Especially with last night's "Across the Sea" (without a doubt the most polarizing episode of the series ever), LOST's sixth season has come under some serious fire. Pacing has been a critical issue among fans, as well as a general lack of answers in what many had hoped would a very conclusive and revealing final season. In an attempt to get to the bottom of this conflict, Mark O. Estes and I (Sam McPherson) will be debating over whether LOST's new season, as many allege, is the worst of the series. He says it is, but I don't think so. After reading our opinions, feel free to add yours in the comments section below -- it is a matter of opinion, after all!
We'll get started with Mark's case against season six:
Let me start of by stating that I have been with LOST since the beginning. Literally. I can even remember reading the press release that announced the show was being made and prayed that ABC picked it up, because the premise screamed cult hit. That's how deeply involved in the show I was and remained so throughout its run. I converted plenty of friends and family members to the show during Seasons Two and Three, with some jumping ship during Season Four. Those who have stayed the course have transcended past me in their love for LOST, sometimes even calling me out on my vocal disagreements when the show did something that I didn't care for. There was great fodder for debate, which is a big factor in the LOST fandom. Now here we are in the sixth season and the debates between those few people still in my LOST circle of friends has metamorphosed into pow wows of agreement about how much the show has gotten off track these days. It is not something that we look forward to every week, but our critiques usually began with the excitement of what we just saw, then devolves into a nitpicking, puzzle piecing frenzy. Now my friends, who have become more knowledgeable and aware than I have in all things LOST, are now asking me what the hell the creators are thinking and what happened to the show they fell in love with four or five years ago.
Now, don't get me wrong. Season Six has given us some gems despite it's overall lackluster performance. Some outings that come to mind are "Dr. Linus", "Happily Ever After", "The Last Recruit", and "Sundown" are the ones that pop out in my head. But in the overall scheme of things this year, LOST has just tried to get us to the finish line, wasting chances at perfecting and/or honing certain characters and mysteries that deserved some screen time and better resolutions than they deserved. Personally, I think Darlton boxed themselves in a corner when they shortened the seasons from Season Four on. Yes, the move made it possible to avoid filler episodes and to focus solely on the characters and mythology at hand, but I tend to believe that filler episodes of any show tend to help flesh out the characters, while not taking away from the overall arc or mythology so to speak. Darlton could've done 24 type seasons where they could've still met their end date and still been able to do their characters and the mythology some justice, instead of cramming both into a sometimes convoluted mess. For me, this is why episodes such as "Ab Aeterno" and "Across The Sea" didn't work for me so late in the game. What could have been confirmed in about three pages of dialogue was stretched into an hour of needless answers and new questions, two things that possibly could have been avoided if Darlton had more time to work with them. Now that the clock is winding down, I can't help but feel that this season has been just as mythology laden as last season was, but with a heavy dose of characterization. The two factions (character and mythology) are duking it out in a fight for dominance and we, the audience, are the spectators rooting for one or the other. Count me as one on the side of the characters, who I pray come out on top when the smoke clears.
There are several missed opportunities that Season Six dropped the ball on, which include, but are not limited to: the character of Illana, further explanation of the lighthouse (and how the hell nobody ever noticed it being there), the deal with the taking of the children on the Island (which "Across The Sea" kinda alluded to, but in a teasing sort of way), and the deal with WALT/Aaron/Ji Yeon just to name a few. Not everything had to be answered, but the mysteries that helped shape character actions should have some sort of closure, IMHO.
Does these setbacks make LOST's Season Six bad? Well, not really when you look at the grand scheme of things, but it will be in the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to ranking the show as a whole. You Have The Floor, Sam...
I'll admit that season six has wasted some opportunities, but bottom of the totem pole? That seems a little harsh. In my opinion, the season has been an overall success, despite stumbling blocks like "What Kate Does," which felt a little like filler in a season that was supposed to be lean. But episodes like "Ab Aeterno" and "Across the Sea" really cemented the show's purpose, even if they didn't answer all the questions that was needed. Sure, "Across the Sea's" placement was a little off, but in all it wasn't deserving of any of the "worst episode ever" monikers or even the "worst episode of the season." In fact, I think it was above average for the series.
Season six, in its shortened form, has done what the other seasons have tried to do but not quite managed: it's telling a fully realized story from beginning to end. This could possibly be said for season four, which was the second most focused season of the series, but even that had little odd episodes like "The Other Woman" and "Something Nice Back Home." Season six completely adhered together. Even the filler episodes like "What Kate Did" and "Recon" advanced the storyline, even if the character arcs weren't as compelling or relevant to the story.So obviously, watching season six will feel different from watching any other seasons of the show. The tone is darker, and the episodes fit together much more readily than they did for the other five seasons. I won't call the season the best at this point (I'd rank it at about #2 or #3), it's certainly not the worst. And it's certainly still the best show on television. Until May 23, that is.
I take points from both sides. The placement of Across the Sea is horrible, it really should not have been shown this late. Seasons 4, 5 and even 6 perhaps – should have all been extended to the 20-24 episode level. I get its significant that they got to end it on their own terms, but that doesn't mean it still won't feel rushed. WKD was another case of poor placement. A LOT of stuff happened in LA X and I was expecting a rapid pace from the get go, but no. I love the show, but everything feels toned down. It is these episodes in between massive plot advancements that made Lost what it is. They developed the characters, and let us fans build relationships with them. Across the Sea should have been a 2-parter, shown earlier in the season. I can't call s6 the worst as I will keep my judgement until all is said and done. S6 has proven Lost can still make mind bending twists and produce emotional scenes, but it feels like a sprint to the end. I was under the impression we would get a lot of answers this season… but we haven't really. The moment we discovered MIB was smokey was excellent but somewhat predictable and in turn that answered a lot of questions. Yay. The whispers? Horrible. So sloppily done, and just swept aside. Regardless, Emerson said before this season started that everyone is bringing their A-game, he wasn't lying. The acting has been phenomenal, its a shame the story just isn't what it once was. I'm not giving up though.
I would never go as far as to call a season of Lost "terrible." However, I do have to agree that this season has been some what lackluster compared to other seasons. When you step back and look at the seasons as a whole, each season has a plot that really took an entire 16-23 episodes to flesh out. What we've seen in season six so far could've been done in about half the time. We wasted entire episodes to have characters just sit at the temple and hang out, beating it into our heads that they had no idea what was going on, or that they didn't trust the Others. At least three sideways stories have been completely pointless and have served no purpose at all (Kate/Claire, Sayid, Sun/Jin.)Ab Aeterno was supposed to drive it out of the park, and it may have done just that…if the episode had come last season. At this point, I really don't give a crap about Richard and his wife. They could've summed that entire episode up with one line: "I can't die because I asked Jacob to make me this way, and I've regretted it ever since." The more I watch Across the Sea, the more I don't mind it. But it's not episode quality that fans are complaining about, Sam, it's the placement and the timing of the episode. As I've said before, they could've run that episode as the second of the season, just did away with that awful Kate-mess, and people would've thought it was amazing. Then, for the third to last episode, maybe run something that actually gives us some insight to the Jacob and MIB characters, beyond "Oh, they were angsty teenagers. One was a momma's boy, the other wasn't. Now one is the smoke monster because he got thrown into a light that we have no idea about."And my last point has to do with the next episode. Lost has a history of throwing in a setup/filler episode right before the finale. If this is the case for next week's episode, then I truly believe that season six will go down as the worst in the minds of a lot of fans. We don't need a setup episode. We've been setting up this finale for six years now. If we even have to sit through the group walking from point A on the island, to point B where the finale is going to take place, I'm probably going to cry.
I think it is difficult to find context for this season because they are doing something unprecedented in terms of story telling. If we are to accept their definition of LOST, this is the sixth and final chapter in a book. In the last chapter of a book, you tie loose ends, keep the plot interesting enough to turn pages, but by and large you march towards a conclusion that, hopefully, no-one sees coming.More than anything, people seem to be trapped in a momentum. I know it is happening to me. If you don't like an episode, you feel like that's the direction… it is going to suck. When you really love and episode, your hopes get up. Personally, I believe expectations are soooooo high right now that it is going to take time for some people to see season 6 for what it is.
For it being the final season, I feel it is the most disappointing season.
This has definitely been a difficult season and I'm not sure it stands up against the first. Then again, there have been some great episodes. Dr. Linus, Happily Ever After, The Candidate, and Ab Aeterno were all interesting and fleshed out the characters in interesting new ways. I can't forgive, however, the awful treatment of the character of Ilana. She was set up to be interesting and could have given us so much info about Jacob, but all she did was wield a gun, shout at Ben, and appear unsympathetic. Her death, shocking though it was, felt like the writers giving up on her after not giving her any good material. Sun too was given little to do ever since halfway season 5 when her only lines seemed to be some variation of "where is my husband?" Another issue with the season has been that as much as I miss those who've died over the years, any deaths at this point have a lessened impact with another universe floating around which could possibly erase all of that. It was bad enough that Sayid died once to come back when he didn't really deserve to, but to bring him back again would be cheap. I also hope that John Locke stays dead, and the writers did a good job of having his ending make sense for the character. Poor guy. But I've definitely been enjoying the acting this season, especially Terry O'Quinn's, and even Matthew Fox, who came across as flat and irritating in seasons past has redeemed himself. Watching him work out the Man in Black's submarine-bombing plan in The Candidate was simply riveting television, and he definitely deserves kudos for that episode. But I know the finale'll be brilliant. If the writers can do anything right, it's finales, and I look forward to watching it after my french exam on the 24th (Oh, the perils of living in England). And there's no one thing that the show can do to ruin the last 100 or so hours of brilliance (except Stranger in a Strange Land, which was just the dullest hour of Lost ever).
Reserve judgement after the final two episodes. If it is the worst season after that then in general it's still a damn good season of television
I think it might be different for people in the future to have a more measured reaction to Lost by way of Blu Ray and DVD. For them there won't be six years of inflated anticipation and (if we are all be honest here) overanalyzation. I say these things because I can easily say that Lost is my personal favorite show of all time, with the perspective of "It's just a TV show" grounding my expectations. That being said a lot of us wanted Lost to be something more than what it is. Call it a symptom of the "Star Wars" generation. We want a totally cohesive universe despite the fact it is a corporate owned PRODUCT. Is the show perfect? Nothing created by human ever is. It it ambitious and inspiring? Your mileage may vary, but the fact that this show got away with all the stuff it had needs to be commended. Lost is pulp, intellectual, funny, silly, diappointing, inspiring risky and schizophrenic, just like all of us. Lost is like finding out Santa Claus isn't real. The magic may not be real and disappointing, but you still got your gift nonetheless. Enjoy what you got for six years, not what YOU want the show to be. Did Damon and Carlton lie about certain things? I would say yes, but let me leave you with this: There were many lies my parents told me but their intentions were noble and the good far outweighed the bad. Kind of like LOST. Let's celebrate six years of flawed but noble ENTERTAINMENT, and not devolve into a bitter post-Revenge of the Sith type fandom.
Get your Kleenex out, cuz that's exactly what you're going to get!
Season 6 is a good contrast to Season 1, as it revisits a lot of themes and settings that took place at the beginning of the series. I personally found Season 4 to be the least desirable of the series. Season 6 is a well rounded chapter, with new storyline approaches, and a fun self aware sense of whimsy; best episodes being 'Ab Aeterno', 'Happily Ever After' and 'The Substitute' to name a few.I do however, find Season 6 to be a bit rushed, I really feel the final payoff, which as of this writing is just days away, will be quite anti-climactic. We are expecting a shocker, and I have no doubt the creative team will give us that, BUT being a fan of both the characters and the mythology of the series, I really think a few more episodes, or dare I say another Season would make the conclusion of both the characters and the island that much more satisfying….honestly how awesome would it be to have an entire flashback episode devoted to the creation of the Tawareet statue Jacob called home for so many years, before the Black Rock landed on top of it!!But regardless, it's LOST, it's brilliant, its the only reason I still have cable and there's not much to say after that. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/zerocharisma25” target=”_blank”>www.youtube.com/zerocharisma25
I agree that Season 6 was the worst season of the Lost series. Although I loved the finale, I think they wasted a lot of time during this last season to answer some important mysteries that have developed throughout the series. Lost will always be one of my favorite shows, but I am very disappointed on the direction that Season 6 went. Here are a list of questions I wish I had absolute answers to:http://lost-unanswered-questions.blogspot.com/2…..