Saturday, February 23, 2008

Lost - "Eggtown"


What Aaron Liked: As has been the case since his debut in the middle of season two, Michael Emerson's manipulative spin on "Ben" is always a kick. His nitpicking indignation at the "$3.2 million" demand was terrific. John Locke seems to be falling apart, which is OK by me. How's it feel to not have any of your damn questions answered, Johnny? Kind of feel like you're entitled to the occasional revelation or two? Why don't YOU just "trust the writers", John?!

What Aaron Didn't Like: Sorry, kids, but this was one of those episodes. Kate-centric? Steee-rike one. Now, I'm not going to complain about being jerked around by the network, but didn't last week's teaser promise another "Oceanic Six" reveal? And, it's Kate…who was already revealed as such at the end of season three. I know the writers are really damned if they do and damned if they don't, but considering there are still unanswered questions being teased and hinted (yet, never resolved) each week, the whole Law & Order 30-minute trial of Kate felt like a whole lotta deus ex machina.

And, don't get me started on that big "reveal" at the end. I mean, sure, they played the standard "shocking" music and immediately cut away to the "LOST" screen as if it were a "Luke, I'm your father" moment, but no one was surprised by this, right? Someone online wrote, "I totally didn't see that coming!" Really? Then, you're an idiot. Strike Two.

Let's just lump "strike three" all together at the end. I'll give the writers credit for at least using some dialogue to acknowledge how ridiculous the concept of Kate, Claire and Sawyer sittin' on the front porch, sippin' coffee on a tropical autumn morn was to watch. I will now remove said credit for including it anyway. And, Ben's line (paraphrased) that everything is as it was before, except "he's just in a different room" was all too true.

Lightning round of rhetorical questions: How did Hurley go from ersatz bad-ass a few episodes ago only to u-turn right back into the buffoon who gets "Scooby-Doo'd"? How much longer is "Sawyer with his shirt off" going to be considered a viable plot-forwarding device? Which is the real Locke: the knife-throwing killer of mocha-colored chicks with cockney accents or the indecisive nancy who throws breakfast trays in frustration, while trusting bulbous loads like Hurley to keep a secret?

Verdict: Boo.

3 comments:

Joe Reid said...

But why should we have to choose between the two Lockes? I love how the island sensei/protector facade often gives way to pettiness and ineffectual thrashing around. He's a spectacular asshole, as opposed to Jack, Kate, and Sawyer who are all fairly mundane assholes.

I should probably admit right now that I didn't see that Aaron reveal coming either. Sorry, That Precognitive Guy, the sudden onset of snow in the city may be dulling my clairvoyance.

Anonymous said...

I think I liked this one a lot more than you AJC but mostly because: Kate wasn't wearing that ton of makeup she wore in the season 3 finale flash forward and, more importantly, something wonderfully horrible happens to Claire (I'm assuming) so finally that ineffectual whiner will be off my favorite show.

Tom said...

Didn't see the Aaron thing coming either. It must be a west coast thing.

I will admit to being a little annoyed by the ongoing "slow moving, nothing much going on episode followed by the OMG ending" formula that all these episodes are following though.

It also depends on whether or not we're counting Aaron as one of the six as to whether we discovered a new member.