LOST: Season 1

I'm not one to jump on the bandwagon. If something's big, chances are I'll get to it in the next few years. It's just not major for me. I planned on waiting until this monster of a show was completely finished with its sixth and final season (airing now) before watching the whole show, straight through. I planned on getting the story without ever having to wait. Well, LOST has such a good reputation, I just couldn't help myself when I found Season 1 for a great price. So I watched it. And yeah, the hype was right.

The plane crash is just the beginning. 48 survivors are stranded on a beautiful Pacific island after Oceanic Flight 815 crashed, and they must band together if they have any hope of returning home in one piece. Of course, this isn't just Cast Away on TV. There's no Wilson or any of that. The island itself is surrounded in mystery, and the survivors must investigate it if they have any hope of lasting until a hoped-for rescue arrives.

This show starts fast and weaves so many threads together. It's hard to describe, and the later seasons may be beyond description that doesn't veer into spoiler-tastic territory. Suffice it to say I really like the structure and just the writing overall. This show keeps its cards close to its chest, unveiling mystery after mystery until your head feels like it's going in circles. And the characters are three-dimensional and well fleshed-out. All in all, a success.

So here are my favorite episodes:

Pilot: This is what all pilots were meant to be. It's totally gripping, from the very first minute until the last, where the question is finally asked... "Where are we?"

Walkabout: The first episode centered around the enigmatic Locke, who believes the island to be miraculous. Truly a head-scratcher of a development.

Confidence Man: An episode centered around one of fans' favorite characters, Sawyer, begs the question of whether Sawyer should be feared...or pitied.

Numbers: 4, 8, 15,16, 23, 42. That's all I need to say. The numbers that have puzzled viewers for half a decade make their first appearance, through a character you don't expect.

Do No Harm: A Jack-centered episode where HUGE events happen. There is both a birth and a death, and things are being stretched pretty thin.

Exodus: The raft is ready, and things look like they could possibly wrap up here... until a plume of smoke is seen on the island, meaning the Others are coming. Season 1 ends with the island's harsh lesson that appearances can be deceiving.

In short, LOST: Season 1 is a tour-de-force of story, action, characters, and intrigue that is compulsively watchable and addictive as the heroin that a certain rockstar possesses. I recommend watching it yesterday, if you aren't already hooked.

My rating: 10/10

Coming Soon: A STAR WARS retrospective, From a Buick 8, and Empire in Black and Gold.