With rumors swirling that Starz wishes to pick up ABC's now-defunct FlashForward, there's been a common narrative bothering me: It's ABC's fault and if it had been on another network that "knows how to handle a show," it would have succeeded.
I've already covered this, but because people are bringing it up again, I'd like to address it.
First, the ratings. Look at the facts. The numbers are out there, published and ready to be read. And they're pretty clear. From September 24 to November 19, 2009--BEFORE any break whatsoever--the 18-49 demo dropped from 4.0 to 2.4. The next time the show aired--on December 3, only two days later--it went down to 2.1. On March 18, after the long hiatus, it was 1.9. Surely no one can point to the hiatus as the reason for the ratings drop.
Second. ABC promoted the hell out of the show. Don't give me any bullcrap about ABC giving up on the show. It was promoted to the limit--almost to annoyance--from the NBC finals all through summer and even after. This was ABC's next Lost. This was their next megahit, bringing in the millions. The cast was stacked, the writing team was stacked... okay, this is a bit of a stretch, but they do have nice pedigrees. ABC made sure everyone who touched their network knew what it was. Everyone blacked out, etc, etc. People tuned in, but they didn't come back.
Third, the show sucked. Let me spell it out. S-U-C-K-E-D. Honestly, when I see Lost fanboys giving love to FlashForward, it completely baffles me. Do they not understand what makes their favorite show so good? Apparently not... After the initial flashfoward, the writers ran out of ideas and their dialogue was beyond ludicrous. First and foremost, the quality of the show defines its success, with a couple anomalies, of course.
Fourth, Flashforward was given a chance. Name shows which had dismal ratings and came back to become a hit. Everyone points to Cheers and M*A*S*H. Now name a few more. Name shows which had great ratings from the beginning and continued for several years. Yeah, big difference. To their credit, ABC ran all FlashForward episodes. The only tampering was the reduction from 25 episodes, after the first boost, to the initial 22 episodes. If ratings keep dropping, there is one indication--the show isn't good and will never succeed (one reason why I think renewing V was as big mistake).
Sorry for the late night rants, but I was reading comments over the interwebs it was irritating.
Showing posts with label Flash Forward. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Flash Forward. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Review - FlashForward Season 1 Episode 22 Future Shock
When FlashForward was picked up for a complete season, it was also given a 25-episode order, 3 more than the normal 22-episode pickup. Slowly but surely, the number was whittled back down to 22 as the ratings plummeted. It's hard to blame ABC for anything. FlashForward was given ample promotion but the ratings fell each week due to viewers thinking it was totally stupid (which it was, of course). Before someone starts yapping about the hiatus, take a look at the ratings. The hiatus had minimal effect on the ratings; the vast majority of the decline was before the hiatus, when there a continuous run of episodes.
Even with all the adjusted schedules, the producers (who were switched several times) went right on with their game plan, not really tightening the overall narrative, until we're left with the finale, an anti-climactic mess that ends on a bizarre cliffhanger. So basically, it was typical FlashForward.
I have no clue why I stuck around to watch. Maybe it's because I wanted to see the ending but if I didn't watch the series finale, I wouldn't be missing much. For the most part, the flashforwards turn out to be true except for minor changes. The biggest differences are Mark shooting up the invaders, Demetri still alive, and Nicole not killed.
And lastly, the second flashforward, a heavily stylized set of images amounting to nothing discernible other than Charlie saying "they found him," in the end. I assume she means Mark who is in the FBI building when it blows. *Yawn*
Score: 7.4/10
Even with all the adjusted schedules, the producers (who were switched several times) went right on with their game plan, not really tightening the overall narrative, until we're left with the finale, an anti-climactic mess that ends on a bizarre cliffhanger. So basically, it was typical FlashForward.
I have no clue why I stuck around to watch. Maybe it's because I wanted to see the ending but if I didn't watch the series finale, I wouldn't be missing much. For the most part, the flashforwards turn out to be true except for minor changes. The biggest differences are Mark shooting up the invaders, Demetri still alive, and Nicole not killed.
And lastly, the second flashforward, a heavily stylized set of images amounting to nothing discernible other than Charlie saying "they found him," in the end. I assume she means Mark who is in the FBI building when it blows. *Yawn*
Score: 7.4/10
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Preview of Week 05/23/10 - 05/29/10
Lost - ABC, Sunday, May 23, 9:00pm ET
This is THE television event of the year. If you miss it, you're a loser. Nah...but in all seriousness, even those who don't watch the show should watch the series finale. The episode could suck and make no sense, and the show would still be remembered years from now not for the ending but the journey.
24 - Fox, Monday, May 24, 8:00pm ET
Lost (get it?) in all the frenzy about Lost is that 24 will end the very next day. While this season has been rather weak, 24 has had a long 8 season run and is a seminal show in its own right.
Chuck - NBC, Monday, May 24, 8:00pm ET
The third season finale is here and we don't have to worry about a fourth season; the shows already been renewed. To be honest, part of me doesn't care much because the writers don't have a plan for the Ring, having spent most of the season with the Ring doing random things, but I've read about a mini-gamechanger at the end of the episode.
Law & Order - NBC, Monday, May 24, 10:00pm ET
Another show coming to an end! It doesn't look like the writers wrote the episode as a series finale, so it'll probably be average, but it wouldn't hurt to watch either.
NCIS - CBS, Tuesday, May 25, 8:00pm ET
At the end of last episode, Gibbs was in Mexico with a gun to his head. How will he get out of the shooting he did over 10 years ago and the current situation he is in?
The Good Wife - CBS, Tuesday, May 25, 10:00pm ET
I've said this many times already, but The Good Wife is the best new drama of the year and possibly the best new show of the year. The characters are compelling, the acting is top notch, and there is a perfect balance between the main story arcs and individual stories.
FlashForward - ABC, Thursday, May 27, 8:00pm ET
So the series kind of sucked after the pilot, but I kept watching. FlashForward was another one of those post-Lost shows whose sole intent was to have a big mystery and a large ensemble cast that flopped due to writer incompetency. This should be a cautionary tale to networks at writers that no matter the promotion or initial premise, the show has to work down the stretch and not just in the pilot to be successful.
This is THE television event of the year. If you miss it, you're a loser. Nah...but in all seriousness, even those who don't watch the show should watch the series finale. The episode could suck and make no sense, and the show would still be remembered years from now not for the ending but the journey.
24 - Fox, Monday, May 24, 8:00pm ET
Lost (get it?) in all the frenzy about Lost is that 24 will end the very next day. While this season has been rather weak, 24 has had a long 8 season run and is a seminal show in its own right.
Chuck - NBC, Monday, May 24, 8:00pm ET
The third season finale is here and we don't have to worry about a fourth season; the shows already been renewed. To be honest, part of me doesn't care much because the writers don't have a plan for the Ring, having spent most of the season with the Ring doing random things, but I've read about a mini-gamechanger at the end of the episode.
Law & Order - NBC, Monday, May 24, 10:00pm ET
Another show coming to an end! It doesn't look like the writers wrote the episode as a series finale, so it'll probably be average, but it wouldn't hurt to watch either.
NCIS - CBS, Tuesday, May 25, 8:00pm ET
At the end of last episode, Gibbs was in Mexico with a gun to his head. How will he get out of the shooting he did over 10 years ago and the current situation he is in?
The Good Wife - CBS, Tuesday, May 25, 10:00pm ET
I've said this many times already, but The Good Wife is the best new drama of the year and possibly the best new show of the year. The characters are compelling, the acting is top notch, and there is a perfect balance between the main story arcs and individual stories.
FlashForward - ABC, Thursday, May 27, 8:00pm ET
So the series kind of sucked after the pilot, but I kept watching. FlashForward was another one of those post-Lost shows whose sole intent was to have a big mystery and a large ensemble cast that flopped due to writer incompetency. This should be a cautionary tale to networks at writers that no matter the promotion or initial premise, the show has to work down the stretch and not just in the pilot to be successful.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Review - FlashForward Season 1 Episode 21 Countdown
Like the characters of FlashForward, the writers have pretty much given up. Everything they feel is embodied by Mark, who drinks and goes on rampage at the end of the episode. The writers don't care anymore and neither does he. The show has been canceled and the ratings continue to suck, so it's not like the best writing ever could save it.
Olivia randomly runs off despite Lloyd's pleas for her to come back, Tracy dies, and Zoey learns that Demetri slept with Janis and goes on the plane on her own. I don't really have any feelings about what happened other than it's pretty stupid.
Nicole tells Bryce about Keiko and he promptly runs off, leaving her to be killed as she saw in the flashforward. But who would want to kill her anyway? A random guy off the street? Keiko his bailed out of jail and is about to get on a plane. Will Bryce and Keiko meet?!?! I don't care at all.
Score: 7.9/10
Olivia randomly runs off despite Lloyd's pleas for her to come back, Tracy dies, and Zoey learns that Demetri slept with Janis and goes on the plane on her own. I don't really have any feelings about what happened other than it's pretty stupid.
Nicole tells Bryce about Keiko and he promptly runs off, leaving her to be killed as she saw in the flashforward. But who would want to kill her anyway? A random guy off the street? Keiko his bailed out of jail and is about to get on a plane. Will Bryce and Keiko meet?!?! I don't care at all.
Score: 7.9/10
Friday, May 14, 2010
Review - FlashForward Season 1 Episode 20 The Negotiation
The weakest parts of FlashForward are when the FBI investigates leads to find out who is behind the flashforward. The strongest parts are when the nature of the universe and the flashforward are explored. "The Negotiation" sat squarely on the investigative portion and was stupid, illogical, boring all the way through.
The good news is that there's two episodes left and both may not be about the FBI running around like morons. James Callis was crazy-mode for a large portion of the episode as our clueless character tried to interpret what he was saying. Callis sure is acting, but it seems like he's overdoing it on a show where the characters speak in monotones about unimportant things.
Score: 7.5/10
The good news is that there's two episodes left and both may not be about the FBI running around like morons. James Callis was crazy-mode for a large portion of the episode as our clueless character tried to interpret what he was saying. Callis sure is acting, but it seems like he's overdoing it on a show where the characters speak in monotones about unimportant things.
Score: 7.5/10
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Review - FlashForward Season 1 Episode 19 Course Correction
Dare I say FlashForward has become interesting? I'll say it. FlashForward is interesting. Robert J. Sawyer, the author of the novel the show is based on, wrote "Course Correction," yet another decent, watchable episode. That's two in a row! Now I don't want to get ahead of myself and unequivocally call the show a booming success when a vast majority of the season sucked, but I'll take a small improvement in spades. At least the ideas driving the show are about 20 times better than those of V.
The greatest improvement has been the reveals about the nature of the FlashForward. Weaving together a rather loose narrative, Sawyer manages to convey the idea in a fluid manner (comparably, of course). He uses the idea of a human course correcting for the universe as a means of showing that the universe, ultimately, will fix itself and finish what was intended in the flashforwards regardless of what actually happened. This new angle puts the characters in a different position where there is no longer the choice in believing the future will be the flashforward or not. The flashforwards have become a microcosm of the larger issue that the universe will push back against people trying to break free. But they can still try. It's better than nothing.
And a FlashForward episode wouldn't be complete without relationship drama. Olivia and Lloyd get awfully cozy, kissing for the second time before Mark shows up at Lloyd's door and spots Olivia sitting there. Bryce finds out his cancer is in remission and goes to kiss Nicole, who had just found out where Kiko is. She's faced with the choice of hiding this from Bryce so she can be in a relationship with Bryce or telling Bryce and throw everything in disarray.
Score: 8.8/10
The greatest improvement has been the reveals about the nature of the FlashForward. Weaving together a rather loose narrative, Sawyer manages to convey the idea in a fluid manner (comparably, of course). He uses the idea of a human course correcting for the universe as a means of showing that the universe, ultimately, will fix itself and finish what was intended in the flashforwards regardless of what actually happened. This new angle puts the characters in a different position where there is no longer the choice in believing the future will be the flashforward or not. The flashforwards have become a microcosm of the larger issue that the universe will push back against people trying to break free. But they can still try. It's better than nothing.
And a FlashForward episode wouldn't be complete without relationship drama. Olivia and Lloyd get awfully cozy, kissing for the second time before Mark shows up at Lloyd's door and spots Olivia sitting there. Bryce finds out his cancer is in remission and goes to kiss Nicole, who had just found out where Kiko is. She's faced with the choice of hiding this from Bryce so she can be in a relationship with Bryce or telling Bryce and throw everything in disarray.
Score: 8.8/10
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Preview of Week 05/02/10 - 05/08/10
The Pacific - HBO, Sunday, May 2, 9:00pm ET
Tonight's episode has Basilone, who has been out of the action since his heroics earlier on, going to Iwo Jima, arguably the most famous battle of the Pacific because of the picture of the Marines raising the American flag.
The Big Bang Theory - CBS, Monday, May 3, 9:00pm ET (note the time change from 9:30 to 9)
It looks like Penny and Leonard are pretty much done. They get into a huge fight and stop talking to each other. Sheldon, who I'm guessing is doing this for personal comfort, tries to make them happy. From the description of next week's episode, it looks like Penny and Leonard at done for now.
United States of Tara - Showtime, Monday, May 3, 10:30pm ET
The show has gotten incredibly good this season, far surpassing the first season and Nurse Jackie. Tara is switching back and forth between her alters again, Charmaine is pregnant with Neil's child, and Max is in trouble with the law. Meanwhile, Kate and Marshall are facing their own identity crises. There's so much that can happen with these characters.
The Good Wife - CBS, Tuesday, May 4, 10:00pm ET
At the end of the last episode, Peter stepped out of the house to run after Alicia, setting off the alarms. Wrong move, buddy. His kids will try to save him. Also, what about Alicia and Will?
Modern Family - ABC, Wednesday, May 5, 9:00pm ET
The entire family is going to Hawaii, but before getting there, they must go to the airport. And the rest is up to your imagination.
FlashForward - ABC, Thursday, May 6, 8:00pm ET
I'm not going to lie. The last episode moved everything ahead and I think the series can end amicably. The writers have dug themselves into a hole with too many different storylines and characters, but the the main one about the flashforwards and its implications has become interesting.
Legend of the Seeker - Local station, Saturday, May 8, Check local listings
Sorry to break the hearts of LOTS fans everywhere, but getting an ad in Variety and trending on Twitter will no get the show renewed. What you really need is millions and millions of supporters which the fan campaign does not have. It looks like Cara will be captured by Darken Rahl and forced to turn against Richard.
Tonight's episode has Basilone, who has been out of the action since his heroics earlier on, going to Iwo Jima, arguably the most famous battle of the Pacific because of the picture of the Marines raising the American flag.
The Big Bang Theory - CBS, Monday, May 3, 9:00pm ET (note the time change from 9:30 to 9)
It looks like Penny and Leonard are pretty much done. They get into a huge fight and stop talking to each other. Sheldon, who I'm guessing is doing this for personal comfort, tries to make them happy. From the description of next week's episode, it looks like Penny and Leonard at done for now.
United States of Tara - Showtime, Monday, May 3, 10:30pm ET
The show has gotten incredibly good this season, far surpassing the first season and Nurse Jackie. Tara is switching back and forth between her alters again, Charmaine is pregnant with Neil's child, and Max is in trouble with the law. Meanwhile, Kate and Marshall are facing their own identity crises. There's so much that can happen with these characters.
The Good Wife - CBS, Tuesday, May 4, 10:00pm ET
At the end of the last episode, Peter stepped out of the house to run after Alicia, setting off the alarms. Wrong move, buddy. His kids will try to save him. Also, what about Alicia and Will?
Modern Family - ABC, Wednesday, May 5, 9:00pm ET
The entire family is going to Hawaii, but before getting there, they must go to the airport. And the rest is up to your imagination.
FlashForward - ABC, Thursday, May 6, 8:00pm ET
I'm not going to lie. The last episode moved everything ahead and I think the series can end amicably. The writers have dug themselves into a hole with too many different storylines and characters, but the the main one about the flashforwards and its implications has become interesting.
Legend of the Seeker - Local station, Saturday, May 8, Check local listings
Sorry to break the hearts of LOTS fans everywhere, but getting an ad in Variety and trending on Twitter will no get the show renewed. What you really need is millions and millions of supporters which the fan campaign does not have. It looks like Cara will be captured by Darken Rahl and forced to turn against Richard.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Review - FlashForward Season 1 Episode 18 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
There's 4 episodes left in the season and probably series, and I'm genuinely interested in the show again. With ABC first increasing the order to 24 and then decreasing it back to 22, I'm guessing the plotting of the season was thrown off, which might have actually helped the show. Instead of those all too familiar scenes of people yelling at each other for no apparent reason, we're finally learning more about the flashforwards and it's actually not bad. And since this is FlashForward it's not great either. I wonder how the show would have turned out if the first few episodes after the pilot were this interesting and focused.
There were lots of subplot in Afghanistan that didn't really go anything, but the center of the episode--Olivia, Gabriel, and Janis--worked quite well. There are lots of flashbacks of Janis going through Quantico and getting recruited by the "bad guys." Christine Woods does a nice job showing how conflict Janis is, and we never really understand why Janis became a mole since she wasn't that into the cause or money, until the bombshell flashback revealing her as a double agent for the CIA. The point was kind of lost because we don't see what she does for the CIA, but at least it cleared up her motivations.
Gabriel shows up all over the place and seems to have knowledge of the future. The small tease in last week's episode didn't work, because he was saying incoherent things. This week, we learn almost everything about him and the Raven River experiment. Vreede and Oliva visit the site of the experiments, and learn that Gabriel, a savant, was used by Dyson Frost to undergo flashforwards and recap the future. Inevitably, those being experimented on went nuts and were quickly discarded.
Now we're getting somewhere. Unfortunately, the ratings are in the toilet, so I doubt we'll get another season.
Score: 8.8/10
There were lots of subplot in Afghanistan that didn't really go anything, but the center of the episode--Olivia, Gabriel, and Janis--worked quite well. There are lots of flashbacks of Janis going through Quantico and getting recruited by the "bad guys." Christine Woods does a nice job showing how conflict Janis is, and we never really understand why Janis became a mole since she wasn't that into the cause or money, until the bombshell flashback revealing her as a double agent for the CIA. The point was kind of lost because we don't see what she does for the CIA, but at least it cleared up her motivations.
Gabriel shows up all over the place and seems to have knowledge of the future. The small tease in last week's episode didn't work, because he was saying incoherent things. This week, we learn almost everything about him and the Raven River experiment. Vreede and Oliva visit the site of the experiments, and learn that Gabriel, a savant, was used by Dyson Frost to undergo flashforwards and recap the future. Inevitably, those being experimented on went nuts and were quickly discarded.
Now we're getting somewhere. Unfortunately, the ratings are in the toilet, so I doubt we'll get another season.
Score: 8.8/10
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Review - FlashForward Season 1 Episode 17 The Garden of Forking Paths
The writers have reached the point where they are stringing together random words to make the characters sound smart or mysterious. Not that they haven't done this in the past, but there were two instances where both the director and the writing stuck out as incessantly frantic and confusing to make a big deal out of something that could be simply explained without a whole lot of hysteria. The first comes a few minutes into the episode. After Frost uses Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres's Oedipus and the Sphinx, the characters go on wild speculation about Demetri getting himself in trouble because he tried to avoid getting shot in the first place. Vreede asks if the same thing will happen if they try to save Demetri, but Mark doesn't care. The second also comes near the beginning. Dyson Frost goes on a rant about experiments at Raven River and the future, trying to be as cryptic as possible.
It's not as complicated as it seems, though the writers through in all these analogies to muddle up the situation, which is actually pretty interesting. Essentially, Frost and other researchers, created many flashforwards to jump into the future, each time seeing something new, the different paths of the episode title, "The Garden of Forking Paths." Once the events foreseen start happening, the path is set in a certain direction and Frost intervenes with knowledge of the outcome to resolve the fork in the road to his benefit. In Demetri's case, Demetri kills him most of the time, but by kidnapping him, Frost attempts to alter the outcome.
In the end, Dyson Frost is dead and Demetri isn't. Wait a minute..the writers really decided to suck out all the dramatic weight from the characters of Dyson Frost and Demetri in the same episode? Dyson Frost is the really, really, really, evil, mean, insidious supervillain the show has been building since the appearance of the omnipresent D. Gibbons (cue dramatic music), but now he's a dead old guy lying in the desert. Demetri is the guy who was fated to die, but against all odds, struggled and overcame death. No twists and no consequences. Everything is turning out fine and dandy. This flashforward thing doesn't sound bad at all.
What's up with Baltar showing up in the end? Do we care? I know I don't.
Once again, I wrote way more on FlashForward than I should have. It'll be canceled, so the 2016 date holds little relevance.
Score: 7.6/10
It's not as complicated as it seems, though the writers through in all these analogies to muddle up the situation, which is actually pretty interesting. Essentially, Frost and other researchers, created many flashforwards to jump into the future, each time seeing something new, the different paths of the episode title, "The Garden of Forking Paths." Once the events foreseen start happening, the path is set in a certain direction and Frost intervenes with knowledge of the outcome to resolve the fork in the road to his benefit. In Demetri's case, Demetri kills him most of the time, but by kidnapping him, Frost attempts to alter the outcome.
In the end, Dyson Frost is dead and Demetri isn't. Wait a minute..the writers really decided to suck out all the dramatic weight from the characters of Dyson Frost and Demetri in the same episode? Dyson Frost is the really, really, really, evil, mean, insidious supervillain the show has been building since the appearance of the omnipresent D. Gibbons (cue dramatic music), but now he's a dead old guy lying in the desert. Demetri is the guy who was fated to die, but against all odds, struggled and overcame death. No twists and no consequences. Everything is turning out fine and dandy. This flashforward thing doesn't sound bad at all.
What's up with Baltar showing up in the end? Do we care? I know I don't.
Once again, I wrote way more on FlashForward than I should have. It'll be canceled, so the 2016 date holds little relevance.
Score: 7.6/10
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Review - FlashForward Season 1 Episode 16 Let No Man Put Asunder
While there isn't anything about FlashForward that excited me anymore, I'll have to give credit where credit is due. For a seemingly run-of-the-mill episode, "Let No Man Put Asunder" was pretty good. The pacing kept me engaged enough so that I wanted to keep watching. The plot, as usual, was stupid, but I go into the episodes expecting that, so I was pleasantly surprised how the episode turned out.
The writers are still blundering around 16 episodes into the season. The episode begins with the interrogation of Marcy, but that story quickly dissipates as she is taken back to the FBI HQ. There was lots of build up to nothing as we see Marcy low on the totem pole even when she starts off. We're supposed to believe that is why she helped she mysterious man, and she is helpful in providing information. Quickly, the episode segues into the agents finding Mark's gun. To make a long and random story short, Dyson Frost ends up kidnapping Demetri using Mark's gun.
Under request from now Vice President Clemente, Wedeck finds Aaron and gets him off to Afghanistan to look into Jericho. At least mindless shooting in Afghanistan would be better than anything the FBI does.
I don't think I need to elaborate on the Olivia and Lloyd junk. Contrived, stupid, illogical...
Score: 8.6/10
The writers are still blundering around 16 episodes into the season. The episode begins with the interrogation of Marcy, but that story quickly dissipates as she is taken back to the FBI HQ. There was lots of build up to nothing as we see Marcy low on the totem pole even when she starts off. We're supposed to believe that is why she helped she mysterious man, and she is helpful in providing information. Quickly, the episode segues into the agents finding Mark's gun. To make a long and random story short, Dyson Frost ends up kidnapping Demetri using Mark's gun.
Under request from now Vice President Clemente, Wedeck finds Aaron and gets him off to Afghanistan to look into Jericho. At least mindless shooting in Afghanistan would be better than anything the FBI does.
I don't think I need to elaborate on the Olivia and Lloyd junk. Contrived, stupid, illogical...
Score: 8.6/10
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Review - FlashForward Season 1 Episode 15 Queen Sacrifice
I'm in the process of adjusting my rating scale, so if the score seems abnormally lower than I would usually put it, that's the reason why.
To sum up the episode in one sentence--Mark searches for moles on a chess board. If that didn't make sense, it wasn't supposed to be. I'm trying to finish the season just to find out what happens, but everything else is becoming more and more senseless. Mark's big mole hunt is capped off with Seth MacFarlane getting shot and the mole, Marcy, getting taken out by Janis. In the parking structure, after Simon's weekly hitting on her attempt, she tells him--for no reason whatsoever--that she's also a mole.
Keiko does something equally ridiculous which is nearly impossible. She walks up some cholos bouncing lowriders, and asks to help them with their cars. Instead of having her kidnapped and Bryce save her, the writers go another route, creating a silly situation where she is hired. Let me repeat. She is hired to work on the cars. The good thing is that she's taken away by ICE. Meanwhile, Bryce and Nicole kiss, the inevitable result of them hanging out so much. Nicole realizes Bryce's mind is on Keiko, but they just keep missing each other. Will they ever find each other?!?!?!?!!!
I have no clue why I write more than 100 words for a show that has no legs and is almost certain to be canceled, but there are too many flaws to simply gloss over the show. Sure, Miami Medical isn't spectacular or innovative, but at least it's not overtly idiotic.
Score: 7.0/10
To sum up the episode in one sentence--Mark searches for moles on a chess board. If that didn't make sense, it wasn't supposed to be. I'm trying to finish the season just to find out what happens, but everything else is becoming more and more senseless. Mark's big mole hunt is capped off with Seth MacFarlane getting shot and the mole, Marcy, getting taken out by Janis. In the parking structure, after Simon's weekly hitting on her attempt, she tells him--for no reason whatsoever--that she's also a mole.
Keiko does something equally ridiculous which is nearly impossible. She walks up some cholos bouncing lowriders, and asks to help them with their cars. Instead of having her kidnapped and Bryce save her, the writers go another route, creating a silly situation where she is hired. Let me repeat. She is hired to work on the cars. The good thing is that she's taken away by ICE. Meanwhile, Bryce and Nicole kiss, the inevitable result of them hanging out so much. Nicole realizes Bryce's mind is on Keiko, but they just keep missing each other. Will they ever find each other?!?!?!?!!!
I have no clue why I write more than 100 words for a show that has no legs and is almost certain to be canceled, but there are too many flaws to simply gloss over the show. Sure, Miami Medical isn't spectacular or innovative, but at least it's not overtly idiotic.
Score: 7.0/10
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Review - FlashForward Season 1 Episode 14 Better Angels
I don't want to get ahead of myself, but the episode wasn't half bad. I'm guessing it's an anomaly because the episode was centered in Somalia, so don't get excited. The producers have created a show where the characters never follow up on leads week to week, leaving threads hanging until a later episode. Somalia will probably be addressed in a later episode, just not next week. This causes a disconnect in the urgency of matters for the viewers if they see characters move on without doing more. Although the showrunners have been switched, there's been no change, and with that comes the still decreasing ratings. I'll ride out the rest of the season, because I have no expectations anymore.
The team is captured by Abdi, an bloodthirsty warlord who executes the fodder among the group and keeps the others. After a daring escape, they are recaptured by Abdi who tells them what happened in 1991 and his flashforward. People installed the pylons and activated them while Abdi was outside the village. He came back and found everyone unresponsive, and after seeing a black camel, ran off. Later, he came back to find no bodies. In his flashforward, the quotes Lincoln in a speech to all of Somalia. He is not a conquerer, but a peacemaker.
They enter the last remaining pylons where Simon confirms his design and find a video with the villagers explaining what they saw. They had undergone a flashforward and had not died as Abdi had believed. Dyson Frost appears and says that they flash two weeks into the future. They go deeper and find a mass grave filled with the villagers including Abdi's mother. Incensed, he is about to shoot Simon, the only person who was indirectly involved. Vogel shoots him, ending the possibility of Abdi's flashforward of being a savior.
Mark and Olivia again had their problems which was a snoozefest, and Nicole wants to become a psychiatrist. Who cares?
Whatever momentum build up each week is always destroyed by the almost episodic nature of the show where people turn towards other leads each week, letting new revelations go untouched. I found Abdi a great character, and part of me says the final shooting was too much in an episode that already featured several executions.
Score: 8.7/10
The team is captured by Abdi, an bloodthirsty warlord who executes the fodder among the group and keeps the others. After a daring escape, they are recaptured by Abdi who tells them what happened in 1991 and his flashforward. People installed the pylons and activated them while Abdi was outside the village. He came back and found everyone unresponsive, and after seeing a black camel, ran off. Later, he came back to find no bodies. In his flashforward, the quotes Lincoln in a speech to all of Somalia. He is not a conquerer, but a peacemaker.
They enter the last remaining pylons where Simon confirms his design and find a video with the villagers explaining what they saw. They had undergone a flashforward and had not died as Abdi had believed. Dyson Frost appears and says that they flash two weeks into the future. They go deeper and find a mass grave filled with the villagers including Abdi's mother. Incensed, he is about to shoot Simon, the only person who was indirectly involved. Vogel shoots him, ending the possibility of Abdi's flashforward of being a savior.
Mark and Olivia again had their problems which was a snoozefest, and Nicole wants to become a psychiatrist. Who cares?
Whatever momentum build up each week is always destroyed by the almost episodic nature of the show where people turn towards other leads each week, letting new revelations go untouched. I found Abdi a great character, and part of me says the final shooting was too much in an episode that already featured several executions.
Score: 8.7/10
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Review - FlashForward Season 1 Episode 13 Blowback
It doesn't seem like the producers changed anything from the time the show went on hiatus in early December to when it came back last week. Two changes in showrunners and statements of better things to come, and everything that was still annoying about the show remains.
Zoey played the role of the intrusive person who gets into arguments with everyone. First, she shows up at Mark's house to yell at him, because she has a predetermined notion that he will kill Demetri. Second, she shows up at the FBI office with a FOIA request for the Mosaic. This angers Wedeck and Demetri, but Wedeck has to comply or she will go to a judge, making the information open to the public, the last thing any of them want. Demetri loses face and as a result, is mad at Zoey, so they argue. Zoey makes the stupidest assumptions that contradict. She thinks if she does nothing, Demetri will be killed by Mark. Then, she blames Mark in advance for killing Demetri, but she still thinks she can change the future. Do the writers even care if their characters make sense?
There was plot movement with the investigation. Mark takes Lloyd to his house to go step by step through his flashforward, and finally Lloyd tells Mark who D. Gibbons is. He is named Dyson Frost, a physicist who stole Lloyd's work and supposedly died.
Aaron is very protective of Tracy as we see in the beginning of the episode as we see him in the past attack a jailer who had unclean thoughts about Tracy. Mike, Tracy's colleague in the military, finds out that Tracy is alive from Aaron. Predictably, this leads to Tracy being placed in a box and taken away. Aaron strikes at the heart of Jericho, going to the home of James Erskine, the head of Jericho, and declaring war. His first salvo is Aaron hanging upside down. Out of the three stories in "Blowback," I think this one has the most potential. That's not saying much in a sea of mediocrity though.
Additional plot points: Vogel hooks up the FBI with a free trip to Somalia for Demetri, Janis, and Simon. The deadline for conception is approaching and Janis still doesn't have a donor.
Score: 8.3/10
Zoey played the role of the intrusive person who gets into arguments with everyone. First, she shows up at Mark's house to yell at him, because she has a predetermined notion that he will kill Demetri. Second, she shows up at the FBI office with a FOIA request for the Mosaic. This angers Wedeck and Demetri, but Wedeck has to comply or she will go to a judge, making the information open to the public, the last thing any of them want. Demetri loses face and as a result, is mad at Zoey, so they argue. Zoey makes the stupidest assumptions that contradict. She thinks if she does nothing, Demetri will be killed by Mark. Then, she blames Mark in advance for killing Demetri, but she still thinks she can change the future. Do the writers even care if their characters make sense?
There was plot movement with the investigation. Mark takes Lloyd to his house to go step by step through his flashforward, and finally Lloyd tells Mark who D. Gibbons is. He is named Dyson Frost, a physicist who stole Lloyd's work and supposedly died.
Aaron is very protective of Tracy as we see in the beginning of the episode as we see him in the past attack a jailer who had unclean thoughts about Tracy. Mike, Tracy's colleague in the military, finds out that Tracy is alive from Aaron. Predictably, this leads to Tracy being placed in a box and taken away. Aaron strikes at the heart of Jericho, going to the home of James Erskine, the head of Jericho, and declaring war. His first salvo is Aaron hanging upside down. Out of the three stories in "Blowback," I think this one has the most potential. That's not saying much in a sea of mediocrity though.
Additional plot points: Vogel hooks up the FBI with a free trip to Somalia for Demetri, Janis, and Simon. The deadline for conception is approaching and Janis still doesn't have a donor.
Score: 8.3/10
Friday, March 19, 2010
Review - FlashForward Season 1 Episode 11/12 Revelation Zero (Part 1/2)
Two hours of FlashForward is almost like a test to see how much you can take before you lose interest. I lasted about 20 minutes before the end before I pooped out and lost all attention. I'm already not a fan of episodes longer than an hour, so the mind-numbing dialogue zapped all the strength out of me. Purely to find out the myster of the flashforward is, I'll keep watching and reviewing, but there's less to write about each time. The show keeps repeating the same mistakes over and over again. Let's see if anything on my list was addressed.
Micro vs. Macro: The writers tried to tackle the issue with Timothy, a former window washer turned messenger of God. Nicole visits him, and he talks about how the flashforwards were a good thing. He goes on about how fate and free will are actually combined. Basically, lots of mumbo jumbo that failed spectacularly.
Fate vs. Free Will: It seems like the flashforwards are only possible futures. I think the larger conceptual questions should be left to a group of writers who can Sticking to
What's important?: Kind of. The testing was used to enhance the effect of the flashforward which is being replicated by Flosso's boss. Simon is Suspect Zero. There's a ring that can protect people from the effects of the flashforward. There was nothing huge, but at least we're a step forward.
Acting: Joseph Fiennes is still terrible, but Dominic Monaghan was great near the end of the episode.
Dialogue: Hell no. The writers seem to be in love with the stupid, "profound" statement and cut to another scene.
The episode starts off with an amazing shot of Los Angeles as it burns. The directing, visual effects, and cinematography on the show is terrific. Everything other than the script is above average which goes to show how important the writing is. The episode was paced well and kept my attention until I could no longer stand the dialogue.
We finally learn all of Mark's flashforward after he visits the FBI therapist. She's a bit like Oprah infused with a psychic. Instantly, she knows that Mark's flashforward is longer, and has a treatment. In the flashforward, Mark called Lloyd and they are working on something. Olivia and Dylan bond, and further pushes them towards the future of the flashforward. Lloyd and Simon get kidnapped by Flosso, and Mark saves them while tbe FBI bumbles around. Janis has to escort Simon who tries to slip away constantly. Very average stuff again.
Nicole and Bryce had the dumbest story of the episode. They talk to Nicole's mother who lights bibles on fire, wears angel wings, and puts 1989 pennies on the wall. Why? Because it's cool. (Honestly, it was just random.)
Ratings prediction: 2.2 for the first hour and 1.8 for the second. With such a long hiatus, FlashForward can only lose viewers. Lets hope the story is at least wrapped up.
Score: 8.7/10
Micro vs. Macro: The writers tried to tackle the issue with Timothy, a former window washer turned messenger of God. Nicole visits him, and he talks about how the flashforwards were a good thing. He goes on about how fate and free will are actually combined. Basically, lots of mumbo jumbo that failed spectacularly.
Fate vs. Free Will: It seems like the flashforwards are only possible futures. I think the larger conceptual questions should be left to a group of writers who can Sticking to
What's important?: Kind of. The testing was used to enhance the effect of the flashforward which is being replicated by Flosso's boss. Simon is Suspect Zero. There's a ring that can protect people from the effects of the flashforward. There was nothing huge, but at least we're a step forward.
Acting: Joseph Fiennes is still terrible, but Dominic Monaghan was great near the end of the episode.
Dialogue: Hell no. The writers seem to be in love with the stupid, "profound" statement and cut to another scene.
The episode starts off with an amazing shot of Los Angeles as it burns. The directing, visual effects, and cinematography on the show is terrific. Everything other than the script is above average which goes to show how important the writing is. The episode was paced well and kept my attention until I could no longer stand the dialogue.
We finally learn all of Mark's flashforward after he visits the FBI therapist. She's a bit like Oprah infused with a psychic. Instantly, she knows that Mark's flashforward is longer, and has a treatment. In the flashforward, Mark called Lloyd and they are working on something. Olivia and Dylan bond, and further pushes them towards the future of the flashforward. Lloyd and Simon get kidnapped by Flosso, and Mark saves them while tbe FBI bumbles around. Janis has to escort Simon who tries to slip away constantly. Very average stuff again.
Nicole and Bryce had the dumbest story of the episode. They talk to Nicole's mother who lights bibles on fire, wears angel wings, and puts 1989 pennies on the wall. Why? Because it's cool. (Honestly, it was just random.)
Ratings prediction: 2.2 for the first hour and 1.8 for the second. With such a long hiatus, FlashForward can only lose viewers. Lets hope the story is at least wrapped up.
Score: 8.7/10
Sunday, March 14, 2010
5 Reasons Why FlashForward Doesn't Work
FlashForward returns this Thursday with a 2-hour episode. The ratings have plummeted since the premiere, so clearly something is wrong with the show. Here are my thoughts.
Micro vs. Macro
The writers expect us to believe that a random FBI field office in Los Angeles can unravel this mystery by itself, and determine the fate of the world. Give me a break. The most egregious foolishness stemming was Al's suicide. Somehow, he was the FIRST person in weeks to have died and seen something in the flashforward. Really? Thousands of people die all the time, and none of them saw a anything in the flashforwards?
Fate vs. Free Will
The only reasons why the flashforward is important is 1) the future is not set in stone and 2) the flashforwards allow them to change the future. The debate between fate and free will can only be resolved by empirical evidence: what actually happens 6 months later.
What's important?
There's "Suspect Zero," D. Gibbons, the pylons in Somalia coinciding with the crow deaths and mass blackouts, the Blue Hand, Nazis, and the military contractor. Each episode brings up something new, and there isn't resolution or advancement to the other plots.
Acting
Joseph Fiennes has to stop using that low growl all the time. It makes his character unlikable and unrealistic. The rest of the performances haven't been spectacular either, and the cast seems great on paper.
Dialogue
I'm not looking for a Joss Whedon or David Milch. At the very least, the writers have to stop putting obvious statements uttered in grandiose fashion at the end of every act. Then give the characters personality and positive qualities.
Micro vs. Macro
The writers expect us to believe that a random FBI field office in Los Angeles can unravel this mystery by itself, and determine the fate of the world. Give me a break. The most egregious foolishness stemming was Al's suicide. Somehow, he was the FIRST person in weeks to have died and seen something in the flashforward. Really? Thousands of people die all the time, and none of them saw a anything in the flashforwards?
Fate vs. Free Will
The only reasons why the flashforward is important is 1) the future is not set in stone and 2) the flashforwards allow them to change the future. The debate between fate and free will can only be resolved by empirical evidence: what actually happens 6 months later.
What's important?
There's "Suspect Zero," D. Gibbons, the pylons in Somalia coinciding with the crow deaths and mass blackouts, the Blue Hand, Nazis, and the military contractor. Each episode brings up something new, and there isn't resolution or advancement to the other plots.
Acting
Joseph Fiennes has to stop using that low growl all the time. It makes his character unlikable and unrealistic. The rest of the performances haven't been spectacular either, and the cast seems great on paper.
Dialogue
I'm not looking for a Joss Whedon or David Milch. At the very least, the writers have to stop putting obvious statements uttered in grandiose fashion at the end of every act. Then give the characters personality and positive qualities.
Preview of Week 03/14/10 - 03/20/10
The Pacific - HBO, Sunday, March 14, 9:00pm ET
In the follow up to the 2001 epic, Band of Brothers, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg hope to recreate the magic that made BoB so great. With a similar budget, The Pacific is likely to match in the scale of war. HBO accidentally released the first part on its website, and I left for a few hours to let the video buffer, but they had already taken it off when I came back, so I probably won't have a long review.
Justified - FX, Tuesday, March 16, 10:00pm ET
Tuesdays are completely packed already, but there's another show that looks good. Timothy Olyphant plays a Western lawman as he did on Deadwood. From the promos I've seen, it looks like a cross between Deadwood and The Shield.
Scrubs - ABC, Wednesday, March 17, 8:00pm ET
It's the series finale for the show barring any miracles. The episode is just a regular one, so don't expect much.
Flashforward - ABC, Thursday, March 18, 8:00pm ET
The show returns after a long hiatus with a two-hour long episode. Maybe the fortunes of the show will change.
Archer - FX, Thursday, March 18, 10:00pm ET
There isn't much to say about the show, but it's the season finale. Archer very crude and funny if that's your thing.
In the follow up to the 2001 epic, Band of Brothers, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg hope to recreate the magic that made BoB so great. With a similar budget, The Pacific is likely to match in the scale of war. HBO accidentally released the first part on its website, and I left for a few hours to let the video buffer, but they had already taken it off when I came back, so I probably won't have a long review.
Justified - FX, Tuesday, March 16, 10:00pm ET
Tuesdays are completely packed already, but there's another show that looks good. Timothy Olyphant plays a Western lawman as he did on Deadwood. From the promos I've seen, it looks like a cross between Deadwood and The Shield.
Scrubs - ABC, Wednesday, March 17, 8:00pm ET
It's the series finale for the show barring any miracles. The episode is just a regular one, so don't expect much.
Flashforward - ABC, Thursday, March 18, 8:00pm ET
The show returns after a long hiatus with a two-hour long episode. Maybe the fortunes of the show will change.
Archer - FX, Thursday, March 18, 10:00pm ET
There isn't much to say about the show, but it's the season finale. Archer very crude and funny if that's your thing.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
What I want for Christmas - TV Version
DVDs aren't the only TV gifts we can get, so here's a list of what I want to see from my TV shows for Christmas.
1. Better Off Ted viewers
I'm almost 100% sure the show will be canceled, and barring a truly magnificent Christmas miracle, the show will be canceled. The ratings for the season premiere sucked, even compared to the lower end ABC shows, and the ratings were just as bad last spring. It was a miracle even then that the show was renewed for a second season so I guess we can be grateful about. The biting satire of the show is beyond anything on television right now, and the acting is above average. Why won't people watch?
2. 24 Season 9
The eighth season of the action thriller is starts on January 17, but there no word whether the show will continue beyond the next season. The show still pulls in decent ratings and does incredibly well for a show that has been on air so long, but the producers and actors don't seem to be that interested in continuing the show. While they continue making compelling stories full of twists year after year, they would be fine if they don't come to an agreement with Fox. But I and many others want more. Even if there isn't Jack Bauer, I'd watch.
3. Fix FlashForward
After ABC promoted the show so much during the summer, I was expected something great, and instead was handed disappointment after disappointment. There are fundamental flaws with the show that need to be resolved that I've talked about in my reviews. Hopefully it'll get better when it comes back in March. Fingers crossed!
4. Ending of Lost not like the ending of Alias
The final scene of Alias was sweet, but lame as hell. It was a happy ending with Sydney, Vaughn, and a random appearance of Dixon on an island. After all the craziness of five seasons, all the writers could come up with was a scene with no real meaning. Speaking of spy shows, I thought La Femme Nikita's ending was better by 100 times. It was bittersweet and fit well with the theme of the show. With Lost winding down, I hope Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse don't take the route of Jeff Pinkner. Luckily the only constant is J.J. Abrams.
5. A renewal for Chuck
The new season hasn't started yet and this may seem premature, but I'm kind of a pessimist, so I don't have high hopes for the show. The ratings stabilized very low last season despite high hopes and promotion during prime events. The season two finale pushed the show to the next level and from what we know about season three, the stories will be even better.
1. Better Off Ted viewers
I'm almost 100% sure the show will be canceled, and barring a truly magnificent Christmas miracle, the show will be canceled. The ratings for the season premiere sucked, even compared to the lower end ABC shows, and the ratings were just as bad last spring. It was a miracle even then that the show was renewed for a second season so I guess we can be grateful about. The biting satire of the show is beyond anything on television right now, and the acting is above average. Why won't people watch?
2. 24 Season 9
The eighth season of the action thriller is starts on January 17, but there no word whether the show will continue beyond the next season. The show still pulls in decent ratings and does incredibly well for a show that has been on air so long, but the producers and actors don't seem to be that interested in continuing the show. While they continue making compelling stories full of twists year after year, they would be fine if they don't come to an agreement with Fox. But I and many others want more. Even if there isn't Jack Bauer, I'd watch.
3. Fix FlashForward
After ABC promoted the show so much during the summer, I was expected something great, and instead was handed disappointment after disappointment. There are fundamental flaws with the show that need to be resolved that I've talked about in my reviews. Hopefully it'll get better when it comes back in March. Fingers crossed!
4. Ending of Lost not like the ending of Alias
The final scene of Alias was sweet, but lame as hell. It was a happy ending with Sydney, Vaughn, and a random appearance of Dixon on an island. After all the craziness of five seasons, all the writers could come up with was a scene with no real meaning. Speaking of spy shows, I thought La Femme Nikita's ending was better by 100 times. It was bittersweet and fit well with the theme of the show. With Lost winding down, I hope Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse don't take the route of Jeff Pinkner. Luckily the only constant is J.J. Abrams.
5. A renewal for Chuck
The new season hasn't started yet and this may seem premature, but I'm kind of a pessimist, so I don't have high hopes for the show. The ratings stabilized very low last season despite high hopes and promotion during prime events. The season two finale pushed the show to the next level and from what we know about season three, the stories will be even better.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Numbers of Interest - Television Ratings for Thursday 12/03/09 - FlashForward continues to sink
Updated with final numbers.
Other than the FlashForward numbers, these are not the final, so they may be .1 or .2 off. When the numbers do come out, I'll update this post.
ABC tied with CBS for the night with new episodes of FlashForward (2.1), and a 2-hour Private Practice (3.2). The show has dropped all the way from a great 4.1 to a measly 2.1. The show is going on a long hiatus until March (check my earlier post for more info), so if ABC is going to do something drastic to save the show, there is still time.
CBS did very well with Survivor (3.9), and repeats of CSI (2.3), and The Mentalist (2.5). Granted it is going up against weaker competition, but The Mentalist is kicking ass. I'm hoping CBS will put the show after the Super Bowl to give it the boost it needs to go into the stratosphere.
Fox faired well with Bones (2.9), and a recovering Fringe (2.5). After some really low numbers, it appears Fringe is back on track. While it is still under performing, if it maintains these numbers, a renewal should be no problem.
NBC finished last with Community (2.2), Parks and Recreation (2.1), The Office (4.1), and 30 Rock (3.0). NBC is stable on Thursdays and hasn't changed much in weeks.
Other than the FlashForward numbers, these are not the final, so they may be .1 or .2 off. When the numbers do come out, I'll update this post.
ABC tied with CBS for the night with new episodes of FlashForward (2.1), and a 2-hour Private Practice (3.2). The show has dropped all the way from a great 4.1 to a measly 2.1. The show is going on a long hiatus until March (check my earlier post for more info), so if ABC is going to do something drastic to save the show, there is still time.
CBS did very well with Survivor (3.9), and repeats of CSI (2.3), and The Mentalist (2.5). Granted it is going up against weaker competition, but The Mentalist is kicking ass. I'm hoping CBS will put the show after the Super Bowl to give it the boost it needs to go into the stratosphere.
Fox faired well with Bones (2.9), and a recovering Fringe (2.5). After some really low numbers, it appears Fringe is back on track. While it is still under performing, if it maintains these numbers, a renewal should be no problem.
NBC finished last with Community (2.2), Parks and Recreation (2.1), The Office (4.1), and 30 Rock (3.0). NBC is stable on Thursdays and hasn't changed much in weeks.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
ABC pushes FlashForward return to March 4, and V return to March 30
With the falling ratings, and the behemoth Winter Olympics starting up in March, ABC decided to push its freshman sci-fi shows way back, meaning there'll be plenty of time to speculate on all those twists.
As for the ABC midseason shows, we still have no clue what will happen to them, but considering that we haven't heard a peep for months, ABC probably doesn't have confidence in them, so they are trying to salvage FlashForward and V by keeping them away from the Olympics and hopefully restarting the shows in the spring will jump start the ratings. (Yes that was once sentence)
As for the ABC midseason shows, we still have no clue what will happen to them, but considering that we haven't heard a peep for months, ABC probably doesn't have confidence in them, so they are trying to salvage FlashForward and V by keeping them away from the Olympics and hopefully restarting the shows in the spring will jump start the ratings. (Yes that was once sentence)
