Lost Late Bloomers

[thefourthwall]

So, I have been keeping myself from Lost for a number of years because I knew I didn't have the consistent time and tv access necessary for such a show. But now that they're almost all on dvd and I guy from my office had the first five seasons tauntingly sitting on his desk for all of the semester, we started.

I've been trying to keep myself from all spoilers (done a pretty good job thus far), so I'm avoiding the Lost forum proper.

I'm not sure if the show is really good or just really clever. They've certainly got me addicted to the narrative--to the exclusion of many other life activities (and dreamdead's a little sad we're not watching many movies).

Right now, I'm wondering if I need to start reading up on the philosophies of Locke, Rousseau, and Hume and trying to reason out all the little references and connections. Will my work enhance the viewing experience or should I just let the show tell me what I need to know?

[thefourthwall]

Also, I took part of an evening off from Lost so my friend and I could start our watching Buffy and Angel chronologically project, and who should be on the first episode of Angel? Sawyer.

http://www.lostzilla.net/varios/curios_sawyer_angel.jpg

http://www.lostzilla.net/varios/curios_sawyer_angel_2.jpg

It's like my own personal flashback connection of which I was previously unaware.

[Mara]

Well, that's an interesting question. They certainly taunt with the mythologies, and when you can only see the episodes a week apart (or four weeks, or four months) the writers know how to keep you digging deeper and deeper and getting more invested.

I would say that some quick googling of the philosophies and books that keep being mentioned will enhance your enjoyment-- they become rather charming in-jokes-- but are not necessary to the narrative.

[Qrazy]

So, I have been keeping myself from Lost for a number of years because I knew I didn't have the consistent time and tv access necessary for such a show. But now that they're almost all on dvd and I guy from my office had the first five seasons tauntingly sitting on his desk for all of the semester, we started.

I've been trying to keep myself from all spoilers (done a pretty good job thus far), so I'm avoiding the Lost forum proper.

I'm not sure if the show is really good or just really clever.

The latter.

[Thirdmango]

I still contend the show doesn't really get good until the end of the mid to end of the third season. It's still in my top 5 favorite shows.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I would maintain that Seasons 1 and 4 are some of the best consistent network television I've seen, and while other seasons lack their uniform excellence, there's enough sporadic awesomeness to compensate for the lulls.

[number8]

I would maintain that Seasons 1 and 4 are some of the best consistent network television I've seen, and while other seasons lack their uniform excellence, there's enough sporadic awesomeness to compensate for the lulls.

This sounds right. I think 4 edges out 1 slightly, but only slightly.

[Mara]

I think season 3 was the only one with somewhat long stretches where I wasn't impressed. There was still some brilliant stuff, though.

One thing you may or may not get without the constant googling, thefourthwall, are all the connections between the characters. Sometimes they're so fleeting (hey, that waitress is that other character's cousin's aunt!) that you may or may not catch them all.

[D_Davis]

I've liked S4 and 5 the best.

Season 2 totally killed it for me. I quit watching it on TV during this bore. Just recently watched the entire run S1-S5 on Netflix.

It's pretty good. I like it well enough.

[D_Davis]

I really don't think there is much to discover beyond the surface plot contrivances and narrative. The plot is entertaining and twisty, but I don't think it has much to say on a grander, SF scale. It's simply an entertaining story that contains some fun elements and utilizes the conventions of genre in interesting ways.

[thefourthwall]

One thing you may or may not get without the constant googling, thefourthwall, are all the connections between the characters. Sometimes they're so fleeting (hey, that waitress is that other character's cousin's aunt!) that you may or may not catch them all.

Hmm, I think/hope we're catching the main important ones; I think I'd be scared to google much this close to the season finale, heck going grocery shopping the cover of a magazine sort of spoiled the major characters at the end for me.

It's interesting to hear the range of favorite seasons you guys have--someone at school told us that 3 (the one in my hands at the time) was her favorite. So, sounds like there's a lot of good still to come.

Thus far, one of the few theories I wasn't able to keep out of radar in the past few years--that the island is purgatory--holds some credence, especially with the morality of the Others being so ambiguous right now. They say they're the good guys, but thus far it seems suspect. Kind of like how in Battlestar Galactica the Cylons are monotheistic and the humans are poly.

[thefourthwall]

The latter.

For now that's enough for me, I appreciate clever.

But I am hoping its actually awesome.

I suppose knowing how much in advance the writers planned things and how much was, "Oh and then let's have off the wall X happen. We don't need know why; we'll figure something out next season."

[[ETM]]

I suppose knowing how much in advance the writers planned things and how much was, "Oh and then let's have off the wall X happen. We don't need know why; we'll figure something out next season."

Well, no one can know for sure, but there was definitely some of that. But, for what it's worth, I think there was never a show that did the "figure it out next season (or five seasons later)" schtick better.

[thefourthwall]

I just hope that everything hangs together if why they crashed, the commonalities between them, the Dharma Initiative, etc. have separate causes rather being all tied together, I'll be disappointed.

[Qrazy]

For now that's enough for me, I appreciate clever.

But I am hoping its actually awesome.

I suppose knowing how much in advance the writers planned things and how much was, "Oh and then let's have off the wall X happen. We don't need know why; we'll figure something out next season."

Like Davis's initial viewing I stopped mid-way through Season Two because I got a vibe that the writer's didn't know what they were doing... generating false tension on a series of cliffhangers with nothing behind it all. Now I hope I'm wrong, I've been waiting for the series to finish to find out if I am or not. If the story wraps up well then I'll probably give it another shot. But I spoke to someone last year and asked if they've wrapped up many of the major season one plot threads yet and I was told they haven't. And even if they do wrap things up well I mean it took them an entire season just to find a hatch in the ground.

So really even if they do nail the story I still find this series of cliffhangers schtick to be a lazy way to tell a story.

[Mara]

For now that's enough for me, I appreciate clever.

But I am hoping its actually awesome.

I suppose knowing how much in advance the writers planned things and how much was, "Oh and then let's have off the wall X happen. We don't need know why; we'll figure something out next season."

Qrazy is the resident person-who-gave-up-on-Lost-and-is-still-frustrated-about-it. He's certainly entitled to his opinion, but I think the show is fantastic.

[Henry Gale]

It's interesting to hear the range of favorite seasons you guys have--someone at school told us that 3 (the one in my hands at the time) was her favorite. So, sounds like there's a lot of good still to come.

Most people will say Season 1. It's the season that hooks people in and sets the stage in each viewer's mind for what they feel the show should become later. It's also the season where the least happens to be mad at.

Very few people will tell you Season 2. It's the year that got the highest ratings, confused casual viewers, underwhelmed a lot of more hardcore fans, and just overall was the show at a point where it realized it was going to be on for a very long time and decided it should throw a lot of dangling mysteries at the audience to kill time for the longer story in mind. The finale and The 23rd Psalm are still among my favourite episodes.

In my opinion, Season 3 starts off as the worst but ends as the best. The writers got their end date from ABC about halfway through it (and it was after a particular episode was turned in that the network approached them, most fans could likely tell you which one this was even if they don't know it was the reason) and somewhere after that halfway point you can already feel the momentum kick in all the way to the end.

Season 4 was the first of the compacted seasons, but got thrown for a curve when the Writer's Strike hit, causing there to be even less episodes than the writers expected. It has the almost universally-chosen best episode of the whole show, and for that and a few story turns alone, is a more faultless season than most.

The fifth season is fairly polarizing. Most agree that it's completely nuts, but one just as easily say that from the standpoint of loving it or bring completely unamused by it.

Season 6 obviously isn't finished yet, but I don't see it being people's favourite as it's essentially a year of showing the series' true storytelling intentions, but so far, very vaguely. Answers are being provided in a way that much of the mystery and intrigue is shifted into concrete mythology, and for a show like this, that isn't always the most exciting thing. Having said that, I'm really enjoying it so far.

[Thirdmango]

But I spoke to someone last year and asked if they've wrapped up many of the major season one plot threads yet and I was told they haven't.

They have. They haven't given much 2+2=4 answers, but they have answered most of it by now. They even did in the 5th season answer a lot of season 1 and 2 stuff but some people didn't catch them for some reason.

[number8]

They have. They haven't given much 2+2=4 answers, but they have answered most of it by now. They even did in the 5th season answer a lot of season 1 and 2 stuff but some people didn't catch them for some reason.

Yeah, actually by Season 5, I think all of the big questions from S1 and S2 are over with. Now they're answering the new questions from Season 5.

Admittedly they are pretty coy in answering them, which I really like. Even the answers are puzzles you have to put together yourself.

[number8]

Gotta be careful and remind myself that this isn't the regular LOST thread...

[thefourthwall]

S'Okay, I appreciate general discussion of plot arcs. If you want to get specific for any reason, just note what season it's from and spoiler it. I have enough self-control.

[dreamdead]

So we're almost halfway through the third season (just finished "Tricia Tanaka is Dead"), and my concern is that, by and large, any kind of female agency has disintegrated as people like Kate, Claire, and Sun basically follow the paths set for them by the male characters. This has been a concern after the first season, and it hasn't seemed to have gotten any better. The closest might actually be Juliet, who will likely get more complex and critical of Ben... is this trend gonna change soon?

Also, a friend has pinpointed an episode in Season 3 where the show delivers on all fronts and is considered a hallmark, especially after several wandering eps early in the season. Any heads-up on what episode that likely is?

[Henry Gale]

Also, a friend has pinpointed an episode in Season 3 where the show delivers on all fronts and is considered a hallmark, especially after several wandering eps early in the season. Any heads-up on what episode that likely is?

I would argue that things start to turn around for the better within the next two or three episodes of where you are. "Tricia Tanaka" is probably the last pleasant, low-key, Season 1-style episode the show has. By the finale you should feel quite pleased with where things are at.