FlashForward Ep. 2 – White to Play
Written by Brando Calrissian on October 17, 2009
Sorry for the delay here, but let’s take a look at the second episode of Flashforward which is entitled, “White to Play” (a chess reference for those who are unaware).
In this episode we pick up 3 days after the events of the first episode. Hot on the heels of quickly (and conveniently) finding footage of the only known person to be awake during the blackout (seen at a baseball game in Detroit), the FBI is trying to find some leads on who this wo/man could be. Once again they’re also operating off the assumption that Mark’s flash forward is the best lead they have on the whole situation since he saw the investigation board while blacked out. They turn their efforts to trying to whittle down the number of D. Gibbons’s in the world, and in another stroke of luck D. Gibbons comes to them. Or at least a D. Gibbons.
In a series of rapid fire revelations and/or hunches the FBI is led to an old rundown and abandoned doll factory in Pigeon, Utah. Dmitri is somewhat relieved when he talks to the Utah policewoman who joins their investigation, as she also had no flash forward during her blackout. At the same time, though, we can also see that it feeds into his fear of what that may mean, as well. While investigating the doll factory Mark, Dmitri and the Utah policewoman run into someone who isn’t supposed to be there. A crazy looking man shouts some random nonsense (which will obviously make more sense as the series plays out) at them and then set the factory on fire, shooting the woman in the process. This freaks Dmitri out, since it now would explain her blank blackout and of course relate to his fears about his own.
After recovering evidence and a few clues which may provide some leads, they head back home only to have some major plot driving moments take place as the episode comes to a close. Dmitri receives a call on his cell phone telling him he will be murdered on March 15, 2010 (about a month before the day everyone flashed forward to) and Mark finds out that his daughter Charlie’s flash forward had some connection to D. Gibbons when she ends on the note, “D. Gibbons is a bad man.” Cut to black.
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, and Further Notes of Mine:
- I thought the kids reenacting the blackout as a playground game was a very nice touch. It’s logical that they would mimic the world at large, yet was also a very creepy into to the show. Well played.
- This segment though again bring up the question: What is it that Charlie saw in her flash forward?
- I was bugged by the whole brigade of helicopters flying onto the scene. It’s 3 days removed from a world wide blackout that cause planes, trains, and automobiles (ha, again) to crash and you’re flying directly over a major city with a bunch of helicopters?!? What?! Why are people just assuming it won’t or can’t happen again?
- I thought the mention of 18 FBI agents handing in their resignations was a logical follow up to the chaos at least.
- The fact that they actually made the Mosaic Collective website is just funny to me. This seems entirely absurd that there would be a government sponsored and run website for this sort of thing. Not to mention the fact that anyone could write down any random story they wanted. Sure it could be somewhat assuming most/some people would be telling the truth about what they saw. But there’s an awful large leap of faith going on here on the part of the FBI. Who is to say that these people are who they say they are or that their stories are true or false? Kind of weird if you ask me, not to mention how incredibly convenient it was that some woman who has information on Agent Noh just happened to be on the Mosaic Collective…and what? Looking for him? Just killing time while she was bored and was reading peoples’ stories?
- I think religious people all over would have a field day with the events, sure, but would they be calling it the rapture? Now, I’m no theologian, but fromwhat I understand the Christian Rapture sounds nothing even close to the world’s population passing out all at once. An act of God? A warning? Signs on end times? I could definitely see religious groups making those kinds of claims. though.
- Everytime I see the “person from Detroit” in the security video, for some reason I keep thinking it looks like Bill from True Blood. Maybe that’s what happened…Bill just took Sookie to a baseball game and the flash forward didn’t affect those who already dead, like vampires
- It’s weird to hear Joseph Fiennes speak with an American accent. I feel like everytime he talks he thinks he’s in a Bruce Willis action flick or that he’s Snake Plissken or something.
- Why does every single character in the show refer to the blackout as “flash forwards?” If it happened in real life I feel like there would be a multitude of terms and phrases used to describe what everyone experienced. In the show it seems universally acknowledged as “flash forwards”
- My theory on the show is that the future we saw in the flash forwards will come to pass as we saw them, and in many ways specifically because everyone flashed forward. Mark’s entire investigation thus far has been based on the fact that he saw himself investigating it in his flash forward. There’s a greater and more complex explanation to what my theory is, but I’m still trying to wrap my head around it and don’t think I’d be able to convey well just yet.
- Now that they have a suspect or two, and we know that at least two people were awake during the blackout, why in the world are people still assuming it won’t happen again? If they had thought it was a freak anomaly then perhaps they would carry on as though it couldn’t happen again out of necessity, but now that they have suspects who they think might actually behind it, where’s the logic that questions, “can and will these people make it happen again?”
- I thought the whole segment with the real D. Gibbons was pretty cool. It was very mysterious and interesting. I liked his quote, “He who foresees calamity suffers them twice over.”
- D. Gibbons’ little command center was very intriguing. He had a bunch of computers which looked as though they were maybe linked to various cameras? We can gather that he has hacking skills and high technical skills with computers and apparently setting up blatantly obvious booby traps.
- I liked that they mentioned D Gibbons and Suspect Zero using disposable cells. Disposable cells would logically have a lot of upside for the criminal or those trying to reduce their trackability.
- If Janis really wants to make sure she doesn’t get pregnant…well…DON’T HAVE SEX UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS! Perhaps that’s just been passed up by the show as an absurd thought, but come on…I mean…why not even mention that as an option? Or maybe she just falls in the group of people who wouldn’t mind their flash forward coming true.
- How did Dmitri’s cell phone work so well in the parking garage? I never get reception in parking garages, even above ground ones.
- I hate that Mark is this man of virute and truth by what he says, but then turns around and lies to his wife just after he tells her how important it is to tell the truth about these flashes. Weak sauce. You’d think if he thought there was any chance he could change his future that he would tell Olivia about his drinking. That way she could be aware and try to help hold him accountable and work together to avoid that end.
- In spite of me ripping on this show’s logic, I still find it interesting and intriguing enough to keep going. I really liked the note the episode ended on with Noh being told he would be murdered on March 15, 2010. It was chilling and sets up a good story arc for him beyond just being afraid that of what his blank blackout meant. Also Charlie’s line, “D. Gibbons is a bad man” was very creepy and ominous. Good note to end on.
Well if you agree or disagree you should comment here or head on over to the discussion forums and make your comments there!
