This has never been a favorite episode of mine and it's all because of the flashback story involving Charlie. It's boring and I didn't care that he was trying to make a better person out of himself by first conning a chick, getting a job working for her father and then selling copiers. The only thing going for this episode was the capture and execution of Ethan. Had the entire episode been just about this, it would easily get a perfect rating. Unfortunately any tension that presents itself with this part of the story-line gets derailed by the flashbacks. I get why they had to do the flashbacks because in the end it's about Charlie protecting Claire, even if that means pulling the trigger to do so. It's just ruins an otherwise good episode and arc.

In Translation could also be called 'Daddy Issues' because that's basically what this one is all about. Jin is ashamed of his own fathers lot in life and chooses to tell Sun and everyone else that he has passed on. Jin is also trying to shield the truth from Sun with regards to her own father and what a bad man he is. Also, Walter is having daddy issues himself, so much so that he rather burn down the boat he is working on instead of just talking to him about his problem of "moving" off the Island. This is a pivotal episode because Sun finally has to confess that she can speak English to save her husband from a beating by everyone else who assume he is the one that torched the boat. Another great episode.

Also wanted to point out that this is another episode that opens up with a Close Up of an eye which further drives home the fact that the writers from the get go knew what story they were telling at how it would all end. Think about it...each character on the Island is telling their story as if their lives are flashing before their eyes.

Big episode for a couple of reasons. Flashback for John Locke reveals his parents are  f u c k e d  up. His birth mother was in mental hospital and his birth father cons John out of his kidney and then bails on him. What's worst is that he put his mother up to it to get the long con started. Ouch. I'd go ballistic and do some serious damage for sure. Also, John convinces Boone to climp to the Beechcraft that's stuck in the trees only to have it tip over and crash down below. We all know how this ends.

John Locke is bad news for sure. Stay away.

Good episode that focuses on Sayid...past and present. In the flashbacks he is trying to uncover the location of C4 by betraying a friend who is a suspected Terrorist. He only agrees to help the CIA because they will give him the whereabouts of Nadia, his long lost love. In present day, Sayid interrogates Locke about the Beechcraft, which he gives up freely, but continues to lie about the Hatch. This was right around the time I started to hate the character of John Locke when Lost first aired. He was fascinating to watch yes, but I hated his lying, sneaky ways about him.

The Season Finale to the epic first season comes to a close with a lot of  s h i t  going down. Michael, Jin, Sawyer and Walter set sail for the open seas hoping to be rescued. Jack, Locke, Hurley and Kate watch "Arntz" get blown up while retrieving dynamite. Sayid and Charlie are chasing down Danielle who has kidnapped Claire's baby, Aaron. So much stuff....so little time. Every time I watch this episode, it never fails to deliver an exciting 2 hours. We finally get to "see" more of the Smoke Monster as well and Locke's infatuation with it.

Also, everyone here gets a flashback sequence of their own, culminating with ground zero, showing everyone boarding the plane that would change their "lives" forever. Really cool to see again and again.

The Season Finale also started a trend of leaving the viewers with frustrating Cliffhangers and it all starts here....at the end that is. First we get a corker when the boat that the gang is on is attacked by unknown "pirates" that kidnap Walter and then leave them for the boat to explode. That was the good. The bad is that Jack and Locke are able to finally get the Hatch open to reveal a ladder that just keeps going down and down and down.....

Still, it did a great job of entertaining me and everyone else. It worked because we all came back for more in Season 2.

Lost

My wife wanted to know what we could binge watch. We’ve tried Dexter, Orange is the New Black, Game of Thrones and Mad Men… with little success. Meaning, not really grabbing us. I’ve been suggesting Lost for quite some time, but my wife, like a lot of folks, just don’t want to give older shows a chance. Why? Dunno.

So she gave in this weekend, and wouldn’t you know, she’s hooked. Of course, the first episode will catch anybody’s attention.

I watched Lost when it originally aired and loved it. But I am in the same group of people that crapped on later seasons. I gave season 2 a chance, but quit about 2/3 into it and have not seen the rest. We shall see if things go better this time around.

So I remember some of the first season and those ‘surprises’ have lost a lot of its sheen. But I’m also remembering, Lost is a lot of hand held shaky cam. That is rubbing  me the wrong way. I’m hoping like hell that doesn’t continue through all 6 seasons.

I do notice something good by the binge watching vs. the old standard of 1 hour a week schedule. I love the instant access to the following episodes… especially the linear shows such as Lost. I truly love the commercial free viewings.

We’ll have to see if Lost can keep me through all 6 seasons, 121 episodes. That’s a lot of freakin time… and it’s summer. Told my wife, it’s pretty hard to sit down inside while it’s so nice outside.

I think I would like Game of Thrones. My wife not so much. But like I said, it's summer and I find it so difficult to sit down to watch much TV when it's daylight and nice out. Lost is going to be a challenge.

Winter... No problem. I might be able take Thones back up this fall.

Dexter, I get why it was good. It's just didn't quite hook me.

Mad Men... I don't understand. The production values are outstanding. But as far as story goes, none of that interested me in the least.

Currently we are at episode 8.... 4 first night... 4 the next. Not sure I can keep that pace up. The shows are only 42-45 minutes long though.


I believe season one had 25 episodes. Why that strikes me as massive is a sad testament to what we expect today with less than a handful or two of episodes in a season.