My favorite show, LOST concludes tonight. I’ll have my review and final thoughts tomorrow. LOST is an ongoing serialized adventure set on a tropical island. If you haven't been watching you might be a little, well...lost. So allow me to get you up to speed.CHARACTERS:
JACK (Matthew Fox) - A handsome doctor who the castaways look up to, not because of his leadership ability but because the actor has a feature career. He's verrrry serious. A joint the size of a piñata would do him a world of good.
KATE (Evangeline Lilly) -- Hot brunette. Killed her boyfriend. I would still date her in a second, even if she wants to go to a gun show.
JOHN (Terry O'Quinn) – Dead but not really. Here’s where it starts getting weird – there were two brothers who have been guardians of the island for centuries. He’s the bad one but now taking the form of John who is dead. That’s what happens when you kill off a main character without checking the contract to see that you still have to pay him for two more years.
SAWYER (Josh Holloway) - The good looking bad boy. Edgy. Dangerous. Defiant. Every girl wants him when he's 20. When he's 50 and living in a trailer park, he's lucky if Bea Arthur gives him a second look.
SAYID (Naveen Andrews) - The one terrorist who tests well. Now dead, not that that means anything.
HURLEY (Jorge Garcia) - Fat guy/comic relief/castaway mascot. Keeps things loose 'round camp when people are kidnapped or eaten by animals.
SUN (Yunjin Kim) - Korean married to Jin. Can speak in English or Korean subtitles. Drowned in sinking submarine so for LOST, she died of natural causes.
JIN (Daniel Dae Kim) - Korean married to Sun. Died with Sun but through network reincarnation returns next season on CBS in HAWAII 5-0.
CHARLIE (Dominic Monaghan) - Dead. I’m starting to realize, maybe the series already concluded. No one seems to still be alive.
CLAIRE (Emilie de Ravin) - Had a baby on the island. Still better than a Kaiser hospital. Is really Jack's sister. Should they ever have a romance and get married the island will be renamed West Virginia.
DESMOND (Henry Ian Cusick) – The most interesting character on the show. Has a Scottish accent. Calls everyone "brother." Has premonitions. Likes the Lakers over the Suns but says "take the points, brother."
BENJAMIN (Michael Emerson) - The Emmy winning leader of "the Others" (another group of island inhabitants. They resent the castaways for calling them "the Others" when they were there first. As a result, want to kill everyone.) If Harold from Harold & Maude grew up, moved to the tropics, and went off his meds he'd be Ben.
JULIET (Elizabeth Mitchell) - Fertility doctor from Portland, Oregon, recruited by the Others. Once she got to the island she realized, "Hey, this isn't the Mayo Clinic!" Still not the worst career move she's made. She played Mrs. Clause to Tim Allen in the last two installments of the Santa Claus trilogy. Dead of course but renewed – her current series V was picked up.
PLOT
It’s simple really. A pl
ane crashed and a group of strangers who really know each other but don’t is stranded on this mysterious island inhabited by polar bears, a smoke monster, residential tract homes, a hatch, a group called “the Others”, giant foot statue, clipper ship and a plane in trees, temple, force fields, a lighthouse, golden pond, a hydrogen bomb, and this great little cove for fishing.Except…
maybe they didn’t crash at all, in which case they’re different but still know each other even though they don’t.
Some of the characters are dead. One character who is dead has come back as another character. There is time travel involved. The island can disappear. It might actually be underwater. There are two Godlike puppet masters. One character who never ages. People have flashbacks, flash forwards, and flash sideways.
And in the two-hour finale all of this will make sense.
There. You’re now completely caught up. Enjoy.
On another topic, still time to weigh in your thoughts on yesterday’s Comedy Test. Thanks.
I take great pride in never having watched LOST, almost as much as I take in never having watched a complete episode of Friends. But I can't help but mention that Michael Emerson also was on The Practice as one of the slimiest killers you'd ever meet, and is just a terrific actor.
ReplyDeleteI don't get the philosophy of people proudly saying they willingly missed something good.
ReplyDeletehaha that was a really good review
ReplyDeleteaw man I can't believe it's ending!
and about the first comment.. well, you said it all Ken
You've been in the room; did the writers really have a full road map for the arc and resolution of this show and its characters, or did they have a few cool ideas and make most of the rest of it up as they went along? And was there a hookah pipe involved? I've thoroughly enjoyed the show, but 'lack faith' there was a ever grand plan beyond 'you think they'll buy this to ... Holy crap what do we do now?" .
ReplyDelete"I don't get the philosophy of people proudly saying they willingly missed something good."
ReplyDeleteAnd LOST qualifies as "good"...how?
Seriously. Are there better examples than THE SOPRANOS and LOST of shows that started strong and clearly fell off in quality, but fans were too invested in them to acknowledge it?
Mike
"You've been in the room; did the writers really have a full road map for the arc and resolution of this show and its characters, or did they have a few cool ideas and make most of the rest of it up as they went along?"
ReplyDeleteI wasn't in the room and I can tell you they didn't have a full road map. No one is going to invest weeks and possibly months of time creating such a thing when they don't know if the show will last 6 episodes.
Which isn't to say the creators didn't have some long term ideas or plans. I'm sure they did. But did the LOST guys have any idea what would happen to Jack in season 3 before the first episode even aired? Nah.
It all comes down to this. Tonight, my eyes will be glued to the screen for the dramatic finale. I'm talking, of course, about the rubber game of the subway series between the Yankees and Mets.
ReplyDeletehe's lucky if Bea Arthur gives him a second look.
ReplyDeleteSeeing as how she's dead [hey, she'd fit in GREAT on this show!] I don't think she'd be able to give him a first look.
I also never watched the show just because I can't stand episodic TV shows. You miss one week and then you're...well, lost!
Ken: "KATE (Evangeline Lilly) -- Hot brunette. Killed her boyfriend. I would still date her in a second..." You say you'd date her in a second instead of DO her, etc...is that because your generation (we be boomers) didn't talk like that in public, or, because your wife reads your blog? I'd not heard of Evangeline till reading today's post, so I checked her out. Not bad. I'd still DATE Mary Ann, first!
ReplyDeleteMichael Emerson IS sensational. I think they kept his character alive on The Practice as long as they could cuz he was mesmerizing. I believe he won an Emmy for that part.
RE: missing episodes. You're no longer lost if you miss one. Just watch it on-line, it's usually available the next day. If not on the network site, hulu.com seems to show a majority of the programs. Not all shows, but most.
Conversely, I take great pride in having never watched "Two and Half Men." (Although I have watched more than a few hours of WWE wrestling, so disregard.)
ReplyDelete@Gary - I'd like to think that not writing "do her" reflects one's respect for society in general, and not one's age.
ReplyDeleteWhy sitcom writers feel the need to communicate in Neanderthal English ("Yeah, I'd do her") rather than in something Neoclassical - or, at least, Classy - is more than puzzling to me. If a cheap laugh is the goal, they wouldn't need to sweeten the "I'd do her" punchlines with canned chuckles.
The person who made the first comment seems to be implying that if something is popular, it must lack quality. Sometimes that's true, sometimes it's not. I'd say it's not in the case of LOST. At any rate, before you decide something lacks quality, you should at least WATCH it a few times.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how most of the science-fiction shows ABC scheduled after LOST has foundered over the years. True, V was renewed, but I've read there's been a ratings drop-off. None of the shows were lacking in quality-- INVASION in particular I liked-- but they were all conventional science fiction compared to LOST. I think LOST's great strenth, in terms of ratings, is that it attracted so many people who normally don't watch science fiction. Of course, it took a couple of seasons before you could be SURE it was science fiction.
A joint the size of a piñata would do ME a world of good. And it wouldn't hurt enjoying the show either.
ReplyDelete"That’s what happens when you kill off a main character without checking the contract to see that you still have to pay him for two more years."
That explains SO MUCH!
"he's lucky if Bea Arthur gives him a second look.
I could have sworn she was dead. Or is that alt-world Bea Arthur?
I see you learned your lesson from the time you called Desmond the character no one cares about, only to get hit with a mountain of "I love Desmond" comments.
Great plot summary. They should use it on the recap show before the finale.
I'm looking forward to the sit-com spin-off: The Dharma Initiative and Greg.
Tallulah Morehead has also written a pre-finale piece on LOST's unanswered questions. Those needing further unenlightenment can click on her name in Ken's links column.
Namaste, as them Dharmans are always saying.
WV: prelfanz: People who really love Prell Shampoo.
"MBunge said...
ReplyDeleteAnd LOST qualifies as "good"...how?"
From the brilliant writing, great acting, and spellbinding storytelling.
Since you proudly say you've never seen it, you're utterly unqualified to say otherwise.
Feeling bitter and left out during the national LOST Weekend Party tonight?
I don't watch LOST, but I don't say so proudly. I just don't watch any series TV. Doesn't fit with my chedule or I'm watching the M's. Talk about lost.
ReplyDelete"chedule" is the British way to say "schedule."
ReplyDeleteUntil tonight I've never watched "Lost." Turns out there's a nifty little narrator who is more than willing to tell me everything I missed. Lucky me (sarcasm).
ReplyDeleteI quit watching this self indulgent bullshit when I realized the writers were obviously making it up along the way and had no master plan. Much like the X-files, it was a conspiracy about asking more and more questions with little to no answers. Yawn.
ReplyDelete"And LOST qualifies as 'good'...how?"
ReplyDeleteMichael Giacchino's music, of course. The best-written, best-played, most out-there music for a TV series in ages - and the single most important reason for whatever consistent success the show has enjoyed, in my view. Even a non-LOST viewer may have heard of him because of his quite different music for THE INCREDIBLES and UP (the latter an Oscar winner for him).
My single favorite episode (haven't seen the finale yet) uses non-Giacchino music quite strikingly: Mama Cass's "Make Your Own Kind of Music." This is the first scene of season 2 when we're introduced to (although we don't know it yet) Desmond.
I find the criticism of not having everything planned 6 years ago hilarious. Anybody who has written knows that characters take control of the script and arc as you work on the piece if you're doing it right. If they knew 6 years ago where we'd be tonight there's no way the show would have lasted this long.
ReplyDeleteWV: brestos, my favorite breakfast cereal.
"JJ said...
ReplyDeleteUntil tonight I've never watched 'Lost.' :
But I thought you directed the pilot, Mr. Abrams!
"Anonymous said...
I quit watching this self indulgent bullshit when I realized the writers were obviously making it up along the way and had no master plan. Much like the X-files, it was a conspiracy about asking more and more questions with little to no answers. Yawn."
It's news to you that the writers make up fictional shows?
In any event, you truely don't know what you're trying deperately to sound superior to. (And at which you are failing miserably.) The writers did have a master plan, as was obvious by the way they paid off things set up as early as, oh, the pilot.
And they had lots of answers and paid it off beautifully, unlike The X Files. Perhaps you should save your pontificating for things you know something about.
gottacook said...
Michael Giacchino's music, of course. The best-written, best-played, most out-there music for a TV series in ages - and the single most important reason for whatever consistent success the show has enjoyed, in my view.
While I agree that the music is terrific, and contributes much to the show's excellence, to call it "the single most important reason for whatever consistent success the show has enjoyed" is silly. It contributed, but the writing and acting are the most important reasons for the success the show has enjoyed. Not once have I had someone, in breathlessly discussing how their mind was blown by any given week's episode, say to me, "Did you hear the music cue when the The Smoke Monster was revealed to be The Man in Black?" No. We discussed the characters and the plot twists, and speculated on the mysteries.
But yes, it's great music. And I love that Mama Cass cut. But then, I love pretty much any Moma Cass cut.
I watched the first two seasons on DVD consecutively. By that I mean one weekend I borrowed the two seasons from a neighbor, watched the first episode and didn't stop until very late that night after I saw both seasons. I had never been so gripped by a show.
ReplyDeleteBut all the killing. Characters dying off and murdering each other for no real reason. My interest dropped off to zero.
For the record, I also watched the first 20 minutes of Episode #1 of a show called "Friends" and told everyone in the room that "this show will be off the air in 6 weeks!" I remain convinced that it was a crap show. Frasier was genius. Yes, Minister was genius. Bullwinkle and Rocky was (were?) genius. Friends was a 10-year yawn of lame characters (Joey...#473,244 of a stupid, oversexed Italian-American male) and preposterously too much time spent in a coffee shop. Only Frasier got that just right.
Having watched the finale, which was emotionally very satisfying, it's now clear there was always a very simple arc and explanation for the story relative to the main characters, but all the numbers, and Dharma, and polar bears and just about everything else was just tricked up feints, red-herrings, and gimmicks to pump up an artificial sense of mystery. It was all window dressing on a simple premise.
ReplyDeleteAnd the 'all faiths' church reunion in the hereafter would have explained things better if, like the "Six Feet Under" finale, the characters who survived the crash, or later escaped the island (Kate, Sawyer, Miles, Lapidus) showed up as the actual age in which they died. (But then we don't get Kate in a short tight dress in heels - or we do and it's a granny nightmare).
Good? That's rather subjective. I tried watching a couple of times, then always switched to reruns of Gilligan's Island - made more sense.
ReplyDeleteD. McEwan - "From the brilliant writing, great acting, and spellbinding storytelling.
ReplyDeleteSince you proudly say you've never seen it, you're utterly unqualified to say otherwise.
Feeling bitter and left out during the national LOST Weekend Party tonight?"
1. Crap in a pretty box is still crap.
2. I haven't proudly said anything in watching or not watching LOST.
3. The LOST series finale racked up a 9.0 in preliminary ratings. The frickin' BONES season finale clocked in with a 9.2.
Mike
"MBunge said...
ReplyDelete1. Crap in a pretty box is still crap.
Yes, and a great show is still a great show, regardless of haow many are too dull-minded to see it.
"2. I haven't proudly said anything in watching or not watching LOST.
My apologies there. The person who said they did was also named Michael, and I assumed that the same dopey opinions from a "Mike" must be the same person.
"3. The LOST series finale racked up a 9.0 in preliminary ratings. The frickin' BONES season finale clocked in with a 9.2.
So? What are the final ratings? And in any event, in a courtry that elected the two Bushes, and Reagan twice, it's clear that intelligence and taste are rarities these days. Quality and popularity are not related, never have been. That, as it went along, Lost went over the head of the masses has been obvious or somet ime. Look at you. You clearly failed to get it, and mask your failure by attempting to be superior to it.
I don't care whether the writers made it up as they went along or not. If they did, then damn, they're REALLY good at coming up with entertaining plots on the run.
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't understand the hostility of people who aren't fans toward those who are- if you didn't like the show, the go read about a show you do like. Let the rest of us enjoy each other's company.
That being said... TOO funny on the Sawyer description.