Getting Lost with Lost - Season 3 and 4

Note - Don't read on if you're not interested in Lost and planning to be at some point, because there are extensive spoilers (at least I think) for the first four seasons. Warning you straight up, peeps.

I recently dove back into Lost after taking a bit of a hiatus because I've been too busy with work. In the past three days, I've managed to power my way through about a season's worth of episodes, stretching from the last six or seven of season three to the first six of season four. Some observations on the show...

- According to Amanda Meyer, who has a new, fantabulous blog of her own here, by the way, I'm pretty decent at judging some of the plot developments of the show. I don't think this is because of any special ability I have with Lost specifically; I think it is more of a function of Lost itself being a quality drama, and thus, sharing traits with other well-made movies and television shows.

By this, I mean that well-made content shares certain traits. For example, it is surprising and shocking without being totally out of left field. One of the more recent episodes that I watched, "Eggtown", teases throughout that Kate is pregnant based on the "flash forward" segments in the episode. Only at the end is it revealed that it is actually Claire's baby; the whole issue of Sawyer being a father and the tension it creates with Jack is a diversion.

This is a good, simple and logical plot point. A lot of Lost operates similar to a street magician - While you are focused on Major Plot Issue A of an episode, the actual important plot details are in the small but apparent details.

And like most good content creators, it is important to remember that J.J. Abrams doesn't introduce characters just for the sake of having someone new on the show. If you learn a character's name, it normally means they're going to keep popping up, at least until...

- Everyone on Lost either dies or deals with death. At one point or another in the show, every character either: 1) dies 2) kills someone or 3) watches someone die, either on the island or in a flashback. This is an important thing to keep in mind, because if you're ever wondering what's next for a certain character, a safe bet is bleak misery. Even some of the best "sweet" moments are founded on the backs of truly depressing scenes - Charlie's entire death montage, Desmond finally being able to connect with Penelope in "The Constant", Sayid's dismal luck with love yet his eagerness in pursuing it, etc.

If someone isn't dealing with death, then the other common theme of the show is betrayal. By the fourth season, you can really see the intense paranoia sinking into all of the characters, especially Locke. I'm only halfway through season four, so I'm not sure how valid his fears are, but his actions are manic and panicked. Also, the sheer skill of Ben at manipulating Locke and others is terrifying at times. This leads a bit into my third point...

- Jack is still awesome to me. I know, from the flash forwards, it seems like he's going to go nutty very shortly. However, I still feel more empathy toward him than other characters because he is willing to sacrifice his own desires for the good of the group on a consistent basis.

Things got a little too weird for me at points of season three. Too many of the scenes with The Others are shrouded in completely secrecy, so it was hard to have any clue about the true intentions of Jack, Ben, Juliet, Locke, Sawyer and practically every character on the show.

Jack lost some of his moral fortitude, but I think he has reclaimed it - at least so far - with his strong decision to go after the radio signal at the end of season three, as opposed to succumbing to his lust for revenge. I've made this comparison before, but I think Jack parallels Luke Skywalker from Star Wars. A lot of people dislike the character because it doesn't have the flair or ambiguity of someone flashier (Han Solo / Sawyer), but you still need his presence as a sort of "rock" of morality, like Ralph in Lord of the Flies. If everyone is some swash-buckling asshole, there isn't enough contrast among the characters.

This all dovetails into my final point...

- I have a visceral dislike of Locke now. I have an up-and-down relationship with him; in the premiere episode of season one, I initially thought he was evil, which gradually gave way to ambivalence and like as more of his background was revealed.

However, I am now firmly in the dislike column because of his actions in seasons three and four. At best, he appears to be like a suspicious native, given his intense belief in mysticism and coincidence. At worst, he is a poor man's version of Ben, manipulating innocent people in order to selfishly preserve his access to the Island's healing effect on his paralysis.

Of course, this opinion could change as I watch the rest of season four and all of season five, in preparation for the Tuesday, February 2 premiere of season six. I think this of one of the strongest points of Lost: It is masterful as creating a sense of paranoia, in the viewer, that mirrors that of the people on the island at times. I intensely dislike Locke right now, and Ben as well, but I still have to be guarded and open to the idea that there is really is a good explanation for their actions. The character motivations are almost constantly shifting, meaning there is the potential for surprise in every episode.

Anyway, this is all I have for now on the topic. I might post another entry on this later in the week on some of the excellent accessory characters if I feel up to it.