“The Last Recruit” continues the procession of narrative-driven episodes, pushing events closer and closer to their final resolutions. There are a few attempts to wedge some character moments — such as Claire’s insecurities and Sayid’s conscience — into the mix. But for the most part, we get “more of the same” from a series that is far more concerned about getting to the end of its story than it is about how it gets there. And, truthfully, despite the entertainment value of this installment (it is kinda fun to watch), Lost simply isn’t presenting episodes with the same level of craft as when the series began.

Read more »

Filed under: Lost | No Comments »

“Everybody Loves Hugo” is a bit of a paradox. It’s a character-driven, thematically rich episode which divulges more than a couple of “secrets” about the story. And yet, it keeps the overall narrative maddeningly vague and elusive. The thing is, I actually liked this episode. I’m just not sure if it’s significantly better than anything we’ve seen thus far from this season of Lost.

Read more »

Filed under: Lost | No Comments »

With “Happily Ever After,” Lost has turned a corner. It finally creates some connective tissue between its most incongruous elements and, once again, focuses squarely on characters — their emotions, motivations and inner conflicts. In terms of production, the episode itself is far from perfect. But with the right approach and intent, as well as some truly important revelations, there’s a sense that, finally, the series beginning to navigate its way out of its self-imposed doldrums.

Read more »

Filed under: Lost | No Comments »

“The Package” gets a couple of very important elements right (namely in terms of character), but is, otherwise, a meandering affair which keeps the series more or less treading water, instead of swimming toward shore. Who knows, perhaps the whole narrative is like some sort of rip tide and the only thing these episodes can do right now is swim parallel to the shore, just to keep from drowning. Even so, at some point, real progress — not the piecemeal kind we’ve seen thus far — is going to have to be made. It’s getting close to that time: sink or swim. Until then, beware of enemies lurking under water …

Read more »

Filed under: Lost | 1 Comment »

I’ll come right out and say it: I’m not all that impressed with how the final season of Lost is proceeding. That is to say, I still like the overall story and characters and enjoy the revelations we get with each new episode. But the structure and approach of how the story is drawing to a close leave a lot to be desired. “Ab Aeterno” is the perfect example of this. There are plenty of moments in which the episode reveals answers or new information about the story and characters. It features a very compelling final scene. But its structure — the pacing and story in particular — is awkward and unsatisfying. The result is an episode that is only slightly above average.

Read more »

Filed under: Lost | 4 Comments »

“Recon,” despite its very clever play-on-words title, isn’t an especially remarkable episode of Lost. This is somewhat of a contradiction, given that it features a pair of very compelling characters, some important revelations, and plenty of double-dealing. The culprit here is pacing. For some reason, the episode seems to loiter around the entrance to something important and noteworthy and when it finally moves into its main narrative, the story feels more like its trespassing on old ideas, rather than rescuing new ones from obscurity.

Read more »

Filed under: Lost | No Comments »

“Principal Reynolds is an administrator, not a teacher.  He’s forgotten what the public school system is about.” – Dr. Benjamin Linus

With “Dr. Linus” Lost has a special installment, one that transcends the obvious drawbacks of its current approach. Put simply, this is an episode that manages to convey a deeply meaningful and profound tale with an exceptional amount of craft. All three of the episode’s story lines share a common thread about choice and fate. The directing and cinematography are excellent and the dialogue is crisp and multifaceted. All told, this is an exceptional installment, even if it doesn’t fundamentally change the approach the series is taking in its final episodes.

Read more »

Filed under: Lost | No Comments »

With “Sundown,” Lost continues its familiar approach of slowing doling out tantalizing answers while telling a thoroughly obtuse story. That’s not to say that there isn’t action (there is quite a bit of it) or that this installment doesn’t move the story forward (it does). In fact, the story is as much a tragedy as it anything else. But by the end of the episode, the overall narrative – the hows and whys of what happens – is still too vague to provide useful commentary on the characters or thematic elements.

Read more »

Filed under: Lost | No Comments »

With “Lighthouse,” Lost has another addition to its string of excellently produced episodes which may or may not have a lasting impact. There’s no question that this is a thoughtful, carefully constructed episode, with plenty of symbolism and continuity. It’s also quite entertaining, with a wonderful blend of humor, drama, mystery and suspense. But as a standalone story, this installment is unevenly paced. And without a clearer connection between its two primary storylines, it’s difficult at best to draw any meaningful conclusions about the events that unfold.

Read more »

Filed under: Lost | No Comments »

Lost gets back on track, in terms of narrative, with “The Substitute,” an episode which features a tightly focused plot and some very compelling characterizations. There are a few pacing issues early on, but as the episode unfolds, the story becomes increasingly engaging and entertaining. There’s plenty of mystery afoot, but in typical Lost nature, the answers come with at least as many questions. All told, this is a strong episode, moving the story forward, while keeping characters and questions firmly in mind.

Read more »

Filed under: Lost | No Comments »

With an episode titled “What Kate Does”, you sort of expect this to be an episode about Kate … and what she does. It’s a bit surprising, and more than of a bit of a letdown, that Kate does remarkably little in this episode that is either interesting or compelling. Part of the problem is an overall structure that meanders for far too long, revels far too much in simply avoiding any kind of answers, and just doesn’t invest enough time in its characters. There are some solid moments tucked into the production, but overall it’s a fairly average installment.

Read more »

Filed under: Lost | 2 Comments »

With “LA X” Lost begins its final season. Ultimately, I cannot think of a better way to begin its final swan song. I can’t say that the episode is a perfect balance between plot, character and theme — it is, afterall, very much a plot-based story — but there’s plenty of potential for the series to conclude its story in a way that does justice to all three facets of storytelling. What’s most important about this installment is the craft which went into its construction. For a double-episode, there are very few, if any, wasted moments. The story is riveting in terms of its mysteries and ultimate conclusion. The new approach for the series has great potential to inform and explore character. And there’s no question that this episode not only advances the most common themes of the series — it finds new ways to look at them. Put simply, this is one of the most engaging, entertaining and thoughtful episodes of television I’ve seen.

Read more »

Filed under: Lost | No Comments »

“Nothing is irreversable”

That is the theme of “LAX,” the premiere episode to the final season of Lost — and what a premiere (and premise). For anyone who ever wondered about how to undo the past, or find redemption or salvation (something that I am, personally, all too familiar with), this is an episode well worth watching.  From start to finish, the episode is filled with profound character and narrative revelations. It takes risks. It gives us an alternate story that isn’t quite the past and isn’t quite the future. And in the meantime, it presents characters struggling with fate and choice. Plus, the story is entirely riveting.

It’s going to take a day, maybe two (and likely a rewatch of the episode), to sort through everything that is presented on screen. Once I do, though, expect a full review. In the meantime, I’ll just say that this was easily one of the best season premiere episodes I’ve ever seen — and I’m not one who is usually given to hyperbolic statements.

Filed under: Lost | No Comments »

“The Incident, Parts 1 & 2” wraps up the penultimate season of Lost with what can only be describes as a very big bang. The episode itself unfolds in tantalizing bits as each piece of the puzzle is slowly placed, revealing deeper and more intricate patterns and connections. This is best symbolized by the opening scene of the episode which features a heretofore unseen character at a loom, slowly constructing an intricate tapestry. The story itself is much like this tapestry in terms of how layered and interdependent each character is. Toss in the mythic notion of fate as woven tapestry, and you’ve got plenty of thematic elements and narrative twists to keep Lost fans scratching their heads in wait for the series finale in 2010.

Read more »

Filed under: Lost | No Comments »

Tensions (and levels of violence) are ratcheted up to extreme levels in “Follow The Leader,” the latest installment of Lost. Charged with setting the stage for the two-hour season finale, this episode moved pieces into place with a flurry of pistol whips, slaps to the head, gunshots, and all manner of deviousness. Having held most of this high-octane melodrama in check for most of the season, Lost is no going for broke. Personally, it’s a bit of a turn off for me. Fortunately, the episode manages to wedge a few character and thematic points into the cacophony – enough to allow the episode to be slightly better than average.

Read more »

Filed under: Lost | No Comments »