Pilot: Part 1

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.

The opening episode of "Lost" will always be iconic- that opening shot of Jack's eye, the progressive heightening of the tension in Michael Giacchino's music, and Matthew Fox's excellent acting as the character of Jack slowly realizes the scope of what just happened. The subtle introduction of numerous characters makes for outstanding character writing as well.

However, as with most pilot episodes, I find this script becomes too bogged down in being an introductory piece that it doesn't quite blossom as a full episode. Take for example one of the great pilot episodes in my opinion- "The Way Back" from Blake's 7. By the end of that episode you get the basic premise for the show, the characters, the nemesis, etc. Few pilot episodes accomplish that much and to be honest it is Part 2 of the "Lost" pilot that it successful in that regard- very, very successful.

"Pilot, Part 1" is iconic because it's the episode that hooked most of the people that are faithful to "Lost" to this day. When you look at how well it manages to introduce and develop these characters in 40 minutes it is an outstanding achievement, but for pure entertainment value and rewatchability when compared to many other episodes of the series? It's not quite one of the best episodes, and the second part of the pilot vastly improves on this.

J.J. Abrams proves his worth as director here, setting the bar for excellence in direction on this show and TV in general fairly high here.

Best scene- The first ever flashback aboard Flight 815 just before the crash.

Best shot- The introduction of John Locke, orange in mouth and all.

Questions in light of the remainder of the series: why did the monster kill the pilot?

8/10

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.

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

I started to watch this second time. It's been two years when I watched this very first time. Im still thrilled what happens next waiting the backround stories of the charters and watch how they grow and involve. We have not nothing like this anymore, this is a greatest idea a survivorstory series.