11. House of the Rising Sun (1x6, Sun)
Episode highlight: The discovery of Adam and Eve and their white and black stones
#2: The reveal that Sun speaks English
10. The Greater Good (1x21, Sayid)
Episode highlight: Locke's admission that he was the one who knocked Sayid out
#2: Everything else about Sayid and Locke's conversation
9. Numbers (1x18, Hurley)
Episode highlight: the reveal of the numbers on the side of the hatch
#2: Hurley's conversation with Rousseau
8. Raised by Another (1x10, Claire)
Episode highlight: The chaotic scene at the caves as the picture comes together--Sayid declaring they are not alone and Hurley's discovery that Ethan was not on the plane
#2: The creepiness of Malkin's prophecy
7. All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues (1x11, Jack)
Episode highlight: Jack brings Charlie back from the brink of deah
#2: The Jack/Christian backstory
6. Solitary (1x9, Sayid)
Episode highlight: We meet Rousseau and hear her tale, introducing so much mythology (Black Rock, Others, science team, Alex, whispers, Alex, etc.) that it's hard to imagine the show prior to this episode
#2: Sayid hears the whispers
5. White Rabbit (1x5, Jack)
Episode highlight: Jack and Locke's chat about destiny and the Island--really the first true classic Jack/Locke showdown
#2: Jack's pursuit of Christian ends with an empty coffin
4. Walkabout (1x4, Locke)
Episode highlight: We discover that Locke was paralyzed before coming to the Island, and we should have seen it all along
#2: Locke stares down the Monster
3. Deus Ex Machina (1x18, Locke)
Episode highlight: The light turns on in the hatch as Locke pounds on it
#2: Boone hears "WE'RE the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815" on the Beechcraft radio
2. Exodus (1x23 and 1x24, Various)
Episode highlight: The taking of Walt is a great twist
#2: So many to choose from, but the reveal of the Black Rock as a slave ship is pretty awesome
1. Pilot (1x1 and 1x2, Various)
Episode highlight: The plane crash itself
#2: Between the Monster and the French Transmission..."Guys, where are we?"
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
DarkUFO's Lost Fantasy League
DarkUFO sponsors a Lost Fantasy League--I have entered a team and thought that discussing which characters I chose would be a useful way to touch on Season 6 expectations. I have not spent too much time analyzing the scoring rules and attempting to choose the best team in that manner--I have just chosen characters that I feel will play important roles in Season 6, and hopefully that will translate into a lot of points.
Group 7: Ana Lucia, Arzt, Boone, Charlie, Charlotte, Daniel, Eko, Libby, Michael, Naomi, Shannon
This group is tough as obviously it is filled with dead characters. We've seen guest spots from Ana Lucia, Boone, Charlie, Libby, and Naomi since their demise, and so they are good candidates. Some actors did not leave on the best of terms and are not likely to be back. But I chose Daniel here as is relationship with Hawking may make him a top flashback candidate, and perhaps will see his child self again.
Group 6: Cindy, Ethan, Horace, Pierre, Radzinsky, Roger, Danielle, the Monster, Tom
I chose the Monster here, but injuring a character can cause a big points deduction so this may not be the safest choice. My hope is that we'll learn enough about the Monster and see it acting (relatively) peacefully so as to still be a positive. Among the other choices, I think Pierre, Horace, and Radzinsky are the best as I am very interested in seeing how DHARMA responded to the Incident. Cindy could show up again with the group of Others from the Temple. The others are longer shots, but you never know.
Group 5: Aaron, Bernard, Carole, Charlie Hume, Ji Yeon, Rose, Vincent, Walt
Do you think that the children born or conceived on the Island will be important? Then Aaron and Ji Yeon are your guys. Between Rose and Bernard, I'd choose Rose, as she is the Season 1 original, but I really don't think they'll be major players. If I wanted to choose Carole, I'd go with Aaron. I'd assume we see Desmond's son, and who knows, maybe their sailboat will crash into the Island, but I'm not holding my breath. I chose Walt, as this is one mystery that everyone (the actor included) would like to see resolution for, and one that if not addressed will be a disappointment.
Group 4: Widmore, Christian, Claire, Frank, Hawking, Jacob, Juliet, Penny
These are all enticing choices, except for Juliet and Penny. Juliet is dead, IMO, and while I expect to see her in some capacity it won't be enough to score a lot of points. Penny and Desmond don't have a clearly defined role at this point, and the actress is on a another show, so...Widmore at one time seemed like the big bad of the show, but now it seems as if his war with Ben is just a sideshow to the conflict between Jacob and Black Robe, and while I fully expect to see him I don't think it'll be enough. Christian is intriguing as a Christian/Jack island faceoff is years in the making, and he's appeared to enough other Lostaways to be a viable option. Claire should be back as a regular, with an interesting story to tell, and since I think she's cute as heck, I'll make her my choice. Frank potentially became more than just a pilot when Ilana wondered whether he was a candidate. Hawking remains a player who knows a lot. Is Jacob really dead? Can he be resurrected?
Group 3: Bram, Desmond, Ilana, Locke, Richard
I went with Ilana as her past interaction with Jacob and leadership role portend bigger things to come. I'm not sure why you'd pick Bram over her, but some thought Ilana was the distraction for Caesar, so you may be a genius. Desmond could very well be a key to the whole show, but the difficulty of figuring out exactly what he's going to be doing makes me reluctant to choose him. While I expect that the real Locke is dead and gone, he may well reappear, but I don't think it'll be enough. Richard is the safest pick, as he should appear in backstories and be involved in any important trecks.
Group 2: Jin, Black Robe, Miles, Sayid, Sun
These are all good potential choices. I shied away from Black Robe and Sayid because they have the potential for inflicting harm on others, which reduce their value, and they are also prime candidates to die. Between Jin and Sun, I chose Sun, because she's my favorite female character on the show, and she showed a lot more initiative in Season 5 than in the past. Miles should be allowed to explore some good places, but it's tough to pick against a Season 1 coupling.
Group 1: Ben, Hurley, Jack, Kate, Sawyer
I went with Jack, as I really believe that he will be the last Lostaway we ever see on the screen. LOST may be an ensemble show, but Jack is the titular main character and I think he deserves to end as a hero, even if it may be a tragic one. Ben has to get what's coming to him sometime, doesn't he? Hurley could be a Cobra-like influence, but I don't see it, and he's not involved enough in the action stuff to be a top fantasy choice. Kate is a good candidate to get points for her romantic flings, but since I think she'll be doing them with Jack, he'll get those same points. Sawyer was a major player in Season 5 and is a solid selection, but it's tough to go against Jack.
Group 7: Ana Lucia, Arzt, Boone, Charlie, Charlotte, Daniel, Eko, Libby, Michael, Naomi, Shannon
This group is tough as obviously it is filled with dead characters. We've seen guest spots from Ana Lucia, Boone, Charlie, Libby, and Naomi since their demise, and so they are good candidates. Some actors did not leave on the best of terms and are not likely to be back. But I chose Daniel here as is relationship with Hawking may make him a top flashback candidate, and perhaps will see his child self again.
Group 6: Cindy, Ethan, Horace, Pierre, Radzinsky, Roger, Danielle, the Monster, Tom
I chose the Monster here, but injuring a character can cause a big points deduction so this may not be the safest choice. My hope is that we'll learn enough about the Monster and see it acting (relatively) peacefully so as to still be a positive. Among the other choices, I think Pierre, Horace, and Radzinsky are the best as I am very interested in seeing how DHARMA responded to the Incident. Cindy could show up again with the group of Others from the Temple. The others are longer shots, but you never know.
Group 5: Aaron, Bernard, Carole, Charlie Hume, Ji Yeon, Rose, Vincent, Walt
Do you think that the children born or conceived on the Island will be important? Then Aaron and Ji Yeon are your guys. Between Rose and Bernard, I'd choose Rose, as she is the Season 1 original, but I really don't think they'll be major players. If I wanted to choose Carole, I'd go with Aaron. I'd assume we see Desmond's son, and who knows, maybe their sailboat will crash into the Island, but I'm not holding my breath. I chose Walt, as this is one mystery that everyone (the actor included) would like to see resolution for, and one that if not addressed will be a disappointment.
Group 4: Widmore, Christian, Claire, Frank, Hawking, Jacob, Juliet, Penny
These are all enticing choices, except for Juliet and Penny. Juliet is dead, IMO, and while I expect to see her in some capacity it won't be enough to score a lot of points. Penny and Desmond don't have a clearly defined role at this point, and the actress is on a another show, so...Widmore at one time seemed like the big bad of the show, but now it seems as if his war with Ben is just a sideshow to the conflict between Jacob and Black Robe, and while I fully expect to see him I don't think it'll be enough. Christian is intriguing as a Christian/Jack island faceoff is years in the making, and he's appeared to enough other Lostaways to be a viable option. Claire should be back as a regular, with an interesting story to tell, and since I think she's cute as heck, I'll make her my choice. Frank potentially became more than just a pilot when Ilana wondered whether he was a candidate. Hawking remains a player who knows a lot. Is Jacob really dead? Can he be resurrected?
Group 3: Bram, Desmond, Ilana, Locke, Richard
I went with Ilana as her past interaction with Jacob and leadership role portend bigger things to come. I'm not sure why you'd pick Bram over her, but some thought Ilana was the distraction for Caesar, so you may be a genius. Desmond could very well be a key to the whole show, but the difficulty of figuring out exactly what he's going to be doing makes me reluctant to choose him. While I expect that the real Locke is dead and gone, he may well reappear, but I don't think it'll be enough. Richard is the safest pick, as he should appear in backstories and be involved in any important trecks.
Group 2: Jin, Black Robe, Miles, Sayid, Sun
These are all good potential choices. I shied away from Black Robe and Sayid because they have the potential for inflicting harm on others, which reduce their value, and they are also prime candidates to die. Between Jin and Sun, I chose Sun, because she's my favorite female character on the show, and she showed a lot more initiative in Season 5 than in the past. Miles should be allowed to explore some good places, but it's tough to pick against a Season 1 coupling.
Group 1: Ben, Hurley, Jack, Kate, Sawyer
I went with Jack, as I really believe that he will be the last Lostaway we ever see on the screen. LOST may be an ensemble show, but Jack is the titular main character and I think he deserves to end as a hero, even if it may be a tragic one. Ben has to get what's coming to him sometime, doesn't he? Hurley could be a Cobra-like influence, but I don't see it, and he's not involved enough in the action stuff to be a top fantasy choice. Kate is a good candidate to get points for her romantic flings, but since I think she'll be doing them with Jack, he'll get those same points. Sawyer was a major player in Season 5 and is a solid selection, but it's tough to go against Jack.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Ranking Episodes, Season One (bottom half)
These rankings are of course intensely personal, and forcing them all into a ranked countdown isn't particularly helpful. It should also be pointed out that evaluating episodes at any given point in the LOST saga could be misleading. The real importance of certain things cannot be grasped until the whole story can be seen. As an example, "Flashes Before Your Eyes" became a lot more importance once time travel went from being a one-time anomaly to a consistent theme on the show, and as Eloise Hawking emerged as a key character. From the current, post-season 5 perspective, this is how I see it. All centric-episodes are conventional flashbacks unless otherwise noted:
22. Whatever the Case May Be (1x12, Kate)
Episode highlight: Kate as a bank robber is kind of hot.
Episode lowlight: Love triangle...blech.
21. Outlaws (1x16, Sawyer)
Episode highlight: Locke has a chat over coffee with Kate and Sawyer.
Episode lowlight: Love triangle...blech.
20. Born to Run (1x22, Kate)
Episode highlight: Walt warns Locke not to open the hatch.
Episode lowlight: Love triangle...blech.
Honestly, I like Kate. She's my third-favorite character among the original Lostaways (behind Jack and Sun). But her centric-episodes generally fall flat as the flashbacks involve endless variations on the fugitive theme, and the "real-time" portions often center on her love life. It is very much possible to love a character and hate her flashbacks.
19. The Moth (1x7, Charlie)
Episode highlight: Sayid gets knocked out as he attempts to triangulate the French transmission
Episode lowlight: The second cave-in
18. Hearts and Minds (1x13, Boone)
Episode highlight: The introduction of the idea of electromagnetic anomalies via Locke's compass
Episode lowlight: The hallucination-fakeout death of Shannon
17. Confidence Man (1x8, Sawyer)
Episode highlight: The reveal of Sawyer's backstory
Episode lowlight: Love triangle...blech
16. Tabula Rasa (1x3, Kate)
Episode highlight: The conversation between the party that heard Rousseau's transmission
15. ...In Translation (1x17, Jin)
Episode highlight: Locke confronts Walt about burning the raft
#2: Sun screams "Stop" in English...we knew, as did Kate and Michael, but it's still quite a bombshell
14. Special (1x14, Michael)
Episode highlight: Walt displays his abilities as the bird crashes into the window
#2: Claire stumbles out of the jungle
Episode lowlight: The CGI polar bear
13. Homecoming (1x15, Charlie)
Episode highlight: Claire and Jack have a chat that resonates more when we realize they are siblings
#2: Ethan confronts Charlie, again, creepily
12. Do No Harm (1x20, Jack)
Episode highlight: Aaron's birth
#2: Jack's determination to hunt down Locke at the end
22. Whatever the Case May Be (1x12, Kate)
Episode highlight: Kate as a bank robber is kind of hot.
Episode lowlight: Love triangle...blech.
21. Outlaws (1x16, Sawyer)
Episode highlight: Locke has a chat over coffee with Kate and Sawyer.
Episode lowlight: Love triangle...blech.
20. Born to Run (1x22, Kate)
Episode highlight: Walt warns Locke not to open the hatch.
Episode lowlight: Love triangle...blech.
Honestly, I like Kate. She's my third-favorite character among the original Lostaways (behind Jack and Sun). But her centric-episodes generally fall flat as the flashbacks involve endless variations on the fugitive theme, and the "real-time" portions often center on her love life. It is very much possible to love a character and hate her flashbacks.
19. The Moth (1x7, Charlie)
Episode highlight: Sayid gets knocked out as he attempts to triangulate the French transmission
Episode lowlight: The second cave-in
18. Hearts and Minds (1x13, Boone)
Episode highlight: The introduction of the idea of electromagnetic anomalies via Locke's compass
Episode lowlight: The hallucination-fakeout death of Shannon
17. Confidence Man (1x8, Sawyer)
Episode highlight: The reveal of Sawyer's backstory
Episode lowlight: Love triangle...blech
16. Tabula Rasa (1x3, Kate)
Episode highlight: The conversation between the party that heard Rousseau's transmission
15. ...In Translation (1x17, Jin)
Episode highlight: Locke confronts Walt about burning the raft
#2: Sun screams "Stop" in English...we knew, as did Kate and Michael, but it's still quite a bombshell
14. Special (1x14, Michael)
Episode highlight: Walt displays his abilities as the bird crashes into the window
#2: Claire stumbles out of the jungle
Episode lowlight: The CGI polar bear
13. Homecoming (1x15, Charlie)
Episode highlight: Claire and Jack have a chat that resonates more when we realize they are siblings
#2: Ethan confronts Charlie, again, creepily
12. Do No Harm (1x20, Jack)
Episode highlight: Aaron's birth
#2: Jack's determination to hunt down Locke at the end
Friday, June 5, 2009
DarkUFO's Episode Cup
The great LOST blog DarkUFO is running their annual Episode Cup, a bracket setup to pick the best LOST episode out of 64 choices (some are pre-polled, although next year there should be close enough to 128 episodes to just give a few byes and have every episode in the field). Anyway, they also have a contest where you can endeavor to predict the outcome of the voting and win a Season 5 DVD, or you can just vote in the daily polls when they start up.
As a way to give you an idea about my thoughts on the merits of various episodes, this is how the bracket would play out if I was the only vote. This is not my attempt to predict what the fanbase as a whole would vote for--it is just my personal opinion on which episode wins each particular matchup:
As a way to give you an idea about my thoughts on the merits of various episodes, this is how the bracket would play out if I was the only vote. This is not my attempt to predict what the fanbase as a whole would vote for--it is just my personal opinion on which episode wins each particular matchup:
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