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In the first season of Lost, an airplane crashes in the South Pacific, stranding survivors on an uninhabited island. Or is it? Trees are filled with whispering sounds, polar bears roam the jungle, a growling, black mass of smoke stalks the survivors, and dead people walk among them. Remnants of a scientific research station are found
all over the island, which carries valuable clues as to what went on there. And then there are the Others, a group of people who kidnap victims of the plane crash for research purposes.
In this six-disc (two of which contain bonus material) release of the show’s fourth season, six survivors get off the island, but the island never really leaves them—and it wants them back. In a series of flash-forwards, you’ll see how their lives play out after their rescue. At the same time, the season also shows the sequence of events back on the island that led to their rescue.
If you’ve watched the first three seasons, you should pretty much know who the characters are and the circumstances that brought them to the island, so I won’t rehash that information here. Besides, if you haven’t seen the first three seasons, don’t even bother watching the fourth, because you’re not going to understand anything at all. I
can’t tell you how many times I said, “Okay, now I’m confused,” while watching this season of Lost. So if I was that confused after watching the entire series, anyone who’s skipped the first three seasons will be totally lost (pun intended).
Still, this season is once again filled with great characters. It’s tough to choose favorites because all of the characters are likable in some way or another. But, for me, it comes down to Sawyer (Josh Holloway) and Sayid (Naveen Andrews). Sawyer may be a bit selfish and sarcastic, but he’s so funny at the same time. Plus, he’s not as selfish as he would have you believe. And the nicknames he comes up with for the various survivors are totally hilarious. His off-the-wall one liners will have you in stitches every time.
Sayid is the type of man that I’d want to have with me on a treacherous island. He’s an Iraqi soldier who tortured his own people for the Republican Guard, but he’s haunted by what he used to do, and he’s truly repentant of his sins. He’s the only man besides John Locke (Terry O’Quinn) who knows how to survive in a hostile environment and can
keep the victims of the plane crash safe. I always love the expression on Sayid’s face when the rest of the group is panicking about minor problems. It’s like he’s thinking, How did I get stuck with such a bunch of wimps? But, at the same time, he understands why they’re reacting that way. Not everyone has survived what he’s survived, and he knows that, so he’s very patient with them.
Lost is one of the most remarkable series on network television. Nowhere
else will you find drama, science fiction, and the paranormal mixed into one emotion-packed show, except for maybe Heroes. And it works. Throughout the fourth season, you’ll be constantly kept off-balance, and you’ll often be shocked by the show’s developments. You’ll never be sure who the true bad guys are. It’ll drive you nuts, and it’ll frustrate you beyond belief, but you’ll be hopelessly snared in its spell right up until the season’s unbelievable conclusion.
I had my doubts about the flash forwards, fearing they’d make the show less exciting, because once they get off the island, I wondered what more could happen. Still, except for a lull in a few of the episodes while the soap opera aspects of the story play out, the fourth season proved to be every bit as breathtaking as previous seasons.
You won’t want to miss the fourth season of this addictive show. And once you finish the last explosive episode, you won’t be able to wait for the fifth season’s premiere.
