A couple of weekends ago regular Talk Stink contributors got together and watched the first two hours of the ABC television series Lost. We argued over the commercial viability of the project and its potential staying power in the marketplace. Overall though we enjoyed it and look forward to the series premiere.
The Stink has done its best to keep this preview spoiler free. After all, we don’t like talking about “the head in the box” before you see it.
Lost (ABC)
Hour Long Drama
Currently filming on Oahu
On the surface Lost is a story about the survivors of a plane crash who are stranded on a deserted island somewhere in the Pacific.
On the surface.
The real story of Lost is how we inevitably place expectations on people before knowing who they are and where they come from.
The story hits the ground running, literally. Before the first commercial break we’re given what we expect from the genre. A well-dressed man wakes up in the middle of a tropical forest. A friendly dog wanders past him. Both seem out of place. The pooch wanders off and we get to know this man through his heroic actions as he reaches the crash site of a large jetliner.
Matthew Fox, best known for his work on Party of Five, plays Jack, the natural hero. His actions throughout the episode save more than a few people who should’ve perished in the crash. He’s joined by Kate (Evangeline Lilly), a reluctant heroine who doesn’t appear as internally motivated as Jack, but realizes helping him means a better chance of being rescued.
Ensemble casts require diversity, and we immediately see the clichés. There’s Charlie, Lord of the Ring’s Dominic Monaghan, the washed up rock star seeking approval and attention from everyone; a Korean couple who don’t speak english and keep to themselves; the fat guy with the flaming red hair who looks and acts like an internet fan-boy. Other standouts include the quiet loner, the arguing siblings, an extremely pregnant woman, the father and son with lost dog, and the kooky old guy.
It looks like familiar territory from the beginning, but Lost isn’t a scary monster/deserted island story. The writers allow viewers to rely on stereotypes and clichés so they can get the story moving. This allows us to take these characters at face value just as their island cohorts would.
We think we’ve got it all figured out until Lost reveals its characters in flashback. Motivations and the secrets kept from each other test what we think we know about the characters. For example, we each had a different take on the korean couple’s relationship, but we only learn as much as the people they are trapped with do — they can’t speak english.
The writing is clever, as in most J.J. Abrams enterprises, but some have considered it too clever for its own good. A few of us felt that there wasn’t a strong enough storyline to keep the audience watching, and the flashbacks could confuse some viewers. A few references are rather esoteric, but understanding them isn’t central to the story.
There are fine details in the writing, little things reveal how these people were lucky or smart enough to survive. Lost requires an attention span as does Alias, but those who are willing to make an effort will be rewarded with an intriguing hour long drama. From what we’ve seen we hope it succeeds, faring better with audiences than previous Abrams outings.
One final note: The print we viewed contained a few intense scenes and some bloodiness. Scenes involving the crash of the airliner are quite effective and add to the story. We can only hope there aren’t substantial changes made to the final product.
Lost premieres Wednesday, September 22 on ABC in its hour long format. Please check your local listings for times.
