FlashForward - Pilot

So, there was new show on TV that debuted this week. FlashForward seems to be the show that ABC is clearly designed to be the next Lost, and from the first episode it looks like it may well be. Big unexplained things happen, there is a large ensemble cast with secrets, mysterious figures are seemingly controlling things, unexplained things are explained with more questions. And since Lost is ending next spring, I am perfectly happy to have a new show ready to fill that void.

First of all, the premise. On one normal day, everyone on Earth blacks out. Everyone passes out. This is a bad thing; planes fall from the sky, cars crash, and jugglers drop whatever was being juggled. As people react to these events, they start to remember that while they blacked out they all saw visions. Visions that agree with other people's visions - people they have never met. They all see what they will be doing exactly six months down the line. The FBI sets up an inter-agency taskforce to find patterns and links between people's flashforwards, led by our main protagonist.

Of course, as soon as you start to get into predicting the future in a sci-fi show, you encounter all kinds of problems. If I saw myself in the future wearing a hat, I could just use my "free will" thing to just not wear a hat, surely? Are people who saw their future now unkillable? And all these people who saw sports results... are you telling me that all those sportsmen are just going to let those results come true? And does seeing the future make it the future? If I saw myself in the future writing a book, would not that spur me on to write a book that I would not have bothered starting otherwise? Then can I just tell my publisher, "don't worry, I saw it was a bestseller, no need to edit it." If you are going to open a big can of worms like time-travel, things are goin' to get very complicated very quickly.

Because of course, this is the big one. If I got a flash forwards into a generic point in six months time, I would most likely be doing somethin' of almost no importance. Sleeping, eating, or thinking about eating or slepping most likely. But once I have seen the future, that moment takes on a huge importance, and I would put up a banner and balloons and stuff to welcome past me's consciousness. Do you follow? Seeing the future changes the future. And seeing a specific moment in the furute definitely changes that moment.

Can.... open. Worms.... everywhere.

And, taking more lessons from Lost, as people come around there is a random unexplained animal just wandering about. Not a polar bear, or a horse, but a kangaroo. I do hope this kanagroo was of importance.


That ensemble cast seems to be acceptable. So far they just seemed to be a bunch of random stereotypes, but then, hey, so did Lost's, and look how god damned awesome they turned out. It seems far too early to start talking about these guys yet tho'. Except for Demetri, who was clearly lying about something big. Maybe he is in on the plot and wasn’t unconscious with everyone else. That explains why when Mark woke up, Demetri had gone from the car. And who was that dude at the baseball game?

So, what I guess I am trying to say is that was a pretty damn awesome start to a show, that gave me almost no clue as to whether it will end up as a good show or not. Awesome!