Lost Season Four Recap #1

I've been meaning to write about - what I call - the "sexist politics of Lost." I know my girlfriend would like to see that up here, and I will write it someday. But, being somewhat hypocritical I guess, I am simply going to write about last night's episode and how much I liked it.

The Beginning of the End
Who cares about the monster in the smoke, anyway? The island of Lost still holds many mysteries, but at this point, they just don't seem all that exciting. But what is exciting - the new mysteries of Los Angeles, or what happens once they leave the island. Watching last night's episode, I was surprisingly reminded of of why I liked this show so much to begin with. It's not that all is forgiven - the first half of season three still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Furthermore, I don't need to hear any John Locke speeches every again - and (even more than before) I really don't give a shit about Jack, Kate or Sawyer. That being said, the episode did a great deal to keep the momentum from last season's finale and - I hate to say it - I actually have some faith in where this is going. (Or it could just be that there is a writer's strike going on and it's questionable how much pleasure I'm going to derive from Gone Country).

Why Last Night's Episode Worked: For one, it was about Hurley, and Hurley's plots are the best. The mystery surrounding "the numbers" and Hurley's bad luck has always been the most interesting to me, and Hurley's plot points have allowed the writers to delve into more Twin Peaks/Angel territory, which is the kind of television I love the best. Second of all, the flashbacks were fucking tired ... so when they threw us for a loop and revealed a "flash forward" in the last moments of season three, it was thrilling. Thankfully, they are keeping this up, and using flash forwards to entice us with more mysteries - "the Oceanic Six?" "Where are they?" "I think it wants us to come back.(?)" While it does beg more questions, I can't help but get a little chill at the thought of them.

What Lies Beneath: As usual, their seem to be clues from last night's episode that require freeze-framing and a closer look. My brother informs me - and others seem to confirm it - that the man Hurley saw in Jacob's chair was ... Jack's father (that dude never goes away). Someone else was staring at Hurley in the mental institution besides the Ghost of Charlie. Entertainment Weekly's Jeff Jensen says, "Season 4 Burning Question No. 1: If the Oceanic 6 are six survivors of Oceanic 815 who made it off the Island (and became famous for doing so), and we know that three of the six are Jack, Kate, and Hurley, then who are the other three?" Will Benham says, "Season 4 Burning Question No. 2: Will I succumb to message boards." No, probably not likely.