Flash Forward Thread!

DBSnappa · **Posted:** Thu Oct 08, 2009 20:09

I was left feeling a bit 'meh' about Flash Forward principally because it feels all a bit, I dunno, cynical. I can't help feeling they're going to drag it out precisely as long as it's successful and there is no solution to the high concept they're pedaling. That and the characters are soopah dumb

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32619

DBSnappa wrote:

I was left feeling a bit 'meh' about Flash Forward principally because it feels all a bit, I dunno, cynical. I can't help feeling they're going to drag it out precisely as long as it's successful and there is no solution to the high concept they're pedaling. That and the characters are soopah dumb

This might happen, accepted. The book didn't do that but they've radically changed it already.

My guess is, if they are smart

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

they will wrap up the "why the world paused like that" in season 1 and we'll have something behind that -- some sort of overarching conspiracy maybe -- to continue into season 2.

They may be dumb of course.

BikNorton · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 10098

I thought they seemed to be going that way already, to be honest. It would be quite entertaining if they

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had another flashforward in a few episodes which let them find and destroy the baddies/their tech half way through the season.

Quote:

Hahaha Mr Fiennes! If only you'd been able to see my face earlier! <steps into the light> <minion whispers in his ear> Wait? What?

Then it's just working the story to keep us wondering if they'll work out the paradox or not. But not in a sucky way, obviously.

LewieP · **Joined:** 29th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 7600

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:

Watched the first two FlashForwards. Liked them, will stick with it. I take someone's point about the characters not being special, but with this sort show I'm happy to watch for plot, rather than character development. Assuming they don't skank it up of course.

Interesting how many changes they've already made from the book, which I am an expert on because I read about it on Wikipedia.

BBBBRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKKKKKKKKKKKKKKEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Runcle · **Posted:** Fri Oct 09, 2009 12:51

DBSnappa wrote:

I was left feeling a bit 'meh' about Flash Forward principally because it feels all a bit, I dunno, cynical. I can't help feeling they're going to drag it out precisely as long as it's successful and there is no solution to the high concept they're pedaling. That and the characters are soopah dumb

Your probably right, theres 22 episodes this season.

Malc · **Posted:** Fri Oct 09, 2009 19:57

Just watched episode 3 of Flashforward and have some speculation that I will spoiler.

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Korean guy's fiancée is some how connected to the group and she lied about her flash back, and she's the one going to kill Korean guy.

They didn't see a flashforward, what they are experiencing now is all actually a giant flashback from that time, and they can remember a bit of their present in their flash backs. This made sense when I thought of it, it doesn't now.

Malc

BikNorton · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 10098

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I said something similar to Charl at the end of ep2 because of the "it's already happened" thing - 'now' is actually after the flash'forward' and what we're watching is a corrupted memory.

Malc · **Posted:** Fri Oct 09, 2009 21:02

BikNorton wrote:

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I said something similar to Charl at the end of ep2 because of the "it's already happened" thing - 'now' is actually after the flash'forward' and what we're watching is a corrupted memory.

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

Oh, I do like the corruption bit, it makes sense of why they can talk to each other about the future I guess.

Malc

BikNorton · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 10098

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It also kind-of works around what Brooker said, "why in their flashforwards weren't they all going 'hey, I remember this, it's my flashforward bit'"

Edit:

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But, ultimately, seeing Brannon Braga's name pop up at the start of the first episode forewarned that it's ultimately not going to be terribly arsed about self-consistency or adequate, coherent explanation.

Malc · **Posted:** Fri Oct 09, 2009 21:32

BikNorton wrote:

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It also kind-of works around what Brooker said, "why in their flashforwards weren't they all going 'hey, I remember this, it's my flashforward bit'"

Edit:

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

But, ultimately, seeing Brannon Braga's name pop up at the start of the first episode forewarned that it's ultimately not going to be terribly arsed about self-consistency or adequate, coherent explanation.

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

Somewhere else mentioned that their Flashes were the first time round, and that now they are changing the future as they have knowledge of it. Although that druggie dude (played by the psychic cop from Heroes) who becomes a US Passport Officer, he became one because his vision told him he would become one sorta contradicts that, but then that does fit the flashback theory I suppose...

The Nazi is another example, where does his circle begin? He's got to have gone through the 6 months knowing he would be released and be flying into the US on that day? There can never have been a time where he didn't know it.

I'm surprised there haven't been any incidents where people have thought to themselves, I know I'm going to be alive in 6 months, and I know I'm on the beach playing frisbee, so hey, why don't I go and do some really dangerous stuff as I know I'm going to survive. Or perhaps someone who's seen themselves with long hair (2 or 3 years growth) who gets it all shaved off. Or someone who was thinking about getting a tattoo, but saw themselves without one, going ahead and getting one anyway.

I mean we saw the main guy burn his daughters bracelet, but she could easily make another one within the next 6 months.

I also have to wonder if the writers are the writers going to use some corrupt version Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle and apply it to people rather than sub atomic particles? In knowing one thing, they become more uncertain about another.

Malc

LewieP · **Joined:** 29th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 7600

Here is why it is broken:

OK, so people are wondering "are these predictions going to come true.

There are two possibilities.

1. They are going to come true

2. They are not going to come true.

If number 1 is the case, that means that the visions people saw were visions of what they would be doing after having seen predictions of what they would be doing. They would know exactly where and when they would be when the visions would be happening, and could therefore have left themselves a message, essentially from the future, maybe even explaining what they know about the visions up to that point.

Since nobody did this, we can assume that the predictions are not what is going to happen (number 2), but perhaps what would have happened had the visions not occurred. But seemingly no one in the program is capable of logic.

Also - The guy who didn't get a vision, he thinks it might be because he is dead in the future. There is a very easy and obvious way to test this: Go and find some terminally ill people, with not long to live, and ask what they saw.

Dr Lave · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 5979

If something like this happened then for the larger good it would be best to find someone with a flashforward where they were with someone else. Get that other person to confirm.

And then shoot them.

If you manage it, then the future can be changed. If you are stopped then your not sure.

If you've got 6 billion odd people, enough people would try this to be able to see one way or the other.

Also, first eps spoiler

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I would burn the friendship bracelet

MaliA · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2009 14:38

I'm really enjoying it. I'm not expecting much, but I like it how the pieces are coming together.

KovacsC · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2009 14:55

not watched any yet. All stored on sky+ will do a sitting and catch up tomorrow.

WTB · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 14497

Is this that thing Brooker was on about a couple of weeks ago?

kalmar · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2009 19:04

Dr Lave wrote:

Also, first eps spoiler

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I would burn the friendship bracelet

Second ep spoiler:

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He does. In the second ep.

About to watch #3

Rodafowa · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2009 23:52

Just watched the first three episodes. It's... OK. I'm mildly intrigued but have a nasty feeling that the explaination, when it comes, is going to have more loose ends than an explosion in a yarn factory and given that all the characters (with the slight exception of the FBI boss) are all incredibly dull the central mystery is the only thing that'll keep me coming back.

I'm really hoping they'll address the elephant in the room sooner rather than later - that nobody flashed forward to find themselves reading a note that either said a) "Hi! Your life's going to go to shit in the next six months and here's what you need to do to stop it", or b) a list of the football scores from a month before the flash.

KovacsC · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2009 23:55

I think the time is not linear etc... argument will pop up

Zardoz · **Posted:** Mon Oct 12, 2009 11:02

Finally watched this last night. I like this so far.

Please don't go all 'Lost' and shit.

BikNorton · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 10098

As people who carried on with Lost repeatedly say, but people who didn't refuse to accept, the last couple of seasons of Lost - especially the very last one - were by and large awesome television. In what might have been a pivotal moment for TV executives*, they noticed they'd fucked it up and fixed it.

I'm hoping a couple of the network people involved in FlashForward were either directly involved in that, or at least were there to see it and had their own little lightbulb moments.

Still. Braga.

* I forget which came first: fixing Lost, resurrecting Family Guy or the Futurama movies.

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32619

In the FlashForward book, the visions are not fixed; they can be changed. I think they'll do the same here, for the reasons LewieP outlined.

The other thing they didn't explain (apart from pre-determinism versus free will, which is what I'd be obsessing over if this happened to me) is causal loops. You see D GIBBONS on a board in the future, so you put it on a board in the present and now it's a clue. Well, what if it was only there in the future because you saw the vision, and it's a total red herring?

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38504

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:

In the FlashForward book, the visions are not fixed; they can be changed. I think they'll do the same here, for the reasons LewieP outlined.

The other thing they didn't explain (apart from pre-determinism versus free will, which is what I'd be obsessing over if this happened to me) is causal loops. You see D GIBBONS on a board in the future, so you put it on a board in the present and now it's a clue. Well, what if it was only there in the future because you saw the vision, and it's a total red herring?

That's what I've been saying to the missus. It's chock full of self-fulfilling prophecies.

Rodafowa · **Posted:** Mon Oct 12, 2009 13:24

Ditto.

The fundamental issue is that none of the characters are in any way interesting and are already showing slight worrying signs of being pretty much ciphers in service of the story. So the only thing it's got going for it is the high concept which in all likelihood they're going to fuck up, either by dragging it out too long (hello Lost!) or by explaining it in a way that's a) nonsensical, b) irritating or c) both (hello Heroes!).

I'm still watching, but I'm not expecting much.

Dr Lave · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 5979

Rodafowa wrote:

characters ... are already showing slight worrying signs of being pretty much ciphers in service of the story

So, so,

THey could quickly narrow down possibilities in a day or so's work max.

There are three main (or at least easiest) possibilities:

1) The vision is either of the Future that would have happened if they hadn't seen the future - and so can be changed by definition.
2) Or the Future that happened because they saw the future - which by definition can't be changed.
3) some sort of hyper-computer-esque simulation of what is likely to happen.

Now as Ralph Feines future is him investigating the flash forward that seems to suggest number 2.
Suggesting they are predestined to bring about the future because of seeing it. But is that typical?

Now if they Ring up a load of Casinos we can find out some quick data. If the owners all had flash forwards of the casino being closed then 2) gains likely hood because you would be a fool to let people screw you over. If they are not, then sample the people who flash forwarded in the casino and see what ratio won. More or less than normal?

Runcle · **Posted:** Tue Oct 13, 2009 2:58

My friend was telling me a few things from the first couple of episodes that are actually linked with lost but I haven't the clue what they were as I was very very drunk. Anyway in looking at the clues with lost I noticed the flashforward happened on 29th April 2010, which I wouldn't be suprised if that date turns out to be the lost finale.

BikNorton · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 10098

So, one there's The Dimitri Situation, and two,

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Is it coincidence that Mark is "remembering" stuff on his FlashedForward board when he comes across the source "now"?

kalmar · **Posted:** Tue Oct 13, 2009 9:26

It's really useful that your man has photographic memory and can remember a whole board full of stuff like that after a quick glimpse.

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38504

I've seen how this ends.

markg · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 16579

Is it "riddled with plot holes so large you could drive a truck through them"?

DBSnappa · **Posted:** Tue Oct 13, 2009 17:31

I didn't watch episode 3 and don't feel like I missed anything.

throughsilver · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 6197

Had to skip half this thread as I've not seen Lost season 5 and don't want to get spoilered.

This programme is OK. The man in the stadium was pretty scary, as was the girl saying 'Blokey D is a bad man'. Ep 3 was a bit poor, relatively, because I'm not such a fan of exhumation and protagonists falling for cheap ploys pulled by nazis.

Runcle · **Posted:** Tue Oct 13, 2009 23:03

throughsilver wrote:

Had to skip half this thread as I've not seen Lost season 5 and don't want to get spoilered.

This programme is OK. The man in the stadium was pretty scary, as was the girl saying 'Blokey D is a bad man'. Ep 3 was a bit poor, relatively, because I'm not such a fan of exhumation and protagonists falling for cheap ploys pulled by nazis.

I think im the only one that mentioned lost and what i said contains no details about the lost plotline at all.

throughsilver · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 6197

I saw the name and got scared. I'm not about to sit around reading a thread that's had Lost mentioned in it!

I have been spoilered too many times to blithely keep reading things.

Trousers · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 3073

I watched episode 3 last night and it started to become a chore. With Lost when nothing happened at least you had interesting characters to add some texture and little nuggets of backstory to chew on.

In Flash Forward they are pretty much indistinguishable from one another and the backstories look like they've been lifted from the back of an ERAS video release "He was a cop, He stopped drinking - now that's all about to change. OR IS IT?". The plot doesn't have enough momentum to carry it along right now so you're left with two dimensional characters with no chemistry or charisma to try and keep you entertained for 42-ish minutes.

I'll still watch it mind but even the excellent mad Doctor in Fringe wasn't enough to make me last into the second season of that so it's got to pick up soon.

Zardoz · **Posted:** Wed Oct 14, 2009 16:14

I'm watching it to see what makes his Mrs bang the twat from that program full of twats who lived together.

BikNorton · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 10098

Posh British accent, isn't it.

throughsilver · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 6197

She likes se(a)men.

zaphod79 · **Joined:** 16th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 14497

Well i've just watched all the eps so far and its 'okay' , it has some potential but it does remind me of early lost where they build things up then dont go anywhere with them.

Some speculation about the ending of the last ep :

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I wonder if the shot FBI agent ends up with the suicidal doc ? , a partner and a kid would be a good excuse to remain around.

MaliA · **Posted:** Fri Oct 30, 2009 9:11

I'm really enjoying it still.

KovacsC · **Posted:** Fri Oct 30, 2009 9:25

I too like it

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The gun fight got me thinking, what riskd would you take if you knew you were not going to die..

MaliA · **Posted:** Fri Oct 30, 2009 9:36

KovacsC wrote:

I too like it

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The gun fight got me thinking, what riskd would you take if you knew you were not going to die..

I'd wear a metal dustbin on my head with eyeholes cut into it and a tea tray for armor and shout things like "Yippee-ki-ay!" and stuff.

Trousers · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 3073

I said to the wife before the last episode that I hoped something actually happened this week and sure enough it ramped up a gear to rather good effect.

I was a bit annoyed by

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The most rubbish assassins ever - screech up and then get out, then fire a rocket launcher rather than wait and just pop out from behind a pillar once the car is moving. Worse though was the attack on the FBI woman in the street. Making sure the first one gets close enough so she can Jason Bourne him then the second one actually realises he's got a ranged weapon so shoots her but then rather than emptying an entire clip into her the minute the badly injured woman slowly goes for her gun he turns his back and says "Shoot here plz thx".

markg · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 16579

It's just not gripping me at all, in any way. Even the very worst most ludicrous series of 24 was more fun and suspenseful than this. One more episode and then I reckon we'll be wasting no further life on it.

BikNorton · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 10098

I can't stop wondering why Fiennes has decided that rather than British or American he'd go for Lambert.

Also:

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how did they not get blown up in the car? They went from 'in the car with a rocket launcher pointed and fired at them' to '20 feet away from the car, with the doors closed'

MaliA · **Posted:** Fri Oct 30, 2009 10:36

BikNorton wrote:

I can't stop wondering why Fiennes has decided that rather than British or American he'd go for Lambert.

Also:

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how did they not get blown up in the car? They went from 'in the car with a rocket launcher pointed and fired at them' to '20 feet away from the car, with the doors closed'

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

I thought they all got out of the car and then as it was a special car it was able to soak up the RPG hit. I'm unsure of the physics of this, but I'll email my marine mate and see if he's exploded any cars when he was in the 'Stan.

Zardoz · **Posted:** Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:20

Trousers wrote:

I was a bit annoyed by

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

The most rubbish assassins ever - screech up and then get out, then fire a rocket launcher rather than wait and just pop out from behind a pillar once the car is moving. Worse though was the attack on the FBI woman in the street. Making sure the first one gets close enough so she can Jason Bourne him then the second one actually realises he's got a ranged weapon so shoots her but then rather than emptying an entire clip into her the minute the badly injured woman slowly goes for her gun he turns his back and says "Shoot here plz thx".

Trained by the guys from Shadow Complex.

Wullie · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 6183

markg wrote:

It's just not gripping me at all, in any way. Even the very worst most ludicrous series of 24 was more fun and suspenseful than this. One more episode and then I reckon we'll be wasting no further life on it.

I've already given up & declare Flash Forward to be utter pish.

BertyBasset · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 334

Haven't read the comments on this thread.

Just wanted to say that I watched the first episode and was thoroughly intrigued & excited by the premise.

Since then, I've watched every episode (apart from the latest one) and it seems to have mostly turned into a totally generic, "Story of the week" US drama which isn't living up to it's premise at all.

I'll watch the new episode tomorrow. If it isn't a big improvement on recent episodes though, I reckon I'm done with it.

Runcle · **Posted:** Sun Nov 01, 2009 23:52

BertyBasset wrote:

Haven't read the comments on this thread.

Just wanted to say that I watched the first episode and was thoroughly intrigued & excited by the premise.

Since then, I've watched every episode (apart from the latest one) and it seems to have mostly turned into a totally generic, "Story of the week" US drama which isn't living up to it's premise at all.

I'll watch the new episode tomorrow. If it isn't a big improvement on recent episodes though, I reckon I'm done with it.

im guessing your done with it?

I don't particularly like it but ill carry on regardless like a moron.

im also guessing

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In the lastest episode charlie from lost bad guy and the other supposed bad guy were going on about the event as an experiment. Im guessing their experiment was to see if it is possible to have numerous timelines, or if life already has a set pattern and its inevitable even if you know whats going to happen.

Dr Lave · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 5979

This is suffering from a huge amount of problems.

1) The soundtrack is uniformly ill judged. It's made all the 'action' scenes laughable. It's really, really awful.
2) The

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

exploding car /cut/ we over here was from the 60s batman school of cliff hangers, where the whole set up changes between scenes. In fact so much so, that I half expect that to be part of a reveal later in the series about a 'timeline' jump or something. Some schroedy's cat shit.

3) As excellently put earlier in the thread the characters make no attempt to *think things through* or even just *act in a consistent manner* they are cyphers to the plot, rather than investigating it.
4) Main FBI guy (Ralph Fienes? sic) is a majorly selfish jerk.

The only good scene was at the end of episode 1 when

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The guy was walking in the stadium

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