FlashForward

[cellio]

I've been enjoying FlashForward, a new TV show this season. The premise: one day in October everyone in the world blacks out for two minutes and change. (Lots of people die during this time in accidents.) During the blackout people saw visions of the future -- the same specific date in April for everyone. Some of those futures were disturbing, leaving people with the question "what do I do now?". The show follows a core group of characters, including several FBI agents who are investigating the phenomenon because one of them had a vision of him doing so, raising questions of causality that I hope will be taken up as the show progresses.

Not everyone saw flashes, and the common belief is that those people didn't see their futures because they would be dead before that date in April. One of our POV characters is in this situation. Another saw something that "could not be true" -- he saw someone known to be dead. Another claims to have seen someone who didn't have a flash (so presumed to be dead).

I had my suspicions, and tonight's episode backs me up. My theory was (and is) that each person saw his most probable future at that time, not the certain future. (No, that doesn't yet explain the contradiction yet between Demetri and Zoey; no theory is perfect.) In tonight's episode someone who had a flash commits suicide, making that flash pretty improbable. This should mean that all the other flashes can be changed too. (It also casts rather a different light on the guy who went along with the game of Russian Roulette because he knew he'd be alive in April...)

So the future can apparently contradict the flashes. The trick for anyone who wants to try is to figure out how to do it without being like the man who tried to flee death.

ABC recently committed to a full season. I hope it stays this interesting.

Comments

[sethcohen.livejournal.com]

The book was an excellent SF book. I'm pleased to read that Robert Sawyer is actually involved with the series, which gives me hope for its quality.

As for watching it, well, even though I have a DVR, I'd now be watching it out of order. So, I'll probably get it when it comes out on DVD.

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

I second the recommendation for the book, and I'm not saying that just because I'm mentioned in it. :-)

[cellio]

I didn't know you had a mention. I do plan to seek out the book at some point.

I initially wondered about the prospects for the TV show if they shortened a 20-year jump to 6 months (would a multi-season show be viable with that change?), but then I remembered that Lost took four seasons to move 3.5 months with rich character stories, so I don't see a problem there.

It's a good thing your life isn't dictated by what you do in the book

[sethcohen.livejournal.com]

Cuz otherwise, all you'd do is eat lunch.

Re: It's a good thing your life isn't dictated by what you do in the book

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

I like lunch...

[scaharp.livejournal.com]

I've been watching this too, intrigued by the premise. The first couple of episodes were a little uneven, slow, but it's picked up. And there's a book? Time to go to the bookstore!

I agree with you about the "most probable future" theory. As for Demetri and Zoey, my theory on that is that when we were shown Zoey's flashfoward, the figures on the beach were pretty far away. Did she actually see Demetri for sure? Or did she only see herself walking down the beach toward her wedding, and think later that it had to be towards Demetri as her groom? Also, how do a person's emotional tendencies affect the flashforward? For ex., Zoey was very focused on the idea of getting married (wedding flashforward), while Demetri was seemingly too tied up in his work (death/ghost flashforward - heading towards being murdered?). Aaron has refused to accept that his daughter is dead (flashforward where she's alive). Mark - alcoholic, trying desperately to stay dry, Olivia, who seems to have been divided emotionally even before the blackout (common in spouses of alcoholics). I mean, obviously, a person's emotions affect what they do and possibly therefore their future, so duh - but maybe the flashforward wasn't of the one most probably future for the entire planet, but somehow of what each individual might be most likely to be heading towards, influenced by numerous factors. Except, hm, then surely there shouldn't be so much convergence between millions of people's flashforwards.
Anyhoo, I'll end my loopy-drug-induced rambling here and just say I was really intrigued by the teaser for next week. Spoilerish:
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Did Lloyd Simcoe really say what I thought he said?.

[cellio]

We haven't seen evidence that Zoey actually saw Demetri. I'm just thinking that if she isn't marrying Demetri, who the heck would she be marrying? Especially if the reason she isn't marrying him is that he died six weeks earlier?

The focus theory is interesting. As you say, it doesn't explain the convergences, but it might still be a factor.

Did Lloyd Simcoe really say what I thought he said?.

Nothing stood out in what I saw. What do you think he said?

[scaharp.livejournal.com]

OK, maybe I misheard it, because I was distracted at the time, but I thought the teaser for next week had Lloyd saying something like "we have to tell them why we caused the blackout!" Which, of course, has to be misleading, simply because it's the teaser, but still...makes me wonder, what the heck? Unless I did in fact mis hear it.

[cellio]

Dylan's father thinks he caused the blackout and said something about it in the preview; maybe that's what you're remembering? (I currently think he's wrong, by the way.)

[baron-steffan.livejournal.com]

Some time ago, before the current spate of "supernatural conspiracy" shows (Heroes, Fringe, Dollhouse, Lost, et multa cetera) began, I either read an article somewhere, or had a dream -- I honestly don't recall which -- that there were plans to air a number of TV shows, seemingly unrelated, on different networks, that would, years down the line, eventually merge into one story line, and prove to be about the same fictional universe (or "ficton", for Spider Robinson fans).

Makes you wonder....

[cellio]

That would be very nifty, but would require levels of long-term planning and commitment that are generally absent from television. :-)

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

See http://home.vicnet.net.au/~kwgow/crossovers.html

[cellio]

Cute idea, though taken too far IMO. There's a difference between "exists in Tommy's mind" and "exists only in Tommy's mind", and they seem to be asseerting the latter in cases where they can only justify the former. But then, I'm a nit-picker. :-)

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

In case you're not still following the thread below, see http://home.vicnet.net.au/~kwgow/crossovers.html