Comments on: Four Ways Lost’s Fourth Season Has Been Dumbed Down http://www.alannoah.com/2008/03/28/four-ways-losts-fourth-season-has-been-dumbed-down/ What's on my mind today? Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:53:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Alan http://www.alannoah.com/2008/03/28/four-ways-losts-fourth-season-has-been-dumbed-down/#comment-6 Alan Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:36:02 +0000 http://www.alannoah.com/2008/03/28/four-ways-losts-fourth-season-has-been-dumbed-down/#comment-6 "What harm does it do?" I guess, directly, to me and my enjoyment of the show, it doesn't do any specific harm per se. I just feel that it's insulting to hardcore fans of the show who have dedicated time to solving the mysteries of the show to have said answers spelled out for newbies in a pop-up format. And with Miles' (not Faraday) and Minkowski's over explanations, those lines just felt like those pop-up answers, only written directly into the show's dialogue. But I'm with you on the 16 episodes for 3 seasons thing - I would have much preferred 2 seasons of 24 episodes, but ABC of course wants to milk this thing as long as they can. And I have to believe that having a set end-date will be a good thing, although I guess we’ll see. “What harm does it do?” I guess, directly, to me and my enjoyment of the show, it doesn’t do any specific harm per se. I just feel that it’s insulting to hardcore fans of the show who have dedicated time to solving the mysteries of the show to have said answers spelled out for newbies in a pop-up format.

And with Miles’ (not Faraday) and Minkowski’s over explanations, those lines just felt like those pop-up answers, only written directly into the show’s dialogue.

But I’m with you on the 16 episodes for 3 seasons thing - I would have much preferred 2 seasons of 24 episodes, but ABC of course wants to milk this thing as long as they can. And I have to believe that having a set end-date will be a good thing, although I guess we’ll see.

]]> By: B.E. http://www.alannoah.com/2008/03/28/four-ways-losts-fourth-season-has-been-dumbed-down/#comment-5 B.E. Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:23:39 +0000 http://www.alannoah.com/2008/03/28/four-ways-losts-fourth-season-has-been-dumbed-down/#comment-5 I sort of don't understand your problem with trying to capture new viewers with the Pop-Up Video episodes. Are you saying people should have to 'pay their dues' in order to watch the show? If they're intrigued enough to go back, great, but if they just want to hop on the Lost train in season 4, let 'em, what harm does it do? As far as "Tell My Sister I Love Her"--I took Farraday's over-explanation of the whole thing as a part of his quirky character/being scared of the stressful situation. It didn't strike me as the writers over-explaining it to us. Same with the "friend on this boat" line--why wouldn't Minkowsky say that? It points out that he knows no one wants him out and that their beign there, on the boat, has altered things, and opens up new questions (which is what we love about Lost)--it could have been Michael, it could have been Frank, it even could have been the Captain. Again, it didn't strike me as over-explanatory at all. What DID bother me about it is that if it turns out to be Michael who opened the door, it'll be inconsistent with what they then set up later; there would be no reason, so far, that Michael would want to help them... OK, maybe they did over-explain the Whidmore thing, I agree. And it also just flopped out there like a dead fish instead of being teased out or misdirected. THAT smacks of lazy writing. Unless they did it for a reason that has yet to be revealed... My biggest problem is the whole shift to a 16-ep.-per-season rule. One of the most complicated shows in the history of TV and you're giving us LESS time to figure it out? Genius. I sort of don’t understand your problem with trying to capture new viewers with the Pop-Up Video episodes. Are you saying people should have to ‘pay their dues’ in order to watch the show? If they’re intrigued enough to go back, great, but if they just want to hop on the Lost train in season 4, let ‘em, what harm does it do?

As far as “Tell My Sister I Love Her”–I took Farraday’s over-explanation of the whole thing as a part of his quirky character/being scared of the stressful situation. It didn’t strike me as the writers over-explaining it to us.

Same with the “friend on this boat” line–why wouldn’t Minkowsky say that? It points out that he knows no one wants him out and that their beign there, on the boat, has altered things, and opens up new questions (which is what we love about Lost)–it could have been Michael, it could have been Frank, it even could have been the Captain. Again, it didn’t strike me as over-explanatory at all. What DID bother me about it is that if it turns out to be Michael who opened the door, it’ll be inconsistent with what they then set up later; there would be no reason, so far, that Michael would want to help them…

OK, maybe they did over-explain the Whidmore thing, I agree. And it also just flopped out there like a dead fish instead of being teased out or misdirected. THAT smacks of lazy writing. Unless they did it for a reason that has yet to be revealed…

My biggest problem is the whole shift to a 16-ep.-per-season rule. One of the most complicated shows in the history of TV and you’re giving us LESS time to figure it out? Genius.

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