Overall: 5.7
This episode is a real downer. If things turn out exactly as predicted, I will consider it a terrible anti-climax.
Plot Synopsis:
The official recap can be found here.
Writing: 4.0
I read Oedipus Rex in high school. I wouldn't say I loved it, but it was certainly an interesting representation of an ancient culture's worldview. I also recognize the dramatic power of a prophecy; I'm a big Babylon 5 fan, after all. And it doesn't bother me that Londo Mollari's death dream comes true because the narrative makes clear that, first of all, Londo comes from a fatalistic culture that takes such things seriously and, second of all, Londo made a choice to run right toward that vision. In short, I can accept the woes of Londo or Oedipus because they make sense in their contexts.
From Oedipus, let's fast forward a few millennia to the modern-day U.S. Whether you choose to recognize it or not, our own culture evolved within the Judeo-Christian tradition - a tradition that has promulgated a belief in a progressive universe. Instead of spinning our wheels in the endless cycles of history, our culture has always advanced the idea that we should constantly strive for something better. If you're religious, you do believe in the economy of salvation, but the theology behind the notion is far more complex than the conclusion that God is pulling our every string. At the very end of Early Edition, Gary tells his successor that we have a say in God's plan. That, in a nutshell, is the American worldview: at every moment, we are free to choose.
The main characters of FlashForward are, for the most part, American -- but many of them are behaving like characters in an ancient Greek tragedy. I find that very hard to accept. It makes me angry, actually, that Mark has apparently accepted the loss of his wife with nary a protest - or that Bryce would leave Nicole behind to go after a girl he doesn't know simply because of some romantic idea that he and Keiko are "destined" to be together. Yes, Nicole lied to Bryce, but come on; I think Nicole has a real claim on the guy.
Thank goodness Simon's still fighting the good fight.
Acting: 9.0
My frustration with the turn of the plot, however, doesn't change the fact that the actors do a fantastic job. I am particularly impressed with Joseph Fiennes' work here; his scene with Lennon Wynn (Charlie) is genuinely heartbreaking.
Message: 4.0
You know what else I don't like about this episode? I don't like how everyone's conspiring to make Mark feel guilty when there's very little he needs to feel guilty about. Many men take on dangerous jobs, and I'm betting all the policemen, firemen, soldiers, and crab fisherman out there would take real issue with the suggestion that men in their position don't deserve to have families. What the hell kind of nonsense is that?
I do think that a large portion of even the American population still is drawn to the ideal of fate and destiny. JMS clearly is. Many of my friends in Mariner fandom have said they were fatalists. The writers would be remiss if they didn't write a significant movement of fate-believers trying to enforce the FFs into the story arc. What is missing, IMHO, is a persistent voice of reason that has real power...what if, for example, when faced with his adversary's fatalistic speechifying, Mark had made the particularly OBVIOUS logical argument that, no matter how many FFs a man sees, he can't have seen all of them...and the one's seen are a very tiny proportion of INFINITELY MANY possibilities?
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's so bad to write a Greek tragedy...but only if the writer angrily crams the real message into the play - we have a CHOICE...and it is in our human nature to all too often make choices that mentally free us from the burden of making those difficult choices. One of the less attractive things about humanity is this flaw...we are often not made of stern enough stuff to choose the harder path...and when faced with a vision, it's very easy to make the choice that we can claim was preordained.
FhashForward has, in fairness to its' writers, made an attempt to make that argument on many...many occasions. It's just not present in the critical final moments. And that's a shame.