Flash Forward Leaves Viewers on the Edge of Their Seats

The new show that began this fall, Flash Forward, was added to my DVR as a curiosity. I didn't do a lot of research aside from visiting the Mosaic website (a compilation of stories from people around the world who share their "flash forwards") which was set up online to help promote the new show.

Once I watched the first episode, I was hooked. This is a completely unique show with nail-biting endings, impossible plot twists and amazingly complex characters. This is being hailed as the next "Lost".

The general plot of the show (don't worry, no spoilers here) is that on October 6, the entire world loses consciousness for 137 seconds. During that time, everyone sees a glimpse of their futures 6 months later. Imagine everyone on earth being unconscious, no matter what they were doing at the time. Many horrible deaths occurred due to such disasters as driving, swimming, flying ...

The survivors, waking up, are completely clueless. Why would this happen? Who could make this happen? This is the premise for the future season and beyond. We are introduced to a core group of characters who try to deal with their lives, knowing what they know about their futures. The thing that gives this show an edge is that with an entire world of people, plots can spin in many different directions, connecting where they will.

Agent Mark Benford (played by Joseph Fiennes) is an FBI Agent and, important to the plot, a recovering alcoholic. In Mark's Flash Forward, he is investigating the event at the time that masked gunmen are entering his office. There are many holes in his memory, but he can clearly see a white board he has constructed which contains names, pictures and clues that will assist the FBI in beginning to learn what has happened. Although there is much speculation about these "future memories", enough have been corroborated around the world to create curiosity.

Mark's partner, Agent Demetri Noh (played by John Cho) has his own problems. He saw nothing during his flash forward, which leads him to believe that he is dead before the 6 month day of their visions. His fears are further confirmed when he first meets a police officer who saw nothing and is then killed in a shooting. Further, using a website created by the FBI office, called "Mosaic", people post their visions online. When Demetri finally decides to go online and admit that he saw nothing, he receives a mysterious phone call from a woman claiming to know that he is murdered in the near future. The Mosaic does help connect people, but it is also a problem due to privacy issues. People start living based upon their visions rather than living in the present.

Imagine a first date being able to see whether or not you are still together in the future. Imagine Mark Benford knowing that if his flash forward is true, then it is probable that his wife will cheat on him in the future. Demetri has chosen to keep his fate secret from his fiancée, Zoey (played by Gabrielle Union) when she tells him that she sees them being married in her Flash Forward.

Mark's wife, Olivia (played by Sonya Walger) is a surgeon who flashes forward to see herself in an affair with another man. It is even more unsettling when she meets the man, who is at the hospital because of his little boy. Lloyd Simcoe (played by Jack Davenport) did not see Olivia in his dream, which makes it very awkward for Olivia as she strives to avoid him. Having no intention of seeing her vision come true, she does her best to change her fate.

Olivia's assistant, Dr. Bryce Varley (played by Zachary Knighton) is seen on a bridge ready to take his own life just before the blackout occurs. Through a stroke of fate, he wakes to find enlightenment and meaning in his life. He wants to help others face their fates as well. Bryce is constantly focusing on the future even as Olivia fights the truth every step of the way, even to the point of letting a patient die.

The Assistant Director of the FBI Stanford Wedeck (played by Courtney B. Vance, of Law and Order: Criminal Intent fame), spearheads the investigation into the events surrounding the blackout, relying heavily on Mark Benford's flash forward. Ultimately, he will go as far as blackmailing the President of the United States to ensure that he keeps control of the investigation.

Special Agent Janis Hawk (played by Christine Woods) is on the team that sets up the "Mosaic" website. Although the Mosaic is to help people connect, the other side of the coin is that people can now "Mosaic" each other (the new "Google") to see what they saw. This happens with Janis when her date wants to see if their relationship has a future. Janis' Flash Forward shows her getting a sonogram at 6 months' pregnant. This is unbelievable to Janis, as she is not seeing anyone, and she is gay. Her mystery makes even less sense when she is shot and learns that she will probably not be able to have children.

Aaron Stark, (played by Brian F. O'Byrne) is a good friend (and AA Sponsor) to Mark Benford. In Aaron's Flash Forward, he sees his daughter. The mystery here is that his daughter was killed in Afghanistan. He ardently now believes that his daughter is out there alive. Aaron is one of the few people that know that Mark is a recovering alcoholic and how that has caused problems in his marriage in the past.

The Benford's babysitter for their daughter Charlie (Lennon Wynn) and one of Aaron's daughter's best friends from childhood is Nicole Kirby (Peyton List), has had a Flash Forward of herself being drowned by a man. The feeling that she deserves this impending death haunts her.

The story unfolds each week, revealing surprising details at every turn. Without giving away the plot for those that are just beginning the series, be prepared to be shocked at the end of each episode, then disappointed that you'll have to wait a whole week to see what happens! We, the viewers, find ourselves avidly watching each character's storyline, desperately trying to connect the clues. It's fun and exciting and always keeps us in suspense.

For those new to the show, episodes can be seen on Hulu.com. Check it out soon! Then you can join your friends at the water cooler on Friday mornings to discuss the newest revelations!