*spoilers ahead, if you have not seen the finale of LOST please stop reading immediately!*
Since 2007 I have not been able to listen to Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" without becoming flooded by a tidal wave of conflicting emotions. I feel angry, happy, sad, nostalgically reminiscent, cynical, curious and disappointed. It all meshes together pretty well, and not too long after hearing the song I start to get the itch to hunker down and watch "The Sopranos" again for the second, third or millionth time. In my head I see Tony sitting in the booth at the diner waiting for his ungrateful -if not entirely righteous in their indignation- family make their way towards him amidst various shady characters that may or may not be about to shoot them all. Then, the abrupt cut to black, lack of audio, a brief moment of "what the hell just happened" and roll credits. Did I mention this happens every time? Well, it does, because "The Sopranos" was for me something akin to a religious experience. It wasn't that I loved watching mobsters shoot each other or anything like that; I didn't play the "who gets whacked this week" game with my friends. I loved the story, the characters, the moral ambiguity and the style it was all produced in. To this day, I have not seen a better television show before or since -yet "Mad Men" is starting to encroach on sacred ground, if you ask me- Tony and his glorified crew of New Jersey goombahs showed up on HBO 11 years ago. I miss "The Sopranos" almost every day. Where some people rant and rave about "The Wire" (and rightly so, from what I've heard and seen) there is just something about "The Sopranos" and the way it ended that has continued to make it an interesting show long past it's expiration date rolled on by.
For all the criticism the end of "The Sopranos" received from critics and fans alike, I've got a feeling the ending of "Lost" is going to be the one that might actually get people to throw hands in the street over differing opinions. It's just something about the fans of "Lost" that makes me think there is going to be a zeitgeist fueled backlash that may or may not cause meta-riots in the para-streets between all the different factions of fanboys and girls out there.
Where the ending of "The Sopranos" was challenging and required one to be of an open mind; the ending of "Lost" was like a watermelon, de-seeded and pre-sliced served up on a platter. They myriad enigmatic plot twists, story arcs and characters that the show had become known for and very rightly praised over were thrown away in favor of making the finale accessible and understandable even to the most casual fan. That, to me, is a vicious cop out that was completely and totally unnecessary for a show that had been such a game changer over the course of the past 6 years. Still, I can't say I hated it though, and in looking back over the history of the show I would be remiss if I didn't say there were some terribly klunky episodes that left me feeling like I'd wasted 45 minutes of my life looking at an emotionless, overly complicated mess (read: any "Kate-centric" episode... you all know they were terrible).
Sacrificing some quality for the sake of advancing the shows plot lines had been something I'd grown too complacent about over the years. I'd sigh at the end of a particularly ridiculous, out of context episode and remind myself that "Lost" is different and it's all leading towards something bigger -or more confusing- than anything else network TV has ever tried to accomplish, and for the most part that's exactly what the show did. It overreached and, at times, underachieved, but it was all ok because it was so freaking interesting and engrossing and the cheese actually tasted pretty good once you really got into the show. I didn't care how many times Kate got her own episode because I knew a Ben and Locke episode was around the corner to make up for it, and, hey, Kate was a pretty important part of the show (for a while), it's just that her character was less interesting to me than a tuft of grass on a lonely desert plain. I'm sure others out there would disagree with me vehemently, and that's their right and that's another aspect of "Lost" that made the show so unique and so groundbreaking.
The discussions, arguments and theories that swirled around "Lost" from the second the world first heard the smoke monster and saw the trees tremble in his wake during the pilot are like nothing television has ever seen before. Add in the allegory, allusion and metaphor that the show was jam packed with and there was so much interpretation left to the audience that it was almost impossible not to get sucked in and go beyond the weekly offerings. People, meaning rabid fans, would scour the internet and actually research the symbols and meanings and names of fictional things happening on a fictional show that took place on an island that, we now know, was some sort of mystical stop-gap that prevented evil from seeping out into the world and eventually destroying it. The writers played into this extremely well, leaving clues and hints and little Easter eggs tucked into scenes that the keen eyed fans would notice and obsess over. It was, honestly, the perfect show for the internet age and, shockingly, despite the instant gratification nature of the net generation, remained an utterly unsolvable mystery to the majority of the people who watched it week in and week out. Really, that's just amazing stuff when you put your thinking cap on and give it a good once over in your mind grapes.
I don't do recap write-ups, so I'll spare my sparse audience the tedium of a play-by-play in favor of touching upon some of the moving and more important moments of the finale that will have me thinking for the rest of my life.
First off, congratulations to Hurley for being named the island's protector, it was an entirely deserved moment and one that made me extremely happy despite the fact that I and the rest of the world did not get to see one single, solitary second of Hurley in charge other than him asking Ben to be his number 2. It was really astounding to see "the voice of the audience" get to take the reigns and become the new Jacob. As much as I said to myself over the course of the final season, "I wish it would be Hurley," I had little to no hope that it would really happen, but I was wrong and the world of "Lost" is a much better place for it. The actors (Jorge Garcia and Michael Emerson) were brilliant as usual, and the final scene when Hurley asks Ben to come inside the church before telling him he was a "good number 2" was really touching and, had it been between say, Sawyer and Sayid would have been much less ingratiating. This aspect of the finale I was super, super happy with (if you can't already tell).
Speaking of Sawyer...
... I have, since the first time James Ford said "sonofabitch" in an exasperated way, been an unabashed fan of the character and hugely impressed by the actor (Josh Holloway), and when he and Juliette finally re-met in the sideways-verse I lost control and started gulp-crying like a little gilr who just watched her pony get run over by an 18-wheeler. For a character that was so reserved and somewhat guarded throughout the entire run of the show, seeing him let go like that was more moving than I was prepared for. Even though, on the whole, I'm not the biggest fan of Juliette I wanted Sawyer to find happiness somewhere since the agony was as plain as the nose on his face when she died. It was nice to see him get what he wanted, even though he had to die to find it.
Right, by the way, the sideways-verse? Yeah, turns out that was some kind of holding pen for the characters until they made their way into the bright, shiny light or something. Ugh, I wanted to kick a small child when Christian Shepherd came in at the end and gave the heavy-handed, all to easy to stomach wrap up that explained what the hell was going on. It was just a stupid, gimmicky season long thing that was used to make the audience think something was happening when it really wasn't. To be blunt, it pissed me off in such a unique way that I'm still trying to come up with the correct phrasing; which I am, currently, failing at. I suppose for a show that has been so confusing a little levity and straightforwardness was needed, but I was hoping that wouldn't have been the case. I didn't need all the questions to be answered (and they weren't), but it would have been nice to see the ending be a little more ambiguous and, -sigh-, action packed instead of the bland, emotionless meeting in the church that bordered on shiny-town. I'll get over it, but it bugged me.
Honestly, everything else that happened in the finale was something... well, it was something. I can't put my finger on any other moments that had me jumping out of my seat or feeling really, truly compelled to care for what was happening onscreen, because it all felt sort of dead (no pun intended) about 45 minutes in. I have no clue why UnLocke was killed so early on when it seemed like the entire season was gearing up towards some sort of full out war between he and Jack's diminutive group of followers, but that didn't happen, it was an anti-climax punctuated by a pretty sweet jump-punch from Jack to UnLocke; which I mistook as the beginning of an awesome fight scene on a quivering, about to fall into the ocean cliff. I didn't really care about Lapidus or Miles or Richard getting to the plane and getting off the island, because I never really cared about Lapidus or Miles or Richard to begin with; it was another ancillary plot shoe-horned in -in my opinion- to pad out the season. Meh that's really all I have, a resounding meh and a lot of undeserved resentment for a show that has entertained me consistently and piqued my interest and imagination continuously since it's inception.
I really shouldn't complain, because "Lost" was such a great, great show over the course of it's time on the air that to sit here and nitpick over the finale would be unfair to the people who wrote it, produced it, acted in it and directed it; those people really deserve all the praise and adoration in the world for putting together such a fantastic show. My own, snarky opinions of the finale aside, "Lost" was special and not too long from now I'm going to look back and really, really miss it. I'll be out at a bar one night when someone will put The Mamma's and The Poppa's "Make Your Own Kind of Music" on and I'll need to scuttle home to pop in the DVD and start the journey all over again, because, after all, that's what it's about isn't it?
Showing posts with label Lost. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lost. Show all posts
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
So Close, Yet So Far Away
Well, here we are, reader. Less than a month away from the premier of Lost and as I expected time has slowed to a crawl. It doesn't help that, starting on Sunday during another of the myriad snow storms Rochester has been plagued with over the past two weeks, the love of my life and I started to re-watch Season Five in an effort to jog our collective memories while getting seriously pumped up for the start of the sixth and final season of the best serialized television show on network television. This is one of those rare, TV geek moments that I've only experienced a few times: knowing that a show I've come to love so much is going to end once the next season is over. I dealt with it when The Sopranos stopped believin', I choked back rage fueled tears when Freaks and Geeks was prematurely canceled, and I cried, sadly and forlornly as my beloved Arrested Development was cut down in it's prime. But, at the same time, I'm legitimately stoked for the final season of Lost, if only because some of those lingering, unanswerable questions are (at the very least) going to be addressed if not outright explained. That, my friend, is the ultimate payoff for a show that, since 2004, has done more to confuse, enrage, annoy and entertain than any other "Big 3" network drama I can think of... ever.
Lost is, and always has been, about the characters and what they do when they are put in a certain situation - either of their own free will, or by some act of four-toed god like intervention - whether it is Sawyer's (Josh Holloway) internal battle over what to do when the man he's been seeking to confront his entire life is, almost literally, plopped down in front of him in the most unlikely place he could have imagined, or whether it's Kate's (Evangeline Lilly) less than thoughtful, but oh so right, decision to run as fast as she can when her past transgressions - on and off the island - start to chase her down. Lost is an incredible look into the human condition wrapped inside a science-fiction-philosophy that hasn't been so thoroughly explored since the earliest days of Star Trek, and even the mighty James Tiberius Kirk would be overwhelmed by all riddles the island forces its inhabitants to solve (Spock, on the other hand, would be just fine).
"Did that bird just say 'Hurley?' F_ck it, beam me up, Scotty."
As for myself, I've tried - way too often - to sift through the clues, the folklore and the mythology surrounding Lost and the only conclusion I've been able to come to is this: Dude. Yes, I go full Hurley (Jorge Garcia) whenever I try to sit down and figure out just exactly what the hell is happening, how it happened, where it started, who started it and how it's going to end, because there is (literally) too much happening for me to comprehend all at once, and I fully expect there to be numerous master level courses that pop up around universities the world over that delve into Lost with all the reckless abandon academia has to offer as the full cultural impact of the show will be revealed, sadly, when it's all said and done. Lost is an important and necessary television show in this day and age when far too many people have far too many answers readily available at the push of a button. Where Mad Men is a constant, sullen reminder of the way things "used to be," Lost is that rare show that has the audacity to show it's viewers the way things "aught to be." It's not Walden 2 by any means, and it doesn't dare to imagine itself as a utopia of any sort, but because it dives into the deep end of human relationships and couples it with action, mystery and the all encompassing "science versus faith" debate that rages on in the subtext of every pivotal scene of the show, and does so without abject bias one way or the other, Lost has managed to give us all the gift of contemplation.
We, the viewer, are forced to pay attention and we are forced to (shudder) think for ourselves. That doesn't happen very often anymore. With shows like The Hills and the train wreck that is Jersey Shore becoming ever more popular with not just the youth of current culture, but the adults as well, Lost has veered violently in the other direction. Sure, it has everything any fan of television would find interesting (action, adventure, drama, romance, a smoke monster and Hurley), but that's just on the ground level; which isn't to say you can't get fully engrossed in Lost on a very simple plane, but it's so much better, and so much more entertaining when you actually pay attention, because you pick things up - often times subliminally - and you start to legitimately understand the direction of the show, what it's trying to get across to the audience and where it's headed.
Why does Benjamin Linus (Michael Emerson) do the things he does? Is he just a man living in a fog of ambiguous morality that only acts to serve himself and his desires? Or, is Ben more than that? Is he truly evil, or is he one the good guys? The answer is just as much of a riddle as the character himself, and I don't see how it's possible to enjoy the show the way it's meant to be enjoyed if you don't constantly ask yourself these questions while pondering the impossible to come by solution. The same can be said of any of Lost's main characters, and even it's relatively minor characters are mired by questionable actions and shady intent. The "hero" of the show, Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox) has had his ups and downs and, at times, acted like a petulant little child when he hasn't gotten his way, taken to the bottle and prescription narcotics as a means of coping with his insecurities and sometimes gone off in the wrong direction without ever taking the time to think about it. That's his challenge as a character. When the "hero" is supposed to be a Hero, will he live up to that moniker or will he slink away into some Benzedrine dream, never to be seen or heard from again? Of course, as of the end of season 5, we all know where Jack's loyalties lie and it's not really surprising considering his development. Jack will always be Jack, for better or worse he thinks of himself as the savior of the people on the island he feels duty bound to protect. It's a pro and a con, a positive and a negative, and it is exactly what makes Lost as engrossing an experience as it is. We, the audience, never really know what's happening and we are constantly guessing who is "good" and who is "bad" when we should really be thinking "what's next?"
I remember, a long time ago, reading that the joy of a mystery isn't in the solving but, rather, in the surprise. I know there can be endless amounts of fun trying to figure things out when it comes to Lost, because that's the way the show is designed. It's meant to confuse, annoy and entertain all at the same time, and it does so with such conviction and style that sometimes the impact takes days or weeks to settle in; which is why it must be viewed so often and paid attention to so carefully. As much as I wish I had a Holmesian mind that could detect, deduce and define even the most pithy piece of evidence, I'm glad that I don't, because if I could figure out how Lost was going to end without the benefit of taking the ride, the show in and of itself would cease to be as important as it is and all the wonderful thrills and the hammer to the back of the head like jolts that accompany all of the "big reveals" that have happened in the past and the ones coming on the horizon would have little to no effect, and Lost would be just another TV show. Thankfully, that's not the case. Thankfully I've resigned myself to "just let it go, man" when it comes to figuring out the labyrinthine twists and turns of the plot, and the true nature of the individual characters. I don't want to ruin the last season, not even by mistake, and if a co-worker or friend decides to let slip a spoiler, I will pummel them with all my nerd-rage fueled might!
Just like on the show, my perception of time has become relative to my position on the grid. With Winter rearing it's ugly head in the general direction of my well being, I'm forced to stay indoors and while away the hours wondering "what's next" and "where do we go from here?" As much as I'm enjoying re-watching season 5 of Lost, I'm getting impatient and I'm getting hungry to move forward towards the endgame that is going to (I expect) play out wonderfully over the next few months, and this has made my perception of time slow to a crawl. The anticipation, the quixotic nature of my own mental capacity and my desire to be shocked and awed is starting to take it's toll. I know it's just a TV show, and I'm aware that my pining is something bordering on "too geeky to function properly in society," but I don't really care. 2010 is going to be about embracing your inner nerd, it's going to be about loving the things you love openly and often, and Lost is one of those things. As much as it's going to hurt to see it go, I can't wait to find out what's going to happen.
*A brief note from the author to the reader*
Please, please, please do not spoil anything related to Lost for me as the final season unravels. I won't be reading ahead on any websites that I normally check for updates, and I won't be diving into lostpedia.org like I have in the past to play catch-up when something escapes my understanding. I will not respond with grace, dignity or aplomb and will most like spaz out pretty badly. Take, for example, this line from 30 Rock's Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski) which was supposed to be a joke, "I met JJ Abrams once, and I don't know what this means, but he said that the island was just Hurley's dream." I know that was supposed to be funny, but my reaction was not. I was pissed. My jaw dropped and I gasped aloud as I thought of ways to punish Jenna for letting slip something so spoiltastic as that. So, please be kind and don't ruin the surprise. Just, like, you know, let it go, man.
Lost is, and always has been, about the characters and what they do when they are put in a certain situation - either of their own free will, or by some act of four-toed god like intervention - whether it is Sawyer's (Josh Holloway) internal battle over what to do when the man he's been seeking to confront his entire life is, almost literally, plopped down in front of him in the most unlikely place he could have imagined, or whether it's Kate's (Evangeline Lilly) less than thoughtful, but oh so right, decision to run as fast as she can when her past transgressions - on and off the island - start to chase her down. Lost is an incredible look into the human condition wrapped inside a science-fiction-philosophy that hasn't been so thoroughly explored since the earliest days of Star Trek, and even the mighty James Tiberius Kirk would be overwhelmed by all riddles the island forces its inhabitants to solve (Spock, on the other hand, would be just fine).
"Did that bird just say 'Hurley?' F_ck it, beam me up, Scotty."We, the viewer, are forced to pay attention and we are forced to (shudder) think for ourselves. That doesn't happen very often anymore. With shows like The Hills and the train wreck that is Jersey Shore becoming ever more popular with not just the youth of current culture, but the adults as well, Lost has veered violently in the other direction. Sure, it has everything any fan of television would find interesting (action, adventure, drama, romance, a smoke monster and Hurley), but that's just on the ground level; which isn't to say you can't get fully engrossed in Lost on a very simple plane, but it's so much better, and so much more entertaining when you actually pay attention, because you pick things up - often times subliminally - and you start to legitimately understand the direction of the show, what it's trying to get across to the audience and where it's headed.
Why does Benjamin Linus (Michael Emerson) do the things he does? Is he just a man living in a fog of ambiguous morality that only acts to serve himself and his desires? Or, is Ben more than that? Is he truly evil, or is he one the good guys? The answer is just as much of a riddle as the character himself, and I don't see how it's possible to enjoy the show the way it's meant to be enjoyed if you don't constantly ask yourself these questions while pondering the impossible to come by solution. The same can be said of any of Lost's main characters, and even it's relatively minor characters are mired by questionable actions and shady intent. The "hero" of the show, Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox) has had his ups and downs and, at times, acted like a petulant little child when he hasn't gotten his way, taken to the bottle and prescription narcotics as a means of coping with his insecurities and sometimes gone off in the wrong direction without ever taking the time to think about it. That's his challenge as a character. When the "hero" is supposed to be a Hero, will he live up to that moniker or will he slink away into some Benzedrine dream, never to be seen or heard from again? Of course, as of the end of season 5, we all know where Jack's loyalties lie and it's not really surprising considering his development. Jack will always be Jack, for better or worse he thinks of himself as the savior of the people on the island he feels duty bound to protect. It's a pro and a con, a positive and a negative, and it is exactly what makes Lost as engrossing an experience as it is. We, the audience, never really know what's happening and we are constantly guessing who is "good" and who is "bad" when we should really be thinking "what's next?"
I remember, a long time ago, reading that the joy of a mystery isn't in the solving but, rather, in the surprise. I know there can be endless amounts of fun trying to figure things out when it comes to Lost, because that's the way the show is designed. It's meant to confuse, annoy and entertain all at the same time, and it does so with such conviction and style that sometimes the impact takes days or weeks to settle in; which is why it must be viewed so often and paid attention to so carefully. As much as I wish I had a Holmesian mind that could detect, deduce and define even the most pithy piece of evidence, I'm glad that I don't, because if I could figure out how Lost was going to end without the benefit of taking the ride, the show in and of itself would cease to be as important as it is and all the wonderful thrills and the hammer to the back of the head like jolts that accompany all of the "big reveals" that have happened in the past and the ones coming on the horizon would have little to no effect, and Lost would be just another TV show. Thankfully, that's not the case. Thankfully I've resigned myself to "just let it go, man" when it comes to figuring out the labyrinthine twists and turns of the plot, and the true nature of the individual characters. I don't want to ruin the last season, not even by mistake, and if a co-worker or friend decides to let slip a spoiler, I will pummel them with all my nerd-rage fueled might!
Just like on the show, my perception of time has become relative to my position on the grid. With Winter rearing it's ugly head in the general direction of my well being, I'm forced to stay indoors and while away the hours wondering "what's next" and "where do we go from here?" As much as I'm enjoying re-watching season 5 of Lost, I'm getting impatient and I'm getting hungry to move forward towards the endgame that is going to (I expect) play out wonderfully over the next few months, and this has made my perception of time slow to a crawl. The anticipation, the quixotic nature of my own mental capacity and my desire to be shocked and awed is starting to take it's toll. I know it's just a TV show, and I'm aware that my pining is something bordering on "too geeky to function properly in society," but I don't really care. 2010 is going to be about embracing your inner nerd, it's going to be about loving the things you love openly and often, and Lost is one of those things. As much as it's going to hurt to see it go, I can't wait to find out what's going to happen.
*A brief note from the author to the reader*
Please, please, please do not spoil anything related to Lost for me as the final season unravels. I won't be reading ahead on any websites that I normally check for updates, and I won't be diving into lostpedia.org like I have in the past to play catch-up when something escapes my understanding. I will not respond with grace, dignity or aplomb and will most like spaz out pretty badly. Take, for example, this line from 30 Rock's Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski) which was supposed to be a joke, "I met JJ Abrams once, and I don't know what this means, but he said that the island was just Hurley's dream." I know that was supposed to be funny, but my reaction was not. I was pissed. My jaw dropped and I gasped aloud as I thought of ways to punish Jenna for letting slip something so spoiltastic as that. So, please be kind and don't ruin the surprise. Just, like, you know, let it go, man.
Monday, November 30, 2009
According To Jimbolaya: The 10 Best TV Shows of The Aughts
At first I found it morally and ethically reprehensible to put together a "best of list" of any kind because, to be honest, my experiences in the world at large are few and far between. That's not to say I haven't had my fair share of adventures (I haven't) or made too many memories to count (I haven't), but I lack the worldly wisdom that many of my peers have garnered over their brief but exciting lives. For example, I've never left North America, and the furthest away I've traveled from Rochester, NY is Austin, TX for mandatory job training; which, according to many of my friends and relatives, is unusual and sad, but I wouldn't want it any other way. If I were a globetrotting vagabond I wouldn't have the vast expanse of useless knowledge at my disposal that I do now, and, more importantly, I would have been forced (due to lack of time between my travels) to miss out on some of (if not the) best television of all time.
When it comes down to it I can talk knowledgeably about 3 things and television is one of them (golf and sleep being the other 2), so after some careful thought I decided that if I were going to create any sort of "best of the decade" list, it would have to be in the realm of television, because that's what I know. Of course, one big caveat to all of this hullabaloo is that I am unable to rank television shows I have yet to see, so my list will obviously be lacking some very big shows (The Shield and The Wire stick out the most in my head) and some much loved cult classics that, unfortunately, were short lived that I still haven't been able to check out. So, I apologize for any glaring omissions from this list, and if you are really pissed off about it, please let me know and I'll do what I can to make it up to you.
Without further adieu...
10. Reaper (The CW/ABC Studios 2007-2009)
There is no doubt in my mind that had Reaper been given a chance to establish itself more thoroughly it would have finished much higher on this list, but alas, thanks to the writers strike, being on The CW and getting the axe before it had a chance to flesh out it's mythology as fully as it could have, Reaper can be added to the list of shows that never really reached its potential, but managed to have an impact on nerdy fans like me all the same. Reaper is essentially a show about how much most of us hate our jobs, and how almost every single person in the world feels trapped by responsibilities they had no hand in creating for themselves; which is why Sam Oliver (played by Bret Harrison) continues to collect escaped souls from hell for the devil even though his parents sold his soul before he was even born. Sam doesn't want to end up in hell, and he doesn't want to keep on reaping, but he does anyway, because he's out of options and no matter how hard he tries to wriggle out of his contract, there is always a road block standing in his way. Throw in a few demons, some goofy humor and the best portrayal of the Devil ever (played brilliantly by Ray Wise) and Reaper is the type of show guys like me, who can't help but relate to the pit of despair Sam found himself in every week, couldn't get enough of.
9. Flight of The Conchords (HBO, 2007-2009)
FOTC must have been a bitch to make if it's creators and stars (Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement) have decided to call it quits after only 2 brilliant seasons, but sometimes less is more, and what FOTC gave us in it's 22 episodes is enough to last me a very, very long time. Aside from their incredibly well done musical numbers (which garner the most hype and praise), FOTC is subtly very, very well written and very smart almost besides itself, and much of that is in thanks to secondary cast members like Kristen Schaal, Arj Barker, Eugene Mirman and a slew of talented, super funny guest starts that fully embraced Bret and Jemaine's lazy, hipster musician ethos and used it to their advantage in such a way that the show flat out wreaks of the uber hip neighborhoods in Brooklyn, NY and the hordes of hipsters that call them home. FOTC's portrayal of slightly off, but entirely lovable goofballs living in a world that would seemingly embrace them with open arms, but strangely doesn't, is a breath of fresh air in a universe where TV shows try to make everyone look cooler than they actually are. Also: Murray Hewitt (played by Rhys Darby) was the funniest character on TV during the shows run, and I will go to my grave defending that.
8. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (FX, 2005-Present)
Some shows are just funny, and It's Always Sunny... is one of them. Sure, the plot lines are usually non-existent and all the characters on the periphery are underdeveloped, but none of that matters, because It's Always Sunny... manages to work despite all those apparent "flaws". It's Always Sunny... has a knack to make any situation the main characters find themselves in twisted, grotesque and hysterical even though the actions of "the gang" are often despicable (usually felonious as well) and riddled with debauched ideals that would never, ever be suitable for the broad comedic fare that inundates network television these days. And that's precisely why I love it so damn much. Whenever a show has the balls to abandon traditional structure and just go with it the way It's Always Sunny... has the past 4+ years and is still hilarious week after week, you have to tip your cap to it, because let's face it, it just doesn't happen very often.
7. Friday Night Lights (NBC, 2006-Present)
FNL is not about football. FNL is about much, much more than whether or not the Dillon Panthers go out and win the big game every Friday. No. Friday Night Lights is about what happens to the people of a small, Texas town when all they have to live for is the success or failure of a high school football team and how that translates into unbelievable pressure for all those directly involved with the team like the coaches, players and their friends and family; and how, at any given moment, a person's entire existence can implode in on itself without any warning at all and for utterly ridiculous reasons (in the grand scheme of things). In the middle of the entire debacle is head coach Eric Taylor (a flat out brilliant portrayal by Kyle Chandler) who serves as a conduit connecting every single situation on the show, and his wife Tami (played in another incredible performance by Connie Britton) who, no matter how dire a situation may be, always seems to make well thought out, level headed decisions that serve everyone involved. It's captivating watching the Taylors, and it's amazing to see how an entire town reacts to situations that you and I may slough off as "just one of those things," but that's the allure of FNL, it's the investigation into a world we know exists, but can't entirely understand.
6. Breaking Bad (AMC, 2008-Present)
Breaking Bad is so good it almost hurts. Seriously. Sometimes watching Breaking Bad is a painful experience that you can't rip yourself away from, because the show, more than anything else, is about ramifications. Though that may not be immediately evident upon your initial viewing, about half way through the first season it starts to become obvious that the actions of Walter and Jesse (the two main characters played by Brian Cranston and Aaron Paul, respectively) have a ripple effect that is slowly, but surely, starting to affect everyone they come into contact with, and even those they don't. From the instant Walt is diagnosed with fatal lung cancer the show jumps entirely down the rabbit hole and immerses the viewer in a f_cked up, inconsolable world of drug dealing, addiction, deceit, misplaced anger and a never ending cycle of violence and despair; and it never, ever lets up. Unlike shows and movies that have come before it and glamorized the drug trade, Breaking Bad, in it's own subtle way, forces you, the viewer, to not just contemplate the atrocious crystal meth problem facing America today and how it can so easily destroy people's lives, but to truly ask yourself that, if put in the same position as Walt and Jesse, would you do what they did? As a viewer, you never get a chance to answer, because Breaking Bad makes it painfully obvious that the road less traveled is never a short cut, but a long, winding path towards your own personal hell.
5. Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO, 2000-Present)
Larry David is a dangerous man. He says what he's thinking and doesn't care if you like what he's dishing out. It's the way he is. It's how he's always been, and God damn it I love him for it. While the show itself is a tour de force exposition on tearing down the social niceties that make so many of us act one way or the other just to get through the day without getting punched in the face (and slowly drive us insane in the process); it is Larry David's ability to unleash his id that makes him so unbelievably likable, when by all accounts he should be one of the most detested people on the planet. Larry David is the only person alive today, in my opinion, that says what we are all thinking, and the world is a better place for it. He holds up a mirror to the traditional morays we all live by and then shatters it by going in a completely different direction altogether, and in that highly specialized and confined space he manages to make each and every one of us reflect on how absurd our own predisposed notions of how we all should act really are. Why? Because he's usually right.
4. Mad Men (AMC, 2007-Present)
Style only gets you so far, and Mad Men is chock full of style; which is what initially catches your eye. You can't help but be dazzled by the accuracy of the set pieces, costumes, hairstyles and all the other minutiae that makes Mad Men so visually appealing and makes the viewer feel as if they are watching a real advertising agency from the early 60's through some kind of magic looking glass. After the awe of the visual experience wears off (about halfway through the third episode) you start to realize Mad Men is about way more than the style of a bygone era, but rather an expose into the lives of the men that used to run America, and how little by little their empire started to crumble as new ways of thinking pushed out their tired methodology and ushered in the "modern era" of not just advertising, but America in general. The shows pacing can be glacial, and sometimes you can spend an entire hour watching it without knowing what just happened or if it even meant anything, but rest assured that it does, and that the slow pace is meant to reflect the way things "used to be" when people were less rushed to get everything "right now" and information took days and weeks, not minutes, to trickle down to the world at large. If anything, Mad Men should serve as a reminder to present day America to slow down, have a drink and watch the sunset once in a while; if only because it's so damn pretty to look at.
3. Lost (ABC 2004-Present)
There is more substance in a single episode of Lost than there is in entire seasons of other similarly themed television shows. Never before has a network television series asked it's audience to be so patient as the myriad riddles, secrets and mysteries have been slowly unraveled over the course of its first 5 seasons, and with the sixth and final season quickly approaching I can only imagine how much more maddening the search for answers is going to become, but, hey, that's why I watch the damn show in the first place. It's a mystery wrapped in an enigma that I can't quite figure out, and in between all the smoke monsters and three toed statues are some of the most fully fleshed out characters on television today; which is amazing considering how little time on screen most of the characters get. All in all, Lost is that super rare type of show that manages to shoehorn mystery, character development, romance, intricately woven plot, philosophy and science fiction into an unforgettable (if not downright enthralling) television experience.
2. Arrested Development, (Fox, 2003-2006)
If there is ever a better comedy on television than Arrested Development I will eat my hat. Never before or since has a 30-minute comedy been better written, better conceived and better executed than Arrested, nor has there ever been a television show as re-watchable. I can't tell you how many times I've seen each episode (my best guess is probably about 10 times on average), but each time I sit down to watch the Bluths I find something new to laugh at that I never noticed before, or, and this is really something, the same jokes I laughed at the first time still land so hard that they make me cry with laughter. That's no exaggeration. I've literally laughed so hard at Arrested Development that I've been in pain, and I can't say that about any other comedy ever. I have such fond memories of the show that I sometimes think my love for it is over inflated and unjust, but all my doubts are quickly thrown to the wayside the instant I re-watch the pilot episode and Gob (played by Will Arnett) says, "Illusions, Michael! A trick is something a whore does for money," then he turns to see a group of children, mouths agape, and tries to make it better by adding, "... or cocaine." Television was undeniably blessed by the presence of Arrested Development, and the fact that it was consistently put upon by the network due to it's inability to secure an audience (that still blows my mind) and was ultimately canceled is one of the biggest tragedies in television history.
1. The Sopranos, (1999-2007)
I've said it before and I will say it again, The Sopranos is the best television show of all time. Period. Case closed. There has never, ever been such a well written, well acted and well directed show in the history of mankind and I am sad to say that I do not think we will ever get treated to something so genius ever again. I don't even know where to start when singing the praises of The Sopranos, because over it's 8 years and 6 seasons it delivered the goods each and every week and touched upon so many issues in it's own special way that it would be impossible for me to pinpoint one specific item that made the show so f_cking amazing. With a gun to my head I would tell you it was Tony Soprano and his unwavering appeal as the patriarch of two very different types of families, and the way he maneuvered through them both that kept me coming back each week to see what would happen, but I'd by lying through my teeth just to save my head from acquiring a new hole, because there is so much going on in every episode that to lay my love entirely upon Tony S. would be almost sinful. When I mentioned before that Lost has some of the most fleshed out characters on television today, I did so knowing that there is no possible way any show could develop it's cast of characters the way The Sopranos did. I know more about Sylvio Dante and Paulie Walnuts than I do about some of my cousins, and as sad as that is for me, it's a testament to the unrivaled quality of the writing and the unwavering vision of show creator David Chase. You really don't watch The Sopranos, you live it, because the world it represents is so clearly defined and so easy to get into, that for an hour at a time you forget where you are, who you are with and what you are doing and became a part of the family.
*Honorable Mentions* Undeclared, Freaks and Geeks, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Chappelle's Show, The Office (UK and US), 30 Rock, Party Down, Extras, Dexter, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Eastbound and Down, Parks & Recreation, House, Summer Heights High, Penn & Teller's Bull Sh_t, Weeds, Six Feet Under, Strangers With Candy, Human Giant, That Mitchell and Webb Look, American Dad, Oz, Futurama, The West Wing
*Blaring Omissions Due To My Not Seeing Them Yet* The Wire, The Shield, Deadwood, Rome, Battlestar Galactica, Veronica Mars, Firefly
When it comes down to it I can talk knowledgeably about 3 things and television is one of them (golf and sleep being the other 2), so after some careful thought I decided that if I were going to create any sort of "best of the decade" list, it would have to be in the realm of television, because that's what I know. Of course, one big caveat to all of this hullabaloo is that I am unable to rank television shows I have yet to see, so my list will obviously be lacking some very big shows (The Shield and The Wire stick out the most in my head) and some much loved cult classics that, unfortunately, were short lived that I still haven't been able to check out. So, I apologize for any glaring omissions from this list, and if you are really pissed off about it, please let me know and I'll do what I can to make it up to you.
Without further adieu...
10. Reaper (The CW/ABC Studios 2007-2009)
There is no doubt in my mind that had Reaper been given a chance to establish itself more thoroughly it would have finished much higher on this list, but alas, thanks to the writers strike, being on The CW and getting the axe before it had a chance to flesh out it's mythology as fully as it could have, Reaper can be added to the list of shows that never really reached its potential, but managed to have an impact on nerdy fans like me all the same. Reaper is essentially a show about how much most of us hate our jobs, and how almost every single person in the world feels trapped by responsibilities they had no hand in creating for themselves; which is why Sam Oliver (played by Bret Harrison) continues to collect escaped souls from hell for the devil even though his parents sold his soul before he was even born. Sam doesn't want to end up in hell, and he doesn't want to keep on reaping, but he does anyway, because he's out of options and no matter how hard he tries to wriggle out of his contract, there is always a road block standing in his way. Throw in a few demons, some goofy humor and the best portrayal of the Devil ever (played brilliantly by Ray Wise) and Reaper is the type of show guys like me, who can't help but relate to the pit of despair Sam found himself in every week, couldn't get enough of.
9. Flight of The Conchords (HBO, 2007-2009)
FOTC must have been a bitch to make if it's creators and stars (Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement) have decided to call it quits after only 2 brilliant seasons, but sometimes less is more, and what FOTC gave us in it's 22 episodes is enough to last me a very, very long time. Aside from their incredibly well done musical numbers (which garner the most hype and praise), FOTC is subtly very, very well written and very smart almost besides itself, and much of that is in thanks to secondary cast members like Kristen Schaal, Arj Barker, Eugene Mirman and a slew of talented, super funny guest starts that fully embraced Bret and Jemaine's lazy, hipster musician ethos and used it to their advantage in such a way that the show flat out wreaks of the uber hip neighborhoods in Brooklyn, NY and the hordes of hipsters that call them home. FOTC's portrayal of slightly off, but entirely lovable goofballs living in a world that would seemingly embrace them with open arms, but strangely doesn't, is a breath of fresh air in a universe where TV shows try to make everyone look cooler than they actually are. Also: Murray Hewitt (played by Rhys Darby) was the funniest character on TV during the shows run, and I will go to my grave defending that.
8. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (FX, 2005-Present)
Some shows are just funny, and It's Always Sunny... is one of them. Sure, the plot lines are usually non-existent and all the characters on the periphery are underdeveloped, but none of that matters, because It's Always Sunny... manages to work despite all those apparent "flaws". It's Always Sunny... has a knack to make any situation the main characters find themselves in twisted, grotesque and hysterical even though the actions of "the gang" are often despicable (usually felonious as well) and riddled with debauched ideals that would never, ever be suitable for the broad comedic fare that inundates network television these days. And that's precisely why I love it so damn much. Whenever a show has the balls to abandon traditional structure and just go with it the way It's Always Sunny... has the past 4+ years and is still hilarious week after week, you have to tip your cap to it, because let's face it, it just doesn't happen very often.
7. Friday Night Lights (NBC, 2006-Present)
FNL is not about football. FNL is about much, much more than whether or not the Dillon Panthers go out and win the big game every Friday. No. Friday Night Lights is about what happens to the people of a small, Texas town when all they have to live for is the success or failure of a high school football team and how that translates into unbelievable pressure for all those directly involved with the team like the coaches, players and their friends and family; and how, at any given moment, a person's entire existence can implode in on itself without any warning at all and for utterly ridiculous reasons (in the grand scheme of things). In the middle of the entire debacle is head coach Eric Taylor (a flat out brilliant portrayal by Kyle Chandler) who serves as a conduit connecting every single situation on the show, and his wife Tami (played in another incredible performance by Connie Britton) who, no matter how dire a situation may be, always seems to make well thought out, level headed decisions that serve everyone involved. It's captivating watching the Taylors, and it's amazing to see how an entire town reacts to situations that you and I may slough off as "just one of those things," but that's the allure of FNL, it's the investigation into a world we know exists, but can't entirely understand.
6. Breaking Bad (AMC, 2008-Present)
Breaking Bad is so good it almost hurts. Seriously. Sometimes watching Breaking Bad is a painful experience that you can't rip yourself away from, because the show, more than anything else, is about ramifications. Though that may not be immediately evident upon your initial viewing, about half way through the first season it starts to become obvious that the actions of Walter and Jesse (the two main characters played by Brian Cranston and Aaron Paul, respectively) have a ripple effect that is slowly, but surely, starting to affect everyone they come into contact with, and even those they don't. From the instant Walt is diagnosed with fatal lung cancer the show jumps entirely down the rabbit hole and immerses the viewer in a f_cked up, inconsolable world of drug dealing, addiction, deceit, misplaced anger and a never ending cycle of violence and despair; and it never, ever lets up. Unlike shows and movies that have come before it and glamorized the drug trade, Breaking Bad, in it's own subtle way, forces you, the viewer, to not just contemplate the atrocious crystal meth problem facing America today and how it can so easily destroy people's lives, but to truly ask yourself that, if put in the same position as Walt and Jesse, would you do what they did? As a viewer, you never get a chance to answer, because Breaking Bad makes it painfully obvious that the road less traveled is never a short cut, but a long, winding path towards your own personal hell.
5. Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO, 2000-Present)
Larry David is a dangerous man. He says what he's thinking and doesn't care if you like what he's dishing out. It's the way he is. It's how he's always been, and God damn it I love him for it. While the show itself is a tour de force exposition on tearing down the social niceties that make so many of us act one way or the other just to get through the day without getting punched in the face (and slowly drive us insane in the process); it is Larry David's ability to unleash his id that makes him so unbelievably likable, when by all accounts he should be one of the most detested people on the planet. Larry David is the only person alive today, in my opinion, that says what we are all thinking, and the world is a better place for it. He holds up a mirror to the traditional morays we all live by and then shatters it by going in a completely different direction altogether, and in that highly specialized and confined space he manages to make each and every one of us reflect on how absurd our own predisposed notions of how we all should act really are. Why? Because he's usually right.
4. Mad Men (AMC, 2007-Present)
Style only gets you so far, and Mad Men is chock full of style; which is what initially catches your eye. You can't help but be dazzled by the accuracy of the set pieces, costumes, hairstyles and all the other minutiae that makes Mad Men so visually appealing and makes the viewer feel as if they are watching a real advertising agency from the early 60's through some kind of magic looking glass. After the awe of the visual experience wears off (about halfway through the third episode) you start to realize Mad Men is about way more than the style of a bygone era, but rather an expose into the lives of the men that used to run America, and how little by little their empire started to crumble as new ways of thinking pushed out their tired methodology and ushered in the "modern era" of not just advertising, but America in general. The shows pacing can be glacial, and sometimes you can spend an entire hour watching it without knowing what just happened or if it even meant anything, but rest assured that it does, and that the slow pace is meant to reflect the way things "used to be" when people were less rushed to get everything "right now" and information took days and weeks, not minutes, to trickle down to the world at large. If anything, Mad Men should serve as a reminder to present day America to slow down, have a drink and watch the sunset once in a while; if only because it's so damn pretty to look at.
3. Lost (ABC 2004-Present)
There is more substance in a single episode of Lost than there is in entire seasons of other similarly themed television shows. Never before has a network television series asked it's audience to be so patient as the myriad riddles, secrets and mysteries have been slowly unraveled over the course of its first 5 seasons, and with the sixth and final season quickly approaching I can only imagine how much more maddening the search for answers is going to become, but, hey, that's why I watch the damn show in the first place. It's a mystery wrapped in an enigma that I can't quite figure out, and in between all the smoke monsters and three toed statues are some of the most fully fleshed out characters on television today; which is amazing considering how little time on screen most of the characters get. All in all, Lost is that super rare type of show that manages to shoehorn mystery, character development, romance, intricately woven plot, philosophy and science fiction into an unforgettable (if not downright enthralling) television experience.
2. Arrested Development, (Fox, 2003-2006)
If there is ever a better comedy on television than Arrested Development I will eat my hat. Never before or since has a 30-minute comedy been better written, better conceived and better executed than Arrested, nor has there ever been a television show as re-watchable. I can't tell you how many times I've seen each episode (my best guess is probably about 10 times on average), but each time I sit down to watch the Bluths I find something new to laugh at that I never noticed before, or, and this is really something, the same jokes I laughed at the first time still land so hard that they make me cry with laughter. That's no exaggeration. I've literally laughed so hard at Arrested Development that I've been in pain, and I can't say that about any other comedy ever. I have such fond memories of the show that I sometimes think my love for it is over inflated and unjust, but all my doubts are quickly thrown to the wayside the instant I re-watch the pilot episode and Gob (played by Will Arnett) says, "Illusions, Michael! A trick is something a whore does for money," then he turns to see a group of children, mouths agape, and tries to make it better by adding, "... or cocaine." Television was undeniably blessed by the presence of Arrested Development, and the fact that it was consistently put upon by the network due to it's inability to secure an audience (that still blows my mind) and was ultimately canceled is one of the biggest tragedies in television history.
1. The Sopranos, (1999-2007)
I've said it before and I will say it again, The Sopranos is the best television show of all time. Period. Case closed. There has never, ever been such a well written, well acted and well directed show in the history of mankind and I am sad to say that I do not think we will ever get treated to something so genius ever again. I don't even know where to start when singing the praises of The Sopranos, because over it's 8 years and 6 seasons it delivered the goods each and every week and touched upon so many issues in it's own special way that it would be impossible for me to pinpoint one specific item that made the show so f_cking amazing. With a gun to my head I would tell you it was Tony Soprano and his unwavering appeal as the patriarch of two very different types of families, and the way he maneuvered through them both that kept me coming back each week to see what would happen, but I'd by lying through my teeth just to save my head from acquiring a new hole, because there is so much going on in every episode that to lay my love entirely upon Tony S. would be almost sinful. When I mentioned before that Lost has some of the most fleshed out characters on television today, I did so knowing that there is no possible way any show could develop it's cast of characters the way The Sopranos did. I know more about Sylvio Dante and Paulie Walnuts than I do about some of my cousins, and as sad as that is for me, it's a testament to the unrivaled quality of the writing and the unwavering vision of show creator David Chase. You really don't watch The Sopranos, you live it, because the world it represents is so clearly defined and so easy to get into, that for an hour at a time you forget where you are, who you are with and what you are doing and became a part of the family.
*Honorable Mentions* Undeclared, Freaks and Geeks, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Chappelle's Show, The Office (UK and US), 30 Rock, Party Down, Extras, Dexter, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Eastbound and Down, Parks & Recreation, House, Summer Heights High, Penn & Teller's Bull Sh_t, Weeds, Six Feet Under, Strangers With Candy, Human Giant, That Mitchell and Webb Look, American Dad, Oz, Futurama, The West Wing
*Blaring Omissions Due To My Not Seeing Them Yet* The Wire, The Shield, Deadwood, Rome, Battlestar Galactica, Veronica Mars, Firefly
Friday, October 2, 2009
I Like You... Benjamin Linus
"I like you..." is a recurring section of "Where the Wild Things Were Last Thursday Around 8" which highlights the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the people, places and things that make each and every day a little more bearable just because they happen to exist.
**POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD**
I love puzzles and "Lost," to me at least, is one giant puzzle that needs to be solved. I began watching "Lost" a little less than 3 months ago, and in those 90 days my girlfriend and I have managed to watch almost every episode the series has to offer (we're about half way through season 5), but at first I didn't pay attention to the "mysteries of the island." I loved the smoke monster and I loved the polar bears and I perked up when I learned that Locke was in a wheelchair, paralyzed before he crash landed on the island and was suddenly healed, but I shrugged it off as "just one of those things," and moved on. I instantly hated Jack, because I could never get past how self-centered all his actions seemed to be, but he is necessary, he is the doctor that will heal the world and make sure everyone knows how much it hurts him to heal the world and he will do so by having strange, intermittent breakdowns and becoming addicted to pills. I cried like a baby the first time I watched Sun and Jin's relationship unfold, because, come on, they are, like, the cutest couple ever, and Jin is pretty badass. But, it wasn't until a mysterious man named Henry Gale showed up out of nowhere (and was promptly tortured by Sayid) that I was hooked and hooked good.
Aww, look at how harmless he seems when he's been hogtied, tortured and forced to live in a closet.
**POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD**
I love puzzles and "Lost," to me at least, is one giant puzzle that needs to be solved. I began watching "Lost" a little less than 3 months ago, and in those 90 days my girlfriend and I have managed to watch almost every episode the series has to offer (we're about half way through season 5), but at first I didn't pay attention to the "mysteries of the island." I loved the smoke monster and I loved the polar bears and I perked up when I learned that Locke was in a wheelchair, paralyzed before he crash landed on the island and was suddenly healed, but I shrugged it off as "just one of those things," and moved on. I instantly hated Jack, because I could never get past how self-centered all his actions seemed to be, but he is necessary, he is the doctor that will heal the world and make sure everyone knows how much it hurts him to heal the world and he will do so by having strange, intermittent breakdowns and becoming addicted to pills. I cried like a baby the first time I watched Sun and Jin's relationship unfold, because, come on, they are, like, the cutest couple ever, and Jin is pretty badass. But, it wasn't until a mysterious man named Henry Gale showed up out of nowhere (and was promptly tortured by Sayid) that I was hooked and hooked good.
Aww, look at how harmless he seems when he's been hogtied, tortured and forced to live in a closet.I couldn't wrap my head around this "Henry Gale," I didn't know if he was telling the truth or if I was succumbing to some sort of osmotic paranoia due to watching "Lost" on a loop for hours at a time, but I knew I liked him. Evil or not, Henry Gale spiced things up on "Lost" when the show was slowly but surely starting to become formulaic and (gasp) predictable. Oh, it was still intriguing and you still wanted to find out what the f_ck was going on with that f_cking island, but once they popped the hatch and Desmond McCrazypants showed up, I found my love for the show waning. Why I ever doubted J.J Abrams is beyond me, because just when I thought it was time to check out this "Mad Men" show people are so pleased with, Henry Gale showed up and another piece of the puzzle was thrown into the mix, except this piece didn't seem to fit anywhere and even though there was a big open space in the middle of the puzzle board no matter how many times you tried to force it in, it never fit, it just sat there, staring up at you with dead eyes waiting for you to figure out what to do with it.
Just when I was ready to believe that Henry Gale was who he said he was, "Lost" decided it wanted to make my head explode, and revealed that Henry isn't Henry at all, but rather a man named Benjamin Linus, the leader of The Others who had been kidnapping the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815, and once again the hook was set and my poor, obsessive brain could not get over the most recent twist, but it accepted it and went right back to trying to figure things out, and it was during this process that I realized something I stupidly ignored from the get-go: Every single character on "Lost" is hugely, hugely flawed and there is no such thing as "good" or "bad," but rather a delicately balanced gray area wherein all the characters reside. Why else would 2 murderers (Kate, Sawyer) be considered part of the "good team?" On any other show in any other universe the bad guys would be so clearly defined as to make any sort of guess work pointless, but on "Lost" either you have done wrong, will do wrong or you have no idea what the difference is so you just do what you have to do. Ben is the last one. Benjamin Linus is the ultimate tight rope walker, because he toes the line of good and bad so frequently and so well that you never know what he's up to and since he "always has a plan," but never shares what that plan is exactly it makes him the most captivating character on TV since Tony Soprano.
"I'm sure whomever I'm shooting right now needs to die to save the island or to help me, help the others save the island or he or she needs to be killed or else I can't help the survivors get back, or I'm doing it to get back at Whidmore, or I... I don't know, whatever." BANG
Just when I was ready to believe that Henry Gale was who he said he was, "Lost" decided it wanted to make my head explode, and revealed that Henry isn't Henry at all, but rather a man named Benjamin Linus, the leader of The Others who had been kidnapping the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815, and once again the hook was set and my poor, obsessive brain could not get over the most recent twist, but it accepted it and went right back to trying to figure things out, and it was during this process that I realized something I stupidly ignored from the get-go: Every single character on "Lost" is hugely, hugely flawed and there is no such thing as "good" or "bad," but rather a delicately balanced gray area wherein all the characters reside. Why else would 2 murderers (Kate, Sawyer) be considered part of the "good team?" On any other show in any other universe the bad guys would be so clearly defined as to make any sort of guess work pointless, but on "Lost" either you have done wrong, will do wrong or you have no idea what the difference is so you just do what you have to do. Ben is the last one. Benjamin Linus is the ultimate tight rope walker, because he toes the line of good and bad so frequently and so well that you never know what he's up to and since he "always has a plan," but never shares what that plan is exactly it makes him the most captivating character on TV since Tony Soprano.
"I'm sure whomever I'm shooting right now needs to die to save the island or to help me, help the others save the island or he or she needs to be killed or else I can't help the survivors get back, or I'm doing it to get back at Whidmore, or I... I don't know, whatever." BANGI've always found myself drawn to characters that have no moral compass. Maybe it's because I believe that morality and right and wrong are not static (f_ck you, Plato!) and I don't believe that, in a world that is, and always will be constantly evolving it's correct to say "this is this" and "that is that" and just trust that those assigned values will forever remain in place. Now, it should be noted that I am staunchly in favor of crossing at all cross walks even if there is no traffic, and I never drive more than 10 miles an hour over the speed limit, but if I absolutely had to I would as long as the situation demanded it. Benjamin Linus understands that every situation is unique and requires its own special reaction in order to render the outcome satisfactorily, and that includes murdering an island full of people or simply sacrificing himself to benefit the island and the people he loves so much. You have to admire a guy like that, or at least I do, because that's what I loved about characters like Tony Soprano; they will always act out of a belief that what they are doing is above the commonly understood notions of right and wrong, and I happen to agree with them, because when you are fighting for your life and the life of the ones you love, anything goes, and that is exactly what I think Ben is up to.
I'm not of the school that thinks Benjamin Linus is inherently bad, I think he is inherently good but at some point had that goodness shaken out of him. Maybe it was the constant berating from his father that he withstood for 28 years that made him a cold, callous man, but consequently the actions of Ben's father led him to The Others and made him who he is today, and I've got to believe that a man as smart as Ben understands that (and it probably pisses him off). Then of course there is the island factor. When you've spent your entire life living on an island that is, for lack of a better word, magical and there is a group of people devoted to protecting the island, and all of its mysteries, that have embraced you and made you their leader, after a lifetime of being told you killed your mother and were worthless, yeah, you're going to want to fight for the other team and more than likely you'll be a lot less apt to care whether or not something like murder is morally reprehensible or not, because if the situation calls for murder, he's going to shoot someone. That's just how Ben is. Take him or leave him. He's an awesome guy.
He's also a sociopath, but that's fine, all the best characters in novels, movies, television and stage plays have been sociopaths. Hannibal Lecter? Sociopath. The Joker? Sociopath. Tony Soprano? Sociopath. Ace Ventura? Sociopath. Atticus Finch? Sociopath. You have to keep in mind that these characters have no clue what they do may be construed as bad or evil at the time (don't tell me Atticus Finch was not acting out of some twisted pathological tendencies when he decided to defend Tom Robinson, I mean, that book is so dark and twisted and f_cked up he had to be a sociopath, what kind of man puts his kids in that much danger to prove a point), but that is, ultimately, their biggest flaw and their most exploitable weakness. What separates Ben from the other characters I've mentioned is that Ben seems to have an explicit understanding of his own pathology; which allows him to be in complete and total control; which is as terrifying as it is awesome. If Hannibal Lecter had embraced his own instability, he would have never let himself get shot by Will Graham. If Tony Soprano wasn't such an idiot... well I have no idea what happened to him (f_ck you, David Chase!), but I'm assuming his life just kept circling the drain and he is forever paranoid that whoever walks in the door next might be there to kill him. Ben doesn't just understand his malady, he f_cking owns it, and that is awesome and it gives him the ability to do what he needs to do. If anyone else on the show was to be tasked with half the sh_t Ben is asked to do, they would over think it and start whining and make a big show of how they are "good people" who would never voluntarily hurt a fly unless that fly was a drunk who beat up on his wife; in which case, you just blow up the fly's house with the fly still in it. There. Done.
Of all the characters the populate that always shifting world of "Lost," Ben Linus is the only one who honestly seems to understand that each and every single person associated with the island is not what they seem to be. I long ago joked with my girlfriend that "the island must get its power from con-men, crooks, crazy people and killers, because that just about sums up its entire population," but they all fall into that false belief that if you are in a different place where nobody knows your name or your history that you can change who you are. Ben's not like that. He knows Kate will always be Kate, and Jack will always be super annoying and Sawyer will always end up shirtless no matter when or where they are, even though they act like the island cleansed them of their sins, they're still the same people they were when they crashed there. Just like Ben will always be Ben, because he knows what the island wants, and the island doesn't want you to be somebody else, it brought you there for a reason. Why f_ck that up? Why not use it to your advantage? Ben does.
It's hard to write about any character on "Lost" without venturing into the land of the mythical and mysterious, but I think I did okay. That said, I hope you can all welcome Benjamin Linus as the first fictional member of the "I like you..." hall of fame with open arms, a healthy smile and a bullet proof vest (just in case). Since Mr. Linus is a fictional character I will be sending him a fictional t-shirt.
I'm not of the school that thinks Benjamin Linus is inherently bad, I think he is inherently good but at some point had that goodness shaken out of him. Maybe it was the constant berating from his father that he withstood for 28 years that made him a cold, callous man, but consequently the actions of Ben's father led him to The Others and made him who he is today, and I've got to believe that a man as smart as Ben understands that (and it probably pisses him off). Then of course there is the island factor. When you've spent your entire life living on an island that is, for lack of a better word, magical and there is a group of people devoted to protecting the island, and all of its mysteries, that have embraced you and made you their leader, after a lifetime of being told you killed your mother and were worthless, yeah, you're going to want to fight for the other team and more than likely you'll be a lot less apt to care whether or not something like murder is morally reprehensible or not, because if the situation calls for murder, he's going to shoot someone. That's just how Ben is. Take him or leave him. He's an awesome guy.
He's also a sociopath, but that's fine, all the best characters in novels, movies, television and stage plays have been sociopaths. Hannibal Lecter? Sociopath. The Joker? Sociopath. Tony Soprano? Sociopath. Ace Ventura? Sociopath. Atticus Finch? Sociopath. You have to keep in mind that these characters have no clue what they do may be construed as bad or evil at the time (don't tell me Atticus Finch was not acting out of some twisted pathological tendencies when he decided to defend Tom Robinson, I mean, that book is so dark and twisted and f_cked up he had to be a sociopath, what kind of man puts his kids in that much danger to prove a point), but that is, ultimately, their biggest flaw and their most exploitable weakness. What separates Ben from the other characters I've mentioned is that Ben seems to have an explicit understanding of his own pathology; which allows him to be in complete and total control; which is as terrifying as it is awesome. If Hannibal Lecter had embraced his own instability, he would have never let himself get shot by Will Graham. If Tony Soprano wasn't such an idiot... well I have no idea what happened to him (f_ck you, David Chase!), but I'm assuming his life just kept circling the drain and he is forever paranoid that whoever walks in the door next might be there to kill him. Ben doesn't just understand his malady, he f_cking owns it, and that is awesome and it gives him the ability to do what he needs to do. If anyone else on the show was to be tasked with half the sh_t Ben is asked to do, they would over think it and start whining and make a big show of how they are "good people" who would never voluntarily hurt a fly unless that fly was a drunk who beat up on his wife; in which case, you just blow up the fly's house with the fly still in it. There. Done.
Of all the characters the populate that always shifting world of "Lost," Ben Linus is the only one who honestly seems to understand that each and every single person associated with the island is not what they seem to be. I long ago joked with my girlfriend that "the island must get its power from con-men, crooks, crazy people and killers, because that just about sums up its entire population," but they all fall into that false belief that if you are in a different place where nobody knows your name or your history that you can change who you are. Ben's not like that. He knows Kate will always be Kate, and Jack will always be super annoying and Sawyer will always end up shirtless no matter when or where they are, even though they act like the island cleansed them of their sins, they're still the same people they were when they crashed there. Just like Ben will always be Ben, because he knows what the island wants, and the island doesn't want you to be somebody else, it brought you there for a reason. Why f_ck that up? Why not use it to your advantage? Ben does.
It's hard to write about any character on "Lost" without venturing into the land of the mythical and mysterious, but I think I did okay. That said, I hope you can all welcome Benjamin Linus as the first fictional member of the "I like you..." hall of fame with open arms, a healthy smile and a bullet proof vest (just in case). Since Mr. Linus is a fictional character I will be sending him a fictional t-shirt.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
God Does NOT Want You to Get Swine Flu
Over here at "Where the Wild Things Were Last Thursday Around 8" we have a strict tolerance policy that demands every single race, religion, nationality and Robin Williams be given the benefit of the doubt before we go ahead and make fun of them. In fact, after posting something malicious we often spend a few hours upset at ourselves before we get over it by going to the local watering hole to drown our sorrows over a few pints of Jack Daniels (we also have a strict two drink minimum policy that effectively renders our consciences null and void by 6:00 PM every night). Still, even the fair minded, equal rights touting, neighbor loving jerk in the box has their breaking point; which is why I've decided that I would take matters into my own hands and sort a few things out for my staff as well as for you, my dear, dear reader. When I heard there are people out there willing to lose their jobs because they refuse to get the mandatory flu vaccination it was only a matter of time before I blew my lid and went straight to the source of the problem to cut down on all the jibber-jabber.
Pictured Above: The world's foremost scholar on Fool Pitying and Jibber-Jabbering.
Pictured Above: J.J "God Stumper" Abrams
Pictured Above: The world's foremost scholar on Fool Pitying and Jibber-Jabbering.I'm proud to say that God and I have known each other for years, and even though our friendship has had its ups and downs, we're still really close friends that check in on each other from time to time. God knows I'm not religious or spiritual and he's cool with that. He doesn't even care if I go to church or not, because He knows there are more important things to do than spend an hour a week worshiping him now that football season has started and the MLB playoffs start in a couple weeks. Not to mention He is a busy guy Himself, what with being the omnipotent creator of the universe and all He's got literally millions of other planets at different stages of development that need tending to. Shoot, He only spends a few weeks a year on Earth because his schedule is so crowded; which is why I'm truly honored that He took the time to sit down and have a real discussion with me.
Transcribed below is what I believed would be a brief interview with God that gradually expanded into a lengthy and friendly conversation, but when you're dealing with God time doesn't really matter and I'm sure He didn't even notice we went over.
Jimbolaya - I just want to say, on behalf of my readers and my staff and myself, thank You for taking time out of your unbelievably busy schedule to sit down with me today.
God - Of course, of course! I'm God! I can shift things around however I want.
J- Right, I always forget that, because you look like such a normal dude.
G - Well, to be fair, Jim I don't really look like anything, but, man, this one time, like thousands of years ago I appeared as a three headed dragon ensconced in flame and it freaked people out, so I thought it would be better if I made myself look more "human." (laughs)
J - That was probably the best decision.
G - Of course it was! I'm God. (laughs) I don't get things right all the time, but I don't make the same mistake twice, know what I mean?
J - Uh, do I need to remind you what happened that time we went to Ft. Lauderdale for the weekend and you kept saying, "oh there's no way I'm doing another shot," but every time the shot girl came by you were like "another round!" Do you remember how that ended?
G - Vaguely. (Laughs) No, of course I do, and I'll always remember you were the one that carried me that day. (laughs)
J - (Laughs) Okay, we have to get to this H1N1 thing.
G - Fine, fine. Let's hear it.
J - Do you, God, have any opposition whatsoever to New York State's recent mandate that all health care workers who regularly have either direct or indirect contact with patients must get a flu shot?
G - Of course I do! But, it has nothing to do with the sh_t people think it does. I'm all about free will, you know? People should be allowed to make their own decisions no matter how stupid they might be. Now, I do think if you are in the health care industry you would be smart enough to realize you need to get a flu shot to prevent the spread of the virus and to prevent yourself from getting sick. It's common sense, really.
J - Did you create the virus for any reason, or did it just happen?
G - Well, in a roundabout way I did create everything, but, no I did not directly create this virus. From what I understand two different strains of the flu virus were inhabiting the same pig and they combined to make the H1N1 strain that is causing so many problems.
J - God, couldn't you just put an end to the whole debate and show up and heal all the sick?
G - Why don't I stop all the violence while I'm at it? Listen, I could come down to Earth and make all the bad things stop, but that would completely annihilate free will as you and I know it. I created Man knowing full well human beings would be capable of solving almost all of the problems they face on their own. If I showed up every time there was a problem humanity would become too weak and would never be able to defend themselves against anything let alone a pesky virus.
J - But if you did interfere and put an end to all the "bad things" wouldn't we all be better off because of it, and wouldn't we all know you existed and be able to share in the joy that is your being?
G - Have you ever met a kid that was home schooled?
J - Not really.
G - Okay, because it's like that. Even though those kids parents think they are better off because they aren't exposing their children to the trials and tribulations of public or private schooling, when it comes time for those kids to get out into the real world and survive they are completely and utterly lost, for the most part. Those kids, when they hit puberty and their hormones go f_cking crazy and their body starts to change, their growth is ultimately stunted because they have no outlet for any of that tension. There is no social release. The boys don't get to talk about sex all day with a group of their guy friends, and the girls have no one to confide in when they reach womanhood except their mothers and that's just not healthy. The tension just builds and builds and builds, because they have no way to get it off their chests. Now, they may be perfectly normal people with a healthy family life and a great job, but they'll never really get the whole experience of being a human; which is a social experience.
J - What if they are part of a church group, or some other group where once or twice a week they get to hang out with kids their age and talk about things that kids talk about, like sex, sports and music?
G - It really isn't the same, because they are not immersed in it, but it helps. They get a quarter of an experience as opposed to the full thing, so that's something, but even though High School ruins a lot of lives on its own, it really is a necessary evil of the modern world. People need to interact with people and make their own decisions regarding those interactions. It's not rocket science and it shapes who you will ultimately become, and if your world consists of just your parents and your siblings and sparse interactions with your peers, it's going to be noticeable.
J - If you could change one thing about the human race and the world in general, what would that be?
G - Well, Jim, I can change any number of things, but I guess I would first try to straighten out the misconception that people are weak on their own, because they are most definitely not. They may not be as strong as Gorillas, but what they lack in physical strength they more than make up for in mental ability, and really, all the worlds problems come down to self esteem issues which stem from a poor body image or this idea that you just have to fit in with a certain crowd, and you don't. You really, really don't.
J - But, didn't you just say people are social and they need other people to realize their full potential? Doesn't that sort of speak to a group mindset? You can't preach individuality and conformity at the same time.
G - I'm speaking more along the lines of, well, here's an example; say there is a teenage girl who wants nothing more than to be popular, but she thinks she is too fat to be popular so she starves herself and when that doesn't work she becomes desperate and starts to think "oh, hey look at all those girl having sex, I'll start doing that and people will like me," so she becomes a slut and, even though people are paying more attention to her it's for all the wrong reasons, and at some point in time she'll realize she's just disgusted with herself because of the decisions she's made and it all snow balls from then on, because she never once thought that people would gravitate towards her if she was happy with who she was. You know what I mean? She relied so heavily on what other people thought that she never once asked herself what she thought? The lucky ones, the smart ones rather, go through similar periods but at some point in time figure it out and do things their own way and they are better off. What I'm trying to say is this: Humans need each other, but they don't need to do what everyone else is doing because everyone else is doing it, unless they want to of course, but that usually doesn't end well
J - You're a confusing guy, God. I don't know whether I'm coming or going, but I think I get it. You're saying that we all need to exercise free will, no matter what the cost, because that is what makes us human, and you've given us all the tools we'll ever need to survive and be strong on our own, including the abilities to tell right from wrong, cure diseases and save the environment so we shouldn't rely on the ideals of others to guide us when we're perfectly capable of making our own decisions, but we do need each other because some of us are better at science and math and others are better at reading and writing, but we are that much stronger when we all work together, but sometimes that group think mentality is more detrimental than it is helpful and the individuals involved should be able to discern whether or not they should go along or abandon ship... right? Yes? No? My head hurts.
G - (laughs) Well, it's not easy being the omnipotent creator of the universe as you know it, but you're definitely on the right track. How are we for time?
J - You tell me.
G - It's relative. I'm God. How about one more and I'll let you get back to work?
J - Sounds good. I'll try to think of a good one.
G - Please don't ask me if I'm really everywhere, because I'm not and I'm tired of explaining that. (Laughs)
J - Okay, fine... can you explain the plot of "Lost?"
G - Oh...
J - What?
G - I'm thinking.
J - I thought you were all knowing and all seeing, wouldn't the answer come instantaneously?
G - Uh...
J - You don't watch "Lost" do you? Come on!
G - No, I watch "Lost."
J - Okay, well, I just started season 5 so don't spoil it for me.
G - Dude...
J - You have no clue do you?
G - No, no I don't.
J - Man, I wanted to find out what the smoke monster was.
I'd like to thank God for taking part in this interview. It was one of the best experiences of my life, and don't forget to watch the final season of "Lost" on ABC this January! When most secrets of the island will be revealed.
Transcribed below is what I believed would be a brief interview with God that gradually expanded into a lengthy and friendly conversation, but when you're dealing with God time doesn't really matter and I'm sure He didn't even notice we went over.
Jimbolaya - I just want to say, on behalf of my readers and my staff and myself, thank You for taking time out of your unbelievably busy schedule to sit down with me today.
God - Of course, of course! I'm God! I can shift things around however I want.
J- Right, I always forget that, because you look like such a normal dude.
G - Well, to be fair, Jim I don't really look like anything, but, man, this one time, like thousands of years ago I appeared as a three headed dragon ensconced in flame and it freaked people out, so I thought it would be better if I made myself look more "human." (laughs)
J - That was probably the best decision.
G - Of course it was! I'm God. (laughs) I don't get things right all the time, but I don't make the same mistake twice, know what I mean?
J - Uh, do I need to remind you what happened that time we went to Ft. Lauderdale for the weekend and you kept saying, "oh there's no way I'm doing another shot," but every time the shot girl came by you were like "another round!" Do you remember how that ended?
G - Vaguely. (Laughs) No, of course I do, and I'll always remember you were the one that carried me that day. (laughs)
J - (Laughs) Okay, we have to get to this H1N1 thing.
G - Fine, fine. Let's hear it.
J - Do you, God, have any opposition whatsoever to New York State's recent mandate that all health care workers who regularly have either direct or indirect contact with patients must get a flu shot?
G - Of course I do! But, it has nothing to do with the sh_t people think it does. I'm all about free will, you know? People should be allowed to make their own decisions no matter how stupid they might be. Now, I do think if you are in the health care industry you would be smart enough to realize you need to get a flu shot to prevent the spread of the virus and to prevent yourself from getting sick. It's common sense, really.
J - Did you create the virus for any reason, or did it just happen?
G - Well, in a roundabout way I did create everything, but, no I did not directly create this virus. From what I understand two different strains of the flu virus were inhabiting the same pig and they combined to make the H1N1 strain that is causing so many problems.
J - God, couldn't you just put an end to the whole debate and show up and heal all the sick?
G - Why don't I stop all the violence while I'm at it? Listen, I could come down to Earth and make all the bad things stop, but that would completely annihilate free will as you and I know it. I created Man knowing full well human beings would be capable of solving almost all of the problems they face on their own. If I showed up every time there was a problem humanity would become too weak and would never be able to defend themselves against anything let alone a pesky virus.
J - But if you did interfere and put an end to all the "bad things" wouldn't we all be better off because of it, and wouldn't we all know you existed and be able to share in the joy that is your being?
G - Have you ever met a kid that was home schooled?
J - Not really.
G - Okay, because it's like that. Even though those kids parents think they are better off because they aren't exposing their children to the trials and tribulations of public or private schooling, when it comes time for those kids to get out into the real world and survive they are completely and utterly lost, for the most part. Those kids, when they hit puberty and their hormones go f_cking crazy and their body starts to change, their growth is ultimately stunted because they have no outlet for any of that tension. There is no social release. The boys don't get to talk about sex all day with a group of their guy friends, and the girls have no one to confide in when they reach womanhood except their mothers and that's just not healthy. The tension just builds and builds and builds, because they have no way to get it off their chests. Now, they may be perfectly normal people with a healthy family life and a great job, but they'll never really get the whole experience of being a human; which is a social experience.
J - What if they are part of a church group, or some other group where once or twice a week they get to hang out with kids their age and talk about things that kids talk about, like sex, sports and music?
G - It really isn't the same, because they are not immersed in it, but it helps. They get a quarter of an experience as opposed to the full thing, so that's something, but even though High School ruins a lot of lives on its own, it really is a necessary evil of the modern world. People need to interact with people and make their own decisions regarding those interactions. It's not rocket science and it shapes who you will ultimately become, and if your world consists of just your parents and your siblings and sparse interactions with your peers, it's going to be noticeable.
J - If you could change one thing about the human race and the world in general, what would that be?
G - Well, Jim, I can change any number of things, but I guess I would first try to straighten out the misconception that people are weak on their own, because they are most definitely not. They may not be as strong as Gorillas, but what they lack in physical strength they more than make up for in mental ability, and really, all the worlds problems come down to self esteem issues which stem from a poor body image or this idea that you just have to fit in with a certain crowd, and you don't. You really, really don't.
J - But, didn't you just say people are social and they need other people to realize their full potential? Doesn't that sort of speak to a group mindset? You can't preach individuality and conformity at the same time.
G - I'm speaking more along the lines of, well, here's an example; say there is a teenage girl who wants nothing more than to be popular, but she thinks she is too fat to be popular so she starves herself and when that doesn't work she becomes desperate and starts to think "oh, hey look at all those girl having sex, I'll start doing that and people will like me," so she becomes a slut and, even though people are paying more attention to her it's for all the wrong reasons, and at some point in time she'll realize she's just disgusted with herself because of the decisions she's made and it all snow balls from then on, because she never once thought that people would gravitate towards her if she was happy with who she was. You know what I mean? She relied so heavily on what other people thought that she never once asked herself what she thought? The lucky ones, the smart ones rather, go through similar periods but at some point in time figure it out and do things their own way and they are better off. What I'm trying to say is this: Humans need each other, but they don't need to do what everyone else is doing because everyone else is doing it, unless they want to of course, but that usually doesn't end well
J - You're a confusing guy, God. I don't know whether I'm coming or going, but I think I get it. You're saying that we all need to exercise free will, no matter what the cost, because that is what makes us human, and you've given us all the tools we'll ever need to survive and be strong on our own, including the abilities to tell right from wrong, cure diseases and save the environment so we shouldn't rely on the ideals of others to guide us when we're perfectly capable of making our own decisions, but we do need each other because some of us are better at science and math and others are better at reading and writing, but we are that much stronger when we all work together, but sometimes that group think mentality is more detrimental than it is helpful and the individuals involved should be able to discern whether or not they should go along or abandon ship... right? Yes? No? My head hurts.
G - (laughs) Well, it's not easy being the omnipotent creator of the universe as you know it, but you're definitely on the right track. How are we for time?
J - You tell me.
G - It's relative. I'm God. How about one more and I'll let you get back to work?
J - Sounds good. I'll try to think of a good one.
G - Please don't ask me if I'm really everywhere, because I'm not and I'm tired of explaining that. (Laughs)
J - Okay, fine... can you explain the plot of "Lost?"
G - Oh...
J - What?
G - I'm thinking.
J - I thought you were all knowing and all seeing, wouldn't the answer come instantaneously?
G - Uh...
J - You don't watch "Lost" do you? Come on!
G - No, I watch "Lost."
J - Okay, well, I just started season 5 so don't spoil it for me.
G - Dude...
J - You have no clue do you?
G - No, no I don't.
J - Man, I wanted to find out what the smoke monster was.
I'd like to thank God for taking part in this interview. It was one of the best experiences of my life, and don't forget to watch the final season of "Lost" on ABC this January! When most secrets of the island will be revealed.
Pictured Above: J.J "God Stumper" Abrams
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