Letters to the Editor
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Respectfully disagree
I agree with others who have objected to the main point of this article. I think you misunderstand the complaint from frustrated viewers.
For me, it's not that I want answers to all of the mysteries, and I love this aspect of Lost. Here is my main complaint: I have little faith that the show's writers and producers are playing straight with the viewers. For example, introducing several new main characters into season two, only to kill them off at the end of the season (reportedly for off-screen conduct). Try to tell me, with a straight face, that this aborted story arc was part of the original concept of the series and it was planned out from the beginning.
And while others may enjoy the extensive backstory for each of the characters, I see nothing more than a gold mine for stalling tactics. Do we really need to see another episode about Hurley at the fast food joint or Charley doing heroin? These episodes are not character development, they are filler.
I would like to second the comment made by Rillion. One of the most frustrating things about Lost is that the behavior of the characters defy expectations. I'm not sure that I know how I would act if in a similar situation, but I'm pretty sure that I would meet with my fellow castaways, talk about what was happening, and try to figure out the mysteries of the island. How many times have you seen a character experience something truly bizarre, or learn something about the island, and then return to camp like nothing happened? And seemingly integral characters (Sayed, for example) will simply vanish for several episodes while supposedly important stuff is going on. For me, this is a severe threat to suspension of disbelief.
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Thank you!
I completely agree with you! BTW, in response to some of the letters, I watched last week's episode with my 67-year-old dad. It was his first time watching the show and, yes, I was there to answer a few questions, but he then watched the follow-up show on Thursday and wants to watch the finale tonight. In other words, it is possible to join this show mid-point.
I agree the acting over-the-top, but that's in keeping with the story; it's not a comment on the abilities of the actors. I don't think the show is for everyone. Don't watch the show if you don't like it; just don't judge those of us do.
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I don't watch much television, . . .
. . . but maybe one of the committed, nay addicted, can tell my why the fat guy on Lost is still fat after being marooned on an island for a couple years now?
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I also agree with Rilion
I don't mind the endlessly spiraling mysteries anywhere near as much as the odd passivity most of the characters consistently exhibit. It seems a contrivance to drag things out. Sayid is the only character who almost always asks obvious questions, such as "why are you people torturing us?" There ought to be ways to show the castaways seeking answers without getting them, other than just not having them ask. That, actually, is something "The X-Files" did extremely well.
That said, once we got away from watching Jack, Sawyer and Kate being tortured, this season has picked up considerably and I'm looking forward to tonight's episode. The show continues to be enjoyable, and knowing that the creators have set a definite end point is encouraging.
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Re: Why the fat guy's still fat
Two reasons really. Even though the show has been on the air for three years, the amount of time that has actually passed on the island is only about 90 days. (See Lost timeline at http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Timeline) Secondly, the castaways have a full supply of Dharma Initiative rations from the hatch and a supply drop that they found in the jungle.
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Maybe it's real simple
Maybe it's nothing more than TV for people too zonked out on meds to give a shit? After all, there is stoner TV. So my not prescription drug TV. Maybe it's as simple as the TV equivalent of Trip-Hop or House music. Maybe my dog is the real audience.
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Sloppy Storytelling Does Not Equal Mysterious
I absolutely loved the first season of LOST - I found it dark, surreal, inspiring, incredibly suspenseful, and wonderfully mysterious. Mid-way through Season 2 I started getting suspicious, and the beginning of Season 3 just confirmed it for me: LOST has no respect for its audience. What was once a fascinating cast of characters has devolved into a one-dimensional, macho-fueled bunch of idiots. The flashbacks have become tedious and formulaic. And, worst of all, the show's "mysteries" are now just aimless "plot" developments that are picked up and left off without any regard for a greater narrative. The obsessive fans haven't figured the island out because there is nothing to figure out.
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Here's the real mystery.
Why do people who "don't watch much television" read and comment on tv columns? Perhaps the producers of Lost will answer that question when they explain the four-toed statue.
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Oh, ye of too much faith
It seems to be a given that the writers of "Lost" know where it's all going. Have you considered the possibility that they are just as lost as anyone? That each new weirdness, cul-de-sac of plot and disconnected revelation about the island is merely their attempt to keep juggling as fast as they can, desperately hoping that they'll figure something out before the house of cards comes down? Methinks you give them too much credit.
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a hyper-aware audience
is part of the problem here. We (I'm a viewer, not as obsessive as some, but nevertheless invested in the show) watch every week, and we are generally left with way more questions than answers. In fact, the new questions are often generated by the answers to older mysteries. It's this atmosphere of unfolding mystery that makes Lost so compelling.
I believe that the frustration people often express about Lost stems from this same sense of mystery, because we know that the writing is not finished yet. How can one enjoy the unfolding of a mystery when one is aware that the writers might change the ending to fit a marketing survey? Case in point - wasn't Ben, back when he was Henry Gale, a one shot character, who was integrated into the story when he proved to be popular?
I often am reminded of The X-Files when watching Lost, because I distinctly remember the sense of disappointment I had when I realized that there was no truth out there, but rather that Chris Carter was just piling layer on layer of conspiracy, season by season, and that there would be no final revelation that related back to the first suspicions harbored by Mulder. Now that we are even more aware of the machinations behind the scenes, and have many more opportunities to glimpse the thoughts of the creators of Lost, how can we help but lose hope that there is indeed a coherent solution to the mystery? The existence of spoofs such as manatees selecting plot points and the "magic turtle" writers meeting video on YouTube speaks to that point. So it's with full knowledge that my chain is being yanked on a weekly basis that I'll be watching tonight. Even if the answers will spring from an unholy confluence of focus groups, texted-in votes, and beachballs batted around by manatees, I'm still curious how it'll turn out.