What would happen if everyone simultaneously saw two minutes of their lives six months in the future? Would everyone revel in their wisdom, lash out irrationally with their knowledge or simply be utterly confused at what they saw? Well, ABC's "FlashForward" explores the repercussions of knowing what looms in the future.
On March 18, the new drama "FlashForward" returned to television with an adrenaline−filled two−hour episode, resuming its first season. While many new shows fail to capture a committed audience in the pilot episodes and are subsequently canceled, "FlashForward" has withstood this preliminary obstacle and is here for the spring season to establish greater TV credibility. The arrival of "FlashForward" comes after a four−month hiatus — the show aired 10 episodes up until December to avoid the holiday audience slump.
Loosely based on "Flashforward," the 1999 novel by Robert J. Sawyer, "FlashForward" takes viewers on an intense, high−stakes journey into the world of science fiction. The plot of the show is relatively simple: The entire world loses consciousness for 137 seconds — a worldwide blackout — in which everyone has "flashforwards," visions of life six months in the future. Because of this unexpected blackout, millions of people are killed, as everyone becomes fully incapacitated while driving vehicles, flying airplanes and operating mechanical equipment. The results of this catastrophe are physically and emotionally devastating, establishing an environment flooded with the chaotic fear of future blackouts and human helplessness.
"FlashForward" is a frantic race against time to determine who caused the blackout and whether it will happen again in the future. For the most part, the characters in the show are angered and confused by their respective flashforwards, as many of them grapple with the many unexplained mysteries that their futures hold. Aaron Stark (Brian F. O'Byrne) is puzzled to see himself greeting his daughter, who was presumed to have been killed in Afghanistan. Doctor Olivia Benford (Sonya Walger) sees herself cheating on her husband with a man she has never met until the start of the show. But arguably the most eerie flashforward is when FBI Special Agent Demitri Noh (John Cho) sees absolutely nothing; thus, he assumes that he will die within the next six months.
Because of this bedlam of future possibilities, the characters focus on unearthing the context of certain flashforwards and trying to stop some of the more catastrophic ones. FBI Special Agent Mark Benford (Joseph Fiennes) proves to be a key ingredient to solving the case since his flashforward consists of viewing the progress his team has made in its investigation of the blackout six months into the future. He uses clues from his flashforward to help piece together the mystery behind the worldwide blackout.
As they begin the new spring installments, co−creators David S. Goyer and Brannon Braga designed the two−hour premiere to concurrently summarize past storylines and incorporate new plot material. In doing so, the show hopes to acquire more fans who may have missed the first 10 episodes of the season last year.
One of the main draws of "FlashForward" is that it boasts an eccentric, talented cast of actors. Fiennes ("Shakespeare in Love," 1998) shines as the obsessive Agent Benford, Dominic Monaghan (the lovable Charlie Pace, the musician/heroin addict on "Lost") is the elusive genius, Simon Campos knows the scientific causes of the blackout, and Gabrielle Union ("Bring It On," 2000) plays the fiancée of Agent Noh.
With popular shows like "Lost" and "24" leaving the air in the upcoming months, "FlashForward" has the potential to lead the way for the next generation of action−oriented, sci−fi TV shows. For everyone looking for a new show to fill the place of Jack Bauer and John Locke, why not explore the mysteries of "FlashForward?"
"FlashForward" airs every Thursday night at 8 p.m. on ABC.
