Lost: Something Nice Back HomeOh I wish I hadn't been right last week when I predicted that this week's Lost wouldn't compare to last week's Ben-centric episode. Oh why couldn't they have worked a bit harder to prove me wrong?
Talking to a friend about the episode, she pointed out that this year's episodes have followed a pattern of the odd number ones a brilliant and the even numbered ones, not so much.
And this week was an odd episode. In more ways than one.
I found myself wondering if the producers felt they had to give us this episode to try and explain why Jack mentioned his father in the present-tense during last year's finale. Because heaven forbid they admit it was just a red-herring to throw off the viewers so when they eventually pulled the carpet out from under us, we were all stunned. The impact of it being a flash-forward was enough for me that I was willing to forgive it or chalk it up to Jack's deteroriating mental state as we saw during the entire episode last year.
And while I like Jack, I did feel as if this was a chance for Matthew Fox to channel his inner Charlie Salinger for a few minutes, esp. in the scenes with Kate. It was like half a season of that show in about half-an-hour. Oh, I love Kate. Oh we're getting married. Oh, my jealous control-freak half is showing. Oh, we're doomed. The thing is we all know how it plays out to a certain point, so the impact of seeing it unfold wasn't quite as good. Again, no where near as interesting as last week with Ben or the Desmond episode a few weeks ago.
That said, there were still some isolated bits to like. Mainly all the stuff happening on the island. I loved seeing Jin's realizing Charlotte can and does understand him and making a deal for Sun to leave the island. And the question of just how did Jack and Claire's father get onto the island and where has Claire gone is intriguing. Based on the pattern of things, I bet we don't delve too far into where Claire has gone next week, but will the week after.
Also, I'm beginning to think Jack is going to force his way off the island. His behavoir in the flash-forwards seems to make me think he has a lot to lose if the truth comes out. I have a feeling he will want to desparately go with Kate to the point that he will screw some other people over or make a deal that haunts him. I sense betrayal and the control-side of Jack lurking out there. And looking at it now, it's fascinating that in just about all the Oceanic Six flashforwards, Jack or Hurley play some kind of role. Is it too extremes of conscience over the choices made? Is Hurley's apparent mental decline and seeing Charlie out of the guilt he feels over what's happened? And is Jack's desparation to make sure everyone is on the same page part of that as well?
Battlestar Galactica: The Road Less TravelledThe first "just OK" episode of the season for me. But then again, it could be that it's the first of a two-part story and we have yet to see how it will all play out.
For the first time this year, the focus narrows to just two stories--that of Tryol and Baltar and the wacky antics of Starbuck, who is slowly losing what's left of her fragile little mind.
First up, the Baltar plotline. I've heard it said that you either love or hate the direction this is going. As I've stated before, I am firmly in the camp of loving it. The storyline of watching Baltar try to bring about massive religious change and shatter the polythesistic beliefs of the Colonials is fascinating. Also, to see how he's doing it and how he's being manipulated by another female Cylon--can you say irony anyone? I wonder if Baltar will discover that Tori is a Cylon before anyone else does and just what his reaction will be? The man does have a weakness for the Cylon ladies, if you know what I mean. Also, I am shocked that we've not had any more reaction from Six to this latest turn of events. And I'd still love to see Baltar talk to himself again like he did a few weeks ago.
Then we're out on the Demitrius where Starbuck's craziness is starting to take a toll. The crew is none too happy with her and cracks are starting to show. Helo is defending her but you can tell the guy is having a harder and harder time with that. Then Lebonen shows up and wants to propose some kind of alliance between his faction of Cylons and the Colonials. And, as we all know, Lebonen has had some kind of weird fascination, connection to Starbuck dating back to season one when she interrogated him. It just gets a bit more weird here.
Now, I predicted a few weeks ago that I could see the show going to a point where the mechanised Cylons wipe out the skin-jobs, thus creating some kind of loop where it cycles back to the original series and those models. And this development only sort of makes me feel a bit more justified in the thought that this could be the case. Of course, I'm not Ron Moore, so the rug could be pulled out from me at any time.
I do find it interesting that the crew finally reaches a breaking point and mutinies against Starbuck. Which would have been a fun little surprise had no SciFi's promos during other shows given it away. Seriously, who makes these things? I know you've seen it all, but that doesn't mean some of us don't like to be surprised.
And then the networks wonder why people with DVRs wait a few minutes into the show so we can zip past the commericals. It's not that we're against the products being sold, so much as we're avoiding the ruining of the last two minutes of any given show due to your promos.
Labels: battlestar galactica, Lost, tv shows
posted by Michael Hickerson at 5/06/2008 01:12:00 PM |
|
