I liked this episode, and I think it could have been better. My main criticism of this episode, as well as "Glass Ballerina" now that I think of it, is that the writers seem to be going to the "comedy well" too often, almost to the extent that I have gone to the "parentheses well."
I enjoy Lost humor, but I think in these last two episodes, the writers have gone a little overboard with the witty one-liners by Sawyer and Charlie. If the writers continue to increase the comedy, they might have to start providing laugh tracks. The sheer quantity of one-liners takes away from the drama, and it reduces feelings of suspense. I can see why Charlie had to do the talking with Locke's temporary muteness, but was his seemngly endless string of one-liners supposed to be only amusing or were we to gather that Charlie's denial and rationalizations are so strong as he cannot realize that his own actions have been openly malevalent?
I can see where other viewers would really enjoy the now-bountiful humor--but to me it has become annoying and takes me out of the moment. I found myself wondering who would be providing the snappy one-liners when Jin finds out what the vengeful, baby-napper Charlie did to poor Sun.
As I said, I like the episode, primarily as a Locke character development story. Is Locke to become a hunter, or is becoming a hunter merely wishful thinking on the part of farmer Locke?
Well, what a waste of my time. If this had been a movie, I'd have gotten up and walked out. There are only two reasons I continue to watch this show: 1) It's like watching a train wreck -- you can't not look; and 2) I keep hoping TPTB are smarter than we are and ultimately pull a rabbit out of a hat.
I kept watching the screen, and all I could think about is, who cares??? We have three survivors kidnapped by the Others, and monsters on the island, and somehow we're being forced to watch Locke work through the same old crap he's been working through since the day he fell to earth? Enough, already!!! I mean, did tonight's episode even advance the plot???
Even beautiful, beautiful Boone couldn't save this episode. And now I think the show's jumped the shark.
Re: 3 down, 3 to go...they better...get better. (spoilers if you haven't seen all 3)
of course you're not going to get these answers in the first three, six, maybe even twent-four episodes. this is lost after all. just sit back, enjoy the ride, and question any 'answers' we do get.
Although I actually liked this better than the prior two episodes, I haven't been won back over yet. I have a hard time taking seriouely this new set of introduced mysteries about Locke, Eko and Desmond simply because of the lame mystery explanations in prior episodes. This was reminiscent of older episodes where you go, "how could they do that or know that" etc; but then you remember the plane crash was all just one big random "oops" and realize that we'll probably get a similar explanation for this new set of mysteries they introduced tonight.
And given my overall feelings on the show this season (and the end of last season), I just can't bring myself to post any commentary in the more neutral "Rate this Episode" thread. But this wasn't as bad for me as the first two episodes.
Deus Ex Machina, my friend. Because the writers needed the island to talk to Locke, it's that simple. The island hadn't spoken to him since season 1, and season 2 was a bomb, so they said 'F* it, let's go back to Season 1'.
Only this time, Locke can just open up a conversation with the island as opposed to having to wait for a vision or something.
Idiotic.
This whole episode was idiotic. Had this ep been shown in season 1 we would all have thought it was great but now we're privy to the fact that nothing will be explained and all of it was meaningless. I just can't care about these people anymore because they don't care about each other. No one was looking for Desmond, Locke, or Eko and the only reason Locke is going to find J/S/K is because we weren't happy with Locke last season and neither was he so now he's mister guru/hunter again. I'm a sick person cause I'm only watching this train wreck to see how bad it is.
I liked tonight's episode, but I really wish they would have done something with S3 along the lines of what they did with S2, which was cover the events surrounding the end of the previous season from the various perspectives of the separate groups. Remember how we saw the Desmond/Locke/Jack/Kate hatch scene so many times from other angles? Then we went back to Jin/Sawyer/Michael on the raft, which took place at roughly the same time, etc...
What they should have done was go back to the moment the hatch imploded and worked from there. They could have had an episode similar to the premiere, which covered Jack/Kate/Sawyer and maybe even Hurley, an episode from the boat (taking place from the moment the hatch blew) an episode about the hatch blowing and the immediate aftermath, and one dealing with the same from the POV of the other Lostaways. You could probably even combine the hatch/lostaways episodes into one. Either way, it would have been better that the first three episodes we've had.
Still, it's not a bad season yet, and I still hold out some hope for the future episodes (although I'm less than excited about next week's... here's hoping it's just one or two scenes).
Lame. And it looked so good last week in the preview! I felt like the whole thing was a setup so we could find out Desmond can see the future.
Spoiler:
I agree with all who said next week's preview is rediculous.
Also, way to introduce 2 new people (random girl and random guy, who were very concerned over their dear missing friends, despite never having been shown before on any level (please forgive me if at some point these two were extras who asked Hurley to pass the water or something and are now going to be some kind of really important characters that will all tie back to some obscure moment)). There are already so many loose ends with the characters we already know, who needs more? I can't handle any more new people. I can barely handle all the old ones. Every episode something new and different happens that takes this show further and further from making any sort of point. There is no more journey. There's only strange for the sake of being strange. Disappointing.
Last edited by Baileysdad; 10-19-2006 at 08:38 AM.
Reason: spoiler font
Even beautiful, beautiful Boone couldn't save this episode. And now I think the show's jumped the shark.
Seriously, that was it in a nutshell for me. Boone's return couldn't save this one.
THIS was the episode we were waiting for me? Are you kidding me?
I missed the first 13 minutes (something I never do, but I had an important commitment). My roommate caught me up, and then the plan was to watch those minutes on tape after the rest of the show finished. I DIDN'T END UP WATCHING THOSE 13 MINUTES UNTIL 12:30AM. That is serious. I waited how many hours to watch what I missed? Why? Because I didn't need to freakin' see it for myself! That's how bad it was.
I was dissapointed by ATOTC, but I didn't think it was a bad episode. I loved Glass Ballerina. But now I feel comletely let down. After having a major Glass Ballerina love-fest, I feel like TPTB just did a total 180 on me and decided to make the show stupid.
Polar bears a threat when we have the Others abducting the Losties?
Locke was lame. He was lame in his FB and he was lame on the island.
Charlie was okay but fairly useless.
The much-hyped return of Boone? I saw most of it in the freakin' preview for the episode. And then he never returned in the episode. They couldn't give us a second hallucination with him at least? C'mon!
The continuity errors with Desmond and Hurley were annoyng, and the lack of information dispensed by Hurley was annoying, and Locke shutting down Hurley's dispensing of information was even MORE annoying.
Claire? Barely there, and useless as ever. And I love her, so that makes me sad.
They tried to revert back to S1 in this episode, to make show us that the characters (and the plots) could get past what happened in S2. You can make us fall in love with stuff again, just like you made us fall in love with it in S1. But you can't bring back the exact same stuff and expect us to eat it up again. We can't forget about an entire season between S1 and now. The characters and plots have to grow.
UGH. So so so dissapointing.
And might I just add: I'm not sure I have any desire to ever see a Locke FB again if I don't find out why he was paralyzed. There is NOTHING else I want to know about him but that. Nothing. He bores me. He's pathetic. Just tell me that one mystery and I will be happy.
Oh boy, where to begin? Many of you 'EH' folk have said exactly what played out in my head after veiwing this, this.... What was it? The strangest most annoying vehicle to deliver Lock outta S1? Or, was it a layer peel to see that there's now a certain sumthin' sumthin' now happening with Desmond?
The pot didn't look real.
Hurley's "dude" shoulda' been followed with a 'hey man, Mike set us up and he 'n Walt boated outta here...'
I'm feeling foolish, embarrased even by the 2 seasons of enthusiasticness I have displyed regarding this show to anyone that listens.
I guess I'll watch a few more of them to make sure I have a more complete perspective
Spoiler:
but the preveiws look gawd awful for next week. "Do you love him?" indeed.
Last edited by Baileysdad; 10-19-2006 at 08:41 AM.
Reason: Added spoiler font again
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