This isn’t going to be one of our normal format recaps. Mostly because trying to summarize all two hours of plot would be more than a little ridiculous, especially considering how dense this two-hour episode was. But I wanted to post and say this:After tonight’s episode, Lost is back.
This was, from beginning to end, the kind of episode they’ve needed to be doing all season. Everything, from the early explosion-based action sequence to the act break fake-outs to the tragic sequences to that absolutely phenomenal ending conversation was done exceptionally well. Even Matthew Fox, who has become such a grating actor this year, did a fantastic job with his character. I guess Jack just works better when he’s supposed to be whiny.
But it was that ending that really sold it for me. It was one of those situations where I started thinking, about mid-way through the second hour, how cool it would be if it turned out to be a flashback from the future, with Jack living a shitty life after being rescued from the island. And they kept building and building toward something, but I was skeptical that they’d do something as neat and far-reaching and twisty as that, especially given their tendency to end seasons with shots of ladders.
But they did it. They did it exactly like they should have.
It’s against my better judgement, but I am now absolutely looking forward to this show’s return. This was, as two hours of television, up there as some of the best of the year. It was far better than the Heroes finale and it stands alone, I think — barring some annoying tics, like that stupid eyepatch wearing guy who will not die –, as a creative, exciting and satisfying piece of sci fi writing.
And you know what it was, mostly? What made this interesting while most other episodes this season have just been bland? It was the sense of urgency — the desire these characters had to escape this damn island. It’s something we haven’t actually felt from them for a long time, and it seems like such a small thing, but without it we’re just left with a bunch of characters living on some fucked up island we can’t really relate to.
But everyone can relate to wanting to go home.
Welcome back, Lost. Now just don’t fuck it up next season.
