Flash Forward to good times

So, I watched the premiere episode of Flash Forward on Sunday. (I had it dvr'd and that was when could get to it. I never do anything in a timely manner. Shut up.) All in all, I was impressed. I can forgive a whole lot in a pilot episode. Usually they haven't hit their stride or launched *quite* the feel they'll have in coming episodes, when the meat of the story gets good and juicy.

(Huh. There's an analogy there...a pilot is kinda like the charred ends of a steak that no one with any real sense or taste would eat anyway cause it's over-cooked and tastes like shoe. Instead, those with discerning palates wait until the knife gets toward the center where the tender, flavorful, juicy meat awaits. But no one should truly BLAME the cook for that icky overdone mess at the ends, because it is the nature of the fire. Or network.)

Okay, so all in all, it was pretty acceptable. There were a few bits that were a little ridiculous or unbelievable. Certainly there were a few moments that should have been done COMPLETELY differently. But likewise there were moments that made me want more. And any time a TV show does that (Thank you, Supernatural. I heart you.) I vote that it is well worth forgiveness on the little things. So, here's a list of the good and the bad.

The Bad -
1. WTF was up with the slow-mo running thru the city to "check on his family" after the world blew up? First of all, there is no way an FBI agent is going to leave that kind of mayhem in the lurch to go check on his family. That's what the brainwashing, er, training is for. Second, he runs thru an effing puddle RIGHT NEXT to a downed power line. And he LIVES...to run in slow-mo another day. Sigh. Third, and this is the biggie, slow motion? Really, Director? Really??! No...really??!?! Why pull viewers out of the moment like that? Drama? So a destroyed Los Angeles wasn't enough drama? Then up the ante there. Which brings me to my next Bad.
2. Was every single person driving a car in that time barreling down the road at a breakneck speed right for another car or a tree or light-post or whatever? I mean, I personally know someone who was stopped at a stoplight at the moment that she lost consciousness due to a brain tumor and all she did was roll out into the road. No one was even around for a couple of moments to help her. I bet that happened, too. By which I mean very little death and dismemberment. Sucks for those people flying, tho, huh? The fear of it happening again prolly would do more to ruin the airline industry than even 9/11 in reality. Which brings me to my next point...
3. The reactions of those who managed to escape death by some miracle of not being ehind the wheel of a car seems a little...okay, A LOT...meh. "The entire world blacked out and everyone got a glimpse of their personal future!" "Meh. I gotta go back to my cubicle and fax some stuff. Hopefully Dan in the Dayton office didn't bite it on the freeway like all those other people. Hey, maybe this means I'll get a promotion." People just seemed a little...oh, I dunno...underwhelmed, I guess. The moment that illustrated it best is when the two docs are talking in a quiet, uncrowded hospital that very same day. Um. Yeah, right.
4. Stereotypes. Slutty, hot babysitter who really just wants to be a good girl (anyone else find it gross that she was fucking some douchebag on the couch while the kid slept with the door open?); homophobic groom with cold feet; recovering alcoholic FBI agent; wise-beyond-her-years preschooler able to articulate a moment even adults would find nearly impossible to define (don't forget the fact that it was THE hook that she chimed in with); black guys looting.

The Good -
1. The taste of the characters lives BEFORE the "moment" was nice.
2. We have had a glimpse of one of the bad guys. That one guy awake during all of it...who actually looks a hell of a lot like the little icu kid's dad/doc wife's new lovah to me.
3. Enough of a revelation of clues (ie: the bulletin board) to keep us actively looking for things in future episodes and trying to piece it together.
4. A solid date in the future for stuff to go down. Woot! After years of watching LOST and Battlestar Galactica, you have NO idea how welcome that is. It almost brought tears of joy to my eyes when the date of the future visions was announced.


I'm sure there's plenty I'm forgetting to mention, but see my note below for an explanation. Summing things up, I'm anticipating upcoming episodes being better than the first, which was pretty darn good to begin with.

(As I'm typing this, I am on the phone with my blog partner who is tapping out the rhythm from The Master on Doctor Who...see the Sound of Drums episode and it's very disconcerting! Blame him for how disjointed this reads.)