Okay, I mentioned it in a blog post last week, and if you can’t tell by from this weeks comics, I’ve been watching Lost on Netflix.
For those who know me personally, you probably remember when I used to be very critical of Lost. That has since changed.
I married a Lost-fan, and I casually watched the last half of the final season when it originally aired last year. I must say as someone who wasn’t along for the ride, I sure liked the destination.
Many of you might disagree.
I can’t tell you how to feel, but you did come to my website, so I can tell you what I think 🙂
I had some initial thoughts in my original Lost post. It was somewhat lengthy, but as I’m in the middle of the series, I feel that they still hold true.
Basically, if you didn’t understand it, it wasn’t meant for you, and if you didn’t like the show, then again, it wasn’t meant for you. That’s the long and short of it.
But as I’m diving a lot deeper I noticed something. What I originally disliked about Lost from the few episodes I saw years ago was the fact that it poses so many questions but waits so long to provide answers. At the time, I praised Heroes for building mysteries and revealing them within two episodes, while Lost built mystery after mystery with no payoff. Lost-fans even claimed little to no payoff after investing three to four seasons.
We were all wrong.
Hindsight being 20-20 for me since I know how it ends, pertinent clues and themes are provided throughout the series, and a number of things are revealed as the story unfolds. Granted, when it first aired, people didn’t know how it would end or what themes and secrets to look for, but this show is packed full of easter eggs and info for the observant viewer, and I’m having a blast watching it from the beginning.
The other problem that I think people originally faced with the show was the wait time between shows. I can’t imagine having to wait a week, or an entire summer, to find out what happens next. I’m able to watch two or three episodes in a row thus watching the whole story unfold as one. This wait time causes people to come up with their own theories and then be disappointed when it’s not what they thought.
No, I’m not discounting your imagination, but here me out for a second.
I’m going to use The Matrix sequels as an example.
Yes, The Matrix sequels, stay with me here.
When The Matrix first came out, we had little expectations. The only trailers and promos we got were the tagline, “What Is The Matrix?” Then, we all went to see it and fell in love with the sci-fi and philosophical story, special effects, and action sequences.
Then we had to wait.
In the meantime, the Wachowski Brothers continued their view of the story. You know, the story they originally made up. So they provided us with two more movies diving deeper into the story of the Machines versus the Humans inside and outside of The Matrix. Once they showed us life outside of The Matrix, instead of whatever some internet message board group-thinking thought should happen, people lost their suspension of disbelief in a science fiction story, and thought negatively of the movies.
Yeah, I can hear you now saying that you’re not part of any social group-think and you genuinely disliked the movies on your own, but to that, I say either it didn’t live up to your alternate imagination, or you’re kidding yourself, because disliking The Matrix sequels and disliking the fourth Indiana Jones movie are the biggest Internet movie-critic cliches of the last ten years.
Still disagree with me? Well, to each their own, but I imagine if The Matrix sequels you thought up in your imagination were any good, then you’d be making movies.
At any rate, how does this relate to Lost? Oh, I don’t know. Maybe Lost (The Matrix) is a sci-fi and philosophical story that hooked people from the beginning with an alternate world on the Island (The Matrix), and once the people who created that story (The Wachowski Brothers) started to show you how that Island (The Matrix) related to our world (Zion), your suspension of disbelief went away, and it didn’t turn out like your obviously genius imagination thought it would be.
Sorry to sound so harsh, but if you’re going to be able to dish it out on movies and TV shows that I like, hopefully you can take it when someone calls you out on it.
Oh well, all ranting aside, I encourage you to go back and watch Lost from the beginning, or if you’re like me, watch it for the first time. It’s available streaming on Netflix, and if you keep an open mind and pay closer attention this time around, I think you’ll enjoy the ride a lot more.
I just finished the second season and Im having a great time with it.
Second Season!? Cue the Lost-critics cause this guy isn’t even close to the crappy part yet 🙂