The TV IV Blog

tags: tv, lost

Note: This contains spoilers for Season 3 of Lost.

In the summer of 2006, fans hailed the announcement that the upcoming third season of Lost would be divided into two distinct sections that would run without interruption. It was supposedly going to be the best of both worlds – no more checking from week to week to see if the episode was new, yet unlike “24”, new episodes would be airing in the fall, instead of having to wait until January. That was the theory, anyway.

The primary focus of the fall arc dealt with Jack, Kate, and Sawyer, who had been captured by the Others at the end of Season 2. Unfortunately, for all the time spent in the company of the Others, not much was really learned about them. There were plenty of little teases, and small answers, but for the most part the Others remained an inscrutable cipher. The other mysteries that were set up in the season 2 finale went virtually unmentioned.

Most frustrating was the cliffhanger episode that concluded the fall season. There were no important revelations, no big new mysteries, no answers, and the episode even ended mid-conversation, with Jack telling Kate and Sawyer to run, frustratingly without her telling Jack a critical fact that could hinder the escape plan. The only real question answered in the episode was whether Kate would choose Jack or Sawyer.

As the credits rolled around the country, people blinked their eyes and said ‘That was it?’ As the reality sank in that was indeed all there would be for three months, there was much discontent. I can understand why the writers focused on the Jack-Kate-Sawyer storyline so much, the romance made sense given the pressure and very real threat of death hanging over the captives. I wasn’t expecting every mystery to be revealed. I understand what the writers were trying to do.

But I wanted something. It didn’t really matter, just something, anything at all interesting enough to be worth discussing for the next three months. That didn’t happen. There was no conclusion, no pause, and no exclamation point.

Heroes has been good about advancing the plot and characters, while still surprising the audience. It also split its season up into sections. Heroes also had a long hiatus of nearly two months. But the difference was that Heroes fall finale gave the fans not just one thing, but several things to talk about during the break. All that the Lost fans had to discuss was whether it was worth it to come back at all.

From what I’ve heard about tonight’s episode, the first Lost episode in three months, I think that it should have served as the fall finale, if only to give some kind of closure to the fall season.

The writers of Lost should try harder to ensure that they’re leaving the audience wanting more, and not leaving the audience with nothing at all.