“Flash Forward” Not Terrible, But Definitely No “Lost” (Review)

Headline Planet’s exclusive review of ABC’s “Flash Forward” (before it airs).

When serialized dramas like “Lost,” “24” and “Prison Break” emerged as the series of choice for many television viewers and critics, there was a movement to capitalize on the genre’s heat.

Some shows in the category, like NBC’s “Heroes,” started off with significant buzz and promise but then lost luster due to creative hurdles. Others, like FOX’s “Vanished,” simply never got off the ground.

Though no dominant new serialized drama emerged (particularly one capable of challenging “Lost”‘s mix of sci-fi trickery, suspenseful mystery and popcorn action), the fact that the genre’s top series remained, for the most part, creatively viable eliminated any deep concern. Even if no new serialized hit could be created, at least television still had “Lost” and “24.”

But with “Lost” wrapping up this season, “24” possibly coming to a close very soon and “Prison Break” off the air for good, television’s ability to produce a show of a similar caliber is suddenly crucial. The hopes for a suitable “Lost” replacement explains the promotional muscle ABC put behind new serialized drama “Flash Forward.”

Yet while the new pilot is entertaining, it completely misses the boat in terms of highlighting the qualities that made “Lost” such a phenomenal show.

What made the early “Lost” episodes so intriguing was the open-ended nature of the storytelling. You knew it was more than just a dramatic counterpart to “Gilligan’s Island” because the intense character focus and supernatural elements emerged quite early. Nonetheless, it was impossible to predict the show’s overall direction or many of the plot twists because boundaries were never really drawn. And that is what made it so special–“Lost” was able to be what the viewer wanted it to be, and that freedom and flexibility made it so engaging for such a broad demographic.

“Flash Forward” does not follow that clearly effective track. While some of the plot reveals are quite chilling when actually presented in the pilot (editor’s note: Headline Planet reviewed the “Flash Forward” pilot earlier this summer; in the past several weeks, television commercials for the show have revealed almost every major plot point and thus dampened the element of surprise), they ultimately fail by making the show too one-dimensional. More than enough questions exist to keep the show exciting, but instead of building to reveals in an organic, dramatic way (as “Lost” did so well in its first season), “Flash Forward” throws way too much at the viewer early on. In addition to constricting the plot (it is unlikely a smoke monster and ageless island natives are responsible for the events–viewers get too clear an idea of where the show is heading), they also essentially waste opportunities.

A reveal related to the Benfords (Joseph Fiennes and Sonya Walger), for instance, comes at least six or seven episodes too early. The pilot spends too much time on the event–the entire world blacks out for just over two minutes, seeing six months into the future during this state of unconsciousness–for viewers to develop any relationship with the characters. Consequently, character-specific reveals are meaningless at this stage in the game, and the writers truly should have waited until people cared before dropping bombshells. The fact that, even after wasting that first plot reveal, the pilot feels the need to go one step FURTHER in addressing the aforementioned plot point is simply appalling. “Lost” and “Mad Men” are easily two of the top five shows on television; they are also proof that the slow-build works.

While a reveal involving John Cho’s Demetri Noh character is less egregious in principle, it too represents a wasted opportunity. Learning what he “saw” during his blackout could have been developed into a nice reveal for midseason; instead, the viewer gains a full perspective of his flash forward midway through the pilot. And, instead of just keeping a secret between Cho’s character and the viewer, the reveal is publicly announced to all the other characters, effectively killing any sense of mystery or intrigue.

It is this ineffective utilization of plot twist and surprise that eliminates the impact of the “Flash Forward” pilot. The idea of the entire world witnessing a “flash forward” six months into the future during a global blackout is infinitely entertaining and more than enough to hook curious viewers. The pilot, therefore, should have been a tool to set the mood and introduce the characters; it should have been designed to make viewers particularly interested in how the global blackout affects THESE people (“Lost” is appealing not just because of its “stranded” premise but because viewers care about the people who are stranded).

As noted, the pilot is not bad from an entertainment standpoint–it is paced well, addresses storyline points with a chilling, dramatic mood and features solid performances. It is a solid hour of television. But by narrowing the premise (we get a sense of who could be responsible, and we also know too much about where the characters themselves will end up when the visions from the blackouts materialize), the “Flash Forward” pilot greatly limits the overall appeal. The intense theoretical discussion that makes “Lost” so engaging simply cannot exist here–the show plays far too much like a straight action/thriller. And without characters to care about, it will be hard for viewers to truly get immersed in the “Flash Forward” universe.

Granted, the excess of diluted plot reveals is not the only major flaw of the pilot–how it handles the disaster itself is also quite lazy and suspect. When the blackouts actually occur, the viewer does get to see the expected panic and tragedy in the street, but everything ultimately comes across as too cavalier and small-time. The entire world blacked out and saw glimpses of the future. The initial street scene barely captures the shock one would anticipate accompanying such an unbelievable occurrence; but the fact that everyone remains so calm and nonchalant about the event once its global scale and implications become obvious is incomprehensible.

So much goes into the show’s stripping of the event’s monumental importance. Briefing FBI agents on the matter is none other than “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane. While he does not do anything abhorrent in the role, it is just impossible to take a scene involving MacFarlane seriously. He is the polar opposite of “24”‘s Kiefer Sutherland when it comes to capturing the dramatic significance of an action scene.

FBI also handles the matter far too much like a jigsaw puzzle than a global matter of tremendous security hazard. Everything from setting up a website to develop an understanding of the future to how the team handles the final pilot plot reveal is treated as if it is a game. The legitimate importance of the event is scripted into the dialogue, but it is not convincingly sold by the scripting and directing of the actors.

That withstanding, the acting is generally quite solid in the pilot. But while the acting is strong, it does not mean the personnel component of the show is without fault. Plagued by the same issue that caused past serialized dramas to struggle, the casting team seemingly went after acting talent without concern for star quality and charisma. Leading man Joseph Fiennes epitomizes the failure. His acting/reacting is perfectly fine within the context of the script, but his character portrayal is so cold and distant. So many actors follow the similar track in that while the viewer finds them believable, they do nothing to become part of the viewer’s family/friendship circle. They don’t jump off the screen.

Yet another serialized show that misunderstands how crucial gradual plot development and character-building was to the success of “Lost,” “Flash Forward” does nevertheless benefit from a ridiculously appealing premise. But if the second, third and fourth episodes do not correct the pilot’s shortcomings by expanding the scope of the storyline and creating a relationship between the characters and viewers, the show is doomed to join the long list of serialized drama attempts that failed to understand what being a serialized drama is all about.

ABC’s “Flash Forward” premieres on Thursday, September 24.