FlashForward is more like LameForward

The “new” hit series this fall is apparently FlashForward. I watched it for about 20 minutes and decided on the following:
It sucks.

The reason is simple. It’s a tv show that was 100% guaranted created like this:
Producer guy – We want to make a show that’s Lost + 24.
Network guy – Done.

And thus FlashForward was born and odly enough watching it will make you FlashBackwards to the mysteries of Lost and the intense suspense of 24 all while making you NauseateForward towards the nearest toilet.

Society at the edge of something new

So in this post I sort of minded my disliking of the series Lost by J.J. Abrams, but I also mentioned that I actually like J.J. and that his new show called Fringe bears much more promise because of it’s more episodic nature. The latest episode of Fringe called “Ability” was yet another excellent episode and I feel as to talk a little more about the show as it now appears to be touching on even more interesting aspects then I had dear to hope.

Spot the difference?

*Warning! Here be spoilers!*

So the lastest episode brings forth the manifesto kalled ZFT (Zerstorung durch Fortschritte der Technologie wich means “Destruction by Advancement of Technology” in english) that the shows bad guys appears to be following. It’s in this manifesto that things are starting to really tickle my brain and not just the lazy parts of it.  Destruction in advancement of technology is taken right out of any Orwellian nightmare or Einstein quote saying that the third fourth world war will be fought with sticks and stones. It is finally starting to touch on the idea that mankind is messing with forces it’s not really, let’s say mature enough to handle. The invention of the atomic bomb is interesting on endlessly many levels and one of them is that at a certain point in history, mankind had made enough technology to end it’s own existence, now that’s what I call progress!

So in the tv series of Fringe this strain of thought is taken into a self fulfilling prophecy or foresight. The thesis being that “As advances are made across all fields of science in continuing accellerated rate, the science will get out of controll and end us all”. The details are sketchy, but I simplify it in my mind to something like “Use the world as you’r lab and you will end up blowing the lab up”. In other words the series isn’t necessarily a tribute to science, but a nod the idea that this technology will be the end of us all, one way or another.

Kinda reminds me of someone…

There you go

So all inn all Fringe is actually getting better as opposed to Lost wich is getting worse by each minute you actually bother to watch the show. You see even tough this is starting to look like the  neverendingstoryofLost the show still works on a episodic basis, like todays episode we got confirmed that timetravel + teleportation = true. We saw what would happen if you’r scar tissue went rampant and learned that there exists 2 dollar bills (I think). I’m not dying to watch the next episode because this one gave me what I was looking for as a quick entertainment fix, yet still has enough storyline to make want to tune in on the next one, like a good tv show should.

Slow romantic build-up

The following series has had what I’m noticing is a popular element in TV series, the slow romantic build-up.

• Friends
• CSI – Las Vegas
• The Office (US)
• Fraiser
• Gilmore Girls
• The West Wing
• Remington Steele
• X-Files
• Moonlighting

The following series are currently having their slow romantic build-ups

• Chuck
• Psych
• House*
• The Big Bang Theory
• How I Met Your Mother
• Fringe*
• The Mentalist**

* Can be discussed

** Rigsby and Van Pelt are obvius, but I have a theory about Jane and agent Lisbon

As you can se the math on this is solid

Now I know that this “technique” makes for a nice long and slow romantic story arch, but it’s now getting so popular that in recent shows I don’t care anymore. Will Chuck ever become the real boyfriend of Sarah? Does anyone even care? I suggest that one stops with these slow romantic build ups and go the Mad Men route with good old fashioned there-and-then drama. Oh and where there any shows I forgot?

This show has it right

Addicted to TV

Ever since I can remember, the magic box that makes it possible to watch moving images sent from afar has captivated my mind, imagination and beyond all my time. The addition of magic internet techologies have enabled my tv addiction to not be restricted by the hours of the day or the time on the clock, or the region of my habitat. As a result I’m currently following somewhere between 10 and 20 shows, possibly more. Whenever I stumble upon a show that I like I gather as many episodes as possible (if the show has been on air for awhile) and watch them almost non-stop until I’m up to speed. I spend way to much time on tv watching and I’m not afraid to admit it.

The latest show to be added to myepisodes list is Psych. Staring James Roday and Dule Hill it’s  a quirky murder/mystery show that’s more or less lighthearted comedy. It’s a refreshing simple and elegantly made show that works inside it’s own boundaries, also the performances of James Roday and Dule Hill are quite delightfull. If you like simple and clean entertainment then check out Psych.

Lost in Lost and other makings of J.J. Abrams

So another season of Lost is upon us, I have been watching since season one and now I feel that I can’t stop watching because I need to know how it ends, sort of trapped to watched more tv because I started to watch it in the first place.

*the following text contains spoilers to Lost and asumes that you a) Have seen all episodes of Lost or b) Don’t care*

Had I been able to timetravel (you know like they do on Lost) I had gone back to tell myself to NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE TO EVER WATCH LOST! because the series isn’t going anywhere. By know the series has come up with dusins if not hundreeds of questions and mysteries and the only thing that the new episodes are doing is ignoring old mysteries and asking new ones instead. Maybe mr. J.J. should rename the show to “Red Herrings” and explain what the show is really about, or maybe the title “Lost” is doing just that seing as trying to follow this show will leave you completely lost and also stuck in time. I will not discuss any plot points of Lost because the whole idea is futile to me and it also should be to you. My point is that the show has now taken so many twists and turns that by now I don’t care and I refuse to be shocked over any new revelations questions that may appear. I would fully expect at any moment for Locké to be an alien and for Ben to actually be Martin Luther sent by the spanish inquisition (because no one expects the spanish inquisition now do they?). My number one wish for the series is that everyone just dies and that it ENDS!

If you are watching Lost then “You are here” if not then take this image as a warning

As for Fringe it’s more or less X-Files for our current day of age and is more episodic then Lost and as that it’s not that big of a headache if the show never ends (wich I’m guessing it won’t). Also Cloverfield was totally awesome and all in all I actually like the style of tv/movie making that J.J. incorporates so I’m thinking I will forgive him all the time that I have wasted on Lost (and will waste in the future no doubt).