FlashForward’s Future Already Written?

“The next Lost” – three words that could make or break a new show. FlashForward is that show; the one that has been hailed as the spiritual successor to the JJ Abrams phenomenon. From the appearance of multiple Lost cast members, to a small plot device being picked up and expanded on, FlashForward was always destined to never have the chance to create its own identity.

2010 marks the final season of Lost, so it’s only natural that the audience and critics alike would start looking for a replacement. The premise of a flash forward is very familiar to them, though don’t expect it to be a single character experience in FlashForward. Far from it, it’s actually a global shared event. 137 seconds of lost consciousness (no pun intended) causes everyone around the world to witness how they are living their lives six months into the future.

Putting aside any similarities to other shows, I believe FlashForward has the potential to be a genuinely gripping piece of television. The possibilities are endless. In a few episodes, we have already seen many different dilemmas:

- A recovering alcoholic back on the booze.
- A loyal wife with another man.
- A single gay woman sees herself pregnant.
- A completely blank flash forward, suggesting they are dead.

What would you do if you knew your future? Or at least believed that you did? Of course, seeing 137 seconds of your life out of context is bound to send a lot of people off in completely the wrong direction. Things that don’t make sense eventually fall into place, and questions get answers. It’s how the characters get to their futures that the audience are interested in. Do they choose to accept their fate and live their lives until it happens? Or do they dread the future they witnessed, and do everything in their power to change it?

The show started off with a bang, introducing Mark Benford as the main driving force behind the show. An FBI agent with his own issues, he struggles to juggle the revelations of his own flash forward with trying to solve the mystery of the event. Joseph Fiennes plays the role mostly with a serious tone, often making Benford feel slightly less accessible than other characters on the show. For example, his partner Demetri Noh (John Cho) is far more likeable, and his character arc involving no flash forward is potentially heartbreaking. That’s not to say that Benford doesn’t have his humane moments, as the relationship with his daughter Charlie shows signs of a warmth and likeability needed from the character.

Benford’s wife Olivia (played by Lost’s Sonya Walger) is not much better, especially considering her flash forward shows her apparently with another man. It certainly isn’t clear, and no doubt it will end up being something very different, but it automatically gives the audience a reason to dislike her. Or you would do if you actually cared about her husband, but I don’t think anyone does enough for the relationship to be believable, nor would you blame her for straying. The development of Lloyd Simcoe (Jack Davenport), her potential future love, will be the key to how all the relationships play out. Whether audiences end up rooting for him or Benford will be down to what his true motives are.

In fact, the most interesting and watchable characters in the show are the ones you are probably not meant to like. Simcoe and Simon Costa (Dominic Monaghan, another Lost alumnus) are the scene stealers that keep you gripped. This is why characters like Benjamin Linus in Lost, Sylar in Heroes and T-Bag in Prison Break worked so well, and why it’s possible to have a show like Dexter. Characters that have a depth and ambiguity about them are the ones that tend to be easiest to write for, and in turn produce the best performances. Even Jack Bauer in 24, for all his hero tendencies, is completely fallible and we all know it. That’s what we like though – a character with a dark side. It just makes for better television. FlashForward has that in it’s supporting cast, which arguably highlights the boring nature of Benford, and why it is a struggle to care about him.

Of course, for all the criticisms I lay at the show, it’s one of the most enjoyable new series in the last few seasons. I just worry that, at this moment, the show is being driven by the weakest character. With a premise so huge, the directions that it could go in are infinite, and I really hope that the writers find their footing and produce some truly compelling television. I really think FlashForward could be something special if they just shift their focus onto the more interesting characters, or if they insist on sticking with Benford then at least take him in a direction where your audience cares enough to watch him.

At the time of writing, there have been seven episodes aired (six in the UK). The developments coming from the end of episode six have the most potential, and give the show a much needed lift in terms of character development and the overall story arc. As long as they don’t get buried under the gravity of the situation, it looks like it could be one hell of a ride. If anything concerns me, it’s the magnitude of the event. Taking it back to Lost, the ensemble cast struggled to get enough screen time, and there was less than 20 main cast originally. With FlashForward, the cast list could cover the entire world, and they really need to build up their main characters instead of overdoing it with every possible individual flash.

I can’t help but wonder if the Lost comparison will kill off FlashForward before it even has a chance to find it’s own feet. After all, Lost went from nearly reaching 24 million viewers in the US to the lowest figure of under nine million over a five year period. In comparison, FlashForward started with 12.47 million viewers, and is already down to under nine million by episode seven of its first season. Things aren’t looking good, and in a cut-throat industry that has no patience these days, the series is going to have to fight hard to survive. When shows like American Idol are getting 30 million viewers, you have to wonder if long-running serial dramas can survive anymore. If audiences believe they are not going to get answers on FlashForward (which was a strong reason for them abandoning Lost) then they won’t stick with the show, and in turn it will get cancelled before they even have a chance to provide them.

It’s very unfortunate, as the quality of writing and acting in some shows is exceptional, but just does not appeal on a mass level. The series has been given a 25 episode first season, with the writers suggesting anything between three and seven years as a potential period for the show to run. I certainly think the latter could be aiming far too high, but let’s reassess the situation come the end of the season. It’s not just FlashForward that has suffered ratings-wise, as juggernauts like CSI and Grey’s Anatomy are down too, so that may work in its favour. Networks have to accept that viewing habits are not what they were even 5 years ago.

Could the end of Lost mark the end of long running serial dramas with substantial audience figures? If so, then FlashForward may have been dead before it even began. If only someone could have seen that 6 months ago.

David Bedwell