The Racialicious Roundtable For Flash Forward 1.8
Hosted by Special Correspondent Arturo R. García
Maybe we’re just bad luck.
I mean, you saw what happened to Heroes on the Roundtable’s watch. Now comes word that Flash Forward is slipping, ratings-wise. If I’d known about this effect sooner I would’ve started convening Glee roundtables.
Just kidding, Mahsino!
But, anyway, dear readers, what do you make of this show getting beat out in the ratings by … by the Vampire Diaries? In the meantime, let’s cover “Playing Cards With Coyote”:
Best thing about this week’s episode: consistent (or at least, constant) follow-up on Al’s “gift” to Demetri. I also thought Celia getting 15 minutes of fame out of it was an interesting touch. Your thoughts?
Diana: I don’t know if I missed something, but the logic seemed kind of flawed to me. I did not know Al knew Celia’s full name/identity. With that said, I still mourn Al’s loss and wonder if there could have been a less drastic measure to achieve the same outcome. But then I guess it would not be as dramatic and worth putting on the front page of a newspaper that the future could be changed.
jen*: I’m with you Diana – how would Demetri know to deliver the letter to her if Al stated in the letter that he didn’t even know her last name? Maybe he used Mosaic?
Arturo: I think Al mentioned cross-referenced her with his vision in Mosaic during last week’s ep. It stands to reason – though, in retrospect, it should’ve been spelled out – that Dem or somebody did the same.
Likewise, I thought the sequence in the pet store was appropriately tense, and the follow-up between Dem and Mark addressed some logical questions. But how could nobody even theorize that the tri-star tattoo was a group thing and not just on one guy? (Btw, is there any chance the Tri-Stars aren’t at least connected to “Jericho?”)
Diana: I was mad that no one thought that such a tattoo could exist on more than one person. The whole episode also put Mark’s morals and ethics into play big time which Demetri rightfully called him on. Maybe Mark starts drinking again because he killed the wrong tattooed man and didn’t change a damn thing.
jen*: Seriously. Mark just kills this guy with a pretty plain-looking tattoo and thinks he’s the only one who’s got it? It looked like some sort of para-military thing when I saw it, so of course my first thought was Jericho – especially with all the talk about them firing on the daughter-in-hiding. How did Mark rise this high without ever thinking things through?
Mahsino: I’m starting to get the whole Law & Order “twist” vibe from this show, like the Jericho/3 star connection is some giant plot twist that’s supposed to shock us.
In my notes I was jotting down, “Lloyd: worst poker player ever?” … until he finally pwned Charlie the EEEEEVIL Hobbit. I’m glad Lloyd won mostly because a) c’mon, it’s Capt. Norrington against a HOBBIT and b) Simon was turning into a bit of a Villain Sue anyway, no?
Diana: If I was Lloyd, I would have just skipped the card game and told the world what I had done. Bump the Hobbit man and his silly games.
jen*: Couldn’t he at least have kept the money? I would think he could use it…since he’ll most likely be needing a lawyer.
Mahsino: Doesn’t he have some hospital bills to pay, I mean dude hasn’t once mentioned going to work. Giving up the money was poor parenting- I’m sure Dylan could’ve used a college fund.
So, the Stark family. I still don’t care.
Diana: Ditto on that, Arturo.
jen*: Are they the sponsor and daughter-in-hiding? Cuz I don’t care about them either. But I haven’t learned their names…so…
Arturo: Yup, that’s them, Jen.
Mahsino: The producers need to take a page from Family Matters and send the Stark family up to their room or something- I won’t ask any questions, I promise.
Open Mic!
Mahsino: I was pissed that there was seemingly no period of mourning on the part of Mark. He uses a colleagues death as an excuse to go out on a mini vacation with his wife?!
Diana: And then Mark doesn’t even turn the phone off while on vacay. Olivia should have trashed him and kept the underwear.
jen*: What’s up with trying to change the future without thinking things through? Al dies without considering that someone else could kill Celia, Mark kills a dude with three stars on his arm because of course no one else would have that tattoo, and Olivia doesn’t ponder that on April 29 she could be wearing a different set of underwear. Although those were nice.
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Mary wrote:
The tattoo thing was hilariously stupid. I mean even I, a mere civilian in my Barcalounger, wondered if there could possibly be more than one guy with the same tattoo. Lord.
Diana: If I was Lloyd, I would have just skipped the card game and told the world what I had done. Bump the Hobbit man and his silly games.
I kept wondering why Lloyd went anywhere alone with the Hobbit. I mean Simon expressed no remorse about 20 million deaths, do you think he’s going to have any compunctions about killing someone who’s about to blow the whistle?
Mahsino: I was pissed that there was seemingly no period of mourning on the part of Mark. He uses a colleagues death as an excuse to go out on a mini vacation with his wife?!
God, yes, this so much. I was more charitable and just assumed Mark did some appropriate mourning off-screen. But dang, I’m still wondering why Al had to kill himself and not Mark, and scenes like this aren’t helping. Especially in light of how little Mark seems to care about Demetri’s impending murder, and especially in comparison to how connected/empathetic Demetri, Al, Janis and Wedeck seem to be with each other. I like Mark less every week.
Posted 19 Nov 2009 at 11:41 am ¶
Mahsino wrote:
Considering our track record, maybe we should cover V next?
Posted 19 Nov 2009 at 2:49 pm ¶
Diana wrote:
Mahsino, I think V has only one episode left this year. I don’t think it’s going to last. It’s not that good.
Posted 19 Nov 2009 at 3:07 pm ¶
Mahsino wrote:
Exactly, let’s speed up the process. I wanted to support 4400 and Firefly alum, but this is just asking too much.
Posted 19 Nov 2009 at 3:10 pm ¶
Soda & Candy wrote:
Off-topic, but I’d like to see Racialicious cover “Community”, it seems pretty diverse and in a way that makes it clear the characters were written as their ethnicities.
Thanks!
Posted 19 Nov 2009 at 4:50 pm ¶
Laura wrote:
Off-topic: I agree with the suggestion to cover “Community”.
On-topic: Basically I’m in it for Demetri as played by John Cho. Janis, Al and Stan are a nice bonus. Mark’s troubles don’t interest me though I don’t mind his wife.
Posted 19 Nov 2009 at 6:37 pm ¶
Nin wrote:
The Vampire Diaries is actually a great show.
I agree about the Starks – the build up was way better than the story. The daughter seemed more selfish/crabby than emotionally traumatized. They also need to expand on the military conspiracy bit. As it is, it’s the same bland “they’re after me” thing of every other show.
Posted 19 Nov 2009 at 6:48 pm ¶
Karen wrote:
WOW.
FlashForward went from my favorite new show to a failfest in only a month. Bryce (the male doctor) has replaced Mark as my least favorite character.
but only by a little. especially after the accusing everyone of texting his wife instead of being mad at himself for how much he has messed up in the passed few weeks.
Ugh, just how they handled the whole “mysterious-girl-in-Tokyo” thing made me want to puke. “oh look at the poor, quiet, exotic, (but quirky, cant forget quirky since you know, Japanese people OBVIOUSLY never have music tastes like Jimi Hendrix) japanese girl whose oppressed and lonely. all she needs is her white and shining armor man to swoop down and save her from her oppressive japanese life.” (on a side note, i thought that one of the guys that her mother had at the party was kind of hot…but that’s just me)
And the the who “nail that stands out” metaphor whose original meaning is completely whitewashed just pissed me off. *sigh*
plus the hospital scene with the bedridden woman and him just being an idiot.
Just the whole Bryce-Tokyo-Keiko thing is a garbage full of white supremacist FAIL.
they should rename this show FailFoward
Posted 19 Nov 2009 at 10:02 pm ¶
Ishtar wrote:
@ Mary
You have a window into my mind, right? Go on. Admit it. There is no other explanation for you writing exactly what I was thinking.
Mark is unsympathetic to everyone. There is real warmth among his colleagues so why do they have to put up with this cold fish? He’s rash, immature, selfish, sulky and a downright bore. Why can’t he be the victim of a random act of violence. Ok maybe not so random because I volunteer to pull the trigger.
Why can’t Demetri be the lead? And we need to see more of Janis. I like her. Stan isn’t getting enough screen time IMO. He showed a different side of himself in that ep where he visited the Prez’s former mistress and then blackmailed the Prez. I like that he can be ruthless when he feels its required. Mark doesn’t deserve a boss like that.
Oh and did I mention that Mark should die?
As for Al’s suicide…I have mixed feelings. On the one hand I had an emotional investment in the character and liked learning more about him in each episode. Also, he was hot. Damn hot. On the other hand, his suicide served as a powerful symbol to others that they were not slaves to their Flash Forwards. Still, I’ll miss him.
Posted 20 Nov 2009 at 6:32 am ¶
Kendra wrote:
@ Karen:
Yeah, Mark may be the Claire of the show, but Bryce is the worst character. Most pointless character of the whole damn show.
Also, I kept thinking to myself, concerning Keiko, couldn’t she have been inspired by a Japanese guitarist? You know, someone from the continent of Asia at the very least. Why listen to some white guy while you’re at work?
Also, the whole Flashforward, she didn’t say a damn word. That pissed me of! She was so fucking quiet . . . I mean, the guy could speak Japanese, she could have something like “ah, I’ve finally found you . . . ”
Also, way to make an escape, go to the US. Because Japan is so oppressive. And the people are all the same. No no, no diversity in Japan. I mean, is there even such a thing as J-rock?
Tons of people like black music artists, so I agree, an interest in Jimi Hendrix is not uncommon among Japanese people either.
And while the character is entitled to her feelings about her life and the suitors her mother chose for her, I too found at least one of them attractive. Lol. Though that wasn’t the point.
This interracial angle is nothing new. If they wanted to surprise me, they should have paired her with an Asian American male.
I pretty much agree with you concerning the Bryce–Keiko storyline. Blagh!
Posted 20 Nov 2009 at 4:44 pm ¶
Orville wrote:
I have to admit the pairing of the Asian female with the white male was not exactly surprising.
I acknowledge that the storyline that the Japanese woman was from a family that is considered strict was stereotypical.
However, when the Japanese mother saw the white man Bryce I thought that could be realistic. I am sure Japanese parents in Japan do not approve of interracial marriage. Japan is a very homogenous society and they believe in endogamy.
However, unlike other bloggers I don’t see a problem with it. The truth is in North America a high percentage of Asian American and Asian Canadian females date and marry white men. Every single time in Toronto I am on the street car or the TTC bus I always see a white guy with an Asian lady.
The white man/Asian female relationship is quite common. In fact, if a white man is going to go interracial he most likely will be dating or marrying an Asian woman.
I want to see more about Demetri and
Zoey’s relationship. I was very disappointed with Thursday’s episode. I always saw Bryce as a supporting cast member and NOT one of the leads. I don’t like it that the white British guy and his wife get so much screentime. I want more background history about Gabrielle Union and John Cho’s relationship. John Cho is the co male lead so why is he hardly getting the attention he deserves? We know very little about Zoey and Demetri. Come on producers of Flashforward they deserve an entire episode covering their background history!!
Mod Note – Please avoid using generalizations about other cultures. Just as we critique images of minorities in the media, all images of other cultures are not necessarily accurate. – LDP
Posted 21 Nov 2009 at 2:22 pm ¶