Fans of serialized sci-fi mind-melts can breathe a sigh of relief: There might actually be something worth watching on ABC once Lost goes off the air.
FlashForward, which premieres at 8 p.m. EDT Thursday, revs up an epic tale of conflicted characters driven to distraction by a worldwide catastrophe.
First Look:
FlashForward Spins Global Blackout Into Time-Warp Mythos
<p>Nthat <em>hForward</emches fan-favorite <em></emthe key categories of suspense, humor, character development, back story, cinematography, soap opera and conspiracy theory. But the show’s adrenalized first episode does possess one hell of a hook: What happens when everybody on the planet blacks out for 2 minutes and 17 seconds, during which time they experience events that happen six months in the future?</p>
<rler alert:</stt points follow.)</em
Dcted by co-executive producer David S. Goyer (co-writer of <em>Dark Knight</eme briskly paced “No More Good Days” premiere begins in Los Angeles, where FBI agent Mark Benford (<a hnes</a>ctured top) is chasing terrorists aided by fellow crime-fighters played by John Cho, Courtney Vance and Christine Woods.</p>
M’s doctor wife Olivia (<a ha Walger</a>o plays Penny Widmore on <em></emerates on a hospital patient. His best friend, working-class dude Aaron (Bryan F. O’Byrne), repairs power lines. Olivia’s gun-toting colleague, Bryce (Zackhary Knighton), plays hooky from work by staring glumly into the sea.</p>
Teverything goes haywire as 6.8 billion earthlings go limp simultaneously.</p>
Athe resultant chaos, Agent Benford gets pinged with creepy déjà vu visions involving masked men, tattoos and something called Mosaic. Where’s it all heading?</p>
Fnes, the brooding British actor known mainly for his movie roles (<em>espeare in Love, The Darwin Awards</emnchors the earnest cast and gets plenty of turmoil to work through in addition to the worldwide psychotic episode he’s in charge of solving. Benford is a former alcoholic, and his marriage — civilized suburban appearance to the contrary — is crumbling.</p>
Ming in action, so far, is the wit, quirks and one-look-says-it-all nuances that propel <em></emond everyday genre fodder. On-the-nose dialogue and meat-and-potatoes acting notwithstanding, <em>hForward</emes above the pack mainly on the strength of its killer premise, borrowed from the 1999 novel by Robert J. Sawyer.</p>
Bhat measure, <em>hForward</emceeds in the only way that truly counts for serialized television: The show makes you want to tune in next week to find out what happens next.</p>
<D</stle of a mythology, rich with potential for twisted takes on destiny, memory and willpower.</p>
<D</strismatic characters might emerge, but so far the cast plays it straight down the middle.</p>
<ng:</stg
<<a hrwire’s TV ratings guide</a>>
D<em>hForward</emve as a worthy successor to <em></em you like the characters? Will you tune in for more, or is <em>hForward</emt a sci-fi throwback?</p>
Faway with your thoughts in the comments section below.</p>
<Also:</b>
