i don’t think that the flash forwards are so far fetched. i know that for many people six months may not be a ton of time to provide a huge change in lifestyle, but i feel like whenever my life has taken a major turn or changed directions, it is usually very abrupt, and unseen on the horizon.

i think that the divide between olivia and mark is already there, and i was even commenting this week that it seems to be growing deeper. at this point, with olivia’s frustration and fear (with mark’s drinking and the possible affair in her FF, respectively) i think its very feasible to see her separated from mark in 5ish months from “now.” and like celeste mentioned, we know that lloyd is involved in this all somehow, so who knows what kind of pull he’ll have in making the visions become realized.

also, during the hearing about possible sources of the blackout – i think that the whole reason they mentioned the absurdly low casualty rate in China during the blackout was to make a point. I think you’re right to say that such a low percentage of death seems improbable, and i feel like that was the point they were trying to make. way more people should have died in china, thus the suspicion that the chinese are somehow behind the blackout.

and about preventing one’s own prophesy, in your example with the neighbor murdering you. i think if you reall did hit it to patagonia in a means to escape your inevitable murder i feel like the neighbor would just show up there as well if it was really meant to happen. its like what celeste was saying, a traditional approach to prophesies in fiction is the fallacy of escapist actions actually enabling the prophesy to come true.

and finally, i do agree that its nice to have an interesting show to spark debate and discussion!

celeste, nice tie in with oedipus, that’s an excellent point indeed, and one i felt like i have been mentally circling around without being able to pinpoint. thanks!

I also do realize that the Senetor is out to get Wedeck, but feel that with the unbelievably far fetched scope of this “blackout” i would feel that even the most powerful decision makers in the world would be a bit humbled at least to the point of working any angle possible to explain this occurrance.

Also, six months is not an awefully long period of time for such drastic events to take place in the lives of anyone. Most people when speculating optimistic or pesemistic foreshadowing look at how things may be years into the future…You and i in six months time will most likely be doing something quite similar to what we are doing now in six months, so why is everyones flashforeward so drastic (i know to make the show) but still seems mostly improbable.

And just to add a few more questions for thought:

…pertaining to the comment about 1 billion people in China having had a less than 1% casualty rate during the blackout according to the statement made from one of the theorists at the hearing, the response was that possible because it was night over there and they were all sleeping….Helloooo, in a country with that many people and just using common sense, we all know that there are still a HELL of a lot of people who are just not asleep, so that statement to me was ridiculous.

…and pertaining to a persons “fate” “flash forward” or what have you…if you are expected to be shot/murdered as is the case with Lloyd…how is there no way to prevent that. I mean really, if you know how you are going to die, then buy a ticket to Patagonia in 3 months and go stay there for a while.
…i mean jeez, ifsomeone says im gonna get shot by my neihbor next week im going to disappear for a bit until things blow over with my prophecy to prevent it.

…At least these things provide for some good blogging/healthy debate over different topics…thanks for the feedback

Same goes for Olivia & Lloyd — we don’t know the context of that. We’re meant to assume that because Mark has started drinking she’s kicked him out and Lloyd has moved in, but I doubt it’s that simple. Especially since Lloyd is apparently in on it.

In the first episode, when Janis is first telling her coworkers about being pregnant in her flash forward, she says the baby is about 17 weeks. That’s only just over 4 months. So no, she would not have to be pregnant now for her flash forward to be true. She needs to get pregnant fairly soon, though, since I think it’s already been several weeks since the blackouts.

I think the fact that the future scenarios, in many cases, seem impossible or at least improbable is one of the strengths of the show. If all we saw were things that made perfect sense, neither we nor the characters would feel much conflict or tension. As time progresses, I expect that things will continue moving in a direction which leads to the things seen in the flash forward, but the twist(s) will be how it gets to that point.

Could someone explain to me how Janis can be pregnant and showing the way she is in her flash forward during a sonogram!! if this is true, she should be pregnant now, this to me is ridiculous.

And i really dont care what sort of marital infadelity is going on, you;re gonna tell me that Mark and his wifes characters are so determined to not let their marriage fall apart that in 6 months this guy from nowhere will be in the house with her with no shirt and his feet kicked up on the table with her looking down at him from the stairs saying she loves him!!! Cmon!!, thats almost more ridiculous than Janis being pregnant if it were not for the statistical fact that a test would show shes pregnant now if she is that far in 6 months.

And what is with the hearing on peoples ideas of why the blackout happened…is it just the madame chairmans hard headedness that she is bashing Mark over his flash forward…he is a damn FBI agent (of some authority from what i can see)some unbelievable phenomenon happens like this and she doesnt believe or think he is credible enough to let him be an FBI agent and research, investigate, pry, prod…do WHATEVER to find out why the whole world went unconcious except for 2 people…thats just stupid unless of course she is in on it. She herself saw her as president (IN SIX MONTHS!!!)

It seems like some of these characters and their story lines are getting dumber and dumber, not to mention the horrible acting…i mean can Mark speak any more like a modern day cowboy that you can barely hear with a pathetic rhaspy yet hoarse voice to makes him always sound intense yet ridiculous.

Im sorry, i watch every week and will continue to but things just seem a little out of whack and unbelievable

Do you think its a baby that she’s planned with Maya? Do you think she’ll live? Honestly, I’m predicting yes to both questions. Kinda hoping I’m wrong b/c I’d like to see the show so us some kind of a curveball here and these assumptions seem so straightforward.