But a cautious group among us fears jinxing the show’s creative success. ‘Tis better to sit in giddy, giggly anticipation for next week than blab on all the Internet message boards as the show regrettably veers, or so the theory goes.
In creator JJ Abrams’ Lost, just one or two seasons seems more than conceivable; it’s almost a necessity, and every episode must sell viewers that time won’t be wasted on this shooting star. Despite enigmatic personalities and an unknown terrain, plot-builders can’t escape its origins as a plane-crash-in-the-middle-of-nowhere survival tale. And everyone can relate to excursions that last just a bit too long. (Unlike these, this show doesn’t involve distant relatives’ houses … or does it?!?)
More 24 than Alias, the writers have written themselves into a wondrous, mysterious box without much chance for long-term storytelling. What they’ve been able to accomplish in that box, though, continues to impress. Each episode shines another small keychain flashlight beam of a light onto the mystery, increasing the box’s dimensions. Thus far, the show hasn’t revisited many of these areas, choosing different (albeit entertainingly bizzare) directions involving golf courses, an ill-fated baby and French psychotics.
These enticing offshoots wouldn’t work without a great cast, work that probably earned a casting Emmy for the show already. Matthew Fox handles the dual-personality problems of a reluctant leader (Jack) with a grounded grace. Josh Holloway resists the urge to pull a latter-day Pacino and subversively serves as the “man, I can’t stand that guy” antagonist in Sawyer. And Evangeline Lilly’s Kate demands attention even in the most crowded of scenes, even if she looks better than anyone you’ve ever sat next to on a plane.
Lost creates a whole world of escapist delight each week, based in its own reality. It’s tremendous, and the reason some of us can’t talk about it really might be because we’re left so breathless. |
