The premise of “Lost” basically mirrors that of Daniel Defoe’s “Robinson Crusoe,” assuming that Defoe envisioned a plane crash instead of a shipwreck, nearly 50 survivors all banding together to stay alive, large black clouds that killed people mercilessly, a group of “others” on the opposite side of the island that possess almost supernatural powers of sneaking and kidnapping and a mysterious hatch jutting out of the ground in the middle of the jungle containing a button that has to be pressed every 108 minutes or the world will end. So, basically the only thing “Lost” has in common with Defoe’s masterpiece is the fact that it takes place on a deserted island.
“Lost” does not need to mimic the exploits of an eighteenth century castaway to remain interesting on an episode-to-episode basis. The show has taken a powerful and original approach to character development, focusing on one character per episode and developing him or her through actions on the island paralleled with flashback sequences revealing how the individual acted before the crash. The result is a deep character analysis, showing flaws and strengths of the different island dwellers to the viewer but not the other people on the island who may or may not understand the actions of a particular person.
The acting in “Lost” is superb for the most part, helping sell the flashbacks and intricacies of the cast. The only situations in which the acting languishes are the ones centered on lesser, unimportant characters. Rose (L. Scott Caldwell) and Bernard’s (Sam Anderson) flashback episode feels like complete filler and leaves a dry taste in the mouth.
In the second season, the action intensifies rapidly with the discovery of other crash survivors on another side of the island, the discovery of the 108-minute button and the Others accelerating their efforts to hinder the progress of the relatively new arrivals.
The introduction of Mr. Eko (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), a new survivor , is one of the highlights of season two. A former Nigerian thug and drug runner, Eko has now taken the guise and faith of a Catholic priest to honor the death of his brother, Yemi (Adetokumboh M’Cormack), a true priest. The inner conflict expressed by Eko over his unclean past and the death of his brother is some of the most involving material on the show.
One disappointing turn can be found in the large reduction of appearances of Sayid Jarrah (Naveen Andrews), one of season one’s strongest and most conflict-driven characters. In season two he only seems to appear when something needs to be either shot or tortured.
One problem found in the latter half of season two is the loss of mysticism surrounding the Others. The supernatural group is eventually downgraded to normal people with many secrets. While these secrets are interesting, the loss of an almost supernatural enemy brings the show closer to reality, bring down the usual heady mixture of magic realism and utter mystery.
The conclusion of the show, as with the first season, answers many questions while raising about twice as many as were answered. The ending is a little too abrupt and hangs so far off a cliff that many viewers will fall right along with it into a void of confusion.
The bonus features offered on the DVD set are exorbitant, but lackluster, offering little new information.
The high point of the extras can be found as a short documentary explaining the phenomenon of “Lost’s” expansive fan base, members of which spend hours a day comparing theories and observations about various mysteries of the show.
An interesting inclusion in the special features is a network outlining the different intersections and meetings between characters before the plane crash. This concept has much promise, but unfortunately the implementation is shoddy and overly complicated.
Fans of the show would do well to watch this set to catch up on the island’s events before the third season premier Oct. 4.
“Lost” is a phenomenon in itself, an immersing, constantly growing jungle of plot points and mysteries with, thankfully, no clear end in sight.
Lost2.tif – The second season of ABC’s deserted island drama intensifies in storyline, bringing plot twists and false denouement in nearly every episode. The third season premiers Oct. 4.
LOST: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON
Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Not Rated
STARRING:
Matthew Fox, Terry O’Quinn, Evangeline Lilly, Michelle Rodriguez, Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje, Dominic Monaghan, Jorge Garcia, Malcolm David Kelley, Naveen Andrews, Harold Perrineau, Josh Holloway, Daniel Dae Kim, Yunjin Kim and Emilie de Ravin
THE VERDICT:
The bonus features, though plentiful, are largely forgettable, but the show captivates completely with its combination of flashbacks, acting, plot twists and character development.
Feature: 3 of 4 stars
Extras: 2 of 4 stars