Abuse of the Flashback Technique

The flashback is a literary plot device that allows the depiction of events that occurred before the beginning of the narrative. Its primary purpose is to clarify a hitherto unexplained part of the plot and its secondary purpose is to add a bit of suspense and mystery to the literary work. Over time, it has been employed for other purposes such as depicting a false account of events as narrated by one of the characters. In the very recent movie, Vantage Point (2008), it was used to depict accurate but different perspectives of the same event thereby creating a sense of mystery. It has also been used in many TV series but of late, I feel the technique is being over-used, abused and excessively relied upon.

LOST is one of the greatest series to grace television in recent times. It had many facets and dynamics but its use of the flashback technique was one of them. The use of flashbacks in LOST became iconic. This is in part due to the sound effect that played just before any flashback scene. Since then, writers and producers of many TV shows have gone on to incorporate flashbacks into their narrative style. It has pretty much been a hit or miss affair. That said, what we have today is a sorry state of affairs. What I do not understand is why these writers feel compelled to use them if they have no use for them. After all, shows like 24, Desperate Housewives and Fringe were very good shows and they hardly ever used flashbacks. However, recent shows like Nikita (Seasons 1 & 2), Revolution and the cancelled Alcatraz (thankfully) are all good examples of bad uses of flashbacks. At times, the writers see it a means of escape; using flashbacks to plug/resolve plot holes and inconsistencies. The little I watched of The Following also included way too many flashbacks; most of which didn't really provide any new or meaningful information to the viewer/audience.

Shows like Person of Interest, Arrow, and for the most part, Scandal and the third season of Nikita are series that make proper and efficient use of flashbacks.

Writers and producers must understand that what works in A will not necessarily work in B. They also need to remind themselves that too much of anything is bad, most especially if used without skill. Every character has a backstory but not all backstories need to be shown. Some could simply be explained in speech. Citizen Kane is one such movie that depicted skill in the use of flashbacks and has for that and other reasons secured its place as a seminal piece of cinematic history. Creations like Citizen Kane and LOST don't come along very often.