Lost : Les Disparus

LOST transcended TV Drama writing and encapsulated theme theroy when it burst onto the scene in 2004. That's 14 freakin years ago, and the show still holds up. Seriously. Jack, Kate, Saywer, Hugo, Locke, Sayid and yes, even Benjamin Linus' story lined were crafted in a manner few, in any have since. My then-16 year old Son said it was the best written show of its time, and now that he's 30, and a writer himself, maintains that commitment to this day: all the other show follow in the shadows of LOST

Unless you live under a rock, you've probably heard of the hit show LOST. You've seen the previews, read the 5-star reviews, and heard the conversations about it at the water-cooler. If you haven't started watching it yet, you might wonder if you should start watching. Well, let's put it this way.

If you like shows with action, you will like LOST.

If you like shows with complex characters and interactions, you will like LOST.

If you like shows with drama, mystery, and suspense, you will like LOST.

If you like shows with humor, you will like LOST.

If you like shows where you can watch an episode twice and view it in an entirely different way, you will like LOST.

If you like shows where each and every scene has a meaning... Get the picture?

Quite simply, if you have ever liked a TV show at all, you will be hooked.

LOST is a show about a plane crash on a mysterious island. 48 people survive, but the show centers around 14, all with secrets. At first, there is confusion. But as the show goes on, friendships develop, and we learn that there is more to the island than what it seems...

The characters are fantastic--don't pay any attention to those who say the cast is so diverse it is clichéd, those are probably the same people who would have criticized it if it was all white.

In short, watch. You will be hooked, unless you're one of those nitpicky people who have a hernia if every single detail in the very first episode isn't exactly correct. Otherwise, I must ask the question... Why aren't you watching?

10/10

The first season of Lost was one of the most exciting and intriguing TV experiences I can remember. By the third season I was starting to realise that maybe I'd never get any answers and maybe I wasn't supposed to. Maybe they were just making it up as they went along? By then I was in too deep and needed to see it to it's conclusion. And that conclusion was more disappointing than I could have ever expected. Lost is like hard drugs- at first it gets you high and wanting more. With each episode the hit becomes less intense and the need for another increases. Eventually you are just broken and unwell.

At first blush, "Lost" seems like an impossible concept: a bunch of people stranded on a mysterious island. How many story lines can you POSSIBLY take from that before the idea's been sapped completely dry?

It's a legitimate concern, but in the case of "Lost," totally unwarranted. "Lost," unlike many shows today where the plot drives the characters, is in fact the opposite: the characters drive the plot. This isn't "CSI" or "Law and Order," where each week is a variation on the same theme. On "Lost," you have a group of fascinatingly different, tragically flawed characters who must somehow learn to survive together, while at the same time trying to keep their secrets hidden. That's a method for disaster. After living together for a long time, the characters are going to find out it's impossible to keep their pasts a secret.

Yes, there's a monster on the island. Yes, there are mysterious happenings.

Yes, a sense of dread often hangs thick in the air. But to me, the exterior problems presented by the island itself are NOTHING compared to the INTERNAL problems the characters must face, both with themselves and with each other. That's where the REAL drama lies. And it's fascinating to watch.

With so many high-quality shows ending or getting cancelled recently (Friends, Frasier, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel), and with the decline in quality of many others (The West Wing, Smallville), not to mention the egregious rise of turgid and tasteless "reality" programming, I'd just about written off TV as an entertainment medium. I was seriously considering ditching my TV and cable subscription in favour of my computer screen and broadband Internet connection.

Then along comes "Lost". I missed the first few episodes, but was able to catch up thanks to BitTorrent. Now I'm hooked. There are several things to like about this show, but here's a quick list:

1) Outstanding, intelligent, layered writing. There are multiple mysteries here, and for every answer we get, more questions emerge.

2) Rich, complex characters. Just when you think you've got a character pegged, you find out something new about them that's often surprising or even shocking. I'm enjoying watching the various relationships emerge and develop.

3) Strong performances. This is a remarkable cast of mostly journeymen actors with a couple of newcomers, and they're all turning in star-making work. Even some of the cameos have featured recognizeable, talented actors (e.g. Mira Furlan, Victoria Hamel).

4) A mysterious and fascinating setting. Of the four main story elements you learned in school, plot, character, theme, and setting, the latter is often the poor, neglected cousin. Not here. The island is dangerous, beautiful, creepy, and undeniably intriguing. It's like a character unto itself. Part of the fun of this show will be unravelling the Island's secrets.

5) Thematic depth. This isn't just a soap opera on a desert island. There are rich metaphors and themes to be mined here, such as on the challenges of morality; on the nature of communities and civilization; on our relationship with nature/the environment; and on spirituality, even mysticism, as well.

I'm grateful to see this show is a hit. Too often lately I've committed to a quality show early on ("Wonderfalls" being the most recent and much-lamented example) only to have a jittery network cancel it prematurely. I'm hoping "Lost" will have a long, successful run--if its creators, cast, and crew keep up the level of quality they've shown so far, I'm sure it will.