What would really happen if we could take a glimpse into the future?ABC has given an official 13-episode pickup for their series “Flash Forward,” adapted from the novel of the same name by Robert J. Sawyer.
Seeing as the show is moving forward, I’ve decided to review the pilot script.
I haven’t read the novel it’s adapted from, so my thoughts here are strictly based upon the script, written by David Goyer from the recent Batman movies and Brannon Braga, who once was a showrunner for "Star Trek: Voyager" and "Star Trek: Enterprise."
The press releases describe the series as a drama, which "chronicles the aftermath of a global event in which everyone in the world blacks out for 137 seconds and has a mysterious vision of the future.”
Specifically each person sees a glimpse of their own future several months away. It’s a fascinating concept, but it left me wondering how exactly they would play this series out over the long haul. Will it spend several seasons leading up to the date everyone flashed to? Or will we be dealing with the flash forward guest of the week?
The pilot isn’t clear on it, but it does lean more toward one than another.
The show is centered on the FBI agents who are tasked with investigating the cause of the flash forward event, and the people close to them. The script contains several great ideas which I want to touch upon briefly.
There is a description of the aftermath of the event on a Los Angeles freeway. I hope this scene makes it into the show, because it’s an extremely powerful scene.
Another idea I liked was the FBI’s use of the Internet in collecting the flash forward stories from people around the world. It seemed like a great idea, and I applaud it, whether it came from the novel’s author or the script writers.
One idea I thought was a cheat was how our FBI agent begins his investigation of the event. In his flash forward, he sees himself looking at his investigation board, with all of his leads listed. He begins his investigation in the present based on what he remembered seeing on his future board.
This incident ties into a rather big part of this show. Time travel fanatics will probably debate this over and over again. Having seen the future, how do we proceed? Is the future malleable, and subject to change with the knowledge at hand? Or is it predestined, and the only point in watching the show is seeing how we get from now to then?
This question is front in center in the main character’s mind, hoping for one to be true, fearing the other is. And as the episode proceeds, it appears the writers have chosen their direction. I felt the fear of the unfolding events with our main character, and hoped the things seen could be avoided.
And one final thought. When an event causes everyone in the world to see a glimpse of their future, what does it mean when you only see black? This is the question our main character’s partner needs to unravel.