Pilot: Part 1

When 'Lost' was in its prime, it was must-watch television. Remember first watching it, found it remarkably easy to get into, was hooked from the start and was on Season 3 by the end of one week. The general consensus is that the final season is a disappointment and cannot disagree.

There is the agreement that as far as pilot episodes go, that for 'Lost' is among the best of them. It couldn't be a more perfect beginning to a wonderful show and six seasons on it's still among the best episodes. Although the characterisation and back-stories admittedly became deeper, richer and more developed over the course of the show, "Pilot Part 1" still establishes the featured characters very well, making them easy to root for and feeling every inch of their emotions rather than getting frustrated at them. In just one episode, Jack and Kate in particular are interesting.

"Pilot Part 1" is excellently photographed, made with a lot of atmosphere and slickness and with no cheapness at all, while the setting has a suitable amount of claustrophobia and the plane effects are better than many disaster films featuring anything with a plane. The music is understated yet chilling.

Even for so early on, the writing is smart and taut as well as provoking a lot of thought. Although not the most character rich in terms of depth, the story has emotion, a genuine sense of dread and nail-biting suspense that have rarely been done more strongly since on 'Lost' and does it far better than most films.

Acting throughout is very good indeed, particularly from Matthew Fox and Evangeline Lilly. The chemistry between the whole cast is expertly done.

In summary, a perfect start. 10/10 Bethany Cox

If we've learned anything about islands in historical fiction, it's that they're a hoarded wealth of intrigue, danger, suspense, spirituality and sensuality. From the economically-concerned survivalism of Robinson Crusoe to the web of love and retribution in Shakespeare's The Tempest, they are one of the commonest but most captivating plot devices. They are apart from civilized society. They are home to exotic fauna and foliage. Not all of that fauna and foliage is happy to have visitors. Murder and crime are more easily accomplished without the constraints of civilized society. I think you can connect the dots.

Lost is the brainchild of J.J. Abrams, who created the espionage thriller Alias and college drama Felicity before that. Based on his resume we can already predict character development and long-term plot arcs will be the standard. Add in that this two-part pilot was the most expensive ever produced for ABC (resulting in the truly ironic firing of former chairman Lloyd Braun, who had greenlighted the project in the face of dwindling network ratings), reportedly costing anywhere between $10 and $14 million. That this show was even given a second thought speaks volumes about the amount of faith the network put into it, as it easily could have been a colossal disaster.

Fortunately that faith was well-invested, because not only is the premiere of Lost viscerally and sensorially astounding, but it's also compelling, chronicling the plane crash and miraculous survival of 48 passengers (with fourteen being regular cast members). As if in real life, the individuals remain innominate until the situation demands their introduction.

We meet Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox, Party of Five), a spinal surgeon from Los Angeles who gets dropped in the middle of a serious crisis, risking himself to save the lives of others wounded in the crash. A more enigmatic but equally important character is Kate Austen (Evangeline Lilly), who despite being out of her element is driven by a strong will and versatility. The scene where an anxious Kate stitches up Jack's wound is one of the most iconic of the series' run.

Few of the other characters are given little more than a fugitive introduction. There's the washed-up rock star Charlie Pace (Dominic Monhagan, The Lord of the Rings), whose shadowed eyes belie his comic disposition. There's a very pregnant woman named Claire Littleton (Emilie de Ravin, The Hills Have Eyes), who seems oddly cheery in spite of all the turmoil. There's an older man played by Terry O'Quinn (Millennium, The X-Files) who seems to be of importance but has little to do in this episode. More curious is an Asian couple (Daniel Dae Kim and Yunjin Kim) alienated not only by their lack of English but also antiquated gender roles. A Middle Eastern man named Sayid (Naveen Andrews, The English Patient), a foul-mouthed redneck (Josh Holloway), and a larger-than-life guy you just want to hug (Jorge Garcia) all beg stories to be told, while a pair of bickering siblings, the unnerved Boone (Ian Somerhalder, The Vampire Diaries) and the comparatively bitchy Shannon (Maggie Grace, Taken) are decidedly less inspiring. Rounding out the cast are the overprotective father Michael (Harold Perrineau, The Matrix trilogy) and son Walt (Malcolm David Kelley), and a soundless but sharp woman (L. Scott Caldwell) who Jack brings from the cusp of death.

It's awfully odd that all of these survivors would be so cushioned in the fall so as not to wind up with more than mere flesh wounds, but odder still are the grotesque noises heard in the jungle at night. From the get-go it is clear that there is something not quite right with the island, and while ABC's decision to split the pilot into two halves may not do its story total justice, it certainly serves as an engaging doorway into a storyline bound to be riddled with mysteries. A more comprehensive outline of the plot will follow in my review of Part 2.

Four years have passed since the first time I watched part one of Lost's pilot. When it happened and I didn't have any expectations as I was new to the show. The only thing I knew was that it was about characters crashing on a deserted island. I had Robinson Crusoe in mind and already seen a few films on the subject, like The Blue Lagoon and Castaway, but nothing could have prepared me for the things I saw. Today it even felt better because I'm a huge fan of Lost and the characters have grown up so much on me in the last past years. So watching their first steps in the jungle or on the beach was just mesmerizing. If you're new to Lost you'll just fall in love with it like most of the viewers did at the time it was first aired. If you're already a follower then you'll just be blown away like I did. The first scene with Jack felt like a fairytale, as Alice opening the door to Wonderland. An other cult scene is the first encounter between him and Kate. Moreover the acting is so good that it makes such scenes even better. But it's only half of the strawberry on the shortcake as other major characters haven't been properly introduced yet. In fact I'm quite surprised the pilot episodes were aired at different dates. I'll definitely not wait for a week to watch part two once I've written this very review. Yes because it's the issue with Lost, you'll get addicted to it. But you can choose your path like the characters will. You can either channel your energy into something productive or just get lost. It's one thing the story helped me better understand. It's specially interesting as horror, fantasy and contemporary elements are mixed. The last scenes with Jack, Kate and Charlie are specially scary and you'll definitely want to switch on some lights to feel more comfortable. My only complain would be the production quality that could be better. Some scenes are really high-end and the direction is perfect but others look average with their studio elements : Approximate lighting, character incrustations over fake backgrounds… But overall you really feel like if events were taking place on a deserted island. It also looks that the budget was heavy on the crash scenes as it really looks like a puzzle to solve.

The first episode of Lost is, without a doubt, the best pilot for a TV show that I have ever seen. Good acting, a wonderful script, and very good directing by JJ Abrams make this an exciting 2 hours.

A group of people survive a plane crash but find themselves stuck on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. While most of them try to set up camp on the beach, three of them go into the jungle to find the cockpit of the plane - the plane had broken apart in midair - to find the transceiver (radio) so they can try to call for help. They succeed but but with deadly complications.Later another group goes off to take the transceiver to the highest point on the island to try and get a better signal. What they find is makes one of them ask the main question of the series - "Where are we"? The episode is fast paced and beautifully shot (the show is filmed in Hawaii). You have to suspend your disbelief that forty some odd people could survive a plane coming apart in midair and crashing on an island with little more than scratches to show for it. Still if you like interesting characters, complex plots and intriguing mysteries then this show is for you.

I am watching Lost for the second time and I can say that this is one of my favorite pilots ever.. SO GOOD