FlashForward: Scary Monsters and Super Creeps

By Jenn Kim

“Quantum physicist genius.” Did reading that make you hot? No? What if you heard Merry from Lord of the Rings say it? What? Still not hot? Well OK, now you’re just lying.

So FlashForward presents an alternate reality. Not because, you know, the whole world blacked out and saw their future for 2 minutes, but because Dominic Monaghan is suddenly a swarthy, smarmy, sexual creature who beds hot blond strangers of the female persuasion on trains. And does it by talking the dirty physics talk to them.

I mean, who the hell am I kidding, it would totally work on me, but since I’m sort of alone in thinking he’s hot, I’m just assuming it’s a slight stretch for the rest of the world.

Dubiously attractive former-hobbits aside, FlashForward is stepping up it’s game, and as Liz Lemon says, “Things are happening!” Last week’s “Gimme Some Truth” was heavy on the action (you know, the usual: an ominous, silent group of Asians were throwing grenades and kniving FBI agents. It’s just how we ROLL), and “Scary Monsters and Super Creeps” was heavy on the DRAMA. I appreciate that FlashForward isn’t senselessly dragging out the emotional suspense of everyone’s flashie. Here’s just some of the fun stuff that went down:

1) Mark meets Lloyd, and Lloyd finds out that Olivia is the woman in his flashies!! Lloyd’s autistic son Dylan, fixated on his flashie (“It’s my home, too”), somehow escapes the hospital, befriends a tattooed Latino gentleman, and arrives at Mark and Olivia’s house. Mark is bewildered, but gentle towards the boy and courteous towards the boy’s father. That is until he realizes Future British Dad is the man who’s bumping uglies with Future Olivia. AW-KWARRRRRD.

2) Mark FINALLY tells Olivia that he’s drinking in his flashie. Ironic line of the night: “You’re punishing me for something that I haven’t even done!” Oh, Mark. It must be tough to be trapped in your own hypocrisy, but I actually feel for you. Your insecurity re: the charms of British Guy, and your own self-struggle and guilt about your drinking are all very understandable.

3) Something about a blue hand? Yeah, I couldn’t really follow that plot-line, but I appreciated seeing John Cho ahttp://www.pinkraygun.com/wp-admin/post-new.phpnd Jett Jackson on screen together. They’re both soooo pretty, and I don’t know why, but the pairing of black and Asian men just works on screen. (See Rush Hour and Rush Hour 2. But not Rush Hour 3).

4) Janis! Man, I used to think she was just Agent McCranky, but now I love her. And yes, her being a lesbian totally has something to do with it, but in addition to that AWESOME reveal, her character is really developing quite nicely. I think I teared up at the end of “Gimme Some Truth” (when she was bleeding on the ground and seeing her future self being told the sex of her baby). Granted, it doesn’t take much; I still cry at that credit card commercial where the dad’s dancing with his daughter at her wedding, but STILL. I love Janis, and I hope she lives happily ever after with her hot former girlfriend and future baby daughter.

Some other Flashie thoughts:

There sure are a lot of murders that will occur exactly within the 2 minute span 6 months from now. Dominic’s reveal was pretty interesting, but COME ON, enough with the attempted murders already.

Aaron’s Obi-Wan Kenobi costume was beautiful. Just BEAUTIFUL.

This is one of those rare occurrences where the show is way better than the book. No offense to Robert J. Sawyer (Well alright, yes offense), but his book was so much less compelling than the show. I mean, OK, I’m assuming it helps that I find three quarters of FlashForward’s cast incredibly attractive, but yeah. They’re like, really attractive. Er, what was I saying again?

About Jenn Kim: When she’s not attempting to fangirl in an organized fashion, Jenn enjoys stalking celebrities and getting over her totally rational fear of zombies. She also idolizes Joss Whedon, and is crossing her fingers that Nathan Fillion and NPH will accept her friend requests.