The Racialicious Roundtable For Flash Forward 1.5
Hosted by Special Correspondent Arturo R. García
Two weeks without Heroes and yours truly still feels great. But as the Roundtable will explain, watching “Gimme Some Truth,” it’s becoming more apparent that Flash Forward is beating Heroes at some of its’ own strengths – even if Mark Bedford there looks like a bit of a weenie in the pic above. Still, in a show made of WIN, as the kidz say, one moment shone above the rest:
John Cho doing Karaoke: Awesome or REALLY Awesome?
Diana: REALLY AWESOME. I forget what ’80s song he was singing, but it was tugging at my nostalgia heartstrings. I’m even more in love. [sigh]
Andrea: Neither. John Cho sings harmonizes better than the angels; he shoots like a gunslinger; he shut down some kyriarchal shenanigans with a single snap; he helped counter the balderdash regarding Black women’s hair; he gives good glow. Naw, Cho’s not Awesome or REALLY Awesome—he’s Ultimate. So Ultimate there’s a mini-movement to make Cho the patron hottie of Racialicious, right?
jen*: Barry Henley and John Cho together on Sister Christian? Who says that’s not gold? And he’s right – with 5 months to live – karaoke has got to be part of it.
Building on that a little bit, it hit me: this is the first time in awhile I’ve seen a sci-fi program show a bunch of boys – POC men, even – being … well, Boys. Not in that Spike TV Lowest Common Denominator sense of the word, either. There was a real camaraderie shown here in the karaoke scene, and especially in the gunfight in the parking structure; Stan’s nod to Mark – a moment of “Dude, we’re in this together” – was a really nice touch.
Diana: Definitely there was a big bromance going on, especially in the karaoke bar. And I wasn’t hatin’. It’s much like anytime you go out of town with a bunch of colleagues. I wasn’t feeling the gun battle quite so much, but that was because it was a bit out of nowhere for me. But it was nice seeing dudes willing to go into the trenches for each other. Very Machismo.
Andrea: Maybe I’m clueless to the inner workings of male relationships, but I didn’t get “bromance”—when I think of “bromances,” I think David and Jonathan-levels of friendship, not some Judd Apatow/Paul Rudd smirky-snark bullshit. I just saw co-workers who got along well enough to josh and hang together. What I gleaned is the unit got along for a while before we entered the story; the Flashforward/Mosiac project—because it’s so supernatural—fortified the working relationships. The gun scene just showed how well they functioned as an FBI unit, especially after watching one of them twist in the wind at the Senate hearing.
jen*: Feel you on David and Jonathan, Andrea – these guys are just a good team. But I still see myself here for the story – not so much for the characters, yet.
Speaking of Stan, the revelations of his past were really welcome from a storytelling standpoint. Funny thing: this show is already drubbing Heroes in its ensemble work; now it looks like they’ve created their own Gray Man.
Diana: I’m ecstatic to see Stan getting some depth. He’s a political power broker, playing with the big boys and girls. This is what Heroes lost ignoring and doing away with their strong POC characters. I hope it continues.
Andrea: Couldn’t agree more, Diana.
jen*:I loved the reveal that Stan’s tight with the Prez. I want to see more of his background story – maybe I’ll get into his character. And I wouldn’t mind seeing Gina Torres again, either…
After all the pre-season hype from Heroes about a same-sex romance, the relationship between Janis and Maya (O HAI Navi Rawat), short-lived as it was, just outclassed the more-ballyhooed Cletchen.
Diana: If I was Janis, I don’t know if I would have gotten bent out of shape about someone looking up my flashforward–she made it public after all. Maybe Maya shouldn’t have asked if she also liked dudes. There are ways to get pregnant without having an actual man involved. Quite frankly, I was hoping Janis got pregnant during the blackout–that would be a freaky twist that could go all kind of ways–alien abduction, impregnation by Suspect Zero, wacky science experiment,etc.
Andrea: Yes, Diana, yes! I was reeeeeeeally put off by that whole Janice-Maya confrontation for the exact same reasons. I got the impression the writers are implying Janis never considered children because she’s a (cis) lesbian or a (cis) bi women who leans more toward other (cis) women–sexual identity has nothing to do with wanting or parenting children. (She never heard of adoption?) Janis’ reaction–that whole argument–as written also reflects a stereotyping about these women because sexual attraction can be also in flux—same-gender-loving people may very well find themselves attracted to people of other genders, cis, trans, and nonbinaries and integrate that into their sexual identities. A (cis) woman who’s a lesbian can (and do) sleep with (cis) men and may still be considered a lesbian in some communities just like the women who don’t. And the ones who do get pregnant via penile-vaginal penetration as well as via artificial insemination. Also, has Janis thought to investigate what the “child” could mean? Like the white guy in last week’s episode who thought he was literally going to get his “Black Like Me” on, Janis’ fetus may not be a literal human offspring, but a symbol of her giving herself to something outside of her immediate world, like becoming a self-defense class instructor or give birth to a religious movement or something. Oh one more thing: I don’t watch FF on TV. So someone pleeeeeeease tell me Janis survived the shootout. ‘Cause it would bite if FF did to (cis) LGB characters what Heroes does to characters of color: kill them off on the regular.
jen*: Um – I dunno how long she’s gonna make it, but Janis was still moaning and groaning at the end of the ep. I’m gonna be majorly pissed if she dies – why get us invested to just yank her away? I was thinking though – if she can die, Demetri can live!
Open Mic!
Diana: What did Stan do to that senator? Her palpable hostility towards him gave me flashbacks to the 2008 presidential debates. Yikes! Also thought it was pretty badass how Janis responded to the attack–she went down fighting. I was like, go on, girl!
Andrea: See, I was thinking what the hey did the senator do to Stan? And I wanna know what deal was brokered to make Ms. Hostile the VP, especially since Stan is the show’s Michael Clayton. I’m glad that Janis got her very own shootout, but it also brings into high relief what these flash-forwards really mean. Are they literally everyone’s future that some folks seem hell-bent in preventing? Are they manifested symbols of deep fears/aspirations? Or are they all an elaborate prop to let John Cho be great?
jen*: I just need to see how this dude from Lost figures into this puzzle. And if Janis lives.
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of 
7thangel wrote:
the gun fights were the weakest scenes. it’s hard to suspend my disbelief that all 4 could have escaped the car from the drivers side when dude (maybe sent by the prez or cia) hit their car with a stinger missle. even if they somehow got out, being a few feet from an exploding car is not the best place to be…
the other gunfight was just as bad. the dude shoots and hits. instead of finishing it or shooting back when it became obvious she was still alive, the assassin turns his back and tries to run away….okay. worst.assassin. ever.
she’ll survive and will come to accept her preggers future and reconnect with her girl (she’s too hot to stay mad at, especially when she didn’t do anything wrong)
Posted 29 Oct 2009 at 1:23 pm ¶
Lola wrote:
LMAO @ “worst assasin ever”
I thought the same thing when I saw that scene.
Posted 29 Oct 2009 at 3:26 pm ¶
Tamara wrote:
@ 7thAngel,
What you said. I agree.
They weren’t even damaged but they should’ve been. Shrapnel and the fallout and the like should’ve rained down upon them, but nooo, they were a-ok. I saw no room to take cover so how did they come out unscathed? Oh yes, they are invincible. 
I must confess. The only names I have memorized are Dmitri’s and Zoe’s…I only know the rest of these characters by sight (or the actor’s name).
Speaking of Stan, the revelations of his past were really welcome from a storytelling standpoint. Funny thing: this show is already drubbing Heroes in its ensemble work; now it looks like they’ve created their own Gray Man.
THIS. I think it’s safe to say that I’m kinda just here to be here. Just watching to watch…
Posted 29 Oct 2009 at 4:02 pm ¶
AMarie wrote:
I’m mad that John Cho isn’t in the center of the picture haha. He and Gina Torres would be the only reasons I watch this show… just like Sinhil Ramamurthy was the only reason I watched Heroes.
I thought the assassin was awful as well… who RUNS away?
I appreciated that Stan was given more character development. Power player indeed…
Posted 29 Oct 2009 at 4:47 pm ¶
AMarie wrote:
correction: Sendhil* ^
Posted 29 Oct 2009 at 4:48 pm ¶
Reiter wrote:
Ah, the trope of the inept, no-lines-uttered Asian gangster lives on, heh. That said, I loved the karaoke scene and the way the boss’s shady political-gaming were showecased this episode. The gunfight was meh. The way our plucky heroes managed to escape from their car in time before the rocket struck strained even my suspension of disbelief. The drama between Janis and Maya seemed a tad forced with the baby reveal, but her cliffhanger at the end did leave me wanting more. More of John Cho and the older FBI agent (his name escapes me). They rawk together and seemed like a much better partner matchup than “constantly-looks-constipated-and-I-don’t-give-a-crap-you’re-gonna-die-Noh” Benford.
Posted 29 Oct 2009 at 5:23 pm ¶
John John wrote:
I don’t think the writers were implying anything about sexual identity or anything else except that people put A LOT of personal information about themselves on-line without thinking that someone outside a strict number of intended persons will see it and may bring it up in a conversation or use it against them. I think that was what was going on with Janis, she didn’t expect that someone who she liked but was not yet completely sure about would know such a personal detail about her life. Notice how she refused to say what she saw in her flashforward when they were at dinner
Posted 29 Oct 2009 at 6:09 pm ¶
Thea Lim wrote:
To be honest I think FlashForward is pretty rotten. I know I know…but I’d pretty much given up on it, until I heard (via this roundtable) that there was some Cho Karaoke action! I had to see that.
One race-based thing that stuck out to me was how many times “China” was mentioned in this episode. Truly bizarre. Chinese fire drill, the Chinese are behind the blackouts, “the Chinese (vomit) see chaos as an opportunity,” quoting Sun Tzu to each other…and then at the end the bad guys are East Asian.
I dunno, that just didn’t sit right with me. So Chinese people are either secretive and evil, or full of stoic wisdom for American politicians? Gross.
Also, what the hell is a Chinese fire drill?
Posted 30 Oct 2009 at 12:01 am ¶
Adrianna wrote:
I loved the shoot out scene only to see the sexy foxy John Cho hold a gun and shoot like nobody’s business! So drool worthy ! I Like the show . Now please can we make John Cho the main charater! Demetri foreva! lol
Posted 30 Oct 2009 at 1:38 am ¶
Persephone wrote:
I think the point of the China stuff is that it’s a red herring that a lot of people are going to believe because of racism and xenophobia. The important shot there was Noh rolling his eyes to signal to the audience that it’s all bullshit — but bullshit that’s easier for most people to believe than the leads that we’re supposed to be following.
I liked that Stan walked out when Nancy Pelosi said the Mosaic project was “voodoo.” Dog whistle much?
Posted 30 Oct 2009 at 9:22 am ¶
vcious wrote:
I agree wholeheartedly with the comparisons to Heroes – FlashForward appears to come out on top in pretty much every aspect. I hope it continues that way. So far enjoying it a lot because unlike Heroes, it has an ensemble cast I actually really care about and am already attached to.
The fact John Cho is hot helps, too.
Posted 30 Oct 2009 at 9:34 am ¶
deathblossom wrote:
FlashForward is currently beating Heroes at is own game, but I can see the makings of disaster from following in their footsteps already. Case in Point: Detective and Doctor Benford and his AA Sponsor are just waiting to be some Bennetellis and I couldn’t less about all three of them. They don’t interest me as characters, which is a fault of the writing and the terrible acting. Ditto on Nurse Suicide, who I really wish had just pulled the trigger anyway.
I’m also on the fence with FlashForward and which side I fall on depends a lot on much focus they put on their white main character. It was awfully convenient that the lone white guy is the only one who can solve the mystery amongst all these other professional women and people of color. I was particularly disgusted with the way both Janis and Doctor Benford were talked down to (by Benford and Nurse Suicide) and made to look like imbeciles for not wanting to make a deal with a Nazi or leave medical procedure to the foresight of a flashforward.
Shining spots for me are John Cho, Gabrielle Union, the FBI Chief, and Janis. I wasn’t really bothered by Janis’ discomfort (although she probably should have expected being looked up). It’s obvious that she feels one way about her life and identity as a lesbian who admittedly hasn’t dated a man since high school, so I personally don’t feel fluctuating about her attraction was the source of her concerns. But then, I have to be honest, it’d be very refreshing for me to just have a straight out lesbian for once on television, instead of a give and take one who suddenly finds men much more appealing now that it isn’t sweeps anymore.
As such, I didn’t see it so much as her believing she couldn’t have children because she’s a lesbian as so much her using being a lesbian as a convenient reason to never ponder the possibility that perhaps she personally just doesn’t want to get pregnant and it is perhaps a gender role she finds counter to her sense of self. As in, I think it’s less about the fact that she was pregnant in her flash forward as much as it is about her being elated by it.
Posted 30 Oct 2009 at 1:57 pm ¶
Lisa wrote:
Anyone else notice that this episode was the second time that The Cho has called out another character’s racist remarks? (First was the cupcake lady.) Rather surprised to see that on American TV.
Agreed that the China stuff (and one Japan reference in the episode too) was heavy-handed and anvilicious. But as Persephone predicted it’s already proved the red herring that The Cho was vindicated this latest episode in ignoring.
Wish they would kill off the Benfords, big drag on the whole show, they’re the new Kate and Jack.
Posted 31 Oct 2009 at 6:47 am ¶
brownstocking wrote:
The Cho is my future soulmate, don’t know how that’s going to happen, but it will. He is great on FF, even though it’s a bit rocky still, I am sticking with it the entire season.
I liked his cool in the gunfight (yeah it was ree-diculous, but still, a guilty pleasure), and his droll remarks are just the hotness.
Posted 02 Nov 2009 at 4:31 am ¶
Jay wrote:
Also, what the hell is a Chinese fire drill?
It’s actually a phrase that has fairly racist origins – the British coined it during the colonial period (along with other “Chinese” phrases like Chinese whispers) to indicate confusion. The modern connotation is to stop a car at a red light, play musical chairs with the passengers and get in when the light turns green.
Posted 04 Nov 2009 at 7:20 pm ¶
Andrews wrote:
I’m going to echo everyone else here in the hopes ABC might actually sit up and take notice: MAKE JOHN CHO THE MAIN CHARACTER. And make Janis and Jett Jackson his partners, with C. Vance being competent and shady back at HQ.
If you must, devote ten minutes every episode for Benfordy whining for the one person in the universe who cares about them. But the rest of us have spoken. Give us the Choverlord.
Posted 04 Nov 2009 at 7:22 pm ¶