I didn’t mind that so much cause the ending was dark, but it was a massive wink wink meta episode for the audience
I think the Nikki/Paulo episode is redeemed for being so absurd. Stranger in a Strange Land is unbelievably bad tho
The Nikki/Paulo episode would have been more acceptable if it didn’t fucking air after The Man From Tallahassee!! That was a long wait.
I binged the first 3 seasons before S4 aired, so it probably colors my experience with some of those rougher season 2&3 eps
I remember when the writers strike happened and season 4 was like 12 episodes or something and I was so pissed but looking back, I feel like the show really could have benefited from trimming some fat. I still love it, but doing a complete rewatch is quite a daunting task haha.
season 4 and the writer's strike really helped the show. Cuse and Lindelof have said time and and again that being able to end the show when they wanted helped them plan ahead so we didn't have more tattoo centric episodes. and they were able to realize that during the writer's strike / the limited episodes. less waiting around or wondering how long to extend plot lines and such. really led the way for shows like Breaking Bad / Mad Men in how they were planned out with strategic plot points and endings. also, for as bad as some episodes are, they're obviously much easier to digest in a binge watch than when aired live. i got into the show as season 3 was finishing up on the air so i didn't have the massive hate and WTF?!?! of dealing with Nikki/Paulo and tattoos live. i can only imagine the vicious backlash it received at the time. and imagine if that happened in today's day and age with Twitter. ooooh boy
LOST also existed before it was super common for dense dramas to only have 10-14 episodes per season. Network dramas were ALWAYS 24 episodes when LOST started so they kinda had to do that regardless of their story, etc
it's funny because i can't imagine anything from season 1 (24 eps) being cut, so when i first heard how short seasons 4-6 were going to be (14 or around there) i lost my mind. but, i can't think of season 4 being better because of more episodes being added. funny how that works haha.
Oh yeah, I’m aware. It’s honestly just crazy looking back that studios wanted network dramas to have 24+ episodes. That’s a lot of pressure on writers
but they don't care! it's all about the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and that's what more eps means for the network. glad that shows / creators have been able to change that and dictate to the network what's gonna happen. and here, HBO and Showtime have been doing 12-14 episodes per seasons for YEARS and they're probably like, "yeah, why do you think we do things this way, just for fun?"
trying to go back through and watch shows I missed when they were airing and seeing 24 ep seasons is super discouraging lol
To be honest (well, to some extent,I am a total LOST homer) the 24 episode seasons go pretty quick. Season 1 flies by. Most of season 2 does as well aside from a few hiccups (imo) and season 3, after the first 6 episodes or so really picks up and just goes and goes. So they really don’t feel long and super daunting once you get started.
Oh yeah, I could still burn through LOST even now. For example though, trying to get into the x files recently and seeing how many eps per season was pretty daunting
Yeah, The X Files is rough. I LOVE the main story arc episodes and a handful of standalone episodes but that’s definitely a show where you cut that down to 10-14 episodes a season and you create a definitive top 10 show imo.
Most under-discussed moment in LOST all time: Season 4 opener (think it’s the season 4 opener) when Jack pulls the trigger on the gun right in Locke’s face. Like, the show moves on right after that so the audience doesn’t really have time to comprehend and realize what just happened, but fucking A, Jack would have killed Locke right there if Locke had put bullets in the gun. Locke would have fucking died! Jack hated him so much in that moment (just learning Charlie had died) that he just doesn’t give a shit and pulls the trigger (twice, if I recall). That’s super majorly messed up. Characters have “close calls” and whatnot in the series, but nothing where someone takes deliberate action like that and fails. I think about that scene randomly from time to time.
The score in this show is also unbelievably good. It can immediately make you feel happy, sad, and terrified all with a single note or two.
Michael Giacchino done a fantastic score. When Life & Death/Oceanic 815 started playing at the end I was a broken man! The Eyeland was a creepy piece of music, too.
I adore the score but it’s definitely something I need to be in the right mindset to listen to because of how quickly it can destroy me.