Lost Season 1 ongoing thread (merged) (1 Viewer)

[Lou Sytsma]

Yeah Dave, I made the same observation in real time in that thread. Can't wait for Season three to start.

 

[Dave Mack]

I gotta say that while everyone is good, Terry O'Quinn continues to astonish me with his acting chops. I've always know he was good in the other roles I've seen him in but here he really gets to stretch. He is so different playing Locke in the flashbacks that it's almost like watching a different person.

 

[TonyD]

oops

 

[Ockeghem]

During dinner tonight, we watched The Other 48 Days and Collision. Then, with a little egging on from our oldest girl (she's 15 1/2), we started watching Lost from the very beginning tonight. We watched Pilot (the two-part opener). Even though we have the fourth and fifth seasons on the way, we still have a ton of Andromeda to complete before we can get to the fourth season of Lost. We thought it would be great to catch up on the first three seasons. Some episodes we've seen twice, but many we've only seen once. By the time we're done with the first three seasons, we should be done with Andromeda, as we'll be watching an episode from both series most nights. Then it's on to the fourth season of Lost.

 

[TravisR]

Originally Posted by Ockeghem

I truly am amazed at the writing and thought that went into this series. Tonight, we were seeing varying camera angles for scenes that had occurred twice (and in some cases three times) already, yet now we were viewing them from the perspective of other crew members. What I find interesting is thinking about whether 1) alternate angles were filmed initially simultaneously (in which case a lot of planning ahead would have had to have taken place); or 2) whether they were refilmed at a somewhat later date. I'm guessing the former occurred, but I really don't know for certain.

For Walkabout, they recreated the crash for a few shots (like Locke laying on the ground looking at his foot and then him standing up and running off to help Jack).

More than 100 episodes later, I still think Walkabout is the best episode of alot of great work.

 

[Ockeghem]

We watched episodes no. 3 and no. 4 tonight (Tabula Rasa and Walkabout). A couple of our youngest children (the ten-year old and eight-year old mostly) told us that they wanted also to watch the series with us this time around. They mentioned that they missed so much of the second and third seasons our first time through, that they felt 'lost' [ ] whenever they would sporadically watch an episode with us.
I truly am amazed at the writing and thought that went into this series. Tonight, we were seeing varying camera angles for scenes that had occurred twice (and in some cases three times) already, yet now we were viewing them from the perspective of other crew members. What I find interesting is thinking about whether 1) alternate angles were filmed initially simultaneously (in which case a lot of planning ahead would have had to have taken place); or 2) whether they were refilmed at a somewhat later date. I'm guessing the former occurred, but I really don't know for certain.

 

[Ockeghem]

Originally Posted by TravisR



For Walkabout, they recreated the crash for a few shots (like Locke laying on the ground looking at his foot and then him standing up and running off to help Jack).

More than 100 episodes later, I still think Walkabout is the best episode of alot of great work.

Travis,

That's cool what they did with their recreations. Has that kind of thing been done before for a television series?

I agree regarding Walkabout. Locke is such a strong character, with quite a bit of range.

Tidbit: It's kind of neat how the "Lost" intro. (the white lettering) occurs at the very beginning of the series, yet after Pilot, occurs after the recap. I don't know if this is consistent after Pilot, but I'm guessing that it is.

 

[Josh Dial]

Originally Posted by Ockeghem




Travis,

That's cool what they did with their recreations. Has that kind of thing been done before for a television series?

I agree regarding Walkabout. Locke is such a strong character, with quite a bit of range.

Tidbit: It's kind of neat how the "Lost" intro. (the white lettering) occurs at the very beginning of the series, yet after Pilot, occurs after the recap. I don't know if this is consistent after Pilot, but I'm guessing that it is.

Actually, it occurs after the cold open.

It goes re-cap -> cold open -> logo -> commerical -> rest of episode

While "Walkabout" is a great episode, I think that "The Constant" is the best of the series so far (I know this is the season one thread--but you'll see when you get there ).

 

[TravisR]

Originally Posted by Ockeghem

That's cool what they did with their recreations. Has that kind of thing been done before for a television series?

Not that I can think of but I also can't think of another show where they'd have the need to recreate a scene as big as that.

They also recreated the crash again for an episode in S3 using newly shot stuff and unused footage from the pilot episode.

 

[Ockeghem]

Originally Posted by Josh Dial




Actually, it occurs after the cold open.

It goes re-cap -> cold open -> logo -> commerical -> rest of episode

While "Walkabout" is a great episode, I think that "The Constant" is the best of the series so far (I know this is the season one thread--but you'll see when you get there ).

Josh,

"It goes re-cap -> cold open -> logo -> commerical -> rest of episode."

Yes, that's right. Still, kind of neat how we see "Lost" at the very beginning of Pilot -- I wasn't expecting that, having seen it the way you describe it here in every other episode.

 

[Ockeghem]

Last night, we watched White Rabbit, House Of the Rising Sun, and Moth. The first was a Jack flashback, the second a Sun flashback, and the third, a Charlie flashback. It's always cool to see references to The Animals and the Beatles in one and the same episode. I also found it interesting that Charlie was apparently shown beginning and ending his drug habit in the same episode.

In White Rabbit, Charlie begins to think about kicking his drug habit. I think this was brought on by two things: the fact that he knew he was running out of heroin, and Locke's mentor-like influence. I really must say that I love the 'great white hunter' ugobs. This is also the episode in which Jack is urged by a couple of people to get some sleep. He seems to see his father on the island (flashback sequences with Veronica Hamel in this one); he relives many of the events that had him eventually boarding that fateful flight. Boone is also rescued in this one (by Jack) as a non-regular (Joanne) drowns at sea, and Claire faints and is in dire need of water--something that is now in very short supply. The suspicions over who stole the water are also part of the episode's major focus.

In House of the Rising Sun (love the dual-meaning of that title, BTW), Michael is beaten by Jin--not an easy scene for me to swallow, BTW. This is the episode where the caves are discovered. The survivors must decide if they are going to move into the forest or stay on the beach. Water is found as well in this one, and Locke learns that Charlie is a druggie. The attack on Michael by Jin has a surprising twist; I only suspected that Sun could speak English because she originally auditioned for the part of Kate.

In The Moth, the flashbacks (and continued storyline of Charlie's drug habit) were for me riveting. I could relate in some big ways to what he was going through. I loved the change his older brother had gone through (used to use drugs and has now settled down with a family). This reversal (he used to be a drug user, while Charlie was not) was a wonderful surprise. And when Locke offered Charlie his drugs back--after the latter having asked for a third time--I guess correctly what Charlie was going to do. Jack is also buried in a rock pile in this episode, and Charlie comes to the rescue, now believing more in himself because of Jack's confidence in him, and because of his starting to come to grips with his drug habit. The episode closes with the triangulation (flares) being successful (thank you, Shannon); however, Sayid is clubbed on the head, and no one knows who did it (at least in this episode). Sayid will eventually interrogate people about this incident.

Some semi-technical musical aspects:

The cello work during Sun's flashback sequences was gorgeous. And the haunting theme which begins in the strings and eventually is played on the piano makes its first appearance in these episodes. This is the one that is in B-flat, and then moves to the iii triad (D minor), and then to the IV triad (E-flat major) with the appoggiatura 9th before residing on I6 (that's supposed to be the symbol for a first-inversion, but I can't seem to get the superscript '6' to work) before returning to IV. Anyway, B-flat major never sounded so melancholy as it does in this segment. This theme will return in several episodes, and is often used during sequences where there is very little (or no) dialogue, and at times when characters are moving in slow-motion so as to allow the viewer to focus in on several of the fourteen regulars. It has also been used during various 'reuniting' sequences employed throughout the first three seasons. It's a very impressive technique, and resonates very strongly with me both visually and aurally.

Here is something I used to post when I watched the first three seasons a few years ago. It's close to updated through three seasons, but I'm sure I have left some out along the way.

Nicknames list (all names are given by Sawyer unless otherwise noted).

Sheena, Underdog, Lollipop, Sally Slingshot = Alex
Ponce de Leon, Rambina, Cupcake, Ana Lulu, Hot Lips, Xena, Little Red Riding Hood, Lucy, Muchacha, A.L. (from Big Mike) Norma Rae (from Bernard) = Ana-Lucia
Bonehead (from Shannon), Captain America (from Shannon) = Boone
Chachi, Bobby (Brady) = Carl
Missy Claire, Cute Blonde (from Hurley), Mama Sia (Sawyer) = Claire
Turniphead = Aaron (Claire's baby)
Dimples = (Sawyer's girlfriend Cassidy)
VH1-has been, Tatoo, Babynapper = Charlie
French chick = Danielle Rousseau
Chinatown, Broken-nosed man, Blockhead = Danny.
Desmondo (from Kelvin), Desi (from Charlie), Des (from Penny) = Desmond
George, Dr. Bunnykiller = Henry/Ben Limus.
Lardo, Porkpie, Stay Puff, Pillsbury, Hoss, Jabba, Jethro, Barbar, Mongo, Deep Dish, Rerun = Hurley; Chuckleheads (from Starla) = Hurley and Hurley's friend; Huggy Bear (from Hurley's friend); Mutton Chops, Avalanche, Grimace = Hurley
Great Hero, Hoss, Metro, Jacko, Dr. Do-Right, Amarillo Slim, Cool Hand, Dr. Giggles, Doc, Mr. Ha Ha (from Hurley), Daniel Boone = Jack
Mr. Miyagi, Kato, Sulu, Bruce, Papa Sun, Couching Tiger = Jin
Sweetheart, Freckles, Cupcake, Mighty Huntress, Pudding, Sasafras, Pippi Longstocking, Sweet Cheeks, Princess (from Arzt), Sheena, Thelma, Shortcake, Magellan = Kate
Moonbeam = Libby
Daniel Boone, Mr. Clean, Great Warrior, Great White Hunter, Boxman (from Desmond), Hoss, Brutus, I've Got a Crutch = Locke
Johnny Fever (from Hurley) = Martial
Han, Hoss, Great Ape, Chief = Michael
Shaft, Mr. Ed = Mr. Eco
Mergatroid = Munson
Zorro = Paulo
Tex (from pool hall guy), James Ford, Chewy (from Jin), Daddy-O, Cowboy (from Ana-Lucia), Big Bad Wolf, Father knows best (from Sawyer), Hillbilly (from Paulo) = Sawyer
Goo-goo Ga-ga = Sawyer's daughter
Chief, Abdul, Captain Falafel, Omar, Mohammed, Chico, Ali, El Jezeera, Red Beret, Captain Arab, Abdul (from interrogator) = Sayid
Sticks, Sweet Cheeks, Princess (from Boone) = Shannon
Sunshine, Tokyo Rose, Betty, Hidden Dragon = Sun
Zeke = Tom (leader of the 'Others')
Tatoo, Chewy, Short-Round, Kazoo = Walt

 

[Ockeghem]

Tonight, we watched Confidence Man and Solitary. Watching two episodes brought us right up to the Super Bowl kickoff.

In Confidence Man, Shannon has a bad asthma attack. Her inhalers have been stolen, and both Jack and Sayid assume (wrongfully, it turns out--I got this one right) that Sawyer took them. Sawyer is brutally tortured by Jack and Sayid (mostly by Sayid); he says he will divulge the whereabouts of Shannon's inhalers only to Kate. He gets his long-awaited kiss from Kate (in exchange for information on the whereabouts of the inhaler); when he is finished kissing, he gets a nice, crisp face slap from her when she realizes that he doesn't have the inhalers. Jack eventually convinces Shannon that her attacks, while real, are also partly psychological. Believing him, she steadies her breathing and makes a full recovery. The twist near the end of this one--that Sawyer is not really Sawyer--was almost as awesome for me as what Locke discovered about himself after the crash. My wife was very intrigued by this news regarding Sawyer.

Solitary was a rather interesting episode. The imprisonment of Sayid by the French woman, and (esp.) the interrogations toward the female prisoner while Sayid was in the Republican Guard, were quite intense in parts. I thought Sayid's feelings for Nadja (Nadia?) helped to drive this one forward. I loved how he planned for his prisoner to escape, how it backfired, and how he eventually solved this having backfired on him. And again, we have nicely-paralleled segments--the interrogation of Sayid by the French woman, Sayid's interrogation of Nadia, and Hurley's interrogation (of sorts--the word is used by another of the survivors) of each of the crash victims in order to prepare a working manifest. It's neat how we will eventually learn that Ethan Rom wasn't on this manifest....

I also loved the golf course being created--LOL. This was Hurley's idea. It was a riot to hear everyone--including Sawyer--weigh in on whether Jack was going to sink that putt.
The French woman (Danielle Rousseau), as I understand it, has been on the island for at least sixteen years. She too has mentioned the others (although I think I will need to amend that to read "The Others" after a time).

 

[Ockeghem]

Tonight, we watched Raised By Another (and not Raised By An Other , All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues, and Whatever the Case May Be.

Raised By Another--

I found Emilie de Ravin's acting to be quite good in this one. It's nice to see her expand her range a bit. I recently saw a film she was in, and while she was agitated in that film, I thought her acting in this episode was far superior, what with a range of emotions being portrayed. I also liked the different make-ups used on her in this one--very fitting for each of the scenes she was in. I turned to my wife during the part where Thomas gives her the inevitable news (yes, I wanted to slap him silly) and remarked how I could not understand any guy doing that to a woman.

The bit about the psychic (apparently) making up the secondary story--that was awesome. These are the kinds of surprises that make me look forward to each and every new episode.

All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues--

I saw the special features for this one before I saw the episode. So, Charlie's predicament wasn't as intense for me, although I still liked it. What I did not see (thankfully) in the special features was just how long Charlie was out before a desperate Jack continued to try to save him. This segment was paralleled very well with the segment on Jack's father giving up on the girl in the operating room. Nice.

BTW, speaking of special features, I caught something very interesting yesterday. Damon Lindelof, when describing some of the effects used, used the term 'glom' as he moved his hands downward in a snatching sort of way. This was, IMO, a reference to the glommers in More Tribbles, More Troubles. We also have Ethan Rom, and the segment where Boone mentions the 'red shirts' in Trek to Locke was certainly a tip of the hat, and perhaps even more so since Terry O'Quinn was in an episode of TNG. Both Star Trek and Star Wars are mentioned in the special features two or three times.

Addendum: We just rewatched Raised By Another and All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues again. Poignant segments included the backgammon game between Hurley and Walt.

I love it when Walt keeps blowing on the dice container until Hurley loses his patience--LOL. And, when Walt mentions his *other* father, Hurley stops for about ten seconds, and the game isn't all that important any longer. Another excellent moment.

I also thought that Charlie's caring for Claire was awesome. He shows such compassion and endearment toward her. He even told her that he kicked his drug habit (she didn't know he had a habit before this).

The scene in ATBCHDI where Charlie is finally revived by Jack is the second such scene to bring a tear to my eye. It was very well done. Incidentally, Charlie hung in that harness for 4-5 hours, according to the special features. And he was praised by a guy that had done more than thirty 'hanging' scenes throughout his career.

Sawyer sure has some really neat lines. I thought it great when he gave the manifest to Hurley. Hurley assumes some things about Sawyer, and Sawyer just shakes his head.... And with Sayid, Sawyer tells him that he kept his fires burning for him. Well done. This time, it was Sawyer who threw out the olive branch.

I love Locke. He is wise, and he speaks (and remains silent) when he should. He rarely has a wasted word whenever he talks. His methods are at times unusual, but he gets his points across (and is a wonderful teacher) when all is said and done.

Whatever the Case May Be--

Jack, Kate and Sawyer fight over possession of a newly discovered locked metal briefcase which might contain insights into Kate's mysterious past. Meanwhile, Sayid asks a reluctant Shannon to translate notes he took from the French woman, a rising tide threatens to engulf the fuselage and the entire beach encampment, and Rose and a grieving Charlie tentatively bond over Claire's baffling disappearance.

 

[Ockeghem]

We watched another three episodes tonight. Just like our first time through these early seasons, we can't seem to get enough of it.

I've provided the brief synopses (see link) and then added my thoughts after this.

Synopses are from http://www.lost-tv.com/episodes/season01.html

Hearts and Minds--

When Locke learns that Boone wants to tell their "secret" to Shannon, Shannon's life is placed in sudden peril, and the shocking truth about her past with Boone is revealed. Meanwhile, Kate is puzzled by Sun's mysterious behavior, and a hungry Hurley must repay a debt to Jin.

This episode made me a bit queasy (probably for obvious reasons). The Boone and Shannon relationship was unexpected; but I kind of see how it could work given their non-blood relationship. It also explains why Boone keeps such a watchful eye on Shannon.

The special features for this episode (not the episode commentary, which I have yet to listen to, but the last disc) are very, very funny. Shannon (Maggie Grace) really loved the make-up on her in this one (much blood, torn flesh, etc.). And she also commented on how much she loved doing her own stunts. There is also one segment that had Maggie playing a trick on Ian--and everyone on the set knew about it but him--very funny.

Special--

Violence ensues and a mysterious island beast makes a re-appearance when Michael and Locke clash over Walt's upbringing. Meanwhile, Charlie is tempted to read the missing Claire's diary, and Sayid enlists Shannon to help decipher the French woman's map.

This backstory was quite hard for me to take. Thankfully, it had a happy ending (with the exception of the death of Walt's mother). I think that Michael is finally going to accept Locke and Walt's relationship--at least I got that impression after Locke helped save Walt's life from the second polar bear. (BTW, the special features on this segment were very revealing. It's neat seeing how they did the bear without CGI.) I hated seeing the comic book thrown into the fire, but this act is made up for somewhat (by Michael) when he eventually shows Walt all of the letters he had written to his son over a nine-year period, some of which included excellent art work drawn by Michael.

Homecoming--

After the missing Claire returns with no recollection of what has happened since before the doomed flight of Oceanic 815, Jack and Locke formulate a plan of defense against her kidnapper, the mysterious Ethan, who threatens to kill off the other survivors unless Claire is returned to him.

This was an awesome episode. I love Charlie and Claire, and I love them together. Sure, Charlie having read her diary is a bit odd, but I think it ends up being for a very good cause. It was very nice seeing what Claire--short on words for Charlie at times--really thought about Charlie.

The way they trapped Ethan was quite ingenious. But I will admit, that after having seen Kate's flashbacks at the bank, I thought it was she that pumped Ethan full of bullets. That was an awesome twist, and one that I had not expected. Maybe I should have seen it coming, but I did not. Now Charlie has to live with this for the rest of his life (or so Sayid says in Outlaws).

 

[Ockeghem]

We watched "Outlaws," "In Translation," and "Numbers" last night. I thought "Outlaws" was one of the very best episodes to date.



"Outlaws" --


There is an intriguing scene between Kate and Sawyer. They play the game of "I never,' with some very interesting results. One person would start off by saying "I have never been to the moon," and then that person would wait for the other person to respond to the same question. (They also had little bottles of alcohol that they salvaged from the plane, and this made the game more interesting.) If the second person had not been to the moon either, then they would move on to the next question. It's mostly a game of truth, except that if someone were to say "I have never killed a man," and the other person didn't respond (and instead) took a drink of alcohol, then that would be an admission that they had killed someone. One of the more interesting points in the game last night is that both Sawyer and Kate admitted to having killed at least one person before. Sawyer also admitted to having worn pink in his life, but that's another story.



There was also a wonderful scene where Sawyer is trying to get away from a boar. This boar has already ransacked his tent (and no one else's); this prompts Sawyer to believe that this boar is singling him out somehow. Near the end of the episode, Sawyer has a clean shot at killing the boar, but (with Kate looking onward very penetratingly), he decides not to do it. IMO this is somewhat of an analog to Sawyer's having killed a man earlier in his life (turns out he thinks it is the real Sawyer, although it is not), and he has, it seems, learned his lesson.



The episode also reveals that Sawyer meets Jack's father in a bar, although he does not know it is Jack's father at the time. This is another example whereby this show is making all kinds of very intriguing connections--some of which you don't find out about for several episodes. I really loved the reference at the end of the episode--the one where Sawyer and Jack talk about the Red Sox not winning the World Series again. Now, it would seem that Sawyer has something on Jack. If only Jack's father could have mustered the guts to tell Jack what he thought about him (his pride, etc.) instead of Sawyer.



I'm also happy to have found out that Sawyer wrote his mystery letter, and that he is really not Sawyer. That letter--or rather, Kate's insistence on discussing its contents--is also the reason why Sawyer actually got angry at Kate. Kate really does know how to get to him.


"In Translation" --


This episode saw Michael's raft burned, and Jin was the suspect. I felt badly for him, as I had this strong feeling in my gut that he did not do it. But Sawyer and (understandably, I guess) Michael really blamed Jin, and gave him some licks as a result. This was also the episode in which Sun reveals to everyone that she can speak English. I'm really happy she did this. It stopped the fight, but unfortunately, it divided she and her husband.

　

I like the blossoming romance between Shannon and Sayid. In my experience, it is a bit uncommon for television (nationality-wise); I think that's why it's attractive to me. And once again, Locke has a wonderful lesson--this time for Shannon -- to share and use to teach others. Shannon will eventually use Locke's words verbatim later when she tells Sayid she'd like to get a new lease on life (i.e., start her life over now that she is stranded on this island).



BTW, remember the flashback scene where Jin has to deliver a message (from Sun's father) to his associate? My family is convinced that the little Asian girl--the daughter of the man who will eventually be beaten--was watching an episode of "Lost," or at the very least, that Hurley was on that screen, perhaps being interviewed after having won the lottery.


"Numbers" --



This was the Hurley flashback episode. Hurley a multi-millionaire? Amazing. And I almost fell over when I learned that he owns the box company (among several others) that Locke was working at before the crash. I just love those connections.



The first thing I thought of when I saw those six numbers was the lottery. But the bad luck that ensues is incredible--from the death of Hurley's grandfather, to his mother twisting her ankle, to the new home Hurley bought for his mother catching fire, to the woman losing her leg in the accident (and eventually her husband due to more mysteries regarding those numbers, etc.). I thought the numbers would have to do with the hatch as well, but only because I'm finding that the recaps often show something very relevant to the particular episode that is being watched at that moment. (And we do get to see the numbers at the entrance to the hatch at the conclusion of the episode.)



The part I found quite poignant tonight was what Locke did in conjunction with Claire. She (de Ravin) is so sweet in this series thus far. I believe that she is the soul or heart of the group in many ways. Anyway, both of them were working on a project the entire episode. Locke asks Claire how her pregnancy is going, and if she's named the baby yet. She hasn't thought about it yet. So she continues helping Locke with whatever it is they are doing (at one point she asks him if he is building an animal trap). Near the end of the project, she humbly tells him that it's her birthday today. He asks her why she hasn't told anyone. She says it's because she's nine months pregnant, amongst strangers, and completely lost in the middle of nowhere. When she's finished, Locke turns the project right side up, and wishes her a happy birthday -- it's a cradle for the soon-to-be-born baby. Locke is a man after my own heart, at least at this point in the series.

 

[Ockeghem]

We watched two episodes tonight: Deus Ex Machina and Do No Harm.

Deus Ex Machina was an interesting episode. This is the one where Locke's paralysis seems to be coming back, at least somewhat. It leads to Boone investigating the small plane that Locke says he saw in a dream, but which actually exists in reality on the island. Since Locke cannot walk very well at the moment, Boone investigates. Eventually Boone's weight is too much for the precariously propped plane, and he comes crashing down the cliff inside of this small plane, and sustains serious injuries.

The episode also highlights Sawyer having severe headaches, and Jack--reluctantly at first--says Sawyer needs glasses. Sawyer eventually wears them, despite some gentle ribbing from Kate and others.

We also find out about a corpse--one that comes with a flashlight, gun, and a few other surprises. Interestingly, Locke says this corpse is the remains of a Nigerian priest. Could this be a foreshadowing somehow of Mr. Eko?

Do No Harm was the saddest episode thus far for me. That is to be expected, since a 'regular' dies in it. I don't know why Locke didn't come out and tell the truth, but I think it has more to do with Abrams wanting to drive a division between Jack and Locke (although I don't understand why at this point).

The other story has Claire going into labor, and Kate has to deliver the baby, since Jack is very preoccupied with attempting to help Boone recover from his injuries. Shannon and Sayid are starting to heat up a bit, and they are kissing at the moment that we find out the Boone does not survive.

Emilie de Ravin played the part of a woman going into labor and giving birth quite well. She got coaching from two of her older sisters, whom have gone through it. I don't know if that helped, but she conveyed it rather well on screen. There is a really neat segment in this episode near the end which lasts 2-3 minutes. The audio (dialogue) track is cut out, and is replaced by a musical interlude (the one in B-flat major that I spoke of above, this time employing a slower tempo and as a result a protracted piano part) of sorts which accompanies 1) the impending death of Boone; 2) Claire's abundant joy at holding her little boy in her arms; and 3) Shannon finding out what happened to Boone. It's a very poignant moment in the series, and was handled very well. The 'A' theme does not occur -- appropriately enough -- until we see Shannon. It reminded me of the similar segment in Tabula Rasa, where we hear J. Purdy's Wash Away accompanying scenes of reconciliation amongst several of the castaways. But this segment had far more emotional impact, what with death (Boone), life (Claire's newborn), and grief (Shannon) juxtaposed as they were.

 

[Ockeghem]

Has anyone ever thought that Sawyer gives these names to people because he doesn't have an identity of his own (other than James)? Just a thought.

Born to Run revealed a few more neat things. We learn that Sun doesn't want her husband to be on the raft (I'm thinking that she is hoping instead for reconciliation). So, she enlists the help of Kate to add a little poison to his drinking water. Unfortunately (for Sun), the bottles get mixed up and Michael ends up being poisoned.

The backstory for Kate was again intense. We get to see the man she loved, and whom she sees killed in the car that she is driving.

One of the more eerie segments had Walt touching Locke's arm and telling him that the Hatch must not be opened. Walt doesn't even know about the hatch, and yet he somehow has this revelation. I believe that it hearkens back to Special.

I thought the segment where Locke donates a kidney to his father was quite intense. The subterfuge of his father (and how he used Locke's mother as well) to get what he wanted was cruel. It does explain a little bit why Locke (IMO) shuts down on occasion. I cannot imagine being that dishonest with any of my children. But it makes for excellent story writing.

Exodus (pts. 1 and 2) was the season one closer. We learn about the 'Others' in this one (from Danielle Rousseau). She seemed very distressed, and eventually kidnaps Claire's baby. A couple of the survivors go after the French woman, and Charlie is able to return Aaron to his mother. If I understood the story line correctly, Rousseau wanted to exchange Claire's baby for the one she (Rousseau) had taken from her years ago.

One of the other story lines had Michael and Jin getting the raft ready for launching. Even though it's a nifty looking raft (and very well constructed), I'd just as soon keep foot on solid ground and take my chances there.

The extended closing episode (Exodus, pt. 2) concentrated on the raft crew and the attempt by the other survivors to open the hatch. They eventually succeed, but not without the loss of life. Arzt, the High School science teacher (and a very annoying character) is killed when an unstable stick of TNT goes off when he is holding it. There are two funny lines later in the episode, both spoken by Hurley. One has to do with some of Arzt's remains landing on Jack; and the other has to do with Hurley walking with a stick of dynamite in one hand, and a fully-lit (and rather huge) torch in the other. The blooper reel had this segment on it as well.

I thought that firing the flare was a good idea. I am puzzled why Walt was kidnapped, however. I can't seem to figure that out. In any event, Season Two promises to be quite interesting, at least to this viewer.

I have many more comments about Exodus, but I'd like to hear if others remember this episode, and if so, what they liked about it.

 

[TravisR]

Originally Posted by Ockeghem

I have many more comments about Exodus, but I'd like to hear if others remember this episode, and if so, what they liked about it.

Exodus (Part One) has a scene that I think is a series highlight when they set sail on the raft and Giachinno's score swells and Vincent starts to swim out to Walt. I'm not even remotely a dog lover and I find that scene to be very emotional.

 

[Ockeghem]

Originally Posted by TravisR



Exodus (Part One) has a scene that I think is a series highlight when they set sail on the raft and Giachinno's score swells and Vincent starts to swim out to Walt. I'm not even remotely a dog lover and I find that scene to be very emotional.

Travis,

Precisely! I know exactly what part (musically) you are speaking of here. It is very moving, and the orchestration truly is gorgeous. 'Swelling' is an appropriate term to use, I think, to describe that scene. I also appreciate the camera work during that scene -- it moves quite high (above the boat) and off of the shore a few times.

 

[Holadem]

Big fan of that scene as well. And also, I might have stumbled upon it (or maybe in a preview) even before I started watching the series, and it caught my attention then as well.

Also, I think Exodus features a montage on them getting on the plane. A favorite as well.

Oh and the creepy theme at the end of pt1 as the camera pans up to the ominous black smoke in the background.

LOST season finales have their own formula. They often involve getting some large group of people from one point to the other, in time for something... which depends on some other group of people succeeding in doing something else. But they never get old.

Ockeghem, is this your first time watching LOST?

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H