FlashForward, Episode 1.02: "White to Play" (Thoughts & Theories)

Welcome to week 2 of FlashForward analysis! 


From an aesthetic standpoint, I have to say that I love how the show is filmed in darker, muted tones. This episode reminded me of the feel of The Dark Knight (especially the Utah scenes), which is no coincidence given that FlashForward co-creator David S. Goyer wrote the story for both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, and also wrote and directed "White to Play." I hope that Goyer maintains his active role on FlashForward, that his very strong influence on this show continues to seep into its direction and overall aesthetic. 


For future reference, I will be referring to the Global Blackout as the GBO and a person's flashforward as FF. 


After only two episodes, I'm trying to wrap my head around what each main character saw in their future flashes. Bear with me as I attempt to explore the relationships...

• Charlie Benford knows Dylan Simcoe, but not his father Lloyd
• Dylan Simcoe knows Olivia Benford, but Olivia does not seem to know him
• Lloyd does not recognize Olivia

Mark Benford


More than anyone, it seems as if Agent Benford is destined to live out D. Gibbons' prescient statement, "he who foresees calamity suffers them twice over."


Dr. Olivia Benford


We know that her husband Mark is not telling her that he fell off the wagon in his FF; that he was drinking heavily during his vision. My guess is that she is failing to divulge all of the details from her FF as well. 


Janis Hawk


Hawk has three circles tattooed on her forearm, and in Benford's FF he notices that one of the men who is coming after him has three stars tattooed on his forearm. Mere coincidence?

For what it's worth, Hawk is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters on FlashForward, especially because of her FF. At the Comic-Con panel earlier this summer, Christine Woods was the only unknown actor on stage, but I found her to be very charming and am happy to see that she plays such an integral role on the show.  


Demetri Noh


Obviously it does not bode well for Noh that the Sheriff in Pigeon did not have a FF and died shortly thereafter. And then there is that late-night phone call from a woman who tells him that something she read in her FF indicated that he will be murdered on 3/15/10. That she read this in an intelligence report leads me to believe that she is CIA or from some other government agency, although it is unclear which country she hails from or works in. Given that Noh is an FBI agent, he certainly has the resources and is in a better position to attempt to solve his own murder in advance. Noh's character is the key to the entire series; if you know HOW you're going to die, can you prevent it?


Dylan Simcoe


I find it very interesting that Lloyd's son is autistic, and am curious to find out if and how that affected his FF vision. 

From the little I know about autism and the research I've seen about how autistic children communicate, it seems that they are less likely to share their experiences. So of course I can't wait to see why he is asking to speak to Olivia. His social development and interaction will be quite different from other children, and so I also look forward to scenes between Dylan and Charlie for that very reason. 


Lloyd Simcoe


I know I'm not alone when I say that he is hiding something, that he does indeed recognize Olivia, and that he may be involved with the GBO. The fact that he stepped away from Olivia in her vision to take a private phone call only fuels this theory fire. I wonder if Mark and his team will ever trace Simcoe's phone if they do become suspicious of him for any reason, and if that call will be connected to the suspects they've identified thus far...


Dr. Bryce Varley


Last week I was curious about what in his FF changed him from a man on the verge of suicide into an optimistic, philosophical person? I had an epiphany upon a second viewing of this episode, and it is purely speculative...Dr. Varley is the father of Janis Hawk's unborn child. Perhaps that is why he is a changed man, why he seems to be the happiest person post-GBO than anyone else we've met. In Janis' vision, we only see her and the OB/GYN technician, but I have a feeling that when we are finally privy to Varley's FF, he will be in the room as well. Regardless of whether or not I'm on the right track, we do see him sketching a mystery woman in the hospital, so it seems his future involves a love interest. 


Stanford Wedeck, Assistant Director of the FBI


I have to say that the infusion of humor this week, at Wedeck's expense, was appreciated. Obviously this show's focus is rather dramatic, so I do enjoy the moments of necessary levity. 

Case in point - Wedeck's FF in the men's room. 


Suspect Zero & D. Gibbons


They are the only two people that we know about thus far who were awake during the GBO. We have no idea what caused the GBO, but I have to ponder how these men were immune to it; i.e. did they create and take preventative measures such as drug or other chemical injections? 


It struck me that Janis pointed out that there is a 1 in 40 chance that Suspect Zero is female. Like many others, I am hoping that they're wrong - that Suspect Zero is in fact a woman. If for no other reason, it would be an unusual twist on the typical television 'villain.' 


At first I wondered why D. Gibbons purchased that bus ticket in Pigeon. He must have intended to lure Agents Benford and Noh to the doll warehouse next door. His investigation into the cause of the GBO probably led him to the agent's names, and he rigged his secret lab to blow when they arrived, allowing for his escape. He WANTS their attention and for them to follow his trail. 


Last week I mentioned that the name D. Gibbons was more than likely homage to original Watchmen comic book artist Dave Gibbons. Taking that thought a step further, there are indeed a few themes from that graphic novel which may be applicable to FlashForward as it progresses; alternate realities/histories, investigating the unknown to avoid further global disaster, etc. And taking David S. Goyer's comic book adaptation background into consideration, you have to agree that Gibbons was specifically designated as a key name in the series. 


White Queen chess piece


The title of this episode is "White to Play," which I think signifies the beginning of a premeditated game between Suspect Zero, D. Gibbons and their team with the FBI and Benford. 

I believe that the white queen chess piece may be a very significant clue in the GBO puzzle, and that there are many possibilities as to its meaning:

• The white queen is the most powerful of all chess pieces; it may be an indication of a female villain
• The White Queen in Through the Looking Glass is actually a helpful ally, but one who travels rather quickly. Perhaps Benford is her pawn, and he will be chasing her down the GBO rabbit hole from here on out.  
• There is an unusual female thief named Sandra Paris in a series of short detective stories by Edward Hoch who goes by the nickname White Queen

Of course some of these are a stretch, but the creative team behind FlashForward seems to be as pop culture savvy and well-read as those who bring us Lost, so it is not out of the realm of possibility that literary references will be interspersed throughout the series. 


Mosaic Collective


For those of you who have not already done so, I recommend perusing the active Mosaic Collective website. It is a well produced and fascinating site, and I believe that all videos are canon with regard to the series. 

In fact, I've heard that Marcie Turoff (an Intelligence Analyst with the Mosaic Collective) may appear on the show. I actually met her at Comic-Con, as she interviewed me after I recorded my personal FF video in the Mosaic booth. 


Crazy Theory of the Week


Charlie Benford was with D. Gibbons in her FF, and that is how she knows that he is a "bad man." She said she dreamt that "there are no more good days" but I have a feeling that those exact words were expressed by D. Gibbons and she is repeating what she heard during her FF. 
---


I don't know about you, but I simply cannot wait to meet Simon, Dominic Monaghan's character on FlashForward. From the very brief glimpse we got of him in a scene revealed at the Comic-Con panel, it seems that Simon has the potential to be a small-screen Joker; a jovial, mysterious menace.  


Thank you for tuning in again with me this week, and for all of your comments! I look forward to your thoughts about this episode and the next, "137 Sekunden." 


-Jo

FlashForward Contest Winners

Thank you for your patience and comments! I have pulled the following names from a hat, and the items will be shipped out this weekend.

• Erin M - "FlashForward" by Robert J. Sawyer
• Juancarlos - "FlashForward" by Robert J. Sawyer
• Kevin T - FlashForward t-shirt from Comic-Con 09
• Michael F - FlashForward poster from Comic-Con 09

Stay tuned throughout the season, as I have other giveaways planned!

Initial Thoughts & Theories - FlashForward, Episode 1.01: "No More Good Days"

Hello, and welcome to both my Lost and new FlashForward friends! Before I get started with episode analysis, I want to provide a brief outline of my plans and policy for this blog, which are very similar to how I operate my Lost site: 

• I will not only avoid spoilers at all costs for FlashForward, I will never post any here. 
• The primary focus of this blog will be purely speculative analysis of each episode. I will also post related news about the series. 
• I will not be analyzing the differences and similarities between FF and Lost week after week; I have a feeling that many other sites will, and that is their prerogative.  
• I never visit message boards/forums or other FlashForward sites before compiling and then sharing thoughts of my own here every week; I aim to post my theories as soon as possible following new episodes.
• All comments will be moderated; I completely encourage and appreciate feedback, but merely ask that it is constructive when you disagree with a theory, etc.

So let's stretch out some red string and try to map out what on earth we saw in the first ever hour of FlashForward, "No More Good Days."


I imagine that like many of you, I find myself with far more questions than answers after only one episode...


NOT Lost


Let's get this right out of the way - I have seen every single episode of Lost at least 3 times, and have studied and written about that series extensively for five years now. I do not think FlashForward is anything like Lost, nor was it intended to be.  

The obvious nods to its predecessor in the FlashForward pilot (an Oceanic billboard being the most blatant) are acknowledgements; gestures of appreciation for paving the road, for creating a television environment where a show of this magnitude can be made and thrive with rabid fan and network support. FlashForward is staffed by an entirely different creative and production team, with no Lost crossover. My hope is that fans of both series' will eventually stop comparing Dom Monaghan and Sonya Walger from their former Lost roles and embrace their new FlashForward characters with an open mind and fresh slate.


Mark Benford's Bulletin Board


There are many items on the board in Benford's flash; here is what I was able to catch, and initial thoughts about some of them:

• case file: photo of Nhadra Udaya, a Middle Eastern woman
• evidence sheet: Joel Act Cough or Gough, dated 11/2/08
• map: Baltimore noted on post-it
• note: 137 Sekunden (German for 137 seconds; 2:17, the duration of the blackout)
• note: Blue Hand 
• note: D. Gibbons (nod to Watchmen author Dave Gibbons)
• note: Owners Markings
• note: three star tattoo (matching the ink on the assassin's arm during Benford's vision)
• painting/postcard: nude man posing, thinking
• photo: burned baby doll with bullet nearby (taken by Salt Lake City CSI)
• photo: older white male
• Red Panda Resources sticker
• red string connecting various items
• textbook illustration: nude women
• UK passport (belonging to Simcoe or Simon, perhaps?)
• wooden chess piece

Benford's FlashForward


One of the more intriguing elements of Benford's vision was a very quick flash of the masks that the assassins with laser weapons are wearing...before they were put on. Benford briefly remembers seeing the masks hanging up somewhere, but not on his bulletin board. 


Given that April 29, 2010 is very clearly marked as D-Day on Benford's calendar in his office, and that the rest of the FBI building seemed vacated during his vision, I look forward to finding out where his team and family are at that exact moment.


Oranges


Blame it on film class. I automatically link the appearance of oranges on the small and big screen with pending death, thanks to the Godfather trilogy. Vito perused the citrus and they shot him down. Sonny passed an OJ billboard right before getting murdered at the tollbooth. Michael had an orange in his hand when he was killed. 


Thus...I was not surprised to see that there was an orange stand on the side of the road where Benford and Noh awoke from the blackout to mass destruction and death. 


Original Suspects


Two of the three original suspects that Benford and Noh were pursuing in the black SUV right before the blackout are now dead, but we have to ponder whether their possible involvement as well. It seems they are domestic terrorists and that a suitcase was involved, and so of course I want to know what it contained and if it is a significant clue.


Animals


By my count, we witnessed two animals alive and well after the blackout occurred, a dog in a car and a kangaroo in the street. On the other hand, a bird crashed into a window in London and died. I am curious to discover what, if anything, the animals of the world experienced during those two minutes besides disorientation. The kangaroo's incongruous presence in the streets of Los Angeles is obviously quite significant, and I expect it will be addressed before season's end. 


Charlie Benford


I don't know about you, but I can't wait to find out what Olivia and Mark's daughter saw during those two minutes. 

She is the one who dreamt about "no more good days," and perhaps the key to Mark's future is embedded in his daughters flashforward rather than on his bulletin board...


Demetri Noh


So far, Demetri is the only person we've met who did not experience a flashforward during the blackout. My gut reaction is that he was chosen or saved, and serves a very important purpose as the world attempts to unravel what they collectively saw and experienced. Noh is assuming that his lack of vision results from the fact that he is not alive in six months time, but perhaps he plays a role that has yet to be revealed to even him. 

Another possible hint that his circumstances may differ from others is that he was not where he was supposed to be upon waking up from the blackout; he should have been upside down in the car with Benford, but was inexplicably standing across the freeway instead. 


Aaron Stark


I love the possibilities introduced with Stark's flashforward; that his previously deceased daughter is still alive. A simple answer would be mistaken DNA identity...but I seriously doubt that any answers on this show will be easy or simple. That she was in the military and he is a recovering addict are necessary and complicated layers to what may become the most touching storyline in season one. 

Dr. Bryce Varley

We are introduced to this character during his darkest hour, and I would hope that we find out exactly why this successful, good looking young doctor was about to kill himself. Given that we do not know anything about him, my first thought was that perhaps he knew about or was involved with what caused the blackout. 


After he awoke from the blackout, Bryce went to rescue a surfer but seemingly left his gun sitting on the pier...which was rather populated, including small children. Irrelevant?


Suspect Zero


I do not believe that he was the only person on earth who was awake during the blackout, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he triggered that last step to make it happen. If I had to guess, there were other Suspects worldwide who were in locations outside of security camera perimeters during the blackout, all somehow immune to the experience they created and caused.
---


I loved the pilot episode of FlashForward; it was incredibly shot and well crafted from start to finish.  This is a stellar cast working with a very strong creative team, and the potential for the series is both exciting and wide open. From a story standpoint, more than anything, I look forward to finding out IF they can change the future and how they go about doing so. 


Thank you so much for joining me, and apologies for the delay with this first round. Although I will not be posting theories and thoughts immediately following each episode, I aim to do so within a few days of when they air every week. As the season progresses, I hope to delve deeper with regard to theorizing, and provide more photos to accompany the posts as well. 


I would love to hear from YOU; let me know what you thought about the premiere, Easter Eggs I may have missed, theories about characters, etc. Feel free to leave comments below!  


-Jo

FlashForward Contest: Announcement

Please accept my apologies in advance. I have been severely under the weather and quarantined at home since late last week. Thus, I have not had the energy yet to either pick the winners of the FlashForward items or even post my very first FF episode analysis. For those of you following the Lost Rewatch, this is also why my latest entry is quite tardy.

I am aiming to announce the winners later this week, as well as ship out the items next weekend. Thank you for your patience! It sounds like the vast majority of you enjoyed the premiere; I look forward to hearing your thoughts about each new episode. 

- Jo

Win a FlashForward T-Shirt, Poster or Books!

To celebrate the debut of FlashForward tomorrow night on ABC, I have a few items to give away! Up for grabs: two copies of Robert J. Sawyer's book, as well as a FlashForward poster and FlashForward t-shirt from Comic-Con 09.

To enter, simply leave a comment (with your name and email address) either about your expectations/predictions for the series or your reaction to the pilot episode after it airs. The only requirement for entry is that you must live in the U.S. This contest is open until Sunday, September 27.

Good luck, and enjoy the show! 

FlashForward at Comic-Con 09: Belated Photos & Backstage Videos

Better late than never? 

Here are a few photos from the FlashForward panel at Comic-Con 2009 in San Diego from July, as well as my videos from the press room following the panel. I was very excited to have had the opportunity to ask John Cho, Joseph Fiennes, Dominic Monaghan and Courtney B. Vance each a question during the press roundtables.

Below that are photos of the Mosaic Collective Booth on the exhibition floor.

Co-Creator/Executive Producer/Writer Brannon Braga, Executive Producer Mark Guggenheim & Co-Creator/Executive Producer/Director/Writer David S. Goyer

Joseph Fiennes 

John Cho & Courtney B. Vance

Christine Woods

Surprise guest & new series regular Dominic Monaghan

The doors to the Mosaic booth where we recorded our personal flashforwards

The montage on the wall of the Mosaic Collective booth

Interviewing David S. Goyer & Dominic Monaghan

Interviewing Courtney B. Vance

Interviewing Joseph Fiennes & John Cho

Seeking Site Feedback

Hello, FlashForward friends!

As we approach the premiere of the series next month, I would love your feedback as I contemplate the future and direction of this site.

If you have time and don't mind responding in the Comments (using either your real name or anonymously posting), I would really appreciate your thoughts about the following:

• Would you follow/read/comment along if I structured and maintained this site and content in a similar fashion to my Lost site? (i.e. theory-heavy and spoiler-free, with news and occasional contests)

Obviously the pilot episode hasn't even aired yet, so many of you may not be ready to answer that question.

On my right shoulder, a tiny devil is screaming in one ear, "let everyone else do this with the next show; read their sites instead!" while a small angel perched on my left shoulder is whispering, "you know you're not capable of simply watching a mysterious, easter-egg filled series without analyzing and sharing your thoughts..."

As of right now, I am leaning toward dedicating that same Lost level of time and energy to FlashForward for three reasons: I found the book to be completely riveting, my experience at the Comic-Con booth was equally strange and intriguing, and the various show-related websites prove that they are serious about their commitment to fan and audience interaction from the get-go.

That being said, I will not be at all offended if you don't think you'll be interested in a site that focuses on possible theories, if you think you might be burned out from this type of exhaustive analysis once Lost ends next year, or if you're over me in general. :)

Thoughts? I will read and respond to all comments, and take all of your feedback into serious consideration over the next few weeks. Thank you in advance!

-Jo