The Regularly Scheduled TV Show Blog

Thursday, September 22, 2005

Lost 2.01: Who the hell is in the hatch!?

One of the best shows premiered last night and it was phenomenal. Lost is one of those shows that never disappoints, and this premier was just awesome. Read on for more.

The opening of Lost was confusing at first. In what appears to be a nice apartment, the show had us follow a man through what appears to be his daily morning routine. Then there is an explosion which rocks his apartment and he goes into emergency response mode. We are shown a contraption of a series of mirrors which, after we follow the path of the mirrors, we find that his apartment is not an apartment at all but the shaft which the Lost characters have just blown open. What the hell just happened?!

From the music that the hidden character was playing, as well as the computer equipment he was using, it seemed that this was the 70s. Which is what I actually thought, since the sequence began with the patented eye opening, the MO of the flashback scenes in Lost. But when we find out it’s the same shaft as the one Locke & Co. are opening, I was thrown for a loop. How did this guy get down here? How long has he been in there? Holy crap, maybe they should have listened to Hugo and his cursed numbers and not have opened this hatch. Needless to say, the show got me hooked immediately.

The tension on the island was palpable in this episode. The fear that everyone felt was evident and it was nice to actually see the main characters talking to the other survivors as people and not only as extras. I think this episode was one of the first in which you could actually hear a conversation between the extras and the main cast. It was nice. Shannon’s sequence was also nice, with her dedication to find Vincent and the fact that she was used as the conduit to Walt. That sequence was high tension and I’ll be the first to admit: damn, that was scary. I have a thing with children being scary and this was just too much for me. With the panning shot of Shannon looking around in the forest, the voices returning, the same top-down shot of when Sayid was in the forest, it was the perfect setup to show Walt there. I wonder how they are going to flesh out this connection between Walt and Shannon. Is she going to be the conduit and start talking to the air now, or what? It’s an interesting twist.

The pacing of the show was great as well. The back and forth between Locke and Jack was just enough for me to cement the fact that these men do not agree ideologically. I like the fact that we have the Man of Science and the Man of Faith going up against one another. This theme and conflict strengthens the show as it lends that extra bit of tension to the already boiling show. And when they find the ladder is broken in the hatch, we again have this struggle between Locke and Jack. Locke’s faith told him to jump in right away and trust it, Jack’s reasoning was to stay out and stay together to keep safe. But we find, when Locke lowers Kate into the hatch, his faith has failed him and when Jack leaves he caves and the others to follow up on Locke and Kate, he finds that he must abandon his reasoning. A great struggle and I hope it continues on.

I felt Jack’s flashbacks for this episode were well done, showcasing the fact that Jack was still battling to be the perfect doctor, to better his “bedside manner”. The personal responsibility he takes when operating on his future wife and in taking care of the other survivors on the island reinforces his character as the nurturer and protector. The storyline of how Jack met his wife and saved her life is touching and serves to reinforce Jack as the likable character, even though on the island he is changing from likable leader to the man drawing lines between himself and Locke.

In Jack’s flashbacks, we are also introduced to another character, Desmond. While running up the steps at a stadium, Jack meets Desmond after spraining his ankle trying to outrun Desmond. Jack informs him that his operation didn’t go well and that he wasn’t able to fix his patient. Desmond reminds him that miracles do happen which, coincidentally enough (or not), does happen to Jack’s patient. She regains her feeling in her legs and goes on to marry Jack. What makes Desmond’s prophecy so interesting now is the fact that he turns out to be the man in the hatch. When Jack sees and recognizes him, he is bewildered. As anyone in the position has a right to be. How the hell did Desmond get down here? In his talk with Jack he reveals he is training for an around the world race. And the timeline seems skewed here. With all the equipment in the hatch looking like it came from the 70s, such as the computer interface, the magnetic drums running the disks and the music definitely from the same time era, how did Desmond get down here? Is he part of the conspiracy? Will he help them out? What a great way to end the show. I am definitely tuning in next week to see what the hell happens. It was a great season premier and, coupled with the Lost Recap, hopefully got some more viewers to buy into the show.

3 Comments:

  • I liked the maraschino cherries in the smoothie. DEEELICIOUS.

    And I totally called it that he was the psycho in the hatch!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:57 PM, September 22, 2005  

  • Totally. I knew the guy in the hatch couldn't be some random character but still, I was taken by surprise by him turning out to be Desmond. Can't wait for next week.

    By Blogger iomegadrive, at 3:23 PM, September 23, 2005  

  • Yeah, exactly what I thought. I was like, "Wow they are actually talking to the other people on the island and they aren't cardboard cutouts!"

    By Blogger iomegadrive, at 11:02 AM, September 25, 2005  

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