'Flash Forward': Now There Was a Premiere!

It's almost not fair.
If you're a sci-fi fan who is addicted to “Lost” and was addicted to “The X Files,” Thursday night's premiere of ABC's “Flash Forward” was like placing a steak in front of a dog…or a shot of MacCutcheon whiskey in front of Desmond Hume. (If you get that reference you definitely are a fellow “Lostie.”)
The action-packed “FF” show sucked viewers in from the first seconds it came on the air. To briefly recap what this series is all about (as if most of you didn't already know), everyone on the planet blacks out for 2 minutes and 17 seconds, causing all sorts of accidents and crises.
During that period, almost everyone has a “flash forward” view of their lives six months into the future. Obviously the question is what caused this “global event” to happen?
But for the people involved, there are two equally important issues that are raised by the lead character, FBI agent Mark Benford, played by British actor Joseph Fiennes.
First, while trying to console his daughter he says “Because we saw these things, that doesn't mean they are going to happen.” Later, at a meeting in the FBI offices he asserts “We can use what we saw to stop what we saw.”
The real questions are “Can they really stop what they saw” or “Are they destined to live out the ‘flash forwards' that occur on April 29, 2010?” (By the way I just looked on my calendar, and April 29, 2010 does occur on a Thursday, the night the show airs.)
Of course, the whole question of whether a person who knows (or once lived in) the future can change the future is at the heart of “Lost,” especially in terms of the way Season five ended.
Several other “Flash Forward/Lost” comparisons also come to mind:
While “FF” hits the ground running in terms of action, except for the plane crash itself, early episodes of “Lost” were more subtle, focusing on character development more so than plot development. While some people complained that there was not enough action in the show's first few seasons, many of us did not care as we became so attached to characters like Jack, Locke, Hurley, Kate, Sawyer, and Ben. The real roller coaster action in “Lost” did not begin until midway through Season 3.
When “Lost's” producers announced that there would be a definite end to the series, the show seemed to rise to a new level; before that point many of us “Losties” wondered if we were just being jerked around by the writers. Even though we have only seen one episode of “FF,” I would like to hear ASAP how many seasons the show will run. (But of course that will never happen, as ABC will delay any decision of that sort until after they see the ratings. I was deeply disappointed when the show “Invasion” was canceled after one season because of low ratings, leaving those of us who were fans of the show in the proverbial “lurch.”)
As with “Lost,” this is a show that cries out for fans to freeze frame certain scenes, such as Agent Benford's “flash forward” to try and get clues to figure out future episodes.
Note that the final episode of “Lost” is scheduled to air on a Wednesday in May, 2010, perhaps a week or two after April 29, 2010. Hmmm, any chance of a crossover?
Sonya Walger, who plays FBI agent Benford's wife Olivia, also plays Penelope (Penny) Widmore in “Lost.”
Dominic Monaghan, who played “Charlie” on “Lost”, will appear on episode 3 of “FF” as a character named Simon.
Anyway, let us hope that “FF's” producers take a lesson from “Lost” and tone down the action just a bit in future episodes and focus more on character development, so it doesn't turn into one of those action-packed television shows that get carried away with computer-generated building explosions and random car chases.
And if you are a sci-fi fan who somehow missed the “FF” premiere and forgot to DVR it, please note that ABC will be re-running the pilot episode this evening at 8:00.
I'll probably watch it again.