LOST's low point was its third season. This was a season without direction, without a plan, and that lagged like hell. They managed to turn things around but it was still notably bad.
Season Four turned the game around, and LOST became LOST again. The creators recognized there were too many episodes and cut them out to make for less filler. They realized that they needed strong metaplot and to bring the mythos back and they've done that. They realized that they need to keep things from feeling formulaic and stale and they've done that.
Basically, the show feels alive again after sleepwalking for a while, and where they want to take the show seems compelling, so I'm ready for the ride.
What about you, mikey? Did you decide to hazard coming back to the show?
What about you, mikey? Did you decide to hazard coming back to the show?
I'm oddly curious. From all indications, season four (remember that I haven't been consistently watching since Sawyer and Kate left Jack behind in the midseason finale back in season three, though I do know how the third season ended) was strong. But I feel it was strong only for those who preferred the convoluted mytharc. I still don't feel that my problems with the show (namely the abandoning of a character focus for a mytharc focus) are still alive and well. Though again, not having seen season four, I can't speak from experience.
But from what I gathered, the show still overwhelmingly deals with three characters I can't watch (Jack, Ben and Locke) and crazy plot points I find absurd (time travel, grand games between megolomaniacal players, trippy science, ghosts, some immortal guy, etc). And for that, Lost will never be appointment tv for me.
That said, the arcs going on for the characters I do like (namely Sawyer, Kate, Sayid, Desmond, and Sun & Jin) threaten to reel me in. And from all accounts, the new characters are well above par for Lost newbies.
So I'm cautiously interested in where certain characters may go. But to better understand that, I'll have to see where they've been. So I may yet watch season four. If I survive the Jears, Locke's mind-numbing ********, Ben's unblinking creepo stare and the migraine-inducing mytharc ... I may follow along with season five more closely.
It's hard to sustain a character-driven show over more than two seasons, in my opinion. Everything that's been done has been done, and the same general plots begin to resurface. To keep it fresh and exciting, they had to choose mythology over character development (remember the 4 or so episodes watching Sawyer con someone? It just became so repetitive). This is not to say they aren't evolving still, but focusing the show mainly on character development at this point, when we know them so well - it just wouldn't work. There wouldn't be any mystery/interest left to sustain viewership, without resorting to convoluted soap-opera plots. They tried introducing new characters with interesting backstories, but they just ended up buried alive, having been inserted so mechanically.
Anyhow, even if you don't watch it for the character development, I still would recommend you watch it nonetheless, it's a very fast-paced season, and it's not without its character moments:
It's hard to sustain a character-driven show over more than two seasons, in my opinion.
I respectfully disagree. Battlestar Galactica, Supernatural, The Sopranos, Buffy, Angel, Six Feet Under - all these shows have sustained long runs while never selling their characters short. In fact, many of these shows got better with age, as we learned more about the characters, as time went on we cared even more about what was happening because of our attachments to the characters.
When characters become glorified props to move a story along, I tend to zone out. I personally feel that there's a middle ground to find and that Lost hadn't when I stopped watching.
Everything that's been done has been done, and the same general plots begin to resurface. To keep it fresh and exciting, they had to choose mythology over character development (remember the 4 or so episodes watching Sawyer con someone? It just became so repetitive).
Their problem was that they weren't really growing the characters, were they? That was the main beef with the constant flashback formula, we were seeing the same things over and over and it wasn't doing the characters any favors. We were learning new things at times, but others were blatant rehashes and that was sloppy on the writers' part. The potential was (and still is) there, but it wasn't capitalized on. Instead of showing us new layers of Sawyer in his flashbacks, to use your example, they just showed the same one over and over. Which isn't to say that they had to, it just ended up that way.
I think the growing focus on the mytharc and the increasing repetitiveness of the flashbacks are linked. As the audience became less involved in the characters' backstories (especially into season two when the repetitive nature of the flashbacks really kicked in and the rush of newbies really killed screentime for many characters), the writers increased the intrigue and mysteries in the overall plot as compensation. Just looking at season one, it's a lot different from what the show is now.
This is not to say they aren't evolving still, but focusing the show mainly on character development at this point, when we know them so well - it just wouldn't work.
Well I'd argue that we don't have to know them well. If the writers wanted to give characters more depth they ultimately could. Rather they keep them as they are, probably because at this point they serve their purpose well enough so developing them further would only take time away from the mytharc (which at this point would betray audience expectations).
For an example, just look at BSG. Characters like Roslin, Tigh and Baltar are still growing and changing after four seasons. The writers didn't stop developing them just because the audience had grown to know them, they continued putting effort into giving them new layers and new stories and twists grew rather organically from that.
But that's all incredibly moot. The people who make Lost have found a formula that works for them and for their audience. I have problems with it, but it's not likely to change anytime soon. I don't even think I'd mind if the mytharc itself were one I was at all invested in.
It's hard to keep a character driven show more then two seasons that doesn't place one character as the main character and one that has SO MANY characters. To my knowledge and opinion ER was the only one to do it(though in its later seasons it went down hill) along with BSG(amazing!),
Like my opinion of Heroes recently I stopped watching Lost in season 3 then watched a single episode in season 4 and decided to watch it again. Season 2 and 3 are very, vERY hard to get through but season 4 makes up for it in my opinion. They just really stepped up their game in season 4 and made me fall in love with the show all over again.
I do agree with Mikey though that they need to really evolve the character along with the storyline. Yes we all know Kate now has Claire's child but she hasn't really changed into a Mom. Yes she is over protective of him but I would be too if his supposedly dead mother visited me in a dream.
The main reason I am still watching Lost is becaus eI want to know the answers. If it turns out being one of those shows that want you to interprit all of the mysteries in the end I will label it a bad show and onyl buy season 4(I already have 1)on DVD and forget the rest. If they answer it and it is at least interesting I will call it an entertaining, somewhat decent TV show.
Season three killed lost for me. While season 4 was better, I only watched it because I was curious as to where the plot would go. I can't stand most of the characters at all, I used to like Locke but he got kind of lame in season 4. I think Ben has become my favorite character, despite being annoying sometimes. At least he isn't as annoying as the rest of the cast (see: Jack)
I think I'll watch season 5 for the same reason I watched season 4. Just to see what happens. I stopped caring about the characters a long time ago, and am now just left wondering where it will go.
Oh yeah, and the bet I made as to how long season 5 will go before jumping the shark.
Media is not making me steal. But in a way is like the story of the very hot girl with the short skirt teasing the old sick guy with a history of rape.
I think the growing focus on the mytharc and the increasing repetitiveness of the flashbacks are linked. As the audience became less involved in the characters' backstories (especially into season two when the repetitive nature of the flashbacks really kicked in and the rush of newbies really killed screentime for many characters), the writers increased the intrigue and mysteries in the overall plot as compensation. Just looking at season one, it's a lot different from what the show is now.
I think Season Four remedied this by mixing it up between forward and backward. You bring up a valid point: in season three, the flashbacks for the most part had NO PURPOSE at all, and that's annoying as hell. I mean, where Jack got his tattoos? Really guys?
I would give Season Four a shot. To the Lost staff's credit, it seems like Season Three provided a necessary wake up call that something needed to change and something did in a big way, which means Season Four will at least be better than Season Three for you.
Plus, if formula is a problem, this next season is unlikely to be anything like what we've seen for the last four, so there's some incentive.
They've released an awesome poster promoting this season by emphasizing the divide for the characters. I like it. It somewhat allays my fear that the island crew would be forgotten in favor of the Oceanic Six' quest (which is bad for me given that of the crew in the real world I only like Sun, Sayid and Desmond).
I did, in the span of a few days. It wasn't bad. In retrospect, it was mostly a transition season to get us from there to this season. It introduced the Oceanic Six and spun the tale of how they escaped the island while setting up the quest to return. Otherwise, it was the status quo. The characters I don't like didn't do much to impress me, the island mythos made my eyes cross, etc. The newbies were all great (Faraday in particular was a good addition), the flash forwards were at least more interesting than many of the flashbacks of years past and there were few times that I felt the show fell on its face.
Though I will mention that Jack went from annoying to infuriating in no time. I'm not sure how we're supposed to be rooting for him as the hero here when he's time and again shown that he's anything but.
Oh yeah, and the bet I made as to how long season 5 will go before jumping the shark.
Heh, the producers said season 5 will constantly jump the shark, right from the start.
I know this: 'Because you Left' will end with a cliffhanger. It's gonna be about the Oceanic 6's despair and yearning to return to the Island (all of them... except for Walt:-/). I don't know if in chronological order, but it will follow the end of season 4 immediately.
Anyone who wishes to see less of Ben or the new characters will be hugely disappointed. Not only will they be featured more prominently, but even more characters will be introduced (although not necessarily in the "present"), and let me tell you some of them are really interesting actors from various places of the world. Their descriptions look very intriguing too. I even think at some point of the show (maybe by season 6), Ben will be kind of... the main character of the series!:o
Anyway, season 5 looks amazing, and the show will supposedly be set on "answer mode" now. I suppose the Valenzetti Equation will be finally mentioned and explained (there'll be a focus on the Dharma Initiative).
I don't know if these count as spoilers (they don't spoil anything, if anything, they create more interest on the show, and they've all been said).
I disagree with most of what I've read in this thread. I think Lost is a series that has gotten increasingly better. It started as a boring realistic drama about people's emotions (sorry, I like drama and all, but not here) and became an exciting action/adventure sci-fi show full of plot twists, mystery, surprises, and universality. I really loved how they finally included time-travel and all things I expected to see from the show. I think all seasons offered a lot. Season 2 offered characters, season 3 offered history... and season 4... damn, the best so far (in my opinion), since it was the most "honest" in terms of production (it overall summarizes what the creators intended to do with the show since its conception).
I don't know, I really hope there's an episode as brilliant as 'The Shape of Things to Come', the best episode in the series so far, according to my taste.:D
or is it a bad idea to skip to season 4 right after season 1?
At first I'd say it's a dreadful idea since Lost is a continuous show whose timeline is, despite the flashbacks and flashforwards (ah, yet another reason not to skip from S1 to S4), very linear (at least until Season 4, where things happened in real time). I think season 2 was the best when it comes to characters, because it has the unforgettable Mr. Eko, Ana Lucía, and Libby, who have a very subtle yet vital impact in the mythos of the show. Season 3 gives basically all the background info about the Others that you'll need (therefore, you'd be literally LOST about those characters if you skip that season). Obviously, I'd never watch S4 without watching the previous 3 in order, but concerning the "is it worth watching seasons 2/3?" question, I'd say that's a matter of tastes. I think every episode in the show is worth seeing (except for the pilot, but that's just me), so I'd definitely recommend you watch seasons 2 and 3 and not just skip to S4 (which mixes flasbacks with flashforwards, has time-travel, and requires a deep knowledge of all the characters in order to be fully enjoyed). If you so strongly want to skip seasons 2 & 3, then I advise you at least watch the episodes '?' (2nd season, ep. 21 and one of the best of the series IMO), and 'The Man Behind the Curtain' (3rd season, ep. 20) or 'Through the Looking Glass (3rd season finale).
'?', specifically is very interesting (even the title is cryptically awesome). It ends with a main character shooting another one to death, then fatally injuring another one, and then ends with the same person shooting himself (well, technically that was in the episode before it). Now, if that type of ending doesn't catch your attention at all, I don't know what ever could.;)
I have to agree with Edghytt I think the show has gotten better over the last 4 seasons especially the mentioned episode The Shape Of Things To Come(amazing...) also the one where Desmond is flashing back and forth was awesome as well. Have you guys been watching the promos for season 5? What do you think?
I think season 2 was the best when it comes to characters, because it has the unforgettable Mr. Eko, Ana Lucía, and Libby, who have a very subtle yet vital impact in the mythos of the show.
lol, what? Season two was quite possibly the worst season for characters, especially for consistency. This is the season where Shannon was completely ignored up until she was killed for no reason, where Sawyer rode the rollercoaster of plot contrivance (cunning enough to con everyone out of the guns one episode, dumb enough to get played by Jack not long after, hatefull frog-killer to romantic lead to whatever was needed that week), where the newbies where hateful, pointless characters (seriously, Ana Lucia is one of Lost's most hated characters for a reason) and don't even get me started on how butchered Sayid and Charlie were over the course of season 2.
I'd say the much-maligned season three was actually much better with its character work. Plus, it introduced Desmond and Juliet who were great additions to the cast. It actually pushed many characters forward where they had spiralled or stagnated during season two.
@SlideGob: The new promos are pretty much exactly what I'd expect. I still have my reservations about whether the more interesting on-island group will get as much screentime as the annoying Oceanic Six, but I doubt it'll be that bad. As long as it has Juliet & Sawyer running the island, Sun being a badass and Desmond being himself, I'll at least have something to enjoy. Bonus point to any interesting usage of Faraday or Frank the helicopter pilot (if he'll even be back).
or is it a bad idea to skip to season 4 right after season 1?
... Have you heard of this show at all?
Actually, I can sort of understand if you've only seen season 1, because you can miss an episode or two and it'd be ok. But no. We're relying on Season 5 to make sense of things we've already seen. Do not even touch Season 4 until you've seen everything else.
mikeyG: I think given that it's been established that major, major things will happen on the Island and especially to Locke (whom I still like, I know you don't but I do), so I imagine that the Island will still have a great deal of prominence.
mikeyG: I think given that it's been established that major, major things will happen on the Island and especially to Locke (whom I still like, I know you don't but I do), so I imagine that the Island will still have a great deal of prominence.
Agreed, and spoilers more or less confirm that the island isn't forgotten, I just meant from the promos which have been almost overwhelmingly focused on the Oceanic Six. Were I basing my perception of season five entirely on them, I'd be rather worried. But there are many plausible explanations for the imbalanced promos.
Agreed, and spoilers more or less confirm that the island isn't forgotten, I just meant from the promos which have been almost overwhelmingly focused on the Oceanic Six. Were I basing my perception of season five entirely on them, I'd be rather worried. But there are many plausible explanations for the imbalanced promos.
Probably because what's going on with the Lostaways involves far more spoilers than what's going on with the - shall I call them Foundaways? - given that we've seen what they're going through in the flash forwards. So far all we've seen are a few clips of certain members of the Oceanic Six and Ben speaking very seriously and afraid of ominous things that are not pictured. This not only doesn't reveal much, but the fact that each of the Oceanic Six is asking the same question everyone watching the sneak peaks are, which is "What happened on the Island?", only helps to build tension.
The real meat of the Season is going to two plotlines:
1. Assembling the Oceanic Six and getting them back on the Island
2. Figuring out what happened to the Island that necessitates them going back
If anything, I would think the Island would feature more prominently.
Probably because what's going on with the Lostaways involves far more spoilers than what's going on with the - shall I call them Foundaways? - given that we've seen what they're going through in the flash forwards. So far all we've seen are a few clips of certain members of the Oceanic Six and Ben speaking very seriously and afraid of ominous things that are not pictured. This doesn't reveal much, because we've seen it before, whereas showing anything on the island reveals more.
That or the promo monkeys believe that the Oceanic Six are the main characters and therefore promos should focus on them rather than the secondary characters.
So tonight is the big night. Destiny calls, and as it has been said...
WE HAVE TO GO BACK!!
I just really hope we follow the Abadon storyline a little bit, learn the background of Richard Alpert, and find why it is (human?) Christian was speaking to Locke in place of Jacob. Could it be Locke was too late to help Jacob as he'd previously asked?
I'm at work tonight, and for 3 hours, i will be getting paid to slober and drool.
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Well, according to the guide preview on my satellite, it says that the two-hour show is actually skewed between island and Oceanic Six, so I figure we'll get flashes between present (finding a way back, Ben and the O6) and past (directly after the island was moved).
I figured now was as good a time as any to get the Lost fans here whipped up again so discuss your thoughts on the forthcoming season five right here.
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Katingal: Plane of Chains
LOST's low point was its third season. This was a season without direction, without a plan, and that lagged like hell. They managed to turn things around but it was still notably bad.
Season Four turned the game around, and LOST became LOST again. The creators recognized there were too many episodes and cut them out to make for less filler. They realized that they needed strong metaplot and to bring the mythos back and they've done that. They realized that they need to keep things from feeling formulaic and stale and they've done that.
Basically, the show feels alive again after sleepwalking for a while, and where they want to take the show seems compelling, so I'm ready for the ride.
What about you, mikey? Did you decide to hazard coming back to the show?
I'm oddly curious. From all indications, season four (remember that I haven't been consistently watching since Sawyer and Kate left Jack behind in the midseason finale back in season three, though I do know how the third season ended) was strong. But I feel it was strong only for those who preferred the convoluted mytharc. I still don't feel that my problems with the show (namely the abandoning of a character focus for a mytharc focus) are still alive and well. Though again, not having seen season four, I can't speak from experience.
But from what I gathered, the show still overwhelmingly deals with three characters I can't watch (Jack, Ben and Locke) and crazy plot points I find absurd (time travel, grand games between megolomaniacal players, trippy science, ghosts, some immortal guy, etc). And for that, Lost will never be appointment tv for me.
That said, the arcs going on for the characters I do like (namely Sawyer, Kate, Sayid, Desmond, and Sun & Jin) threaten to reel me in. And from all accounts, the new characters are well above par for Lost newbies.
So I'm cautiously interested in where certain characters may go. But to better understand that, I'll have to see where they've been. So I may yet watch season four. If I survive the Jears, Locke's mind-numbing ********, Ben's unblinking creepo stare and the migraine-inducing mytharc ... I may follow along with season five more closely.
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Excellion
Fracture: Israfiel (WBR), Wujal (URG), Valedon (GUB), Amduat (BGW), Paladris (RWU)
Collision (Set Two of the Fracture Block)
Quest for the Forsaken (Set Two of the Excellion Block)
Katingal: Plane of Chains
Anyhow, even if you don't watch it for the character development, I still would recommend you watch it nonetheless, it's a very fast-paced season, and it's not without its character moments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pWG2wI4b50
I respectfully disagree. Battlestar Galactica, Supernatural, The Sopranos, Buffy, Angel, Six Feet Under - all these shows have sustained long runs while never selling their characters short. In fact, many of these shows got better with age, as we learned more about the characters, as time went on we cared even more about what was happening because of our attachments to the characters.
When characters become glorified props to move a story along, I tend to zone out. I personally feel that there's a middle ground to find and that Lost hadn't when I stopped watching.
Their problem was that they weren't really growing the characters, were they? That was the main beef with the constant flashback formula, we were seeing the same things over and over and it wasn't doing the characters any favors. We were learning new things at times, but others were blatant rehashes and that was sloppy on the writers' part. The potential was (and still is) there, but it wasn't capitalized on. Instead of showing us new layers of Sawyer in his flashbacks, to use your example, they just showed the same one over and over. Which isn't to say that they had to, it just ended up that way.
I think the growing focus on the mytharc and the increasing repetitiveness of the flashbacks are linked. As the audience became less involved in the characters' backstories (especially into season two when the repetitive nature of the flashbacks really kicked in and the rush of newbies really killed screentime for many characters), the writers increased the intrigue and mysteries in the overall plot as compensation. Just looking at season one, it's a lot different from what the show is now.
Well I'd argue that we don't have to know them well. If the writers wanted to give characters more depth they ultimately could. Rather they keep them as they are, probably because at this point they serve their purpose well enough so developing them further would only take time away from the mytharc (which at this point would betray audience expectations).
For an example, just look at BSG. Characters like Roslin, Tigh and Baltar are still growing and changing after four seasons. The writers didn't stop developing them just because the audience had grown to know them, they continued putting effort into giving them new layers and new stories and twists grew rather organically from that.
But that's all incredibly moot. The people who make Lost have found a formula that works for them and for their audience. I have problems with it, but it's not likely to change anytime soon. I don't even think I'd mind if the mytharc itself were one I was at all invested in.
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Fracture: Israfiel (WBR), Wujal (URG), Valedon (GUB), Amduat (BGW), Paladris (RWU)
Collision (Set Two of the Fracture Block)
Quest for the Forsaken (Set Two of the Excellion Block)
Katingal: Plane of Chains
Like my opinion of Heroes recently I stopped watching Lost in season 3 then watched a single episode in season 4 and decided to watch it again. Season 2 and 3 are very, vERY hard to get through but season 4 makes up for it in my opinion. They just really stepped up their game in season 4 and made me fall in love with the show all over again.
I do agree with Mikey though that they need to really evolve the character along with the storyline. Yes we all know Kate now has Claire's child but she hasn't really changed into a Mom. Yes she is over protective of him but I would be too if his supposedly dead mother visited me in a dream.
The main reason I am still watching Lost is becaus eI want to know the answers. If it turns out being one of those shows that want you to interprit all of the mysteries in the end I will label it a bad show and onyl buy season 4(I already have 1)on DVD and forget the rest. If they answer it and it is at least interesting I will call it an entertaining, somewhat decent TV show.
I think I'll watch season 5 for the same reason I watched season 4. Just to see what happens. I stopped caring about the characters a long time ago, and am now just left wondering where it will go.
Oh yeah, and the bet I made as to how long season 5 will go before jumping the shark.
Well, in fairness, I hated Ben before this season and now I think he's incredible. So there's hope he may become at least tolerable to you.
I think Season Four remedied this by mixing it up between forward and backward. You bring up a valid point: in season three, the flashbacks for the most part had NO PURPOSE at all, and that's annoying as hell. I mean, where Jack got his tattoos? Really guys?
I would give Season Four a shot. To the Lost staff's credit, it seems like Season Three provided a necessary wake up call that something needed to change and something did in a big way, which means Season Four will at least be better than Season Three for you.
Plus, if formula is a problem, this next season is unlikely to be anything like what we've seen for the last four, so there's some incentive.
I did, in the span of a few days. It wasn't bad. In retrospect, it was mostly a transition season to get us from there to this season. It introduced the Oceanic Six and spun the tale of how they escaped the island while setting up the quest to return. Otherwise, it was the status quo. The characters I don't like didn't do much to impress me, the island mythos made my eyes cross, etc. The newbies were all great (Faraday in particular was a good addition), the flash forwards were at least more interesting than many of the flashbacks of years past and there were few times that I felt the show fell on its face.
Though I will mention that Jack went from annoying to infuriating in no time. I'm not sure how we're supposed to be rooting for him as the hero here when he's time and again shown that he's anything but.
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Fracture: Israfiel (WBR), Wujal (URG), Valedon (GUB), Amduat (BGW), Paladris (RWU)
Collision (Set Two of the Fracture Block)
Quest for the Forsaken (Set Two of the Excellion Block)
Katingal: Plane of Chains
I am realy wondering how it will continue.
I have also read somewhere that they will combine forwards and flashbacks, and it will become a bit more complicated...
so... 49 days and counting
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Heh, the producers said season 5 will constantly jump the shark, right from the start.
I know this: 'Because you Left' will end with a cliffhanger. It's gonna be about the Oceanic 6's despair and yearning to return to the Island (all of them... except for Walt:-/). I don't know if in chronological order, but it will follow the end of season 4 immediately.
Anyone who wishes to see less of Ben or the new characters will be hugely disappointed. Not only will they be featured more prominently, but even more characters will be introduced (although not necessarily in the "present"), and let me tell you some of them are really interesting actors from various places of the world. Their descriptions look very intriguing too. I even think at some point of the show (maybe by season 6), Ben will be kind of... the main character of the series!:o
Anyway, season 5 looks amazing, and the show will supposedly be set on "answer mode" now. I suppose the Valenzetti Equation will be finally mentioned and explained (there'll be a focus on the Dharma Initiative).
I don't know if these count as spoilers (they don't spoil anything, if anything, they create more interest on the show, and they've all been said).
I disagree with most of what I've read in this thread. I think Lost is a series that has gotten increasingly better. It started as a boring realistic drama about people's emotions (sorry, I like drama and all, but not here) and became an exciting action/adventure sci-fi show full of plot twists, mystery, surprises, and universality. I really loved how they finally included time-travel and all things I expected to see from the show. I think all seasons offered a lot. Season 2 offered characters, season 3 offered history... and season 4... damn, the best so far (in my opinion), since it was the most "honest" in terms of production (it overall summarizes what the creators intended to do with the show since its conception).
I don't know, I really hope there's an episode as brilliant as 'The Shape of Things to Come', the best episode in the series so far, according to my taste.:D
I like 4/4s for 7.
At first I'd say it's a dreadful idea since Lost is a continuous show whose timeline is, despite the flashbacks and flashforwards (ah, yet another reason not to skip from S1 to S4), very linear (at least until Season 4, where things happened in real time). I think season 2 was the best when it comes to characters, because it has the unforgettable Mr. Eko, Ana Lucía, and Libby, who have a very subtle yet vital impact in the mythos of the show. Season 3 gives basically all the background info about the Others that you'll need (therefore, you'd be literally LOST about those characters if you skip that season). Obviously, I'd never watch S4 without watching the previous 3 in order, but concerning the "is it worth watching seasons 2/3?" question, I'd say that's a matter of tastes. I think every episode in the show is worth seeing (except for the pilot, but that's just me), so I'd definitely recommend you watch seasons 2 and 3 and not just skip to S4 (which mixes flasbacks with flashforwards, has time-travel, and requires a deep knowledge of all the characters in order to be fully enjoyed). If you so strongly want to skip seasons 2 & 3, then I advise you at least watch the episodes '?' (2nd season, ep. 21 and one of the best of the series IMO), and 'The Man Behind the Curtain' (3rd season, ep. 20) or 'Through the Looking Glass (3rd season finale).
'?', specifically is very interesting (even the title is cryptically awesome). It ends with a main character shooting another one to death, then fatally injuring another one, and then ends with the same person shooting himself (well, technically that was in the episode before it). Now, if that type of ending doesn't catch your attention at all, I don't know what ever could.;)
I like 4/4s for 7.
lol, what? Season two was quite possibly the worst season for characters, especially for consistency. This is the season where Shannon was completely ignored up until she was killed for no reason, where Sawyer rode the rollercoaster of plot contrivance (cunning enough to con everyone out of the guns one episode, dumb enough to get played by Jack not long after, hatefull frog-killer to romantic lead to whatever was needed that week), where the newbies where hateful, pointless characters (seriously, Ana Lucia is one of Lost's most hated characters for a reason) and don't even get me started on how butchered Sayid and Charlie were over the course of season 2.
I'd say the much-maligned season three was actually much better with its character work. Plus, it introduced Desmond and Juliet who were great additions to the cast. It actually pushed many characters forward where they had spiralled or stagnated during season two.
@SlideGob: The new promos are pretty much exactly what I'd expect. I still have my reservations about whether the more interesting on-island group will get as much screentime as the annoying Oceanic Six, but I doubt it'll be that bad. As long as it has Juliet & Sawyer running the island, Sun being a badass and Desmond being himself, I'll at least have something to enjoy. Bonus point to any interesting usage of Faraday or Frank the helicopter pilot (if he'll even be back).
Archatmos
Excellion
Fracture: Israfiel (WBR), Wujal (URG), Valedon (GUB), Amduat (BGW), Paladris (RWU)
Collision (Set Two of the Fracture Block)
Quest for the Forsaken (Set Two of the Excellion Block)
Katingal: Plane of Chains
... Have you heard of this show at all?
Actually, I can sort of understand if you've only seen season 1, because you can miss an episode or two and it'd be ok. But no. We're relying on Season 5 to make sense of things we've already seen. Do not even touch Season 4 until you've seen everything else.
mikeyG: I think given that it's been established that major, major things will happen on the Island and especially to Locke (whom I still like, I know you don't but I do), so I imagine that the Island will still have a great deal of prominence.
Agreed, and spoilers more or less confirm that the island isn't forgotten, I just meant from the promos which have been almost overwhelmingly focused on the Oceanic Six. Were I basing my perception of season five entirely on them, I'd be rather worried. But there are many plausible explanations for the imbalanced promos.
Archatmos
Excellion
Fracture: Israfiel (WBR), Wujal (URG), Valedon (GUB), Amduat (BGW), Paladris (RWU)
Collision (Set Two of the Fracture Block)
Quest for the Forsaken (Set Two of the Excellion Block)
Katingal: Plane of Chains
Probably because what's going on with the Lostaways involves far more spoilers than what's going on with the - shall I call them Foundaways? - given that we've seen what they're going through in the flash forwards. So far all we've seen are a few clips of certain members of the Oceanic Six and Ben speaking very seriously and afraid of ominous things that are not pictured. This not only doesn't reveal much, but the fact that each of the Oceanic Six is asking the same question everyone watching the sneak peaks are, which is "What happened on the Island?", only helps to build tension.
The real meat of the Season is going to two plotlines:
1. Assembling the Oceanic Six and getting them back on the Island
2. Figuring out what happened to the Island that necessitates them going back
If anything, I would think the Island would feature more prominently.
That or the promo monkeys believe that the Oceanic Six are the main characters and therefore promos should focus on them rather than the secondary characters.
Archatmos
Excellion
Fracture: Israfiel (WBR), Wujal (URG), Valedon (GUB), Amduat (BGW), Paladris (RWU)
Collision (Set Two of the Fracture Block)
Quest for the Forsaken (Set Two of the Excellion Block)
Katingal: Plane of Chains
WE HAVE TO GO BACK!!
I just really hope we follow the Abadon storyline a little bit, learn the background of Richard Alpert, and find why it is (human?) Christian was speaking to Locke in place of Jacob. Could it be Locke was too late to help Jacob as he'd previously asked?
I'm at work tonight, and for 3 hours, i will be getting paid to slober and drool.
Standard Philadelphia Open 3- Top 8
Zendikar Game Day Champion
[GTC] Gatecrash Patch for MWS (249/249)