(1) FlashForward
Bet you thought I was going to say Heroes, didn’t you? Well, you’re wrong. No, right now in my crosshairs is ABC’s newest drama (and supposed heir to LOST): FlashForward.
I was extremely excited about this show for months before it even aired. I had enjoyed the premise of the book and found it interesting: what would you do if you could see into your own future? Can the future be changed or is it simply destiny? What would you do if you knew you were going to die? All of these were fascinating questions.
I enjoyed the pilot. It was large and noisy and grandiose, just like LOST. But I cannot muster the same kind of enthusiasm for it any longer. It’s not fair to compare FlashForward to LOST, per se, but since they’re both meant to be shows over-arching mythologies (or over-arching storylines), let’s do it anyways.
FlashForward is slow. That’s the major problem right now. Oh, I understand that they obviously cannot give all of the secrets away right off the bat (because then what’s the point?). And one could readily make the argument that LOST is also slow – in the sense that it took a very long time (years) for us to start getting answers or a better idea of the overall mythology of the island. But what kept my interest in LOST during all of those seasons where got absolutely no answers – and just more questions – were the characters. The LOST characters are fascinating. Their internal struggles, their back stories, their connections to each other. I cared about the characters and even if the LOST show runners never tell me the source of those bloody numbers, I’m still going to consider the show an epic piece of television mastery.
FlashForward doesn’t have the same kind of character depth that LOST does. That’s not to say FlashForward has bad actors. It most certainly does not. All of them are fantastic. Most of them have starred in some really big movies. But their characters really lack the type of interesting back story and internal struggles that characterizes some of the best stories on LOST (like Sawyer, Locke and Ben). So Mark will be drinking in his future? That’s the big struggle? Olivia will cheat? It just doesn’t resonate with me. And if the pacing of the show is slow – which it is – then I need something else to keep me interested week after week. For me, right now, the most interesting story is Demetri’s (John Cho). I really like Cho as an actor (especially after seeing him appear in Star Trek this year) and I think trying to prevent your own death is the most interesting storyline.
The problem now is that the die is cast and it’s going to be difficult to inject more interesting character aspects. However, if the writers can start to pick up the pace of the storytelling, then the weakness in the characters will blend more into the background and the show will become much more interesting again.
Great article, Clarissa! I have found FlashForward to be kind of slow the past 2 weeks but I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will improve after the holidays, because I think there is a lot of potential there. Except Mark- I haven’t liked his character from day 1 and I think that the actor plays him very woodenly.
I know 2 shows that I *don’t* want overhauled in any way, and they are Glee and Vamp Diaries. Since I love these shows so much, that means they are doomed ;)
Great article, Clarissa! I have found FlashForward to be kind of slow the past 2 weeks but I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will improve after the holidays, because I think there is a lot of potential there. Except Mark- I haven't liked his character from day 1 and I think that the actor plays him very woodenly.
I know 2 shows that I *don't* want overhauled in any way, and they are Glee and Vamp Diaries. Since I love these shows so much, that means they are doomed ;)
I felt the same way about FlashForward until I saw this weeks episode ( 10th, Australia ), it was amazing – first time I’m looking forward to the next episode!
I felt the same way about FlashForward until I saw this weeks episode ( 10th, Australia ), it was amazing – first time I'm looking forward to the next episode!
Heroes is beyond saving. I don’t think there’s anything anyone can do that will get people to tune in again and I don’t see this kind of series running on a bit over 5 million. I don’t know why I still watch. After every episode I decide to stop watching but I always come back… just to be disappointed. So much material in Heroes is completely pointless. It’s like you said: so many scenes have just nothing in them. There’s no action and nothing new to learn about those characters. Why am I watching Noah refall in love with that lady they just forced into his past? Is this going to be important to the overall story? If they want to do a romance thing they have to do it in context of the show. Right now I feel like I’m watching several shows at once. It’s the carnival/Hiro story (OK), the Petrelli/Sylar story (good) and some romantic/teen angst crap with the Bennett family (Why?!).
I can’t break up with Heroes. It gave me so many beautiful moments. Sounds like I’m playing relationship chicken.
Heroes is beyond saving. I don't think there's anything anyone can do that will get people to tune in again and I don't see this kind of series running on a bit over 5 million. I don't know why I still watch. After every episode I decide to stop watching but I always come back… just to be disappointed. So much material in Heroes is completely pointless. It's like you said: so many scenes have just nothing in them. There's no action and nothing new to learn about those characters. Why am I watching Noah refall in love with that lady they just forced into his past? Is this going to be important to the overall story? If they want to do a romance thing they have to do it in context of the show. Right now I feel like I'm watching several shows at once. It's the carnival/Hiro story (OK), the Petrelli/Sylar story (good) and some romantic/teen angst crap with the Bennett family (Why?!).
I can't break up with Heroes. It gave me so many beautiful moments. Sounds like I'm playing relationship chicken.