Yorkin and Dawn PrestwichDirected by Nick Gomez Top Course CorrectionDemetri goes on the trail of someone who is killing people who escaped the deaths that they should have had prior to the date they foresaw. Simon learns that his sister is still alive and what is wanted of him and is finally revealed to the FBI as Suspect Zero, the man in the baseball stadium. We get to see the experiment that was part of causing the global blackout and there are some pretty fancy special effects, but they don't make up for another episode in which the main thrust of the story seems to move backwards rather than forwards. These FBI agents must be the least effective in the history of the world at staying on mission. Olivia and Lloyd grow ever closer and Bryce's cancer goes into remission, but these are side stories that really aren't all that interesting. It's meandering like this that has dogged the show and made it less successful than we thought it would be from the explosive opening. Written by Robert SawyerDirected by Leslie Libman Top The NegotiationIt's the day before Blackout day, the day that time catches up with everyone's flashforwards and it's going to be an intense day for sure. Mark finally works out that Janis is a mole, but will it be in time to save Gabriel, the savant who has been helping out with information about the future through the trips he has been taking. Now a fugitive, Simon agrees to meet the head of the Blackout operation. Finally the investigation into the Blackout and who caused it gets somewhere, but mainly because of Gabriel, not because of the FBI's investigation techniques. Aaron's trip to Afghanistan to get his daughter continues to be a distraction that isn't going anywhere and is about as convincing as a blancmange climbing frame. At least the episode concentrates mainly on the activity at the FBI and not on the soap operatics of other, smaller stories. Written by Quinton Peeples & Byron BalascoDirected by Leslie Libman Top CountdownIt's Blackout day and at 10pm time will catch up with the flashforwards. Mark is trying to get information about the next blackout from Hellinger, but the prisoner has insider knowledge that allows him to goad Mark into actions that see him thrown out of the FBI building and start drinking again. Aaron fails to save his daughter, invalidating his flashforward, so nobody else's is certain either. And secrets told theaten Demetri's and Bryce's relationships. Janis does a deal with Simon to stop the next Blackout. Finally the investigation into the Blackout and who caused it gets somewhere, but mainly because of Gabriel, not because of the FBI's investigation techniques. Aaron's trip to Afghanistan to get his daughter continues to be a distraction that isn't going anywhere and is about as convincing as a blancmange climbing frame. It's the penultimate episode and storylines are falling into place, cliffangers are being set up and everyone is being placed where they need to be for the big finale. This means more of the soap opera elements of the show and less of the investigations. How stupid is Mark Benford? Hellinger tells him that he will lose his cool and then everything else and he just walks right on into it. Aaron's story seems to have been a colossal waste of time and Bryce's story just fails to interest. Still, only one to go. Written by Seth Hoffman & Lisa ZwerlingDirected by John Polson Top Future Shock10pm is rapidly approaching and all of the players are getting ready to meet their futures. Will Brice meet Keiko? Will Nicole really be drowned? Will Janis's baby be OK? Will Lloyd and Olivia end up in bed together and will Mark Benford be gunned down in a hail of bullets? Or can the two men who never saw their futures, Demetri and Simon stop another blackout occurring? It's season finale, so this episode has to manage the neat trick of tying up stories, leaving cliffhangers and being an action-packed spectacle all in one. It only partially succeeds, though it gives it a damned good go. The attack on Mark in the FBI headquarters turns into a full on DIE HARD moment as a trio of FBI agents engage in open warfare in a building rigged with high explosives. Exactly what the point of the others being involved is as they never get involved with Mark's survival efforts and jus seem to be there to up the action quota. The more soap opera side of the story has a feelgood factor to it as Brice and Nicole see an end to their particularly pointless strands of the story and Aaron's trip to Afghanistan proves to have been a colossal waste of screen time, even with a happy ending. And as for the continuation of the story? Well, let's just start again with another big flash. Unfortunately, the show has been cancelled and what the future holds for all these characters we will never know. That probably won't bother us for long. Written by Timothy J Lea & Scott M GimpleDirected by John Polson Top |
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