What I’m Watching: Flash Forward

Flash Forward: Season 1, Episode 7 “The Gift” (B-)

So here’s where the show gets really interesting – trying to determine whether the future can in fact be changed. This episode deserves credit for actually taking on that question, even if events aren’t ultimately affected. The Blue Hand club, while some of what’s going on there seems rather depraved, is quite interesting in concept, and especially in how the three FBI agents look at it in terms of what it represents. Gough’s decision to pull the trigger during Russian roulette without a moment’s hesitation was superbly intense and a great way to incorporate the recurring character that hasn’t had a major part in events up until this point except as Demetri’s partner. He’s obviously plays a major part in this episode, and his suicide may be a game-changer for both the investigation and the show itself. I was absolutely expecting him to get saved by a safety net or scaffolding in place somewhere, but the definitive picture of him lying motionless on the ground indicates that this really happened. The fact that he was actually able to end his life is a monumental step and was quite a shocking event. The identity of the Blue Hand key figure was a nice revelation as well, showcasing actor Callum Keith Rennie ("Battlestar Galactica," "Californication"), who’s simply perfect for this role. Bringing babysitter Nicole back into the fold should hopefully be interesting, but it seems a bit random and her spontaneous spurting of Japanese feels a bit too convenient. Aaron’s entire storyline and the end-of-episode reappearance of his daughter isn’t connected to a single thing, and while it’s gratifying for him, it’s should be hardly a surprise, for him and for the audience, and just doesn’t relate to anything on the show, which makes it feel very…unimportant.