Anybody watch "Lost" last night?

Parker · Post by **Parker** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 1:22 pm

I have no doubt she will eventually reveal her story to the people on the island, and while initially shocked, they will eventually believe she was not guilty of everything she is supposed to be or had good reasons for doing what she did.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 1:22 pm

Yeah but did you notice how she knocked Charlie on his butt in the first ep. and demanded to know where the doctor guy was when they got separated in the jungle after the monster scarfed down the pilot?

Or when she took the gun from that macho guy?

Maybe she's just a tomboy or something. But she may have as big stones as any of the survivors.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 1:30 pm

>>>But she may have as big stones as any of the survivors.<<<

Well, one thing is certain: She has a body on which you could cut diamonds.

Take care,
PK

webdanzer · Post by **webdanzer** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 1:31 pm

Oh I'm not saying that she doesn't know her way around combat, or didn't really know how to use a gun, or that she isn't guilty of something.

I just don't think that she offs the Marshall to keep him silent like the previews (and possibly the ep 3 cliffhanger) lead you to believe.

By the way, while I'm enjoying Lost, can anyone give me an example of a sci-fi/mystery/Spooky type show on network TV that had anything even approaching a satisfying conclusion? Most of these shows that I'm aware of either get cancelled or have their secrets be something incredibly mundane or groan inducing, or they just collapse under the weight of themselves. (X-files, anyone?)

I also don't trust mr JJ Abrams, who has proven multiple times (Felicity/Alias several times) that he's willing to say 'F*ck it' with what he's previously done in his shows, just to re-start or re-do them along different lines.

The cynic in me says this show won't get any better than it is right now.

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 1:59 pm

Very odd, pk. I had the EXACT same reaction to both shows as you did. We recorded Desperate Housewives and were completely bored. Lost, however, has completely transfixed us. One thing I posed to my wife is the multitude of possible plays on things:

It says "Lost". It doesn't say whether the survivors are Lost, if the Island is Lost, if it's Lost in time, or WHAT is "Lost". There's so many possibilities, especially with the first "critter" they actually encounter. I absolutely, positively, cannot wait for the next episode.

Desperate Housewives I can pass on from here on out.

Brando70 · Post by **Brando70** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 2:08 pm

webdanzer wrote:Oh I'm not saying that she doesn't know her way around combat, or didn't really know how to use a gun, or that she isn't guilty of something.

I just don't think that she offs the Marshall to keep him silent like the previews (and possibly the ep 3 cliffhanger) lead you to believe.

By the way, while I'm enjoying Lost, can anyone give me an example of a sci-fi/mystery/Spooky type show on network TV that had anything even approaching a satisfying conclusion? Most of these shows that I'm aware of either get cancelled or have their secrets be something incredibly mundane or groan inducing, or they just collapse under the weight of themselves. (X-files, anyone?)

I agree to a certain extent, Web, but "The X-Files" did manage to keep it going strong for about 6-7 seasons. I thought they should have wrapped it up the season after the movie came out. After that, I really lost interest.

"Lost" may run out of steam quickly, but I'm kind of hoping it can go "The Fugitive" route and not overstay its welcome. In any case, it's a cool new show that doesn't involve people getting makeovers. Good enough for me.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 2:10 pm

Yeah I'm sure Kate will remain a sympathetic character, since she's one of the romantic leads.

So yes the previews could be a misdirection.

Maybe she redeems herself from her past. And when they're rescued, the others don't tell the authorities that she's a fugitive.

They're going to have to build huts and contraptions like Gilligan's Island. Or since each ep. equates to one day, I guess one season equates to just 3-4 weeks in real time.

Maybe not as much s*** happening as in 24. But at least in 24, the plots resolve in the period of a day and people have the chance to recover before going through another 24-hour hell.

Assuming Lost is renewed (wonder what the ratings are, since ABC is promoting it like crazy), what do they do, just go from season to season, either being killed one by one or just exploring the island?

The kid is going to grow a lot between seasons while the other characters will age. The goal of most series is to survive long enough to go into syndication, where the big money is. That is 100 episodes or almost 5 seasons. Have they mapped out that much content for this scenario of being stranded on an island?

webdanzer · Post by **webdanzer** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 2:19 pm

Brando70 wrote:I agree to a certain extent, Web, but "The X-Files" did manage to keep it going strong for about 6-7 seasons. I thought they should have wrapped it up the season after the movie came out. After that, I really lost interest.

Me too, Brando, and in the same place! Must have been their jump the shark moment. And I suppose if Lost runs as long as the X-files, there'd be very few that wouldn't regard that as a success.

Did anyone watch American Gothic? I thought that was a pretty good show as well, although it did start to stumble quite a bit on its own before being cancelled.

And The Prisoner is one of my all time faves, though I'm sure there are many out there that wouldn't say it's ending was all that satisfying...

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 2:20 pm

Brando70 wrote:"Lost" may run out of steam quickly, but I'm kind of hoping it can go "The Fugitive" route and not overstay its welcome. In any case, it's a cool new show that doesn't involve people getting makeovers. Good enough for me.

Brando you keep saying this and I am curious why. Lets say storyline wise they are stranded for 90 days. With each episode represent a day or two, that is about 35-45 episodes. That could be a 3 year run.

As for the appeal of the show. To me it is the interesting charcters and plot twists. If it becomes to Sci-Fi that is how I see it losing steam. Right now I am more eager to find out about the charcters, then what is on the island.

Brando70 · Post by **Brando70** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 2:43 pm

Danimal wrote:
Brando70 wrote:"Lost" may run out of steam quickly, but I'm kind of hoping it can go "The Fugitive" route and not overstay its welcome. In any case, it's a cool new show that doesn't involve people getting makeovers. Good enough for me.
Brando you keep saying this and I am curious why. Lets say storyline wise they are stranded for 90 days. With each episode represent a day or two, that is about 35-45 episodes. That could be a 3 year run.

As for the appeal of the show. To me it is the interesting charcters and plot twists. If it becomes to Sci-Fi that is how I see it losing steam. Right now I am more eager to find out about the charcters, then what is on the island.

Well, I think that what it is will define whether this is a good show or a great concept that collapses on itself, as Web said above.

**SPOLIERS***

The thing with the bear was a nice wrinkle. It was weird because WTF is a polar bear doing on a tropical island. But, judging from the position and height of the nose of the plane that Jack, Kate, and Merry found, the thing that yanked Captain Basil Exposition out of the cockpit was much, much bigger than a bear. Also, with the way the trees were shaking the first time the survivors sensed something out there, it seemed way too big to be bear-sized.

I do think the appeal also rests with the characters. I think everybody, even the pretty leads, have good three-dimensional qualities to them. The only one I don't like is the spoiled blonde chick, who seems patently unrealistic. The characters are good enough that I could continue to be teased for a long time and still watch (much like The X-Files). But at some point the show will have to reveal what's going on. And with this much anticipation, and because the show has gotten off to a great start, that secret will have to be very clever to keep most of us happy.

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 2:56 pm

Parker wrote:Boston Legal was pretty good. James Spader was made for his role. Much more like Ally McBeal now than how the Practice started out. I hated Ally McBeal, but for some reason I don't hate this show.

Denny Crain!

I love Shatner as Denny Crane. I love the name/catch phrase...brilliant. He is hilarious. Spader is right on also. Spader made the Practice watchable again last season. I'll defiantely be watching on Sundays. Rhona Mitra has nothing to do with it either

BTW, I'm a huge fan of Eva Longoria (Desparate Housewives).

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 3:03 pm

>>>Desperate Housewives I can pass on from here on out.<<<

Ditto, Terry. I kept waiting for the show to become clever or witty. I kept waiting for any character development besides that each of the housewives was desperate and wanted to get laid.

It never happened.

The only scene that elicited any emotion out of me was when the hot brunette wife who bones the young gardner returned to the house during her husband's business party to cut the lawn in her evening gown after her husband wanted to fire the gardner because he didn't cut the lawn. And that only brought a smirk to my face. Big whoop.

I was really let down by this show. I kept reading reviews about how smart, clever, well-written and offbeat it is. In other words, the kind of show I LOVE. I hate run-of-the-mill TV sh*t like "Friends." But I love stuff like "Lost," "Twin Peaks" and "Seinfeld."

But "Desperate Housewives" I think will end up appealing to only one demographic -- desperate housewives.

Take care,
PK

pigpen81 · Post by **pigpen81** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 3:23 pm

I didn't watch DW, but I listened while I worked on the CPU while my wife watched it. She tolerated it at best. Sounded really bad just from the audio.

Boston Legal was great. Much better then The Practice. The Annie bit was hilarious as was a few other scenes. I laughed my ass off.

I shouldn't have watched it, lost sleep. I need TIVO.

OmflShark · Post by **OmflShark** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 3:27 pm

James_E wrote:I might still have it on my DVR, but I think I already deleted it.

I'll check tonight.

Thanks James! The show sounds terrific, and I am already a big fan of "Alias". Does anyone else have the first two shows on tape? Help!!! Please!!!!

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 3:33 pm

Well DW isn't just some soap supposedly.

The one who blew her brains out looked like she was living a Stepford Wife existence. The perfect mom is driving her husband and children batty.

The widower has something hidden underneath their pool. The plumber is possibly some kind of criminal.

The Spanish chick also isn't happy with the luxurious life her husband has provided her.

The Terry Hatcher character will probably be implicated in the fire since she dropped the cup.

So they set things up for some twists. Remains to be seen if they deliver. Most people do not have patience for slow set ups. They want the payoff right away, which is where Lost is more appealing. You had the same complaints each time the Sopranos or 6FU started a season. They don't want to wait a couple of months for the payoff, they want fireworks right away.

webdanzer · Post by **webdanzer** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 3:41 pm

People can deal with delayed plot payoffs better if they are given interesting characters though, WCO, and even you described the characters more by the situations they are in than who they are.

I don't see anything inherently interesting in the characters here.

(Yes, I thought DH was pretty bad, too.)

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 3:44 pm

webdanzer wrote:People can deal with delayed plot payoffs better if they are given interesting characters though, WCO, and even you described the characters more by the situations they are in than who they are.

I don't see anything inherently interesting in the characters here.

(Yes, I thought DH was pretty bad, too.)

Exactly. I loved "Twin Peaks," which took an entire season to develop. But those characters were quirky and interesting as hell.

There was nothing interesting about the characters in "Desperate Housewives" except for Nicolette Sheridan's ass and Teri Hatcher from the neck down.

Take care,
PK

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 4:03 pm

It may not amount to much. And maybe this pilot just didn't do a good enough job. This will probably skew towards a female demographic in the end.

I thought it was interesting that the picture perfect housewife blew her brains out. One of the sons is fed up with "cuisine" for dinner rather than normal food.

Certainly a Lynchian take on the Stepfordian surface of things. Whether it attains that kind of quirkieness or just becomes a soap opera remains to be seen.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 4:32 pm

The writing will have to improve dramatically for this to even approach Lynch territory.

I don't consider a hot chick asking a new male neighbor who is a plumber to come over and "check her pipes" to be anything creative. Nothing else in the entire pilot was very well written, either.

"Twin Peaks" began with one of my classic all-time TV lines within three minutes of the start, when Laura Palmer's body was found and one of the townspeople said:

"She's DEAD. Wrapped in plastic."

Take care,
PK

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 5:18 pm

Speaking of TP, I thought I saw Sheryl Lee's names in the credits for DH. But I don't recall seeing her.

A show that was surprising was Wife Swap. Sounds like the worst of tabloid and reality.

But it's a good sociological snap shot if nothing else. Not sensationalistic although they did play up the culture clash a bit.

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 5:59 pm

My viewing is down to 5 shows right now, three of which aren't even on.

Lost
Las Vegas
Alias
24
Arrested Devlopement

I like a few others like Scrubs, Malcom and the campy Extreme Home Makeover, but I don't watch them religiously. Heck I don't even know if Malcom is new yet. This Falls new offerings are a tad weak.

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 6:20 pm

Judging a show based on 1 episode is the equivalent of the tjung school of kiosk reviews. It usually takes me a good 3-4 episodes before I can determine if I like a show. Hell, if I would have stopped viewing after a slow series start I would not be watching one of my favorite shows right now, Six Feet Under. By the fourth episode I was hooked but during the first 3 I was unsure if it was for me.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 8:22 pm

Yeah, Scoop, I may give "Desperate Housewives" one more shot just to see if I was missing something.

But if a show doesn't grab me pretty quickly, I have a lot better things to watch on TV or do besides TV. I don't have the willingness to wait out a show when I could be watching something else, reading, "obtaining" music, playing games, etc., etc.

Take care,
PK

James_E · Post by **James_E** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 9:16 pm

OmflShark wrote:
James_E wrote:I might still have it on my DVR, but I think I already deleted it.

I'll check tonight.
Thanks James! The show sounds terrific, and I am already a big fan of "Alias". Does anyone else have the first two shows on tape? Help!!! Please!!!!

I checked the DVR.. we deleted it. Sorry.

OmflShark · Post by **OmflShark** » Tue Oct 05, 2004 8:47 am

James_E wrote:
OmflShark wrote:
James_E wrote:I might still have it on my DVR, but I think I already deleted it.

I'll check tonight.
Thanks James! The show sounds terrific, and I am already a big fan of "Alias". Does anyone else have the first two shows on tape? Help!!! Please!!!!
I checked the DVR.. we deleted it. Sorry.

Thanks for checking.