NEW!: FlashForward 1:7 – The Gift

Overall: 9.3

This episode definitively rejects determinism, and it does so in an emotionally powerful way. It is the best episode of FlashForward we’ve seen to date – and one of the best hours of television we’ve ever seen period.



Plot Synopsis:

Blue Hand: In the course of investigating the triple suicide uncovered in the previous episode, Demetri discovers the existence of a web site where those who did not experience a flashforward arrange to meet with each other at secret parties where every debauchery is encouraged. Mark, Demetri, and Al Gough show up at the next gathering of “ghosts” incognito in the hopes that they can track down the purported organizer of these parties, a Dr. Raynaud. After Al plays a round of Russian roulette, he and the others are granted admission to the L.A. party, where they find and apprehend the man who has assumed the identity of Raynaud at that locality. Back at headquarters, Demetri aggressively questions Raynaud – or Jeff, rather – about the attack on Janis, but Jeff refuses to cooperate; he has embraced nihilism, and it has freed him from moral constraint.

Al Gough: While the L.A. office – and a visiting Fiona Banks from the MI-6 – continue to pursue the Blue Hand lead, Al’s flashforward starts to catch up with him. He fears that he will somehow be responsible for the death of a woman named Celia – a mother of two little boys – and he gradually comes to the decision that his life must end to prevent Celia’s death. Leaving a note for Demetri assuring him that there is always a way out, Al goes up to the roof of the FBI building and prepares to jump. Demetri and the others try to convince him to come down, promising that they will do everything they can to protect Celia, but Al insists that he has finally found a way to prove that the future is not written in stone before diving off the roof and plummeting to his death.

Demetri: Demetri forgets to appear at the printers to review the wedding invitations with Zoey, and Zoey and he get into an argument over his recent behavior. Demetri finally admits that he saw nothing during the blackout, but Zoey refuses to accept that Demetri is destined to die. She still believes she saw Demetri at the beach on their wedding day and declares that she chooses hope over despair.

Nicole & Bryce: Nicole signs up to be a candy-striper at Olivia’s hospital. By luck, Bryce happens to be there when Nicole speaks Japanese to an angry Japanese visitor, and he later asks her to translate an Asian character he glimpsed behind the woman in his flashforward. Nicole tells him the character means “believe” and encourages him to look for the woman he saw.

Aaron: A soldier who served with Tracy visits Aaron at work and returns Tracy’s pocketknife. Aaron believes this is further confirmation of what he saw in his flashforward, but the soldier later visits him again and informs him that he was there with Tracy when their vehicle was attacked; he is certain she did not survive. Aaron is thankful for the chance to have some closure and gives the soldier a job at his company. All seems resolved – until he comes home at the end of the episode and finds Tracy sitting at his table.

Stephanie S.’s Ratings:

Writing: 9.5

You know the writers have accomplished something utterly fantastic when the death of a pigeon - otherwise known as a rat with wings – strikes you as very sad. My co-author gropes around below for the meaning of the dying birds, but I believe I have a plausible theory: the writers are using birds as a universal symbol for freedom – and their deaths to indicate the perceived loss of such. Birds, after all, can do one amazing thing that we cannot do with our unaided bodies: they can soar. And the visual parallels drawn between Fiona’s pigeon and Al – who believes free choice is possible despite the flashforwards – are really far too striking to ignore. We see the pigeon’s broken body on the ledge – just as we see Al’s broken body on the pavement below. And we see the pigeon strike Fiona’s window once again before Al jumps. If I am right – if the birds really do symbolize the characters’ lost liberty – that probably explains what makes Fiona’s description of her flashforward so moving.

Also beautifully drawn in this episode is Demetri’s vacillating between hope and despair – and Zoey’s firmly optimistic response. And, of course, Al’s final moments – and the montage that follows – constitute some of the best television I have ever watched; quite honestly, I sobbed through those scenes. Allow me to echo my co-author and countless other comments I’ve seen online and say that Al’s suicide has officially cemented my esteem for this show.

Acting: 8.5

You also know you have a good episode when even O’Byrne brings at least a B- game. But of course, the true stars of the evening are John Cho, Gabrielle Union, Alex Kingston, and Lee Thompson Young. The scene between Demetri and Zoey highlighted below features a fine performance from both actors, and John Cho’s rendering of Al’s letter is absolutely perfect. Fiona’s description of the pigeon’s death, meanwhile, is, as noted above, very affecting, and that is thanks in large part to Alex Kingston’s portrayal of the words. And Lee Thompson Young is simply phenomenal during the climax.

Message: 10.0

“Know that the future is unwritten.” Al’s suicide is a tragic yet unforgettable repudiation of fatalism. Whatever it is these characters have seen in their near future – whatever they may believe about their power to stop those events – we as viewers have now been given definitive confirmation that, contrary to Jeff’s bleak acceptance of the future as he has seen it, the script for these characters’ lives has not been predetermined.

More than that, this episode demonstrates how important the philosophical acceptance of free will is to the functioning of individuals and society. Without such an assurance of our fundamental liberty, we become Raynauds – men and women who care little for ourselves or for the welfare of other people.

SABR Matt’s Ratings:

Writing: 9.0

We have yet to see FlashForward writers turn a phrase quite as well as Peter Allen Fields did for Deep Space Nine or David Shore’s staff does for House, and this episode still doesn’t feel quite as cleverly written as some of our other feature selections, but a solid script is augmented heavily by the use of themes and dramatic devices once again – the demonstrated strengths of these writers – and by some great cinematography and direction. The fact that no one…not a soul…expects Al to commit suicide until it happens is a remarkable thing. They’ve now established that we can’t feel safe in getting attached to any of the show’s supporting characters by demonstrating that they’re willing to kill people off when they need to. And they did it in a very poignant, VERY powerful way that leaves us both full of sorrow and full of hope. There is some artistic significance to dying birds…I have not yet put my finger on why the staff has chosen to focus on crows and pigeons dying to highlight dramatic moments. But I know they’re building toward something. It bears monitoring down the road.

The one place where I think the writers struck a chord very well was during the scene between Zoey and Demetri. You’ll find that scene in the highlights and Zoey’s most important remark reads like something a politician would say during a time of crisis. The hair on the back of my neck stood up for that line.

Acting: 8.5

In his final bow, Lee Thompson Young (Al Gough) delivers a masterful performance from start to finish. His scenes punctuate the entire episode from shots of his tearfully searching for Celia on the Mosaic board to his final flying leap (following his stirring last words). The rest of the cast is very strong with the exception of Olivia and Mark, who I thought were quite flat in their few scenes. It’s a shame, because Mark had a real chance to shine in his scene with Demetri in front of the Mosaic board and it came across as just another moment in the plot. I was quite impressed with Demetri…going from near rock bottom (it’s hopeless…we can’t stop what’s coming) to “I want to believe” (in his scene with Zoey) to his reaction to Al’s death…the most definitive thing anyone could have done to disprove determinism…he was a strong thread throughout the show as well.

Message: 10.0

My sister has also commented on this, so I won’t belabor the point too much, but both of us have been desperately waiting for the show to take some kind of stand against determinism. Determinism is not only illogical…it’s dangerous. It motivates us to take no action to correct the problems in our world and it robs life of any meaning. I had a brilliant philosophy professor in my college days, and he made a very clean and very simple argument against determinism: if we are mindless machines powered by chemical and physical laws merely playing out the script we were designed to play out (a necessary precondition for determinism to exist), then why bother trying to convince people that determinism is correct? Even the philosophers who themselves pushed forward the idea of a deterministic universe did not believe their own teachings or they’d have simply sat back and watched events unfold as they were destined to do. The effort of convincing others to believe as you do is only relevant if there is something to be gained…some *mind* to be changed. We won’t even discuss the placebo affect – the many stories of people believing they will get better and then…defying all physical probability…getting better fill medical journals. And – speaking of top-down, mind-driven medicine – how about the documented success of cognitive therapy to heal depression? Focusing on the power of the mind to control the neuro-chemical responses of the physical brain has yielded millions of success stories. In one bold, self-sacrificing, moment of altruism, Al proved once and for all that the future is not written. This show has forever won a fan in this reviewer.

Highlights:

I shall present these scenes without comment, as no comment is necessary.

FIONA: “It’s funny. I don’t remember anything from the actual dossier other than his name. I just remember you – and the bird. When it hit the window, I literally felt my heart skip a beat. Then you had the phone call… after you left, I looked out onto the ledge. I looked over… I wanted to help it, if only to end its pain. But I couldn’t. That was the worst part. There was nothing I could do to stop it.”

MARK: “Says here you taught American History at South Fairfax High. Teacher of the Year ’08. Then the blackout happens, and you turn into Frederich Nietsche. Why is that, Jeff? Or do you prefer Dr. Raynaud?” (Mark is palpably disgusted.)
JEFF: “You know what Nietsche said: ‘If you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.’”
MARK: “Is that the kind of optimism that comes from not having a vision?”
JEFF: “Oh, I had a vision: a bottomless pit of darkness and indifference, infinite in its nothingness, as if I never existed at all, and I never would again.”
MARK: “These people that didn’t have a vision – these ghosts – where do you Raynauds find them?”
JEFF: “We don’t find them. You do. There’s no better place to go than your Mosaic site. Couldn’t do it without ya.” (He laughs.)
DEMETRI: “Do you see this guy?” (Demetri forces Jeff’s head forward.) “One of your fellow Blue Hands. Shot and nearly killed an FBI agent. You better start talking, or I’m gonna charge you as an accomplice after the fact.”
JEFF: “Fine, throw me in prison. I don’t care. It’s all mapped out. Don’t you understand? The script for this conversation has already been written. Whatever you’ve all seen… is gonna happen.”
AL: “What if you’re wrong? What if April 29 comes and goes… and you’re still alive? What then?”
JEFF: “You can run… and you can hide… but you can’t escape what’s coming. No one can.”

AL: “You know, I’ve been thinking about our bird. What if you tape the window?”
FIONA: “How do you mean?”
AL: “Well, if you cover the window… the bird might not crash into it.”
FIONA: “It’s a nice thought. I think it’ll probably just crash into a different window.”
AL: “Maybe. But it’s worth a shot.”

MARK: “So what’s gonna happen? March 15th rolls around, you’re just gonna pack it in?”
DEMETRI: “Come on, man.”
MARK: “Say your goodbyes, have a nice farewell dinner?”
DEMETRI: “I’ll deal with it the way I choose to deal with it.”
MARK: “You deal with it by fighting it. That’s what we’re doing here.”
DEMETRI: “Wake up, would you please? Wake up! D. Gibbons, the doll factory, 137 sekunden, the Blue Hand – it’s all come true.”
MARK: “No – listen, it doesn’t mean that -”
DEMETRI: “Mark, look around you. Look around, man. Raynaud was right. It’s all happening – every single day. There’s no way out. There’s nothing you, I, or anyone else can do to escape what’s coming.”

DEMETRI: “I didn’t have a flashforward… because I’m gonna be dead. Tonight, I met all these people just like me: no visions, no hope. They were just… waiting to die. I don’t want to be like that. I don’t want to be like that. I want to be here – with you.”
ZOEY: “Dem?”
DEMETRI: “Yes?”
ZOEY: “I know what I saw. The beach? The wedding? I know you were there.”
DEMETRI: “You gotta know how much I wanted that. I wanted to marry you… have a baby with you… grow old with you…”
ZOEY: “It was a mistake. You just made a mistake. There’s no way of knowing for sure, so…”
DEMETRI: “Zoe, I’m sure. I’m sure. Listen to me – I love you. I love you – you are the life that I wanted.”
ZOEY: “Then let’s have that life.”
DEMETRI: “Zo -”
ZOEY: “We can have that life. You said you didn’t want to give up hope? Then don’t. We have two conflicting visions. We can choose which one we want to believe in. I choose hope.”

MARK: “Raynaud’s different.” (Demetri opens the envelope from Al Inside is a note to “Celia” and a post-it: “Demetri: There is always a way out.”) “You can’t threaten him with anything. He’s got nothing to lose. He has seen his future and it is bleak.” (Demetri opens the note to Celia and starts to read.) “He doesn’t even know how it’s going to happen. It could be a fall, a fight, a shooting – even a car accident. The possibilities are infinite.” (We see Al walking to the elevator.) “The guy’s walking on egg shells just waiting for the hammer to drop.”
(We switch to Al’s flashforward.)
ON PHONE: “Al – I, uh… I just got off the phone with the hospital. They took her off life support an hour ago. I’m sorry, Al. She’s gone.”
(Back to Mark as Al continues on his walk to the roof.)
MARK: “Everyday, he wakes up wondering if today’s the day – if today’s the day his future is finally gonna catch up with him.”
(Demetri sits up straight, reacting to what he’s reading. We then switch back to Al’s flashforward.)
AL: “What’s gonna happen to her children?”
ON PHONE: “It looks like the two kids will have to be placed in foster care.”
AL: “Those two boys are orphans… because of me?”
ON PHONE: “No, Celia’s death was an accident, okay? It could’ve happened to anyone.”
AL: “But it didn’t. It was my fault. I killed her.”
(Demetri stands up.)
DEMETRI: “Stop! Stop!”
(We see Al on the roof, ready to jump. After the break, Demetri and the others run up to the roof.)
MARK: “Just talk to us, man! We can fix this!”
DEMETRI: “Hey, man, we can find her! We can find Celia – and protect her.”
STAN: “Anything you need, we can make it happen, son.”
DEMETRI: “Come on, Al…”
AL: “It could happen any time… anywhere. I don’t even know how it happens.”
DEMETRI: “Al, six months from now, you saw it. You saw it!”
AL: “But if I’m not here…”
DEMETRI: “Al, get down.”
AL: “… if I’m not here, it means we can change things.”
DEMETRI: “Al, please get down.”
AL: “What I saw… what you saw… doesn’t have to play out that way.”
DEMETRI: “Al, what are you talking about?”
AL: “I found a way to change the game.”
(We switch to the flashforward.)
ON PHONE: “Al, listen to me – Celia’s death was an accident. A terrible, random accident. There’s nothing you could’ve done to avoid this.”
(We see the vision of the bird hitting the window.)
EVERYONE: “AL! AL!”
(Al swan-dives off the roof.)

DEMETRI, reading Al’s letter: “Dear Celia: I don’t know your last name. I don’t know where you live. But I know you have two young boys – twins, I believe. And you didn’t have a flashforward.” (We see Stan crying.) “I understand how terrifying that is – how powerless you must be feeling. But I want you to know that you are not alone… and that your situation is not as hopeless as you think.” (We see Mark and Olivia hug. Then we see Fiona taping her windows.) “Our paths were meant to cross. I didn’t know how. I didn’t know when. But things have changed now.” (We see Aaron looking at his daughter’s picture.) “Things are no longer going to unfold as I had feared. My gift to you is release from that dread – from the feeling that you’re no longer in control.” (We see images of other characters going about their day – including Simon, who is clutching a name bracelet: Annabelle.) “We will never meet. I will never know you. So live your life. Live every day – and know that the future is unwritten. Make the most of it.”