Should I give Lost another shot?

Cafe Society
1

My best friend is really into Lost. A couple of years back, she gave me her season 1 box set so I could catch up and watch Season 2 with her. I got to Locke being able to walk and said no way.

For the next couple of years Lost was everywhere. I happened to catch Season 2(?)'s finale while having dinner at my sister’s house, and caught bits and pieces of other episodes here and there. The whole time I scoffed.

Then my roommates last year were really into the show, and would spend hours watching it in their room. Occasionally I would join them, annoying them by hinting that I knew what happened to such-and-such character. But I found I kinda liked it, despite having major issues with suspension of disbelief.

So when my ex-boyfriend caught a few episodes of Lost on the SciFi channel and decided to buy all the box sets, I watched them with him. But by the time we got halfway through Season 3, he had started watching episodes while I was at work. Despite me asking him not to, so we’d each be on the same page, he continued watching them without me so for most of Seasons 3 and 4 I was only catching episodes here and there.

And so I said to hell with it. I thought it was a stupid show in the beginning, I gave it a few shots, but I hate those shows where you have to watch each and every episode religiously to know what the hell’s going on.

But now I don’t have TV, and though I’m making good use of Hulu there’s not a lot on there I feel like watching. Should I give it one more shot, or is it completely ridiculous now?

2

I have watched sporadically with my roommates over the past few years, but probably caught 50% of the episodes last season, and just about all of them this season.

I think it’s a very mediocre show. The thing that’s ‘cool’ about it is the mystery related to plot. But, the writing is awful and some of the acting is horrendous (I cannot understand how John Locke has managed to secure such a regular and central role in this show. His acting has always been wooden and unbelievable, though a lot of that is the fault of the script/direction. He’s not the only one, though).

Basically, I cannot stand to watch a drama where people make choices and do things that are stupid/unbelievable/out-of-character in order to move the plot in a specific direction. Lost does this multiple times in almost every single episode I’ve seen.

Lost has all the quality and cohesion of a low-grade B movie. But how long can you watch the same B movie for before the charm wears off and you just want them to get to the goddamned point so you can turn it off and watch something else? That’s how I feel about Lost now. I’m sick of watching and listening to it; I just want to know how it ends.

3

If you didn’t like Walkabout – the Locke episode you mention – then I would say don’t bother. That’s in some ways a signature episode of the show, and what made many people fall in love with it.

4

I couldn’t do it. Halfway through season one, I was done.

5

They were stalling on proceeding with the story through the first three seasons, but ultimately I’d say that the quality has been fairly consistent. If you were enjoying the series well enough up until season 3, you should enjoy 4 and 5 equally well.

6

Friends don’t make other friends watch Lost. It’s really bad. My girlfriend loves it, and from bits and pieces she tells me, it gets worse and worse (to me). Of course, she loves it.

7

I say, give it up. One either gets Lost or doesn’t, one either follows it religiously or has too many other things to do. I don’t know why people come here trying to get talked into something.

8

…and I turn the PC over to her. G-d help me.

Mrs. Plant, here:

IMHO, if one is not willing to watch LOST from season 1, episode 1, straight through season 5 (which will have to be viewed on line or as a download, as they won’t be releasing the DVDs until December), then I say don’t watch it, don’t complain about it, and let those of us who enjoy the show to continue to do so without unrequested rhetoric. And I promise to do the same for whatever show you like. :slight_smile: But only you can determine whether or not you will like it.

9

Jesus, you’d think this was Trek or something…

10

So, where are you? Maybe we can go get a beer while it’s on.

11

I watched the first couple episodes, got bored with it and turned it off. Then I heard rumbles towards the middle of season two and watched it…confused. So, I dropped it again. A co-worked insisted I watch it when season 3 started up again, so, when I was home sick with strep throat, I started watching the show from the beginning and it began to grow on me. There was something about finally letting go and suspending belief and scrutiny and just enjoying the ride. Once I was able to do that, I’ve really grown to love the show.

It does have a bit more depth than most tv fare. There are literary and mythological references that they’ll beat you over the head with but it makes it work on another level.

One major complaint about Lost is that they were writing it out of their collective asses. After 5 seasons, and I’m now re-watching the whole series from the beginning, I’m seeing that the plot points have been set up years ago are finally coming to fruition.

That said, if you can turn off your brain for awhile and enjoy it, you may enjoy it on a deeper level later.

12

So, back to the first episode, why did the jet engine keep running after the crash? Folks got sucked up into it.

Christ, I hope Mrs. Plant doesn’t read this…

13

Well I just went to ABC and watched a couple of episodes of Season 4. I know I’ve missed some of Season 3, for instance Jacob’shouse, but I obviously have heard of it so maybe I’m not really missing much.

It was just so weird having caught episodes sporadically, then starting over and watching from the beginning because I knew what was going to happen to certain people.

I dunno. At this point I’m kind of just wishing they’d explain WTF they’re on about, but since there’s still one season left I guess I have to make a choice.

If it weren’t for lack of TV I’d probably not even consider it, but oh well. Here we go again.

14

Michigan. We can unite in our misery. At least I’ve got an Xbox in my Man Cave. She doesn’t want to talk during Lost, which is awesome, because there’s nothing Lost-related that she can say that interests me.

15

I have watched pretty much everything from the season finales of all the other television shows I taped on the DVR - except the last four episodes of Lost this season.
For some reason, I just can’t get myself psyched to watch them.
We had a similar thread where I said the show just seems to go off on wild ass tangents for no reason whatsoever…
Who knows…maybe I will eventually get around to seeing those last episodes before the new season begins. I don’t think I have ever felt suddenly so uninterested in a show that I once liked.

16

The title seems to refer to the plot of the show which is lost and obfuscated while being very repetitive with flashbacks. I wouldn’t waste time trying to watch anymore of it.

17

I’d break it down as such:

Season 1: Setting up the whole mystery. Lots of head scratching, but a very fun ride, especially as the story unfolded during original airing. No one knew what they were getting into with this show, so either it sparked your curiosity, or it left you bored and annoyed. Go check out some of the Dope threads of season 1 in Cafe Society. We were all about the mysteries, from very early on. Especially once the Numbers were introduced. Fantastic, if not frustrating, season finale.

Season 2: Setting up The Others, and the Dharma Initiative. On the whole, this is one of my favorite seasons, and when I was into it the most. I think my curiosity climaxed here. Overall, there was some pacing issues with the story, and some filler episodes, but the great shows of this season more than made up for it. This, for me, was the WTF?! season. (in a good way)

Season 3: IMO, was their roughest season. It meandered a lot, and the flashbacks were really tedious, and offered very little insight into the characters, or the bigger picture of the island, and the mythology. It had its moments, but the first half was sort of a pill. The show stalled here.

Season 4: After season 3, the creators and producers all realized they couldn’t tell the story properly without figuring out where the end was. So, they got their shit together, and decided there would be three more seasons, each season was to be only 16 episodes long (not 22), and would air episodes back-to-back, as viewership became frustrated with all the repeats sprinkled in. This helped get the show back on track (despite the writer’s strike interfering), and they fixed the flashbacks by introducing the twist they did in the premier. I think the flagship episode of this season would be The Constant. It really digs into the meat of where season 5 will take you, and is very well written, acted and directed. Strong emotions.

Season 5: One of the best, so far. We’re back into the meat of the mythology, the flashbacks are very relevant, some big performances and episodes, a lot of questions were answered, and the end is in sight, although still elusive…

18

I can’t say if the show is any good. I mean, I’ve seen every episode and I think the last season was terrific, but that doesn’t say anything - I’m too far down the rabbit hole to be objective.

19

I watched the first season and I can’t bring myself to watch any more.

20

Do it. Those may be the best eps yet.