How Deep Does the Rabbit Hole Go?
Image Credit: ABC Studios
Spoilers ahead (but you knew that already).
It says something when a serialized show that requires so much patience and commitment from its viewers has survived for six seasons in primetime on a major network. And it negotiated an end date ahead of time so it could end the show on its own terms. Aside from the show consistently melting off my face with awesomeness over the years, I can admire what it’s done for television shows. But Lost is not for everyone. Unless you made that commitment and were patient, Lost makes about as much sense to you as this. And for those ardent fans that have been there every step of the way, well, we're still not really sure what's going on. But that's part of the appeal.
More after the jump (click READ MORE below).
More after the jump (click READ MORE below).
Back in 2004, during Lost's first season, people would ask me "That new Lost show seems pretty popular. What's it about?" and I would intelligently explain how "it's about these people whose plane crashes on this island in the middle of the ocean. But these people are all connected somehow. Oh yeah, and the island is like, all weird, because there's this monster in the trees and polar bears running through the jungle and stuff. Ummm...yeah...it's really good." At which point the person who asked the question would say "That's sounds pretty dumb," and I would be forced to agree. Trying to defend Lost by explaining what's it about in a few sentences just makes it worse. It makes it sound like some rehashed episode of The Twilight Zone. As lame as it can sound when it's explained by someone else, Lost is a quality show. You just have to watch it to realize it.
"This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill - the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill - you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes."
- Morpheus, The Matrix
For those of us who are still taking that red pill, we are now halfway through the sixth and final season of Lost. Coming into the season, the general feeling from dedicated viewers was "I better get some answers or things are going to get ugly." The writers had to prove that they weren't just making it up as they went along, that there it was all part of a master plan. There are already complaints that the answers haven't been coming fast enough this year. I still think there's lots of time. I'm a man of faith.
Quick Hits on the episodes so far
Episode 1/2: LA X
-We've seen flashbacks. We've seen flashbacks. Now we've seen...flashsideways? This is a stroke of genius but only under one condition: there better be an amazing payoff.
-Trying to spot all the little differences between the sideways timeline and the original timeline is kind of fun.
-Charlie! Yeah!
-Holy crap! Desmond's on the plane!
-Did Juliet really need to survive just so we could have another agonizing death scene?
-Locke/Man in Black turns into the Smoke Monster, kills a bunch of people and returns to human form, prompting one of the best lines of the series: "I'm sorry you had to see me like that."
Episode 3: What Kate Does
-The weakest episode of the season.
-Tom Cruise's creepy cousin (Ethan) is a doctor!
-Introducing...Zombie Sayid!
Episode 4: The Substitute
-When Smokey/Locke yelled "don't tell me what I can't do!", did that mean some of the real Locke is creeping into his personality?
-In Smocke's secret cave, he takes a white stone off a scale, hurls it into the ocean, and gives us another great line when Sawyer asks him what that was all about: "Inside joke."
-Ben gives quite the eulogy. I had to agree with Frank. Weirdest. Funeral. Ever.
-The numbers are assigned to names of the characters. But what about Kate?
Episode 5: Lighthouse
-A Jack-centric episode with a “father-son” theme? No way!
-Jack has a son! Whoa. This sideways timeline has some significant differences.
-The mysterious appendix scar. When Jack raised an eyebrow, so did I.
-Dogen cameos in the sideways timeline. I enjoy the random minor island character’s appearances in these stories.
-Jacob sends Jack and Hurley on a mission in order to save them from “someone bad” coming to the temple. In other news, Jack is frustrated.
Episode 6: Sundown
-Theme of the episode: Sayid cannot escape the fact that he is a killer. He would feel right at home on torture-happy 24.
-Kevin Durand was definitely channelling some Christopher Walken with his little “I make good eggs” spiel.
-After Sayid gives Dogen the Baptism of Death in the jacuzzi, Smokey crashes the party and rudely kills everyone in sight. He was obviously not invited to very many parties in high school.
-The look on Smocke’s face when he says Kate join his band of merry followers was priceless.
-Speaking of priceless looks: Ben’s face after he tells Sayid there’s still time but Sayid says “Not for me”
Episode 7: Dr. Linus
-An episode dedicated to a recurring theme (maybe the theme of Lost): redemption.
-How awesome is Michael Emerson as Ben?
-Jack plays chicken with dynamite!
-Welcome to the party Mr. Widmore!
-Smocke: “What are you doing?” Ben: “I’m digging my own grave.”
-Ben’s desire to be wanted: “Because he’s the only one that will have me.”
Episode 8: Recon
-It’s about time we saw Sawyer again. Three straight episodes with him are too many.
-Sideways Sawyer kind of sucked at lying while Island Sawyer decided to turn the tables and tell everyone the truth.
-I wanted Sawyer’s date to be Juliet but I suspected it was Charlotte.
-Charlie’s brother at the police station was a nice touch. It took me a few seconds to place him.
-New question: What’s behind the locked door on Widmore’s Red October?
Episode 9: Ab Aeterno
-Finally, Richard Alpert’s story
-How awesome was Nestor Carbonell in this episode?
-A mythology heavy episode that shed some light on what the island is (a metaphorical cork)
-The touching scene at the end with Richard and his wife communicating through Hurley has to be one of the most memorable scenes in Lost’s history.
-Jacob granted Richard’s wish of “wanting to live forever”. Does this mean Richard can’t be killed? Is he invincible?
Half-Baked Theories
I’m no Jeff Jensen from Entertainment Weekly but in the Sundown episode, when Smocke told Sayid he could reunite him with a dead loved one, was he talking about the sideways timeline? Does he have the power to merge the two? Does he have to kill you to do it? Am I totally out to lunch?
My Biggest Questions That Remain Unanswered
-What was the deal with Walt?
-What is the fundamental relationship between Jacob and the Man in Black? How did they get to the island? What about Jacob being alive keeps the Man in Black from leaving?
After eight episodes, it did feel a bit like the show was a little behind schedule if it was going to wrap everything up on time but Ab Aeterno was the leap that got it back on track. I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited for the second half of a TV season.
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