Thoughts on Lost, One Day Before the Series Finale

One day to go before the series finale of Lost, and my expectations are not high. We will be left with more unanswered questions, which to some people will seem ingenius, to others it will reek of laziness and a lack of creativity.

I wish I could have a bit more of a positive attitude towards this show, but season six so far has just been way too much of a let down. As I have said before, this season really should have been about Ben/Widmore, and what is going on between them, rather than about Jacob, MIB, Dogan, and even more "other others." We had no clue about any of those characters before last season, and it makes the show reek of being made up on the fly instead of being pre planned as it should have been. I can't stand the jarring turn it took from sci fi, to supernatural.

The traumatic episode two weeks ago, in which they killed off Sun, Jin, and Sayid was the kicker. None of these characters were really focused on this season but now, Sayid has become the Muslim man who kills himself via bomb. Sun and Jin's died pointless deaths which felt like something which was written just to create some Joss Whedon style, end of series pointless drama. Jin's death especially stung because he abandoned his daughter. Sun's family is not the most trustworthy, and because of Jin's decision to do what he did, he will now presumably be raised by them. What is going to become of little JiYeon? I think that is going to be something to add to the list of unanswered questions and loose ends that this show won't be tying up.

Right now, I don't see the point in buying the DVDs, or watching reruns knowing the ultimate fate of Sun, Jin and Sayid. Heck, because of these "twists," I think that in five years, Lost will be like Twin Peaks, and be a show that is forgotten because of a badly done conclusion, opposed to Buffy which is now seen as something groundbreaking.

As for the penultimate episode, the passing of the torch scene was a bit too much of a cliche. Jack as the chosen one who will save the island? Way too predictable for this show, most people including the writers seem to not like Jack, and if things are not changed by the final episode I will be disappointed.

In terms of Ben they have written themselves into a corner, it is going to be an ultimate downer if he turns out to be in cahoots with the MIB. However at this point, we know Ben isn't the ultimate evil. They have been dropping anvils about that in the flash sideways this season. His motives for killing Widmore were because truly loved Alex as a daughter. I'm going to hedge my bets that we will get a "ha ha, I was only pretending to be in cahoots with you evil MIB," at some critical point of the series finale. I've seen too many shows and movies using this technique, and nowadays it just doesn't work, especially on a show like Lost.

Charles Widmore at the end? Darlton needs to take some tips from Joss Whedon and if we aren't supposed to know that a character will be making that surprise appearance until the end of an episode, don't show his name in the opening credits. The minute I saw Alan Dale's name in the credits, I was looking over my shoulder for his appearance, knowing that he was going to come as a "surprise." When we saw that reveal in the end, I wasn't startled the way I should have been. It is kind of like playing hide and seek with a three year old and they pop out and say "boo." Also reveals like that in the end of TV shows just aren't quite as shocking as they were ten or fifteen years ago? Is this because they have been done to death, or because I'm getting jaded in my old age?

Overall I will admit it was an okay episode, but not a great episode. As I have said, things are getting predictable. Yes it was nice to give Michael Emerson the "monologue of redemption" and to make the character a shade less gray. However in doing that, they've managed to defang him, we don't fear him the way we did seasons three through five. One of the things that was most interesting about Ben is that he was a dark shade of gray, and unpredictable. After tonight's episode and that monologue, the character is just a bit more predictable, and I hate to admit it but a tad less interesting.

There is just something missing this season. While I don't watch this show for the love triangles, but one of the things I've always liked were the relationships, specifically the friendships, between the characters. Over these past few episodes, we've really lost that with all the characters spread in different places across the island. What can I say, I miss seeing everyone in one place!

I'm sorry, Tonight's Lost episode, What Kate Does, did not live up to my heightened expectations for for this show. Partially because I've never liked Kate, partially because they are making the exact same mistake they did during the first half of season three. focusing on Kate, Jack, and Sawyer,and their adventures after being captured by "The Others." Those three in zoo cages is really not something I want to remember! It was a particularly low point of the show, and a number of Lost fans I knew ended up giving up completely. Not that I'm giving up on Lost, but I miss this show having a larger ensemble, and hate it when they focus on those three characters.

Poison pill? Tea? Really? I thought Lost was above things like the James Bond "shall I sip the champaigne?" cliche.

Why does this show love Kate? The character is dull, we know just about everything there is to know about her. Watching her escape the cops, and prove that she is the bad girl with a heart of gold once again? They might as well flush an episode down the toilet. Although on the other hand, if she were portrayed by a tougher actress, I'm thinking someone like Eliza Dushku, would I like the character any more?

Must so much be devoted to the Kate/Sawyer/Jack ship? Watching Lost for the 'ships, is like going to an exotic place on vacation, then eating McDonalds and staying in your hotel watching TV the entire time. Yes, I know that Sawyer is depressed over losing Juliette, but emo Sawyer just seems wrong and is a waste of the limited number of episodes this show has left.

Fall 2009 Tube Time Part I: New Shows

What made the DVR? What didn't? What is still on the DVR awaiting the ultimate fate of to delete or to watch?



Vampire Diaries:

My first issue with the show is that I'm not a Twilight fan. I know that in terms of books, The Vampire Diaries came before Twilight, and that I should be comparing them, but it is too obvious that the popularity of Twilight was probably the reason behind this show's creation. It doesn't help that the two leads, Not Bella Swan and Not Edward Cullen, are just insufferable. Ian Somlander was the only good thing about that show, and I underestimated him based on his Lost character, when given the opportunity, he is quite the actor. While Somlander was good, he wasn't enough to keep me tuned in past the first episode, and it didn't make the DVR cut.

Flash Forward:

I'm doing all that I can to get into it this show, and enjoy the premise of everyone having a Flash Forward to six months from now. So far I've managed to watch two episodes. However, while watching I tend to remind myself that the show isn't Lost. Sometimes it feels like the show be trying too hard to top Lost, see how many mysteries they can tie in, and just how edgy they can be. In the process of doing all of that the show is overwhelmed. Overall, this show just isn't as original as Lost is, and can be a bit full of cliches. Take the destruction scene of Los Angeles? At least they didn't destroy New York or London, but I've seen LA destroyed, and the US under martial law a few too many times to make this show seem original. Kids all doing something mysterious in sync with each other on a playground? Torchwood did something similar earlier this year! Other twist and turns on the show also seem to give me déjà vu However, I'm along for the ride, and this has made the DVR series recording.

Also,friend of mine pointed out, one major problem is that the premise is just too weak for an entire show. Perhaps it would have been better suited to a two hour movie, limited mini series, or episodes of another sci fi show?

The Good Wife:

Tuned in for the first episode what seemed like what would be an interesting drama about a woman trying to cope after public infidelity as we have seen with a number of wives of politicians. Unfortunately instead of giving us the drama about "The Good Wife," we were promised in the package we got another ho hum legal drama. One second of her leaving her husband, then back on the job as a criminal defense lawyer, after who knows how long. Next thing we see is that she defending a case where a woman is accused of murdering her husband, in a plot that could have been stuck on just about any of the Law and Orders. If I'm home and I'm bored, and it is on, or if I keep hearing stories about the men in the main character's life, maybe I'll tune in again. But as of now, will not be DVR'ed.


Eastwick:

Watched the first two episodes, as everyone else has said, this show is a mix of Charmed meets Desperate Housewives, meets Witches of Eastwick. The plotlines are usually predictable. The characters are cliches, and are a bit dim, the powers the characters possess and to some extent the way it was introduced, seem ripped off from Charmed. But despite all this, I liked the first few seasons of Charmed, and there is something likable the women of Eastwick, despite the stupid things some of them do. Paul Gross adds the kick that makes this show worth watching.

Why?

Johnny Depp and Tim Burton to Vamp It Up in 'Dark Shadows'

Don't get me wrong, I think Johnny Depp is a good actor, but I already know he excels in creepy, quirky roles, which he has proven in Edward Scissorhands, three Pirates of the Caribbean movies (so far), Corpse Bride, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd, and the soon to be released Alice in Wonderland.

He keeps doing the same types of roles over and over again, usually alongside Helena Bonham Carater, and director Tim Burton. To see him in yet another freaky role alongside the other two will simply be meh. Can Tim Burton give two other actors a chance in one of his films for once? It would be interesting, it would be different and a nice change of pace for once.

I'm also getting bored with Helena Bonham Carter, yes she is good, yes she plays a certain type of character very well, yes I enjoyed her way back in Fight Club, but it is time for her to play something different from the roles she usually plays, branch out as an actress. I should not have been having flashbacks to Sweeney Todd during Half Blood Prince. During the scene where Bellatrix LeStrange destroys The Burrow, I should not have been thinking "oh my god, it is Helena Bonham Carter"?

Well, at least these two haven't been cast in the next Batman movie. There has been talk about Depp playing the next Riddler, and frankly I'd rather see the role re-imagined by Jim Carey.

Torchwood Children of Earth

Finally had a chance to digest and rewatch Children of Earth, and still have very mixed feelings. When separated from the series as a whole, the story was compelling; a tale of what the government would do in an un-winable situation. The visions at the end of Gwen, Rhys, and Ianto's family running to protect the children were moving. The same can be said about the ultimate sacrifice which Captain Jack is forced to make.

In terms of the Torchwood series as a whole, writer Russell T. Davies threw the baby out with the bathwater. Not that the underlying series was perfect, most of the time it was pure over the top sci fi schlock, or derivative sci fi schlock. Many episodes seemed like rejected X-Files, or Angel scripts. I'll go as far as to say that for the second season premiere, they even cast James Masters to essentially play his Angel/Buffy character, Spike.

But beneath all the bad storylines, and inconsistent characterization there was still the sense that there were relationships between the group of characters who eventually became somewhat of a family. The characters were characters with personalities, and histories, and not plot devices as you might see in something which was more symbolic science fiction. There was still some hope that the show could develop into something excellent, the seeds were there. The biggest phenomenon to come from this show was Janto (aka the relationship between Jack and Ianto) which to me seemed to be one of online sci fi fandom's most popular pairings.

Children of Earth is an Alan Moore style morality tale and to some degree it worked. Those who are not regular Torchwood fans, those who do not have much invested in the characters and certain relationships, or those who knew what type of a ride Torchwood could might get great enjoyment out of it. But those who watched the first two seasons, and got to know the characters will be nitpicky and see that Jack's daughter and grandson, who we never heard as much of a word about during this series or Doctor Who, were really nothing more than convenient plot devices for the ultimate downer ending. The same can also be said for Ianto's sister and her family.

Would this storyline would have been just as effective if Russel T. Davies had used completely new characters who were not the Torchwood characters we knew and loved? Would it have been better had he invented a few new characters to serve as plot devices leaving the rest of the show intact for more of the Torchwood we love? I honestly feel that if this had been done with completely new characters, and the Torchwood team in the background, waiting for another series, it would have been just as effective.

If they were going to do this storyline, things would probably have been better if they had an entire season, or few seasons, to gradually build up to the entire storyline. Have an episode with a B plotline where we meet Ianto's family, and get to know a bit more about the character and things he holds back? Another episode where we get to meet Jack's daughter, and grandson? Perhaps if this were all spread out over several seasons, or perhaps if these details had been written about these characters from the inception, it would not have seemed as bad.

There is also the ultimate issue of the death of Ianto. I'll go as far to say that I felt it was completely unnecessary, and didn't need to occur. Russel T. Davies seemed to be doing it to deliberately dump and anger the rabid fan following for whatever reason. Perhaps because he didn't want the show being associated with the kind of "sci fi" fan following her felt was laughable. Perhaps he didn't want this show known as a sci fi soap, and more a serious sci fi show. Whatever his reasoning, it was a cruel thing to do to some of the show's most loyal fans.

Am I the only one who didn't love the new Star Trek film?

For the standard summer popcorn flick, it was watchable and better than X-Men Orings: Wolverine. Unfortunately, it lived up to my lowered expectations and worst fears of what would happen if they were to make a big screen Trek movie. They catered to the lowest common denominator, in order to bring the traditional non sci fi audience on board, with a cast full of up and coming familiar, pretty actors, lots of explosions, battles with generic CGI monsters, and contrived plot devices. In doing all this they lost the essence of a Star Trek film and failed to leave any kind of interesting moral, something which even the worst of the previous Star Trek films, Final Frontier managed accomplish. I'm willing to admit that most of the time Star Trek The Next Generation was often annoying with the anvil of morality. However the anvil of morality did add something to the show and to the big screen films.

Kirk wasn't quite Kirk. It wasn't until Boston Legal where I realized that for all his ego, Shatner has a certain gravitas which he brings to most of his performances, he really did give the Captain Kirk character a certain edge. Chrisotpher Pine lacks the charisma possessed Shatner, and the character comes off as just a bit too much of an arrogant prick, instead of the James T. Kirk we have come to know and love.

I'll give this a second chance, and hope that perhaps that the next film will iron out some of the kinks, and feel more like a Star Trek film. I also hope that by the second film the ensemble is able to develop the same chemistry I sensed in the TOS and TNG movies.

Fans of Doctor Who have always complained about Star Trek ripping off ideas, something which to some extent I've never paid attention to, until now. The destruction of Vulcan, and the Spocks being the "last of their kind," is just too much of a rip off of The Doctor being the last of the Time Lords. Could Sci-Fi please stop using this cliche?

Talking about Doctor Who was it just me or was Simon Pegg channeling David Tennant in his portrayal of Scotty? There was just something about his performance which seemed like David Tennant's natural accent, mixed with the Tenth Doctor's wild boyish enthusiasm.

Also was that beer I saw Kirk drinking in the "not cantina"? I know this is a reboot, but things seemed to be fairly parallel both versions of the 23rd century. However I seem to recall once scene in The Voyage Home where Kirk is taken to dinner, sips a Michelob, and clearly isn't used to the taste of 20th/21st century beer.