REGINAROADIE'S BLOG

reginaroadie

My small beef with LOST
Tuesday, November 1, 2005

Today, I read another article on LOST and its expanding mythology. And I was thinking about LOST and other shows similar to it, and it really got me thinking about something.

I like LOST. I enjoy watching it on a weekly basis and the mysterys that it slowly uncovers and stuff like that. But I don't think it's "THE GREATEST TV SHOW EVER CREATED" like so many people claim it is. I am always dubious about any "greatest" claims for a show that's less than a few years old. And I think there's one thing that LOST severely lacks in that, in my mind anyways, keeps it from attaining such great heights.

Humor.

There is very little humor in this show. Occassionally it come along, but in a highly understated way. Most of the time, it's all stern um drag, tortured souls, flashbacks and a glacial like pace. Now, I love that the show takes it's time in unraveling everything about the island and the characters. But I would like it more if Hugo, who was always intended to be comic relief, was less "I'm cursed because of the #'s" and more "Let's play golf, dude." The ep where they played golf in that open stretch of land was such a welcome relief to the metaphysical "hark, there is evil afoot." goings on with the show. So it's this humorless take on the proceedings that, IMHO, hinder the show rather than make it fly.

In comparison, FIREFLY is ripe in humor. Joss Whedon understands how crucial humor is to something this big in scale, silly in concept and serious in delivery. There are too many moments in FIREFLY that really show off a sense of humor about the whole thing, which keeps the show from getting depressing with the River angle. But my fave show that I love to compare LOST to is 24. 24 was busting tv conventions long before LOST. And I'd prefer a 24 marathon as opposed to a LOST marathon because of pacing and timing. LOST has loads of time to figure everything out. But in 24, time is a luxury no one has, so the action and the plots are constantly moving without getting bogged down in navel gazing, which is something LOST continually runs the risk of happening.

Does anyone agree with me in that LOST isn't all that's cracked up to be, mainly because of a lack of humor?

COMMENTS

Tuesday, November 1, 2005 11:41 AM

STAKETHELURK


I think you're right, Reginaroadie. And a lot of the humor in the first season came from former Buffy & Angel writer David Fury, who has since moved on (to 24's fifth season). The first Hurley-centric episode, the one introducing the numbers, I think balanced humor and drama quite effectively. David Fury co-wrote it and I saw his personal touches everywhere. The window-washer plunging to his death (sad but hilarious), Hurley's efforts to keep people from getting hurt by the numbers ("Will you *not* do that right now, dude!" to the guy fixing the chandelier), and the hilarious disbelief of Charlie and Hurley when Rousseau started shooting at them ("Is somebody shooting at us?"); all felt like the handiwork of Uncle Fury. I think his departure from the show has definitely weakened it, though I still enjoy it in all its weirdness.

Tuesday, November 1, 2005 11:21 AM

CALLMESERENITY


You make a good point. It is lacking in humour and witty dialog.

And the thing that's started to get me down most of all is that it's starting to have the feel of a soap opera. You know, where you have this one really dramatic scene and then it flashes to a whole new group of people who have their own really dramatic scene and then it flashes to ANOTHER group of people who have their own really dramatic scene. That kind of stuff is just too intense for me.

But I do really like the show.


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