TBG TV: Lost - "Namaste"

The Good:

The return of Jeff Fahey's "Frank Lapidus" character has been one of the more underrated highlights of the season. He doesn't get many lines, yet his laid back/go-with-the-flow vibe is completely convincing. I loved how the crash survivors immediately dismissed Lapidus' "sit and wait" plan. I'd have no faith in his hippie-cum-pilot ersatz authority, either.

While I'm STILL not sold on Sun's "bad ass persona with a side of supple pout", it was satisfying to see someone - anyone - not trust Ben and act accordingly. She even played Ben with his own "get the information I need, then whack the informant" gimmick.

I would've preferred a slower burn, but the mini-confrontation between Jack and Sawyer over the mantle of leadership was perfectly passable. Sawyer using the number of castaways who died on Jack's watch was a total d*ck thing to say, but it fit with Sawyer's underlying hostility towards the good doctor.

"Workman Jack"!


The Bad:

It was nice to see such an obvious nod to one of the show's endless loose ends. Although, the "runway" scene, while linking back to season three's second episode, has me worried. There are dozens more "what was the point" questions that I could come up with from the first four years. Somehow, I doubt we're going to get proper closure on everything.

Wait, just so we're clear: This newly-cynical Sun doesn't trust Ben, but she DOES take the word of a ghost she's never seen before, who says her husband's alive in 1977. Makes sense to me.

I think I touched on this two weeks ago, but "boo" on the writers for dumbing down the Juliet character. She's been at least a half-step ahead of every other original Oceanic castaway, yet she needs Sawyer to spell out that Jack, Kate and Hurley are back on the island? How else should she have read Sawyer's frenetic body language?

And, come on…Juliet and Kate are neighbors now? Is this leading up to a 25th anniversary homage to ABC-TV's Alexis Colby and Krystle Carrington cat fighting apex? What, y'all don't remember Dynasty? It starred John Forsythe and his real-life mother Linda Evans. John Forsythe! Come on…he was the Charlie's Angels guy. Charlie's Angels! Bah, I'm through with you people.


Verdict: I dunno. This ep's getting a lot of love online, but it felt like 44 minutes of place holding to me. The writers have re-re-established the Jack-Sawyer-Juliet-Kate love rectangle. We got the inevitable appearance of young 1977 Ben. And, the seeds are being sown to establish a NEW group of castaways. Hopefully, next week's Sayid-centric episode gets things going forward, again.