# Flashforward 10/22 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 23, 2009, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashforward-10-22/514806 "2009-10-23T01:23:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashforward-10-22/514806/21 "2009-10-23T18:53:24Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > Is this something from the preview for next week? Why do you think it will go unnoticed? Well, I hope I’m wrong, but given the way this thing has been written so far, I have a feeling the response in the show to the hit attempt will have no correspondence to what such an incident in real life would likely trigger. We’ll see. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashforward-10-22/514806/22 "2009-10-23T18:56:49Z")
Why not a fictional white president? We’ve had fictional black ones for years. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashforward-10-22/514806/23 "2009-10-23T20:44:10Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > Was anyone else thinking, when she got shot, of that old myth about the Civil War soldier who got shot through the balls, the bullet lodging in a nurse, somehow impregnating her? See post #10. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashforward-10-22/514806/24 "2009-10-23T20:47:49Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > Why not a fictional white president? We’ve had fictional black ones for years. R.I.P. David Palmer. You are deeply missed. _sniff_ ---
**Author:** ![SunSandSuffering](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@SunSandSuffering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunSandSuffering)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashforward-10-22/514806/25 "2009-10-23T22:00:39Z")
The whole thing reminds me of “Surface” > **[Surface (disambiguation)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_%28TV_series%29)** > > A surface, as the term is most generally used, is the outermost or uppermost layer of a physical object or space. > Surface or surfaces may also refer to: It will finish at the end of the first series with no tie-ups. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashforward-10-22/514806/26 "2009-10-23T23:00:44Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > Why not a fictional white president? We’ve had fictional black ones for years. Just speaking for myself here, the series states that the flashforward occurred on October 6, 2009. In the United States that I live in, the President on that date was Barack Obama. Ruins the suspension of disbelief if the President on that date in the show is Peter Coyote. Yeah, I know there’s plenty else that hampers suspension of disbelief in this particular series. I’m just sayin’, they could have set the show a couple of years in the future and it wouldn’t have hurt anything. ---
**Author:** ![kurilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea5d25/32.png) [@kurilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kurilla)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashforward-10-22/514806/27 "2009-10-23T23:26:43Z")
> [@SunSandSuffering](#): > > The whole thing reminds me of “Surface” > [Surface (disambiguation) - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_%28TV_series%29) > > It will finish at the end of the first series with no tie-ups. In TV Guide’s Fall Preview Issue, the creators said that all questions raised in the first season will be answered in the first season. That may only be worth a grain of salt, but there it is. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashforward-10-22/514806/28 "2009-10-24T01:06:45Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Just speaking for myself here, the series states that the flashforward occurred on October 6, 2009. In the United States that I live in, the President on that date was Barack Obama. Ruins the suspension of disbelief if the President on that date in the show is Peter Coyote. > > Yeah, I know there’s plenty else that hampers suspension of disbelief in this particular series. I’m just sayin’, they could have set the show a couple of years in the future and it wouldn’t have hurt anything. Well, on October 6, 2009, I didn’t pass out and see a vision of my future. It’s a TV universe. There’s no reason Obama should be the president. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashforward-10-22/514806/29 "2009-10-24T02:19:09Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Well, on October 6, 2009, I didn’t pass out and see a vision of my future. It’s a TV universe. There’s no reason Obama should be the president. That’s fine. I’m not claiming anyone has to think the way I do. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashforward-10-22/514806/30 "2009-10-24T03:08:16Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Can you elaborate a little more on your 2nd paragraph? The basic idea of multiple FF realities was brought up in previous threads because no one seems to actually be aware of the FF in their FF. Sitting on the toilet? In an early morning meeting? Having an ultrasound? None of these things scream “This is that moment you had a vision of 6 months ago!” Except for Benford’s. I think everyone else’s FF is the future of the world without the FF while Benford’s is the future of the world with the FF. And resolving those two timelines (you see it again with Coyote Pres and Clemente) will be the key to the FF. > [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Just speaking for myself here, the series states that the flashforward occurred on October 6, 2009. In the United States that I live in, the President on that date was Barack Obama. Ruins the suspension of disbelief if the President on that date in the show is Peter Coyote. I can’t think of anything that sounds more ridiculous. More often than not, the President is a fictional person on a show like this. And besides that, it’s likely the Pres will be a recurring character over the season, so making him “Barack Obama” would just turn into parody in short order. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashforward-10-22/514806/31 "2009-10-24T03:15:50Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > The basic idea of multiple FF realities was brought up in previous threads because no one seems to actually be aware of the FF in their FF. Sitting on the toilet? In an early morning meeting? Having an ultrasound? None of these things scream “This is that moment you had a vision of 6 months ago!” > > Except for Benford’s. I think everyone else’s FF is the future of the world without the FF while Benford’s is the future of the world with the FF. And resolving those two timelines (you see it again with Coyote Pres and Clemente) will be the key to the FF. Maybe in everyone’s flashforward, that was a future where on Oct 6 they flashforwarded to a different time. So everything still works out, they just weren’t expecting it. And remember, we didn’t actually see Clemente’s flashforward. She could be lying. And on the flashforwards themselves, anyone else of seeing the same one’s over and over again? How many times have we seen FBI Guy’s and the Doc’s future now? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashforward-10-22/514806/32 "2009-10-24T03:30:45Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I can’t think of anything that sounds more ridiculous. More often than not, the President is a fictional person on a show like this. And besides that, it’s likely the Pres will be a recurring character over the season, so making him “Barack Obama” would just turn into parody in short order. Good God, I’m fully aware of the conventions of TV shows, and this particular convention happens to take me out of it every time. I can’t help it. Once again, I’m not expecting anyone to necessarily agree with me. Did you not see the post just before yours? I’m clearly pissing people off by even having mentioned this this, so feel free to forget I said it, hey? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashforward-10-22/514806/33 "2009-10-24T04:04:35Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Good God, I’m fully aware of the conventions of TV shows, and this particular convention happens to take me out of it every time. I can’t help it. Once again, I’m not expecting anyone to necessarily agree with me. Did you not see the post just before yours? Of course, but the complaint is so silly that I can’t believe you made it in seriousness. If something looks like a manatee and sounds like a manatee, it’s probably ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashforward-10-22/514806/34 "2009-10-24T04:26:07Z")
I think the date had to be _real_ and in **our** time, because the Flash ends up ending this TV season, right? Could it not be that the Female to be President simply made that up when she told the FBI agent? Then again, we saw that Dr.Mom’s new love interest doesnt have the same context that she has, when they meet in the flash. – We don’t have to worry about parallel universes or any other further out theory, the single truth of the matter is that people are denied context, in one form or another, and that causes all of the problems. Ockhams Razor. I don’t know, the entire questions on plausibility with the plot NEVER click in with me. At the same time, the pace and tempo of the show seems to be off more recently. The end of the pilot episode had a great twist that was dialed in perfectly. The timing was dead on for what the show needed to be. I find it lacking in that department now. If it were real life, things would be done differently. 1. Repeat to yourself It is just a show, you should really just relax. [While ABC figures out how to get higher ratings with more demographics, even if intelligence has to suffer.] or 1. Perhaps the Blackout / FF itself causes people to not think in a plausible way or 1. Other. Anyone else think it odd that ABC made a point to spell out that in China it was 2 AM ? After our discussion on it? \*\* HI ABC!!! \*\*Great show you have here, but don’t do with Prison Break did, let your show go out on top. But yeah, Prison Break had 2 good seasons, IMHO, Season 2 was Icing. I checked out on Season 3, and Season 4 Went Dallas (Patrick Duffy), and Expendable Character crazy. At least we aren’t there yet. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashforward-10-22/514806/35 "2009-10-24T05:07:43Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Of course, but the complaint is so silly that I can’t believe you made it in seriousness. If something looks like a manatee and sounds like a manatee, it’s probably ridiculous. [Cousin Vinnie] I think. I get. The point. [/Cousin Vinny] ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashforward-10-22/514806/36 "2009-10-24T16:21:09Z")
Just in case anyone’s curious, if you haven’t heard, showrunner Marc Guggenheim’s been [kicked off](http://www.aintitcool.com/node/42776) the show. The show now falls solo into the co-creators hands of David Goyer. FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashforward-10-22/514806/37 "2009-10-25T02:30:56Z")
I’m waiting for it to get exciting. For an SF show, there’s rather too much pontificating and soap operatic relationship crap, and not enough “Everything We Thought We Knew About Science Has Just Been Turned Upside Down And I Don’t Know What’s Real Anymore!!!” ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashforward-10-22/514806/38 "2009-10-25T03:37:16Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I’m waiting for it to get exciting. For an SF show, there’s rather too much pontificating and soap operatic relationship crap, and not enough “Everything We Thought We Knew About Science Has Just Been Turned Upside Down And I Don’t Know What’s Real Anymore!!!” I think you’re in for disappointment then. [http://io9.com/5365044/flashforward-isnt-what-you-expect-says-star](http://io9.com/5365044/flashforward-isnt-what-you-expect-says-star) ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashforward-10-22/514806/39 "2009-10-25T04:03:51Z")
> [@tr0psn4j](#): > > And if it isn’t then what the hell is the point of all these flash forwards. And can’t they think of something less stupid to call those damn things? It’s the NAME OF THE DAMN SHOW! Sorry but it had to be said. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashforward-10-22/514806/40 "2009-10-25T19:17:02Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > It’s the NAME OF THE DAMN SHOW! Sorry but it had to be said. 😉 FLASH! Forward! Savior of the Universe FLASH! Forward! It’ll save everyone one of us. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashforward-10-22/514806.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flashforward-10-22/514806.md?page=3)