Lost Season Finale

[sdelmonte]

And so we watched the season finale of Lost. What a brilliant, entertaining and frustrating two hours it was.

Why frustrating?

Because 25 episodes later, we still don't know what the hell is going on!

Lost is one of the best TV shows to come along in ages. It has a great cast, ridiculously high production values for a TV show, strong scripts, great music. It has a premise that could have gone wrong so easily and hasn't.

Each episode built the tension well, and made us care about these strangers, one at a time. And when we to get to the finale, we see a perfectly paced double-length episode that is successfully built on everything that came before, and makes brilliant use of the flashback method we've been seen since the first episode. While much of what we saw was a shock, nothing was not set up before this. It was a great finale.

And yet, I worry that JJ Abrams and his team of writers has no idea where this is actually going. I worry that every mystery will only lead to another mystery. I worry that we will find ourselves running screaming into the night, ready to shoot someone as the mythology gets to dense.

And given how many people I know had rebelled against Abrams' Alias for its reportedly painful journey into confusion and faux-profundity, I think that I have reason to worry. Abrams is not Joss Whedon just yet, and there were days when even Joss made me wonder if he knew what was going on late in the Buffy Era.

So as much as I want to revel in the greatness that is Lost, Year One, I just am not ready to do that yet. Not till I see a sign that will get answers.

Or at least until the DVDs come out before Year Two launches.

Comments

[allisona.livejournal.com]

As much as I like "Lost", I've suspected for quite some time now that it's the kind of show, like "Twin Peaks", that really can't sustain this kind of weirdness and mystery more than a season or three. If they can develop it into something good and long-running, though, believe me, I'll be happy.

In the meantime, I'll enjoy the ride, knowing the surrealism may tip over into something unmaintainable at any time. It's part of the edgy appeal of the show.

[dotsomething.livejournal.com]

I'm also worried the bubble will pop.

Then again, the X-Files was just as confusing and was really, really good for about five years.

I hestitate to compare Lost to Alias; Alias also seemed really, really good at first and the character stories were heart-wrenching.

It does seem that Lost has a totally different approach to character, which works in its favor. I can't put my finger on it yet, how it's different. Alias has some pretty vivid characters, so does Lost. But there's something more subdued in the characterizations on Lost, and more sharply observant. Alias would never have a moment like when Locke smiled around the orange peel; a totally random and yet somehow significant thing. Alias's idea of a significant, small character moment is Sidney and Will eat ice cream, the way normal people eat ice cream.

(To be fair to Alias, the shows have two totally different dynamics. Alias is about extroardinary people doing extraordinary things, Lost is about ordinary people in an extraordinary situation).

I think the characterization on Lost is more like the X-Files style, where the tiny stuff will get you every time.

[parrotcrazy.livejournal.com]

I just wanted to say I saw some interviews on 20/20. I can't remember the names of the people interviewed but I think it was some producers and writers. When asked about the different theories people had, they made mention how horrible it would be to have a show like this that people were so interested in and then at the end for it to have been a dream. So they eluded to the fact that that wasn't the ending as some have predicted. They also eluded to the fact that they know very much how it ends and said there were going to be a lot of suprised people when they found out basically how simple the answer really is.

[nyguen9.livejournal.com]

Was going by on random search and saw Lost, so I had to stop.

This is one of those shows that actually keeps me interested. I'm so stressed now that I have all these questions and it will be 4 MONTHS til I can find anything out!