Lost Season 2 – Episode List & Guide

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2.01 – Man of Science, Man of Faith: A

Season 2 of Lost begins with the aptly named, “Man of Science, Man of Faith.” It’s an episode that is full of plot and character development, skillfully building on the groundwork established in “Exodus, Part 2.” But what separates this episode is its focus on themes – specifically those of fate, destiny, choice and chance. These have all been part of other episodes, but they are front and center here, and the result is an episode that is just as riveting philosophically as it is in terms of action, plot and character.

2.02 – Adrift: B

“Adrift” is a bit of a departure for Lost. In many respects, it doesn’t move the plot forward a whole lot – at least as far as Jack, Locke and Kate are concerned – though it does provide a different perspective on their predicament. The bulk of the story focuses on Michael and on his character being “adrift” both in the past and in the present. This underlying theme can also be applied, though not as explicitly, to the Jack-Kate-Locke storyline. On the whole, it’s a decent episode, but the lack of forward progresses slows it down.

2.03 – Orientation: B+

“Orientation” continues the theme of faith vs. science that was begun in “Exodus, Part II” and fully explored in “Man of Science, Man of Faith.” It also delves more deeply into one of the Island’s most intriguing mysteries – establishing a very pronounced quandary for the survivors and the viewers. It’s an episode that doesn’t make very many mistakes, but I do find the implications of the ending sequence to be quite ominous.

2.04 – Everybody Hates Hugo: B+

“Everybody Hates Hugo” is a loosely based on The Pearl, by John Steinbeck. The themes of greed and materialism – how people respond, often destructively, to sudden wealth – are central to the episode. And in that sense, the episode is rich with provocative ideas. But the actually story itself, on the surface, just isn’t quite as compelling as recent episodes.

2.05 – … And Found: C+

“… And Found” is a rather unremarkable episode. There certainly aren’t any issues in terms of big mistakes or implausibility. But most of the time, the episode treads water. It doesn’t sink, but it is unable to move forward. The character explorations behind Sun and Jin are interesting on a surface level, but only in a detached sort of way. In the end, there just isn’t much that is compelling in terms of character and story. And that makes the episode’s theme – that of looking for something you have lost – a bit less compelling as well.

2.06 – Abandoned: C

“Abandoned” is an episode that feels like it was, well, abandoned. Much like Sawyer, the episode sleepwalks its way from beginning to end in a kind of semi-waking daze. It’s not a terrible episode, not by any stretch, but it is entirely unable to captivate interest or excitement – even during its final, tragic scene.

2.07 – The Other 48 Days: C+

“The Other 48 Days” is an interesting episode as far as exposition goes. But aside from some minor character development, there’s little else to it. That’s not necessarily a bad thing – the exposition is certainly important to establish. And as this is a onetime occurrence, the episode can be forgiven for its approach. Most interestingly, this kind of heavy exposition reinforces just how valuable the extensive character explorations are to a series.

2.08 – Collision: B-

“Collision” is an episode about consequences. It’s not an exceptionally strong episode – it doesn’t tend to gravitate toward overplaying the drama – but we do get a return to a focus on character, and the collision of a character’s actions and consequences. In terms of exposition, there is another figurative collision between disparate groups – some of which is joyful, some of which … is not …

2.09 – What Kate Did: B-

“What Kate Did” is an episode about … what Kate did … in her past. But more than that, it’s a story that is a bit like Edgar Allen Poe’s classic stories “The Black Cat” and “The Tell-Tale Heart” – about guilt and the necessary reconciliation with not only one’s past, but with one’s own self. These elements are a benefit to the episode, but even though it also pulls closer together two story threads that were once distinctly separate, the end result is an installment that is relatively unremarkable.

2.10 – The 23rd Psalm: A-

“The 23rd Psalm” is about as close to perfection as an episode can get. The character focus of the episode is entirely plausible – sold both by the writing and the acting – and the multi-layered story effortlessly connects several main characters. It is exceedingly disappointing, then, that the episode is bookended by a ridiculously soap-opera conflict that would stretch the limits of plausibility on even the most contrived shows. Fortunately, these cringeworthy moments are brief and relatively unimportant to the rest of the episode.

2.11 – The Hunting Party: B-

“The Hunting Party” is an episode in which Lost seems to show a few cracks in the armor. One of its most defining characteristics, as a series, has been its ability to portray dramatic situations in, for the most part, relatively straightforward terms. But with “The Hunting Party” the conflicts suddenly, and inexplicably, become ratcheted up to levels that simply don’t follow what has already transpired. The result is an episode that, while it is still strong in terms of a multi-layered story, isn’t quite as plausible – at least from a perspective of conflict. Fortunately, there are a couple of scenes which are so compellingly performed that they almost completely compensate for the episode’s shortcomings.

2.12 – Fire + Water: F

Watching “Fire Plus Water” is agonizingly painful. Nearly everything that Lost has done so well to this point is thrown out with the bathwater. From ridiculously contrived circumstances and actions, to numbingly aggravating actions, nothing works – except the final scene. But one spiritual moment simply isn’t enough to provide a measure of salvation for an episode that is so tawdry, it defies explanation.

2.13 – The Long Con: D+

“The Long Con” is another example of a series that has lost its way. True, there is the fact that the episode explores the themes of revenge and redemption. But the manner with which it executes these themes is so completely absurd that I simply cannot take it very seriously. And trust me, this was an episode that wanted to take itself seriously.

2.14 – One of Them: C+

“One of Them” is an episode that explores torture – how, when, and why people torture. In that sense, it is very chilling in its implications. But the fact that torture, and Sayid’s connection to torture, were already explored in previous episodes tends to dilute the impact of this one. Also, the premise and rationale behind the torture is suspect. With all of that in mind, the episode, while still fairly strong, isn’t as compelling as it might otherwise have been.

2.15 – Maternity Leave: C-

“Maternity Leave” is a nuisance of an episode. It’s primary function is to fill in a bit of island backstory for a character. But unlike the episode “The Other 48” the information isn’t nearly as interesting. And though the backstory is interwoven with a present-day plot, the way the two stories are woven together is filled with holes and knots. Add in the subplot of Henry Gale and his all-too-easy attempts at creating discord, and even though we get some new narrative information, the episode feels shallow and pointless.

2.16 – The Whole Truth: C

“The Whole Truth” is an episode focusing on Sun and Jin. There is also an explicit attempt to create a theme around truth and lies. But the attempt itself is only partially successful. At issue are the continued attempts at melodrama – as evidenced by the back-and-forth of the Sun-Jin relationship – and an overall lack of a cohesive story. The lack of cohesion is itself a result of too many characters acting badly. As I’ve noted before, there is a danger of always creating stories purely out of the worst of your main characters. And based on what we see in “The Whole Truth,” that’s where Lost is headed.

2.17 – Lockdown: C

“Lockdown” is an episode about trust and faith, about lies and deception. It has some startling revelations and twists. The motivations behind a major character are further explored. All of the pieces seem to be in place for a fantastic episode. And yet it never quite materializes as such. In fact, the episode’s pacing is very poor, dragging out the narrative in an awkward mixture of flashbacks and scene editing. The result is an episode that, while worthy of some discussion, just isn’t particularly well done.

2.18 – Dave: C+

“Dave” is a Hurley-centric episode that lightly focuses on obsession and our perceptions of reality. And it’s mildly successful. But there is a definite emphasis on narrative over not just characterization, but thematic and symbolic elements. The result is an episode that, while interesting for its revelations about Hurley’s past, and the further unraveling of Henry Gale’s character, just isn’t able to measure up to the series’ own standard set during season one and the beginning of season two. The problem is that if you’re going to have a narrative-driven episode, it has to be pitch-perfect. And this episode is far from perfect.

2.19 – S.O.S.: B-

“S.O.S.” is an episode that confronts issues of faith – and the clash between blind faith and the need for action. This is done by way two stories, each with their own perspective on the issue. But once again, the explorations of these ideas are very minimal, especially compared to the heavier focus on exposition. In other words, the episode is more interested in conveying information – past and present – instead of asking questions, and following wherever the answers may lead.

2.20 – Two for the Road: B

“Two For The Road” is an example of a narrative-based episode that provides enough punch to be able to overlook a relative lack of character or thematic depth. That isn’t to say that this particular episode is entirely shallow, however, when comparing this one to the other episodes of Lost, there’s a distinct shift in focus. Ostensibly, this is an episode about misinformation, about masquerades, and an attempt at redemption. But it is the episode’s final scene which will leave everyone talking.

2.21 – ?: B+

“?” is a fantastic episode for deepening the mysteries of Lost – both in terms of the sci-fi elements as well as the character and narrative elements. Once again, faith and miracles are a prominent theme and the result is an episode that, while not as emotionally or thematically as powerful as earlier episodes is, nonetheless, very strong.

2.22 – Three Minutes: B

“Three Minutes” tells a harrowing tale about survival, coercion, deception and betrayal. At what point does a person break, at what point does someone turn their back on morality? Those are part of the question broached in 45 minutes of narrative that pushes the series to the brink of disaster (for the characters). The disjointed plot structure, making use of intercutting flashbacks solely on the Island can make for a rather jarring experience. And aside from, once again, a relative lack of thematic and symbolic devices, the non-linear plot of the episode is its biggest detriment – though, it isn’t critical.

2.23 – Live Together, Die Alone: A

“Live Together, Die Alone” is an expansive, twisting, action-packed, thrill ride of a season-ending episode. Indeed, the pacing is so swift and effortless that it hardly feels like the nearly ninety minutes which comprises its run time. Of course, once the episode has concluded, and once the enormity of the narrative begins to settle in, it’s not hard to recall just how much takes place, and just how much the landscape of the series changes from start to finish. It has been said before, but it still bears mention, that the series itself has taken a step backward in terms of the overall depth of its episodes. And that is true for “Live Together, Die Alone.” But the drop off in quality, at least for this episode, isn’t quite as steep. Indeed, the narrative is so potent that any lack of depth (thematically at least) can be overlooked because, quite frankly, it’ll take a long, long time to sift through the myriad developments unveiled in this episode.