LOST - Season 6

[The Man]

I agree with BooB. I definitely don't get why so many people have been criticising this season for a lack of action, or not delivering answers; it seems to me that the exact opposite has been the case.

[Del Murder]

There were so many answers in the last episode. Who is Richard? Why is he there? What does he do? What is the island's purpose, according to Jacob? When did Richard arrive? How? What is his motive? Why does he follow Jacob? What makes him tick? What was his life like before the island? How did the Black Rock arrive at the island? Who did it bring with it? How did that statue get busted down? All answered!

The issue is we already knew the answers to many of those questions based on hints given in previous episodes. It was already pretty obivious that Richard came on the Black Rock and his examination of the chains showed he was a prisoner of some sort. And we also knew that he was a liason between Jacob and the Others and his longevity was because Jacob touched him. We didn't know he had a wife, so that's new, but not very relevant. We also didn't know that Jacob 'brings' people to the island to 'test them', and that's probably the most relevant thing to come out of the episode, but that's just one new thing from an entire hour. And it's still vague, since we don't know why or how he does this.

The issue is not that we aren't learning anything or nothing happens. In an hour long show obviously something is going to happen. The issue is that not enough happens, or what happens isn't relevant to the overall questions that have been on our mind for 6 years. There are so many loose ends and so many mysteries on this show that it's frustrating to see episodes that only give you maybe 2 minutes of actual answers with the rest being filler. It's still entertaining, but somewhat unfulfilling.

[Loony BoB]

You say that you knew all the stuff, but you should know by now that anything you know from indirect information is going to be part of a future episode that actually shows it happening. I didn't know who Richard really was. Like, I knew he was a guy who followed Jacob. I didn't know he arrived on the Black Rock until the episode before this one. I don't remember any chains - maybe I forgot something there? The islands purpose has been stated now, I didn't know that it was there primarily as a prison for the monster. I certainly didn't know that the monster met him on the day he got on the island. I didn't know that the boat smashed into the statue. I didn't know that he chose to live forever, and I didn't know that Jacob denied him those other requests. I didn't know his background of a wife, which is relevant because it tells you about the character. I think you seem to want to know the answers to the island in a quick time, whereas I enjoy the telling of the story rather than the knowing of the little facts that you pick up on here and there.

I think that last bit is key: You can say you know this and that, but each character still needs their story to be told. This is why it's a TV series rather than a movie trilogy or mini-series.

[Del Murder]

On the contrary, I want it to be done slowly. What I think is happening is that they are stalling for the finale and then they are just going to wrap up everything one thing after another very quickly in the last episode. Like wtf moment after wtf moment. I'd rather we see some of that stuff now rather than wasting time on Richard learning English in a prison cell. The Richard episode is a bad example, because it did reveal more than some of the other episodes had. And I did realize that all the hints about the Black Rock were going to play out in his episode. But did it really need to be 90% flashback? They could have made it shorter and showed some more stuff happening on the island.

Rather than see a slow buildup to a crazy finale, which is what they're doing, I'd rather the entire season be the finale. I'll still watch regardless.

[Flying Mullet]

We know they won't reveal a whole lot until the finale, so I prefer episodes like Richard's, which have mostly new material, rather than episodes focusing on the Losties that go nowhere and don't reveal anything.

[Loony BoB]

I'm with Mulley on this one. It also helps that I think Richard is possibly the coolest character in the series. Finally, it would be a sham to not have him have his backstory told, and it makes sense that it would take 90% of one episode as otherwise it would take 20-25% of four episodes, which would probably be far more worthy of being labeled 'dragging things out'. Richard has had pittance when it comes to airtime in comparison to far more boring characters such as (urgh) Jack.

[Del Murder]

I definitely agree with you guys which is why I said the Richard episode was a bad example of this. The JKS episodes have sucked balls. I definitely wouldn't have minded the Richard episode if all the others didn't feel so lagging. But in the final season, Richard's episode shouldn't be the best of the lot when we're already 10 hours into it. That's what I'm trying to say.

[McLovin']

I like Sun.

[Miriel]

I'm with Mulley on this one. It also helps that I think Richard is possibly the coolest character in the series. Finally, it would be a sham to not have him have his backstory told, and it makes sense that it would take 90% of one episode as otherwise it would take 20-25% of four episodes, which would probably be far more worthy of being labeled 'dragging things out'. Richard has had pittance when it comes to airtime in comparison to far more boring characters such as (urgh) Jack.

And this is exactly why the Richard episode should have come in previous seasons, not in the middle of the very last season. People are complaining about the slow progress of the show because it's like we've been digging ourselves out of a ditch for the past 3 or so seasons. No answers, more questions, flashback flashback flashback. And I'm sure many people, myself included, expected the final season to be much more action packed than it has been. You're focusing on the Richard episode and calling out people who commented that not a ton of new info was revealed pertaining to the main mysteries of the island. But you're ignoring the previous non-Richard episodes where the complaining is legitimate imho.

It really does feel like we're running out of time. Or that they're biding their time and wasting away most of the season so they can blow up our minds with the finale. I'd prefer a season with solid episode after episode and a great finale rather than one with mediocre episodes followed by a OMFGWTFAHHHH!!! finale.

We've put up with tiny tiny nuggets of information tossed sparingly at us for years. People are sick of it. People have less patience than they did 4 years ago. It's time for Lost to or get off the toilet. God damn.

Also, I like Sun too. I almost cried when Jin was looking at the pictures of his little girl, omg. If Jin/Sun and cute little asian baby don't end up happily ever after at the end of this, I will cut a bitch. It better not be like Harry Potter where happy families are torn apart for no reason other than to be melodramatic.

[Loony BoB]

Nah, part of what made Richard is that he had some mystery about him, so I'm glad they didn't reveal it earlier on. I feel that they timed it right when to reveal things about him and his introduction to the island. I think any sooner and it wouldn't have fitted in with his personal storyline, which until very recently wasn't a dramatic one so much as just him doing his job in the background.

We have, what, ten hours left? I think that's a lot of time to reveal things.

[Slothy]

Nah, part of what made Richard is that he had some mystery about him, so I'm glad they didn't reveal it earlier on. I feel that they timed it right when to reveal things about him and his introduction to the island. I think any sooner and it wouldn't have fitted in with his personal storyline, which until very recently wasn't a dramatic one so much as just him doing his job in the background.

I agree with you on that. Revealing the backstory for Richard any earlier than this season would have completely ruined the character and undermined everything that made him interesting. I also agree with you that more has been happening overall this season than most people seem to notice or want to admit, but that said, we've still gotten next to no real answers about what's up with the island, Jacob and the Black Smoke. Given that this is the last season we should be getting more from the writers. The fact that we're halfway through the season and have gotten few answers of any substance is shameful. If anything I'd say we've just been hit with more questions than answers.

Last night didn't improve either. The only real big reveal was Desmond being the package if you ask me, and it's not like anyone with any sense in their head couldn't have guessed that he was what Widmore brought to the island in that locked room.

[Croyles]

Im halfway through the latest one but I just have to say that Richards episode was damn amazing, best one since like the last few seasons.

EDIT: Just finished The Package. Was an ok episode, definitely not bad, just no way as good as Ab Aeterno.

Interesting to see Desmond return, as other people predicted here. I knew it must be playing a pivotal role in the last season, but never guessed how.
We know he travelled through time before anyone else did, but how does this help them destroy The Man in Black? Will he travel back to the 'origin of evil'?

What the hell has happened to Sayid? Has smokey sucked out his soul? Is he just a walking corpse?

[Moon Rabbits]

I like Sun.

That's pretty much how I felt about the episode too.

[Del Murder]

The Koreans better get together. Soon. And one of them better not die. They have a baby!

The flash sideways annoy me. They are interesting, sure, but they are revealing nothing about the main plot and are only stalling an already stalled show. I think they are the worst incarnation of the 'flashes' this show has had too. The flashbacks at least give some real history on the characters and what led to them being where they were. The flash fowards were pretty much a part of the main plot since that group was separated from the island. I wouldn't mind them as much if the parts on the island were non stop action and revelation, but they aren't. I really hope the last few episodes don't have any flashes because we need some plot development here.

And Hurley's episode better explain the numbers and why he can see the dead.

Next week is Desmond, and I like Desmond, so it should be entertaining. My guess though is that will take the entire episode to tell us why he is back on the island and the rest of it will be his misadventures in alternate reality LA and a lot of 'I'm going to tell you exactly why you're here...' *interrupted by gunshots*.

[Psychotic]

Damnit why did they have a Jin/Sun episode then not have them finally meeting?