tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post8730969846551731741..comments2024-03-25T19:18:14.047-04:00Comments on What's Alan Watching?: Lost: And we're just the guys to do it.Alan Sepinwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-82040255188551161422007-03-02T16:15:00.000-05:002007-03-02T16:15:00.000-05:00Joe in Philly OTM.Joe in Philly OTM.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278397835543484753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-86029299471136627052007-03-02T10:38:00.000-05:002007-03-02T10:38:00.000-05:00"Red...neck...man""Touche." made me giggle...I mis..."Red...neck...man"<BR/>"Touche." made me giggle...I missed those other characters...but then, I'm in it for the characters and relationships moreso than the mysteries/mythology...Sara Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09707992638426907665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-8977082446198678412007-03-02T02:02:00.000-05:002007-03-02T02:02:00.000-05:00There's going to be a Nikki and Paulo episode in a...<I>There's going to be a Nikki and Paulo episode in a few weeks </I><BR/><BR/>You liiiie! Why do you liiiie? [/Ned Flanders off]Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-20211262809130220292007-03-01T23:43:00.000-05:002007-03-01T23:43:00.000-05:00This episode felt like a spec script recut to fit ...This episode felt like a spec script recut to fit the current status of the show. The bus is out of nowhere and I am guessing will go nowhere.<BR/><BR/>Still, it was nice to smile with the characters. A little comic relief is helpful. Just ask Wm. Shakesp.<BR/><BR/>The van was a little too "Little Miss Sunshine" for me.<BR/><BR/>But I'm still hooked.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-14712850369812855402007-03-01T21:48:00.000-05:002007-03-01T21:48:00.000-05:00Another good line, when Hurley gave his speech abo...Another good line, when Hurley gave his speech about looking death in the face and saying, "Whatever, man..." <BR/><BR/>I agree with Alan in that I enjoy the show on a per-episode basis, and I too thought the Desmond ep and this Hurley one were the best so far this season. I am sticking with it, and I still think that it's one of the best shows out there. I don't have cable, after all, so with only network TV to choose from, my choices are limited. Lost stays on my "must see" list, and I don't foresee this changing. I sure hope it doesn't, but of course I was one of the many "Twin Peaks" and "X Files" viewers who got burned in the end...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-81937798144282759402007-03-01T18:28:00.000-05:002007-03-01T18:28:00.000-05:00I should add that if there is a major fault to be ...I should add that if there is a major fault to be laid at the feet of the "Lost" producers, it's not that they're making it up, but that their planned story is just too thin. As a result, they've got multi-year story points plotted out, and they figure out before they start a season about what the major events are going to be, and what the season finale is going to be.<BR/><BR/>Which is fine if you've got a lot of story to use. But one does get the sense with "Lost" that they don't have enough material to stretch over an entire season. The end result is that the pace of the plot is so slow that it's essentially ground to a halt.<BR/><BR/>I see that, absolutely. Personally, I enjoy "Lost" for many more reasons than the advancement of the plot. I didn't find the Others episodes dull at all, but I understand that many people did.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, I do belive they know what story they want to tell -- I just think they may not have enough story and are spreading it too thin. Perhaps that's one of the reasons they're openly talking about when they should end the show. They may have realized that for their show to succeed they're going to have to play out their story much faster, which is going to cause trouble if ABC wants them to go seven years.<BR/><BR/>Though with all the backlash I see, I'm starting to wonder if they'll make it to a fifth year.Jasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08038629195561926390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-1767676020607876952007-03-01T18:22:00.000-05:002007-03-01T18:22:00.000-05:00Anonymous: Nope, no channeling.Alan: I do believe ...Anonymous: Nope, no channeling.<BR/><BR/>Alan: I do believe that the producers know where they're going and aren't "making it up as they go along." Does this mean that every step is planned? Of course not. J. Michael Straczynski knew where he was going with "Babylon 5," but every time an actor dropped out or an opportunity for an interesting modification to the main story came along, the story had to change somewhat. I do believe that the fundamental parts of the "Lost" story remain the same.<BR/><BR/>Believe it or not, many (most?) novelists don't write outlines where every single story point is mapped out in incredible detail. Instead they have overall plot plans and know where they're going, but during the writing process things change and evolve. Sometimes the story details go in a different direction that you expected, but it's more organic or more interesting and so you go in that direction.<BR/><BR/>The difference is, unless you're Dickens or someone else who's writing chapters in public, as a novelist you get to write your whole piece, revise it, and then release it on the world. On TV there's no chance for that, and people are judging you every step of the way.<BR/><BR/>Several TV seasons have looked MUCH better to me on DVD, when I've been able to appreciate them in rapid succession rather than stretched out over months. There was a particular Buffy season (five? six?) that was FAR better upon review because what I felt was an interminable subplot was really only interminiable because it was stretched around months of reruns with only spotty re-airings.<BR/><BR/>Is "Lost" without failing or fault? Absolutely not. But I think my opinion that they're not making it up as they go along has just as much validity as yours does. Mine has the added advantage of being what the producers say, which means that I think they're telling the truth, and you think Abrams, Cuse, and Lindelof are lying. If you want to assume they're lying, that's your right, but I'm inclined to think they aren't.Jasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08038629195561926390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-56688232643474581922007-03-01T17:30:00.000-05:002007-03-01T17:30:00.000-05:00Alan, Thank you, thank you, thank you!Explanation:...Alan, Thank you, thank you, thank you!<BR/><BR/>Explanation: Thank you for verbalizing what I couldn't quite put my finger on last night about Hurley in that van. "Belushi-esque" couldn't be more perfect. I kept wondering who he was reminding me of so much, but it was just outside my memory's grasp. Stupid fibro. fog messes up the best little things!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-39259185904783359102007-03-01T16:36:00.000-05:002007-03-01T16:36:00.000-05:00Jason, is it just me or were you channeling Garden...Jason, is it just me or were you channeling Garden State a little there in your defense of the show?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-60430458243404356882007-03-01T16:26:00.000-05:002007-03-01T16:26:00.000-05:00If Lost was a novel I would be skipping to the las...If Lost was a novel I would be skipping to the last chapter right now.rukrusherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02005928545753221172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-1697143589915753852007-03-01T16:17:00.000-05:002007-03-01T16:17:00.000-05:00The presidential candidate that vows to abolish Ni...The presidential candidate that vows to abolish Nikki and Paulo has my vote.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-85533895696575922862007-03-01T13:50:00.000-05:002007-03-01T13:50:00.000-05:00Alan - Can you clarify if the regulars get paid fo...Alan - Can you clarify if the regulars get paid for eps thay aren't in? I always asumed they did, but all of the stuff with Veronica Mars characters disappearing for eps at a time so that they can save budget by not paying them would seem to counter that. ?<BR/><BR/>Unrelated, but how great would it be if we get a flashback soon that features another heretofore unseen Daddy and it's made abundantly clear that the character and his or her father had a remarkable, close, loving relationship?Tosy And Coshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11466315384515717261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-75758446434807181422007-03-01T13:31:00.000-05:002007-03-01T13:31:00.000-05:00BTW, speaking of Lost, did anyone notice how much ...BTW, speaking of Lost, did anyone notice how much weight Garcia's dropped? Even his flashbacks are skinnier...<BR/><BR/>EllenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-37856914127197652572007-03-01T13:17:00.000-05:002007-03-01T13:17:00.000-05:00I posted somewhere else earlier about how sick I a...I posted somewhere else earlier about how sick I am of everyone having daddy issues. Then it occurred to me that this is another common thread of everyone on the island. Yeah, that's the ticket! It must be part of the ISLAND MYSTERY!<BR/><BR/>Seriously, someone on this island had to have a daddy they liked.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03023353679912581128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-12254240032843720312007-03-01T13:06:00.000-05:002007-03-01T13:06:00.000-05:00I get the feeling that "Lost" will end up working ...<I>I get the feeling that "Lost" will end up working much better when viewed on DVD as a complete story.</I><BR/><BR/>Then you have far greater faith in Lindelof and Cuse than the rest of us do. You want a real "novel for TV," try watching "The Wire" on HBO, where it's obvious there will be payoffs down the road even when individual episodes offer little to no closure. <BR/><BR/>The longer "Lost" has been around, the more obvious it becomes to me (and others) that the producers are making it up as they go along, so the only way to enjoy it is on an episode-by-episode basis. Hours like this one or the Desmond show a couple of weeks ago are good, whether or not they advance the story, while all the Others episodes simultaneously fail to move the plot and to entertain on their own.Alan Sepinwallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-83797239129583476982007-03-01T12:51:00.000-05:002007-03-01T12:51:00.000-05:00I just don't get the "Lost" hate. When was "Lost" ...I just don't get the "Lost" hate. When was "Lost" ever "Gilligan's Island?" Never. It's like people have made up some idealized vision of what they wish the show was and have convinced themselves that it was always that show.<BR/><BR/>If you had to read a novel one chapter at a time, and the chapters were spread out by weeks or sometimes months, you'd lose perspective on the flow of the novel's story too. I get the feeling that "Lost" will end up working much better when viewed on DVD as a complete story.<BR/><BR/>In the meantime, though, I enjoy the ride immensely. But then, I take the show for what it is and don't try to imagine it if it was a story about identical-twin clowns who solve crimes.... on an island!Jasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08038629195561926390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-442615958056440922007-03-01T12:39:00.000-05:002007-03-01T12:39:00.000-05:00My wife asked, "Where's Rose and Bernard?" Good qu...<I>My wife asked, "Where's Rose and Bernard?" Good question, and why do we get Barbie and Ken's retarded cousins instead? </I><BR/><BR/>Lindelof says that the two actors (the one who plays Rose in particular) have a lot of other jobs (stage and screen), so they're not as available as much as the Lost producers would like, and the show doesn't need them enough to spend the money to make them regular castmembers so they'll always be around.Alan Sepinwallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-36286229310482233662007-03-01T12:25:00.000-05:002007-03-01T12:25:00.000-05:00There's going to be a Nikki and Paulo episode in a...<I>There's going to be a Nikki and Paulo episode in a few weeks (I think it's episode 14 overall), that Damon and Carlton claim will change everyone's perception of the two and make us understand why they're there. Uh-huh.</I><BR/><BR/>I'm not calling for a boycott, just saying I'll personally be busy that night.billhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16116980864333670109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-57818868217758884562007-03-01T11:23:00.000-05:002007-03-01T11:23:00.000-05:00There's going to be a Nikki and Paulo episode in a...There's going to be a Nikki and Paulo <I>episode</I> in a few weeks (I think it's episode 14 overall), that Damon and Carlton claim will change everyone's perception of the two and make us understand why they're there. Uh-huh.Alan Sepinwallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-24295000142982431612007-03-01T11:22:00.000-05:002007-03-01T11:22:00.000-05:00As most everyone's said, props to Garcia for carry...As most everyone's said, props to Garcia for carrying the episode, and to the writers for having some fun with a one-off that got away from the convoluted mysteries and reminded me why I like these characters.<BR/><BR/>Also, it's nice to see an enjoyable (for me anyway) Sawyer, which is probably due to his interacting with someone other than Kate. He's been grating on my nerves all season being solely part of the love triangle. His comraderie with Jin and slow acceptance of Hurley's hug were the highlights of the show for me.<BR/>-LanceAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-42405035216216764882007-03-01T11:05:00.000-05:002007-03-01T11:05:00.000-05:00I didn't love this ep, but I did like it a lot, es...I didn't love this ep, but I did like it a lot, especially after last week's disaster. Hopefully, they're getting back to what made this show great: more duuuuude!<BR/><BR/>I hope Nikki & Paolo are just there as fodder for more deaths.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-19497477327434415772007-03-01T10:47:00.000-05:002007-03-01T10:47:00.000-05:00Surely they will find an autogyro bound for the Pr...Surely they will find an autogyro bound for the Prussian consulate in Siam.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-49569523464861968022007-03-01T10:31:00.000-05:002007-03-01T10:31:00.000-05:00So, on this uncharted Pacific Island, we have...* ...So, on this uncharted Pacific Island, we have...<BR/><BR/>* a crashed and abandoned Hot Air balloon (courtesy Mr. Gale)<BR/><BR/>* a crashed and abandoned pirate ship (Black Rock)<BR/><BR/>* a crashed and abandoned VW Van<BR/><BR/>* 2 crashed and abapdoned planes (Oceanic 815 and Air Nigeria).<BR/><BR/>What sort of otherworldly transportation hub is this? What other long-ago vehicles will we find?<BR/><BR/>a Train?<BR/>a Greyhound?<BR/>MIR?<BR/>Ogdenville's Monorail?<BR/>The Sword of Orion?BFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15264282750160516858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-35789534504541799802007-03-01T09:43:00.000-05:002007-03-01T09:43:00.000-05:00With the return of Nikki and Paulo, suddenly I am ...<I>With the return of Nikki and Paulo, suddenly I am nostalgic for the Others.</I><BR/><BR/>I surprised myself with how much hatred I felt towards those two. My wife asked, "Where's Rose and Bernard?" Good question, and why do we get Barbie and Ken's retarded cousins instead?billhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16116980864333670109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-63430848637599621002007-03-01T08:10:00.000-05:002007-03-01T08:10:00.000-05:00With the return of Nikki and Paulo, suddenly I am ...With the return of Nikki and Paulo, suddenly I am nostalgic for the Others.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com