Whoa

[Draft Dodger]

finally got around to watching the first episode of Lost. I can't believe I missed out on this the first time around...

[Pyser]

welcome to the club. enjoy catching up on our 11 pages of "what the fuck is going on?" conversation here (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/showthread.php?t=34194&page=1&pp=50&highlight=lost+writers).

[Schmidty]

It started so well, yet pissed me off the farther it got. Too many questions (for ratings), not enough payoff. Just my opinion of course.

Plus, I'll be watching the new episodes as my wife will make me. :(

[NoMyths]

Welcome to Twin Peaks.

[Draft Dodger]

It started so well, yet pissed me off the farther it got. Too many questions (for ratings), not enough payoff. Just my opinion of course.

Plus, I'll be watching the new episodes as my wife will make me. :(

yeah, that's what's kept me away for so long; I figured it would just leave me hanging so I resisted, but my willpower finally caved.

[cthomer5000]

It started so well, yet pissed me off the farther it got. Too many questions (for ratings), not enough payoff. Just my opinion of course.

Plus, I'll be watching the new episodes as my wife will make me. :(
I think it sags in the middle of the season personally, then finishes strong. I'm really looking forward to the new season.

[Pyser]

abc kept extending the season, so i think they had to come up with a couple filler episodes.

[Simms]

Welcome to Twin Peaks.
Okay, I confess to never having watched a minute of Lost, but if this statement is in any way inviting complimentary comparisons, then for the love of God, say so, and I will track down every episode. :)

[Raiders Army]

I think it sags in the middle of the season personally, then finishes strong. I'm really looking forward to the new season.
I would agree, except for the strong finish. If your definition of a strong finish is the continuing of storylines, then I can see that.

For the end of a season, though...it was like, what the fuck??? I understand the concept of a cliffhanger, but there was almost no resolution of storylines at the end of the season. The show is too much of a tease. I think in certain areas the writers wrote themselves in a corner (like the "monster" in the jungle), and didn't know how to get themselves out.

Here are the questions we didn't get answered:

1. What's the monster?
2. What up with the French chick?
3. What's in the hatch?
4. What up with the numbers?

Instead of answering the above questions, the season finale gave us these questions:

5. Who took Walt and why?
6. Will Sawyer survive? (chances are yes)
7. What's up with Locke?

It started out as a good story, but has quickly morphed into a show that asks far more questions than it answers.

[NoMyths]

Okay, I confess to never having watched a minute of Lost, but if this statement is in any way inviting complimentary comparisons, then for the love of God, say so, and I will track down every episode. :)Sadly, no. Just in terms of the delayed payoff to the mystery. Otherwise Lost invites no such comparisons, so I wouldn't worry about tracking the episodes down. :)

[Honolulu_Blue]

yeah, that's what's kept me away for so long; I figured it would just leave me hanging so I resisted, but my willpower finally caved.
Dude. It's a great show. Fantastic. Don't let Schmidty's angriness and bitterness keep you down. It's well written. Well acted. All around solid.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I would agree, except for the strong finish. If your definition of a strong finish is the continuing of storylines, then I can see that.

For the end of a season, though...it was like, what the fuck??? I understand the concept of a cliffhanger, but there was almost no resolution of storylines at the end of the season. The show is too much of a tease. I think in certain areas the writers wrote themselves in a corner (like the "monster" in the jungle), and didn't know how to get themselves out.

Here are the questions we didn't get answered:

1. What's the monster?
2. What up with the French chick?
3. What's in the hatch?
4. What up with the numbers?

Instead of answering the above questions, the season finale gave us these questions:

5. Who took Walt and why?
6. Will Sawyer survive? (chances are yes)
7. What's up with Locke?

It started out as a good story, but has quickly morphed into a show that asks far more questions than it answers.
The show is forced to walk a delicate line. It has to constantly balance between revealing something (or else it gets frustrating and the mystery just becomes burdensome) and keeping enough mystery to keep things spooky and unknown. It's very difficult to do, but I thought they pulled it off brilliantly.

Numbers 1-4 on your list are the biggest mysteries in the entire show. If the show was only going for one season, sure, let us in on it. But I think they plan to have a few more seasons, so I am totally fine with those being left open. I fully expected them too. Though the "hatch" question looks like it will be resolved in the season premiere.

I think they did a solid job of tying up some story lines (Jack/Sawyer and the Korean couple, the boat, etc.), while leaving many others (those listed above, plus Kate's background, etc.) open.

I think they walked the line quite well. The first season was gripping and interesting and gave me enough to tide me over for the summer, while leaving me wanting more.

I look at season one as setting the scene, introducing us to the characters, etc. Where season two will takes us? I have no idea...

Also, I found the first, what, 5-10 minutes of the show as gripping a series premiere as I have ever watched. The confusion of the crash, the dude getting sucked into the engine, just amazing...

[Cuckoo]

Lost is one of the better shows on television, despite its delayed payoffs. As others have said, it's well written, well acted, and thoroughly entertaining. More than anything, it's fairly unique, which is saying a lot these days.

[amdaily]

I watched the first 10 episodes or so in like 2 sittings. After that, it become less than mediorce. I don't think I'm even going to watch it this year.

[Raiders Army]

The show is forced to walk a delicate line. It has to constantly balance between revealing something (or else it gets frustrating and the mystery just becomes burdensome) and keeping enough mystery to keep things spooky and unknown. It's very difficult to do, but I thought they pulled it off brilliantly.

Numbers 1-4 on your list are the biggest mysteries in the entire show. If the show was only going for one season, sure, let us in on it. But I think they plan to have a few more seasons, so I am totally fine with those being left open. I fully expected them too. Though the "hatch" question looks like it will be resolved in the season premiere.

I think they did a solid job of tying up some story lines (Jack/Sawyer and the Korean couple, the boat, etc.), while leaving many others (those listed above, plus Kate's background, etc.) open.

I think they walked the line quite well. The first season was gripping and interesting and gave me enough to tide me over for the summer, while leaving me wanting more.

I look at season one as setting the scene, introducing us to the characters, etc. Where season two will takes us? I have no idea...

Also, I found the first, what, 5-10 minutes of the show as gripping a series premiere as I have ever watched. The confusion of the crash, the dude getting sucked into the engine, just amazing...
HB, while I agree with what you wrote, I don't think you understood what I was trying to say. As far as another episode, the season finale was great. As far as a season finale episode, the season finale sucked. There was little resolution in terms of storylines. It could be argued that Jack/Sawyer will continue for a while and nothing was resolved. Other than that, what did the last episode get us other than a letdown?

Although this show is far from formulaic, I think they have deviated from a regular series in a negative manner. A season finale should wrap up some storylines while beginning others (the cliffhanger). There was almost nothing resolved in the finale. I would daresay that the second to last episode was better than the last. At least there was a birth of a child, etc. At least from my point of view, I expected there to be some answers in the last episode of the season. Instead, we just got more questions. This is why some of us consider this show to be a dicktease.

[Schmidty]

Dude. It's a great show. Fantastic. Don't let Schmidty's angriness and bitterness keep you down. It's well written. Well acted. All around solid.

I still think it's ca-ca. I feel like a tool when I watch the show. It's like the writers don't even know what the fuck they're writing, so they make it all vague and edgy, but with emotional (lame) storylines. I like Pippin and the hot prego, but the rest of the cast seems suited for daytime soaps. Hell, I think the show is basically a soap that plays at night. Probably why my wife and all of her girlfriends love it so much.

Now, if they start to reveal what the fuck is going on even a tiny bit, and it doesn't seem too obvious or hackneyed, I might change my tune.

[Honolulu_Blue]

HB, while I agree with what you wrote, I don't think you understood what I was trying to say. As far as another episode, the season finale was great. As far as a season finale episode, the season finale sucked. There was little resolution in terms of storylines. It could be argued that Jack/Sawyer will continue for a while and nothing was resolved. Other than that, what did the last episode get us other than a letdown?

Although this show is far from formulaic, I think they have deviated from a regular series in a negative manner. A season finale should wrap up some storylines while beginning others (the cliffhanger). There was almost nothing resolved in the finale. I would daresay that the second to last episode was better than the last. At least there was a birth of a child, etc. At least from my point of view, I expected there to be some answers in the last episode of the season. Instead, we just got more questions. This is why some of us consider this show to be a dicktease.
I guess, as with many things, it was just a matter of expectations. I didn't really expect any of the "big questions" to be answered in the season finale. So when they weren't, I wasn't let down. And when more questions arose (ie, who the hell were those rednecks in the motor boat?!?), I was shocked, but delightfully surprised and anxious for the next season.

I agree about Jack and Sawyer, they'll continue to butt heads, but I thought that scene was amazingly well done and felt like it was a "pay-off" scene.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I still think it's ca-ca. I feel like a tool when I watch the show. It's like the writers don't even know what the fuck they're writing, so they make it all vague and edgy, but with emotional (lame) storylines. I like Pippin and the hot prego, but the rest of the cast seems suited for daytime soaps. Hell, I think the show is basically a soap that plays at night. Probably why my wife and all of her girlfriends love it so much.

Now, if they start to reveal what the fuck is going on even a tiny bit, and it doesn't seem too obvious or hackneyed, I might change my tune.
It's not Pipin, it's Merry, dude. http://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/wink.gif

I like the story lines. I like their varied and inter-twined pasts. I think the acting is incredibly solid, especially Locke. I can't think of a better acted and more gripping hour long drama on TV at the moment.

Easily the fastest 45 minutes (we TiVo it) of TV I've ever watched.

[jbmagic]

Who going to buy Season 1 on dvd.

it comes out tommorrow.

[jamesUMD]

I will be buying it. Love the show. It's engaging and well thought out. I thought they did a great job of not going totally Sci-Fi, but at the same time were leaving you going WTF is going on?

I am glad they are not being formulaic. I like it better when they haven't decided that they have to follow the "normal" pattern that most shows take.