Lost Vs. FlashForward: Which Finale Was More Frustrating?

Last Sunday, I watched the Lost finale live.

And by watched, I mean I saw the first two minutes, grew rapidly confused, and gave up. I was on the computer a lot, and only glanced up every so often. Just enough to know that they kept doing these reunion thingies. And my closed-captioning kept saying there was a little zap when the characters *realized* who they were on the island, but I never heard the little zaps. Whatever.

By the end of the episode (and the series), about a dozen of them are hanging out in a church and Jack shows up and everyone treats him like a king and Jack's dad walks out through the double doors into the light. And then we're back on the island and Jack is laying there bleeding from his side and Vincent lays down next to him and Jack closes his eye. The end.

I've read different people's theories, as well as their frustrations and raves, and I am no closer to, well, closure. The show ended in a crazy mishmash of people's stories, and somehow Jack is Jesus. And as my friend said, "Apparently, black people aren't allowed in heaven." Which is sad, but then again, we all knew Lost has not been kind to black people, or most people of color, for that matter. So it shouldn't be surprising.

I guess what I am saying is, I didn't like the Lost finale. The creators of the show who said it would provide answers to the fans were lying. Liars!

Now, the FlashForward finale. It aired last Thursday, and the husband (yes, I am now married!) and I watched it Friday afternoon. The episode was okay, that is to say, it wasn't that different from every other FlashForward episode. The only thing that made it different was knowing this would be the last episode ever of the show, which meant they needed to wrap things up in 42 minutes. That so didn't happen.

In fact, they set it up for a second season, one that would never come. I still don't get what happened with that Simon character (like, what was he DOING?), but I was rooting for that guy Bryce and the Japanese girl to finally meet. And I really wanted Mark Benford to be killed off, which we didn't actually see happen, but the building he was in exploded, so we're to assume he's dead. And John Cho can finally be the lead character. But wait...the show's been canceled. RATS.

Oh, and in the second round of flashforwards, we saw creepy Charlie as a teenager. She says something vague, I forget what it was, but I guess it's supposed to make us think her dad is still alive. Blah, who cares. We'll never find out.

So what we have here is an interesting comparison of series finales. For the first one, the show lasted six seasons, and the creators knew the end date, and they wrote the last two seasons with the end date in mind. And the finale sucked. In the other, the show lasted one season, and the creators didn't know it would be canceled until the show had already finished shooting, so they didn't write it with any closure. And the finale sucked.

What can we conclude here? That shows should have clear end dates? That end dates mean crap? That I am hard to please? Probably all of the above.

Here is what I propose, for the makers of future science fiction-y shows, and their respective networks:

DO set an end date.

DON'T add new characters and plot twists in your finale season.

DO answer every single question you ever raised. I still don't know why there was a polar bear in Lost and a kangaroo in FlashForward.

DON'T create a complicated show unless you're willing to put out a clear, easy-to-understand ending. I don't like open-ended finales that raise lots of questions and theories. What is the point of arguing about what a show meant? It's OVER.

DO shoot every single season finale with cancelation in mind. That means you wrap up everything from the current season.

(For networks) DON'T wait until the last minute to tell a show that you're canceling it. Either pick it up by March or don't pick it up. In other words, sh*t or get off the pot.

Last but not least...DON'T put a show on hiatus for four freaking months!!!

(Pictured: Bryce and Keiko finally meeting (above) and Jack and Vincent in the final scene from Lost. Three...two..one. Okay, we can now officially stop caring about these characters.)

Network Upfronts 2010: Pickups, Cancelations And Renewals, Oh My!

With the network upfronts next week, TV news is coming faster than I can post it, so I'll just run through a quick few things that stick out in my mind:

-Chuck has been renewed for a 4th season. Hooray! Subway sandwiches for all!

-V has also been renewed for a 2nd season. I can't believe I'm saying this, but...hooray again! The show has actually been getting good. Almost good enough for me to watch a whole episode while not reading Entertainment Weekly/working on my 5,000-piece jigsaw puzzle.

-FlashForward has been canceled. Thanks for nothing, Joseph Fiennes! I said it once, and I'll say it again: John Cho should've been the lead. Then the show might've had a shred of a chance. Sorry, Penny Widmore.

-NBC's Rockford Files remake is DOA. Thank you, there must be a television god who doesn't like remakes either. Now, about that Hawaii Five-O...

-CBS ordered its first new show for fall: Mike & Molly. It's a sitcom about a chubby married couple. Sookie from Gilmore Girls is playing Molly. Hey, can we get Michel a show? He was pretty awesome.

-The Wanda Sykes Show has been canceled, giving network execs another excuse to say a late-night show starring a person of color will not work. Dang it! Wanda, you're one of the funniest ladies around. Fox's loss.

-The original Law & Order has been canceled. No wait, it hasn't. Wait, it definitely has. Actually, there might be a chance that it won't be. Eh, does anybody under the age of 87 really care?

***UPDATE***

Law & Order is officially done. But not to fear--NBC just ordered Law & Order: Los Angeles. I'm still waiting for Law & Order: Newark.

More to come as I hear about it...

FlashForward: Why Isn't Anyone Watching? Let Me Count The Ways.

FlashForward returned with new episodes a couple of weeks ago, and I've watched two of them. So far, it's a mixed bag.

The good, the bad, and the ugly of the new episodes of FlashForward:

The good:
-Every scene with John Cho. I'm sweating just typing his name. Geez. Whether he's arguing with his fiancée, or having a heartwarming chat with Janis, or running after a bad guy, I can't take my eyes off him.
-I love that Janis is fighting to have her future baby girl. I think she'd be a good mom. By the way, what happened to her girlfriend? Did they break up or something? I can barely remember what I had for dinner last night, let alone what happened in an episode that aired last December. Remember that, ABC, and all other networks, the next time you make your shows go on a four-month hiatus in the middle of a season.

The bad/ugly:
-Joseph Fiennes and Lloyd Simcoe (I don't know the actor's name, nor do I care). Their scenes bore me to tears. Approximately 75% of the 2nd episode consisted of Joseph and Lloyd rehashing their flash forwards: who called whom, who texted whom, who slept with whose wife when such calling/texting occurred, and what it all means, blah blah. MAN.
-You know how each episode of Lost focuses on one character, but they also show the broader plotlines going on with the other characters? FlashForward is doing that in reverse. Instead of focusing on one character, they focus on ALL BUT ONE character. In the first episode, there is no mention or appearance of AA dude and his soldier daughter. None whatsoever. Then, in episode 2, AA dude and his daughter are all over the place. But Olivia is gone. This is so bizarre and distracting, it takes away from my enjoyment of the show. Or maybe I'm just really, really neurotic.
-Can someone explain to me what happened to the Japanese girl? They spent a whole episode on the orderly dude going to Japan and knocking on doors and going to restaurants to try to find the girl from his flash forward. Now all of a sudden he's BFFs with the nanny? Visiting her and her crazy mom and gluing pennies on the wall? What?

FlashForward is currently on "bubble" status, which means it's on the verge of cancellation. Oh, FlashForward, you were so promising back in September. And now look where you are. I'm truly disappointed.

(Pictured: Janis and Demetri, my two favorite characters. Even covered in wounds, John Cho is dang hot.)

Lost Progress Report: Season 5.

I don't even know what to say at this point. I haven't a clue what's going on with this show. I didn't even watch most of the episodes. It was all so confusing.

Too many friggin characters. Too many times. Too many plot points. I have no idea what John Locke is doing, or if he's the real John Locke (I read somewhere that he's the smoke monster or something). I don't know what's the deal with the submarine.

I wonder what happened to Penny and Desmond. I kind of miss them. I started watching FlashForward's new episodes last night, and I was like, Oh, Penny. So that's where you are.

So Juliet finally died. I think. Well, fine by me. I never liked her. I was also sick of the Juliet-Sawyer-Kate-Jack love quadrangle. Blahhhh who cares? Also, this must be how Juliet ended up on V. Leading a boring resistance against aliens.

Widmore and Jack's dad keep popping up in random places. I get those two confused a lot, because they're both rich, elderly, evil dads.

Michael has disappeared (read: forgotten by the writers) again. Walt has undergone puberty and now attends private school in NYC. I wonder if he knows Jenny Humphrey.

Vincent the dog (pictured) is hanging out with Rose and Bernard. He probably has a better idea of what's going on with this show than I do.

FlashForward: Twists and Turns, and Brunch for Dinner.

How awesome was this week's FlashForward?

For one thing, we learn who shoots Demetri Noh. I don't know about you, but I assumed he'd get shot by one of the bad guys who started the whole blackout. Instead, we learn it's Mark Benford, aka the boring lead character, who shoots him. Holy twist, Batman!

We also learn that in the world of FlashForward, people in Hong Kong eat dim sum for dinner. Dim sum is traditionally a brunch-y meal, so call me crazy, but I'm thinking the writers didn't do their research.

We also learn the truth behind Demetri's fiancee Zoe's flash forward. She thought she and Demetri were at their wedding. But they were actually at his FUNERAL. Makes total sense, as all the guests, and Zoe, were wearing white, the color of mourning in many Asian cultures. (At least the writers got that part right.) There was also a really nice moment between Zoe and Demetri's mom, who knew her son was going to die. Mom says, "When I saw the love you had for him [at the funeral], I knew you were right for him." Aww.

By the way, you know the blurry image of the guy in the video footage, the one who was walking around the stadium while everyone else was blacked out? That guy looks just like Lloyd Simcoe.

Speaking of Lloyd, a crazy thing happened at the end that led me to believe my fiance is psychic. Basically, Lloyd is having his son transferred to another hospital, and he, Olivia, and the kid are saying their goodbyes. Then, as the ambulance guys load the kid into the car:

Fiance: Those guys in the ambulance are bad.

Me: What?

Fiance: Yeah. Watch. They're going to shoot everyone.

Me: That's crazy. Why would you say that? They're just transporting the kid--

All of a sudden, the kid is yelling, the ambulance guys are forcing him into the car, and one of them goes to shoot Olivia. Lloyd steps in front of her and convinces them to leave her alone. They drive off. I'm stunned.

Me: How did you know that???

Fiance: I'm just that good.

We also learn in this episode that Mark Benford is a pretty inept FBI agent. At the dim sum place, he upends a table and takes Shohreh Aghdashloo hostage. He drags her outside, with all of Shohreh's men and Demetri and some black guy who I guess is Mark's boss following them. Everyone aims their gun at Mark, and he finally surrenders. Then the black guy fires Mark. FIRES HIM. I did not see that one coming. I mean, I could see that he was a terrible cop (did he really think he could get away w/ kidnapping Shohreh?), and a dull man to boot, but did he really have to be fired?

Don't worry, Mark Benford. The higher-ups at 24 are always firing Jack Bauer, and he always manages to stick around and save the day. There's hope for you yet.

Also, some stuff was revealed about Simon and the mysterious towers in the desert. I don't care about those towers. I just know I won't understand what they are, what they mean, etc. because this is just like the Dharma Initiative on Lost. Once they got into that whole thing, I was lost (no pun intended) and had to give up the show.

I really don't want to give up FlashForward. Especially since I'm hoping Demetri Noh gets promoted to replace Mark McSnoozy. I don't think that'll actually happen, but hey, a girl can hope.

Freshman Fall Series: How Are They Doing?

Now that many shows are starting their winter hiatus, I thought it'd be a good time to evaluate the new shows. Let's break it down by network:

ABC:

Modern Family. This is one I predicted would do well, and it's since been picked up for a full season. I've enjoyed every episode. The show is sweet without being saccharine. It would warm the heart of Ebenezer Scrooge.

Cougar Town. I predicted this show to bomb. In fact, it's doing quite well. This will be one of those shows lots of people watch that I'll never understand why. Like Bones.

Hank. It got canceled. Sorry, Kelsey Grammer. Maybe you could guest-star on Greek with your daughter Spencer. You can't play her dad, since that role's already taken, but maybe you could be a wacky professor or something.

The Middle. It's doing decent. Was picked up for a full season. Congrats, Patricia Heaton.

Eastwick. I predicted this show to bomb. It has been canceled, but ABC is committed to airing all the episodes that have been shot. Guess this beats airing reruns of According to Jim. Though not by much.

FlashForward. I wasn't sure about this one at first. I only gave it a shot because of John Cho. I'm very glad I did--it's one of my favorite new shows. The fiancé and I treat each episode like a movie event, complete with popcorn and dimmed lights. Don't judge.

V. I didn't think I would like this. I was right. The fiancé has gotten me to sit through all four episodes. With each one, my soul dies a little more.

The Forgotten. Who watches this show? Anybody? Bueller?

CBS:

Accidentally on Purpose. I predicted it to bomb. It's holding its own. I guess audiences like their cougars. Congrats, Jon Foster--you're finally on a non-cancelled show!

NCIS: LA. It's doing spectacular. No surprise, with the legions of NCIS fans out there. Congrats, LL Cool J and Chris O'Donnell.

Three Rivers: I predicted it to bomb. It has been canceled. CBS may or may not air the remaining episodes. I'm sad for Daniel Henney. Hey, maybe Grey's Anatomy will pick him up. He's definitely worthy of a McNickname.

The Good Wife: It got rave reviews, and it's doing great for CBS. Congrats to Julianna Margulies. I still can't spell your name without the help of Google, but you seem to be doing a nice job on the show.

NBC:

Trauma/Mercy: I put these together because they are basically the same show. One of them is about nurses, and the other is about EMTs. I think. And one of them is canceled and one of them is barely hanging on. I don't care enough to look into this further.

Community: I like Joel McHale from The Soup. I watched about fifteen minutes of this before I couldn't take it any longer. Sorry, Joel. I think NBC could go either way with this show, and since they don't have much else in the way of comedy, look for it to stick around.

Fox:

Brothers. It's right up there with Viva Laughlin as the most laughably horrendous show in history. At least that's what I hear. I haven't seen a second of it. Kudos to the show for introducing a wheelchair-bound character though.

Glee. Speaking of wheelchairs, this is another of my favorite new shows of the season. You can't watch Glee without a smile on your face. It is scientifically impossible. Also: Every Wednesday night, my Facebook is inundated with status updates about people watching this show. And yet, it does just aiiight in the ratings. What gives? I think Sue Sylvester needs to give Nielsen a call.

The Cleveland Show. This is a spinoff of Family Guy, a show my fiancé got me into. Neither he nor I have seen a second of The Cleveland Show. Yay for diversity. Yay for bear neighbors. That's all I got for this show.

The CW:

Melrose Place. Love it, love it. Love that Ashlee Simpson-Wentz is leaving the show. Sad about Colin Egglesfield's departure. Love Ella Sims. She might be the coolest and baddest new girl on TV. Does anyone else think it's weird that neither Thomas Calabro, Heather Locklear, Josie Bissett nor Laura Leighton appear to have aged a day from the original Melrose?

The Beautiful Life: TBL. I had this show paired with Melrose as a hit this season, and boy was I wrong. In my defense, I had not seen any of this show before giving my prediction. Still. Lesson learned. If Mischa Barton's in it, it will probably fail.

The Vampire Diaries. I call it a rainy day show because it's not something you have to watch immediately, but it's more than sufficient for a rainy day with nothing to do. Also, Stefan, played by the handsome Paul Wesley: He's all the reason you need to watch this show.

That's a wrap!

FlashForward: John Cho/Demetri Noh for the Lead!

After watching the second episode of FlashForward this weekend, I am convinced that John Cho should play the lead role. Not Joseph Fiennes. Why?

1) John Cho is hotter. Joseph Fiennes is handsome, yes, but sorta bland (for my taste).

2) John Cho is more charismatic on screen. He moves with determination. My eyes are drawn to him no matter what scene he's in or who he's with in those scenes.

3) John Cho's character has a cooler name--Demetri Noh. (And no, it's not "Mongoloid.") Joseph Fiennes' character's name didn't even register with me until the middle of episode 2. It's Mark, for the record. And his last name? Beats me.

4) John Cho's character is unique, compelling, and memorable. He's the guy who had no flashforward, yet instead of sitting around moping, is every bit as determined to find the cause of the blackouts as everyone else. He's the guy who's engaged to be married, but knows he will die, and doesn't know whether to tell his fiancee. He's the guy who just found out his death date from the amazing Shohreh Aghdashloo. What does Mark bring to the table? a) He is a recovering alcoholic who found out he will be drinking again in the future. Meh, they haven't really delved into this. b) His wife will cheat on him in the future. Okay, but this is really about his wife, not him. c) He leads the FBI in investigating the flashforwards. Okay, not fair, because he told everyone he saw this in his flashforward, so everyone accepted it and let him do it. Besides, Demetri and that FBI lady Janis (the one who finds out she's pregnant in the future) are doing most of the work. I don't know what Mark contributed to the investigation other than "Pigeon is a city in Utah."

Am I the only one who thinks John Cho is underrated? Am I the only one annoyed that a more compelling character was relegated to the #2 lead--probably because he's Asian American, and there is not a single Asian American lead role on television and there hasn't been in years and years?

My FlashForward Verdict: I Like It. I Really, Really Like It!

First of all, I want to say: Holy way to end an episode, Batman!

Let's rewind. There were many things to like about this show (at least, the pilot). First and foremost, John Cho kicking butt. I loved seeing him as a tough FBI agent. I loved his acting-when he revealed that he did not see a vision, the devastation was evident on his face. But then he put his own fate (or lack thereof) aside to help with the mission. John Cho, you should be leading this cast, not supporting it.

The different visions are all interesting. There's a guy whose wife died in Afghanistan who saw his wife alive in his vision. The lead character's wife, Olivia, saw herself with another man (who we find out is the father of one of her patients). One guy saw himself at a meeting with another woman, so he called her up, and sure enough, she had a vision of the meeting, too. Very cool concept. I've always wondered if, when I dream about people, they dream the same dream about me, too.

Something funny I saw-one of the buses in the background had a Desperate Housewives ad along the side. Oh, ABC, you so devious!

Also, Charlie's babysitter was none other than Don Draper's former assistant and Roger Sterling's wife on Mad Men.

At the end of the episode, one of the FBI women has found something incredible in the footage she's been perusing of the blackouts around the world. At a Detroit Tigers' baseball game, while the whole stadium is conked out, a lone person wearing all black is creeping through the crowd. I nearly fell off my seat when I saw that. And in that moment, I knew that I'd be watching this show next week, and the week after. I. Was. Hooked.

ABC, you might just have yourself a new hit drama.

Response To FlashForward

Hello FlashForward,

Thank you for leaving a comment. You are my first and only commenter, and that makes you special. I am wondering if you are from the ABC network, or if you're just a huge fan of the show (which hasn't aired yet, hmm).

Anywhosers, I will respectfully decline watching the first 18 minutes of the show before it premieres, and this is to your benefit. Why? If I watch the first 18 minutes, and I hate it, guess what I'm going to do? Not watch the rest of the episode when it premieres this Thursday. Now usually, when I'm watching a new series on TV and the first episode sorta sucks but sorta doesn't (see upcoming post on The Vampire Diaries), I will generally stick around and watch the second episode. Because I'm generous like that. You, FlashForward, are probably hoping this happens with your show. Who knows? It just might.

By the way, don't worry if your ratings are in the toilet on premiere night. Chances are, everybody's watching Survivor: Samoa anyway, because that show is just that good this season with the evil Russell. I would be patient and see how FlashForward does come Monday, when everyone who DVR'd it has seen it.

Peace!

The FlashForward Compromise

Dear FlashForward,

I want to like you, I do.

You have a great premise: The whole world blacks out for two minutes, during which time everyone has a brief vision of their future. You pose a terrific, philosophical question: What would you do if you knew what your future was? Would you work toward it, knowing it was inevitable? Or try to change it? Okay, that's three questions.

You have a pretty great cast. And by pretty great cast I mean the hot, talented and funny John Cho, who is finally getting a big role in primetime TV. IMDB says he was in Ugly Betty, but alas, I don't remember him there at all.

The thing is, FlashForward, I don't know if I want the commitment.

You see, about five years ago, a little show called Lost came along, and I fell in love with it. Two years later, I broke up with it. Too many new characters, plotlines, mysteries. My head exploded, and I had enough.

Same thing happened with House. Prison Break. Heroes. Shows that all started out with a simple, brilliant concept that quickly evolved into too-big commitments and too many new characters I didn't care about.

So FlashForward, how about a compromise? How about we take this one episode at a time? If, at any point, I stop liking you, I can stop downloading you (because, of course, I'll be watching Survivor: Samoa). A clean break. No guilt. So? How 'bout it?

Sincerely,
A TV fan

P.S. If you had cast John Cho in the lead, I wouldn't have had to write this letter. I'm just saying.