In May 2007 the producers of “Lost” announced that the show would come to a close at the end of its sixth season, set to air in 2010. They decided that 48 episodes (three seasons, 16 episodes each), were just the right amount they needed to wrap up one of television’s most addicting shows.
The first two hours of the new season are enjoyable, confusing and creatively marvelous.
At the end of season four, the world of “Lost” as we know it has been split in half. The Oceanic Six, along with Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick), Ben (Michael Emerson) and a dead Locke (Terry O’Quinn) are back in the real world, while Sawyer (Josh Holloway), Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell) and the other survivors left on the island vanished in a puff of bright light.
The last time we saw the Six, some of their lives were in complete disarray. Sayid (Naveen Andrews) was an assassin/spy; Sun (Yunjin Kim) got tough looking for revenge on her slain husband and stood up to her domineering father; Kate (Evangeline Lilly) was becoming an annoyingly domestic mother; Hurley (Jorge Garcia) was holed up in a mental hospital; and Jack (Matthew Fox) was fully bearded, desperately trying to find a way back to the island.
However, on the island, things are in extreme limbo. When the island vanished, it left the audience wondering: where did the island go? The proper question to ask is when did the island go.
If you’re someone who runs for cover when the words time travel are mentioned, don’t fret. The way time travel is utilized on “Lost” is not in the same vein as other shows like "Heroes,” which has frustrated fans with random time travel twists. Thanks to some helpful explaining from physicist Daniel Faraday (Jeremy Davies), we learn that time travel on this show has rules, meaning you can’t simply jump back in time and kill Hitler. He describes time as a string, you can move backwards and forwards , but you cannot create a new string.
Time travel has always been hinted at throughout the show, but it has mostly taken a backseat to other storylines. When it has been the center of attention in “Flashes Before Your Eyes,” “The Constant,” Lost is at its creative peak. Both “Flashes” and “The Constant” are considered two of the best episodes of the series by both fans and critics alike.
With the separation of the survivors and the fearless leader Jack gone, it has given Sawyer the chance to step into the spotlight and take charge. Standing mostly shirtless for the premiere, Sawyer does what he does best, butting heads with Dr. Daniel (he slaps him in the face) and the red headed Charlotte (“you want one too Ginger?”). Josh Holloway has always played Sawyer to perfection, channeling him as if he were the ultimate “everyman.” He’s not a physicist or a doctor; he’s a regular guy, the character many can identify with.
The writers of the show are some of the smartest people involved in television today. They have been able to combine fantastical science fiction elements with adventure story-telling in such a relevant and believable way that the audience buys into the plot.
Sawyer is one of the main reasons why the show is able to do that and keep the loyalty of their fans. He is the channel that brings all of the show’s science and complicated theories to the ground where we all can understand it.
Along with that, what helps separate "Lost" from other shows is its ability to lighten the situation with sharp wit and humor. Most dramatic shows stay too serious, but “Lost” brings humor to the table with perfection, having Sawyer calling pretty much everyone by a nickname, or Miles (Ken Leung) being cynical and sarcastic to everyone around him.
As the people left on the island jump through time, they come under attack from some of its mysterious past inhabitants. In one of “Lost’s” best and most creative action scenes, the survivors must out run a dizzying array of flaming arrows that strike down onto the beach in the dead of night. Sawyer leads the way, protecting Juliet and trying to survive.
The best part of the time travel aspect to the new season is that it gives the writer’s a great amount of creative flexibility. They can now expand on the mythology of “Lost,” giving answers and a clear picture about the history of the island, and what makes it so special.
The first two episodes play out like the movie “Pulp Fiction”. “You are presented with many different timelines, unsure of what came first, last or inbetween. It is up to you to put them into the right order, but as time goes on you realize two hours isn’t nearly enough time to do that. Unlike "Pulp Fiction," chances are we will have to wait till the end of the season (or perhaps beyond) to find out exactly how everything happened.
This season of Lost looks to be one of its best yet. "Lost" airs Wednesdays on ABC at 9 PM.
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