The Great Lost Rewatch

(1x01-02) The Pilot: Part 1 & 2

I can't really remember my first memories of Lost. I'm almost certain that I didn't originally see The Pilot, in fact it may have been at around episode 4 that I began watching it! Needless to say, since that lapse in intellect I have watched The Pilot a good 10 times now both for enjoyment purposes and for information gathering.

It's just damn good TV. Not that the other episodes aren't, but there's something special about The Pilot episodes. Something innocent; bright eyed and bushy tailed about the characters actions and perspective on the Island. Of course, we're fuelled with so much information now it's difficult to see the characters as they once were, clean slates (Tabula Rasa - that's the next episode! Damn, I'm good) with so much mystery and possibilities that once seemed as endless as the universe in an unsuspecting hall of mirrors.

Jack.
I don't think there's one single scene since The Pilot that can rival that opening scene. From a technical point of view it's stunning. The way the audience, even though we're looking in the opposite direction to Jack, is taken through the crash site from Jacks perspective still leaves me with tingles down my spine. From a story telling point of view, I've always seen the crash site scene as a strange grooming-test-game hybrid. Somehow designed to not only test Jack but to groom him and place him into that hero/leader role.

Evidence in later series' has since pointed towards a Fate Vs. Island type game. Fate has it's place in this episode too, and is brought to our attention by our brit Charlie:

As well as this, the ever mystical Locke eerily yet endearingly converses with Walt explaing to him the ins and outs of Backgammon: "2 sides, one light, one dark" - many theories are still based on this iconic quote. Where there is always a good to someone’s evil and, just like Backgammon - it's all relative...

Sawyer.
There are so many little hints at characters' future story lines even at this early stage, it's hard to imagine where the rumours of "The dastards! They're making it up as they go along!!" come from. For instance, Sawyer is seen fidgeting with a letter - the letter - looking gravely at it's text. If memory serves, we don't find out about that letter until "Confidence Man" (1x08) and technically that storyline didn't even finish until "The Brig" near the conclusion of season 3 (3x19)! Not to mention the first showing of Sawyers debatable suicidal tendencies; facing up against the freakin' polar bear! Michael asks Sawyer if he is a hero or just wants to die, in the season 1 finale - to which Sawyer replies "I ain't no hero, Mike" - I'll never forget that quote, it was such a dark and upsetting insight into James Ford... The debate still ensures:



- Does James want to die?

Charlie.
Something a little less obvious, or perhaps completely coincidental was Charlie proclaiming that he is a "coward" when returning from the now infamous cockpit hike, something he finally proved stupendously incorrect during the dying minutes of the season 3 finale!

Whatever you say about the writing team at Lost, they are always looking at ways of tying story arcs together. Then again, maybe we obsessed fans are merely looking for connections and it is our imagination; our faith, that makes the tedious connection between person A and object Z that much more easy to see.

Inconsistencies?
How strange was the weather on the Island once upon a time? It would change from lovely blue skies to "end of the world weather type stuff" in an instant. It did this for a while, but seemed to have disappeared lately. Not to mention the fact that Smokey/Wass-ass loud thing came to the beach twice in two days and I don't think it has returned since - again, odd.

Kate.
I can't go without mentioning the bathing scene. Yes she was damn hot... erm, oh and it's a lovely symbolic scene too! No, really!! Seriously, the difference between Sun and Kate here is immense. At this time, Sun was being treat kind of nastily by her other half; he was controlling, untrusting and basically a chauvinistic pig. I loved when Sun makes her stand against Jin, it's such a weak attempt at rebelling, generally, but it just shows how difficult it is/was for poor Sun.

Oh and finally, those last words "Guys, where are we?"

They really had no idea did they...

(I'd like to thank "The Original Motion Picture Score: Forrest Gump" for getting me through this.)

Good night..