The writers at ABC have done it again. This season of “Lost” will be as captivating, shocking, and confusing as the past five seasons.The sixth and final season, began with a two part premiere, kicking off with unexpected turns of events and plenty of action, leaving this viewer expecting one hell of a season.
One quick warning: if you are a devoted “Lost” fan who has been too busy with papers and Glee club to watch the premiere yet, you may not want to continue reading because this review contains spoilers.
Last season ended with Ben in the present time killing the mysterious leader of the Island, Jacob, while on the other side of the Island “in 1977” Juliet sacrificed herself to blow up the Swan Station. Well, the writers must have thought that time travel was not a strange enough concept for their mind-blowing plot, so now they have decided to add the concept of “alternative universes.”
The opening scene of the premiere reveals Jack on a plane, looking very uncomfortable and confused. Because of the previous season, the first thing that comes to mind is that the story line has jumped into the past or present again, but this idea is quickly disregarded as we see that other members of the original flight are on the plane as well. But don’t be confused yet; we haven’t been brought back to the first season’s Oceanic Flight 815, for this Flight 815 doesn’t crash. Instead the plane ride goes smoothly with all the characters interacting with each other as strangers. Even more shocking is that the Island is revealed to be under water.
After understanding that this flight is what should have happened if the Swan Station never exploded, one would assume that the alternative story line is the result of the bomb Juliet set off. Nope! Once again the writers throw a curve ball at the viewers by switching the scene back to the Island (not underwater) where many of the characters, many of which were just seconds ago seen on the plane, are knocked unconscious from the explosion. They realize that they are back in the present day, but are disappointed because they thought the explosion would have made it so their plane never crashed.
The writers have chosen to show how the characters’ lives would be different if the crash never happened while still continuing the storyline of the same characters trying to get off the Island safely. The scenes jump back and forth between the two “universes” throughout the two episodes, which gives some insight of how the flow of the final season will be.
The premiere also gave the viewers a clue into some questions that may be answered before the show finishes for good. Last season the body of John Locke was brought back to the Island, leaving the characters and viewers wondering who or what has been pretending to be a living and breathing John Locke last season. This question is answered before the first episode ends, but as usual the answer only brings up more questions about the Island and its origins.
To add to this never ending list of questions about the Island, a new group of “Others” is introduced, along with a spring that can heal the mortally injured, which Sayid happens to be from a gunshot that happened on last season.
When these Others find out that Jacob is dead, they go on red alert and they prepare themselves to protect the temple where the spring is hidden in from the mysterious Smoke Monster. Alternative universes, scheming Smoke Monsters, magical springs, and plenty of surprises: this is what we have to look forward to for the final season of “Lost.” There will likely be many more twists and turns added along the way, hopefully leading to all of the questions about the Island, the Others, and the connection of each character to the Island to finally being answered. And if they are not, hopefully viewers will be so captivated by all the twists and turns that they will not care that they are utterly confused.
Alternative universes, scheming Smoke Monsters, magical springs, and plenty of surprises: this is what we have to look forward to for the final season of “Lost.” There will likely be many more twists and turns added along the way, hopefully leading to all of the questions about the Island, the Others, and the connection of each character to the Island to finally being answered. And if they are not, hopefully viewers will be so captivated by all the twists and turns that they will not care that they are utterly confused.