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Flashforward or Flash-forward (also called Prolepsis) is an interjected scene that takes the narrative forward in time from the current point of the story in literature, film, television and other media.^[1] Flashforwards are often used to represent events expected, projected, or imagined to occur in the future. They may also reveal significant parts of the story that have not yet occurred, but soon will in greater detail. In the opposite direction, a flashback (or analepsis) reveals events that have occurred in the past.

Examples in Television

The TV series Lost has made use of this technique, beginning at the end of season three with a twist ending in the episode "Through the Looking Glass". The first flashforward which the audience sees is originally believed to be a flashback, as flashbacks had previously been the only way of telling a character's story outside of the main timeline. In season four, most of the episodes contained flashforwards, although flashbacks were still used.

The US sci-fi TV series FlashForward revolves around the entire planet losing consciousness for 137 seconds, during which almost everyone experiences a glimpse of what may be the future. This becomes commonly known as a "flash forward".^[2]

In December 2009, it was announced that British soap opera Hollyoaks would make history by flashforwarding six months in the future, during May 2010 for a special episode.^[3]

Example in Film

Midway through the film They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, there is an abrupt flashforward when Robert, the character played by Michael Sarrazin, is seen being thrust into a jail cell by a police officer, even though he has done nothing to provoke such treatment. The audience is notified, later in the story, that Sarrazin's character would have indeed made choices that warrant his arrest.

See also

• Foreshadowing
• Literary technique
• Self-fulfilling prophecy

References