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Lost Season Premiere Open Chat
2006-10-04 19:09
by Jon Weisman

Don't know if anyone will see this ... anyway, you may talk about tonight's episode - I won't read comments until I've seen it. However, please do not talk about teasers for future episodes.

I haven't watched the debuts of Veronica Mars or The Nine yet, either, so hold your thoughts on those.

Comments
2006-10-04 19:12:55
1.   Greg Brock
As I said over at DT, the TV Guide fellow says this is a monster episode. We shall see.
2006-10-04 19:19:11
2.   Linkmeister
The pilot was shown here Saturday or Sunday night on a big screen at the beach. 15,000 people showed up. There was a red carpet (on the sand!), and most of the cast was there.

Check the sites for the daily papers if you're curious. No spoilers were put into the event stories.

honoluluadvertiser.com
starbulletin.com

2006-10-04 19:21:34
3.   Greg Brock
As an aside, and totally non-spoilery, there is supposed to be a character in the show named Edmund Burke at some point.

Hmm...John Locke, Edmund Burke. I wonder what they're getting at with these political theorists. I eagerly await the arrival of the new "Other"...Baron de Montesquieu.

2006-10-04 19:23:34
4.   Linkmeister
There's more than that, Greg. A friend of mine noticed that too. I'll see if I can find his post and link to it.
2006-10-04 19:25:23
5.   Greg Brock
4 Yeah, Link. There is a lot more than that. I am, however, trying like the Dickens to stay away from anything even remotely entering spoiler territory.

I abide by the edicts of the Philosopher King.

2006-10-04 19:37:13
6.   Linkmeister
No, I just meant there are more philosopher names. No theorizing from me.

I've watched both seasons, and I'm reacing the point where I want to watch, but I resent having to block out my time to do so. I wish I knew what that meant.

2006-10-04 21:05:36
7.   Voxter
I've only seen the first three or four minutes, but . . . my jaw just dropped. Literally.
2006-10-04 21:46:26
8.   underdog
I hope when Henry Gale told Kate "the next two weeks are going to be torture" he wasn't also referring to the next two episodes for us watching at home.
2006-10-04 22:03:19
9.   Greg Brock
Let me be the first to say that if island captivity and quasi-torture produces a relationship with Elizabeth Mitchell, sign me up.
2006-10-04 22:10:50
10.   Voxter
I take back 48.15162342% of the bad things I said about "Lost" last season. This was one of the strongest premieres I've seen this year.
2006-10-04 22:12:52
11.   underdog
I liked everything about the premiere except for the final scene where Jack asks about his wife - "is she happy?" Just seemed a little... much, I dunno. I guess they have really detailed information about people. Great episode though, really makes me excited about next week's.
2006-10-04 22:16:55
12.   Bob Timmermann
When did Elizabeth Mitchell learn to beat up so many people?
2006-10-04 22:23:11
13.   Voxter
"I liked everything about the premiere except for the final scene where Jack asks about his wife - "is she happy?" Just seemed a little... much, I dunno."

I agree. That was the weakest part of the episode, and totally unneccessary. Also, it would have played out better if Dr. Legaspie (sorry, I can't remember the character's name, and that was what she was called on "ER") had been noncommittal. For once, I would have appreciated a little more ambiguity on "Lost". One of the problems with the scene is that it reduced the isolation of the Lostaways -- somebody on the island seems to have contact with the outside world. Somehow, even if that somebody is the bad guy, it makes the scenario a little less scary.

While watching this episode, it occurred to me for the first time -- isn't it possible that some of the characters in the flashbacks may be people who managed to escape the island? When they revealed that somebody, somewhere has contact with the outside world, it really made me think that was a strong possibility.

2006-10-04 22:33:23
14.   Bob Timmermann
Elizabeth Mitchell plays Juliet. She says it a couple of times.

But Henry is now Ben. Is Ben in charge of Juliet?

2006-10-04 22:34:27
15.   Greg Brock
13 You're missing the big picture. Focus on what really mattters. The real question is "How gorgeous is Elizabeth Mitchell?"

The answer, of course, is "very."

2006-10-04 22:36:35
16.   Voxter
I really like the actor who plays Benry. He has a certain mournful quality that I really enjoy. In a very strange way, he reminds me of Chiwetel Ejiofor. I don't expect anybody else to see it.
2006-10-04 22:37:27
17.   Voxter
"The real question is 'How gorgeous is Elizabeth Mitchell?'
The answer, of course, is 'very.' "

To me, the answer is, "kinda". But I'm not much for blondes.

2006-10-04 22:40:22
18.   Bob Timmermann
Michael Emerson was a great edition. He's part of the named cast at the beginning. As is Elizabeth Mitchell. I believe there were a couple of other new names.
2006-10-04 22:42:50
19.   Linkmeister
5 Greg, the friend I thought had written about philosophers' names had not. Somebody did, I remember that.

Anyway, Wikipedia has an entry about it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thematic_motifs_of_Lost#Philosophy

2006-10-04 22:45:28
20.   Voxter
18 - Michael Emerson was a great addition. I'll have to wait for a copy of his fan letter to see if he makes for a great edition.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

2006-10-04 22:48:03
21.   Greg Brock
18 Agree. Michael Emerson is an inspired addition. Of course, so are Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Henry Ian Cusak. Great job bringing new characters into a show which relies on isolation.
2006-10-04 22:48:06
22.   Bob Timmermann
I have to stop watching Lost while listening to Kenny Rogers playing with the First Edition.
2006-10-04 22:51:21
23.   Voxter
Mr Triple A was by far the best part of the new cast added last year. I felt that many of the Tailies were either negligible (Libby) or irritating (Ana Lucia), but Mr Eko was a clear plus as both an actor and a character.
2006-10-04 23:00:10
24.   Voxter
I just wanted to chip in and say that I actually do feel that Michael Emerson was a great addition. And, given those bags under his eyes, I bet he makes for a great edition.
2006-10-04 23:02:59
25.   Greg Brock
23 Funny, because I think that the most intruging character on the entire show...More interesting than all the Losties and Tailies and Others...Is Desmond.

I truly believe that Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) will become the most important character on the show. Of course, he's also my favorite, so there you go.

2006-10-04 23:09:26
26.   Voxter
I found Desmond interesting. But there are three things going on here:

1) On a very basic level, I found Mr Eko more interesting. Mr Eko is at least one or two novels deep, if you know that I mean.

2) Cusick is a fine actor, but I found Triple A's work consistently astounding: He reached depths with a character who could very easily have ended up uncomplicated, despite his fascinating past.

3) A lot of the stuff around Desmond was mishandled, in my opinion, which gave his episodes a willy-nilly kind of feeling that I didn't like. Mr Eko's flashbacks were the strongest of season 2 (as far as I was concerned).

2006-10-04 23:09:45
27.   Bob Timmermann
25
Desmond is your favorite character?

Thanks, brother...

The enemy of Desmond, his girlfriend's father, Mr. Widmore, is now on "Ugly Betty".

2006-10-04 23:10:54
28.   Voxter
All of the above said, I felt that Cusick & Emerson were both clearly on a level above that of any of the new additions, excepting Mr Eko.
2006-10-04 23:11:11
29.   Greg Brock
26 I really like Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. He's fantastic. He's also a lot less male rapey in Lost than he was in OZ, which helps.
2006-10-04 23:11:33
30.   Voxter
Okay, off-topic question:

How does one link to an earlier post?

2006-10-04 23:12:23
31.   Voxter
29 -- I never saw "Oz", which may be helping.
2006-10-04 23:15:19
32.   Voxter
Okay, back on topic: One of the things I missed about season 1, that seems to be back, to a certain degree, in season 3, is the old "Here Be Monsters" feel of the piece. I worry that contact with the outside world on the part of The Others endangers that somewhat.
2006-10-04 23:15:52
33.   Greg Brock
30 Brackets, my good man.

take 25, put [] around it, and you end up with 25

2006-10-04 23:17:59
34.   Voxter
So, like 33 this, right?
2006-10-04 23:19:40
35.   Greg Brock
Nope, didn't work. Try again.
2006-10-04 23:21:47
36.   Greg Brock
It's not blue and underlined. It may look that way for you, but it's not linked. You must have done it wrong. Put brackets around it [ ].
2006-10-04 23:25:11
37.   Voxter
I really did what you said. Brackets and everything. It's blue and underlined for me. And it seems to do . . . something.

Or are you just teasing me?

2006-10-04 23:27:52
38.   Greg Brock
37 Yes, I'm teasing you. It worked just fine.

Just having a little fun. :)

2006-10-04 23:28:57
39.   Voxter
38 I despise you. Forever and ever.
2006-10-04 23:31:03
40.   Voxter
Okay, on topic:

Here Be Monsters!

2006-10-04 23:31:51
41.   Greg Brock
Sorry. I'm 29, going on 12.
2006-10-04 23:37:35
42.   Voxter
Hey, if there weren't part of you that were about 12 years old, you wouldn't be a guy, would you?
2006-10-05 00:36:46
43.   Linkmeister
Our local ABC affiliate morning team blogged the red carpet/premiere event here:

http://tinyurl.com/zqogb

Some nice pix of familiar cast members (Evangeline Lilly and Yun jin Kim both look gorgeous), and brief (really brief) snippets of conversations with some of them.

I sure hope the Honolulu Zoo was well compensated for the use of its premises.

2006-10-05 07:29:20
44.   Benaiah
SPOILER ALERT (JON)

The Nine Sucked.

END OF SPOILERS.

2006-10-05 10:59:04
45.   JeremyOberstein
Hey guys, any theories on that file the Others had on Jack?
2006-10-05 17:27:08
46.   Stu
A tremendous episode of "Lost." The first scene, prior to the credits, was genius. The episode sets up some great backstory for the season to come.
2006-10-05 22:04:13
47.   Bob Timmermann
Pam vs. Dawn showdown tonight. Jenna Fischer on "The Office" and Lucy Davis on "Ugly Betty".
2006-10-06 11:37:06
48.   Brent is a Dodger Fan
I'm iffy on this season premier. Starts off with a bang, but the entire episode, I was wondering why none of the three captives were immediately assuming that they can't trust any of the Others, and that everything they are doing to them is concious manipulation.

I mean, they haven't explained anything about why they have caputred them, why they are holding them, anything. Why not suspect everything? Well, Sawyer isn't the sharpest knife, but why doesn't he assume that "Karl" in the cage across the way is not deliberately there to mess with Sawyer's mind? Karl's "prison break", subsequent "beating" and "apology" is all carefully crafted stage play for Sawyer's benefit just so Karl can later gain Sawyer's trust and exploit him.

That's just one example. The manipulation of Jack is another. Don't talk to Juliet... duh.

2006-10-06 11:39:08
49.   Brent is a Dodger Fan
New theory: The Others are asking all these questions in order to determine if the plane crash will be followed up by a search party who will threaten the society the Others have built there. Presevation tactics, simply.

(Note how they want to know where the plane came from...)

2006-10-06 12:38:40
50.   Sam DC
This really is pretty amazing re how Nielsen works, from Post TV columnist Lisa deMoraes chat today:

Washington, D.C.: I was a TiVo lover Nielsen house for a week. The power was stressful, but heady. Anyway, I didn't have a box, but they gave me a paper chart. The directions said write down what I watch even if it was TiVo'd. Then I mailed it back. Does that not count? Was I lied to?

Lisa de Moraes: And did they have the Pony Express stop by your place to pick up the paper work? Honestly, Nielsen slays me...no, you were not lied to. That's how they operate...

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