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Lost - How's the Pilot For This Intriguing New Series?
Posted by Diggler - 28/9/2004 1:02

The first episode of Lost broadcast on the box last week and already I'm finding myself counting down the minutes 'til its follow-up. It's rare that a TV show manages to hook me immediately like this, even some of my all time faves such as The Sopranos, Buffy, Deadwood and Six Feet Under didn't truly suck me in until a good few hours down the line, and trust me when I tell you I truly worship those bad boys.

Lost goes more down the route of 24 in execution though, grabbing hold of your attention from the offset and not letting go for one second. Sure, it's not all high octane terror threats and shootouts like 24 is, but it does similarly keep you on the edge of your seat at all times via thorough dollops of tension and suspense. At the same time it subtly unravels its characters almost subconsciously.

Sky Diving

Despite gnawing into an immense personal fear of mine, the plot sounds very simple on paper. Actually you'd be forgiven for proclaiming Lost as rather clichéd at first.

Basically a passenger jet crash lands on a deserted tropical island, with the show then following the exploits of the survivors, their attempts to contact help, and ultimately their realisation that they may well be here for some time.

But yet despite the lack of originality, something just clicks with the show and makes it work. Perhaps it's the characters, all of whom are likeable and ably acted. Or maybe it's the haunting score by Michael Giacchino (he of Medal of Honor fame). Most likely though, it could just be that lush cinematography; breathtaking and vivid enough to be right up on the big screen, not squashed down into your TV. Watching the opener to Lost feels more like you're watching Jurassic Park 4 than a television show.

Party of 48

The cast is a nice mixture of unknowns and familiar faces. Matthew Fox of Party of 5 fame takes the lead playing Jack, a physician trying to do what he can to salvage this mess, and it's he who we primarily follow right from the opening shot.

Joining him is Charlie, bassist in a semi-famous rock band, played by Dominic Monaghan (last seen as Merry in Lord of the Rings).

I could go on as there's a whole host of other lads and lasses who we've seen in everything from The Rules of Attraction to The Matrix sequels. Really the biggest surprise though is newcomer Evangeline Lilly as Kate, who is so unbelievably stunning she's like Charisma Carpenter's sexier older sister.

Watching the pilot, it's worth taking note of the large number of survivors from the plane crash - at least 48 at episode's end - essentially giving the show a world of opportunities and directions it could take from here on in. Will they band together to form a new society between themselves, or are the high numbers simply anonymous faces to be killed off on a regular basis by the darker inhabitants of the island? Time will tell I guess, but there's certainly an ominous foreboding, as if no one here's safe.

Lost Or Lost Cause?

Sure, not everything's perfect, even a little ridiculous in places, but then again even the best shows of our time never quite nailed everything right in their pilot episodes either. TV, unlike film, lends itself much more to a slow and steady fine tuning as things progress, and based on the strength of just its first outing, Lost could well go on to reach some fabulous heights down the line. Keep your eye on this one.