Summary: A flashback shows Jack drinking as Flight 815 crashes. In the present, Jack wakes up in the jungle and starts saving people in the wreckage of a plane crash. Jack meets Kate and asks her to stitch up his wound. There are 48 survivors who start waiting for rescue and they are startled when they hear a monster in the jungle. Jack decides to go looking for the cockpit in hopes of finding the transceiver. Jack, Kate and Charlie go together. They find the cockpit and the pilot, who is alive. The pilot reveals that they were 100 miles off course when they crashed. The monster arrives and kills the pilot. Jack, Kate and Charlie escape.
The Good: This was a successful pilot in every single way. This episode nails every single thing I want from a pilot episode, and in my mind this is certainly the best pilot episode of all time. The most impressive aspect is the pacing. I've seen countless TV shows which I can recommend with the condition that "you have to get past the first few episodes before it gets good". So many TV shows start with such a slow burn, and they only start getting exciting later on. Some prime examples are "Outlander", "Person of Interest", "24", and even "The Leftovers". Heck even comedies like "Friends" and "Seinfeld" started slow. I'm not saying the pilots of these shows are bad, but they are so by-the-numbers and ordinary, especially compared to later episodes in these shows. But with "Lost", this pilot episode hits the mark immediately, running at a rapid pace from scene to scene with there constantly being plenty to enjoy and to be excited by. Whether it's Jack running around in that spectacular opening sequence, the characters giving us some fascinating glimpses into their personality, or the monster raging through the jungle, there is always something interesting happening throughout these 45 minutes, and that makes this a thoroughly enjoyable episode of television. Two sequences stand out in particular for me as epic television moments. The first was the opening moments of the show. Having us witness Jack wake up in the jungle wearing a suit with a dog running around and a bottle of alcohol in his pocket made us immediately disoriented and it let us fully experience the fear of a plane crash. Watching Jack run around saving people one after the other was awesome, and it makes us immediately like him as he steps up in a pressure situation to save some lives. Furthermore, the effects were fantastic, especially for a show that was created in 2004. This opening scene was a total spectacle and it wowed me as I watched it. The other standout sequence was Jack, Kate and Charlie in the cockpit. The colouring of the cockpit in the stormy weather was so dark and dreary, adding a very scary atmosphere to the scene. The brilliant music helped too, crafting a lovely scene as Jack, Kate and Charlie make their way through the plane. Then of course there is the monster attack which was downright frightening and reminded me of "Jurassic Park" as the heroes are trapped in a confined space with a huge monster outside. The scene was very intense and provided a fitting climax to the episode. What made that cockpit sequence even better was how well I got to know Kate and Jack throughout the episode. By the time they were speaking with the pilot, I had a decent enough idea of their personalities, particularly Jack who had been given the most to work with, particularly with his fantastic speech about his first surgery. We don't quite know Kate as well, but she feels very real and likable as she quickly builds a connection with Jack. Then there's Charlie who serves as a great comic relief while also providing us some of his backstory. Most interestingly though, there is some depth to Charlie which is hinted at a few times in this episode (see: The Unknown). The side characters are also established really well. We don't get to know them very well (we don't get any names for most of them), but we are still able to get the gist of their characters with a few choice pieces of dialogue and some terrific visual storytelling. It's a great way to introduce these characters quickly even when the story isn't focused on them. One other thing I want from a TV show pilot is plenty of intrigue, mystery and a general motive for me to continue watching the show. This had all of that in spades. I finished this episode with plenty of burning questions I want answered (see: The Unknown). The monster is a great mystery that makes me excited to see more, and there are so many little clues about the side characters that I'm eager to learn more about them. The episode flies by and it offers so much content that I can't imagine somebody not wanting to check out the next episode. The Bad: I don't have anything bad to say about this. The Unknown: I have plenty to say here however. Was there a dog on the plane? Is the dog Vincent, who was mentioned by Walt? Jack seems troubled if he is downing alcohol on the plane. What's bothering him? What was Charlie doing in the bathroom? I don't buy his explanation of throwing up. We also see Charlie running from the flight attendants in the flashback which is very interesting. The bald man on the beach seems oddly at peace with the crash. Why? Does he know something about the crash? What is the monster? Why did it attack the pilot? Best Moment: The opening minutes with Jack waking up and immediately running through the remains of the plane in an effort to save people was the perfect way to start a show. So fast paced, so exciting, and so engrossing. Character of the Episode: Jack. Conclusion: This was an incredible pilot episode that instantly let me know that I was watching a brilliant show. I can't wait to watch the next one. Score: 85
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Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
March 2024
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