FlashForward: Screaming Monsters and Super Creeps

Alright, I have to admit that I was pretty harsh on the new TV series FlashForward after last week’s bore session. I think that I am becoming more and more partial to shows that make their continuing plot line secondary to the new events of each week’s episode; I believe that I developed this prejudice as Lost and Entourage each slowly broke my heart each week while leaving me with so much more to desire. However, despite my realized affection for shows that don’t take much more than a half hour to incite more nervous leg bouncing than David Duchovny walking up and down Amsterdam’s red light district or laughs that are similar to those at a frat house pre 11 am and post 2 am, I would have to say that this week’s episode of FlashForward was a lot more interesting than I have given the show credit for.

Although I am publicly admitting my reevaluation of FlashForward, I remain a little hesitant to say that the show is heading in the right direction. For example, the fact that most characters are refusing to realize that none of the premonitions, as we can call them, have occurred yet frustrating because it is something that the cast has been unable to make it seem real. Basically what I am seeing is a show with mediocre acting and a non-fluid, fast-moving plot line that doesn’t allow much time for things to play out naturally. It’s as if at times the directors forget that this show is running for a full season and isn’t being wrapped after the hour allotted time. (Maybe that would have been a better choice though?) Let’s start from the end and try to back track the episode a little bit…

After Lloyd Simcoe’s autistic son, Dylan (Ryan Wynott), gets help from the sketchy bus rider, who I assumed to be a gang-banger (Can you say cheap laughs?), in order to get to the Benford residence, we come to an awkward encounter between Olivia, Lloyd, and Mark (Since Olivia (Sonya Walger) will supposedly be with Lloyd according to these flash forwards). After Olivia reassures Mark that she feels nothing for Lloyd and Mark expresses his confusingly ignorant mistrust towards the situation the two decide the relationship is over. Wait! How does the main relationship of a TV series end based on something that has yet to occur? Somebody call on the spirit of Marty McFly. Afterthought: Mark Benford is clearly heading for the cuckoo’s nest. That dumbfounded “blue-steel” stare that Joseph Fiennes produces at least 15 times each episode angers me, but seriously, if Agent Benford is this cracked while sober then maybe I should understand why Olivia is so ready to break things off – can you imagine Gary Busey with access to a gun, an FBI badge, and a bottle of booze? Yea … neither do I.

Next important matter of the episode is why exactly I found it to be somewhat redeeming. Firstly anything that includes a new clue to the flash forward mystery and involves some kind of underground club is pretty cool in my eyes. It seems like the discovery of a few dead bodies is going to be a real jumping off point for the investigation, which needs to happen as soon as possible. Secondly, it is confirmed that Lloyd Simcoe and Simon (Dominic Monaghan) played a major role in the flash forward phenomenon.

And then there are the inevitable disappointments. Let me count the ways…

*Janis OBVIOUSLY gets to live. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about getting the opportunity to see more of Janis and Maya, but I don’t want to watch a show that won’t commit to something major and will only use these cliffhangers so that we watch the next episode with nothing to show for it.

*No real explanation yet of Simon’s character and Simcoe’s involvement. To be completely honest, the 5 minutes of Simon seducing the wily temptress on the train was pretty worthless. First off I don’t think that relating anything to quantum physics is going to result in any kind of sleeper car action. Secondly, I understood about 1% of what Simon was attempting to explain. I literally felt like I was watching a 1900 black and white while snacking on paint chips.

*I’m pretty sure that at some point Simon mentions that the black outs were an experiment gone wrong. Really? This was all one big mistake? A ‘whoops, my bad’ kind of thing and not an ‘I’m taking over the world’ kind of thing? Wow, talk about your ultimate early season let down. Unless there is something much more to this incident then accidentally dropping a few Mentos into the soda bottle, I think we might be in for one of the worst villains ever introduced to television.

Aside from the major potential that exists for an unsatisfactory unfolding of information, I am trying to remain optimistic. Not because I know I am going to review the rest of the season’s episodes, but because there are a few elements that seem to pique my interest. However, when we actually begin to confront these elements is unknown and I don’t think any of us need ABC to jerk us around the answers for another season of anything.

Season 1, Episode 6: Screaming Monsters and Super Creeps (originally aired October 29, 2009)

For more on FlashForward, click here.

Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC

Photographs courtesy of ABC, Craig Sjodin