Flash Forward Episode 3: I can’t bring myself to dislike it

If you want didactic, 100% certain comments about the third episode of Flash Forward, look away now.

You see, I can think of all sorts of reasons why I should be disliking it.

But, I can’t quite stop myself liking it.

Reasons I should dislike it? The dumbing down of the plot from the book. The plot clichés. Episode three – enter Nazi, stage left. The reliance on spooky coincidences to make for drama. The plinky plink music to signify, “PAY ATTENTION! This bit is important!” And then, in case you missed it, the increase in volume of the plinky plink music to tell you “HEY! DON’T MISS THIS BIT! It’s really important.” The repeated nose-diving of the rhetoric whenever a character tries to reach oratorical heights.

But then … the very mundane nature of such language is a welcome change from the usual TV and movie cliches where the hero, if not a word-strapped geek, is an Obama-like orator. Then there’s the humour. Instead of over-portenuous mumbo jumbo we get jokes about the Earth farting and Britney Spears.

It’s as if the show knows it isn’t going to be the best and doesn’t want to embarrass itself trying. The result is an enjoyable bit of undemanding entertainment, exemplified by the cheesy cliff hanger at the end of episode three – cheesy, but turns the plot on its head and sets up the plot well for further twists and turns.

Roll on episode four of Flash Forward next week and in the meantime see here from my reviews of the other episodes of Flash Forward.