I have seen the third season premiere of Lost–the most eagerly anticipated episode of a returning series this fall–and all I can say is, this show is going to continue taking its viewers on a ride the likes of which they won’t find anywhere else on television, even with all the new serialized dramas that have made their debuts in recent weeks. Whatever you do, do not miss the first five minutes!
If you didn’t dig last year’s season premiere–which revealed much of what was in the hatch, introduced a new character, delved deeper into Jack’s history, focused on three primary characters (Jack, Kate and Locke), and revealed not one new glimmer of information about any other member of our beloved band of island castaways–you will probably be similarly disappointed in this year’s season opener–which reveals much of what is in the Others’ compound, introduces a new character, delves deeper into Jack’s history, focuses on three primary characters (Jack, Kate and Sawyer) and reveals not one new glimmer of information about any other member of our beloved band of island castaways.
Conversely, if you did get off on last year’s opening episode–which in its first scene yanked the show in an unexpected new direction–you’re gonna love tomorrow night’s season premiere. Whether your response is positive or negative, you’ll find yourself once again wondering, “What the hell is going on here?” That may or may not be a good thing, depending on the collective mindset of Lost fans, many of whom are constantly torn between the delight that comes from trying to solve its ongoing narrative puzzles and the frustration that results from getting answers that simply generate new questions.
Lost executive producers J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse will never be accused of failing to take big, ballsy risks. Apparently it is their intent to deliver massive season-premiere jolts on an annual basis (or possibly bi-annual–the show is back for only six weeks, a run we are told will end with a shocking surprise, meaning viewers will likely be in for another seismic storyline stunner come January, when Lost returns with the promise of no repeats through May).
Anyway, the opening sequence of the third season premiere is as stunning as anything seen on Lost since the spectacular plane crash in the pilot. It is every bit as unexpected and as game-changing as last year’s start, which revealed the inside of the hatch to be not at all what anyone had imagined it would be, and suddenly plunked Desmond down in the middle of the story. The show tomorrow similarly reveals that there is much more to the Others’ compound than had been previously hinted at and introduces a new character, a woman named Juliet who is suddenly integral to the ongoing plot and central to the particular episode.
Although I found it totally absorbing, this episode in part left me with the same uneasy feeling that I had after watching last year’s season premiere. Actually, I had begun to fear for Lost at the end of its season one finale, when Michael, Walt, Sawyer and Jin, sailing away from the island on a giant raft, were attacked by creepy people on a fishing boat acting like those backwoods monsters who assaulted Burt Reynolds and his buddies in the 1972 thriller Deliverance. Would this new twist compromise the show’s central narrative construct? Would it lessen the impact of its intense primal drive, of people confronting their deepest, darkest fears and past failures while confronting the unknown? More to the point, did the appearance of the Others in that boat signal that all the challenging, introspection-inspiring strangeness on the island was just the work of nasty old humans?
Season two was not without its pleasures, but it also proved that my concerns were somewhat justified. Not all the changes were good ones. There was too much hatch mystery and too little jungle adventure, too much about the Tailies and too little about the front-enders. We never saw the characters having any fun. There was no joy amid the misery. Even Hurley became a drag.
Something tells me this year will be more satisfying than last. The writers can do a lot with the story of the Others and their connection to the Dharma Initiative, as well as the link they established late last season between Desmond and the outside world that is by itself rife with potential. And it has been reported that the show will return its focus to the vibrant relationships between the original characters after last season’s distraction of the Tailies.
That said, I don’t think there is a Lost fan out there who is interested in a season full of stories about the Others mentally or physically tormenting our castaways. We have been watching these folks suffer all manner of hardships for two years. If this story approach continues, or if it is heightened, some viewers will bail from compassion fatigue.
It is crucial to remember that, for Lost to remain the phenomenon that it has been, the island must remain a place that viewers want to visit every week. Similarly, the relationships between viewers and these characters must be respected and rewarded at all times. Most important of all, Lost must never get weird just for the sake of being weird.
