Lost -- "Across the Sea" -- 05/11/10
05-12-10, 12:49 AM
#251
Re: Lost -- "Across the Sea" -- 05/11/10
What a bunch of whiners!
After perusing 8 pages of your bitching I almost didn't bother watching it myself.
What are some of you people are expecting anyway? The answer to all of life's mysteries???? The secrets of the universe exposed?????
Get a grip people. Yes, its a television show you have watched for the past 6 years. The writers OWE you nothing. Hopefully it all comes together with some satisfying conclusion but there is no guarantee. It could end like Sopranos where the window into the lives of the characters simply closes and they go on without you. Or it could end like Battlestar Galactica where all the major plot strands get tied up with a big red bow and there is nothing left to wonder about. Lindelof and Cuse have pretty much already told us to expect something somewhere in between so that ought to tell you what to expect.
Having worked with television and script writers I can tell you this, when the Lost Pilot was sold there was no storyline plotted out extending beyond the clever premise that ABC bought that lasted the first season. ABC wasn't told how things would end because it was open-ended. They had no idea. That's why networks pay so much for stuff like this. It could have ended up going 100 different ways. The potential was there and the writers ran with it.
Nothing in this season or even the last 2 or 3 were plotted out 6 years ago. Lindelof and Cuse did not have some grand epic tale they presented the network.(There are some writers who do, the creator of the HBO series Carnivale comes to mind and look where it got him!) But these guys just took a cool idea developed with JJ Abrams and ran with it. They made up a lot of cool parts along the way and managed to keep people coming back for 6 years. The fact that it ties together as well as it does is a tribute to the showrunners and crew.
So don't believe the bullshit about how this or that proves what geniuses they were and how they knew where things were going all along. Its hype. These are talented guys no doubt, and Im eager to see where they go but I guarantee they did not know where things were going when they started. Its their job to make it up as they go along. Thats what writers do!
It's not easy by any means to keep these kind of multi-year storylines running from season to season when you have network idiots offering their own ideas, pressure from ratings going up and down, actors not wanting to come back, etc.
So bitch and moan all you want on how this was the 3rd worst episode you ever sat on your fat ass and watched or what a CRIME it is that the series didn't blow your mind but I guarantee, this was still the most interesting show on network television tonight.
No matter how the show ends, with a whimper or a bang, its not going to change your life or rewrite the bible. These kind of shows with large ensemble casts juggliing multiple storylines with little replay value are among the hardest concepts to get made in Hollywood. And LOST has consistently delivered for 6 years. So enjoy the last 3 hours of what will probably be the last of its kind on network television.
I know I'll miss this show when its over.
After perusing 8 pages of your bitching I almost didn't bother watching it myself.
What are some of you people are expecting anyway? The answer to all of life's mysteries???? The secrets of the universe exposed?????
Get a grip people. Yes, its a television show you have watched for the past 6 years. The writers OWE you nothing. Hopefully it all comes together with some satisfying conclusion but there is no guarantee. It could end like Sopranos where the window into the lives of the characters simply closes and they go on without you. Or it could end like Battlestar Galactica where all the major plot strands get tied up with a big red bow and there is nothing left to wonder about. Lindelof and Cuse have pretty much already told us to expect something somewhere in between so that ought to tell you what to expect.
Having worked with television and script writers I can tell you this, when the Lost Pilot was sold there was no storyline plotted out extending beyond the clever premise that ABC bought that lasted the first season. ABC wasn't told how things would end because it was open-ended. They had no idea. That's why networks pay so much for stuff like this. It could have ended up going 100 different ways. The potential was there and the writers ran with it.
Nothing in this season or even the last 2 or 3 were plotted out 6 years ago. Lindelof and Cuse did not have some grand epic tale they presented the network.(There are some writers who do, the creator of the HBO series Carnivale comes to mind and look where it got him!) But these guys just took a cool idea developed with JJ Abrams and ran with it. They made up a lot of cool parts along the way and managed to keep people coming back for 6 years. The fact that it ties together as well as it does is a tribute to the showrunners and crew.
So don't believe the bullshit about how this or that proves what geniuses they were and how they knew where things were going all along. Its hype. These are talented guys no doubt, and Im eager to see where they go but I guarantee they did not know where things were going when they started. Its their job to make it up as they go along. Thats what writers do!
It's not easy by any means to keep these kind of multi-year storylines running from season to season when you have network idiots offering their own ideas, pressure from ratings going up and down, actors not wanting to come back, etc.
So bitch and moan all you want on how this was the 3rd worst episode you ever sat on your fat ass and watched or what a CRIME it is that the series didn't blow your mind but I guarantee, this was still the most interesting show on network television tonight.
No matter how the show ends, with a whimper or a bang, its not going to change your life or rewrite the bible. These kind of shows with large ensemble casts juggliing multiple storylines with little replay value are among the hardest concepts to get made in Hollywood. And LOST has consistently delivered for 6 years. So enjoy the last 3 hours of what will probably be the last of its kind on network television.
I know I'll miss this show when its over.
Last edited by bluesix; 05-12-10 at 12:59 AM.
05-12-10, 12:50 AM
#252
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 8,487
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
No shit. I can't recall a single post theorizing that. We should have seen that coming a mile away.
05-12-10, 12:55 AM
#254
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Malvern, PA
Posts: 5,010
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Lost -- "Across the Sea" -- 05/11/10
What a bunch of whiners!
After perusing 8 pages of your bitching I almost didn't bother watching it myself.
What are some of you people are expecting anyway? The answer to all of life's mysteries???? The secrets of the universe exposed?????
Get a grip people. Yes, its a television show you have watched for the past 6 years. The writers OWE you nothing. Hopefully it all comes together with some satisfying conclusion but there is no guarantee. It could end like Sopranos where the window into the lives of the characters simply closes and they go on without you. Or it could end like Battlestar Galactica where all the major plot strands get tied up with a big red bow and there is nothing left to wonder about. Carlton and Cuse have pretty much already told us to expect something somewhere in between so that ought to tell you what to expect.
Having worked with television and script writers I can tell you this, when the Lost Pilot was sold there was no storyline plotted out extending beyond the clever premise that ABC bought that lasted the first season. ABC wasn't told how things would end because it was open-ended. They had no idea. That's why networks pay so much for stuff like this. It could have ended up going 100 different ways. The potential was there and the writers ran with it.
Nothing in this season or even the last 2 or 3 were plotted out 6 years ago. Carlton and Cuse did not have some grand epic tale they presented the network.(There are some writers who do, the creator of the HBO series Carnivale comes to mind and look where it got him!) But these guys just took a cool idea developed with JJ Abrams and ran with it. They made up a lot of cool parts along the way and managed to keep people coming back for 6 years. The fact that it ties together as well as it does is a tribute to the showrunners and crew.
So don't believe the bullshit about how this or that proves what geniuses they were and how they knew where things were going all along. Its hype. These are talented guys no doubt, and Im eager to see where they go but I guarantee they did not know where things were going when they started. Its their job to make it up as they go along. Thats what writers do!
It's not easy by any means to keep these kind of multi-year storylines running from season to season when you have network idiots offering their own ideas, pressure from ratings going up and down, actors not wanting to come back, etc.
So bitch and moan all you want on how this was the 3rd worst episode you ever sat on your fat ass and watched or what a CRIME it is that the series didn't blow your mind but I guarantee, this was still the most interesting show on network television tonight.
No matter how the show ends, with a whimper or a bang, its not going to change your life or rewrite the bible. These kind of shows with large ensemble casts juggliing multiple storylines with little replay value are among the hardest concepts to get made in Hollywood. And LOST has consistently delivered for 6 years. So enjoy the last 3 hours of what will probably be the last of its kind on network television.
I know I'll miss this show when its over.
After perusing 8 pages of your bitching I almost didn't bother watching it myself.
What are some of you people are expecting anyway? The answer to all of life's mysteries???? The secrets of the universe exposed?????
Get a grip people. Yes, its a television show you have watched for the past 6 years. The writers OWE you nothing. Hopefully it all comes together with some satisfying conclusion but there is no guarantee. It could end like Sopranos where the window into the lives of the characters simply closes and they go on without you. Or it could end like Battlestar Galactica where all the major plot strands get tied up with a big red bow and there is nothing left to wonder about. Carlton and Cuse have pretty much already told us to expect something somewhere in between so that ought to tell you what to expect.
Having worked with television and script writers I can tell you this, when the Lost Pilot was sold there was no storyline plotted out extending beyond the clever premise that ABC bought that lasted the first season. ABC wasn't told how things would end because it was open-ended. They had no idea. That's why networks pay so much for stuff like this. It could have ended up going 100 different ways. The potential was there and the writers ran with it.
Nothing in this season or even the last 2 or 3 were plotted out 6 years ago. Carlton and Cuse did not have some grand epic tale they presented the network.(There are some writers who do, the creator of the HBO series Carnivale comes to mind and look where it got him!) But these guys just took a cool idea developed with JJ Abrams and ran with it. They made up a lot of cool parts along the way and managed to keep people coming back for 6 years. The fact that it ties together as well as it does is a tribute to the showrunners and crew.
So don't believe the bullshit about how this or that proves what geniuses they were and how they knew where things were going all along. Its hype. These are talented guys no doubt, and Im eager to see where they go but I guarantee they did not know where things were going when they started. Its their job to make it up as they go along. Thats what writers do!
It's not easy by any means to keep these kind of multi-year storylines running from season to season when you have network idiots offering their own ideas, pressure from ratings going up and down, actors not wanting to come back, etc.
So bitch and moan all you want on how this was the 3rd worst episode you ever sat on your fat ass and watched or what a CRIME it is that the series didn't blow your mind but I guarantee, this was still the most interesting show on network television tonight.
No matter how the show ends, with a whimper or a bang, its not going to change your life or rewrite the bible. These kind of shows with large ensemble casts juggliing multiple storylines with little replay value are among the hardest concepts to get made in Hollywood. And LOST has consistently delivered for 6 years. So enjoy the last 3 hours of what will probably be the last of its kind on network television.
I know I'll miss this show when its over.
05-12-10, 12:56 AM
#255
Re: Lost -- "Across the Sea" -- 05/11/10
This is a post from Lostpedia. Pretty good summary.
Here's what I find especially troubling about this episode:
* Frozen Donkey Wheel explanation was lame. Water and light together lets people off the Island? What? How did you figure out this concept that doesn't even make sense, MIB? "Oh, I'm special." Of course. Now it makes sense. It would have been better if the FDW was just always there. Or if an all-wise being or the Island simply told people to put it there. No explanation would have been better than trying to explain it the Across the Sea did.
* Going down the stream into the light does something to you that is "worse than death," according to "Mother." Apparently this worse-than-death thing is that you turn into the smoke monster. That . . . doesn't really make any sense. I would have been okay with MIB turning into smokey because of some kind of "curse," but why should going into the light that is the source of everything turn someone into a smoke monster? That's so random.
* The light is "death, life, rebirth." Okay, that explanation is already lame. Even lamer: that light is also what is in every person, apparently keeping them alive, and if men seek out the light on the Island and try to control it, they will snuff it out and destroy everyone. WTF?
Here are some other points that could potentially be alleviated by future episodes:
* "Mother" kills an entire village single-handedly. Maybe she has some special powers. If so, she seems to be using them for evil, and doesn't seem to be on the Island's side, unless the Island is evil. Why didn't she at least give those people the chance to leave peacefully, as Richard said he did with the Army in 1954?
* Jacob, for being the protector of the Island, doesn't seem to know what the hell he's doing as of this episode. Maybe he learns a lot more later.
* Also, Jacob takes the protector job from "Mother," yet he tries to prove that people are good. "Mother" said the line that MIB would later repeat: "They come, they fight, they destroy, they corrupt. It always ends the same." If Jacob took her position, why doesn't he think that? What changed his mind?
* If leaving the Island is so terrible, why is Jacob able to do it in the 20th century without any negative effects?
* As others have noted, Adam and Eve apparently were dead in the first century BCE, yet they had about 50 years decomposition in 2004. ???
* Claudia appeared to young MIB, so we have a ghost appearance that is definitely not MIB. She seems to set him on the path he took, and it is unclear whether she is being a "good guy" or a "bad guy" here.
* The drinking of wine and passing of the protectorate seems not such a good explanation. Why did "Mother" even need a successor? If she was able to keep MIB and Jacob from killing each other, why not keep MIB from killing her? It's also not clear what the "protector" actually does, and it's not clear why the Island needs protecting. It still doesn't make sense that if people explore the light and electromagnetism, they will destroy the "spark of life" that exists in every person.
ETA: I am still hopeful that the last couple of episodes will clear at least some of this stuff up. But some of the bigger issues at the start of my post may not be fixable.
* Frozen Donkey Wheel explanation was lame. Water and light together lets people off the Island? What? How did you figure out this concept that doesn't even make sense, MIB? "Oh, I'm special." Of course. Now it makes sense. It would have been better if the FDW was just always there. Or if an all-wise being or the Island simply told people to put it there. No explanation would have been better than trying to explain it the Across the Sea did.
* Going down the stream into the light does something to you that is "worse than death," according to "Mother." Apparently this worse-than-death thing is that you turn into the smoke monster. That . . . doesn't really make any sense. I would have been okay with MIB turning into smokey because of some kind of "curse," but why should going into the light that is the source of everything turn someone into a smoke monster? That's so random.
* The light is "death, life, rebirth." Okay, that explanation is already lame. Even lamer: that light is also what is in every person, apparently keeping them alive, and if men seek out the light on the Island and try to control it, they will snuff it out and destroy everyone. WTF?
Here are some other points that could potentially be alleviated by future episodes:
* "Mother" kills an entire village single-handedly. Maybe she has some special powers. If so, she seems to be using them for evil, and doesn't seem to be on the Island's side, unless the Island is evil. Why didn't she at least give those people the chance to leave peacefully, as Richard said he did with the Army in 1954?
* Jacob, for being the protector of the Island, doesn't seem to know what the hell he's doing as of this episode. Maybe he learns a lot more later.
* Also, Jacob takes the protector job from "Mother," yet he tries to prove that people are good. "Mother" said the line that MIB would later repeat: "They come, they fight, they destroy, they corrupt. It always ends the same." If Jacob took her position, why doesn't he think that? What changed his mind?
* If leaving the Island is so terrible, why is Jacob able to do it in the 20th century without any negative effects?
* As others have noted, Adam and Eve apparently were dead in the first century BCE, yet they had about 50 years decomposition in 2004. ???
* Claudia appeared to young MIB, so we have a ghost appearance that is definitely not MIB. She seems to set him on the path he took, and it is unclear whether she is being a "good guy" or a "bad guy" here.
* The drinking of wine and passing of the protectorate seems not such a good explanation. Why did "Mother" even need a successor? If she was able to keep MIB and Jacob from killing each other, why not keep MIB from killing her? It's also not clear what the "protector" actually does, and it's not clear why the Island needs protecting. It still doesn't make sense that if people explore the light and electromagnetism, they will destroy the "spark of life" that exists in every person.
ETA: I am still hopeful that the last couple of episodes will clear at least some of this stuff up. But some of the bigger issues at the start of my post may not be fixable.
05-12-10, 12:57 AM
#256
Re: Lost -- "Across the Sea" -- 05/11/10
What a bunch of whiners!
After perusing 8 pages of your bitching I almost didn't bother watching it myself.
What are some of you people are expecting anyway? The answer to all of life's mysteries???? The secrets of the universe exposed?????
Get a grip people. Yes, its a television show you have watched for the past 6 years. The writers OWE you nothing. Hopefully it all comes together with some satisfying conclusion but there is no guarantee. It could end like Sopranos where the window into the lives of the characters simply closes and they go on without you. Or it could end like Battlestar Galactica where all the major plot strands get tied up with a big red bow and there is nothing left to wonder about. Carlton and Cuse have pretty much already told us to expect something somewhere in between so that ought to tell you what to expect.
Having worked with television and script writers I can tell you this, when the Lost Pilot was sold there was no storyline plotted out extending beyond the clever premise that ABC bought that lasted the first season. ABC wasn't told how things would end because it was open-ended. They had no idea. That's why networks pay so much for stuff like this. It could have ended up going 100 different ways. The potential was there and the writers ran with it.
Nothing in this season or even the last 2 or 3 were plotted out 6 years ago. Carlton and Cuse did not have some grand epic tale they presented the network.(There are some writers who do, the creator of the HBO series Carnivale comes to mind and look where it got him!) But these guys just took a cool idea developed with JJ Abrams and ran with it. They made up a lot of cool parts along the way and managed to keep people coming back for 6 years. The fact that it ties together as well as it does is a tribute to the showrunners and crew.
So don't believe the bullshit about how this or that proves what geniuses they were and how they knew where things were going all along. Its hype. These are talented guys no doubt, and Im eager to see where they go but I guarantee they did not know where things were going when they started. Its their job to make it up as they go along. Thats what writers do!
It's not easy by any means to keep these kind of multi-year storylines running from season to season when you have network idiots offering their own ideas, pressure from ratings going up and down, actors not wanting to come back, etc.
So bitch and moan all you want on how this was the 3rd worst episode you ever sat on your fat ass and watched or what a CRIME it is that the series didn't blow your mind but I guarantee, this was still the most interesting show on network television tonight.
No matter how the show ends, with a whimper or a bang, its not going to change your life or rewrite the bible. These kind of shows with large ensemble casts juggliing multiple storylines with little replay value are among the hardest concepts to get made in Hollywood. And LOST has consistently delivered for 6 years. So enjoy the last 3 hours of what will probably be the last of its kind on network television.
I know I'll miss this show when its over.
After perusing 8 pages of your bitching I almost didn't bother watching it myself.
What are some of you people are expecting anyway? The answer to all of life's mysteries???? The secrets of the universe exposed?????
Get a grip people. Yes, its a television show you have watched for the past 6 years. The writers OWE you nothing. Hopefully it all comes together with some satisfying conclusion but there is no guarantee. It could end like Sopranos where the window into the lives of the characters simply closes and they go on without you. Or it could end like Battlestar Galactica where all the major plot strands get tied up with a big red bow and there is nothing left to wonder about. Carlton and Cuse have pretty much already told us to expect something somewhere in between so that ought to tell you what to expect.
Having worked with television and script writers I can tell you this, when the Lost Pilot was sold there was no storyline plotted out extending beyond the clever premise that ABC bought that lasted the first season. ABC wasn't told how things would end because it was open-ended. They had no idea. That's why networks pay so much for stuff like this. It could have ended up going 100 different ways. The potential was there and the writers ran with it.
Nothing in this season or even the last 2 or 3 were plotted out 6 years ago. Carlton and Cuse did not have some grand epic tale they presented the network.(There are some writers who do, the creator of the HBO series Carnivale comes to mind and look where it got him!) But these guys just took a cool idea developed with JJ Abrams and ran with it. They made up a lot of cool parts along the way and managed to keep people coming back for 6 years. The fact that it ties together as well as it does is a tribute to the showrunners and crew.
So don't believe the bullshit about how this or that proves what geniuses they were and how they knew where things were going all along. Its hype. These are talented guys no doubt, and Im eager to see where they go but I guarantee they did not know where things were going when they started. Its their job to make it up as they go along. Thats what writers do!
It's not easy by any means to keep these kind of multi-year storylines running from season to season when you have network idiots offering their own ideas, pressure from ratings going up and down, actors not wanting to come back, etc.
So bitch and moan all you want on how this was the 3rd worst episode you ever sat on your fat ass and watched or what a CRIME it is that the series didn't blow your mind but I guarantee, this was still the most interesting show on network television tonight.
No matter how the show ends, with a whimper or a bang, its not going to change your life or rewrite the bible. These kind of shows with large ensemble casts juggliing multiple storylines with little replay value are among the hardest concepts to get made in Hollywood. And LOST has consistently delivered for 6 years. So enjoy the last 3 hours of what will probably be the last of its kind on network television.
I know I'll miss this show when its over.
05-12-10, 12:57 AM
#257
Re: Lost -- "Across the Sea" -- 05/11/10
I just thought of something else...and I am sure this will be delegated to fan debate and NEVER answered in the context of the show, but....
So "mom" knew going into the light causes life, death and rebirth. She knew going into the light caused a fate worse than death. No other smoke monster was on the island so...how did she know this? I recall reading a theory on here that she went in there and was a smoke monster herself --or some kind of equivalent-- and that would make sense. That's how she was able to decimate a whole village of hunters and warriors who have been on the island for 30 years +.
EDIT....I thought of another point I wanted to make with this... If mom wasn't the female smoke monster, WHO appeared to young MIB as dead mommy? Because we've been led to believe all this time that the smoke monster was appearing as dead people. Or was there another smoke monster on the island all along up until this point that appeared as dead mommy? (And there have been theories that there were at least two smoke monsters before, so it wouldn't have been a stretch to suggest this or show it.)
These are the things I really wanted answers to.
I suppose these things are going to be left for other writers to take a stab at in other Lost books/stories.
So "mom" knew going into the light causes life, death and rebirth. She knew going into the light caused a fate worse than death. No other smoke monster was on the island so...how did she know this? I recall reading a theory on here that she went in there and was a smoke monster herself --or some kind of equivalent-- and that would make sense. That's how she was able to decimate a whole village of hunters and warriors who have been on the island for 30 years +.
EDIT....I thought of another point I wanted to make with this... If mom wasn't the female smoke monster, WHO appeared to young MIB as dead mommy? Because we've been led to believe all this time that the smoke monster was appearing as dead people. Or was there another smoke monster on the island all along up until this point that appeared as dead mommy? (And there have been theories that there were at least two smoke monsters before, so it wouldn't have been a stretch to suggest this or show it.)
These are the things I really wanted answers to.
I suppose these things are going to be left for other writers to take a stab at in other Lost books/stories.
Last edited by calhoun07; 05-12-10 at 01:09 AM.
05-12-10, 12:59 AM
#258
Re: Lost -- "Across the Sea" -- 05/11/10
I just thought of something else...and I am sure this will be delegated to fan debate and NEVER answered in the context of the show, but....
So "mom" knew going into the light causes life, death and rebirth. She knew going into the light caused a fate worse than death. No other smoke monster was on the island so...how did she know this? I recall reading a theory on here that she went in there and was a smoke monster herself --or some kind of equivalent-- and that would make sense. That's how she was able to decimate a whole village of hunters and warriors who have been on the island for 30 years +.
I suppose these things are going to be left for other writers to take a stab at in other Lost books/stories.
So "mom" knew going into the light causes life, death and rebirth. She knew going into the light caused a fate worse than death. No other smoke monster was on the island so...how did she know this? I recall reading a theory on here that she went in there and was a smoke monster herself --or some kind of equivalent-- and that would make sense. That's how she was able to decimate a whole village of hunters and warriors who have been on the island for 30 years +.
I suppose these things are going to be left for other writers to take a stab at in other Lost books/stories.
05-12-10, 01:00 AM
#259
Re: Lost -- "Across the Sea" -- 05/11/10
What a bunch of whiners!
After perusing 8 pages of your bitching I almost didn't bother watching it myself.
What are some of you people are expecting anyway? The answer to all of life's mysteries???? The secrets of the universe exposed?????
Get a grip people. Yes, its a television show you have watched for the past 6 years. The writers OWE you nothing. Hopefully it all comes together with some satisfying conclusion but there is no guarantee. It could end like Sopranos where the window into the lives of the characters simply closes and they go on without you. Or it could end like Battlestar Galactica where all the major plot strands get tied up with a big red bow and there is nothing left to wonder about. Lindelof and Cuse have pretty much already told us to expect something somewhere in between so that ought to tell you what to expect.
Having worked with television and script writers I can tell you this, when the Lost Pilot was sold there was no storyline plotted out extending beyond the clever premise that ABC bought that lasted the first season. ABC wasn't told how things would end because it was open-ended. They had no idea. That's why networks pay so much for stuff like this. It could have ended up going 100 different ways. The potential was there and the writers ran with it.
Nothing in this season or even the last 2 or 3 were plotted out 6 years ago. Lindelof and Cuse did not have some grand epic tale they presented the network.(There are some writers who do, the creator of the HBO series Carnivale comes to mind and look where it got him!) But these guys just took a cool idea developed with JJ Abrams and ran with it. They made up a lot of cool parts along the way and managed to keep people coming back for 6 years. The fact that it ties together as well as it does is a tribute to the showrunners and crew.
So don't believe the bullshit about how this or that proves what geniuses they were and how they knew where things were going all along. Its hype. These are talented guys no doubt, and Im eager to see where they go but I guarantee they did not know where things were going when they started. Its their job to make it up as they go along. Thats what writers do!
It's not easy by any means to keep these kind of multi-year storylines running from season to season when you have network idiots offering their own ideas, pressure from ratings going up and down, actors not wanting to come back, etc.
So bitch and moan all you want on how this was the 3rd worst episode you ever sat on your fat ass and watched or what a CRIME it is that the series didn't blow your mind but I guarantee, this was still the most interesting show on network television tonight.
No matter how the show ends, with a whimper or a bang, its not going to change your life or rewrite the bible. These kind of shows with large ensemble casts juggliing multiple storylines with little replay value are among the hardest concepts to get made in Hollywood. And LOST has consistently delivered for 6 years. So enjoy the last 3 hours of what will probably be the last of its kind on network television.
I know I'll miss this show when its over.
After perusing 8 pages of your bitching I almost didn't bother watching it myself.
What are some of you people are expecting anyway? The answer to all of life's mysteries???? The secrets of the universe exposed?????
Get a grip people. Yes, its a television show you have watched for the past 6 years. The writers OWE you nothing. Hopefully it all comes together with some satisfying conclusion but there is no guarantee. It could end like Sopranos where the window into the lives of the characters simply closes and they go on without you. Or it could end like Battlestar Galactica where all the major plot strands get tied up with a big red bow and there is nothing left to wonder about. Lindelof and Cuse have pretty much already told us to expect something somewhere in between so that ought to tell you what to expect.
Having worked with television and script writers I can tell you this, when the Lost Pilot was sold there was no storyline plotted out extending beyond the clever premise that ABC bought that lasted the first season. ABC wasn't told how things would end because it was open-ended. They had no idea. That's why networks pay so much for stuff like this. It could have ended up going 100 different ways. The potential was there and the writers ran with it.
Nothing in this season or even the last 2 or 3 were plotted out 6 years ago. Lindelof and Cuse did not have some grand epic tale they presented the network.(There are some writers who do, the creator of the HBO series Carnivale comes to mind and look where it got him!) But these guys just took a cool idea developed with JJ Abrams and ran with it. They made up a lot of cool parts along the way and managed to keep people coming back for 6 years. The fact that it ties together as well as it does is a tribute to the showrunners and crew.
So don't believe the bullshit about how this or that proves what geniuses they were and how they knew where things were going all along. Its hype. These are talented guys no doubt, and Im eager to see where they go but I guarantee they did not know where things were going when they started. Its their job to make it up as they go along. Thats what writers do!
It's not easy by any means to keep these kind of multi-year storylines running from season to season when you have network idiots offering their own ideas, pressure from ratings going up and down, actors not wanting to come back, etc.
So bitch and moan all you want on how this was the 3rd worst episode you ever sat on your fat ass and watched or what a CRIME it is that the series didn't blow your mind but I guarantee, this was still the most interesting show on network television tonight.
No matter how the show ends, with a whimper or a bang, its not going to change your life or rewrite the bible. These kind of shows with large ensemble casts juggliing multiple storylines with little replay value are among the hardest concepts to get made in Hollywood. And LOST has consistently delivered for 6 years. So enjoy the last 3 hours of what will probably be the last of its kind on network television.
I know I'll miss this show when its over.
times infinity.
05-12-10, 01:01 AM
#260
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Re: Lost -- "Across the Sea" -- 05/11/10
I didn't mind this episode, but like some have you already said, it would have been better if this was one of the earlier episodes. Since Happily Ever After each episode was gaining a lot of momentum towards the end, and this episode put a stop to it.
05-12-10, 01:02 AM
#261
Re: Lost -- "Across the Sea" -- 05/11/10
If that theory doesn't pan out then the question really needed to be addressed how she knew the effects of going into the light? And how does an aging woman take out an entire village like that? Did somebody she came to the island with go into the light cave? And if there was another monster of some sort, what happened to them? I don't expect every answer to every question, but I need something on this one.
05-12-10, 01:03 AM
#262
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 430
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Lost -- "Across the Sea" -- 05/11/10
I always enjoy Alan Sepinwall's writing. He sums up tonight's Lost quite nicely.
http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-al...sed-by-another
http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-al...sed-by-another
05-12-10, 01:09 AM
#263
DVD Talk Legend
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: NYC
Posts: 17,015
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Lost -- "Across the Sea" -- 05/11/10
It's also possible that this was all misdirection and that Jacob's brother is not Smokey. In that case, Jacob's brother is dead, and Smokey manipulated Jacob's brother the entire time.
In this scenario it was Smokey that appeared to Jacob's brother as his mother, setting him on the path of abandoning his destined role as protector. And it was Smokey that wiped out the village, so the brother would kill the current protector in revenge. It's unclear whether or not Jacob knew the true nature of the thing that manifested to him as his dead brother.
In that case, it's Smokey who is the true villain of the show. He is a malevolent force that wants to sow chaos and death throughout the world, but is trapped on the island. The motives are the same, but the reasons and methods are different.
This would explain how all the men in the village were killed and the well was filled in in such a relatively short period.
In this scenario it was Smokey that appeared to Jacob's brother as his mother, setting him on the path of abandoning his destined role as protector. And it was Smokey that wiped out the village, so the brother would kill the current protector in revenge. It's unclear whether or not Jacob knew the true nature of the thing that manifested to him as his dead brother.
In that case, it's Smokey who is the true villain of the show. He is a malevolent force that wants to sow chaos and death throughout the world, but is trapped on the island. The motives are the same, but the reasons and methods are different.
This would explain how all the men in the village were killed and the well was filled in in such a relatively short period.
05-12-10, 01:10 AM
#264
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Lost -- "Across the Sea" -- 05/11/10
I'm not joining the mob either. I liked the episode. Not as good as Jack Bauer kicking ass this week but still a pretty good episode.
05-12-10, 01:24 AM
#266
Re: Lost -- "Across the Sea" -- 05/11/10
Is there a reason why Richard can't be the new protector? The guy can't die, doesn't age, and has already spent a couple hundred years already on the island. Seems like he'd be the perfect choice.
05-12-10, 01:25 AM
#267
Re: Lost -- "Across the Sea" -- 05/11/10
To all the haters: this entire SHOW has been about characters with daddy/parent issues. All along, every character. Name a Lostie or one of the main characters on the show and you can match them up with some kind of daddy/parent issue. Any one of them.
The fact that Jacob/MIB stems from a similar parent issue does not shock me in the least. I knew it was going to come down to this...
http://forum.dvdtalk.com/10122561-post206.html
Even Lindelof himself said that issues with his dad had a big influence on the direction he took the show in.
None of this comes as any surprise to me. Were there disappointments in the episode? Sure. There were things I felt should have been answered, or even just simply addressed with a line of dialog or two, but nope...it was just glossed over. And the flash back to season one was pretty lame.
The fact that Jacob/MIB stems from a similar parent issue does not shock me in the least. I knew it was going to come down to this...
http://forum.dvdtalk.com/10122561-post206.html
Even Lindelof himself said that issues with his dad had a big influence on the direction he took the show in.
None of this comes as any surprise to me. Were there disappointments in the episode? Sure. There were things I felt should have been answered, or even just simply addressed with a line of dialog or two, but nope...it was just glossed over. And the flash back to season one was pretty lame.
05-12-10, 01:34 AM
#268
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Seattle
Posts: 2,349
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Lost -- "Across the Sea" -- 05/11/10
Wow, this show just flew off the rails. I'll be amazed if they can recover from the clusterfuck that was this episode by the end of the series. If they don't manage it, it's highly unlikely I'll keep my S1-5 DVDs around much longer.
05-12-10, 01:43 AM
#269
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: San Leandro/San Francisco
Posts: 7,422
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Re: Lost -- "Across the Sea" -- 05/11/10
I didn't think it was that bad either but are we ever going to find out about the Hanzo Corp or Dharma?
I'm confused.
I'm confused.
05-12-10, 01:52 AM
#270
Member
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: La La Land
Posts: 186
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Lost -- "Across the Sea" -- 05/11/10
Crap! Utter crap!
No one apparently understands the island, but they still seem to have motives to kill lots of people or put them in jeopardy.
No they won't be making shows like this in the future. They've burned enough viewers who'll never take a chance on anything that looks like this.
No one apparently understands the island, but they still seem to have motives to kill lots of people or put them in jeopardy.
No they won't be making shows like this in the future. They've burned enough viewers who'll never take a chance on anything that looks like this.
05-12-10, 01:52 AM
#271
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 8,487
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Lost -- "Across the Sea" -- 05/11/10
Regardless of how poor this episode might have been (and although I was disappointed, some of the hysterical reactions are a bit much), it doesn't make the previous 5 seasons, or even the rest of this season, worse in my mind.
05-12-10, 01:53 AM
#272
Re: Lost -- "Across the Sea" -- 05/11/10
Those who worship at the altar of Lindelof and Cuse will probably argue that both those were Red Herrings and/or served their ultimate purpose last season. After the laughably bad explanation for the Donkey Wheel, I'm not sure I want any attempt at shoehorning in any further explanation for Dharma or Hanso.
05-12-10, 01:59 AM
#273
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Seattle and sometimes hell
Posts: 6,270
Likes: 0
Received 15 Likes
on
14 Posts
Re: Lost -- "Across the Sea" -- 05/11/10
Well I liked the episode. I don't really see how you can called this filler. We now know they aren't gods. We know that Smoke monster isn't pure evil and just wants off the island. We learn that Jacob wasn't being truthful about the reason for protecting the island. We learn the true reason for protecting the island. We learn what smoke monster meant when he said Jacob took his body.
05-12-10, 02:00 AM
#274
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Lost -- "Across the Sea" -- 05/11/10
What a bunch of whiners!
After perusing 8 pages of your bitching I almost didn't bother watching it myself.
What are some of you people are expecting anyway? The answer to all of life's mysteries???? The secrets of the universe exposed?????
Get a grip people. Yes, its a television show you have watched for the past 6 years. The writers OWE you nothing. Hopefully it all comes together with some satisfying conclusion but there is no guarantee. It could end like Sopranos where the window into the lives of the characters simply closes and they go on without you. Or it could end like Battlestar Galactica where all the major plot strands get tied up with a big red bow and there is nothing left to wonder about. Lindelof and Cuse have pretty much already told us to expect something somewhere in between so that ought to tell you what to expect.
Having worked with television and script writers I can tell you this, when the Lost Pilot was sold there was no storyline plotted out extending beyond the clever premise that ABC bought that lasted the first season. ABC wasn't told how things would end because it was open-ended. They had no idea. That's why networks pay so much for stuff like this. It could have ended up going 100 different ways. The potential was there and the writers ran with it.
Nothing in this season or even the last 2 or 3 were plotted out 6 years ago. Lindelof and Cuse did not have some grand epic tale they presented the network.(There are some writers who do, the creator of the HBO series Carnivale comes to mind and look where it got him!) But these guys just took a cool idea developed with JJ Abrams and ran with it. They made up a lot of cool parts along the way and managed to keep people coming back for 6 years. The fact that it ties together as well as it does is a tribute to the showrunners and crew.
So don't believe the bullshit about how this or that proves what geniuses they were and how they knew where things were going all along. Its hype. These are talented guys no doubt, and Im eager to see where they go but I guarantee they did not know where things were going when they started. Its their job to make it up as they go along. Thats what writers do!
It's not easy by any means to keep these kind of multi-year storylines running from season to season when you have network idiots offering their own ideas, pressure from ratings going up and down, actors not wanting to come back, etc.
So bitch and moan all you want on how this was the 3rd worst episode you ever sat on your fat ass and watched or what a CRIME it is that the series didn't blow your mind but I guarantee, this was still the most interesting show on network television tonight.
No matter how the show ends, with a whimper or a bang, its not going to change your life or rewrite the bible. These kind of shows with large ensemble casts juggliing multiple storylines with little replay value are among the hardest concepts to get made in Hollywood. And LOST has consistently delivered for 6 years. So enjoy the last 3 hours of what will probably be the last of its kind on network television.
I know I'll miss this show when its over.
After perusing 8 pages of your bitching I almost didn't bother watching it myself.
What are some of you people are expecting anyway? The answer to all of life's mysteries???? The secrets of the universe exposed?????
Get a grip people. Yes, its a television show you have watched for the past 6 years. The writers OWE you nothing. Hopefully it all comes together with some satisfying conclusion but there is no guarantee. It could end like Sopranos where the window into the lives of the characters simply closes and they go on without you. Or it could end like Battlestar Galactica where all the major plot strands get tied up with a big red bow and there is nothing left to wonder about. Lindelof and Cuse have pretty much already told us to expect something somewhere in between so that ought to tell you what to expect.
Having worked with television and script writers I can tell you this, when the Lost Pilot was sold there was no storyline plotted out extending beyond the clever premise that ABC bought that lasted the first season. ABC wasn't told how things would end because it was open-ended. They had no idea. That's why networks pay so much for stuff like this. It could have ended up going 100 different ways. The potential was there and the writers ran with it.
Nothing in this season or even the last 2 or 3 were plotted out 6 years ago. Lindelof and Cuse did not have some grand epic tale they presented the network.(There are some writers who do, the creator of the HBO series Carnivale comes to mind and look where it got him!) But these guys just took a cool idea developed with JJ Abrams and ran with it. They made up a lot of cool parts along the way and managed to keep people coming back for 6 years. The fact that it ties together as well as it does is a tribute to the showrunners and crew.
So don't believe the bullshit about how this or that proves what geniuses they were and how they knew where things were going all along. Its hype. These are talented guys no doubt, and Im eager to see where they go but I guarantee they did not know where things were going when they started. Its their job to make it up as they go along. Thats what writers do!
It's not easy by any means to keep these kind of multi-year storylines running from season to season when you have network idiots offering their own ideas, pressure from ratings going up and down, actors not wanting to come back, etc.
So bitch and moan all you want on how this was the 3rd worst episode you ever sat on your fat ass and watched or what a CRIME it is that the series didn't blow your mind but I guarantee, this was still the most interesting show on network television tonight.
No matter how the show ends, with a whimper or a bang, its not going to change your life or rewrite the bible. These kind of shows with large ensemble casts juggliing multiple storylines with little replay value are among the hardest concepts to get made in Hollywood. And LOST has consistently delivered for 6 years. So enjoy the last 3 hours of what will probably be the last of its kind on network television.
I know I'll miss this show when its over.
05-12-10, 02:01 AM
#275
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 3,193
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Lost -- "Across the Sea" -- 05/11/10
Well, I was half asleep through most the episode (I was awake enough to open my eyes and fast forward through the commercials as they came) and I still got the gist of the episode and think I made the best use of my time tonight.