Lost - Does It Make You Want to Pull Your Hair Out?

[NickG]

I use to really like Lost, it was edgy and different but, after about two seasons, every single episode makes me wanna pull my hair out. I keep watching and watching and wanting to yell "ARE YOU WRITERS EVER GONNA ANSWER A FREAKING QUESTION!!!". I mean just when you think an answer is coming...turns out the answer just gives you twenty more questions. I am not saying I hate the series (I reserve that ire for a decent portion of reality shows), it just feels almost exhausting to watch Lost anymore. Am I the only one that feels like this? Just wondering.

[Rik Levins]

I watched the first three or four episodes, and came to the opinion that there really wasn't any coherent storyline, and that the writers were just making stuff up as they went along. I strongly doubt that there will EVER be any 'big reveal' that will tie everything together and make sense of it all.

I dropped it after that.

[Dr Manolis Dooplove]

the series is planned for 7 seasons, so i don't expect the big reveal anytime soon, but i do enjoy the game of guessing whats going to happen and trying to make sense of it all with my friends

it's like getting frustrated because the cause for the plague in Y the last man wasnt revealed in the first year...

[Fish Sauce]

I like the show, but I did read somewhere that the end hasn't actually been planned. If that's true, it could be a disaster.

But I guess they would have made a hell of a lot of money by then.

7 seasons, you say? Holy crap!

[SoulOnIce]

I use to really like Lost, it was edgy and different but, after about two seasons, every single episode makes me wanna pull my hair out. I keep watching and watching and wanting to yell "ARE YOU WRITERS EVER GONNA ANSWER A FREAKING QUESTION!!!". I mean just when you think an answer is coming...turns out the answer just gives you twenty more questions. I am not saying I hate the series (I reserve that ire for a decent portion of reality shows), it just feels almost exhausting to watch Lost anymore. Am I the only one that feels like this? Just wondering.

I was commenting the other night as I watched it as they really seem to drag everything out. Still, I think they have managed to maintain a smart balance in that they don't reveal enough answers but there is just enough to keep you watching week after week.

[InigoMontoya]

I got to episode 10 before i realised that they wern't going to answer any of the questions. I think the way American TV works its really hard for someone to end a program for creative reasons. So they always end up going on too long and jumping the shark.

I'm really enjoying Life on Mars on the BBC at the moment. The creator said that it will only be 2 series and all questions will be answered.

[Cayman]

The various mysteries of the Island are why I enjoy watching it. Anytime a question is answered, we get more. It's a fun, unique show with great characters.

[Charles RB]

I keep watching and watching and wanting to yell "ARE YOU WRITERS EVER GONNA ANSWER A FREAKING QUESTION!!!".

I saw someone defend this by saying "the creator's not going to give away all the answers in the first two seasons, is he?".

The flaw in this is that, for all they know, they might get a third season. Or, when doing the first, know they were getting a second! There's a ton of shows that got cancelled in the first seasons, sometimes halfway through those seasons, leaving unresolved plots - is it really a shocking suggestion that TV writers shouldn't assume they'll be getting five years?

[Merey]

I guess the non-answering of questions doesn't bother me that much because I was such a huge devotee of The X-Files for its entire 9-year run, I'm use to convoluted, dragging mysteries. In fact, I have no faith that they'll ever come up with a satisfactory conclusion to the overall mystery of the series. Instead, I just focus on all character stuff. I'm much more interested in the individual backstories. Although, I'm afraid those are starting to run dry.

[Corrina]

I gave up sometime in the middle of last year.

At first, it seemed like a character-driven show in which the SF elements would be used to enhance that.

Then it turned into a plot-driven show with stupid narrative tricks and characters being moved around to serve the plot. For instance, Locke. The whole reason he was changed by the island and his reaction to it were fascinating and was gone in season two until it became plot-convenient and then it was warped.

Dangling plot lines, side stories that go nowhere, characters who act stupid because the script says so....bah.

I'd recommend to new viewers to get the season one DVD, watch it, and then make up their own endings. At least then, they'd get closure. I'm beginning to think JJ Abrams is as bad as Chris Carter.

[AndrewCrossett]

I think they've answered plenty of questions...they just keep introducing new ones. If they solved all the mysteries the show would just trail off into random crappiness like "Twin Peaks" did.

[TCJohnson]

I saw someone defend this by saying "the creator's not going to give away all the answers in the first two seasons, is he?".

The flaw in this is that, for all they know, they might get a third season. Or, when doing the first, know they were getting a second! There's a ton of shows that got cancelled in the first seasons, sometimes halfway through those seasons, leaving unresolved plots - is it really a shocking suggestion that TV writers shouldn't assume they'll be getting five years?


And they don't which is why they don't have an ending planned...If they find out they are being cancelled they will have to come up with a final episode to wrap things up as they have it so far.

And I am still loving the show.

[Merey]

I'd recommend to new viewers to get the season one DVD, watch it, and then make up their own endings. At least then, they'd get closure. I'm beginning to think JJ Abrams is as bad as Chris Carter.

I completely agree. I really resisted getting into Lost because JJ, IMO, has a pretty bad track record when it comes to sustaining a high quality show past the 2nd or 3rd season. His shows always devolve into convoluted messes. If S3 of Lost turns into a mess, I will have to say that JJ is worse than Chris Carter.

Yeah, watching S1 of Lost on dvd was the highlight of my Christmas vacation last year. It completely blew me away. But hey, at least we're getting more Desmond this season. MMmmmm...Desmond!

[AndrewCrossett]

J.J. Abrams isn't the showrunner on "Lost." He is the co-creator and writes occasional episodes. He was barely even involved with season 2 because he was off doing movie work.

I'm pretty sure the "Lost" writers already have the answers for all the big questions, which I don't think was the case with either "X-Files" or "Alias." I don't get the sense at all that they're making it up as they go along...but they're also not going to end it while it's getting a 15 share and there aren't enough episodes yet to make a solid syndication package.

[Corrina]

You can answer some question and still move the story forward. The story hasn't moved forward much at all in these episodes, despite all the bells & whistles.

[Cam63]

At least it's better than Gilligan's Island.

[Merey]

J.J. Abrams isn't the showrunner on "Lost." He is the co-creator and writes occasional episodes. He was barely even involved with season 2 because he was off doing movie work.


I'm well aware of that, and that's partially why I decided to start watching the show (that, and Dini was the story editor), but I still don't fully trust a show with JJ's name attached to it.

[The Xenos]

I dunno, I've found a bunch of things make sense. We're finding out who the others are and what the island is. I think people keep looking for answers that aren't there. Like the people who thought everyone was dead or, as one regular at my shop suggested, that the island is Atlantis. Well, he's just hoping that because he thinks it'd be cool and he liked the foot.

Also, the ending to the second ep with Jack and his team was awesome to me.

Though I am reminded that Locke is a favorite character with this episode.

Oh yeah, and we sure learned where the polar bears were from. Ha ha! A comic book image as a red herring.

[Lunar Daydreamer]

For me Lost is the very worst kind of storytelling, come up with a good idea and then milk it 'til it bleeds. X-Files anyone?

[Crowley]

SPOILERS AHOY in inviso text:

LOST has actually answered SEVERAL questions.

Why did the Plane crash?

because of the electromagnetic generator in the hatch that began to overload after the countdown.

what do the numbers mean?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrAsRPP2I38
an equation that could save or doom the world.

who are the Others?
possibly members of the Dharma Initiative.

Where are they?
on Earth... Penelope is looking for Desmond as we discovered in the season finale last year. (also Penelope and Desmond have and Oddessy riff going)

I mean to me that's ALOT of answers for a show that just started season 3.

[Dr Manolis Dooplove]

I saw someone defend this by saying "the creator's not going to give away all the answers in the first two seasons, is he?".

The flaw in this is that, for all they know, they might get a third season. Or, when doing the first, know they were getting a second! There's a ton of shows that got cancelled in the first seasons, sometimes halfway through those seasons, leaving unresolved plots - is it really a shocking suggestion that TV writers shouldn't assume they'll be getting five years?

well, they're signed up with contracts for the full 7 years along with allthe actors, so i'm guessin they're feeling pretty safe

[Dr Manolis Dooplove]

You can answer some question and still move the story forward. The story hasn't moved forward much at all in these episodes, despite all the bells & whistles.

watching the recaps, i'm feeling a lot has happened

the discovery of the hatch, what lies inside the hatch,the con undrum of the button, the introduction of the other passengers and their story, the abduction of sawyer and the others and their trek to unite the tribes, the death of laBlonde, the arrival of Henry Gale and that conundrum (btw, both have been ansswerred by season 2's end, i dont understand why people think there's no answers. they just make sure to always keep a mystery running), the disappearance, return and betrayal of Michael, and finally the abduction of the 3...

that sounds like a pretty full eason to me,especially considering that each episode is haf-run with the backstories

[NickG]

Ok let me clarify on questions I got:

1.) What the heck is the Dharma Institute doing, why even do all this crap cause the whole "to advance humanity pyschologically/technologically/biologically" is just crap. First it's all a psychological experiment then it's to keep the earth's magnetic field in preportion. Huh?

2.) Are the others actually the children of Dharma initivative people, or are they some other people that were stranded on the island long ago, who maybe had kids

3.) What the heck is that thing in the jungle, they said a defense mechanism but FOR WHAT!!, also what is it a controlled beast, machine, what? I always thought a machine from what it sounded like but other times it sounds like a beast.

4.) Somebody mentioned it before but, what is with that Polar Bear, how do you have a freaking polar bear in an island jungle.

5.) Why did the others specifically want Jack/Kate/and Sawyer. I mean Jack being a doctor, I can understand the need there but, Kate & Sawyer?

6.) What is that foot statue on the island all about?

7.) Did Walt and them actually get off the island or what, cause apparently Desmond tried leaving on a boat and well, he kept coming right back to the island (what is there some kind of force field around the island or did they just kill Walt and them after they had gotten so far away from the island)

8.) Just what exactly is up with all those pictograms that only showed up when the numbers weren't pushed in time and what is up with those hierglyphics the countdown ran through in red.

9.) What was up with Walt? Seriously. We had tinges he had supernatural abilities but, they didn't mention jack after that. Is he an experiment of the Dharma Initiative.

10.) What's with all the shots they were giving Claire's baby. According to Desmond they were useless.

These are just 10 of the many annoying questions that have been circulating through my mind.

[Alix Harrower]

There's been not-insignificant forward movement on many of these questions. Others are relatively new ones that there's no reason to expect to have been answered already.



1.) What the heck is the Dharma Institute doing, why even do all this crap cause the whole "to advance humanity pyschologically/technologically/biologically" is just crap. First it's all a psychological experiment then it's to keep the earth's magnetic field in preportion. Huh?


The Dharma Institute was not even mentioned until well into the second season.


2.) Are the others actually the children of Dharma initivative people, or are they some other people that were stranded on the island long ago, who maybe had kids


We know more about this than we did several episodes ago. We know that Ben, at least, has lived on the island all his life and that the Others have contact with the outside world.

3.) What the heck is that thing in the jungle, they said a defense mechanism but FOR WHAT!!, also what is it a controlled beast, machine, what? I always thought a machine from what it sounded like but other times it sounds like a beast.


It's the smoke-like thing that Eko faced down last season.

4.) Somebody mentioned it before but, what is with that Polar Bear, how do you have a freaking polar bear in an island jungle.


That IS a good question, isn't it? We do know that some of the Dharma experiments involved polar bears, which, again, is more than we knew at the start of the series.

5.) Why did the others specifically want Jack/Kate/and Sawyer. I mean Jack being a doctor, I can understand the need there but, Kate & Sawyer?

6.) What is that foot statue on the island all about?

7.) Did Walt and them actually get off the island or what, cause apparently Desmond tried leaving on a boat and well, he kept coming right back to the island (what is there some kind of force field around the island or did they just kill Walt and them after they had gotten so far away from the island)



All of these questions involve things that happened in the second season finale -- three episodes ago. It's hardly teasing the audience to have not answered them completely yet.

8.) Just what exactly is up with all those pictograms that only showed up when the numbers weren't pushed in time and what is up with those hierglyphics the countdown ran through in red.


It's pretty clear they were some sort of message or warning that only appears when the timer runs out.

9.) What was up with Walt? Seriously. We had tinges he had supernatural abilities but, they didn't mention jack after that. Is he an experiment of the Dharma Initiative.

10.) What's with all the shots they were giving Claire's baby. According to Desmond they were useless.

These are just 10 of the many annoying questions that have been circulating through my mind.

Only these last two can really be considered dangling plotlines, in that there's been little forward movement on them. And the shots weren't introduced until midway through the last season.

The complaint that "nothing happens/is ever revealed on LOST" is really a pretty empty one.

[NickG]

Ok, not trying to be argumentative, let me just be clear on that, (but, you know how that goes when somebody says they are not gonna be something before they usually are, lol)

We know more about this than we did several episodes ago. We know that Ben, at least, has lived on the island all his life and that the Others have contact with the outside world.

Considering we knew almost nothing about the Others origin till the finale of last season and premiere of this one, anything at this point could be considered something, in all we still know very very little.


It's the smoke-like thing that Eko faced down last season.

Yeah I know it's the smoke thing, the question is what is it exactly and why is it referred to as a defensive mechanism, what is it defending, it certainly isn't the islanders as it pretty much slaughtered one or two people already.

5,6, and 7 I'll concede it's still too early into the season and these just came up in the finale/premiere.

8, yeah I know they come up as a warning when the numbers haven't been entered, my question is what do they mean, you don't just have random hierglyphics show up in a countdown clock without some kind of reason, maybe I'm wrong.

The complaint that "nothing happens/is ever revealed on LOST" is really a pretty empty one.

I am not trying to say nothing happens/is ever revealed, my general point is, when they do reveal something it doesn't really even answer the question, rather leaves you asking 20 more. I understand that that's what a good story is suppose to do but, there is a point when you almost wanna go "Ok, knock it off seriously, you got enough stuff dangling out there already". I am sticking with the show I just don't want it to end up being like the X-Files, wherein the first 2 or 3 seasons are great and give rise to questions but after the fourth season you realize those questions will never be answered or if they are they are only done as an afterthought or so far later you don't even give a crap anymore. Ok...I'll shut up now.

[The Xenos]

Spoilers! ... kinda? Well it's not really spoilers as this is bonus stuff from teh creators that they hid on a website protesting Lost and the Hanzo foundation.


what do the numbers mean?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrAsRPP2I38

That is pretty awesome. I'm guessing this is from that same site the creators made that actually had an actress at comicon protesting Lost saying it promoted the Hanzo foundation. I went to the site to see if it was real, but I didn't check out the content. I forget the name of it.

[Cam63]

I reckon the island is the original Scientology institute and one day, an aged L.Ron Hubbard will reveal all to Gilligan and the other cast...er, I mean the plane crash survivors.

[Crowley]

the polar bears lived in the cages that Sawyer and Kate are currently locked in.

Dharma was experimenting on Animals... that why we saw the Dolphin with the Dharma logo on it and Jack is being kept in the aquarium.

[TheLyle]

Truthfully, I don't really care about the mythology mysteries anymore. I figure if I want a good explanation I'll have to hope the show gets abruptly cancelled and then look to fanfic... at least, that worked for me with Twin Peaks. I wish I never saw the final Matrix, either, because the Matrix in a Matrix idea was so much better than the film.

My problems with the show are more that TPTB forgot that Lost started as an ensemble show and spent most of the second season focusing on the same four white people who I started wishing to never see on my TV screen again, that some of the loose ends seem more like sloppy writing than delayed gratification, that the show has begun leaving a WiR vibe and that too often the characters make stupid choices for no good reason other than to let some conflict happen later.

I still watch, though, because there are characters I still want to see more like Jin and Sun, Charlie, Claire and Bernard and Rose. Besides, coming from Hawaii I still have fun spotting the locations.

[Ian Boothby]

Pia's take is that the others are the children of the original Dharma folks. They keep the experiments going because it's all they know. Seems to make sense. It's almost a religion to them to keep the experiments going. It's all they have.
My take on the hatch failsafe is it seems to be a pulse that brings down planes which is a good thing to have if you want to stop any military folks from stopping you or finding you and in the meantime destoying all evidence.
I think things are moving along at a pretty good clip.

[Cam63]

" Dharma ? "

http://www.movie-gazette.com/directory/img/jenna+elfman.jpg

Another Scientology connection !

[The Xenos]

I got the guy who runs my comic shop hooked on Lost. He got me into Scientology. Well, debunking it, that is. Xenu.net, Operation Clambake, all that.

We have joked about the show all being one big Scientology commercial and the whole thing is supposed to show how psycology is evil or that joining a group like Scientology is good. We even were wondering about JJ Abrams connection to Scientology. Neither of us has found any confirmation for or against one.

Though I think right now the show could see as either being against or for Scientology. Dharma and Hanzo could be seen as evil Scientologists or they could be seen as evil psychologists. So I guess one could spin it either way.

Pia's take is that the others are the children of the original Dharma folks. They keep the experiments going because it's all they know. Seems to make sense. It's almost a religion to them to keep the experiments going. It's all they have.
My take on the hatch failsafe is it seems to be a pulse that brings down planes which is a good thing to have if you want to stop any military folks from stopping you or finding you and in the meantime destoying all evidence.

Someone already said it was about Scientology.

the polar bears lived in the cages that Sawyer and Kate are currently locked in.

Dharma was experimenting on Animals... that why we saw the Dolphin with the Dharma logo on it and Jack is being kept in the aquarium.

Oh duh. I missed that aquarium and shark/dolphin link.

[Alex Dragon]

I think they've answered plenty of questions...they just keep introducing new ones. If they solved all the mysteries the show would just trail off into random crappiness like "Twin Peaks" did.

I totally agree with you. They've answered plenty of questions but they were smaller questions and I think people just want to know the answer to the big question. Until the big question is answered and makes everything make sense some people will probably turned off by the growing amount of mini mysteries.

I really enjoy the show and I'm generally satisfied by the way the pacing and stories are being handled. When I compare it to the SAPRANOS which used to be a fav series of mine, I get far more satisfaction from the pacing, plotting and payoffs of LOST. LOST has a forward momentum and sense of urgency that the SAPRANOS lacks or at least has lacked over the past few seasons.

[Tobias March]

We have joked about the show all being one big Scientology commercial and the whole thing is supposed to show how psycology is evil or that joining a group like Scientology is good. We even were wondering about JJ Abrams connection to Scientology. Neither of us has found any confirmation for or against one.

Though I think right now the show could see as either being against or for Scientology. Dharma and Hanzo could be seen as evil Scientologists or they could be seen as evil psychologists. So I guess one could spin it either way.


I find that quite indisidious. I would read the Others and the experiment the Island represents as one long series of psychological excercises - and through the scientology viewpoint it certainly becomes a nightmarish discipline. The survivors' flashbacks reveal personality flaws in each of them - whether they be criminals, addicts, adulterers or, well, fat.

I'm sure once they release their inner thetans they'll all be grand.

[blackcanary_416]

I missed the first episode of Lost so I was "lost" but all these dead end cliff hangers I hear about I'm glad I don't watch it. Instead I watch its schizophrenic counterpart Desperate Housewives.

[Steel Spider]

I stopped watching Lost after the first season. It's okay but after all this build up the pay off will probably not be worth it.

[Cam63]

The Others turn out to be on FBI witness protection from the mob and are just frantic that the crash survivors will cause them to all get " whacked. "

[EdContradictory]

I keep watching and watching and wanting to yell "ARE YOU WRITERS EVER GONNA ANSWER A FREAKING QUESTION!!!".
I don't get this complaint.

We now know:

What was in the hatch.
What the button did.
What caused the plane to crash.
What happened to the tail section of the plane.
Where the bear came from.
What happened to Walt.

[Cam63]

Is Walt still frozen or is that just a silly rumour ?

[batturtle]

Anyone frustrated by the lack of answers on Lost should really just stop watching.
And I don't mean that in a negative tone.
I understand their opinion (a number of people I know have it in regards for the show). But if the show last 4 years or 5 or 7 or 10. Guess when the answers are going to happen. On the last show of the season of the final season I imagine. I really doubt everything will be explained say right now, then the show just keeps going.

The show still 100% has me hooked.

[geordiesteve]

the series is planned for 7 seasons, so i don't expect the big reveal anytime soon, but i do enjoy the game of guessing whats going to happen and trying to make sense of it all with my friends

it's like getting frustrated because the cause for the plague in Y the last man wasnt revealed in the first year...

Actually, it's planned for Five series and then a possible film somehow. I can find the story, but one of the main people involved said this fairly recently so that it didn't go on and on forever with no end in sight and people get hopelessly annoyed and peed off that there's no resolution.

There might not be after 5 series but still. 2 series, no real answers, I'm bored by it. Not going to watch them weekly anymore, will record them in batches and watch them or just miss it, no biggie anymore which is a shame as it was a really interesting show.