Ep 4. Black Swan

The show Flash Forward takes place in a world where everyone experiences a shared blackout for two minutes and seventeen seconds. During that time, they all have a vision of their future six months from that point. In season 1 episode 4, titled Black Swan, the main characters continue to grapple with the aftermath of the global blackout and their resulting visions.

The episode begins with Mark, an FBI agent, investigating a woman’s murder. The killing is eerily similar to a crime he witnessed in his flash-forward, which has left him feeling like he has a duty to prevent it. He and his partner, Demetri, interview the victim's daughter, who reveals that her mother had a stalker. Meanwhile, Mark's wife, Olivia, is struggling with her own flash-forward, which showed her being intimate with a man who isn't her husband. She confides in her therapist, who encourages her to be open and honest about her feelings with her husband.

Elsewhere, Lloyd, a physicist, is being pressured by his boss to expedite their plans for a particle accelerator that could potentially change the world. Lloyd is hesitant, as his flash-forward showed him in a disastrous scenario involving the accelerator. He confides in his friend and fellow physicist, Simon, about his concerns. Simon, who also had a troubling vision, encourages Lloyd to keep going forward with the research, insisting that their visions can be changed.

Meanwhile, Aaron, a single father and recovering alcoholic, realizes that his daughter's vision of their future together involves him relapsing. He enlists the help of a friend he met at his AA meetings to keep him accountable and stay sober. His storyline also intersects with Tracy, a woman who was in a coma during the blackout and didn't experience a vision. She believes that her lack of a vision means she doesn't have a future and contemplates suicide until Aaron intervenes and talks her down.

As the episode progresses, the investigation into the murder leads Mark and Demetri to a person of interest who had been stalking the victim. They discover that he was actually hired by someone else to follow her, and the mystery deepens. Meanwhile, Olivia decides to tell her husband about her flash-forward, which leads to a heated argument and further strains their relationship. And Lloyd’s boss decides to move forward with the accelerator, much to Lloyd's dismay.

The episode ends with the characters still grappling with their visions and trying to navigate the uncertain futures they saw. Mark and Demetri get a break in the case as they trace the money from the stalker's employer, which leads them to a surprising revelation. Olivia decides to try and salvage her marriage, while Lloyd continues to struggle with the decision of whether or not to move forward with the potentially dangerous experiment.

Overall, Black Swan is a tense and compelling episode that delves deep into the characters' emotional and psychological struggles in the aftermath of the blackout. It raises intriguing questions about fate, free will, and the ability to change our future. With strong performances and a gripping storyline, it further establishes Flash Forward as a must-watch for fans of sci-fi dramas.