(WARNING: If you haven’t watched last night’s half-season finale of Lost, then why are you reading this? there are some spoilers below.)
These days, the often-surreal mysteries of Lost are having trouble competing with the often-surreal mysteries of reality. (As I write this, Russell Crowe and Martha Stewart are stuffing a turkey. It is among the top-5 most obscene things I have ever seen.) But last night, the Cuse-Lindelof Hour of Power recaptured some of its old mojo. Take this exchange, for example:
"Baby’s definitely got some back!" Russell says, patting the bird. "Wait, that’s the other end."
"These wings are disobedient," Martha tuts. "This is a shapely bird and I think it wants to stay shapely."
Russell cracks bird bones in his meaty, merciless hands.
Sorry, sorry — so distracted. This is bizarre, what I’m watching here.
But is it half as bizarre as, say, Jack actually concocting a decent plan? As Flashback Kate in a wifey wig getting hitched to a straight-arrow police officer (Nathan "Serenity" Fillion)? As a sweaty, Spice Channel resolution to the Kate-Sawyer romantic tension (pictured)?
Last night was no grand slam, no light-in-the-hatch moment — but Lost has, for me, made parole. My colleague Michael Slezak posed the question yesterday: Will you return after the hiatus? Honestly, I don’t know what my answer would’ve been before last night’s ep. A hearty "maybe," maybe. Now I’m genuinely interested in the upshot of Jack’s canny, selfless stratagem, using the Benry kidney as a bargaining chip. It is, in theory at least, a nobody-dies solution that affirms Jack’s humanity and upholds his Hippocratic oath. Is this what the Others were waiting to see? Is this the response they were testing for?
Oh: And you know Kate’s pregnant. I mean, come on.
So was I wowed? No. I won’t be "wowed" until those new additions, Pietro and Nicorette or whatever their names are, are fed to boars. But that alone will be worth the wait. That will be a "television event."
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Though Jack’s plan was interesting, the producers promised a cliffhanger on par of Jack Bauer going on a boat to China. This felt more like one of last year’s many almost-escape cliffhangers from “Prison Break.” (Also, I missed Charlie and Hurley.)
“The Nine,” on the other hand, keeps getting better and better. It knows how to mix a large number of characters together interestingly with personal/past reveals and plot advancements. The writers are really fine-tuning their scripts and have learned what works well, and even added some real-time mystery and danger to this show about a past hostage situation.
No, I will not be back after the break. I was not wowed last night, I was bored, and I am tired of wasting time on only having more questions raised and no answers.
Are you kidding me? As soon as the episode ended, my first thought was February can’t come soon enough! Between Lost and 24, how awesome will TV be next spring??
Also, I agree that The Nine has been very good as well. I hope ABC keeps it on the air.
So after all of Scott’s whining and complaining last week, now he’s on board again? He’ll probably be whining and complaining again after the first ep in February.
steamy?? are you kidding me? that was about as steamy as a pile of socks. who the heck cares about kate’s wedding? and who the heck isn’t sick of NOTHING ever happening on this show??
bored now.
I love the show, but one of the main problems is that there are too many characters. All the story lines are interesting, but there’s not enough time to get around to all of them anymore. The show should either be expanded to two hours per episode, or they should kill off a few more people, and not add any new ones for a while… why did the producers feel the need to add two new supporting characters when there’s no time to get to know them anyway?
I enjoyed last night’s episode, but I find the idea of this twelve trillion month hiatus annoying. Did they think a “sneak peak” of February (which was 98% a slow montage of last night’s clips with talk about the February eps) would keep me satisfied? I thought a lot of doors were opened in last night’s episode, and I hate that I have to wait so long to see what’s on the other side of them. I also agree with posters that there are too many characters. Why on earth would I form an attachment to these two new people (who were just randomly at Eko’s funeral looking sad) when I haven’t seen my favorite characters, Jin and Sun, nearly all season!? I don’t think killing off half the cast is the asnwer, but I hope they’ll bring the Others closer to the original island or let Jack, Kate, and Sawyer escape so we can see more interaction. For me, the best episodes of the show were the early ones, where the survivors are struggling to live together and survive with whatever means possible (whether killing boar or playing golf). I can’t wait till February, but I hope some changes are made when it arrives.
I’m really disappointed in all of these impatient people out there. Nothing ever happens? So, um, the hatch imploding last season, the discovery of Othersville, Sun shooting that annoying Other…these are nothing happening? That’s in the span of six episodes, not to mention Eko got killed and…bah, you people are hopeless.
Of course I’ll be watching in February.
I can’t wait!!!
I liked the cliffhanger. We are all still very frustrated and I hope the writers (who apparently write for Crossing Jordan- is that true? how ridiculous) are hearing what the creators of Heroes- (friends with Damon) say, and how they try to keep storylines moving, not having people wait on it.
They sort of fixed the no repeats situation by splitting the season making us wait forever, but how about fixing the storylines lagging and unresolved issues.
Criminal Minds BEAT Lost a few wks back. That’s perverse!
JJ come back and fix your damn show.
Great, great, great episode. Just can’t get enough of Lost. I don’t mind the hiatus, let’s be real, there were never new shows after Thanksgiving until sometime in January either so the break isn’t as bad as some would believe. Besides, it’s like taking the HBO model and I can’t wait to see 16 episodes in a row. Easily one of the best shows on TV and a must see every week it’s on!
I loved this ep. I like the characters much more than the plot at this point, and it was a character driven ep.
But WHAT are they thinking!! Ratings are slipping and they are going away for THREE MONTHS! Sounds like suicide to me.
I miss Eko!
LAME! Worst. Cliffhanger. Ever. Well not as bad as when Data’s head got lost in the 19th century, but still. this was supposed to be the one that was going to change everything. Instead it bored everyone. these last 6 episodes show the downfall of a formerly good show by focusing on sweaty people in cages. Everyone looks bored and nothing is resolved. Just more mysteries. Well suspense is leaking out fast and a 3 month hiatus at this point could be a nail in the coffin. Heroes does it so much better.
I was struck by seeing Jack transformed as well. From lame leader to someone with a real clever plan. He did seem truly hurt or surprised about Sawyer-Kate, and we know he is a very jealous person. But he seemed to turn the Other’s knowledge of that on them by consummating a surprise turnaround in the middle of Ben’s operation. Clues blog I like is at http://www.LostExposed.com/ . This episode gave us plenty to talk about going forward and some real answers. We know Carl now. But is Ben Alex’s dad? We know Locke will look north to find Sawyer, Jack and Kate. But will Kate run? Will she take Sawyer?
When Eko was killed off last week, I bailed. Didn’t even miss it at nine o’clock EST this week. Did see the last 1 or 2 minutes as I awaited The Nine (a show that actually, each episode, really does reveal a little more and a little more without treating the viewer with contempt). And you know what, didn’t think I missed a think. By Lost, see ya.
er, ‘thing’, not ‘think’. However, didn’t make me THINK I’d come back in Feb, though.
I thought it was briliant, the selling of the 16 All New Episodes, with NO Re-Runs. Come on you know you couldn’t stand not knowing wether or not Wed. Show would be real or rerun. Thats what killed the show. The last two seasons we’ve had a 3 month hiatas also, only it was broke up into 2-3 week stretches. I can wait, honestly I was getting a little bored, what with Sawyers “I’m a tough guy who gets beat up by girls” every other week. Hopefully the 16 week stretch will re build some momentum.
All this whining seems pretty juvenile. Awww, no resolution to the question of what’s controlling everything? Sorry they didn’t ruin the show for all you impatient people who apparently prefer the half-season intensity of such critical juggernatus like Dancing With the Stars. Like night’s episode was solid, even with the frustrating ending. But if a frustrating ending is making you not watch any more, why did you watch two and a half seasons worth? EVERY ending was frustrating! Sigh.
I am hooked… I was sold more on the 16 episode, no reruns promise… but last night was pretty good… “RUN, KATE,RUN”
I’m so there on February 7th, which is my 27th birthday, in the number 2 month of the 07th year…. OH MY GOD! How freaky would it be if I woke up in that island with a new set of numbers.
Lost Producers: My headshots are on their way!!!!
I am done with this show. I am tired of being left out to dry. I want answers! I feel like am running in circles and Mickey Mouse is holding (insert favorite food) in front of my face…all the while he’s smirking and taking money out my pockets. (Even though I am wearing those short running shorts from the 80s. I’m a big man…not a pretty sight) I am tired of “deeper” back stories. I know Kate got abandonment issues. I know Sawyer is a dog. I know Jack had issues with his daddy. BLAH! BLAH! BLAH! I DID like Eko’s story…I wanted to know why a closet priest would leave that small town. This season sucks. I hate that all the intersting stuff happens at the end of each episode and its a long drawn out process to set it up. AHHH! This show is making me crazy.
Baco -
yeah, you might as well go ahead and enjoy your “Nine”…it will be cancelled by the time Lost is back in Feb..
I still dont like nikki. She has that one line in every episode where she asks a stupid question. She cant find things out on her own appearantly. They are so distracting.
I love the fact that the next 16 episodes will run with no repeats. It works for BSG, The Sopranos, and in the past Sex inthe City. Last year was frustrating to no end with all the repeats.
My advice for people who want answers about everything now….go watch Two and a half men or whatever the crappy show with Jim Belushi is. Nothing left unanswered there. Half the fun of this show is not knowing what is going to happen next.
As for anyone who thinks they just drop story lines, don’t be naive….everything will be explained in good time. Then you can all complain about how you didn’t like the explanation.
Last night rocked. Bring back Firefly!
The payoff for this show is in the journey, not the destination. I was amazed that so many people embraced the show at first, what with America’s collective attention span of a gnat, and the fact that so many are defecting or whining about wanting answers now confirms my original surprise.
HOPEFULLY, the writers (who DO have a plan, have proved time & again that they DO NOT abandon storylines but rather juggle a lot of them simultaneously and successfully, and who WILL REWARD the faithful) will not heed the masses, and stick to their guns by delivering the same wonderful series those of us who still love it have come to expect: mezmerizing, thought-provoking, and tantalizing.
Don’t lose faith people, we all saw how that turned out for Locke, and it weren’t pretty. This is a show that’s at the top of its game, and there’s no way I’d miss a moment of the action. February 7th, I patiently await.
Forget last night… I don’t know how anyone can see creepy eye-patch man suddenly slide into the frame last week and not be totally and completely hooked until we’re told who the hell he is.
I’ll miss Mr. Eko, but the cool thing about this wacky island is that being dead doesn’t necessarily stop you from showing up every couple episodes or so. I’m holding out hope… However, when Paolo and Nikki get killed off (for asking their 15th million stupid question designed to elicit exposition for viewers just joining the show too lazy or cheap to rent Season 1 and 2 on DVD), please let them stay dead.
Man, television viewers have ZEROOO loyalty nowadays – so sad.
LOST may not be able to deliver an “I’m standing in the rain and smiling when our plane just crashed because I can somehow use my legs again” moment or “what the heck is that ruined statue with 4 toes” moment every single episode, but as far as I’m concerned it’s got major points just for being completely ORIGINAL. I will continue to watch LOST and not waste my time with more crime dramas (CSI is enough), or medical dramas (House is all I need) or any other real-time based show that rips off 24. I’ll be there on February 7th. More lost for me.
They can throw out all the questions they want – I’ve got faith that the answers, whenever they are given whether next February or at the end of the series, that it will be completely worth it.
I’ve said this before, but my complaints are not about answers. I don’t care about getting the answers until the end, I enjoy the journey. However, I only enjoy the journey when it works with compelling storytelling and meaningful character interaction. Last night’s episode had meaningful interaction for three of the originals with three of the ‘Others’, and that was it (sure, some Locke was thrown in, but it didn’t transition well between the other storyline, and Sun, Yin, Charlie, Claire and Hurley were all absent while Desmond and two other newbies were around). When the producers promise that the first six episodes well have their own little story with a heck of a cliffhanger, I expect that. Instead, the ‘own little story’ stretches out with a lame cliffhanger. I agree that this show is on top of its game in terms of production values, but the show just does not feel focused or compelling for me anymore.
In sum: It’s not that I’m not getting answers, it’s that I’m starting to not care about the questions anymore.
Yawn…..last night’s show was a bore. The “cliff hanger” wasn’t all that exciting since you know they won’t kill off Kate or Sawyer. The scene in the pouring rain when they have a gun to Sawyer’s head was so contrived. I also knew Jack was going to do something to try to have Kate and Sawyer. I am willing to come back after the hiatus however if this show doesn’t start to get really excited again, I won’t be coming back for Season 4 (hmmm…that’s ironic. I didn’t come back for Season 4 of Alias either)