ABC's FlashForward seemed like a perfect storm of TV, ideally crafted with big stars and big explosions to form a show the likes of which hasn't been seen since Lost went on hiatus. But we forgot to watch for a few weeks and haven't been able to start up again. Here's why we're done with FlashForward.
In theory, the plot is pretty fascinating: everyone in the world blacks out for two minutes and 17 seconds and sees flashes of six months into the future. I know! Our little mouths made perfect circles when the weight of that scenario crashed down around our heads.
But in reality, this is a TV nightmare. What happens when the series works its way up to six months? Luckily for us, FlashForward does have a definite ending in sight: here's hoping the writers won't flounder for devices before the (supposed) big reveal.
The leading man and supporting cast of characters (Penny and Charlie from Lost, for two) should also keep us entertained enough for a season pass. Joseph Fiennes's spot-on-- if slightly melodramatic-- American impersonation was exciting at the start. The whole pilot was exciting. We're too poor to see action movies in the theater, so watching cars blow up and planes fall out of the sky on primetime was a big enough draw for the second and third episodes.
Plus, Jack Davenport. We like him.
Such a sweet scenario means a riveting show, right? I mean, the ENTIRE WORLD blacked out at the exact same moment for 2:17. How did that happen? Why? Will it happen again? Has it happened before? Can people change their futures? Will fate win out somehow? Questions!
But each individual episode after the pilot has draaagged. Most of the lesser characters are boring and the never-ending whodunnit gets a bit old. We'd rather watch something with self-contained episodes that also feature a huge overarching plot, like Dexter or Fringe. That's a bit rich coming from big stupid Lost fans like us, but maybe we only have enough faith for one JJ Abrams-y vehicle.
FlashForward might be better on DVD with a whole weekend for watching. That way, it'll be more like a movie or Torchwood-style miniseries. Should we even bother, though? Are you still watching?
(image from here)
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