Wow...

Wow! when the opening bright light faded to the Plane..and we saw 10 (basis of 'LA X'?) regulars on-board..

Wow! when the 'gang' was also in parallel on the island, so whatever the blast was, it was not nuclear...

Wow! when the depiction of the underwater island, replete with intact buildings/swingsets...

Wow! when the MIB stipulates he yearns to 'go home' ..(the fallen angel returning to heaven? Is this show about the timeless battle of good vs. evil?)...

Wow! when Sayid comes back to life (Ben was healed in the same 'clear' spring, and became the loophole to kill 'good' Jacob....Sayid was healed in a 'dark' spring after guiding help from Jacob, will he be the loophole to threaten MIB..?)

Has there ever been a TV show that produced so many "Wows!" in one show...?

Favorite returning characters?

Rose & Bernard (Adam & Eve? - don't forget when they met with Rose and Bernard after time traveling to the past..and they said they were happy with what they have there and want to keep it that way and don`t want to go back to the present)

Questions:

Why was Desmond on THAT plane...and why did the writers highlight his disappearance..?

Why did the plane still shudder, twice, coincindentally over the island...albeit underwater...

And how did the island sink underwater, with all infrastructure intact..?

Maybe Al Gore was right, and the island didn't sink, the oceans rose...

Great, great television...I'd pay $100 to see the balance of the episodes in one sitting...

Phil
Franklin, NJ

I had the opportunity to hear your review on Terry Gross. Glad I stopped watching after the initial episode. I was able not to waste time on it. Bless you for persevering.

Ahhhhh!....LOST at last! I have kept the faith for all these years and still feel as though I shall yet be rewarded. I must admit that the hour story recap that preceded the Premiere was very helpful in setting me back up with a good perspective of all the things that had happened to our various island inhabitants before. But I felt some satisfaction at the conclusion of the episode.
In the 2 hour episode, the dual reality worked well for me (coulda been a flashback to season 3 ?) - certainly it seems as though the post JUGHEAD explosion, safe plane trip without-a-crash world wasn't gonna be kind to our our heroes...except maybe Locke with his card for a Dr's exam. And in what I considered the REAL world we got to meet the greatest villain that the show has ever created in the evil Locke-Smoke monster. And finally, to the disappointed... it's a tv series, guys...going to be a lot more happening...so let's just enjoy it as it finally plays out, because that's exactly what I'm gonna do!
Congrats on Times Book review, David

[Thanks -- for the comments, and the congrats. -- David B.]

Like a lot of "Lost" fans, I feel like I have a version of Stockholm Syndrome when it comes to this show. I'm way past being able to assess its merits objectively; and it only beats me when I deserve it.

It's no surprise the show has lost so many viewers over the years. As great as the last few seasons have been, the show has never really recaptured the magic it had in the first season -- or for that matter, in the pilot episode. But I love the fact that the show's slow descent into time travel and parallel universes has tricked people who don't ordinarily like science fiction into watching. One hears tale of viewers who are still sticking around just to find out who Kate ends up with. (Do you think two timelines means she might end up with both of them?)

I really liked it, and I was surprised that when they cut from one reality to the other, I didn't mind. I found both interesting. Usually I would be irritated by the "meanwhile back at the ranch" stuff, but the entire two hours really kept my interest. I can't wait to see where it goes from here.

I'm one of those overly enthusiastic Lost fans so I was just thrilled to have it back on. I was immediately reminded of the movie Sliding Doors and since that's one of my favorites, the dual timelines don't bother me at all. I've got lots and lots of thoughts about the show, but I won't bore this audience with them. Mostly I was thrilled to see Juliet and Charlie if only for a few minutes and I thought the smoke monster/MIB appearance and the island under the sea image were the most surprising and interesting. Can't wait to see how it all plays out.

[Shauna, your thoughts, based on these, wouldn't be boring at all. Thanks. -- David B.]

Well...I wasn't as impressed as I wanted to be (I wasn't UNimpressed). Here's my thoughts and on this I hope I'm wrong (to a degree). It's not two alternate time-lines- It's the epilogue to the end of this current season (The aftermath of the "End Game") - for example we get a glimmer that Locke might indeed walk again because he met Jack after losing his Dad's coffin - little things like this. WHY? cause Juliet said "It worked" - So by the end of this season "the Game Board" will reset and life will go on...and new 'game' & players will begin.

As I said on this blog last May, I think the M.I.B. is an Egyptian god (possibly Sobek, Seth or Anubus). I don't know who Richard & Jacob are but if you follow the "Balence" theme it's possible M.I.B can't leave the island till humanity is extinct or destroys itself. In the guitar case the wooden shape was an Ankh (or Egyptian Cross) what some scholars believe represents "life"- so it seems that at some point there will be a showdown between "life & death" for the battle of humanity and these characters are all just part of the 'Equation' and maybe it plays out every 108 years?

Who knows, but it's fun to speculate. I miss Faraday but I like this Mystic Monk who hates speaking english.

Great review on NPR, David - you're absolutely right that "Lost" is about the ride, and watching it as it's on now - that's the fun.

I enjoyed the season premiere for balancing the tension and humor (Hugo was funny and sweet; Sawyer's rage against Jack was so raw).

Otherwise, I was left a little confused (as usual). The "alternate" (?) timeline at LAX airport was a little boring to me, and I wonder if this will be kept up for the rest of the season.

But, the nuances were interesting to look for: Jack seems to be a little more positive and kinder in the "alternate" time; even "alternate" John Locke seems more vibrant than his sad sack self of the main timeline; plus the return of Boone (how poignant that he tells alternate Locke that he'd stick with him if they were stuck on an island; main timeline Boone wasn't so lucky, after all, in sticking with main timeline Locke), Charlie, and Claire!; and what is Desmond doing...?

Terry O'Quinn as "alternate" John Locke and the fake John Locke (a.k.a., Jacob's enemy) - what an acting power! He pulled off essentially two characters, and it was fantastic to watch.

I'm not a big serious "Lostie" - I am much more of a casual fan/viewer. I empathize a little with those who gave up with watching and I understand that some were disappointed that "Lost" seemed too convoluted or uninteresting as sci-fi/fantasy or has too many plot holes; but I appreciate that the series has been a fun watch to me. Personally, I was more bored back in Season 2 when it didn't go into the sci-fi/fantasy stuff and it felt like the writers were running out of ideas. The creative energy has been in place since showrunners Cuse/Lindelof made the decision to keep "Lost" to a deadline, and it sizzles.

Not every series get that chance to make such a risky decision, and some series - well, I think they should have done that before they lost their creativity (pardon me if I can't quite give specific examples off the top of my head at the moment).

Generally, I think there are a lot of different aspects to "Lost" to enjoy or consider - I found empathy with the complex relationships that the characters have with their parents (Jack and his father; John Locke and his parents; poor Daniel Faraday and his mother); the love stories that did work were compelling (Desmond and Penny's ultimate episode, where Penny is Desmond's constant; Sawyer and Juliet finding their version of a decent life among the Dharma Initiative; the love and life that Rose and Bernard shared; the tragedy of Daniel and Charlotte - that was just sad how time traveling can really mess things up); and the weirdness - there's not much on tv that takes as much pleasure in the weird as "Lost" does.

I'm not a fan of time traveling stories generally, but "Lost" pulled me into how much emotional toil time travel puts on those stuck in time - so "Lost" made the time traveling fascinating, even if I might gnash my teeth over how it drives me crazy!

It's possible that some mysteries might never be quite solved - I'm more okay with that than I expected, since the journey has been such an entertaining ride.

No show is completely perfect; what really matters is whether we're entertained and get something worthwhile out of it. To me, I want a well-done show, visually and emotionally; packed with plots and characters and heart; and writers who seem to be into what they're doing in a positive way - that seems to be what "Lost" has been. I find myself caring about the characters, the conflicts, and the questions, even if I'm not as rabid or dedicated to figuring everything out about "Lost."

So, I think "Lost" is worth watching; looking forward to seeing what's next - and feeling a little sad already that the crazy ride that "Lost" is coming to an end soon.

[What a wonderfully vibrant and detailed reaction. Thanks, Sally -- and I'm with you that not every question needs to be, or should be, answered, for the "Lost" experience to be a wholly satisfying one. However, if they don't explain that polar bear, I'm not sure I'll ever totally forgive them. -- David B.]

I'm still along for the ride... and love the nods to ALL versions of their story from the past 5 seasons (things like when Charlie growls at Jack that he was "supposed to die"). That makes sticking with something and knowing details pay off...

But was I the only one surprised that the recap show (and then the premiere itself) completely left out Michael... Walter... AND their dog? They did matter at one time, no?

Anyways... I've been here this long-- and the completist in me will stick to the end. And I will keep enjoying whatever surprises they serve up... even if I'm still confused that Egyptians apparently only had 4 toes.

I can see that if "it worked," Desmond could be on the flight in the alternate (?) timeline, but where was Shannon? There doesn't seem to be any reason that she should be less likely to return with Boone than in the original timeline.

I was surprised that the smoke monster is apparently an aspect of Jacob's nemesis, the Man in Black. I'm curious how the new Others are connected (or not) to Ben and Richard and the rest.

Despite the assurances of the creators and cast that answers would come like water out of a fire hose all season, we still seem to have more questions than answers. Probably a good way to begin the last season.

Loved:
The goosebumbs I got seeing the island floating under the sea. I mean, "what the ....?" spooky

Terry O'Quinn's amazingly chilling performance as UnLocke, the Man in Black. And seeing both his characters (Locke on the plane and UnLocke) in juxtaposition with one another throughout the episode.

Ben's crippling disbelief at everything happening around him.

Desmond's brief appearance on the plane and Jack's deja vu.

Everything about Hurley - if there's one character I want to walk away happily ever after this season - it's Hurley. He's the heart of the show.

LA X's happy-go-lucky Sawyer and his brief encounter with Kate in the elevator. I couldn't help but crack up.

I also appreciate the very subtle changes to the characters (and their stories) aboard the plane. We've had several seasons now getting to know these characters very deeply - and now we get to see them perhaps in a whole new way.

I'll be very interested in what direction the show goes. Instead of flashbacks, we'll get this "sideways" glimpse of these characters lives throughout the season. I'm intrigued at where Team Darlton will go with this and how the events/drama on the island will shape and inform the lives of these characters who landed at LA X.

The show is brilliant in so many ways. I'm going to miss the way it engaged it's audience throughout the years and am sad to think tv may not have this power again for a long time.

Thanks Dave!

I was a little disappointed this week. The thing I love(d) about Lost is my belief that the writers and show runners will ultimately make all the pieces fit in a logical and believable way. The alternate timeline theory worries me.

However, I believe we saw two different times - not necessarily two different timelines. The LAX scenes take place in 2004, the year flight 815 took off from Australia and landed in LA.

The on-island scenes take place in 2008(?), the year Ajira Airlines crashed on the island. There is still time for those on flight 815 to make their way to the island via other means.

Holes in that theory include the island being underwater in 2004 and non-815 characters like Miles and Juliet. But there is nothing new about there being holes in my lost theories!

Can't wait for next week.