Friday, October 2, 2009

Review - FlashForward Season 1 Episode 2 White to Play

It's still too early to tell, but my glowing praise of the show last week appears to be premature. While the tone of the show remained largely the same - mysterious, the dialogue was still clunky with bold, but plainly simple declarations that seemed absurd. Imagine Horatio from CSI: Miami and giving his lines to all the characters. Yeah, that's about how bad it was at times. The writers seem to think every character needs some profound statement that blows the case wide open. Unfortunate, the audience can understand everything with little if any logic.

There were good moments in the episode covered up by a lot of other totally unnecessary junk. The reaction of Mark's daughter to Olivia's patient was very interesting and unsettling, but that story will play out slowly. There was a nice addition of another suspect who was on the phone with suspect zero. Demetri gets a call after putting his flash forward in the Mosaic Projects, and learns from Dina Araz (her name in 24) that he dies a few weeks before the 6 months. This was the extent of the mystery which should be the focus of the entire show. Instead we are treated with issues of how to react to a possible future and response in the aftermath of a crisis.

Melodrama was very heavy with Olivia meeting her future mystery man who is named Lloyd Simcoe. Mark and Olivia talk a few times and the whole time I couldn't care less. Joseph Fiennes and Sonya Walger aren't that great together though that could change over time. The introduction of Simcoe kind of bothers me because love triangles are stupid especially this early in a show.

It had to point out a completely random scene with the boss at the FBI. The flash forward occurred while he was on the toilet, so he comes out of the stall, sees so guy with his head in the urinal and ends up giving mouth to mouth. It was funny and I laughed, but this kind of off-the-wall humor doesn't belong on shows like this. Flash Forward can have light moments; there are plenty on Lost, but creating an absurd situation with the sole intent of humor is definitely misplaced.

The ratings are still good, but I'm worried. The storytelling doesn't seem to have much focus and for a second episode, this was especially weak.

Score: 8.4/10

3 comments:

Cie said...

I just watched episodes 1 & 2 back to back last night. After the dismally disappointing SGU, I needed something,anything! I like the idea of showing how people would react to a possible future good or bad. It has some very interesting pyschological possibilities.

I agree with you re: Mark & Olivia; they don't make "TV magic" together. I also agree with you re: love triangles - they are an old and worn out plot device that can and should be axed.

I am interested to see where they go with this - who is really behind the LOC. I don't usually watch much TV, the only show I have watched since its beginning is Numb3rs and only because I had my DVR to record it!

navamske said...

"Melodrama was very heavy with Olivia meeting her future mystery man who is named Dylan Simcoe."

No, Dylan is the kid. His father, Olivia's mystery man, is named Lloyd.

TV Obsessed said...

Oops, corrected.

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