The Constant

Lost is really a great way of calling our attention on modern entertainment. Despite the fans who goes too deep into symbols, signs and theories I feel touched by the story itself. The way it's narrated, changing focuses and voices. Sometimes it's related to books i've read, sometimes goes to science topics, but underneath there are a beautiful humanism. But this episode...God!. It deserves to be taught in TV schools. Desmond character is simply fantastic. Equal parts of sadness and faith. Marvelous interaction with Faraday and Sayid. The script is awesome, the acting, everything.

And only in 42 minutes !!! I can't describe my feelings after watching this episode.

It has to be nominated to Emmys, Globes, etc. No doubts.

I just got an account here to rate this episode, to comment on it. I never thought of myself being susceptible to any form of freaky fan behavior.

But Lost has changed all this. It has changed television, it's the proof that intelligent, complex television does have its audience, an audience thankfully recognizing the effort the show's team puts into carefully putting the puzzle pieces in place. And this episode sure did put a lot of pieces in place. If Memento was the first "real Y2K" movie, then Lost is the first real Y2K series.

After the first season, I never thought anything could top the experience I had when watching it, but I was happily proved wrong after season 2 when Lockdown and the season's finale completely freaked me out. But after every season there is this constant fear if the show's team can uphold this high level of quality. There is even a little hope that things might even get better. And it constantly did, as amazing as it might be. Season 1 had this "adventurous" touch, it was fun to watch the people exploring the mysterious island proving all the skeptical people wrong that had thought this would turn out as a kind of survival show on the beach. Season 2 was the "scientific" one, and as a fan of the numbers and hatches or stations in general I was ultimately satisfied, those Dharma videos just completely knocked me out(please keep em coming!). The season's finale really gave me goose flesh and it was an experience I never had before when watching TV. I thought this is it, it never will get any better than this. Then season 3 came along, with this completely new psychological touch, which was absolutely convincing due to the great performance of the actors, special thanks to Juliet and Ben, who fit perfectly well into the show. Then things settled down a bit by mid-season and I feared that maybe they've literally lost it. And then came Through the looking glass, and I was nearly crying after that episode: the final flash-forward, the one that finally made it clear to us that this is really the future. "We have to get back!"; that was when I realized that this is the show I've always dreamed of. I thought: savor this moment - you will never experience anything like that again, be it television or cinema.

February 2008, finally, Lost is back. I was a bit disappointed that the season's opening episode did not start like the last two (somebody turning on music, not revealing their faces) but that was acceptable, given the way this season turned out. Five brilliant episodes climaxing in The Constant. I've always loved Desmond since his episodes were always mysterious and revealing, and of course I dig his accent :) And I was glad that this absolutely perfect episode focused on him. I can't describe what I felt when watching it... First, it turned out what I expected from the beginning, Daniel is the most fun of all the new characters, since his scientific attitude sheds some light on the island's mysteries. Two, we finally know what season 2 was meant for :) I had to watch the episode again because during the first time my mind was too occupied dealing with all the permanent amazing input it got. Even if they're not among the Oceanic Six, Desmond and Sawyer must survive somehow (at least until season 6) because they're the most exciting characters on the show.

This was the best moment of television I ever experienced and there, I said it: all you nostalgic cynics, forget once about Twin Peaks, this is the real deal. This is the best show ever to appear on television and every single one who misses it: shame on you! Thanks to everybody making this show happening. If the remaining eight episodes will keep up this pace we'll be able to get over the fact that this season will be three episodes short. Please keep this happening (or I'll send a ton of nuts to ABC on my own :) ) This was the best episode so far and I'm looking forward to the day when I'm shown that even this episode can be outclassed! If it were possible, 20/10

The year is 2018 and I just came through this episode. What a magnificent job they did on this episode.

I saw a little clip on you tube today of this episode. It brought back wonderful memories.

How good is this episode? You know it's something special when 99% of reviewers here saying the same exact things.

How good is this episode? They could have made a big screen movie out of this episode alone. It would have been nominated for best-picture, I have no doubt.

The music score of Lost has always propelled the show to greater heights. I don't think any other episode clearly shows how remarkable the music and plot chemistry is. It is almost as great as the chemistry between Des and Penny.

I truly believe you can make a fantastic standalone movie based out of this episode's plot.

If I ever had any doubts that "The Constant" was an absolute masterpiece and virtually perfect in just about every way, my latest viewing of the episode erased them. "The Constant" is an episode I saw six times in the first week after it was broadcast, and coming back to it on DVD several months later the emotional impact of the episode, as well as my sheer awe of the phenomenal skill and sophistication of the storytelling, were still intact.

"Lost" has certainly produced many overwhelming, brilliant, unique episodes, but in my humble estimation this is the finest achievement of the series in every regard- direction (Jack Bender), cinematography (John Bartley), music (Michael Giacchino), script (Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse), and acting from everyone involved in the episode. Even the most relatively insignificant of performances in the episode is excellent, even Elizabeth Mitchell's nearly completely silent turn as Juliet is a fine performance filled with energy and verve.

Perhaps most impressive about "The Constant" is that it really is just about perfect. The beach scenes, virtually the only aspect of the episode that is criticized by more than a tiny, tiny minority (and only in that they are less involving than the rest of the episode), are actually quite excellent, I think, both in writing and execution. It's the most playful part of the episode, partly due to Elizabeth Mitchell's performance, but it's also great to see Jack trying to put himself in a position of authority but constantly (hardy har har) failing to do so. It's an interesting spin on what usually happens at the beach camp when Jack is around, and all the dialogue here is great.

Of course what sets this episode apart from all others is the unique and brilliant narrative device. The episode puts a neat spin on Desmond's flashes, while also providing closure to that story in an entirely tasteful and successful manner, and is the only "Lost" episode not to have two separate timelines, but one where the 2004 'on-island' events are directly connected to what are usually the 'flashbacks' or 'flashforwards'. The idea of a character being 'unstuck in time' and his conscious traveling in time but not his body is not entirely original, but a brilliantly-written homage to "Slaughterhouse-Five", and when used in this context with these characters it genuinely feels fresh, which is really all that matters ultimately.

The scenes which take place in Desmond's past are all absolutely phenomenal, especially the ones with Faraday and the encounter with Charles Widmore, which contains a nice, subtle bit of information on the Black Rock, and blatantly suggests for the first time I think Widmore's interest in the island. The stuff on the freighter also works really well, forming the bulk of the action/adventure/sci-fi part of the episode, ultimately leading to the phone call between Desmond and Penny, which is to me perhaps the ultimate example of overblown sentimentality done right, and it's not just because the scene is so good, it's because the relationship itself warrants emotional investment. It's not kitsch romantic triangle nonsense, it's genuine and real and touchingly imperfect, if you know what I mean.

The emotional and even plot payoff for fans who are truly invested in the series is immense, and I for one think "The Constant" is an absolute triumph in every regard. It proves once and for all that "Lost" is, for all its relative ups and downs, something really special, and it also shows the immense respect and care which its writers, specifically the writers of this episode and main creative force behind "Lost" Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, have for the fans and for their own story and characters, regardless of how snarky they may be at times. "The Constant" is an absolute classic and definitely one of my personal favorite television episodes. Actually, it might be my favorite.