Just finished watching the last half of the Lost pilot, and I'm totally hooked. The characters are interesting, the premise is gripping, the way we're getting backstories in dribs and drabs is a great device - did I mention that I relly liked this? Yeah, I know, it could all fall apart in an instant, much like (I'm sad to say) The 4400 did at the end (though I'm still rooting for it to be brought back), but for now it's a great ride. If you missed it, both parts of the pilot are being rerun tomorrow (Saturday) night at 8 Eastern, so check it out.
Greg speculated about some of the mysteries after the first half of the pilot. I think we were a bit off in the discussion there. I've put my current hypothesis beneath the More link, so you won't be spoiled if you haven't seen it yet. I'm going to have to start reading Television Without Pity's recaps to make sure I don't miss anything, since there's so much going on.
Anyway. "Lost" rocks. We'll see if Desperate Housewives can make it two-for-two this fall.
After Sawyer shoots the polar bear, and after hearing the 16-year distress message, my current theory is that this is an Island of Dr. Moreau kind of deal. If so, I think we'll find out as a season-ending cliffhanger.
My one concern with this show, as with "Star Trek: Voyager" is that you can only take a gimmick like being stranded so far. In some sense, I want this to be a one-year only show, where some number of the survivors get rescued at the end, and there's an epilogue where we get some clue how they adjust to being home. On the other hand, "M*A*S*H" lasted four times as long as the actual Korean War, and it was a good show for most of it, so who knows? Today I think that one season, two tops, would be optimal, but I could be proven wrong.
Posted by Charles Kuffner on October 01, 2004 to TV and movies | TrackBackGilligan's Island did three years stranded (more than four years' worth in modern episodes/year). GI was farce, though, and in farce, different rules apply, so that it was perfectly OK for them to be stuck on the island by contrivance.
This is why a time-warp or the like would be an excellent thing for Lost to introduce; it's a way to keep them stuck on the island without turning it into farce.
Compare to ST:V where they kept telling us that escape was dramatically possible; there, the failure to escape meant that the characters were pathetic.
Anyway, the second part of the Lost pilot is still on my VCR tape, I should get around to watching it tonight. I'm very disappointed it's not dinosaurs.
Posted by: Greg Morrow on October 2, 2004 11:16 AMSadly, the characters on "ST:V" were pathetic regardless of their inability to escape.
If they can have a polar bear on a tropical island, they can still have a dinosaur or two. Something way bigger than a polar bear chomped that pilot, after all.
Posted by: Charles Kuffner on October 2, 2004 11:47 AMThere are very high expectations for this show out here where it's filmed, and not just from the film bureau. Half the cast members have relocated from the coast to Oahu, and in a tight rental market, no less. ;)
I've watched both episodes, and I'm hooked too. I haven't been this enthused about a tv show since Hill Street.
Posted by: Linkmeister on October 2, 2004 1:07 PMI only watched the Lost premier as filler, while I waited for Law and Order, I think. I thought it would be silly -- Alive, but with a monster. Happily, I was completely wrong. So far, it's in contention for the best show on network TV.
AB
Posted by: Angry Bear on October 2, 2004 2:50 PMthey're either inside the hollow earth, or on some kind of forbidden planet like island...
comic book with polar bears, then a polar bear shows up...manufactured fears from the mind of a child.
I was also thinking that it would last for one season only, then I read this at TV Tome: The first season will depict their first 40 days on the island, with each episode covering roughly 48 hours (except the 2-hour pilot which only covers their first 24 hours). The Biblical reference (40 days) is no accident.
However it turns out, "Lost" series creator J.J. Abrams (who also does "Alias") is cementing his place as the king of great TV. And he's on board to direct Mission Impossible 3!
Posted by: Jeff Beckham on October 4, 2004 2:00 PM