Fake-Fat Sunny Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 My apologies for briefly diverging from Bills talk (but as this season hasN't yet but is quickly going south I feel comfortable asking a community question which has nothing to do with political feel free to flameaway sarcastically if it floats your boat as posts that give little real information on folks perspectives can easily be ignored). Intrigued by the scribblings of a lot of critics who seemed to be absolutely wetting their pants over what they called "The Best New Show on TV" (faint praise acTually given the crap now on TV) my wife and I taped the first episode of Lost and sat down together to watch it> We didn't get it. The first episode seemed to spend its time mysteriously introducing you to characters rather than building up good ensemble acting (fine as it takes some time to show and build a good ensemble cast). However, the characters introduced seemed to be mostly stock characters (the mysterious competent doctor, hIs likely love interest who was cute but tough enough to stomach sewing up his wound without anesthetic. the comic foil who went with them On a journey to find a transmitter and found a wounded pilot who survived long enough to advance the plot and be killed by a mysterious beat, the selfish guy you can hate because he doesn't speak English as his first language and the dark and foreboding guy who doesn't say much but seems evil because he is a smoker and probably there will be a plot twist that he was not as evil as his smoking telegraphed and so on. All of these characters seemed not simply to be stock players who would turn out either to be as bad as brutishly telegraphed or actually will turn out to have a heart of gold through the inspiration of one of the lead good guys or will turn out to be as bad as ham-handedly advertised and die some brutal JuraSsic Park death. We're happy to be manipulated for fun, but fun for us means that at least the manipulation allows you to suspend disbelief and weird things kept popping up which took us out of the story (is any airline going to overlook the liability concerns of a possible childbirth to let a late term preganant woman fly, yes folks will be stupidly self-centered to hoard stuff they might need to survive, but are people just post a plane Rosen going to be stupidly self-centered about maintaining a trim figure, when will hero Matthew Fox reveal to questioning that no he never went to Med School but he did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night) and so on. So at any rate, we just didn't get it. This can easily be that we missed something because we are too stupid. If so, please let me know why this is one of the most talked about and critically acclaimed shows of what is turning into a 365 day season of reality shows and not nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevestojan Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 My apologies for briefly diverging from Bills talk (but as this season hasN't yet but is quickly going south I feel comfortable asking a community question which has nothing to do with political feel free to flameaway sarcastically if it floats your boat as posts that give little real information on folks perspectives can easily be ignored). Intrigued by the scribblings of a lot of critics who seemed to be absolutely wetting their pants over what they called "The Best New Show on TV" (faint praise acTually given the crap now on TV) my wife and I taped the first episode of Lost and sat down together to watch it> We didn't get it. The first episode seemed to spend its time mysteriously introducing you to characters rather than building up good ensemble acting (fine as it takes some time to show and build a good ensemble cast). However, the characters introduced seemed to be mostly stock characters (the mysterious competent doctor, hIs likely love interest who was cute but tough enough to stomach sewing up his wound without anesthetic. the comic foil who went with them On a journey to find a transmitter and found a wounded pilot who survived long enough to advance the plot and be killed by a mysterious beat, the selfish guy you can hate because he doesn't speak English as his first language and the dark and foreboding guy who doesn't say much but seems evil because he is a smoker and probably there will be a plot twist that he was not as evil as his smoking telegraphed and so on. All of these characters seemed not simply to be stock players who would turn out either to be as bad as brutishly telegraphed or actually will turn out to have a heart of gold through the inspiration of one of the lead good guys or will turn out to be as bad as ham-handedly advertised and die some brutal JuraSsic Park death. We're happy to be manipulated for fun, but fun for us means that at least the manipulation allows you to suspend disbelief and weird things kept popping up which took us out of the story (is any airline going to overlook the liability concerns of a possible childbirth to let a late term preganant woman fly, yes folks will be stupidly self-centered to hoard stuff they might need to survive, but are people just post a plane Rosen going to be stupidly self-centered about maintaining a trim figure, when will hero Matthew Fox reveal to questioning that no he never went to Med School but he did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night) and so on. So at any rate, we just didn't get it. This can easily be that we missed something because we are too stupid. If so, please let me know why this is one of the most talked about and critically acclaimed shows of what is turning into a 365 day season of reality shows and not nothing. 60188[/snapback] Again, I can't read your whole post (at work, i just get a small break alot) .. anyway, you're not missing anything. Its cheap entertainment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gantrules Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 um, I think you did get it. The first episode was about character development. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 um, I think you did get it. The first episode was about character development. 60195[/snapback] Something that, sadly, the American public doesn't have patience for. Firefly: RIP Serenity: April 22nd! CW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Adams Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Your sarcasm and actual critique interweave confuses me. If you don't like it, that's cool. I write in defense of the show, but with no malice. Your criticism of no build-up: Some very good stories throw you right into the plot with no character introduction. Memento comes to mind right off the top. This story starts with a plane craash. Here are the stranded people who don't know each other. You find out a bit about each of them through flashbacks, but mostly they are just people getting used to the fact that they just survived a craash. That's the introduction. I like that the plot just starts with a jolt, and not a slow buildup (families at home, families waving good-bye, scenes at the airport, scenes on the airplane... and THEN the craash). Different strokes I guess. Things that "take you out of the story": I'm not sure what things take you out of the story. Do you argue that airlines don't allow late-term women to fly? Not sure about your trim figure thing. The one woman was having serious denial about rescue and not eating... not worrying about her figure. People might hoard things in that situation. All seems believable to me. If you have trouble with the parts of the plotline related to polar bears, giant beasts, and people who have been stranded for 16 years, then it's not the show for you. It's the 2004 version of X-Files, not Everybody Loves Raymond. Stock characters: Stock characters? How can they be stock characters after 3 episodes? The pretty lead woman was on the plane in cuffs, and the marshall bringing her back to the US thinks she's a sociopathic killer. That's not stock. The Korean guy who is mysoginistic towards his wife is also very tender towards her. We've hardly met the dark-skinned smoker. They are stock in the sense that so far the ugly people are pretty much solely around for comic relief, and the attractive people are insanely attractive, but I write that off to TV. I'm hoping some of the Melrose Place looking people end up in a gigantic esophogus before long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
/dev/null Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 i haven't watched it, but as a LoTR geek i am a bit curious about how dominic monahan (merry from lotr) is on the show and what kind of character he plays Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Adams Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 i haven't watched it, but as a LoTR geek i am a bit curious about how dominic monahan (merry from lotr) is on the show and what kind of character he plays 60256[/snapback] He plays Merry, but without the hairy feet and perm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoachChuckDickerson Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 It is an excellent show. I found it pretty easy to follow. They do a lot of flash back stuff for character development. All around I think it is the best show on TV right now. It is different from anything else you find on TV. If you don't like it turn the channel and watch a sitcom about a wacking dad and his family. Turn again and you can watch one of the 12 CSI programs. Or turn again and you can watch some crappy reality show. I like the fact that there is finally some original programming on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USMCBillsFan Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 i haven't watched it, but as a LoTR geek i am a bit curious about how dominic monahan (merry from lotr) is on the show and what kind of character he plays 60256[/snapback] He's an apparent heroin addict that was in a band. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevestojan Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 He's an apparent heroin addict that was in a band. 60336[/snapback] so... how'd you know it was heroine??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USMCBillsFan Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 so... how'd you know it was heroine??? 60338[/snapback] From the reaction after he takes it. Has that spastic demeaner and then he like goes into lala land. Trust me, I'm no expert on drugs, but I did sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Vader Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 USMCBillsFan Posted Today, 12:00 PM QUOTE(stevestojan @ Oct 7 2004, 11:52 AM) so... how'd you know it was heroine??? From the reaction after he takes it. Has that spastic demeaner and then he like goes into lala land. Trust me, I'm no expert on drugs, but I did sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night. I really like this show. The first show did have little character development, which is not that surprising considering it was mostly a set-up episode. Slowly but surely they are making strides in the development of these characters. My advice is be patient and eventually the show will grow on you. It's a very fun show, where the hell are they? How could a polar bear live there? What IS that King Kong sized thing out there? I can't wait to find out the answers. Give me fake stories & good writing any day over all the reality crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rollingrock Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 I was sort up in the air after the first episode,as to whether it could maintain my interest,but after watching the 2nd part to the pilot episode,a week late which was stupid IMO,and then this weeks show,I'm finding the show very interesting now and intriguing..Like the lead girl for example,she was a strong part of last nights epsiode,and even after building some back story for her through flash backs,we do not know everything about her.If anything,I have to give credit to the writers for slowly introducing stories with in the story,and even some island stories are building.. I have only found one real fault with the show and that is if you really don't jump on board at the begining,this may be a show you could not pick up and start watching later on because it would leave you lost and wondering on a lot of things.Unlike sitting down and watching a show of CSI or ER here and there.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevestojan Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 My question, and I think this is a big one. 1) Why/How did the plane break in half in midair? 2) Why is no one on the island concerned about that, or even questioned it? I mean, it crashes? fine. But ripped in two in the air? hmmmmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 My question, and I think this is a big one. 1) Why/How did the plane break in half in midair? 2) Why is no one on the island concerned about that, or even questioned it? I mean, it crashes? fine. But ripped in two in the air? hmmmmm 60494[/snapback] If it really happened, I doubt you'd be worrying about why it happened as opposed to how to stay alive... Kinda like when one of my servers crashes -- job a is to get it back up and running, job b is to find out why it happened. CW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill in Livonia Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 B) Geeze, I thought I got it. I thought it was pretty good and a little different. Do you suppose I am too dumb to know that I didn't get it? At least it is not a sitcom about self absorved New york City Characters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rollingrock Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 My question, and I think this is a big one. 1) Why/How did the plane break in half in midair? 2) Why is no one on the island concerned about that, or even questioned it? I mean, it crashes? fine. But ripped in two in the air? hmmmmm 60494[/snapback] Actually,if I'm recalling correctly,there was some accusations in the second episode as to why the plain tore apart like that,the smoker guy blammed it on the guy from Iraq,said he blew up the plain.If I had to blame it on anyone though,I make the old guy for being sinister,had an evil look to him.. I agree though,it wouldn't strike me as a big deal or a top priority,considering I'm stuck on this island,no way to communicate with anyone off of that island and no food supply,not to mention that out of all the people on that plain,for some reason I was one of 48 that survived the Rosen.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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