Thursday, October 26, 2006

WTF Moment - LOST

The Lost Castaways, in happier days...

Who else is getting really pissed off at Lost this season? Last night's episode almost turned me off to the show completely. It's all about bizarre incidences that raise questions but provide no answers - what the hell is The Others' deal about? "We're the good guys," Benry (Henry Gale, apparently now known as Benjamin) tells Michael last season - how then do we explain the mindfcks (that's not a typo; I promised Will I would curb the language) that follow - the capture and imprisonment of Jack, Kate and Sawyer, under insanely inhumane conditions, no less: Sawyer and Kate in cages, doing forced labor (while Kate wears a sundress, no less - what would SJP do?); Jack, kept in a drained dolphin tank while some bizarro woman brings him grilled cheese sandwiches and reads his dossier to him; Sawyer led to believe he's had a pacemaker implanted in him which will make his heart explode if his heart rate goes above a certain level - and then told that the only thing they put in him "was doubt". It's like watching Marathon Man on 'roids.

But where are the answers this season? Last season, at least we had clues that made sense, that led us to ideas, if not answers, from time to time. If the writers think they're weaving this great series of events in the hopes of leading up to sweeps when all will be semi-revealed, they may find that a good part of their viewership has given up on them in disgust by then.

And what about this hiatus they're going on in another week or two? Will they just leave all these loose threads out there and go away for six weeks or whatever it is they're planning? Again, they may find that a lot of people are going elsewhere for their entertainment by the time they come back.

Maybe everyone involved should go back and watch Season 1 on DVD and remember how to make good, compelling television. In the meantime, I'll be reading up on my newest obsession, Heroes.

3 comments:

Lauren said...

I'm so with you. It's like they've completely lost focus. What I really admire in television writing is a scene that can simultaneously advance character development, plot, and be entertaing (funny, dramatic...) all at the same time. Last night's episone seemed to do none of that. Even the new information about Sawyer's past didn't really change how I think of him. And the stuff with Desmond and the roof? What the hell?

Roe said...

The roof thing was a sad attempt to stick in yet another reference that Desmond is psychic. Yawn.

And yeah, the story about Sawyer's past - no relevance to the larger story; in the past, the personal stories were like miniplots to the episode at large. I love that kind of storytelling, but this just again, seemed like a sad attempt to bring back a character that had a blip on the radar once before (the chick from The Long Con) and show Sawyer again as the crook with a heart of gold.

It was just an awful episode. I'm so disappointed.

Stacey said...

I know I'm totally in the minority. I actually liked last night's episode. I thought the idea of having Jack there to save one of the others was a pretty interesting twist.

I also liked the fact that they conned Sawyer, and had a sad little excitement moment when I realized they couldn't have given Sawyer a pacemaker since they didn't have any surgeons there.

I agree, they have to tighten things up, but I have to say, I was pretty frustrated at the beginning of season 2 as well. So I'll carry the lone ray of hope out here... he he...