Approximately five years ago, I watched a man wake up in a jungle, run as fast as he could towards a beach, and survey the terrible carnage that was waiting for him once he got there. Luckily, this was not a real-life experience. I was watching the opening moments of “Lost.” “Lost” has shaped my television viewing experience, but sadly, it will be ending this May. ABC has been searching for the next “Lost” for a long time, and I think they have finally found in Thursday’s new show, “FlashForward”.
Thursday’s pilot episode opens with Mark Benford (Joseph Fiennes) waking up from a terrible car wreck. As he climbs out of the car to stand up, there is nothing good to see. Every single car on the highway has crashed, sirens are going off everywhere, and people are on fire. Like “Lost,” it is the aftermath of a completely terrible accident.
Soon, we watch most of our main characters going about their lives before the crash. We follow Mark into Alcoholics Anonymous and watch an unknown man on the verge of killing himself. We learn that Mark is an FBI agent, and his wife, Olivia (Sonya Walger) is a surgeon. And then, we see the crash happen.
But it’s not an ordinary crash. It’s a global disaster. Every single person on the planet passes out simultaneously for 2 minutes and 17 seconds. Millions of people die. During the blackout, we see into Mark’s consciousness as he experiences a memory. It is April 29, 2010, and someone who wants to kill him is chasing him inside his office.
April 2010 hasn’t happened yet, obviously, and that is where the title of the show comes from. During the blackout, most of the main characters experience a flashforward to this one moment in time. Those who saw nothing should be worried. Mark remembers that during his flashforward, he was trying to solve a particular case: what caused the flashforward itself.
“FlashForward”, like “Lost”, is a serial drama that focuses on many characters whose lives will all eventually intersect. As we meet the main characters, we begin to see the far-reaching effects of what the flashfoward means. Demetrei (John Cho), Mark’s partner, saw absolutely nothing when he blacked out. Olivia saw herself in love with another man who she has not even met. Some people saw good things in the future. Others saw nothing of particular importance.
It is rare for a pilot episode to captivate my attention as quickly as this did. In only 42 minutes, it introduces a handful of characters and many storylines. The cast all seems perfectly suited to their roles, and even though Joseph Fiennes and Sonya Walger are foreign, their American accents in this show are flawless. Like “Lost,” about a million questions were asked, but “FlashFoward” actually started to answer them. By the end of the pilot, we learned what most of the main characters had flashed about, and I’m so interested in finding out how they will get there. “FlashForward” seems like it is going to end every episode on a cliffhanger, which is frustratingly awesome. At the end of the pilot, we learned that there was one man in Michigan who didn’t succumb to the blackouts. Who is he? Why did he stay conscious? Hopefully, the show will answer these questions soon.
“FlashForward” made a few blatant references to “Lost,” clearly trying to pick up the same audience. They showed a billboard for Oceanic Airlines as well as a kangaroo wandering around downtown LA, belonging just as much as that polar bear did in that jungle. Olivia’s portrayer, Sonya Walger, plays Penny on “Lost,” and I’m sure most “Lost” fans will be excited in a few episodes when Dominic Monaghan (Charlie) shows up.
From the pilot, “FlashForward” appears to be asking some really important philosophical questions. Does fate exist? If we know what is supposed to happen, can we change the future? What does all this mean? I, for one, am very excited to find out. “FlashForward” airs on Thursdays, 7 central, on ABC. You won’t regret tuning in.
-Andie Hutner