Lost is back. Brain needs rest.
If you haven’t seen last night’s episode, there are plot spoilers below, folks.
Lost returned to RTÉ2 last night (which has now got the jump on Sky One by a week) and it revealed the value of the writers’ strike. Textually frustrated writers, with less episodes than they though they’d had, just couldn’t hold back. The Shape of Things To Come was a blast of violence, pathos, intrigue, daftness, time travel, revelation and bullets. The kind of episode fans at one point must have thought they’d never see.
It wasn’t perfect. The death of three red shirts was a little cheap. And Claire’s survival of a house-wrecking RPG was a mite ridiculous, even if was made look a little more convincing by Sawyer’s bullet-dodging run to help her. If picnic tables and picket fences acted as an effective barricade to bullets, maybe the Americans wouldn’t be in so much trouble in Iraq.
On which point, Ben wandering around Iraq as the only Yank not in a flak jacket was a plot stretch too far.
But that’s all a diversion, because if you want realism, you really shouldn’t be watching Lost. There were some startling moments. Ben awaking in the Sahara was a great shot. And the execution of his daughter Alex was a reminder of how willing the writers are to pull the trigger. But Michael Emerson’s reaction made it. Such hangdog devastation.
By the way, if you cared for those poor extras, slaughtered simply for the sake of getting things moving, then you can learn more about two of them here. Their names were Doug and Jerome, and they’d been hovering in the background since the start. God speed.
“Red Shirts”. I had previously been unaware of this expression. T’is a good un.
I enjoyed last night’s episode thoroughly, despite the faults that you pointed out.
Comment by Brock Landers | April 29, 2008 at 10:55 am“Red Shirts” came from the characters on Star Trek that were always killed off on away missions.
RTE have Lost a week earlier then Sky, but the US schedule of Lost is taking a one week break before the 2 hour finale. This means RTE will have to take the break as well, but Sky won’t. This leaves Sky having the finale a day before RTE.
Comment by Conor | April 29, 2008 at 11:39 amI thought it was an amazing episode. I really feel sorry for everyone who gave up on Lost in season 2 - it’s really hit its stride in this series. Having the end date in mind was the best thing that ever happened to it - after the genius move of introducing the whole flash-forward thing, of course. Michael Emerson should write his Emmy acceptance speech now.
Comment by Declan | April 29, 2008 at 12:24 pmWhat episode number was it Shane? Marooned here in South Africa with no cable TV and broadband too slow to download anything decent - it’s torture. Have to wait for the DVD to be released!
Comment by Lianne | April 29, 2008 at 12:40 pmLianne, it was series 4 episode 9: The Shape of Things To Come.
Comment by Shane | April 29, 2008 at 12:42 pmA great episode I felt. It was one of Brian K. Vaughan’s. Generally with the exception of the last episode before the break (Micheal centric) I’ve felt the standard this season has been really high.
The interesting points raised seem to be that Ben and Widmore seem to personally know each other, why can’t Ben kill Widmore and what were the previous rules?
On a side note, somebody once did an analysis of the deaths of Red Shirts on Star Trek and found that Red Shirts were less likely to die in episodes were Kirk had romantic liaisons
Comment by Mark | April 29, 2008 at 12:51 pmAlso thought it was great. Ran home, got in at 10 and sat in my coat watching it in case I’d miss anything. Well worth it.
Comment by Darragh | April 29, 2008 at 2:20 pmMy brother regularly tries arguing that heroes is better… don’t know why he talks such sh!te.
since the midway point of season 3(around the point the decided it was gonna end in 2010 i suppose), lost has went back to the quality of the first season and surpassed it imo, the most perfectly made convoluted trash on television.
also one of those shows I find are far better watching on television than just downloading in advance.
Comment by B | April 29, 2008 at 6:47 pmI lost interest in Heroes once they saved the Cheerleader. Where was it going to go after that? Who cares? Not me anyway.
Comment by Brock Landers | April 30, 2008 at 10:05 amB - I agree about watching it when it’s scheduled. I like a bit of diary-clearing television every now and again.
Brock - That was Heroes’ strength, and its weakness. It wrapped things up neatly after series one, meaning that you could take or leave series two.
Comment by Shane | April 30, 2008 at 10:10 amBrock/Shane, Heroes seems a bit like the Matrix really, they intended the first part to simply set the scene for the larger storyline and people who could fly and so on. and then once we knew and they knew what they could do, we weren’t so interested. The joy of discovery.
I’m guessing Charles Widmore is immortal and perhaps from the Black Pearl? Time spent on the island may make one immortal or just impervious to harm? cos people seem to heal real quick there. And am I right in that Ben turned up in the same place where the Polar bear did? where can I get that telescopic truncheon that Ben has?
Comment by Dan Sullivan | April 30, 2008 at 1:13 pmDan, you’ll get them here: http://esp-products.czechtrade.us/hardened-telescopic-truncheons
Comment by Shane | April 30, 2008 at 1:16 pmBelieve it not, I had found that site www.expandablebatons.eu myself! I suspect Ben’s weapon to be variation of the EXB-21HE - with the ergonomic handle. Also, do you notice the vaguely similar logo to that group opposed to the Lisboa Treaty?
Comment by Dan Sullivan | April 30, 2008 at 2:10 pmEh, Dan (#11): Black Pearl is the ship from Pirates Of The Caribbean.
Comment by Conor | April 30, 2008 at 2:22 pmHeroes also burnt through practically every good superpower in season 1, mostly on Sylar.
Comment by B'dum B'dum | April 30, 2008 at 2:25 pmI got mixed up there I meant the Black Rock ship, I could have over nerded it all by thinking it was the Max Shea penned Black Freighter. Anyway, I meant he was terrible old.
Comment by Dan Sullivan | April 30, 2008 at 5:32 pmDan- Regarding your comment about the joy of discovery, check out this earlier post from Shane where Lost’s creator discusses his thinking: http://www.ireland.com/blogs/presenttense/2008/03/07/something-for-the-weekend-jj-abrams-mystery-box/
Comment by Brock Landers | May 1, 2008 at 3:06 pmI had read that TED piece and subsumed it into my being. I wasn’t seeking to imply any originality on my part. There’s nowt original under the sun. Apart from my tale of the time my dog sautéed my homework.
Comment by Dan Sullivan | May 1, 2008 at 4:59 pmLost is one of those shows where I never miss an episode but in hindsight would have preferred to wait for the box-sets
Comment by Niall Devitt | May 10, 2008 at 12:28 pm