Get "Lost"

When the temperatures stay below zero as much as they do around here, it's helpful to have an indoor hobby or two (or three). They say we might have an entire January without getting above freezing at all, but even temperatures in the 20's might make me want to take a walk outside. That did not happen this weekend, however, and Leah is between semesters, so it was a perfect time to start (re-)watching "Lost" from the beginning.

We really are in a Golden Age of speculative fiction TV. Lost, Heroes, Battlestar Galactica: these are some of the best TV ever, if you're interested in character-driven stories in settings that are slightly fantastic versions of reality.

Because all three of these are epic stories, I enjoy going back to the beginning, finding clues to future events, watching characters grow.

Lost, like Heroes, gets excellent use of "origins" stories in Season 1. As I type this, we are watching the 9th hour, and finally getting to Sayid's story. As is my habit, I will not spoil it for anyone who has not seen the series, because I honestly believe most of my family and friends would really enjoy these shows if they ever saw them, and I will not be the one to ruin the surprise. Suffice it to say that the number of "heroes" in Lost is quite large, but all of them are damaged in some way (as we all are, more or less) and to me, Sayid is one of the more complex characters in the series, with an intriguing mix of honor and deceit, compassion and ruthlessness, optimistic hope and cynical pragmatism.

Lost is certainly filled with mystery and revelations, an excellent serial plot, and superb speculative ideas, but without the characters, it would not be the gripping adventure that it is, and it could not have lasted. Well done, J J Abrams and everyone involved.

I'll be surprised if this does not end up on my list of Top 10 TV Shows. Once I've decided to commit to a final list, that is. :-)