I'm about to get Lost

[C_Miller]

The latest review thread was last updated almost a month ago and it said he would be getting back into it shortly. So I don't think I'm stepping on his toes when I start this one...

I will preface by saying that the best thing this board has done for me is get me into some damn good television. You guys have really helped me discover my favorite genre of TV/movies/books. Setting the mundane next to the extraordinary. Like a simple FBI mystery show thrown next to an Alien Abduction/Invasion story or the challenges of growing up, surviving high school, prom, losing your virginity, leaving home, losing parents all while you're the Vampire slayer. Heroes is also a good example of this.

Now I was talking to a friend about my likes/dislikes and he told me I should try Lost. As someone who didn't watch a lot of TV until he got to college, he missed on a lot of phenomenons, Lost being one of them. From what I know, I thought I'd like it and it's on Netflix stream, so I decided what the heck...

I've watched up to All The Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues and I'm positively hooked. I'm really loving everything about this show and while so far it hasn't exactly delved into the super natural, but there is still a feeling of something not quite being right. I'm really digging the characters. Each and everyone. Even the lesser characters like Shannon, Rose, Boone, Hurley, Michael all add a huge dimension to the show, even if I can't put my finger on it. I'm not a huge fan of Jin yet, but I'm sure I'll warm up to him when he gets a little be of spot light. Right now he hasn't said much with the subtitles.

Watching shows like this points out some of the short comings that Star Trek has when it comes to things like character. Trek is almost never about the characters from the start. The concept always is key and the characters come in with a blank slate almost only with their position and a few facts about their past and get taken where the stories take them. These characters at this point are almost living/breathing people, which I love. These are the people I serve in my drive thru line or people I could be going to school with thrown into a situation that is entirely foreign. I love that.

Okay, so my reviews will start now. I go in essentially spoiler free. I know nothing of the plot. I know about some kind of door, but I don't know what to. I know that many of the main characters die, such as Shannon and Charlie (Maggie Grace was rumored to be going on to play Kitty Pryde and I was big into X-Men back then, so I knew about her and it was a big deal when "Merry" died) and I know that there is more to Locke than meets the eye, but I don't know what that is. So here I go down the rabbit hole, I hope you enjoy my adventure.

 

[C_Miller]

Whatever the Case May Be

I have officially decided not not to do episode ratings. They all seem to be pieces of a larger whole. The opening scene was weird as I'm still worried about Claire and the existence of "The Others." Throughout the episode, Claire seems like an after thought, which doesn't sit well with me. Felt too light based on the cliffhanger last episode. In fact it took a whole 8 and a half minutes to mention her. I'm not sure how I feel about Kate. I'm sure they have a plan of where they're going with her, but it seems like they're not sure if they're taking her on a path of redemption or if she's just trying to hide her past, but at the same time, they aren't playing her as a dark character 90% of the time. It seems bipolar. I loved the inclusion of La Mer… Beyond the Sea is one of my favorite songs, which is based on La Mer Overall, this episode seemed a bit out of place. One carry over theory from last time:

Theory: The psychic Claire went to has more to do with this story and perhaps Claire isn't actually supposed to be on the island. He didn't see her on the island during his other reading, so I think he might have seen someone else on the island.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Have fun watching the best show in TV history. You have the benefit that the rest of us didn't - knowing that YES there are answers at the end (and a real ending type end). We had to go on faith and wonder if it would get cancelled before the end or the final explanation would be utterly stupid.

Watching shows like this points out some of the short comings that Star Trek has when it comes to things like character. Trek is almost never about the characters from the start.

The DS9 characters were pretty vivid from the start, since it had the advantage over the other series of not relying so much on Starfleet stiffs in the cast. Garak, Dukat, Quark, Kira and Odo were immediately interesting, but it did take me some time to care about the human characters.

 

[McCoy]

Have fun watching the best show in TV history.

That might be overstating it a little, but I'll gladly say it's one of the best shows of the last decade.

 

[Hober Mallow]

Awesome. I love these threads. I'm about to start a series rewatch, so this is perfect timing.

 

[C_Miller]

Whatever the Case May Be

I have officially decided not not to do episode ratings. They all seem to be pieces of a larger whole. The opening scene was weird as I'm still worried about Claire and the existence of "The Others." Throughout the episode, Claire seems like an after thought, which doesn't sit well with me. Felt too light based on the cliffhanger last episode. In fact it took a whole 8 and a half minutes to mention her. I'm not sure how I feel about Kate. I'm sure they have a plan of where they're going with her, but it seems like they're not sure if they're taking her on a path of redemption or if she's just trying to hide her past, but at the same time, they aren't playing her as a dark character 90% of the time. It seems bipolar. I loved the inclusion of La Mer… Beyond the Sea is one of my favorite songs, which is based on La Mer Overall, this episode seemed a bit out of place. One carry over theory from last time:

Theory: The psychic Claire went to has more to do with this story and perhaps Claire isn't actually supposed to be on the island. He didn't see her on the island during his other reading, so I think he might have seen someone else on the island.


Hearts and Minds

You know, I know I'm supposed to, but I just don't find Locke all that mysterious. There of course is more to his being able to walk and his connection to the Island, but I just don't find him mysterious. I know his motivation and I know he spent much of his life trying to get up to being super tracker/hunter. If we're being honest, he's just a serious version of Dwight Schrute. He's almost funny in his ridiculousness. I'm not really a fan of the step brother/step sister action. It seems to be a cliche although I can't exactly pin-point where that cliche comes from, but I know it's a cliche. And also the dream episode… is there an evil twin coming up? I'm not sure what this all means for Boone, but it seems like he's going to go the way of Locke. Also worth noting that Boone and Shannon's reason for being on the plane isn't based on some type of random incidence, it seems like their reason for going to LA is the most mundane. And for the second ep in a row we have all but forgotten about Claire. I hope her story gets tied up soon.

 

[C_Miller]

Have fun watching the best show in TV history. You have the benefit that the rest of us didn't - knowing that YES there are answers at the end (and a real ending type end). We had to go on faith and wonder if it would get cancelled before the end or the final explanation would be utterly stupid.

Watching shows like this points out some of the short comings that Star Trek has when it comes to things like character. Trek is almost never about the characters from the start.

The DS9 characters were pretty vivid from the start, since it had the advantage over the other series of not relying so much on Starfleet stiffs in the cast. Garak, Dukat, Quark, Kira and Odo were immediately interesting, but it did take me some time to care about the human characters.

Yeah, I agree on Deep Space Nine to a point. Even though some of the characters were well thought out and became living breathing people by the end, DS9 almost was more archetypical than any of the other Treks, especially when condensing it to a western. These characters aren't archetypes and no matter how well I try, I can't describe these characters in one or two words. Yeah, you could call them The Doctor, The Convict, the charming rogue, the survivalist, the father, the husband, the addict, but that would be selling all of them short. And I don't think even Kira, Dukat, Garak, Quark and Odo were as well developed as Sayid, Michael, Locke, Sawyer and Jack are at this point.

Not a criticism of Trek, I love Trek wholeheartedly. But Trek, I watch for the stories and the hope for the future. In many ways, the characters are vehicles of the story. That's why it works for Trek. They leave their characters relatively blank slates so they can reveal random facts about them that suits the story at the time and I don't think I'd have it any other way. Same way I don't think I'd be enjoying Lost if they characters weren't deeply written from the start.

Also, I noticed that there's a watch thread after I posted this thread. He's quite a bit further into the show than I am, so I'll keep updating this one. Please, keep going with me. I'd like to hear what you thought about the show at this point and Hober Mallow, please update us with your progress as well (Spoiler-free of course). I'll be taking a couple days off, if you want to try and catch up.

 

[Hober Mallow]

Please, keep going with me.

No problem.

I'd like to hear what you thought about the show at this point and Hober Mallow, please update us with your progress as well (Spoiler-free of course). I'll be taking a couple days off, if you want to try and catch up.

I'll do that.

And I can tell you what I thought of the show at the time. I wasn't watching it. My girlfriend started watching it in reruns on the Sci-Fi Channel, and I decided while she was doing that to just sit quietly and read or do something else on my own. I thought the show looked stupid. Every once in a while while watching she would gasp and I'd look to see what was going on. After a while, I found myself only ostensibly doing something else while listening to the show. By the end of the first season, I gave up all pretense of not being interested and took a place on the couch next to my girl right before the show would start. As the third season reruns began, the show changed times and we ended up missing a few episodes. I wasted no time in rushing out to the store to buy all of season three and four. Season five and six I actually got to see in first run.

It was an amazing ride, and it's cool to relive it with a thread like this and someone who hasn't the show yet. It's also amazing at how much the show changes once you learn new things in future episodes, how previous episodes have to be viewed in a new light. Without spoiling anything, there's a fifth season episode that has, upon first viewing, a happy ending, but once you've seen the rest of the season and know where the series is going, when you watch the episode again it's actually tragedy.

One real quick warning I want to give you, though, as quickly as possible. When you buy season three on DVD, do not read the episode synopses in the episode guide they include. There are some big spoilers, including a spoiling of probably the biggest WTF!!?? moment of the entire series.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Without spoiling anything, there's a fifth season episode that has, upon first viewing, a happy ending, but once you've seen the rest of the season and know where the series is going, when you watch the episode again it's actually tragedy.

That's one of the best fake-outs in TV history, and the reason is, the writers were banking on our assumptions about "how TV shows are written" as though the insider rules about that stuff always need to be followed. Lost was written with a keen awareness of what the unwritten rules are, which is why they were so good at breaking them.

I don't think that's enough to ID the plot twist, because its based on the audience being unconscious of their assumptions of "how TV shows are written." You don't know you have those assumptions till Lost explodes them.

 

[McCoy]

Without spoiling anything, there's a fifth season episode that has, upon first viewing, a happy ending, but once you've seen the rest of the season and know where the series is going, when you watch the episode again it's actually tragedy.

OK why can't I remember which ep you mean. PM me?

 

[C_Miller]

I always laugh about this in the DS9 re-watch threads... BUT NOW IT'S NOT FUNNY!!! haha.

 

[Jack Bauer]

Without spoiling anything, there's a fifth season episode that has, upon first viewing, a happy ending, but once you've seen the rest of the season and know where the series is going, when you watch the episode again it's actually tragedy.

OK why can't I remember which ep you mean. PM me?

Spoiler: episode title/why

The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham. We think Locke has come back to life and then we later discover that it isn't Locke but the Man in Black aka the Smoke Monster

 

[McCoy]

Ah yes, of course. Thanks.

 

[C_Miller]

Special

Now Michael gets his shot at a focus episode. And I can officially say that I like him. He and Jack for now seem to be the only characters without checkered pasts or other motives. The way he treats Susan's new husband when he comes in, is very telling on who he is as a person. And then how he springs into action to defend the son he doesn't actually know. And all the letters that Walt's mother never let him have and him painting himself out to be the bad guy to protect Walt's idealized vision of Brian is heartbreaking. He seems to just want to do right by his son. Just a good guy in general. And should we be expecting Walt to be getting a letter from Hogwarts next season?

I really don't like Boone now. He seems to be more or less like that guy who just stands in the corner and sneers at the people trading jabs with their mentor. Speaking of Harry Potter, think Crabbe and Goyle. Sawyer is an ass, but at the same time he has a lot of charm and he seems good at heart. Locke is freaking crazy, but he doesn't seem to be a negative presence, yet his lackey Boone just seems like he's going out of his way to be a dick.

It still doesn't sit well with me that they're just letting the Claire thing unfold naturally. Talking about "when she gets back" with a wistful smile, when she's in the custody of the crazy people that hung Charlie is a bit unsettling. Glad she's back. Hope she doesn't find out that they gave up looking for her.

 

[Cher]

Michael is a character that I've never really liked or could into. I won't spoil anything for you, but he definitely gets more irritating as the show continues.

 

[C_Miller]

Michael is a character that I've never really liked or could into. I won't spoil anything for you, but he definitely gets more irritating as the show continues.

I don't think any of my favorite characters on any show haven't had a point where they've pissed me off at some point. I won't go as far as to say Michael is my favorite character yet. I'm pretty sure I have to say it's Locke right now. He's insane and I have a feeling I won't like where they take him (he's on the brink of being over the top for me), but he's helped Michael and Charlie with their problems without being forced to. I feel like that says a lot about his general character.

 

[Jack Bauer]

Michael is a character that I've never really liked or could into. I won't spoil anything for you, but he definitely gets more irritating as the show continues.

I never really hated his character until he did what he did in season 2. before that he was irritating from time to time but I did feel bad for him with all the stuff Walt's mom did during their relationship.

 

[C_Miller]

Had a mini marathon a couple days ago, just getting around to posting. Probably will watch a couple more tonight...


Homecoming

This one kind of blah for me. The best part about Lost is the duality of the show. You have the island scenes and you have the past scenes and even in weaker episodes, there's usually something in either that comes out and shines. This episode had issues on both levels. We had a decent set up in with the defenses being set up . There was some great tension leading up to that, but it didn't pay off when Ethan was just killed. Ethan provided a face to the faceless name that is "The Others," which was helpful, but now he's just dead. It kind of puts a road block in the mystery. For Charlie's, pre-Island scenes, I didn't really see where they lined up, which is another foundations of the Lost formula.

I did like Claire's amnesia and that it didn't come back this episode. The one thing I really love about Lost so far is no reset button.


Outlaws

I actually really liked this episode. Yes, it involved a coincidence beyond coincidences, but it gave more insight into Sawyer's character. I loved how so far the island is played as almost intelligent. I took a class on Urban Sociology, which is essentially the study of how people relate to space. One of the theories is that space can effect the lives of people at the same rate that the lives of people can effect the space. That's more or less what I saw with this episode with the island giving Sawyer the boar. It lined up really well with his past and we're starting to see Sawyer get a sensitive side and not just one when Kate's around. I always kind of liked him, since he's essentially Han Solo on steroids. Going from the rogue character who doesn't look after anyone else to character that has a heart and wants to help the team.

I also liked the character bits trying to help Charlie through the pain of killing someone and in the end, Claire being the one to pull him out. Plus she still doesn't have her memory, this could be for the long haul, making it not the classic TV cliche that I thought it was going to be.

… In Translation

Haha. I see what they did there. Forgot to review this one as I was watching it. It's been a couple days since my mini marathon. I liked seeing the story told from Jin's perspective and now I really understand him and I'm starting to like him. It seems that he and Michael are starting to form a friendship, which is cool, seeing as they started their interactions beating each other.

I must say I was surprised with the Walt revelation. Lost so far as done a decent job with taking my perception of the rules of television and turning them upside down.


Numbers

I absolutely love Hurley. I feel like he's the only character on this show who's not going to piss me off at some point. He's just such a positive character, despite being kind of not positive. The mental hospital interests me and I'd really like to see where they go with that.

Love the coincidence that Hurley practically owns the company that Locke works for. And the coincidence that the numbers are on the hatch. Although, I think that may be the first coincidence that isn't actually a coincidence.

 

[Hober Mallow]

Didn't give up, did you?

 

[C_Miller]

Okay, I just finished the Third Season.

I started out watching the episodes a couple at a time, but as they got closer to the season finale, I marathoned through them. While no season of this has matched the first season of Heroes in my mind (I could watch that in probably one sitting), the show as a whole is much more moving. When I look at Peter Petrelli from season one to season four, he is very similar. Hiro is obnoxiously similar to how he was at the start. But here after three seasons, it's crazy to look back and see how far we've come.

Going in to this show, I felt like I knew too much. I knew that they got off the island at some point. I knew that most of the characters will end up dying, but they all will come back in the end. However, this show still does things to surprise me. I literally gasped when I put together that Anthony Cooper was the original Sawyer. Jacob intrigues me and I have no clue where that is going. I still have loose theories about the nature of the Dharma Initiative, how The Others got there and what the Island really is, but ultimately, that all takes second fiddle to the characters.

Never have I actually enjoyed characters that I dislike. But that's part of the show. I feel like each character is written and portrayed exactly how they're intended to. We aren't supposed to be on Michael's side when he kills Ana Lucia and Libby or when he sells out his friends. We aren't supposed to be on Saywer's side when he has Charlie kidnap Sun and steal the guns. How many times in the real world do our friends and significant others annoy you? Probably pretty consistently. Which seems to be the school of thought for the Lost characters.

Here's my breakdown:

Jack- Like most main protagonists in other shows, he's not exactly my favorite, but he is probably on top of my bottom half. He is constantly doing things that annoy me, but I can tell that it's a character flaw rather than a writing flaw. They want him to come off as arrogant, which is due to his saving people complex.

Kate- Her story started out really interesting. She felt like one character who was really utilizing the format with pealing back layers. But once it was revealed exactly what she did, she got boring. And I never really liked her on the island. I'm not a black and white person, but I wish they had some redemption story, rather than the blank slate that Jack talked about. She also does a very good job of screwing everything up.

Sawyer- He's probably my favorite character right now. I always have said that this is what Han Solo would have been like if Star Wars was a TV show, if they had five of six seasons to develop him. I was hoping that he would kill the original Sawyer, but it seems like he hasn't grown that much. There will be time still.

Locke- I started off with kind of a adversion to calling Locke mysterious. I just didn't see it. But he his now, mostly because he's gone all vision quest guy. I feel like in the end he will be one of my favorites again.

Sayid- He probably comes second after Sawyer. He's kind of been in the background since Shannon died, but I feel that he's one of the five main characters on the show. I hope he gets more spotlight in the future.

Desmond- I love Desmond. He's a fantastic character and the perfect example of a character being introduced midway through a show and working perfectly. He's definitely in my top three with Sawyer, Sayid, Jin and Hurley.

Hurley- Who can hate Hurley? He's the emotional glue that holds the entire cast together. The scene where Charlie said goodbye to him was pretty sad.

Charlie- I love a good comeback story and that's what I loved about Charlie. I really loved his scenes with Claire and Aaron how he moved from Drug addicted has been to respectable father figure.

Claire- She doesn't interest me much as a character, but her interactions with other characters are fantastic. Charlie and Locke especially.

Jin- Jin is also in my top five favorites. The fact that you can't understand him half the time is just even more a testament of how well written and acted he is. Loyalty is something I'm a sucker for and that describes Jin in one word.

Sun- She is hands down the best female character on the show and one of the few characters who I have never been bothered with. I hope she lives and the whole baby thing doesn't lead to her death.

Ben- He's taken the place of Sawyer as the character you love to hate. Wonderfully acted, always an absolute joy on screen and I have a feeling he will ultimately be a hero. One of the good guys as he puts it.

Juliet- I'm not sure how I feel about her yet. She hasn't really done much since she was made out to be a mole and ultimately a double agent. I don't dislike her though.