Lost Cause

A friend just wrote me asking if it'd be worth his while to catch up on Lost. He wants to know if the pay-off to the mystery of the show is worthwhile, no good, or too early to say. Here's what I wrote:

I think it's too early to say, but it's worth it anyway. Some complain--both fans and haters--that the show never answers anything. This is simply wrong. The problem is, so far, whenever they answer a question, they raise five more. (I've heard there's a website with a running count of all the unanswered questions.)

I think everyone would agree that, so far, most of the biggest questions have not been answered. Of course, 1) we're only two seasons and six episodes in, which is almost certainly less than halfway--can you imagine a mystery novel that answers all the questions at this point? and 2) if the producers gave a lot more answers, it would be momentarily exciting but would soon destroy interest.

What people like about the show, aside from the overall mystery, is the strong characters, the mood, and the plot twists. These work even when you don't get ultimate answers.

From the start there's been talk the producers are making it up as they go along. I doubt it. They claim they know the destination, just not every stop along the way. Enough things tie together that this makes sense. However, even I have criticized from the start that since Lost is open-ended--no one knows how long it'll be on--it makes the show less tight than it might be. I mean, no matter what else you think of the show, the master plan is not as structured as the five-year blueprint for Babylon 5.

Furthermore, there are signs of improvising along the way. I do think they know the general outline, but I bet they don't even know which characters are going to make it. Certain storylines and characters seem to be picked up and dropped in ways that, if not arbitrary, at least show a bit of slack. I wish, regardless of the show's popularity, that they would declare they'll be done after five or six or even seven seasons, so they can make sure every episode fits into place and moves the overall arc forward.

One thing we still don't know (will we ever?) is if events can be explained through natural means. Occasionally, by the way, I feel they put in certain bits to respond to viewer complaints, or desires.

Because I like (most of) the characters and am invested in the complex story, I can put up with what I consider minor problems. As for the mysteries, they'll be answered eventually. Until then, I'll just enjoy the ride.

I even like the flashbacks.