It must have been a pretty daunting task: How do you follow-up on what was perhaps the greatest first season of a television show ever conceived to that point? Remarkably, the show runners of LOST are able to craft a sophomore effort that is nearly as compelling as that original by tweaking the format just a bit and deepening the mysteries and characters that only had their surfaces scratched in Season One.
Picking right up where the Season One finale left off, it is clear from the get-go that the theme of this season will be "expanding the mysteries of the island". Whereas I would classify the first season as "75% characters, 25% mystery", this second one is closer to a 50/50 split. Without getting into too spoiler-ish territory here, suffice it to say that the Hatch is explored in great detail, as well as more information being given about the mysterious "Others" that seem to roam the island. Many new locations that weren't ever seen in S1 also make appearances in this slate of episodes. More than ever before, there is a real feeling of forward momentum to all the on-island happenings (well, except one...we'll cover that in a minute). Instead of the S1 formula of tailoring the island events to fit the character flashbacks, this time it seems as it the flashbacks more supplement the "island stuff".
That isn't to say, of course, that the character arcs aren't as dramatic and emotional as ever. Some of the most compelling episodes that come to mind involve in the flashbacks include:
-Hurley's battle with potential mental illness -Jack's deteriorating relationship with wife Sarah -It finally being revealed "What Kate Did" -John Locke's heartbreaking personal struggles in dealing with his father -Sawyer as the continued "con man" (albeit one with a bit of a conscience)
There's even an episode devoted to flashbacks of Rose and Bernard! It says a lot about just how solid this show was that they could take two auxiliary characters and still manage to create an emotional story surrounding them. New characters like Desmond, Penny, Henry Gale (or is he?), Anna-Lucia, & Mr. Eko also abound and, more often than not, become tremendous additions.
There is no doubt that S2 of LOST is just as deserving of five stars here as was S1. That being said, in the nit-picking business, there are two reasons why after my latest viewing I personally rank it a small notch below S1:
1. The main reason is because, for the first time in show history, it is clear that some stall tactics are being used. This is primarily seen in the plot involving the "Tailies", or those that crashed on the island in the back section of the plane. While this is a great idea on the surface (and one that probably needed to happen in some respect), it felt like a disproportionate amount of time was spent away from the main cast that viewers had grown to know and love. Like I said, I know that this was going to be a bit of in inevitability at this point with no end-date set, but this angle seemed to consume much of the early portion of the season.
2. This season really dives into the serialized nature of the show, racing forward with plots in nearly every episode. While on one hand this makes for an incredible "binge-watch" experience, on the other it somewhat lessons the value or "mystique", if you will, of individual episodes. In that first season, the show writers were able to almost miraculous match each flashback to an organic plot development happening on the island, and often slowing down the storytelling to do so (which I was okay with). In S2, both the flashbacks and island material are stellar...but they just don't mesh with each other quite as well in that perfect synergy.
Overall, though, this second season of LOST is still storytelling and character-creation at its very finest. It may not "flow" quite as perfectly as S1, but the individual flashbacks and "wow!" moments on the island are easily as compelling. Also, even with the addition of much new material and mysteries, I never once felt confused or cheated by a "lack of answers". As long as the viewer is paying attention (and the availability of all episodes at one time is helpful to this point), there is nothing in this show yet that is too confusing to follow.
Picking right up where the Season One finale left off, it is clear from the get-go that the theme of this season will be "expanding the mysteries of the island". Whereas I would classify the first season as "75% characters, 25% mystery", this second one is closer to a 50/50 split. Without getting into too spoiler-ish territory here, suffice it to say that the Hatch is explored in great detail, as well as more information being given about the mysterious "Others" that seem to roam the island. Many new locations that weren't ever seen in S1 also make appearances in this slate of episodes. More than ever before, there is a real feeling of forward momentum to all the on-island happenings (well, except one...we'll cover that in a minute). Instead of the S1 formula of tailoring the island events to fit the character flashbacks, this time it seems as it the flashbacks more supplement the "island stuff".
That isn't to say, of course, that the character arcs aren't as dramatic and emotional as ever. Some of the most compelling episodes that come to mind involve in the flashbacks include:
-Hurley's battle with potential mental illness -Jack's deteriorating relationship with wife Sarah -It finally being revealed "What Kate Did" -John Locke's heartbreaking personal struggles in dealing with his father -Sawyer as the continued "con man" (albeit one with a bit of a conscience)
There's even an episode devoted to flashbacks of Rose and Bernard! It says a lot about just how solid this show was that they could take two auxiliary characters and still manage to create an emotional story surrounding them. New characters like Desmond, Penny, Henry Gale (or is he?), Anna-Lucia, & Mr. Eko also abound and, more often than not, become tremendous additions.
There is no doubt that S2 of LOST is just as deserving of five stars here as was S1. That being said, in the nit-picking business, there are two reasons why after my latest viewing I personally rank it a small notch below S1:
1. The main reason is because, for the first time in show history, it is clear that some stall tactics are being used. This is primarily seen in the plot involving the "Tailies", or those that crashed on the island in the back section of the plane. While this is a great idea on the surface (and one that probably needed to happen in some respect), it felt like a disproportionate amount of time was spent away from the main cast that viewers had grown to know and love. Like I said, I know that this was going to be a bit of in inevitability at this point with no end-date set, but this angle seemed to consume much of the early portion of the season.
2. This season really dives into the serialized nature of the show, racing forward with plots in nearly every episode. While on one hand this makes for an incredible "binge-watch" experience, on the other it somewhat lessons the value or "mystique", if you will, of individual episodes. In that first season, the show writers were able to almost miraculous match each flashback to an organic plot development happening on the island, and often slowing down the storytelling to do so (which I was okay with). In S2, both the flashbacks and island material are stellar...but they just don't mesh with each other quite as well in that perfect synergy.
Overall, though, this second season of LOST is still storytelling and character-creation at its very finest. It may not "flow" quite as perfectly as S1, but the individual flashbacks and "wow!" moments on the island are easily as compelling. Also, even with the addition of much new material and mysteries, I never once felt confused or cheated by a "lack of answers". As long as the viewer is paying attention (and the availability of all episodes at one time is helpful to this point), there is nothing in this show yet that is too confusing to follow.