Listener of music, capturer of moments, transcriber of events, practitioner of humanitarian magics, lover of the living.
February 1st, 2010
Like most of you out there in this god-forsaken world, I too have seen many of today’s sharpest minds held captive by the unending story arc of Lost, ABC’s nearly six-year-old tale of plane-wrecked survivors living on (escaping from?) some haunted isle in the middle of a nameless sea. As you might have gathered from reading the previous sentence, I have avoided any semblance of understanding or interest in the show for some time now despite certain friends’ cultish fascination with the series. I have eavesdropped on numerous conversations filled with unanswered questions that beget more questions, which are then soon soaked in wild-eyed hypothesis. This maddening spiral has continued unabated for many seasons, and from what I gather, few of Lost‘s mysteries have been solved and virtually all loose ends remain loosed.
But here we are! The Lost creators, spinners of endless yarn, are soon to tie their ends and bring the series to a close. The final season begins tomorrow night, and now that I’ve avoided the previous five seasons of this story I thought I’d make the tireless Wednesday morning water cooler recaps a little more entertaining. I, a bitter and critical man, will watch the final season as a curious and open-minded outsider who, with the aid of hindsight, shall attempt to connect with the characters, their plights, and the plot lines as they come to a close. Expect an update each week as I follow along with the series, and don’t worry: I promise to remain objective.
Previous PostAdd to the conversation by filling out the comment form below. Have a Gravatar? Use the associated email so your picture can join the party. If you don't have a Gravatar you should go get one.
Want to keep tabs on the conversation?Comments Feed
Listener of music, capturer of moments, transcriber of events, practitioner of humanitarian magics, lover of the living.
TJ
I hope jumping into a somewhat confusing story 5 seasons in doesn’t ruin it for you. I wonder if watching all 6 seasons from start to finish when the show is off the air wouldn’t be a better idea for a clearer picture of how epic and amazing this show is. :D But godspeed, cya at the water cooler!
mike!
What’s a “Lost”?
Ben
This could be a fun thing. I am worried about the nature of your commentary, if only because you seem to be predisposed to ridiculing people who enjoy the show. What can you say about a man who’s source of joy is belittling the joy of others?
However, if the better 1/3 of your spirit rises to the occasion, we could be in store for some compelling reading. Will the easy evil win, or will you challenge yourself to a higher level of creative analysis?
Allison
But… how can you remain objective (or expect to connect with the characters) when you haven’t seen the previous six years of show? Without the benefit of five seasons of story development – particularly with a show this complex (and yes, sometimes convoluted) – of course it’s going to seem ridiculous!
I am interested in your experiment, but I cast a wary eye! Mainly because I’ve observed a consistent pattern among an assortment of popular blogs that feature Lost commentary or recaps. Amongst hundreds of superfans entertaining themselves with their own slavish analysis, without fail, a joker or two (or ten) show up in the comments. They always reply with some variation on the same theme: “I never watch this stupid show.1 I saw ten minutes of an episode2 once and I didn’t understand anything that was going on. LOST SUCKS, ha, ha, ha.3
1 Or another common variant: “I used to watch this show, I saw the first three episodes of the first season. Then I decided it was dumb.”
2 Or other common variants: “I saw a commercial for the episode”, “I saw the last thirty minutes of a rerun”, “I saw one episode from the third season”
3 Insert a joke about one of the following things here: time travel, polar bears, plane crashes, jungles, anything that sounds vaguely Egyptian or mythological
In sum, I shall read your commentary with an open mind. But I am skeptical that you will derive any joy from watching the final season as a standalone, unless that joy is derived from poking holes in plots, characters, and fans!
Ben
Allison won’t be satisfied until the entire world joins her in unmitigated love for the show. :)
Allison
No, I just hate when people (not Chris, mainly the buzzkills I referred to above) feel compelled to crap all over something that people are enjoying!
Ben
This show is an isosceles triangle, dude. You’ll be coming in at the fail end of that.
Seasons 1-3: great! Season 3 finale: best episode of the show! Season 4: ummmm guys what happened season 3 was good. Season 5: joke song featuring Lost characters. Season 6: nothing will get answered, show will retcon everything. Exciting!
I personally can’t wait to see them completely ruin the show some more.
Chris
For the record, I have no disdain for the show. I harbor no ill-intent, nor do I plan to poke holes or poke fun or poke the wary eye of passionate fans. Any prior piss-taking has never been at the expense of those who watch the show; it’s the small bits of story that I’ve absorbed tangentially through conversation and the endless questioning of the mammoth plot’s twist and turns that have been the focus of my own outsider’s fascination. There is clearly some mystic quality to the show, but its lost (no pun intended) on anyone who hasn’t already invested themselves in the story.
So, my interest in this experiment is entirely based on whether or not an outsider (me) can drop into the series and still have a satisfying viewing experience. Can this season stand alone as the final chapter in an epic series (a la Star Wars or Lord of the Rings)? Is the viewer’s satisfaction with the finale predicated on their previous years of study and dutiful viewing? So much of this story has been analyzed and mulled, and yet so many questions and mysteries remain. Will there be a sense of vindication or a sense of disappointment for fans when the final credits roll?
The last question may be the most interesting, and I’d like to follow along as the yarn is wound tight, the gaps are closed, and the storytellers bring the house down. I anxiously await the reactions and commentary from friends and devoted fans (ahem, Allison), and that will certainly be part of my coverage.
Let the celebration (or, as Ben B. suggests, the ruination) begin!
Allison
I think the last season’s going to suck!
Justin
Chris, you are what the old hands of Lost would call a “tailie.” When the survivors of the tail section first mixed and mingled with those from the plane’s front, there was plenty of friction. Paranoia. People died. But Sun and Jin did the right thing, laid a toasty fish dinner in front of a shaken Anna Lucia, and let her into the fold. In this way, I offer you my toasty fish dinner of acceptance. You are one of us, now, not an other. You are in the fold. I look forward to your biting comments, and to correcting your ill-informed surmises with every opportunity.
(And for the record, I completely disagree with the fuzzy green Ben. The show has only gotten better for me, and season five was magnificent!)