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The agony of Walt’s kidnapping and the enigma of the hatch culminated in a thrilling and captivating first season of Lost. But where would season two take us? Deeper into the island's mysteries and secrets. Locke’s relentless pursuit of entering the hatch tested his faith, which he failed by season’s end. Jack stepped further into a leadership role, only to be challenged by John and Sawyer. We welcomed several valuable members into the fold when the tail survivors reunited with the larger group. We lost several members of the group, Shannon, Ana-Lucia, and Libby. The repercussions of Michael’s desperate actions to reclaim his son will reverberate well into Season Three. The “Others,” led by Fake Henry are more than just island hillbillies. Desmond’s return and activating the failsafe, might not only save the island’s inhabitants but the whole world.
The interconnectivity of all the characters deepened even further this season. Characters crossed paths in myriad ways, from minor encounters like Sawyer bumping into Ana-Lucia’s car in Australia to major connections such as Libby and Hurley being in the same psychiatric hospital and Libby giving her boat to Desmond. Most shows have some filler episodes, especially ones like this that had 20-plus episodes, but I don’t feel like there was much filler in Season Two. Each episode was a small piece to the larger puzzle, expanding on the character depth that began in season one. Like last season, there are things I liked and didn’t like.
Best quotes
“Great idea, you two go look in the burning death hole.” –Hurley
“You don’t even know what you’re running from!” –Jack to Desmond
“See you in another life, yeah.” –Desmond
“There are a lot of secrets around here. And I’m tired of being at the bloody kids’ table.” –Charlie
“Swell. I guess we can all sue Oceanic together.” – Sawyer after meeting more survivors from the tail
“You’re a shrink? Maybe you ought to talk to my shoulder.” –Sawyer when Libby examines his shoulder
“It’s like we’re playing mom and dad to this baby. Yet I don’t remember marrying him.” –Claire talking to Locke
“You waited 40 days to cry.” –Mr. Eko to Ana Lucia
“You doing this because you’re my captain? Or because you’re my mother?”—Ana-Lucia after her mother tries to assign her to a desk job
“She has no plan. She only has her guilt. . .and a gun.” –Sayid about Ana-Lucia
“What good would it be to kill you if we’re both already dead?” –Sayid to Ana-Lucia
“I’ve only done what I needed to do to survive. How is that a sin?” –Mr. Eko to his brother, Yemi | “I guess we are both sinners now.” --Eko; “Perhaps we are, but God will forgive me, Eko.” –Yemi
“Maybe they went out for ice cream.” –Sawyer when he doesn’t see Jack or Locke in the hatch
“Who are we to tell anyone what they can or can’t do?” –Locke to Jack
“Now look who had to relocate to the suburbs. Ain’t that just like a woman? She keeps the house. You get the cheap-ass apartment.” –Sawyer to Charlie
“If I wanted to kill him, I would have killed him.” –Danielle after she captured Fake Henry
“At least people like me.” –Hurley to Sawyer
“You’re not the only one who didn’t find what they were looking for.” –Danielle to Claire
“Should I go and get a ruler?”—Kate to Jack and Sawyer while they’re playing poker
“When I need the guns, I’ll get the guns.”—Jack
“I kind of prefer breathing.”—Hurley to Libby while they’re exercising
“I’m just imagining it. This isn’t real life. Because in real life no girl like you would ever like me.”—Hurley to Libby
“Well do we have to run everything by Jack? I mean he’s not the president. He’s—he’s a doctor.”—Bernard “You’re a dentist.”—Rose in response
“Everybody on this island is building something. I’m trying to get us saved.”—Bernard | “People are saved in different ways, Bernard.”—Mr. Eko
“What you got union trouble down at the sand factory, Norma Rae?” –Sawyer when Bernard tries to recruit him to make the S.O.S sign
“Don’t you want my phone number?”—Sawyer to Ana-Lucia
“It was a sacrifice that the island demanded.”—Locke on Boone’s death
“I’m sorry I forgot the blankets.”—Hurley to a dying Libby
“So, before you ran off, I guess you forgot to mention that you still have a sailboat.” –Jack to Desmond
“This time they will know that we are coming.” –Sayid
“But if you did have time, you still would’ve killed her, right?” –Hurley to Michael
“But you saved my life brother, so that I could save yours.” –Desmond to Locke
Best nicknames from Sawyer
“Pillsbury” –for Hurley | “Mister Clean” –for Locke | “Norma Rae” –for Bernard | “Gimpy McCrutch” –for Locke
Best little moments
Charlie bonding with baby Aaron | Claire sees the Virgin Mary idol in Charlie’s bag. She doesn’t know it’s full of heroin. | Dharma Initiative video, the first info about a larger plot point | Jack sees a picture of Desmond with a woman (his girlfriend Penny) | Kate getting happy about soap and shampoo; Rose doing laundry; Claire finally gets real peanut butter | Claire tells Locke about Charlie having one of the Virgin Mary | Jin gives Ana-Lucia a fish he caught | Hurley helps Libby put up her tent | John flips the tables revealing Sawyer’s real name is James Ford | Sun giving Jin a hat to wear while fishing in the sun | The bearded dude mentions Alex, our first clue that the Others still have Danielle’s daughter | Jin and Sun confess to each other they don’t like being told what to do | Sawyer encouraging Hurley to talk to Libby | Kate reads a fashion/lifestyle magazine to Sawyer because he lost his | Danielle gives Sayid her gun as a show of trust | Sawyer is annoyed by the sound of a tree frog | Hurley’s secret stash of food | Rose and Bernard bickering about him forgetting her birthday | Ana-Lucia confiding in Sayid that people didn’t like her off the island either | Sayid and Charlie building a dining table | reveal that Jack has a sister | Hurley wants to play music on the radio for Libby like in the movie Say Anything | Hurley talking to Michael about his date with Libby | Hurley chokes up talking about Libby at the funeral | Claire holds Charlie’s hand during the funeral
Best episodes
Man of Science, Man of Faith: Jack meets his ex-wife, Sara, a patient he saved from paralysis, thus continuing his savior mentality. Jack also met Desmond before the island.
Orientation: The Dharma Initiative video is the first clue of the larger puzzle of the island.
The Other 48 Days: We get to see the crash from another perspective.
Collision: In the aftermath of Shannon’s death, we learn about Ana-Lucia’s past. The front section and tail section survivors reunite.
The 23rd Psalm: Mr. Eko’s past and his connection to the island is revealed.
The Long Con: The art of the con in the past and the present from Sawyer. He takes control of the guns.
Maternity Leave: Claire remembers her time in captivity. Kate finds the fake beards, wigs, clothing, and makeup--the first signs that the Others aren’t who they pretend to be.
Lockdown: The hatch locks down, forcing John to rely on Fake Henry. We see Locke try to move on with his lady love, Helen, but his con artist father, Anthony Cooper, spoils everything.
S.O.S.: Rose and Bernard flashbacks; the beginnings of their romance. The return of Michael.
Two for the Road: Ana-Lucia finally experiences some growth only to be cut down by Michael.
? (Question Mark): The discovery of another hatch.
Live Together, Die Alone parts 1 + 2: Michael leads his friends into a trap. Desmond and Locke come to terms with their faith. Penny gets the sign she’s been searching for.
Worst storylines
Libby’s time in the mental institution: The reveal that Libby and Hurley were in the same psychiatric facility was such a shocking moment. Although they didn’t appear to know each other in the past, it was another moment showing how connected these characters were. We know why Hurley was in the hospital (episode: Dave), his guilt over an accident, but why was Libby there? That was NEVER answered (clearly); the sideways flashbacks of season six attempted to do something with this season three plot hole but not very well in my opinion. I feel like sticking Libby in the same hospital as Hurley was for shock value. I know with a show like this, I should not get attached to characters, but it would have been nice to see more of Libby’s back story before she went to the island in the sky.
Walt being MIA for Season 2: I reiterate my stance that actor Malcolm David Kelley was great as Walt, however, it was a mistake to cast a child who hadn’t yet gone through puberty/growth spurt. While time on the fictional island moves slowly, in the real world it doesn’t—pre-teen actors will inevitably grow into tall teenagers. The writers/creators had to find a way to hide Malcolm David Kelley’s growth spurt, which was accomplished by barely seeing him in Season Two and clever, but noticeable, camera tricks. By the end of the season, Michael and Walt’s characters are gone, but we will see them again in later seasons.
Season 3
Looking ahead to Season Three, I can finally stop referring to the former prisoner as Fake Henry. I wanted to hold off on using the character’s real name until we reached the reveal episode. And…we delve deeper into the backstory of the “Others” aka the fake island hillbillies!
Upcoming posts
Monday: Ripping off the Band-Aid: Launching my YouTube channel
Thursday 7/25: Lost ReWatch for Season 3 episodes one and two
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