Watching Lost is like reading cryptic crossword clues when English is your second language. It’s a daft show that has people feverishly trying to work it all out despite the fact that such an activity is about as futile as trying to lick the back of your own neck. It’s pissing viewers as well, hitting a new low of 559,000 viewers on Sky1 on Friday night. It was beaten by a repeat of Doc Martin on ITV3.
Yet, presumably because people insist on illegally downloading it, the show feels like it has some currency.
Why, I will never know. I’ve tried to enjoy the show but it’s just so utterly, utterly pointless. Try talking to a fan of the show and you’ll find the most humourless git you’ll ever have the misfortune to meet. In fact, I’d advise not mentioning it at all because, should you so much as utter the word ‘Lost’, and you’ll be drowning in a sea of conspiracy theories, tenuous storylines and hidden meanings for the best part of 3 hours.
Fact is, Lost doesn’t know what it’s up to at all. It’s making it up as it goes along -not that the die-hard fan would believe it. Seeing as Lost tends to attract a certain type of person, notably the kind of person who claims to make very definite and true decisions about the things they consume, I can only hope that the whole thing is one-long advert for Scientology, thereby leaving conspiracy nuts to throw their TVs out into the street with contempt and disgust.
Of course, they should’ve done that yonks ago what with stupid storyline involving monsters, ‘the others’ and bloody polar bears flying a charter jet or some nonsense.
Like weird sci-fi nutjobs and comic book devotees, Lost seems to attract a hardcore type of fan that isn’t seen anywhere else… ironically enough though, these people aren’t big enough fans to actually want to plough any money into the show, preferring to pinch it online.
This devoted nuttery compounds the fact that any right minded individual should walk away from Lost and watch something infinitely better. Sod it, watch something ten-times more confusing if you like. Babestation is a good place to start.
Fact is, Lost is rubbish. It’s a show that likes the smell of its own farts and boy, the fans love the smell of ‘em too. The big freaks.
Join TVScoop on Facebook for exclusive competitions and gossip
nb troll. 3/10
I think you should appreciate what the writers have done with this show. They have created a whole new type of sci-fi fan-base and kept most of them throughout these six seasons. I am aware of the decline in viewer-ship in, both, the US and UK, but as you pointed out, people insist on illegally downloading it, especially in the UK because they refuse to wait three days and want their answers because they’re gripped. As for the US, TiVo, much??
It is a show which has made the public think for once, something what sounds like you have a hard time in doing so. It has brought people together from all over the world through community forums, each discussing their own theories and snippets.
I watch the show on Friday evenings on Sky1 in the UK, as well as purchasing the DVDs so they aren’t losing out. A great deal of UK fans take the same approach. My theory is that you don’t appreciate something new and unique on TV and you would rather settle for some churned-out, reality show trollop.
The Season 6 premiere in Hawaii drew a record number of people to the beach party. I haven’t seen that much devotion for a show since the Friends finale when it was shown in cinemas throughout the country.
It may seem like a rant, but it’s rather annoying how some people prefer to watch other human beings’ getting their hopes and dreams ripped apart on shows such as: American Idol and the ‘Got Talent’ series by three judges, 2 thirds of the panel being amateur themselves, at best, and these are the kinds of people who think a smoke monster, mythology, fate vs free will and literary references are forms of idiocy.
Cheers for the comments.
I won’t lie to you, I couldn’t think of anything to write about and threw this tripe together.
Maybe.
Mof
Was just going to ask if you’ve written this to get some comments and/or pageviews
I have to agree with Andrew above – what writers have created with this show is unlike anything I have ever seen before. And I will be the first to say I thought season 3 was a lot of tripe. It sooooo was. But they went back to the drawing board and made it better (unlike lets say Tim Kring who apologized but then did bugger all to make Heroes better. In my opinion anyway).
I will also agree with you that puzzles/clues/whatever can make my nose bleed (then again I’m blond so it doesn’t take much
But here’s the thing (HERES THE THING!) – that shit actually gets explained!
In last season when Ben Linus shot Locke we finally learned why the fact Locke doesn’t have kidney was important. And now we know what numbers mean. And who Jacob is (not what he is mind). And stuff like that keeps me tuning in. And half naked Sawyer. And Hurley
Maybe I have been sniffing on my own farts for too long, whose to say? But didn’t you profess you loved Heroes? How’s that going for you? Still watching?
Because my polar bear trumps your Mohinder-turning-into-a-fly any day of the week teehee
Heroes?
Dead. As. A. Duck.
(A dead duck).
Mof
I’m massively upset with myself that I read your blog, and that I’m commenting on it. You should be too, because blogs like this should never leave your brain. IDIOT.
Fact is, Lost doesn’t know what it’s up to at all. It’s making it up as it goes along -not that the die-hard fan would believe it
and with this comment your credibility is lost – complete conjecture.
What a moron
Blog posts like this are the reason that journalism is a dying art. By presenting such a biased opinion you achieve only two things: 1. intentionally pissing off actual fans just to get views or replies and 2. as stated above, looking like a moron.
It’s absurd to call Lost fans humourless simply because they are interested in where the show is headed. Shows with such a devoted fanbase don’t come around that often and you have no right to criticise those people’s opinions simply because you don’t agree with them.
If you insist upon writing about television in the future, it may be a good idea to attempt to suspend your disbelief when it comes to some of the more outlandish elements of such shows rather than simply dismissing them. Otherwise, don’t bother.
Just thought I should also mention that basing your argument around Lost’s viewership displays another lack of insight. TV ratings mean less and less these days due to the increasing number of homes with DVRs; this is even more important considering that Lost is shown on Friday nights.
It’s obvious that you’re a talented writer but it annoys me to see well written pieces of overly opionated and unfair trash.
I don’t know why I’m still watching it except that I have to know what happens.
It feels like I’m banging my head against a cash machine hoping that eventually it’ll give me a five pund note.
Please let it end
I love Lost. And I illegally download it. I’m a fan, but I’m broke. Not principled enough to deny myself the pleasure just because I can’t afford (and don’t want) Sky. Won’t live long enough to see it appear on UK terrestrial TV. Americans get it for free! I want it for free too!
If they made Lost The Movie tho I’d be first in the queue for a ticket (on Orange Wednesday, mind).
Because I HAVE to know what happens next. NOW.
This is not a “new” type of sci-fi. It’s a very old type that died out ages ago. It’s called… A SOAP OPERA!
People REALLY REALLY need to understand that they don’t EXPLAIN ANYTHING, they just MAKE IT UP. There is no evil mastermind, it’s just that the elements holding the whole story together are so loose that it doesn’t matter what you say because it will sound cool anyways.
And just like a soap opera, something happens in one episode and for the next few episodes they’re trying to ‘resolve’ (also known as stall) the issue which then ACTUALLY gets addressed after a few weeks.
People need to understand that Smart TV is an oxymoron. You don’t THINK with these type of programs, you SPECULATE. There /is/ a difference. And because the writers ARE making it up as they go along, all you can do is speculate (this means that even if you applied staunch logic to the show, the writers would still do whatever they please, even if it doesn’t really make sense). If anything, “Smart TV” actually impairs your logical faculty due to the excessive amount of Speculation that the Viewers do, and the False Correlation that the writers use.
WHY we’re bringing back the soap opera and calling it “Smart TV” I don’t know. But at least “Dumb TV” admits what it is, while “Smart TV” keeps acting like it’s something it’s not.