The JourneyA provocative new journey through the lives of some of the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 -- and a closer look at the island they're stranded on -- will be revealed. (First Aired: 2005-04-27) 61 minutes.
Man, that sucked! On the one hand, I'd already watched the Desperate Housewives clip show on Sunday, so I was prepared for the monumental waste of time/useless clip show last night and Tivo'd and watched accordingly. On the other hand, I feel for the blind devotees around here who thought surely Lost would not duplicate the uselessness of DH's clip show (since "it's a better show") or figured at least the promo for the next episode would be worth tuning in (it wasn't--it was virtually the same promo they've been showing for the last month). Other than ret-conning the whispers to make them louder (but still unintelligible), last night was simply more of the same from the writers and producers of this show who continue to dig their hole deeper and deeper as we near the first season finish line.
Pondering that finish line and the cliffhanger that assuredly awaits, I'm reminded of the "thrilling" mid-season cliff-hanger when Boone "just so happened" to drop his flashlight on a piece of metal buried under some mud. Four months later we still don't know what's inside. If this is the sort of "thrilling" cliff-hanger and follow-through that awaits us in the season-finale, Ian won't be the only cast and crew member saddened to leave Hawaii out of a job.
My mid-season criteria of what I "needed" to know in order to follow this show into next season remains un-met. We still have not seen inside the Hatch (let alone explored it), and we still have not seen the "Black Rock" (let alone explored it). And "the Others"? They're still undiscovered, too. Sadly, 20 episodes in (and a clip show) and the crash survivors still have not started to explore the island.
Taking all this into consideration, I go back to one of Damon Lindelof's interviews where he stated that the writers were erring on the side of "telling too much" as opposed to telling too little. That leaves us with one of two possibilities as we enter May and the final five episodes of the season: (1) He lied (or has a grossly inaccurate idea of what the viewers consider "too much"); or (2) these final five episodes are truly going to be a thrilling pay-off for season-long devotees. Because there's still so many basic mysteries and questions unsolved and unexplained, if he actually tells us "too much", then I don't know if five episodes (including a two-hour finale) is enough time to cover it.
I'm hoping for option (2). Though Lost has a lot of unanswered questions, it's not nearly annoying as I find Alias (sorry Alias fans!). Hopefully these last episodes will deal more with the hatch, black rock, etc, without answering everything (obviously), cause we'd have no season cliffhanger. Honestly, nothing major has happened lately. (that i can remember. Nice, right?)
I completely agree about the clip show, too. I don't watch Desperate Housewives, and didn't know they had a clip show, too. It was somwhat interesting to rewatch old episodes and get a feel for where we'll be for next week's new episode, but "The Journey" was overall pretty awful.
I seriously hope for option 2! The Journey was not at all what I expected - and even if it was more for the benefit of new viewers it still left so much of what I thought was important totally untouched! I keep thinking maybe those scenes have clues hidden in them but darn if I can figure out what I should have picked up on!
At least the preview hints at us getting some answers. Just a few that's all I want, not much to ask - is it?
malachy, honestly, if the show bothers you so much, quit watching. this show is great in my opinion and to over analyze and complain is just being a whiner. im tired of people complaining about the show. i'm sorry if you feel singled out but i really want the people who complain to stop watching and stop posting here.
I'm hoping for option (2).* * Though Lost has a lot of unanswered questions, it's not nearly annoying as I find Alias (sorry Alias fans!).* Hopefully these last episodes will deal more with the hatch, black rock, etc, without answering everything (obviously), cause we'd have no season cliffhanger.* *Honestly, nothing major has happened lately.* (that i can remember.* Nice, right?)*
Well, I think the show will probably finish somewhere between 1 and 2. Certainly the pace picked up over the last three new episodes (especially Hurley's "Numbers" episode which laid out a timeline and the basic premise that the island is purposefully bringing people to it), but all in all most of the major mysteries introduced over the course of the season have not been advanced at all (the Hatch, the Others, Claire's baby, the Black Rock, etc.).
Basically they've left alot of little clues that could tie together nicely over these final episodes, but I think the level of pay-off for viewers is going to be determined between now and the cliff-hanger. If we get more of the same (character development, but no plot progression) followed by a dramatic cliff-hanger (like the raft sailing into a military convoy surrounding the island or the like) I think people are going to be enormously disappointed.
But if we explore some of thepreviously introduced mysteries and then explore some new ones (like how and why the plane crashed--if it did at all) and end on an incredible plot twist/cliff-hanger, then I think long-time viewers will feel like there's been a tremendous pay-off that has rewarded their attention.
Like I said, though, I think we'll get something in the middle.
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Originally Posted by technophobe
I completely agree about the clip show, too.* I don't watch Desperate Housewives, and didn't know they had a clip show, too.* It was somewhat interesting to re-watch old episodes and get a feel for where we'll be for next week's new episode, but "The Journey"* was overall pretty awful.
Yeah, they do these kind of clip/recap episodes for most of the major reality competition series (like Survivor and the Apprentice). They're so common place that if you have been watching all season you know to skip it (these clip shows exist solely to re-cap for new viewers and viewers who tuned in midway through).
But ABC marketed this show as almost a documentary look at Lost (I was expecting something along the lines of Sc-Fi Channel's special when The Blair Witch Project came out). But instead it was "just another crappy clip show."
malachy, honestly, if the show bothers you so much, quit watching. this show is great in my opinion and to over analyze and complain is just being a whiner. im tired of people complaining about the show. i'm sorry if you feel singled out but i really want the people who complain to stop watching and stop posting here.
This poster and post is just too easy to make fun of. (i.e., so you are only supposed to post here if you praise the show?) Actually it doesn't even bother me. Which is kind of the point.
Instead, I think it raises a legitimate issue: my interest level has already dramatically waned. I didn't watch any of the April reruns, fastforwarded through the clip show, and I haven't posted here in weeks.
I don't know if my feelings about the show are unique to me or shared by many viewers (while Lost ratings have tapered off since it's mid-season high, they remain very high), but to me the show has definitely peaked, progressed too slowly, and wasted to many opportunities to thrill with plot contrivances (everything that might be even remotely interesting in terms of the plots and mysteries of this show seem to either occur off-camera or a character can't remember anything or lies about it or gets killed in order for the writers to conceal information).
Obviously no conclusions can be drawn until after the season-finale, but I'm not sure if there's anything the show can do to rekindle the enthusiastic interest in the show I had back in December.
malachy, honestly, if the show bothers you so much, quit watching. this show is great in my opinion and to over analyze and complain is just being a whiner. im tired of people complaining about the show. i'm sorry if you feel singled out but i really want the people who complain to stop watching and stop posting here.
I love LOST and am a huge fan of the show, but I enjoy reading well-written opinions, no matter how critical they might be of the show.
The show is one of the best written and performed dramas on network tv today, yet they've made a few mistakes and theres nothing wronmg about discussing those missteps.
malachy, honestly, if the show bothers you so much, quit watching. this show is great in my opinion and to over analyze and complain is just being a whiner. im tired of people complaining about the show. i'm sorry if you feel singled out but i really want the people who complain to stop watching and stop posting here.
You must not be a sports fan of any kind. As a fan of the Redskins, I praise them, but when they deserve it. Not when they stink up the show. And in some message groups that I belong to for fans, we all gripe and grouse. That's the nature of being a fan.
I will NOT stop watching the Redskins because they lose, nor will I keep my mouth shut about it.
The same thing applies here. You can be a fan of the show, and be disappointed/disgruntled/upset about it at the same time. If YOU personally don't care to hear it, as soon as you realize that's what someone is posting, then leave the thread.
Lighten up, it's T.V. it's not life or death. At least I hope it's not.
Malachy, I haven't seen you around lately. I could always count on you and Mr. Tibbs for some witty criticisms, but you guys have been pretty scarce. I miss your posts.
I don't necessarily agree with everything you said. The clip show was god awful and a waste of time; I will agree with you on that one, but personally I think the last 3-4 episodes have been awesome. I feel like the show is building up for a huge Season finale/climax. Well, I hope. I say hang in there. I'm thinking the hatch and/or the black rock will be revealed in the season finale. Well again, I hope so. I have faith that I won't be disappointed.
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