Lost: Season 1, Episode 2: Pilot, Part 2 Review
Pilot, Part 2
Original Airdate: September 29, 2004
Story: Jeffrey Lieber, J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof
Writers: J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof
Director: J.J. Abrams
As the last episode focused more on the event of the plane crash along with the introduction of the monster, this episode develops the characters we ran into in the first part. They accomplish this through several combinations of interactions and one major coupling of the group out to see if the transceiver will work. It builds on the foundations we saw in the first hour, showing that there is more to these characters than initially believed.
Of the characters we've met, Hurley is the most likeable. He tries to be helpful and friendly, which allows for some of the lighter moments of the show. What would've been an otherwise serious scene where the Marshall wound starts bleeding is made comic when Hurley slumps over him. Although "the fat guy" is usually a comic figure (or a tough guy), Hurley's humor doesn't come from his weight, but they did have to acknowledge it, via Sawyer's first nickname.
This is the first time we see Jin's skill for fishing, although he still has a way to go to get to the level he is now (episode 34). We also see how protective he is of Sun, demanding she button up the top button of her shirt. Sun defiantly undoes it later, which shows that she is not just some subservient stereotype that she was made up to be in the first half. The writers also wisely excluded the subtitles from them when a non-English speaker was with them. It adds to the wall that these two characters have made.
There is clearly more to Jin than some misogynist with control issues. Although he originally wanted to remain separate from the rest of the tribe, by day 2, he knew he couldn't be alone if they were there for the long term. Therefore, he used his fishing to make peace with them. It gives him a tender moment with Claire, as she feels her baby kicking for the first time since the crash.
Michael is not going to be a candidate for father of the year (but compared to some of the dads we'll see later, Michael's a saint). He loses track of his son, is unable to recall his age and implies that Walt's dog is dead. However, he does care about his son. Walt has been living with his mother, who we find out died recently. Michael is just learning to be a father 10 years after his son’s birth, so I’m cutting him some slack.
Michael's negligence allows Walt to explore, finding the handcuffs, which serve as the catalyst for the main character interactions of the episode. We know these characters have their share of secrets, and having one be criminal and that knowledge public while the identity remains unknown ups the ante. It creates tension between Sayid and Sawyer, as well as revealing a crucial piece of Kate's back story.
Kate being the criminal makes a lot of sense, aside from the shock value. She expressed noticeable concern for the Marshall and the handcuffs when they were found and acted suspicious when Sawyer mentioned he knew there was a Marshall on the plane. When we first saw her, she was limping out of the jungle rubbing her wrists, sore from the cuffs. Her location is very telling: she would want to separate herself from the castaways. It's worth wondering what would've happened to her had Jack not gotten her to fix his wound. Would that have taken her to something the castaways wouldn't find or find sometime later? Despite her criminal past, she doesn't seem entirely dangerous, as she helped the Marshall put on the air mask when he was unconscious.
There are some interesting facts we learn, like Sayid is a former member of the Republican Guard in Iraq (thankfully no soapboxing was done with this). Of course, his appearance causes Sawyer to suspect him of bringing the plane down (a question that hasn’t been asked much since then). Sawyer’s stereotypes also lend a bit to his characterization. However, Sayid isn’t a fanatic, but rather someone who, aside from his fights with Sawyer, acts calmly, and knows technology.
It is fitting that Sawyer's first real scene interacting with the cast is a fight. For the lack of action he had in the first half, he makes up for it in the second. Like Jin, Sawyer isn't initially a likeable character, grating against the other characters, but we can see why he became one: Josh Holloway is charismatic. His remarks antagonize him from the rest of the group, but he’s such a rebel bad boy that we can forgive that. Of course, there is the letter that produces a very un-Sawyer like response out of him, but more about that later.
After being silent for the first hour and a half, we hear Locke speak, in what became a pivotal scene. Backgammon's ancient origins and light vs. dark theme ties into some aspects of Lost. It is also the beginning of Locke and Walt's relationship, which will be a big part of this first season. Also, there is the secret Locke tells Walt. I don't think they ever explicitly say what that is, but we can imply what it was based on something in an upcoming episode.
Charlie's heroin addiction adds to the number of issues facing our castaways. It serves to explain why he really went into the cockpit bathroom and why he bumped into Jack as we saw in the first half of the episode. Charlie's life is much like the second part of the more depressing episodes (or midway through the uplifting ones) of Behind the Music, but is in denial about it.
It is also the beginning of Shannon's arc, where she is told she is useless and her desperate attempts to prove those critics wrong. They do have a point, as Shannon gets some sun while everyone else scours the bags for supplies and relies on trauma to excuse herself from doing anything. She does prove useful by translating the transmission, but she is still reluctant to do it despite being the only one with any practical knowledge of French. It's symbolic that we can still see her bikini underneath her clothes.
This episode shows that there is more to this island than a mysterious monster. Yes, there are polar bears. Polar bears support the theory that this island has been subject to numerous experiments. Then we have the eerie message, which has been playing for sixteen years, that closes the episode. The fact that it is in French adds to the melting pot of the island. Remember that it was only a few hours before that Kate and Charlie were running for their lives from the monster. Now they have more to worry about.
This is a solid continuation of the Pilot, building upon what they laid out first. While those who produce pilots have to go in with the idea that this is likely the only episode that they will do, they assuredly lack closure. Such a rush would've ruined what they established. Luckily, the gamble worked both for the network and for the viewers.
And when did Jack, Kate or Charlie tell Boone the monster ate the pilot? End nitpick for otherwise superbly made pilot.
Score: 8/10
Original Airdate: September 29, 2004
Story: Jeffrey Lieber, J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof
Writers: J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof
Director: J.J. Abrams
As the last episode focused more on the event of the plane crash along with the introduction of the monster, this episode develops the characters we ran into in the first part. They accomplish this through several combinations of interactions and one major coupling of the group out to see if the transceiver will work. It builds on the foundations we saw in the first hour, showing that there is more to these characters than initially believed.
Of the characters we've met, Hurley is the most likeable. He tries to be helpful and friendly, which allows for some of the lighter moments of the show. What would've been an otherwise serious scene where the Marshall wound starts bleeding is made comic when Hurley slumps over him. Although "the fat guy" is usually a comic figure (or a tough guy), Hurley's humor doesn't come from his weight, but they did have to acknowledge it, via Sawyer's first nickname.
This is the first time we see Jin's skill for fishing, although he still has a way to go to get to the level he is now (episode 34). We also see how protective he is of Sun, demanding she button up the top button of her shirt. Sun defiantly undoes it later, which shows that she is not just some subservient stereotype that she was made up to be in the first half. The writers also wisely excluded the subtitles from them when a non-English speaker was with them. It adds to the wall that these two characters have made.
There is clearly more to Jin than some misogynist with control issues. Although he originally wanted to remain separate from the rest of the tribe, by day 2, he knew he couldn't be alone if they were there for the long term. Therefore, he used his fishing to make peace with them. It gives him a tender moment with Claire, as she feels her baby kicking for the first time since the crash.
Michael is not going to be a candidate for father of the year (but compared to some of the dads we'll see later, Michael's a saint). He loses track of his son, is unable to recall his age and implies that Walt's dog is dead. However, he does care about his son. Walt has been living with his mother, who we find out died recently. Michael is just learning to be a father 10 years after his son’s birth, so I’m cutting him some slack.
Michael's negligence allows Walt to explore, finding the handcuffs, which serve as the catalyst for the main character interactions of the episode. We know these characters have their share of secrets, and having one be criminal and that knowledge public while the identity remains unknown ups the ante. It creates tension between Sayid and Sawyer, as well as revealing a crucial piece of Kate's back story.
Kate being the criminal makes a lot of sense, aside from the shock value. She expressed noticeable concern for the Marshall and the handcuffs when they were found and acted suspicious when Sawyer mentioned he knew there was a Marshall on the plane. When we first saw her, she was limping out of the jungle rubbing her wrists, sore from the cuffs. Her location is very telling: she would want to separate herself from the castaways. It's worth wondering what would've happened to her had Jack not gotten her to fix his wound. Would that have taken her to something the castaways wouldn't find or find sometime later? Despite her criminal past, she doesn't seem entirely dangerous, as she helped the Marshall put on the air mask when he was unconscious.
There are some interesting facts we learn, like Sayid is a former member of the Republican Guard in Iraq (thankfully no soapboxing was done with this). Of course, his appearance causes Sawyer to suspect him of bringing the plane down (a question that hasn’t been asked much since then). Sawyer’s stereotypes also lend a bit to his characterization. However, Sayid isn’t a fanatic, but rather someone who, aside from his fights with Sawyer, acts calmly, and knows technology.
It is fitting that Sawyer's first real scene interacting with the cast is a fight. For the lack of action he had in the first half, he makes up for it in the second. Like Jin, Sawyer isn't initially a likeable character, grating against the other characters, but we can see why he became one: Josh Holloway is charismatic. His remarks antagonize him from the rest of the group, but he’s such a rebel bad boy that we can forgive that. Of course, there is the letter that produces a very un-Sawyer like response out of him, but more about that later.
After being silent for the first hour and a half, we hear Locke speak, in what became a pivotal scene. Backgammon's ancient origins and light vs. dark theme ties into some aspects of Lost. It is also the beginning of Locke and Walt's relationship, which will be a big part of this first season. Also, there is the secret Locke tells Walt. I don't think they ever explicitly say what that is, but we can imply what it was based on something in an upcoming episode.
Charlie's heroin addiction adds to the number of issues facing our castaways. It serves to explain why he really went into the cockpit bathroom and why he bumped into Jack as we saw in the first half of the episode. Charlie's life is much like the second part of the more depressing episodes (or midway through the uplifting ones) of Behind the Music, but is in denial about it.
It is also the beginning of Shannon's arc, where she is told she is useless and her desperate attempts to prove those critics wrong. They do have a point, as Shannon gets some sun while everyone else scours the bags for supplies and relies on trauma to excuse herself from doing anything. She does prove useful by translating the transmission, but she is still reluctant to do it despite being the only one with any practical knowledge of French. It's symbolic that we can still see her bikini underneath her clothes.
This episode shows that there is more to this island than a mysterious monster. Yes, there are polar bears. Polar bears support the theory that this island has been subject to numerous experiments. Then we have the eerie message, which has been playing for sixteen years, that closes the episode. The fact that it is in French adds to the melting pot of the island. Remember that it was only a few hours before that Kate and Charlie were running for their lives from the monster. Now they have more to worry about.
This is a solid continuation of the Pilot, building upon what they laid out first. While those who produce pilots have to go in with the idea that this is likely the only episode that they will do, they assuredly lack closure. Such a rush would've ruined what they established. Luckily, the gamble worked both for the network and for the viewers.
And when did Jack, Kate or Charlie tell Boone the monster ate the pilot? End nitpick for otherwise superbly made pilot.
Score: 8/10
posted by Matt @ 12:03 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home