"The Negotiation" is the 20th episode of the ABC

American Broadcasting Company

The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...

 series FlashForward

Flashforward

A flashforward 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. Flashforwards are often used to represent events expected, projected, or imagined to occur in the future...

.

Synopsis

On the day before the blackout, Mark (Joseph Fiennes

Joseph Fiennes

Joseph Fiennes is an English film and stage actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayals of William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love, Sir Robert Dudley in Elizabeth, Commisar Danilov in Enemy at the Gates, Martin Luther in Luther, Merlin in Camelot, and his portrayal of Mark Benford in the...

) does everything he can to protect Gabriel (James Callis

James Callis

James Callis is a British actor. He is best known for playing Dr. Gaius Baltar in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries and television series, and Bridget Jones' best friend in Bridget Jones's Diary and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason...

). Janis (Christine Woods

Christine Woods

Christine Woods is an American actress who has appeared in numerous television shows. More recently, she could be seen as part of the main cast in ABC's FlashForward, in which she portrayed FBI Special Agent Janis Hawk.-Biography:...

) is ordered to kill Mark, but doesn't know if she can go along with this. Also, Aaron's (Brían F. O'Byrne

Brían F. O'Byrne

Brían Francis O'Byrne is an Irish actor who works mostly in the United States. He was born in Mullagh, County Cavan.O'Byrne first attracted notice for his performances in the Martin McDonagh plays The Beauty Queen of Leenane as Pato Dooley and The Lonesome West...

) life is in danger when he gets closer to finding his daughter.

Title Sequence image

A metal flask

Hip flask

A hip flask is a thin flask for holding a distilled beverage; its size and shape are suited to a trouser pocket.-Description: Hip flasks were traditionally made of pewter, silver, or even glass, though most modern flasks are made from stainless steel...

 (which actually does not appear in the episode).

Reception

This episode was watched by 4.84 million American viewers with an 18-49 rating of 1.3. This episode received a 7.6 rating out of 10 by IGN

IGN

IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...

. The AV Club gave the episode a D. Television Without Pity gave this episode a B-.