What the hell is wrong with FlashForward?

This is just another review for FlashFoward, but as the title suggests, I am very frustrated with the show in many regards. The writing and acting have been way below my expectations and I am considering bailing on the show. That being said, I'm a sucker for sci-fi including low quality shows. I've watched certain shows way more than I should have just because I'm a fan of the genre.

This week, we saw the ridiculously absurd poker game between Simon and Lloyd. Why were they playing you may ask. Well the answer is actually quite simple.

They were playing to determine whether to reveal to the world they caused the flashforward.

Wait a sec...

No, I was not kidding or pulling your leg. They were playing poker to decide whether they'd tell the truth. If Lloyd wins, they tell. If Simon wins, they don't. I think the writers are trying to play around with some sick irony, but it's a fucking poker game!! Do the writers even care if the show is serious?

The outcome is almost absurd as the premise itself. Lloyd wins, but then he shows Simon he had cards up his sleeve. Was there some contract written? No. Were there any stipulations on their deal? Not really. So Simon just stands there as Lloyd walks off. He'll probably will stop Lloyd now, but what was the point of the poker game?

Then there's the silly scenes between Simon and Lloyd as they faced off during the poker game. They have a cringe worthy back and forth that makes both Simon and Lloyd seem like losers. The dialogue was exceedingly pathetic as Simon used random scientific terms to justify everything while Lloyd countered every line with another stupid line. Dominic Monaghan (Simon) is trying way too hard to be a devious, smart shrew, and I have no clue what Jack Davenport (Lloyd) is trying to do.

Somehow Al's letter reaches Celia, and she shows it to the world, and it's big news. Believe it or not, but NO ONE who had a flashforward between the time of the flashforward and the present has died. That's right. Not one person who saw a vision of themselves six months later died. That is the only explanation for why Al's death was big news; Al's suicide was the only time someone who had a flashforward died, proving that the future is not set in stone. And no one found that odd?

That gets me to my next point. Everyone is still caught up in the realism of the flashforward. Nobody has asked why everyone thinks the flashforward is the future. Has brain chemistry been altered? Are parts of the brain acting differently now? Not a peep from the scientists. The neuroscientists are nowhere to be found. Sadly for all of Simon's physics talk, science is clearly not a priority for the characters or the writers.

The rest of the episode wasn't terrible with Mark investigating the guy with the star tattoo in his flashforward. He kills the culprit, but we learn there's a whole bunch of guys with tattoos. Mark's investigation is nothing special, but compared to the rest of the episode, it was a godsend.

The best part of the episode was Aaron and his daughter Tracy. She explained how she was still alive. After an attack from private military contractors named Jericho, she survived on the run for two years. My prediction is that the star tattooed guys work for Jericho, but then that raises questions about why the FBI never made the connection. The answer could be quite simple and logical. They're idiots.

Score: 8.0/10