Lost

[xita]

This is my favorite new show of the year. It's not brain surgery but it's fun!



I want to know what Kate did!

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"Trust is a risk masquerading as a promise."

[urnofosiris]

Dude, could you be any briefer?



So what is this about and why should I watch it?

[xita]

This is the story of a bunch of people in a plane that crash into an island. They don't know where they are. There might be man eating animals here. There might be someone else that was stuck there for 16 years. Lots of mysteries!



Ok, you should watch because of constant flashbacks to the plane crash! Hot chick, Kate! And just stupid fun!

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"Trust is a risk masquerading as a promise."

[urnofosiris]

A pretty woman and plane crash. Say no more. Planes and Heather Locklear are why I am watching LAX, so I will watch this if you start watching LAX mmm ´kay?

[Hemiola]

Actually, DrG, this show is intriguing for a lot of reasons. It is a clever mixture of action/suspense/thriller with elements of fantasy/sci-fi. I shall explain:



1. Even if there were no "fantasy/sci-fi" elements, this show would be fascinating for its characters:

a) a "true-blue" doctor who is, pretty much, the hero in this picture

b) a beautiful women who assists him, but has a mysterious (?evil?) past as a hunted felon

c) a rock-star (none other than Dominic Monaghan--Pippin from "LOTR"!)

d) a member of the former Iraqi Republican Guard who, it seems, is the only member of the group with some military experience

e) an ordinary guy who nonetheless does his best to "step up" when he is needed

f) a Korean couple (the husband is Daniel Dae Kim--Gavin Park from "Angel"!) who don't speak English and

g) an older gentleman who doesn't seem to be in the least perturbed by the course of events

And quite a few more. It's an eclectic group which should be a good source for a lot of interesting "back-stories".



2. The "sci-fi/fantasy" elements:

a) we still don't know exactly why the plane crashed in the first place!

b) the wildlife on this island is, to say the least, peculiar (a group was attacked by a polar bear, on what is supposed to be a tropical island!!??). The writers are hinting that there may be even stranger things to be found (dinosaurs? chimeras? mutants? aliens?--who knows )



All in all, it seems to offer some good possibilities--it's certainly worth a look.

[Gatito Grande]

Um, let's keep going on the characters:



h) and i) an African-American father, who has apparently just taken custody of his son (who was living in Australia---with his mother, IIRC? Australia is where the plane departed from---and where Kate was apprehended, by the now-deceased marshal). The son has just been reunited w/ his beloved dog, Vincent: now, I love labradors as much as anyone, but does anyone else have the feeling that there may be more to the dog than meets the eye?

j) a pregnant Australian teenager

k)a scary, macho-handsome Good Ol' Boy-type (the early misdirect in the "wanted felon" subplot)

l) and m) an American brother and sister---both fairly shallow, thus far---with a strained relationship. Sister's claim to fame: she speaks French!

n) an older African-American woman---revived by the doctor in the opener. The previews from this week show her featured (re her husband, who may or may not have died in the crash).



Dominic Monaghan's seemingly decent (though basically over-the-hill) pop-star is also a drug addict, and I think it's going to be pretty interesting when he runs out of his stash. The relationship between the Korean husband and wife is pretty clearly strained (w/ him emotionally, at least, dominating her. I am a bit concerned we're getting into ethnic stereotypes here). Though they had an awkward moment last week, my money is on the Korean woman and the African-American father to get a little somethin' goin on. Several guys are eyeing the cute Australian girl (instant paternity notwithstanding). Look for scary macho guy to be the doc's rival for Mysterious Kate. The "decent guy" (e), is clearly there as comic relief (stereotypical "funny fat guy").



Besides Dominic Monaghan, another international casting coup is Naveen Andrews (star of a number of Bollywood films), playing the Iraqi (yeah, yeah: an Indian playing an Iraqi---speaking of yet another stereotype, apparently "they all look alike" to H'wood . . . and any number of bigots after 9/11 )



GG As you can tell, I am also starting to become hooked on this show (my TV gaydar hasn't sensed any gay characters yet, but we can hope, can't we? ) Out

[Warduke]

I like this show too. Very rare these days that a new show is actually any good.

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Firefox: One Browser To Rule Them All.

[Puff]

I'm also a Lost fan. Hopefully the show stays on the air, I don't know if it gets good ratings or not.

[xita]

It got big ratings, it had the biggest premiere for abc in a long time, till Desperate house wives beat it a few days later.

It's winning its time slot as well.

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"Trust is a risk masquerading as a promise."

[LunaMuses]

I like it alot so far. To me, the first couple eps espicially, watched alot like a movie...



I think it's interesting because of the wide cross-section of people. plus the whole maybe-dinosaur thing

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics!" - Benjamin Disraeli

[urnofosiris]

Thanks hemiola I have downloaded and watched all three episodes (our hobbit is Merry btw, but it is easy to mix em up ).



On paper the characters seem a bit cliched (hero doctor, angry rascally looking handsome guy, blond airhead, clumsy newbie father, mysterious mystical old guy, jolly fat man etc.) and to some extend they are on screen, but not enough to bug me (except for one). The handsome angry guy annoyed me but he quickly got his come-uppance when he tried to euthanize that marshal and missed (how stupid can you be, I bet he closed his eyes when he pulled the trigger). The doctor is a bit of a saint, but whatever, I am sure some skeletons will come crawling out of his closet soon enough.



The Korean guy bugs me the most so far, especially the way they ended the third ep with him gently carressing his wife mixed in with the other happy (under the circumstances) scenes and music. That was not a happy scene, that does not make me like him or think there is good in him, that he really loves her, will learn his lesson about not treating your wife as property and that he will end up deserving to be with her. No, if she does not kick his ass to the curb or into the mouth of that monster soon, I will be very pissed.



Lunamuses, the episodes felt more like an extended movie than a TV show to me too, which is good. I love the fantasy mystery monster element. I was not expecting that. I thought it would be a realistic drama series. My first thought when I saw those trees moving like that was "they´ve landed in Jurassic Park". This better turn out to be some fantastic monster or a T-rex. No creature on earth today can do what it did to that pilot, that includes polar bears. I´m interested to know how that got on the island, maybe it was being transported on that plane too, to some other zoo or something. Surely it can´t have been there long, this island is not big enough to sustain one, let alone two, such large predators.



So I am curious what food that monster has been living on all these years, it did not seem very hungry as it did not even eat that pilot (note to self: if there is a huge scary monster outside, do not climb out of a window to see what it looks like). I´d also like to know when they will start burying the dead, because at those temperatures and moisture, things should get very smelly very soon. I am also very interested to know how so many people could have survived a mid air break up of an airplane. More flashbacks are welcome. I like them, part of my weird fascination with planes.



To sum it up, I can nitpick about all sorts of thing, but I really like this show, I look forward to the next part.

[Disastered]

I really like this show. One of the few current shows I have been able to get into. The characters are a bit cliche as som of you guys have said, but so far they've been able to give some of those characters twists.



I'm not really sure what you guys watch outside of BTVS but did anyone notice that the Korean guy is Gavin from Angel? The only other person I could recognise and place with a show was the pregnant woman. She was Tess on Roswell. I was kind of excited to see some familiar places.



Is this a mini-series or an actual show? I havent been able to figure it out.

Jack :TV? I love tv. "Buffy" is my life. So into Willow being a les.

[LunaMuses]

DrG, I'm thinking it feels more like a movie because they aren't jumping through time as much as a show normally does. Or, at least, they do a good job of seamlessly overlooking that skipped time. We're getting to the 4th? episode, and we're still only a couple days onto the island.



I think the bit about the French signal cycling for 16 years paired with the rustling trees really adds to this whole "Lost World" feel. My thought is a team of French scientists has a big boat (or maybe plane?) full of mutant monsters or something. They all crash, and all but the one lady is killed. Enter the new French character, the woman who has been able to survive on the island for 16 years...



there's so many directions this could go in. But I'm sure Captain, er, Doctor America will see us through (If you wait for the right angle, you can perfectly imagine him in the outfit )....

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics!" - Benjamin Disraeli

[Gatito Grande]

Um, Daniel Dae Kim has been on a *ton* of shows (in case we want to not mention the OT one).



Garfield, I think we may be coming at the Korean couple from different angles. I actually like the (atypical) moments of gentleness between them, because I'm really concerned about the ethnic stereotype here: "Oh yes: non-Western men all treat their women like sh*t. Get a birkah on her, or smack her down (then knock her up)." You know how it is: if there were a number of non-white/non-Western couples here, and they (these Koreans) were the patriarchal one, then that would be OK . . . But they're not, and in the absence of comparison, it just looks like "East bad/West good." (That said, I'm still looking forward to the Korean woman stepping out on the husband---in one way or another). But maybe there will be another plot twist here? (After the fashion of the misdirects we've seen thus far).



GG 'Bout time Terry O'Quinn---Older Guy Who Knows Way More Than He's Telling---got to be on his own show, too: after the zillion guest appearances he's done everywhere else! Out



G: I was also thinking the same thing about the bodies: bury 'em or burn 'em, FAST! (Of course, there's also the "South American Plane Crash Survival-Solution" )

[xita]

I too hope there is a twist with the Korean couple because it does seem like it's very stereotypical. I am actually just happy to see them on the other hand. The show made a point here to have asian characters, not only that but Korean ones which are often overlooked. I wonder what Margaret Cho would say.



Ahh, LunaMuses, you make a good point. The pacing of the show makes it feel like a miniseries or a movie. I think 24 probably changed the rules of pacing when they dedicated a season to 24 hours. I like the way it feels but fear that it will feel old or just loose something along the way. Oh well, enjoy it while I still can.



And since I don't expect much from it because it is cheesy, I think I'll be happy for a while. I can overlook all the stereotypes floating around because they all are stereotypes. Well, except Kate

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"Trust is a risk masquerading as a promise."

[Hyo Shin]

I'm excited about the show because Kim Yoon-jin is a quite famous actress in Korea. She looks weird in the show because her character is just too quiet and acquiescent (she is famous for her action movies). It's not even a real stereotype. If you want to know more about the real stereotype of Korean women just type 'ajumma' in Google.



Daniel Dae Kim's husband is... weird and interesting. His Korean is not that perfect. But he still has the clear Busan accent. That means he is came from Gyeonsang Province. Men from Gyeonsang Province are infamous for their old fashioned habits and ideas. That's why we have

so many angry feminists from Gyeonsang Province. That means his character is quite genuine!



Their names are weird. Most of Koreans have two syllable names. There are some one syllable names. But they are quite rare.



Here is an interesting article about them.



starbulletin.com/2004/09/...tory2.html



BTW, the most unrealistic Korean character in American TV shows is Mrs. Kim in Gilmore Girls. She doesn't looks like a Korean. She doesn't act like a Korean. She is just... not a Korean. Even the title 'Mrs. Kim' is not quite right. Korean women don't change their sur names. Many Korean-Americans do but Mrs. Kim is just too comfortable about the idea.

[xita]

Oooh thanks for the article, very interesting. It's nice to see 2 actors so involved that they've basically taken characters that weren't written perhaps to even be Korean and made sure that they have some depth to them.

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"Trust is a risk masquerading as a promise."

[urnofosiris]

Thanks Hyo Shin, that was an interesting article. It´s great having so many different nationalities on this board, it´s most educational.

Quote:

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"OK, a secret for viewers: the rainbows will be one of the best parts of 'Lost.' "

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I guess it is wishful thinking to assume this means her character will come out of the closet and hook up with Kate.

[LunaMuses]

lmao, I concur with G, now *that* would be a twist! XD

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics!" - Benjamin Disraeli

[Gatito Grande]

Yes! I called it (when Locke stared at his moving toe, I guessed what that meant )



Poor Michael! (African-American father) I hope his wound heals better than the marshal's did. (Feeling even more sure about him and Sun, the Korean woman )



Now I'm thinking that Doctor Jack, Scary Guy (is it Sawyer?), and Sayid the Iraqi will all be competing for Kate.



GG What did Locke see? What did *Jack* see (is he going nuts)? And how is Dominick Monaghan (character's name?) gonna get a fix? Mysteries, mysteries! Out

[xita]

Dude I love this show! I didn't get it so the surprise was so much better at the end. Truly well done, I was totally surprised. I loved it, very well done. Go locke!!

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"Trust is a risk masquerading as a promise."

[Culzean]

It is so nice to actually be surprised by something on a television show.



I loved how they kept twisting Locke's character. All those misdirects, and then the final twist. Too cool!



I now look forward to all of the initial stereotypes getting twisted throughout the season.



And if Kate has to go for a guy, I think she should go for Sayid (sp?).

[Gatito Grande]

Well, since I was the one who suggested Sayid might be in the running (for the "hand" of Fair Kate ), I shouldn't fail to note that Pregnant Clair found a letter to him, w/ the implication that it contained pictures of his wife.



GG Yeah, yeah: she *could* be a sister, but . . . Out

[xita]

I'd much rather have sayid for her than the good doctor. Of course I'd prefer a woman but they're not asking me!

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"Trust is a risk masquerading as a promise."

[Gatito Grande]

Well, I'd say that (in general) the show could use some more Strong Female Characters. Now, Pregnant Clair could turn out to have some strength (already beginning to be apparent). And Widow (?) Rose looks like she has some strength. And Shallow Shannon? She could be ideal for another misdirect. Oh, and I bet Sun will turn out to have some strength!



GG What was I saying again? I guess my point was, none of the female characters---at this time---appear to have any potential hook-up possibilities for Kate. If we were to see that kind of thing (not that I'm interested or anything! ) Out

[Webberific]

My favorite scene in the episode was Kate climbing the tree. As someone who is afraid of heights, I thought it was very impressive and a neat clue into her character.



I missed the two episodes before that, and forgive me if this has been mentioned in the thread, but do we have any idea what crime(s) Kate committed, or is that still a secret for now?



I agree, I hope we see more of the women written better in terms of strength. I liked Claire a lot in this week's episode, but I'm kind of surprised that there isn't some sort of successful corporate woman character (or is there?). I think it might have been more interesting if a woman had been the doctor and Jack could have had some other occupation, but oh well.

[xita]

I looooved kate climbing a tree!! sigh, hot!



Hmm, I think the neat kind of thing about the show is that there are a lot of background survivors they do a really good job on not focusing on. I read somewhere that they'd have a higher death count than other shows. I don't really like that but on the other hand I do like the idea that any point they could spring the people in the baground forth.

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"Trust is a risk masquerading as a promise."

[Culzean]

Webberific - no, we don't know what crime Kate was accused of committing. The U.S. Marshall who arrested her did comment on the possibility that someone might actually believe her story. He apparently didn't, but that does open the door to the possibility that she was falsely accused of something.



The good doctor told her not to tell him, it didn't matter. Personally - my curiosity has been piqued and I'd love to know.

[Gatito Grande]

Well, I'm guessing that Australia wouldn't admit any gun-toting U.S. marshals to bust someone for shoplifting, so I think it's safe to assume it's something serious (her alleged crime).



GG Any Australian Kittens here? What are Australia's extradition policies? (Though since unfortunately-reelected PM Michael Howard has been, along w/ Tony Blair, one of Dubya's chief brown-noses, I bet that currently Oz extradites just about anyone Uncle Sam wants . . . if Lost even cares about accuracy in that department! ) Out



When did we hear that Kate is afraid of heights?



ETA: Well, I just have to add that I begin too many damn posts with "Well, I . . . " Good googly-moogly!

Edited by: Gatito Grande at: 10/15/04 10:27 am

[urnofosiris]

Almost the first thing that someone with a (suspected) spinal cord injury gets asked is to wiggle their toes. So as soon as he wiggled his I suspected he must have had some past injury that this was referring to. I did not think he would be totally bound to a weelchair, but it did not come as huge surprise. Whatever stopped him from walking must have been more inside his head than inside his back. I like the continued air of mystery about him, he saw that monster and looked it in the eye and yet he walked away.



I believe Rose is correct and that there are more survivors, not just because of that mystery man in the perfect suit. I trust she has some 6th sense as to whether her husband is alive or not. Besides, if they could survive the middle section of the plane plummeting from the sky at what should be unsurvivable speeds, then why not anyone in the rear. The pilot had survived too after all.



I did not like this episode as well as the other three, it felt a bit like filler, but it did set up some more mysteries, like the aforementioned suit guy, like where the hell did those boars come from and where is the tail end of the plane and lastly but not leastly the mystery of the monster continues, though the boars roaming around explains what it has been snacking on for all those years.

Quote:

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Oh, and I bet Sun will turn out to have some strength!

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agreed, and I also bet she understands and speaks more English then she is letting on.

I am definitely looking forward to the next part.

Edited by: DrG at: 10/15/04 11:10 am