LT337: LAX - First Impression

I GIVE THAT EPISODE A SCORE OF...

7 out of 10. It is difficult when expectations are high to then have them met. On the good side, LOST stayed consistent - consistent by leaving me with more questions than I had two hours ago. On the bad side, it seemed to just be getting crazier. Not that crazy is all that bad, but crazy without purpose can wear out the viewers.

For example, how many predicted Sayid would rise again? Was in the all-dressed in black outfit? Was is simply that we've seen LOST for five years and we have the general pattern down?


HARD TO FOLLOW

You KNOW if I'm having troubles after writing 300+ posts on the show, that a lot of casual observers are going to be thinking, "WHAT?"

It seemed that during the pre-show narrative that it would be difficult to keep a straight face while summarize this adventure. It felt like Hurley sitting at the kitchen table telling his mother the truth and then realizing that even soap opera shows do not have this outlandish twists.

But that is in part why we watch. One of the best things about Star Trek or Stargate is to see what the aliens will look like next week. Well now we have seen it and it looks very much like trouble, and like John Locke (again, who didn't see this coming?).


QUICK SHOTS

BEN - I thought when he was introduced to the dead body in the sand that he would have a change of heart and start blabbering what just happened inside. Nice twist to actually show Ben as a tired and tired of being used human.

RICHARD - Oh, oh. Last time he was in chains? I'm thinking Bible as it reminded me of the Devil being placed in the Bottomless Pit chains. And I thought of Juliet bound in that chain that lead her to her multiple deaths. During the commercial break I changed my mind to being bound in chains aboard the Black Rock.

JACOB - What an odd man. Odds are he needed a body and now he has Sayid (the black clothes is to throw us off). Sayid versus John - that should be interesting.

ASIAN LEADER and his SIDE KICK - Did anyone else think "Apocalypse Now"? I was expecting Sheen to slowly rise out of the spring with a knife clenched between his teeth. Odd thing to throw out there about English.

DESMOND - One of the things I liked. For being on screen for about 2 minutes, he proves that less is more.

FLIGHT 815 - I think we are seeing to parallel timelines. The plane ride is where the bomb goes off. The island stuff is where the bomb is immaterial because another time flash moved everyone up about three years.

JULIET - That's one way to right off a character. Look, we all thought she was dead - they could have just gone with that. The whole goodbye setup and scene was contrived, poorly pulled off and just too bloody for me to feel too sad.

MILES - The word? Did I hear that right?

HURLEY - Always can count on Hugo. He helped every scene that he was in...except waiting so long to get Sayid to the Temple. Pick it up, Lardo!

SMOKEY - Really, John? I like seeing you like that. Bram didn't last long, but it did give us one critical piece of information that needs explored in coming days: The Ash.


CLIFFHANGER

I did enjoy the cliffhanger: I want to go home. Nice. Is that another planet? Heaven? Something tells me two sons were banished to this mystical place and told to fight it out using humans as the pawns. Now we see how teachers feel when their pay is attached to student test scores! HA!

It really does seem we are heading towards the Twilight Zone. Hard to debate that when the opening scene has underwater shots of Atlantis...or Mu...or...


**

Ok, that's my first impression.

Enjoy,
KC