"Flash Forward" Review: Too High of Expectations?

Anticipation can often be a new show’s worst enemy.

People so anticipate a show that they get in their minds how great they think it will be. And then, if it doesn’t live up to those expectations, they come away disappointed—possibly even disappointed enough not to tune in again…

That’s kind of what happened to me with “FlashForward.” It’s good, just not as good as I expected. So at the end of the hour, I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed…

It’s a normal day for FBI agent Mark Bedford (Joseph Fiennes) and his partner Demetri (John Cho) as they pursue terrorism suspects. Mark’s wife, Dr. Olivia Bedford (Sonya Walger) is in surgery. Their daughter is at home asleep while her babysitter, Nicole (Peyton List), messes around with her boyfriend. Meanwhile, Olivia’s colleague, Bryce (Zachary Nighton) contemplates suicide.

But before any of them can finish what they’ve started, they black out for two minutes and 17 seconds. And while they’re blacked out, they see a vision of a day in the future—April 29, 2010. But they’re not alone as everyone around the world blacks out at the exact same time. Yet not everyone has a flash forward…

Now each person must deal with what they saw—or didn’t see—and figure out whether anything can be changed. Plus, the FBI must figure out what caused this phenomenon and whether it will happen again…

As far as mysteries go, you really can’t get any better than this as we try and figure out how everyone gets to the future they saw. But the reveal of those futures comes off a little clunky at times. And I can’t help but think there may be one too many mysteries going on here and someone’s story will get shafted.

Some of the special effects are very good, but some of them come off a little cheesy. But more than that, some of it is just really hard to watch. I know it’s been eight years since 9/11, but I question the decision to show a helicopter exploding into the side of a high rise…

Again, “FlashForward” is a good show, it just has a lot more holes than I thought it would. And in all honesty, I think the constant revelations of everyone’s flashes will start to get old after a while…

And what in the world will happen after April 29th if the show gets picked up for another season?

“FlashForward” premieres Thursday, September 24th at 8 p.m. on ABC…

Photo Credit: Bob D'Amico/ABC