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- TV Series: FlashForward
- Episode: Believe
- Starring: Joseph Fiennes, John Cho, Jack Davenport, Dominic Monaghan, Peyton List, Zachary Knighton, Sonya Walger and Courtney B. Vance
- Written By: Nicole Yorkin and Dawn Prestwich
- Directed By: Michael Nankin
- Network: ABC
- Series:
FlashForward: Believe Review
A Test of Faith with Flash Forward. By
Rob Vaux
November 21, 2009
Flash Forward Review
© ABC/Bob Trate
"Believe" settles into the role of filler episode--focusing on character rather than plot--and in that role, it attains an admirable level of success. It offers no sweeping revelations and its story points remain minor at best. But its central figure has been supremely neglected until now, and Thursday's episode finally justifies his presence on the show. Bryce Varley (Zachary Knight) constitutes the sort of blandly handsome stand-in that most prime time network shows use to fill in the background. Other characters can use him as a sounding board and he's pretty to look at, but besides a quietly intriguing flash forward (which arrived just as he was about to kill himself), he seemed about as pertinent to the show as a swollen appendix.
Director Michael Nankin places him front and center for the first time, revealing both his growing obsession with his vision and the reason for putting that gun in his mouth. He has cancer--a fairly nasty strain by the sound if it--which immediately elevates his self destruction from self-indulgent moaning to going out on his own terms. It also lends his vision a strength and a power that it previously lacked, for the girl he saw there and the emotions he felt for her need to be enough to put that nihilistic equation on hold.
"Believe" scores further points by developing said girl into a full-blown character… and by making her fairly interesting to boot. Keiko Arahia (Yuko Takeuchi) works in a Japanese robotics firm, struggling to fit into an all-male culture and resenting the hell out of the demeaning attitude of her bosses. She longs for a less restrained life, and appears to have latched onto her flash forward as a possible means to that end. The bulk of the episode focuses on the pair's attempts to jump-start their vision, each seeking the other out and learning to their frustration that fate can't be rushed.
Screenwriters Nicole Yorkin and Dawn Prestwich construct the episode around the duality of their mutual quest, showing us how the vision has affected their lives and the ways it drives them towards each other. In the process, it grants Varley a presence on the show which he hasn't possessed before, while making Arahia a welcome addition to the cast. Their quest holds interest, but also remains refreshingly devoid of the gravitas of other people's flash forwards. There's no life-or-death conundrum here… or rather, there is, but it has nothing to do with what may or may not be coming in the future. It's simply two people trying to find each other, a sweet, simple equation which makes for a breath of fresh air amid the show's more serious plot threads.
Speaking of which, Agent Benford (Joseph Fiennes) just seems hell bent on fucking his life into a cocked hat, doesn't he? After finding out that someone texted his wife (Sonya Walger) about his alleged future drinking, he promptly starts interrogating those around him to find out who did it: engendering hostile stares and metaphoric finger gestures all around. He's always been something of a twerp, and his agitation around the issue further highlights the notion that his vision may be making him less than stable… not a good sign when your future has men with guns coming to kill you.
The remainder of the episode sticks with similar housekeeping concerns--another search for Agent Noh's (John Cho's) mysterious caller and Aaron (Brian F. O'Byrne) continuing to fret about his daughter. All of them bubble along amiably beneath the umbrella of Varley's pending romance, providing decent variety and keeping the pacing from slowing down too much. Director Michael Nankin finds the right combination of elements to engage us throughout, and in the process creates an interesting pause to let some of the supporting players catch up. That he does so without marking time or stalling is another point in "Believe's" favor: if not a masterful episode than at least a comfortably reliable one.
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One of the best filler episodes I've ever seen.