Welcome to Mosaic Investigations, our weekly look at all that we saw in the latest episode of FlashForward – 1.01 No More Good Days. Consider this our way of piecing together the FF clues and eastereggs.

Click below the jump to continue.

Handy Opening

FlashForward sneakily incorporated a quick flash from Mark Benford’s flash forward in the opening title sequence. You had to be quick to notice the friendship bracelet which foreshadowed one of the most poignant strands from the episode.

The title sequence flash was cool for those of us who like searching for these things. Although they probably nicked the idea from Fringe.

It’s possible that the opening titles could include a different foreshadowing clue each week, so we’ll see what the next one brings.

Foreshadowing?

Demitri tells Mark that his wife-to-be wants Dolly Parton’s Islands In The Stream to play at their wedding. A throw-away line you might think? I think not. I may be reaching too far, but I think this could be one of those seemingly innocuous references that will turn out to be a major clue in seasons to come.

Specifically the lyrics, possibly alluding to multiple worlds..multiple realities on FlashForward.

Islands In The Stream lyrics:

Islands in the stream
That is what we are
No one in-between
How can we be wrong
Sail away with me to another world
And we rely on each other, ah-ah
From one lover to another, ah-ah

Of course, it could just be an innocent reference. I guess we’ll find out in several seasons time.

Who Lost Their Desperate Housewife?

The obligatory hat-tip to “ABC” cousins LOST and Desperate Housewives.

Mosaic

Here are the important images from Mark Bendford’s flash forward, including references to the Mosaic investigation, a black swan, 137 Sekunden, Red Panda Resources, Blue Hand and more!

[Show as slideshow]

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Hop, Skip, Jump

One of the most intentional clues dropped in the pilot – not sure what it means, but something tells me Skippy is a ‘marker’ of some kind (both for the characters and the viewers?).

Seeing Double

I’ll just come and and say it now – alternate realities in FlashForward. There. I said it, again. Now we wait.

“I Know Olivia”

This one was explained in the episode – Lloyd Simcoe’s son knew who Olivia was because he must have seen her in his flash forward. To complete the circle, we also know that Olivia saw Lloyd (but not the kid) in her flash forward. There does seem to be an element of fate about their meeting in the hospital – what wife her saving his life and all.

Could this act be the thing which initially bonds Lloyd and Olivia? It’s becoming fairly significant that time is far from linear in FF. A case of the old chicken and egg scenario – what came first, fate or freewill (and is their any controlling factor over either)?

Oh, and by the way, I wonder what Lloyd saw?

Robert J. Sawyer Cameo

..and he’s looking right in the camera! Nice little hat-tip to the creator of the FF source material.

Suspect Zero

Perhaps the biggest bombshell of the episode – who IS Suspect Zero? I have a few ideas..

“Guys..where are we?”.

As always, if you’d like to add anything to the above or you think that we’ve missed something out, feel free to let us know what YOU saw in the comments.

ABC have made the first 18 minutes of their upcoming series, FlashForward, available for free online after several clips were leaked. An interesting move from ABC – if nothing else, they must believe in these opening 18 minutes. Watch it for free using the video player above, if you want (video player may take a few seconds to load).

Continue below the jump for an “FF” sneak peek promo and an interview with John Cho.

Slightly redundant now, but here’s another sneak peek. I’m posting this for those of you who prefer not to watch the opening 18 minutes of the premiere above, and to point out the thematic similarities with the opening sequence from the “LOST” Pilot – although obviously the setting is very different. As I’ve said before, hopefully FlashForward show can be half as good as the island drama and go on to develop its own identity over the course of the season – by the looks of the first 18 minutes, it definitely has the potential.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD1PW97xQP0

USA Weekend interview with FlashForward‘s John Cho:

There are a bunch of things conspiring against John Cho, keeping him from strumming his guitar just for fun. For one, he has been acting non-stop for several years. “Star Trek” was one of the biggest movie hits of this past summer, and his new ABC show, “FlashForward,” has all sorts of buzz around it.

There’s also his 16-month-old son, his first child with actress Kerri Higuchi. “My wife and I were saying, it’s no wonder the body allows you to have children at such a young age,” Cho, 37, says. “It’s because you need the energy, the strength and the stamina to run after the kid.”

Best known for starring in the “Harold & Kumar” comedies with Kal Penn, Cho admits that J.J. Abrams’ big-screen reboot of “Star Trek” (in which he plays Sulu, a younger version of the role made famous by George Takei) gave him a jump-start both professionally and mentally when it came to acting. And after having been burned a few times by canceled series and pilots that went nowhere, Cho had sworn off television.

“FlashForward” has changed his thinking on all that, though. In the series, which premieres Thursday, an occurrence causes people all over the world to black out for two minutes and 17 seconds, and during that time, most have mysterious visions of their future. (Cho’s character, however, is one of the few who doesn’t see anything.) While the concept is cool, Cho says, “it’s the little things and the relationships that’ll keep bringing people back.”

USA Today ask whether FlashForward is the next “Lost”, as the ABC freshman show tests the waters of the unknown:

BURBANK, Calif. — The FBI agent and his wife’s apparent future lover just miss crossing paths in the hospital hallway. They don’t meet, but what if they had?
Would it block his wife’s path to infidelity? Or would it guarantee it?

The underlying question — can you change your future? — is at the heart of ABC’sFlashForward (Sept. 24, 8 ET/PT), among the most-awaited new fall TV series, and one that some are calling the next Lost.

The premise centers on a two-minute, 17-second blackout that strikes the world’s population, followed by crashes, deaths and other disasters that result from the global unconsciousness. During the blackout, almost everyone has a vision — a flash-forward — six months ahead, to April 29, 2010. 10 p.m. PT, to be exact. Some are welcome, and some, including the wife’s vision of the lover, are not.

The task is to find out what happened and if the flash-forward prophecies will, or must, come to pass.
“We are the only species that thinks about the future,” says executive producer David Goyer, whose writing credits include Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. “It’s the blessing and curse of being human.”

Joseph Fiennes, who plays FBI agent Mark Benford, centers a team assigned to solve the blackout that includes partner Demetri Noh (John Cho); colleague Janis Hawk (Christine Woods); and their boss, Stanford Wedeck (Courtney B. Vance). They and the other characters, including Benford’s surgeon wife, Olivia (Sonya Walger), share their visions, but viewers see only bits and pieces at first, leaving twists and turns to be explored.

And “some people lie about their flash-forwards, so it’s a little misdirection happening,” Vance says. “It leaves the writers enormous latitude to tell stories.”

Of fall’s new shows, FlashForward most closely fits the definition of the serialized epic, a sweeping tale mixing action, suspense, mystery, romance and melodrama. “It’s a buffet,” executive producer Marc Guggenheim (Eli Stone) says. “To reach the widest audience possible, you need to have that spice. You have to have that wide variety.”

The best current example of the big, bold serialized mystery: ABC hit Lost. Fox’s 24 incorporates many of those elements, though each season is self-contained. Fox’s paranormalFringe tries to temper its serialized elements, mixing long-term story with shorter, weekly ones. And ABC launches a remake of alien-invasion serial V in November.

The challenging format tends to demand more dedication from viewers, who may not want to make the time commitment, especially when there is no guarantee a show will reach its conclusion. It includes many recent failures, some of them noble, such as The Nine and Jericho, and even critically acclaimed successes Lost and 24 have hit bumps. NBC’s Heroes, which tries to balance serialization with stand-alone volumes, was a big early hit but has since slumped.

Quick answers to questions

Goyer and Guggenheim say they are making the show as they want to, but their customized format — many character stories that wrap up in one episode, quick answers to major questions and a simplified but not dumbed-down mythology — also may make it appeal to a broader audience and casual viewers. “It’s not that kind of show where if you don’t catch it at the beginning you’ll be lost,” Vance says.

At the same time, more devoted fans will be rewarded with numerous little clues and hidden references. “You’ll come across the true genius that is David Goyer, which is these Easter eggs,” Fiennes says. “There’s so much information that you could certainly go crazy trying to work it all out.”

As another viewing incentive, Goyer promises to resolve virtually all questions raised in the pilot by this season’s end. “We made the commitment very early on to answer some big questions and have some reveals very early. The audience will be surprised at some of the cards we turn over that early.”

ABC has an interest in series that are “something epic in scope but also really emotional,” network executive vice president Suzanne Patmore-Gibbs says. Characters must be at the core, she says, whether the serialized program is Lost,
Grey’s Anatomy or FlashForward.

Goyer likes mixing large and small. “One of the things I like to do is take a big, broad subject matter and see if you can work it through this intimate prism with characters who humanize what would normally be what some would call an E-ticket ride. I think we were able to do that with the Batman movies, and I feel that’s what we’re doing here.”

He and Guggenheim are Lost fans, citing the Emmy-winning hit’s groundbreaking nature as one reason they thought ABC would be a good place for their series. ABC hopes Lost fans connect with FlashForward.

“Lost is ending this year and hopefully going out with a bang. There’s an audience base that’s going to be craving another nuanced experience, and it would be nice to win some of those audience members,” Patmore-Gibbs says. But she and others point out large differences between Lost and FlashForward, which was inspired by Robert Sawyer’s novel of the same name and in planning before Lost was created. (The TV series veers far from the book, producers say.)

“It’s not like we’re going to unearth layers and layers that are more sci-fi or layers and layers of mythology. So I think it’s easier to access in some ways,” Patmore-Gibbs says.

Walger, who has had a recurring role on Lost, considers it “a huge compliment being (mentioned) in the same breath as Lost. (But) I think the similarity begins and ends with big ensemble casts.”

FlashForward has a large, diverse ensemble — 11 series regulars, including Lost’s Dominic Monaghan, and guest stars from around the world — that opens the door to many individual stories, both professional and personal. To be a TV series rather than a movie, FlashForward had to be about more than blackouts and flash-forwards, says Cho, who also visited the future in this year’s Star Trek film.

“We couldn’t hang our hats on that big concept. It had to be about relationships and how it affected everyone’s lives. That, to me, was the hook,” he says.

On the largest soundstage on the Disney studios lot, one usually reserved for feature films, some character stories — and bits of police and medical drama — are intersecting at Olivia’s hospital when Mark and his FBI colleagues arrive. She has just saved a series regular who was injured in an attack resulting from their investigation.

“Mark has this guilt, but at the same time he feels vindicated that the clues are paying off,” Fiennes says.

The ‘what-if?’ element

Of FlashForward’s many elements, those involved with the series say science fiction may be the least. It also happens to be a genre label that turns off some viewers who might otherwise give a series or movie a try.

The show’s science-fiction component is limited to the blackout and flash-forwards, if that, the producers say, with Goyer suggesting the ultimate cause may not even be in the realm of that genre. He describes the look forward as a “what if?” rather than science fiction, akin to Scrooge’s glimpse of the future in A Christmas Carol.

While FlashForward’s characters see bits of the future, Goyer and Guggenheim know it all, as in how the series ends.

“In a post-Lost world, when you take a pilot to the networks, they ask, ‘Do you have any idea where it goes?’ ” Goyer says. “As a viewer, I would feel frustrated if the show creators don’t know where they’re going.”

They have plotted the series out, a difficult task when it isn’t known how long it will run. Goyer says they have loosely planned it for five seasons, could tell it in three, if necessary, or could “accordion it out” to run longer than five. Besides the ending, they say they know how the penultimate season concludes.

“They have had a destination in mind the whole time, knowing how hard it is when you don’t,” Patmore-Gibbs says. She notes Lost has benefited from having a fixed ending point, though no one suggested FlashForwardmight follow a similar plan.

The series can expand on a character or story if it breaks out in a big way. In the pilot, Benford encounters a kangaroo on a downtown L.A. street after the blackout. “It was something intended as a grace note. I didn’t expect it to get quite the response it has,” Goyer says. He and Guggenheim have made sure the Australian interloper will return.

“We’ve altered stuff along the way, as we’ve refined and gotten a better handle on things,” Guggenheim says. “Something happens in the 11th episode of the show that had been planned for Episode 18, or even later.”

But what happens after Season 1′s last episode? If FlashForward answers nearly all the questions in the pilot by the season’s end, what will be left for next year?

“I hope people ask that,” Goyer says. “In some ways, I can’t wait to get there. It’s going to be more exciting than Season 1.”

[USA Today]

By the sounds of things, Dominic Monaghan‘s character on FlashForward will be a major departure from other roles he’s taken on in recent years.

Click the link below to find out why:

[spoiler warning]:

Melody in Orange, Calif.: I’m dying to know more about Dominic Monaghan’s character on Flash Forward. What can you tell us?
Flash Forward producer Marc Guggenheim tells us, “Dominic Monaghan‘s character, Simon, is the smartest man in the world, and he definitely knows it. He’s mysterious, but not just for story reasons. He’s a mysterious kind of person. He’s someone that’s so intelligent that he has a difficult time interfacing with people on a human level, because he’s just so much smarter than them. He’s an enigmatic figure whom I hope you’ll want to get to know over the course of the first season.”

[source: E!]

FlashForward’s Dominic Monaghan (it’s still weird saying that) talks about his role on the show, and a bit about LOST in this interview:

Q: What do you play on the show?

Dominic: All I can tell you, right now, is that I play a character called Simon. He’s not going to show up until later on in the show. I don’t appear in the pilot.

Q: What did you find intriguing about this character?

Dominic: It’s important for me to try to play someone different. After talking to David and Jessika Goyer, they alluded to the fact that I could play someone drastically different, if that’s what I wanted to do. That’s what I’ve always been attaining to do, in my career. With each part that I play, the next part has to be different, so that no one is able to say, “This is what he is, as an actor.”

Q: Did you know as little about Charlie, when you went into Lost, as you do with your character on Flash Forward?

Dominic: When I went into Lost, I probably knew a little bit more because there wasn’t as much mystery about my character, from the writers and creators. When I went into Lost, it was a relatively open book. They told me that Charlie was a rock star, a junkie and a mess. Whereas, David is much more protective, for good reason, over where my character is going to go, how he’s going to be revealed, and what he’s going to turn out to do in the show.

Q: How would you compare Flash Forward and Lost?

Dominic: There are, obviously, similarities. There is a large ensemble cast with a very ambitious storyline, which is a very easy way to sell the show, internationally. There are also distinct differences, at the same time. I don’t think necessarily we’re dealing with something as deeply rooted in a mythology that needs to be solved. I think this is a show that is, not necessarily to use the word “simplistic,” but is probably not as sophisticated in that deeply rich mythology, as Lost is.

Q: Obviously, you have a great comfort level in this kind of storytelling. Where does that come from?

Dominic: I pick projects based on good scripts. I don’t stipulate between film or theater or television. I receive scripts, and I read them. And, when I read a script that’s good, I then get married to it and talk to my agent about what happens next.

For me, what happened was that I was actually in Hawaii when I read Flash Forward. I loved the pilot, and I called my agent and said, “I love the show, but there’s nothing that I can do. I don’t see a part in here for me.” I didn’t want to take a deeply American part away from someone who is authentically American, and pretend to be American, when I’m from Manchester. So, my agent said, “Why don’t I talk with the prerogative and see what they say?” And, David and Jessika very generously said, “Why don’t we meet, and we’ll discuss and chat, and see what’s going on.”

So, we met at a bar called Delancey on Sunset, and it was one of the more special business meetings in my life because David said, “What do you want to do? What do you want to do next? What’s your plan?” And, I said, “It’s important for me, as an actor, as it has been throughout my career, to try to do something drastically different from the last character that I played.” The last character that I played being Charlie on Lost, who David and Jessika knew quite well. So, they said, “We think that we can do that. We think that we can find a character for you that would help you to get there.” And then, all we needed to talk about was money.

Q: Do you think you’ll be back on Lost this season?

Dominic: I don’t know.

Q: Would you want to be?

Dominic: Sure. I had a great time on that show. I loved the character. It’s a great character. It’s a character that I enjoyed playing. It was a great time in my life. It’s the last season, so if they wanted to do it, they have one more chance.

Q: Would you have time to do it?

Dominic: Maybe. I don’t know. With David being such a fan of Lost, if it was available, they might let me do it. Anything is possible.

Q: How do you feel about being back in L.A.?

Dominic: I’ve been living in L.A. now for eight or nine years. Obviously, I went to Hawaii to do Lost, but I’ve had a house in L.A. and I know it well. All my friends are here, my animals are here, and my life is here, so it’s not a big change for me.

[source: IESB]

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEv_LYoPb0s

In this video from Comic Con, John Cho talks a bit about FlashForward.

Head past the jump to watch the other parts (mostly Startrek and other topics):

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhC0NDhgrJE

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmOWZnClTO0

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4uyHXxwZTs

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpBJva08EPs

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlBj-Pg166E

[videos: multipleverses]

It is being reported that Gabrielle Union has joined FlashForward in recurring role as Zoey – a criminal defense attorney who will have a “romantic arc on the show”.

Here’s what producer David S. Goyer had to say about the new arrival:

“We’re thrilled that Gabrielle is joining our cast. When we met with her, we immediately knew she was our Zoey. She’s witty, soulful and beautiful. I’ve been wanting to work with her for a long time.”

As we predicted Dominic Monaghan was OFFICIALLY confirmed as having a role on ABC’s FlashForward at Comic Con.

Speaking at this year’s Comic-Con, the show’s producer David S. Groyer initially refused to confirm or deny rumours surrounding Monaghan’s involvement in the project.

Moments later, fans were treated to a sneak preview of the series, including an shot of Monaghan, whose character Goyer described as “game-changing”.

We can also confirm that Monaghan will actually be playing a character named “Simon”, and not “Theo”.

According to producer David S. Goyer, Monaghan’s part was planned from the very beginning.

[Digital Spy]

According to reports, a “surprise guest” will be appearing on the FlashForward panel at Comic Con on July 24:

11:45-12:45 FlashForward— Be among the first to see exclusive, never-before-seen footage and scenes from upcoming episodes of ABC’s new show FlashForward presented by David S. Goyer (Batman Begins), Brannon Braga (24), and Marc Guggenheim (Eli Stone). Joining them on the panel are cast members including Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love) and John Cho (Star Trek). And look for a surprise guest that you won’t want to miss! Room 6A.

If I were a betting man, I say that guest could be former Lostie Dominic Monaghan..

peek-a-boo, i c u

With FlashForward readying itself to be the replacement for “Lost” when the curtain comes down on the island journey in 2010, it’s worth asking: what themes, if any, will the David S. Goyer series borrow from its predecessor?

One of the aspects I feel define “Lost” from any other show is its use of vivid, often haunting, thematic symbolism. One of the strongest symbols from Lost, was (and still is) the opening eye shot (illustrated above). Whenever an episode began with a close-up of an eye it served as a trigger – a flag-post indicating we were about to go on an introspective journey into this character’s past, present or future (or possibly all three). It set the tone and served as a better method of communication to the viewing audience than any other device. The eyes, after all, are the windows to the soul.

What thematic elements will FlashForward have?

Clearly they will use the flash forward mechanism – similar to Lost‘s use of flash backs (and more recently, flash forwards). Hopefully they will also develop and experiment with some ‘new’ techniques.

Incidentally, one of the great things about so many of Lost’s thematic strokes is their simplicity - their ability to convey emotion simply from an expression, camera angle or piece of music. I’m looking forward to seeing the methods the FlashForward producers use to connect viewers into the world of the show.