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Twitter'Lost': Rank and file, Part 2
Yesterday, I started ranking all eight episodes of Season 4 of Lost, from worst to first. If you missed the initial rankings, make sure to check them out. In addition, make sure to weigh in here on topics you want discussed in the interim weeks between new episodes of Lost, and email me any and all pressing concerns for inclusion in this week's edition of "Letters From The Flame."
Well, now that we've gotten all old business off the agenda, onto new business! Namely, my top four episodes of this season. I'll reiterate what I said yesterday: all numerical rankings are relative to the complete body of Lost episodes; nothing more, nothing less. For all intents and purpose, no other show has ever existed on television other than these. No Buffy the Vampire Slayer, no Bewitched, no Love Boat...so forth and show on. We good? Good.
On with the top four! As with yesterday, links to my initial recap of each episode are provided below.
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#4) The Other Woman
The Good. Harper's collection of diplomas. Juliet's choice of top-wear. "You look like her." Ben's videotape. The true purpose of the Tempest. "You're mine!"
The Bad. Faraday clichéd saving the day resolution. The falsely ringing final kiss.
The ranking. How you view this episode depends on upon how you view the character of Juliet. If you don't like her (and a lot of you don't), then this episode was akin to nails on a chalkboard. For me, I enjoyed not only getting huge mythology beats explained (the source of the gas, the man behind the freighter), but also an insight to a woman who wasn't exactly innocent upon her arrival to the Island. When I say I enjoyed her choice of top-wear, I don't mean that from a drooling fanboy perspective; her cleavage-revealing tops indicated a woman who knew exactly what she was doing with Goodwin from Day One and thought she wouldn't get caught, either by Harper or Ben. Juliet's struggle to be a "good" person predates not only the arrival of the Lostaways, but her arrival to the Island, and this episode shows just how much further she has to go before all is said and done.
Final Score: 7.5/10.
#3) Ji Yeon
The Good. Everything on-Island between Sun and Jin. Regina's walk of shame. Gault's densely packed monologue. "Good." The date on the tombstone.
The Bad. Jin's flashback verges on pure manipulation. Transforms the Oceanic 6 plot line more confusing retroactively than necessary.
The ranking. I'm a complete sucker for Sun/Jin stories, and while I am somewhat slightly annoyed at the flash forward/flash back technique employed in the episode, I nevertheless felt something was "off" about the off-Island activities, and as such, I was riveted by both storylines as they were unfolding. Gault's monologue established the first of two compelling possibilities concerning the fake wreckage (finding its equal and opposite narrative during "Meet Kevin Johnson"), and the final scenes added emotional heft as well as mythology to not only the Oceanic 6, but those left "behind" (whatever that word may ultimately mean). While we now know the identities of the Oceanic 6, just where is everyone else? And why is Hurley so happy that no else else came to see Sun?
Final Score: 7.8/10.
#2) Confirmed Dead
The Good. Every freakin' flashback. Faraday's observation about the way light scatters. The first hints of a global conspiracy. Team Locke's wariness of Charlotte. Miles' photograph.
The Bad. Yes, we all known Ben has information you need, Locke. Naomi's conversation with Abaddon too vague by half.
The ranking. While the introduction of four major characters into the show at this point could have given us all character fatigue, it instead invigorated the show with four instantly compelling backstories, all tied into the day of the discover of the faked crash. Many such of myself expected shady villains to land upon the Island, but instead got much more subtly shaded character that demanded our attention while simultaneously tingling our Spidey senses. Even more so than "The Beginning of the End," "Dead" showed just how far this show's sights were set, narratively, as they moved us from a show set on an island to a show that literally spanned the globe. "Confirmed Dead" in many ways expanded the show's storytelling possibilities as much as "Through the Looking Glass." With this episode, Lost showed just how much it meant business with the end of the show in sight.
Final Score: 9.0/10
#1) The Constant
The Good. Too many things to list. As solid an hour as Lost has ever produced.
The Bad. It wasn't two hours long.
The ranking. At the time, I instantly ranked this as my third favorite Lost episode ever, right behind "Through the Looking Glass" and "Walkabout." Having watched the episode several times now (I'm up to five at this point), I'm confidently upping it to number two. If "Walkabout" showed what an episode of Lost COULD do, "The Constant" shows what it CAN do, when operating at peak efficiency. It's possibly the densest show aired thus far, but the complex pseudo-science within takes a backseat to the emotional aspect of Desmond's desperate need to reconnect with Penny. If you weren't moved by his phone call to her upon the freighter, then honestly, why are you watching this show? In that moment, Lost took advantage of the medium of long-form television narrative in a way rarely seen. It paid off a longing exhibited for literally YEARS, and as such, produced a feeling an exhilaration you simply can't achieve in a two-hour film. It's the type of moment that reinforces why I watch shows like this: all the smoke monsters and hatches don't mean a thing without a human heartbeat amidst it all. Bless its heart: Lost didn't forget that. If this episode doesn't get a perfect score, it's only because doing so would mean the show has nowhere else to go, and I simply don't believe that to be true.
Final Score: 9.8/10.
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And thus concludes my list. Feel free to drop your Final Four below, either as a stand-alone list or with short explanations for your rankings. And make sure to email me questions/comments for this week's Letters from The Flame, or leave your thoughts below with a big ol' WAAAAAAAALT! at the top.
Ryan also posts every 108 minutes over at Boob Tube Dude.
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Zap2it Twitter Talk 
4) Beginning of the End (Being as it was the 1st episode in 9 months, it wasn't bad. Hurley, as always, is entertaining)
3) Confirmed Dead (Introduction to the Freighter-folk. Showed us that they are possibly the key to unlocking the Island's mysteries.)
2) Meet Kevin Johnson (Like most here I don't particularly like Michael's character. However, I felt the episode gave us a lot of answers, and set-up what is sure to be a riveting rest of the season.)
1) The Constant (Desmond and Penny are the true love story of the show. The moment they finally reunite will be one of the biggest pay-offs of the entire series.)
since I already gave my entire list in the last column (sorry bout that), I will just go ahead and give my opinion on something...
WAAAAALLLLTTTTT!!!!
Why does everybody hate or not care much for Michael's character? I would really like to see that as either a topic during the hiatus or just people listing their reasons why...
Ryan -- Glad to see that you rated "Confirmed Dead" so highly, as I also loved all the flashbacks (unlike some others on this list apparently) and appreciate the quality and complexities of the new characters.
(Which is surprising, as I expected to be turned off by the addition of more characters... especially as I'm still burned by the fact that Charlie really didn't need to die -- in any non-metaphysical sense anyway -- as he could have just as easily closed the door on the way out.)
And of course I also completely agree with you about "The Constant".
All of which makes me surprised at how much more you liked "Ji Leon" (as I call it) than I did. Then again, I kind of burnt out on Jin/Sun flashbacks a while ago, and I am especially offended by writer contrivances.
Anyway, in sum:
8) Ji Leon
7) Eggtown
2) Confirmed Dead
1) The Constant
The other four are about equal; I'd have to watch them again to rate them. As you pointed out, they all have their good and bad points.
By the way, in my post yesterday I don't think I made it clear that I was talking about the beginning of the episode when I said I noticed how much the camera (Ben's POV) seemed to be noticing how much Karl was caressing Alex.
Mark - In regard to your question regarding why so many people don't like Michael: Any man who would murder two women we care about in order to do something some bad guy told him to do, just because the bad guy said he would then return his son, is not someone we should care much for. Nobody told Michael he had to kill these people; the very fact that he wasn't willing -- or able -- to come up with a better plan is further evidence we shouldn't care much about him.
I, for one, was somewhat disgusted with the enthusiasm the announcment of the return of Michael received (at Comicon and such), and am thus so hearted that, if no one else, at least one person is not letting him off the hook so easily: Walt.
Well, I guess I don't really understand the hype about "The Constant."
I mean, I get the emotional aspect of it. The connection between Desmond and Penny and that final phone call *made* the episode. But that was like, pretty much it.
The time-tripping was interesting, and certainly explained "Flashes Before Your Eyes" (which I always ***umed to have been A) a hallucination/dream or B) a literal time-travel, body included). But I felt like they barely scratched the surface of the big science mystery for this season, but it wasn't a big enough scratch for me.
Also (and I know its still early), the captain was being painted as some kind of bad***, sinister dude starting with this episode. Something akin to an Abbadon. But so far, the captain is a bit punch-happy but not so bad.
And they killed Fisher Stevens in his first real appearance, which wasn't cool. Michael's flashback notwithstanding, I hope Stevens role on the show isn't over.
So, I guess what I'm saying is, "The Constant" was maybe one of the better episodes this season, but for me, not the best. And I can't say it would neccesarily make my Top 3 overall either.
On the other hand, "Confirmed Dead" just blew my freakin' mind.
The polar bear in Tunisia, the magical, mystical Miles Straum, Faraday and the Metal Box of Impending Doom, the return of John Locke: Island prophet, the reveal of Oceanic 815's wreckage, another sininster Abbadon scene, and that final shot of Ben, casually p***ing through airport security and taking the game to the next, gobal level.
Totally awesome episode.
Concerned: I feel your sentiments, but a lot of people I talked to prior and during the events really didn't like Ana Lucia (you would not believe how many arguments I got into trying to defend her actions). Libby was a mistake and I don't think he was intending on killing her. Simply wrong place wrong time. And the fact that no one ever told Michael to kill Ana Lucia and Libby was only emphasized in "Meet Kevin Johnson". Also keep in mind that Ana Lucia killed Shannon, which most would say was in total fear, but others would say was just plain stupidity and paranoia. Also, Ben said it best (even though he is partly, if not completely, to blame for this all happening) in that what would a man do for his son? ALSO, I believe that Michael was more distraught and hurt over the fact that he killed Libby than he did Ana Lucia. Why else would Libby be haunting him rather than Ana Lucia?
Oh and I am sorry about getting off topic, Ryan and everyone else.
WAAALLLLLTTTT!
I got my question in too late for the last Flame, it seems, so I will cut and paste it in this thread:
oh, and i prefer VINCEEEENNNTTT!!
In a slightly off topic question, why can't I opt to have follow-up comments sent to me by email?
"The falsely ringing final kiss?"
Ryan, I love ya man, but wazza you talking 'bout? That was one of the sweetest kisses I've ever seen on Lost!
My ranking:
4) The Beginning of the End
3) Meet Kevin Johnson
2) Confirmed Dead
1) The Constant
My ranking:
4) The Other Woman - mostly because I liked the other 4 less. Plus it had that great line about it not being easy being an Other.
3) The Beginning of the End - mostly because the next two deserve the top two spots.
2) Confirmed Dead - I just really liked this episode. And I still want to know how Miles turned wood into metal...
1) The Constant - I'm on the Penny/Desmond bandwagon, so this episode rocked. Plus I like the mythology-heavy, pseudo-science-heavy episodes best (usually).