After eight months on hiatus, “Lost” is back. Whether that sentence excites you or makes you groan depends on whether you have been able to deal with four years of twists and turns in ABC’s mega-hit drama. At this point in the series, it’s nearly impossible for one to just jump in now and figure out what’s going on. The show’s producers have admitted as much. Those of you who read this and want to start watching, watch the DVDs or find a summary on YouTube and then come back.
Kicking the series’ penultimate season off Jan. 21 with a bang, the pair of episodes were classic “Lost.” It began, as it so often does, with yet another “huh?” scene that sheds light on the history of the mysterious island. Once again, our favorite castaways are split, causing the first few episodes the season to have to balance between groups (this time between those on island and off). Not that such obstacles have stopped the show before. The two-hour premiere featured the same blend of humor, drama, pathos and mystery that has been a part of this show since the beginning. But as we get further into the show, “Lost” becomes more and more like sci-fi show with great characters, rather than a character show with some sci-fi. Season five continues this trend.
From the opening scene of the premiere, “Lost” tells you up front, if you haven’t figured it out. The on-island adventures deal with time travel. I had my doubts about how the show would handle it, but after the introduction to time travel, “Lost” style, I must say the writer’s made it more than viewer friendly. Well, as friendly as the idea of time-travelling land masses can be.
There’s more to the premiere than this, though. Off island, the plot seems to focus on getting the Oceanic 6 back together. This seems to be the least interesting of the two story lines so far, with the second hour focusing mainly on the exploits of Hurley. However, it definitely has potential to be just as exciting as other plots in due time.
Additionally, there were more jokes and nods to long-time fans than usual, a trend I hope will continue.
There were only a few weak points in the otherwise-excellent episodes. I could have done without the bulk of the season four repeat footage — it’s not like we’ve forgotten already. Also, a few character decisions seemed to come out of left field. Overall, though, the pieces are in play for an exciting seventeen hours.
That a serialized show can sustain itself five seasons in an environment where procedural dramas reign supreme is not only impressive but also a testament to the quality of the show, or the voracity of its fan base. Whether “Lost” can keep up the momentum as the season wears on remains to be seen, but odds are that season five will be firing on all cylinders in the months to come.
