FlashForward
News (Page 2)

One major problem we've had so far on FlashForward is the one-dimensional characters on the show.

Joseph Fiennes' Mark Benford is incredibly stuff; Courtney B. Vance's Stan Wedeck is over-the-top and not believable as a boss.

But we've loved Sonya Walger's portrayal of Olivia Benford from the beginning, as the talented actress actually makes us feel Olivia's pain as she struggles with the possibility that she'll have an affair with Lloyd Simcoe.

In an interview with Zap2It this week, Walger gets us excited for tonight's episode, which delves deeply into her vision and storyline. She says:

"It's a big episode. It's one where an awful lot of what she's been battling against really comes to a head."

Other excerpts from the article:

On playing a character that has seen her future: I feel like there's an enormous amount of fierce determination not to let the flash-forwards happen. I actually think Olivia's not that confused - I think she's just stubborn. She's not even countenancing the alternative. I think in episode four, she had to really face losing [a patient's] life or giving up her -- what would be the word? - her loyalty to Mark and everything ... she chose his life, but that was only when the odds became that extreme.

On a confrontation with Mark: I think Olivia is justifiably outraged that she's being punished for a crime she hasn't committed, and all the time, Mark has had this information about his flash-forward that he hasn't shared with her. I think the inequity of that is justifiably really irritating to her.

Every week, our staff recaps and reviews the latest FlashForward episode. Come back tomorrow morning and see what we have to say on "Scary Monsters and Super Creeps."

When we last left FlashForward, it appeared as though Janis had taken her last breath.

But - spoiler alert! - the clip below makes it evident this isn't the case: it's unclear if Janis lives or dies, but she's at least fighting for her life when tomorrow night's episode kicks off.

Take a close listen at what Demetri first says in the clip below, courtesy of "Scary Monsters and Super Creeps."

No offense to the character or the actress that plays her, but Janias absolutely has to die in order to create intrigue on the show.

Right now, everyone is operating under the unproven assumption that their visions will come true. But if Janis passes away, and therefore is clearly not pregnant on April 29, 2010, this will create a the sort of ongoing dilemma the series sorely needs.

Now that it's been picked up for a full season, expect FlashForward to announce a few casting notes for early 2010 and beyond.

First case in point: Paula Newsome will come aboard the show early next year. The actress - who has guest-starred on Bones, NCIS and played a prominent role on the short-lived Women's Murder Club - will play a doctor on the drama.

No word yet on how this character wil tie in to the rest of the story, but Olivia does work at a hospital, so anything is possible.

Welcome to FlashForward, Dominic Monaghan.

While the former Lost star made a brief - albeit intriguing and mysterious - debut on the ABC drama two weeks ago, his characer of Simon is finally featured prominently on this Thursday's episode.

Check out the official ABC promo for "Scary Monsters and Super Creeps" below:

As usual, visit TV Fanatic soon after the episode airs for a complete recap and review.

In the meantime, click on the photos below for an early look at scenes from the hour, which also focuses on the fallout from Janis' shooting...

FlashForward traveled to D.C. this week, taking an assortment of developments and questions with it.

While the episode focused mainly on Mark's hazy vision and Stan's shady relationship with various players in the nation's capital, it still managed to create new mysteries all around.

A few hours, and a good night's sleep, behind us since "Gimme Some Truth" aired, these are the questions foremost on our minds:

• Will the President be dead by the time April 29, 2010 rolls around?
• Who sent that text message to Olivia?
• Is Janis really a goner?
• Why doesn't Demetri go hide out in a cabin, with a gun aimed at the door on March 15, for the next few months?
• Is Aaron supposed to have an accent or not?!?
• Will Olivia confront Mark about his drinking?

Have any answers, or theories, regarding these issues? We'd love to hear them!

You can also take a quick look at next week's episode, "Scary Monsters and Super Creeps," right now!

The first major death on FlashForward likely took place this week.

Before we get into a review below, which includes our take on this individual's probable passing, readers can catch up on the episode "Gimme Some Truth" by following our link. All set? Here we go...

This Worked: RIP, Janis, you seemed very nice. But this is the exact development the show needs. It couldn't have gone on for too long blindly assuming everyone's flash forwards were going to come true. Now, assuming Janis doesn't recover, Mark and company will be forced to figure out how to proceed.

This Needs Work: Courtney B. Vance and Joseph Fiennes are clearly solid actors, but each is struggling with his FlashForward role. Vance overplays every scene - did he really need to overtly sigh and shake his head during the Senate hearing? - and Fiennes looks either constipated or confused. His character is stale and boring, simply put.

This Worked: Kudos to the series for stepping back and giving viewers some idea that this is a national crisis. We need to get out of the Los Angeles FBI office more often, considering the depth of destruction caused by the blackouts. It was especially intriguing to meet Senator Clemente, someone who might actually use the blackout to her personal advantage.

This Needs Work: We understand one can't question a show such as this too much, but when a character (Demetri) continues to lament his eventual murder, it's difficult not to yell at the screen: just stay inside on March 15, 2010 in that case!

Overall, the characters harp too much on their visions. It's absolutely all anyone talks about. Aside from making each person seem less human as a result, it also forces viewers to consider why they don't take action to prevent unwanted futures from taking place.

Now, with Janis hopefully dead, it will be intriguing to see how this changes the dynamic of the series. Do you agree? Disagree? Write in now and share your thoughts!

On this Thursday's new episode of FlashForward, Mark testifies before a Senate committee.

This creates problems for both himself and his wife, as the former is forced to defend himself in front of inquisitive, doubtful senators; while the latter is concerned about her husband's state of mind.

In the following clip, Mark squirms and stammers at his hearing:

Meanwhile, after this jump, watch Olivia press Aaron about Mark's sobriety. Might his trip to DC force him off the wagon?

Continue Reading...

ABC has picked up FlashForward for a full season, but all is not well for the show.

Hyped as a replacement for Lost, the drama has struggled to maintain solid ratings, while critics gripe about a lack of interesting characters or interesting developments on the series.

Now, showrunner Marc Guggenheim has departed the show, though whether he quit or was pushed out (likely the latter) remain unclear.

Guggenheim has an impressive resume. He created fan favorite Eli Stone and has written for Brothers & Sisters. He joined FlashForward subsequent to its pilot shoot.

We still tune in to the drama each week, but something is definitely missing from it. The characters seem stale, and too obsessed with their personal visions. What about the blackout itself? Millions of people died during it, yet we're supposed to be heavily invested in the Benford's marriage?!?

The magic of Lost is that it focuses on a small set of characters, lets the viewers know each intimately, and has built up the storyline to make it seem as if these people have an effect on the world as a whole.

FlashForward has, unsuccessfully, gone the other way. It instantly depicted a worldwide catastrophe; and then narrowed the focus to a tiny segment of the population.

Will producer David Goyer - who wrote Batman Begins and will likely take over for Guggenheim - fix this problem? We hope so.

Dominic Monaghan made his long-awaited debut on FlashForward last week.

The former Lost star shocked viewers when he appeared as Simon, spoke to Lloyd over the phone and seemed to confirm that this pair played a significant role in the global blackout.

As for what's to come on the popular ABC series, Monaghan told E! News he's currently shooting episode 11 and:

"We're just gonna go a little further and further down the rabbit hole, and then as we get closer and closer to the finale, things will start to come back together... I like playing characters that are messed up. And that seems to be where we're going with Simon."

Sources say Monagha's character will be featured promiently on the October 29 episode of FlashForward.

This week, on a new episode of FlashForward...

• ... Mark is questioned about the details of his vision during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing;
• ... Janis wonders how her flash forward will affect her romantic relationship;
• ... Olivia receives an anonymous message that relates to Mark’s future.

Check out the official ABC promo below for the installment titled "Give Me Some Truth."

Read our latest FlashForward theory now and let us know your thoughts on it. Was Nicole being killed on April 29, 2010... or baptized?