1.09 “Believe” — QuickCap

FlashForward’s ninth episode introduces a new character, Keiko Arahida (Yuko Takeuchi), the girl of Bryce’s FlashForwardVision (FFV). Keiko is a robotics and mechanical engineering wiz with a passion for the guitar. Brought up in a creatively stifling home and suffering a belittling humiliation at work, Keiko decides she’s finally had enough. She sets out to get a tattoo (the one that she saw during her FFV), quit her job, tell off her mom and hop on a plane bound for Los Angeles. Her FFV was the catalyst for Keiko to pursue her dreams of making music and meeting the man, for whom she clearly has a strong emotion for, she saw.

That man, our good doctor Bryce Varley (Zachary Knighton) has been diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma now advanced to stage four. This grim prognosis is what took Bryce to the pier, on the morning of the Global Blackout (GBO), to commit suicide. Though, after witnessing his FFV of meeting Keiko he regains a reason to live, her. Bryce’s fixation on the girl of his FFV takes him all the way to Japan. And thwarted, in large part by Keiko’s mother, he returns to Los Angeles doubting his vision. Little did he know that Keiko was on the same fight, just a few seats back.

Tracy Stark is spiraling into an alcoholic depression. While her father, Aaron (Brian F. O’Byrne), knowing that path, watches with dread. After Mark (Joseph Fiennes) obliquely accuses Aaron of braking his confidence, texting Olivia (Sonya Walger) about Mark’s vision of being drunk, he can no longer serve as Mark’s sponsor. They remain friends.

Mark digs up some info on Jericho, the private military company (PMC) that ambushed Tracy. He found that they have their HQ within, of all places, a think-tank focused on peace, The Burrows Foundation for World Peace in Sana Monica.

NSA agent Levey stops by the FBI with an enhanced video of Suspect Zero, the man walking around during the GBO. We see that he is, indeed, wearing one of the alpha rings. Is this the seventh to be delivered last episode? The NSA was apparently wire-tapping Noh (John Cho), having captured the call he received from the mystery woman warning him of his murder. After some initial resistance from Levy the FBI is delivered a copy of the call. Vreede (Barry Shabaka Henley) was able to source the call to Hong Kong, thanks to The Symphony of Lights.

Mark’s relationship with Wedeck (Courtney B. Vance) is strained, after accusing him of being the source of Olivia’s text. Concerned for Noh, he petitions Wedeck to follow the led to China. Sighting tense political relations Wedeck denies the request. Mark doesn’t care, he’s going, approval or not and taking Noh with him.

FlashForward is on air next in two weeks, taking a one week break due to a Thanksgiving special.