I broke my ankle about a week ago, so it probably won't be until the end of January until I can start writing film reviews again. In the meantime though, I've got something better than movies...that's right, it's
Lost, my favorite TV show! You know how some people are such geeks that they can recite the names of the red-shirts that die in
Star Trek episodes, and can site the number and season of that episode? Yeah, that's me, but with
Lost (...and Star Trek, come to think of it). Last year, I reviewed and analyzed every episode of the show's fourth season, which was a fun experience. Lost is the perfect kind of show for in-depth, weekly discussion; it's like a puzzle, and is immensely rewarding when you get it all put together.
The fifth season starts on January 21 st, which means that it's time to start my
Lost column again. Today, we're looking back at the last four seasons, and next week, we'll examine some unsolved mysteries; this will bring us to the premiere the week after. So, without further ado, I welcome my readers back to another five months of geeky musings!
Season One
Rating: A
Most shows take at least a season to find their stride, but Lost hit the mark right from the start. This show has the best pilot episode I've EVER seen; it sets up many, many plots that are still going on today, and introduces us to a plane-load of great characters. This season wasn't as much about plot as it was about introducing us to the characters. This show has about fifteen main characters a season, and every one of them is a fully realized persona. The acting is pitch perfect, and the sub plots are all phenomenal, leading up to a simply terrific 90-minute finale. This season also has the second most heart breaking character death of the series, a death which separates the totally logical viewers from those who can look at Lost with something else; faith, the same kind of faith character John Locke has. Lost establishes itself very early on as a show where there will always be questions; a show where the characters, as well as the viewer, must make leaps of faith.
In the finale, the castaways open the "Hatch," the mystery that made us puzzled for all of season one. This leads to the next, great season.
Season Two
Rating: A-
While not as good as Season One, season two did firmly establish Lost as one of my favorite shows. It opens with the castaways exploring the mysterious Hatch. The season starts slow, but gains momentum, and the finale is one of my top five "Lost" episodes of all time. Really, this season provides few answers, but raises many questions. It is a set-up for Season Three, essentially. But all of it is great stuff, as the island is explored, we learn about the mysterious Dharma Initiative, and witness the wrath of the villainous (but are they?) "Others." The wheels really got rolling this season, and it introduced what might be my new favorite character on this show. A strange man named Henry Gale, who turns out to be Benjamin Linus, leader of the others. Except for a few bumps (including Ana-Lucia, the worst Lost character, and one of the worst TV characters, of all time), this is another great season.
Season Three
Rating: A
Seasons One and Two were good, but Season Three just blows everything else out of the water. From episode one, we start getting some good answers; of course, in Lost fashion, nothing is spelled out. You have to be a smart viewer to put this puzzle together. The first six episodes are a bit weak; but they serve to tell a story. The story of why the Others did all they did in the first two seasons, and it is quite a tale. After the first six, viewers were treated to a three month hiatus, after which Lost returned with sixteen all new episodes, and these are the best sixteen episodes of the series so far. There's hardly a bad one in the bunch, and that's a rarity on TV these days. The plots were all incredibly exciting and interesting, and the acting has never been better. It all leads up to a final four episode arc in which many new mysteries are raised, and it comes to a close with the best cliffhanger since Captain Jean-Luc Picard became a member of the Borg in season three of Star Trek TNG. Even when you know the outcome of this cliffhanger, the ending still sends chills down your spine.
Season Four:
Rating: A+
Holy cow. How do I even sum up season four? Of all the Lost seasons, it tells the most contained, circular story, opening with the introduction of the
Oceanic Six idea and ending with the explanation. The season traces two stories, essentially: in the present, on the island, the castaways split up over the intentions of the people that have come to rescue them; in the future, the
Oceanic Six all discover why leaving the island was a bad idea. This is truly the best season of television I've
ever seen, and it holds up just as well on repeated viewings. Every episode is great, with a few standout classics that will go down in TV history (
The Constant and the three-hour finale
There's No Place Like Home). The best part about season four is how well written it is; by the time the end rolls around, your mind will be blown by how much complex, creative thought went into writing such a roller-coaster of a saga. This season is better than some of the best films of 2008, proof that TV can be fun and make you think. But Lost doesn't just make you think; it makes you laugh, cry, scream, and move to the edge of your seat in anticipation. Season four epitomizes what makes this show so good, and it will be truly amazing if season five manages to reach the same heights.
Next Wednesday: Unsolved Lost Mysteries
1/21-Premiere review and analysis