So Season 5 of Lost is done.

[Mentalist]

Seriously. Shit was epic pretty much all the way through. I got a bit disillusioned with Season 4 at times and felt it dragged its heels too much and was sometimes just being cryptic and making the audience ask questions just for the sake of the "mystery" and not for the overarching story itself.

It was still must-watch-TV and Lost night was always something to look forward to but I know I'm not alone in some of the criticism.

Season 5 on the other hand has been balls to the wall brilliant throughout. Incredibly confusing at times even for those of us who read up and follow more closely which was a big gamble for such a popular mainstream show which has always run the risk of alienating the average fan who would never dream of watching webisodes or reading theories and recaps online and the like.

But it's come together fantastically this season. Outstanding performances from Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson and my other stand out actor of the year Josh Holloway who has been brilliant as well.

The next 9 months are going to be painful waiting for the final season and when it comes it's going to be more painful as we move closer and closer to the end of the show. In some ways you don't want the show to end and in others the need to finally have all the pieces in place and to finally "get it" is equally powerful.

One of the Top 5 TV shows of all time? I think so.

 

[Big Dick McGee]

Surely not better than Steptoe and Son???

 

[Mentalist]

You're American. How do you know about Steptoe and Son? Wasn't it re imagined years later in to Sanford and Son or something in the States?

 

[Eggs Mayonnaise]

I watched the recap/interview show before the season finale, and it clued me into a lot of things. After watching it, I can see that this show can be one hell of a thrill ride, but I can also see why I've resisted it over the years. To really enjoy it and get everything, you have to pay complete attention, and not do 3 other things while you are watching. It's amazing how much harder that is for me to do than say, a few years ago.

LOL IT TOOK LOST TO FIND OUT IM GOING SENILE LOLFUCK

 

[Big Dick McGee]

You're American. How do you know about Steptoe and Son? Wasn't it re imagined years later in to Sanford and Son or something in the States?

Indeed it was. Sanford and Son is one of my all-time favorite shows, so I'm sure I heard about or read about Steptoe and Son some years ago.

I think Three's Company was also based on a British show, but I was never a big fan, despite Suzanne Sommer's SIZZLING playboy pics.

 

[Big Dick McGee]

So as not to completely derail this thread, the season finale totally confirmed my belief that Lost is indeed one of the top 5-10 shows of all time. Hmmm....

1. Buffy
2. Veronica Mars
3. Angel
4. Lost

Just off the top of my head, it's probably the 4th best.

 

[Eggs Mayonnaise]

They flash the UK show that the US show is based on in the closing credits.

SANFORD & SON → STEPTOE & SON

THREE'S COMPANY → MAN ABOUT THE HOUSE

ALL IN THE FAMILY → TILL DEATH DO US PART

THE OFFICE → THE OFFICE LOL

 

[Mentalist]

Steptoe and Son was great. I used to watch reruns on a Sunday with my grandmammy when I was just a wee nipper, Gov'ner!

 

[Cassie]

I suck at making lists of top shows or movies, because all I can think of are recent shows and then later I remember a show that was great in its time. I'LL GIVE IT A SHOT ANYWAY.

1) Battlestar Galactica (reimagined)
2) Lost
3) Rescue Me (you should all watch it, srsly)
4) Star Trek TOS (most of you probably prefer TNG)
5) Boston Legal (IT'S MY TOP FIVE, OK?)

 

[CaptainWacky]

The guy who played the young Steptoe was on his way to becoming the English Marlon Brando but then Steptoe took over his life and career and he never made it big and ended up dying quite young. SAD (but funny show!)

TOP FIVE TV SHOWS SHOULD BE A THREAD ON ITS OWN

AS FOR LOST it was no doubt a good season and the finale restored my faith in them actually having it planned out from the beginning (the whole black/white theme returning). HOWEVER I do still have a bit of a problem with the whole character development side: sometimes they only seem to do stuff to serve the plot. Like how Kate was SO AGAINST Jack setting off the bomb but then just decided to let him do it because he and Sawyer had a big fight. And Juliet flip-flopping on NUKING THE ISLAND because Sawyer gave Kate a look. That's a bit extreme. But the actors still did a good job and Sawyer was definitely the star of the season. The lack of Desmond (why is he still a regular cast member) was also hugely disappointing.

As long as Hurley is consistent I'm happy and he's still the same Hurley as always. Plus Sayid is still a likable guy despite being a cold blooded killer. Thats' good acting and writing.

 

[Mentalist]

Oh, for sure there is some definite points that leave a lot to be desired. The whole love triangle with Kate, Sawyer and Juilet was crap. Juliet seemed insecure. Kate seemed oblivious and Sawyer was far too busy SAVING EVERYTHING.

I think Wacky pointed this out some time ago and it's definitely true:

The writers SUCK ASS at writing female characters. Like...all of them.


The blowing up of the Swan site and plot prodding to finally get them in to position for the final kaboom with as much overdone last minute drama as they could was not that great really. The stupid flip-flopping made no sense either. Luckily some great performances and the fantastic stuff going on in the other parts of the episode with Jacob and Fake Locke (FLOCKE) made those points far less important.

Also, something that I find really stupid. The fight with Jack and Sawyer. These are two fully grown men who can obviously pack a punch and we see them both take turns in literally holding the other one to the floor and repeatedly smashing the fuck out of their respective faces as hard as they could.

I'm sorry, but the make-up artist smearing some fake blood on their faces afterwards was ridiculous. They would have caved each others skulls in. Well they wouldn't because one or two direct impacts to the face like that would have floored any man alive and broken bones and left them unconscious or DEAD. Yet right after the fight they're walking around absolutley fine.

Yeah, it's TV. But it's still highly ridiculous and took me out of the moment completley.


ANYWAY FORGET ALL THAT STUFF BECAUSE IT'S STILL FUCKING BRILLIANT OK.

 

[Cassie]

My brother broke a guy's jaw with one punch when he was 16yrs old. TV fights are never realistic!

I complained about Juliet's flip flopping in the other Lost thread. If she loved Sawyer that much, she should have fought for him, not give up and die. The writers should hire a chick to consult with before they write a scene, IMO.

 

[Big Dick McGee]

I wish Juliet wore flip-flops on the island. Hot Elizabeth Mitchell feet!

Honestly, I think Lost is above-average at writing women's characters and dialogue. Listen, if you've ever been married, or in a long relationship...or even known a woman, you'll know that sometimes they change their minds JUST BECAUSE. Juliet's change of heart was very believable, IMHO.

 

[Cassie]

That's because you have a penis, which blocks out your perception of female reasoning (we are capable of reason, mofo). Lost is not above average for writing female characters, not necessarily below average either. They just don't write them realistically. A real Juliet wouldn't decide to set off a bomb just because her boyfriend looked at Kate at the wrong moment. Her insecurity was natural, but Juliet was a lot tougher than they wrote her in the end.

 

[CaptainWacky]

The island was constantly healing Jack and Sawyer's injuries during the fist fight.

Remember when Ethan had SUPER STRENGTH and managed to carry off heavily pregnant Claire and Charlie by himself, beat the shit out of Jack and hang Charlie from a tree and everyone thought the others were super human but now they're just normal people? Err, I don't know why I brought that up, but it happened.

Killing off Charlotte and Daniel was a bit pointless and seems like it was done just because they need a few deaths each season. Daniel especially seemed to have more story to explore.

 

[Fuddlemiff]

For that reason I hope Daniel comes back to life somehow. He was an interesting character and we still had more to find out about him, I'm sure.

 

[whisky]

The island was constantly healing Jack and Sawyer's injuries during the fist fight.
.

Said as a joke, but probably true.

Ethan was the doctor for the others, so maybe he just injected himself with steroids or something

 

[Mentalist]

I refuse to believe that Daniel is dead.

 

[Eggs Mayonnaise]

Boone needs to be alive and naked.

 

[Fuddlemiff]

They never even mentioned him.

Jack kept going on about how if they reset time they wouldn't have gone through all this misery, but he didn't mention that everyone on the plane would be alive and well, including so many of their friends who died. That's a more compelling argument.