[GGTV] Re-Discovering Lost (A Guide of Sorts)

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I was first introduced to Lost by a former co-worker. He generously lent me the complete first season DVDs while constantly raving about the plot twists, the secrets, and all the little reveals. I decided to humor him at the time, and while the show did appear to be interesting, it didn't hook me.

After finishing the first season, I decided to give the second season a shot around the time it started airing on AXN. The first few episodes weirded me out -- everyone got pretty much tethered to the Hatch, and life settled into this odd routine of sorts. It seemed like it was starting to turn into Gilligan's Island or something like that. 

And so I gave up on Lost.

Fast forward to the present day, and Lost is now a critically-acclaimed and multi-awarded TV show with a very large fan following. In all irony, I'm now involved with a major Lost fan for a boyfriend, and with the final season just around the corner, I've finally allowed myself to get talked into trying to watch the show again.

For all you non-fans out there, the premise of the show is interesting for the most part. The passengers of Oceanic Flight 815 find themselves stranded on a mysterious island after their plane crashes due to unknown reasons. The survivors try to band together to find a way to survive and wait for rescue while exploring the island's mysteries. As they learn more about the island, we as viewers are given a chance to learn more about their back stories in a series of flashbacks. Plus, it turns out that they're not alone on the island.

So as a repeat newcomer to Lost, I thought it might be good to share my thoughts on how a newbie might better approach the show coming from nothing. It's certainly worth getting into once you get past the slow bits. Seriously.

Lost is a slow burn - Don't expect a consistently action-packed show. Lost is meant for the patient and the highly observant. J.J. Abrams has a different vision when it comes to storytelling, and you'll be surprised what bits and pieces will turn out to be important in later episodes or seasons.

The story isn't linear - Don't expect the show to follow a traditional progression of start, beginning and end. Expect to revisit particular story moments over and over again from different perspectives, and get additional insights and surprising reveals. Don't get impatient when the sequences start to feel redundant or repetitive.

Everything is potentially important - This show was built to be watched via DVR or on DVD. Think you saw something flash for a second, or perhaps you heard a voice mixed in with the natural sounds of the jungle? That just might be something important.  It really helps to be able to rewind every now and then or at least replay moments in slow motion. Abrams embedded secrets and easter eggs across all seasons, so things make more and more sense with every episode. Be sure to pay attention.

Spoilers are everywhere - Lost now has an amazingly large community of followers who have put together forums, speculative blogs, and wiki pages dedicated to the show. You stand a better chance of enjoying the show without knowing all these spoilers, so be careful where you surf. On the flip side, you will be rewarded once you've completed a particular season since all the online material helps highlight all the fun tricks and treats hidden in the show.

Don't force yourself to like everyone - The show has a very large ensemble cast, and there's that natural tendency to want to see the value in everyone and try to appreciate the castaways as a whole. However, the characters were written to be very different and diverse, so it helps to try and pick one or two people you like and not go beyond that. Trust me.

It's not a perfect list of tips, but it's a start. Give the show a chance (or perhaps a second or third one) - it certainly appears to be worth the effort as long as you have the patience and the stomach for it.

Good luck!