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'Lost': The shape of blog entries to come
You might think all bloggers read their comments obsessively, but dismissively. That they attack it with a, "Let's see how the masses appreciate me...what what? Dissent? Disagreement? Fie upon their teeny brains! This is going to put a pall upon my planning evening activity: rereading Finnegan's Wake for the fourteenth time this calendar year." Or, you might think that we bloggers consider ourselves the be all and end all, the bee's knees, the Kelly Clarkson to your respective Justin Guarini. But that's not how things roll on the Lost blog here, people.
I listen. Not in a creepy Oprah way, but in a way that the psychological arm of the Dharma Initiative (pre-Purge edition) would have appreciated. And what I'm hearing from you all is, if I may paraphrase, "Blergh, no Lost, drool, life has no purpose, gack, why bother bathing, sniffle, I'm off to beat a cat to death." And since I'm a fan neither of drooling nor random feline violence, I'm here to help. You've got a hole in your life. So do I. So let's fill that whole with a little endeavor, shall we?
The powers of Zap2It came to me before the end of the season, and asked me what I'd do in the months between seasons to keep you all entertained. My first suggestion---a series of interpretive dances inspired by The Freighter Four---didn't go over so well, but the next one went over better, and it's the one I'm presenting tonight. It's a way to not only curb our Lost hunger pangs, but a way to really put Season 4 into context. But how are we going to do this? Well, to quote Jack Shephard, we have to go back. All the way back to Season 1.
What I'm proposing is the following: to rewatch and relive every...single...episode over the next few months.
Now, that's an ambitious plan, to be sure: to re-review every episode that's aired since 2004. 82 episodes, to be exact, going off the count over on Lostpedia. But I'm going to do it all the same. Now, will I be cranking out 2000-word opuses on a nightly basis? Heck no. But I will be dropping summaries of each episode, starting with the pilot, and working my way through "There's No Place Like Home" between now and the end of 2008.
Where you come in: I'll be giving you all the heads up as to which episodes are in the queue. That way, should you want to do so, you can re-experience the story, from the beginning, knowing what you know right now. In addition, if you're semi-new to the Lost universe, and want to get in on the action from the beginning, but couldn't get traction on the project, here's your excuse! You won't be watching these episodes alone; you'll be watching it with the dynamic and passionate fanbase that comes here daily to discuss their favorite show.
I'll be blogging about plenty of other things in the meantime, so don't think the next 6 months will consist of nothing but show recaps. But could you really stand six months of me talking about tuklus? Exactly. You'll thank me for this.
There are plenty of ways to watch these episodes: DVD (either purchasing them, borrowing them from a friend, or getting them through a service like Netflix) and web-streaming (via ABC) are probably the best ways to do so. Me, myself, and I will be rewatching these episodes in "The Man Cave," aka, our second bedroom, replete with a 50'' plasma, surround sound, and all the stuff from my bachelor pad that my wife refuses the general public to see. (However, given this new endeavor, I really ought to rename the room...leave your suggestions below!)
With me through this process may or may not be tasty adult beverages, and here's another place you can help me, people. Not only am I relying on you to partake in this epic social experiment, but I need you to help come up with some rules so we might make our livers btrwrthd. (Assuming, of course, that you're 21, unlike the nice gentleman from a local high school who Facebook friended me tonight. You drink Vitamin Water, young man. Good for your health and such. And badminton skillz.) Sure, there are Lost drinking lists on the web, but we can do better than those, people. I have faith. Kind of like Locke, but in a less dead way.
So there you have it: The "We Have to Go Back" Campaign starts the week of June 15th and will culminate somewhere around the anniversary of Desmond's call to Penelope aboard the Kahana. That should give you a little time to get your episodes lined up, get your drinks prepared, get those husbands/wives/significant others/Halo deathmatch partners off the fence/into the show, and get ready for this interesting experiment. First up: both halves of the pilot episode, and "Tabula Rasa." Cool? Cool.
Leave your drinking game rules, names for the Man Cave, and any other thoughts you might have about this project below!
Ryan also posts every 108 minutes over at Boob Tube Dude.
Yikes, my wife might understand, but the kids will have nothing to do with it. Plus, I'm selling LOST in syndication this fall.
Talk about overload!
This is a big thing you ask, Ryan. (he says in his best Godfather voice) You see, the cat is out of the bag on many of the secrets.
Mayhap we suggest some other course of action?
Brian Of The North | Jun 5, 2008 6:26:05 PM | #Well, just coming by for each recap and posting your memories about that episode is a worthy and noble endeavor as well. How's that work for ya? :)
Ryan | Jun 5, 2008 6:32:56 PM | #Woo Hoo!! I was crazy enough to almost suggest such an endeavor after last week's season finale, but then I thought "who would be nuts enough to actually watch all those episodes betwixt now and then?" and then I thought "Surely, Ryan has a life and would see that I'm mystically blocked from posting on his blog for evermore" (e.g., Donkey Wheeling me outta here so I could never return, finding my entries appearing on a Tunisian farmer's blog, should such a thing exist).
Most likely I won't keep up with all the episodes, but would love to pop in, read reviews, and listen in on people's theories and thoughts.
However, now that I've confessed that I had this crazy idea, perhaps Ryan will say "Oh no ... bad one. Very bad one. Never mind. That blog on Thursday June 5 was posted by unRyan, not the real Ryan. No way are we listening to *that* crazy person!"
I could think of nothing better to do than bake cookies to distract myself from the knowledge that this is Thursday night and 10pm is looming. So I'm off to tend to the oven before (a) the cookies burn and (b) my husband eats them all forcing me to make another batch so I have enough for end-of-school festivities tomorrow.
djc | Jun 5, 2008 6:42:06 PM | #Believe it or not, I was planning on re-watching from the beginning anyways. I'm sure now that we are 'further along in the novel' we will pick up on a lot more this time around. As well as doing a recap, can we relate everything to what we know now?(Even though that is kinda a given.)
If we are doing 3 a week for the next 27 weeks (27*3=81), what time each week should we have our homework done by? In relation, are we doing all 3 as one or 3 seperate entries?
As far as the man's cave, my fav would be Ryan's Fortress of Solitude. However, that is not LOST related. How about Ryan's Temple or McGee's Cabin? Nothing really jumps out at me yet. Perhaps something will come to me later.
Shaggysteve | Jun 5, 2008 7:04:44 PM | #As the theme song of Scrubs would state, I'm no Superman. Can't cop to the Fortress, as admittedly cool as that is.
"McGee's Cabin" isn't bad, though.
Ryan | Jun 5, 2008 7:12:59 PM | #Sounds great, although I'd imagine the Nikki and Paulo episode will likely get responses in the negative numbers, given how few seemed to like/appreciate/understand that particular one. And now I know I'm amongst an erudite confabulation of learned individuals, as one rarely finds the words "fie" and "betwixt" often in the same book, let alone the same blog/subsequent responses. True, I write this way all the time (verily, aye), but it's always nice to see others partaking of the Queen's English (even if said Queen was fronted by Freddie Mercury..."I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me..."). Anyway, as the date of the proposed episodic revisiting approaches, I'm sure things will be revised, reviled and revolved to the point that we will all agree as to how it shall proceed. Until then, methinks I shall go watch The Princess Bride, forsooth (or four-tooth, if you're from the sticks in Arkansas), so as to get this highly-British verbiage out of my mind. :P
Dark Disciple | Jun 5, 2008 7:22:20 PM | #Ryan -
i'm all for it...need me some refreshers.
room name: New Otherton.
drinking game rules (with any beverage really, the fun is all in timing the bathroom breaks):
- whenever Sawyer uses a nickname (which should get everyone good 'n plowed from the get go)
- whenever a character is linked to another one (or linked to the Island) in an Easter Egg-y manner(i.e. i think a picture of Kate was on TV in the background during one of Sawyer's flashbacks)
- whenever it rains
- whenever Hurley says "Dude"
- whenever Jin/Sun speak Korean
- whenever Kate tries to rescue someone
that's all i've got so far. maybe only one rule per episode should be adopted...otherwise we might have to join another group.
"Hi, my name is mri, and i'm an alcoholic and a Lost-oholic."
"Hi, mri."
mri | Jun 5, 2008 7:57:15 PM | #Well...this is definately a way to fill the time. But hey, I remember the episodes pretty well anyway, so even if I can't watch them all.
I actually never really went online to find out what other people thought of the show until season three. I think most people found the first season pretty awesome, but I had no idea most people didn't really like season two. So it'll be cool to hear everyone's thoughts on the old episodes. Great idea.
The first thing that popped into my head in place of "The Man Cave" was "The Pearl" in honor of our favorite surveillance station...home to stashed diamonds, Locke tantrums, and as many composition notebooks as you could ever want.
"But could you really stand six months of me talking about tuklus? "
Haha...not really. I love your theories Ryan, but sometimes after 2,000 words my brain starts to hurt.
Natalie | Jun 5, 2008 8:08:00 PM | #mri-
You're drinking rules are going to get everyone btrwrthd!
Here's more:
- everytime we see Vincent
- everytime Claire says "the bay-bee"
- oh, in addition to that last one, everytime Aaron or Claire gets kidnapped goes missing
- everytime someone gets punched in the face
- everytime we hear the smoke monster noise
- everytime a new hatch is discovered
- everytime someone enters the numbers
- everytime Desmond say "brutha"
last, but not least:
everytime we hear "WAAAAALT!" or "They took my son!"
Natalie | Jun 5, 2008 8:16:56 PM | #I love naming things...
How about the "Black Orchid" (as in a dark control room)
or maybe "OTHERWORLD"...(has an sense of escapism)
ktm | Jun 5, 2008 8:43:23 PM | #If we took a drink every time Jack put on his "I am constipated" expression, we'd all die of alcohol poisoning before the end of the first episode. :P
Dark Disciple | Jun 5, 2008 9:17:55 PM | #Wow, all episodes, back to back to back?? I guess that whole "who is this Henry Gale" thing may make a little more sense the second time around.
room name: New Butterton
ahr | Jun 5, 2008 9:18:37 PM | #Bwahahaha, "New Butterton." That's the early leader.
Ryan | Jun 5, 2008 9:21:00 PM | #Woops, typed wrong name up there...
A-Rob (ahr) | Jun 5, 2008 9:29:16 PM | #Don't mean to rain on the parade too much, but the guys at the Onion's AV Club did the exact same thing through the past month or so (rewatching the previous seasons, going over each episode, viewing them with what we know now). This seems kinda like...deja vu.
Andrew | Jun 6, 2008 12:08:55 AM | #Instead of alcohol, just do shots of Mrs. Butterworth syrup.
Top 3 ways to drink:
- Everytime Jack does something irrational and stupid.
- Everytime a bullet is fired.
- Everytime Ben gets punched, kicked, knocked on the head, shot at, or just plain shot with any kind of projectile.
As for your lair, why not call it Station 7 of the Dharma Initiative: The Time Bunny?
Other Sean | Jun 6, 2008 1:59:54 AM | #Oooh, or call it The Magic Box!
Other Sean | Jun 6, 2008 2:00:49 AM | #Ryan, 1 suggestion, don't start to re-watch/re-review the Season 4 episodes until the DVD is released. I know that may complicate things (considering your other blogging duties among others) as the DVD won't come out until December, but this year's episodes are more difficult to get a hold prior to the DVD release. I know that I can't use the ABC video (since I live in Canada) and the CTV site only shows the last 4 episodes. I'm sure that a lot of the regulars on here will also be purchasing the 4th season once it becomes available.
I actually have the first 3 seasons on DVD but have never watched the episodes a second time. This will give me a good excuse to watch them.
Rishi | Jun 6, 2008 2:54:37 AM | #Man Cave =
Boob Tube Dude Cube (BTDC) or "The Cube" for short
Ryan's Hatch
McGee's Temple
I dub thee:
A Lost Life
Brian of the North | Jun 6, 2008 6:01:14 AM | #Recipe for The BTRSLMR:
- One part Capt. Morgans Spiced Rum
- One Part Club Soda
- One part Mrs. Butterworths Syrup (Original not that "lite" crap!)
Layer each ingredient into shot glass. Place hand over shot glass. SLAM ON TABLE! Down the Hatch!
Brian of the North | Jun 6, 2008 6:18:47 AM | #Rishi: I'm timing it so I start minicapping Season 4 come December, don't worry about that.
As far as Andrew's concern: not really striving/pretending to be the ONLY site ever to do this, but where else could it be done with this particular group of people? That makes it a worthwhile project in my books.
djc: BTDC's now tied with New Butterton for consideration. Keep the suggestions coming, y'all!
Ryan | Jun 6, 2008 6:19:09 AM | #if we do shots of the btwrth we'll end up with diabetes. if we do BOTN's propoed shots we'll become diabetics AND alcoholics. :-)
another room name:
- IHOP (for the btrwrth!)
- DBMC - Dharma Brand Man Cave
room name that Ryan's never going to go for:
Nikki and Paolo's Love Shack
mri | Jun 6, 2008 6:44:39 AM | #Y'know, Ryan, in the interim between now and the 15th you could, oh I dunno... *cough* postmyvideo *cough*.
At least you get comments *pout*. I'm at 115 views so far and not a single comment :(
Jeff | Jun 6, 2008 7:09:01 AM | #Damn, I'm already well into the second season and I just lent the first season to some friends to watch (hoping they become as hooked as I am).
Your man room, since you mentioned it: Tabula Casa
or if you need to "The Escape Hatch
Drinking game: Every time Sawyer swings his beautiful hair - Drink.
Every time Charlie says "What's that?" - Drink.
Every time Rose give someone her Bronx attitude - Drink.
Every time we see Sun with herbs or plants - Drink.
Every time Michael says "Man" - Drink.
I'll think of more.
Chris | Jun 6, 2008 8:11:29 AM | #
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