S2 Disappointing?

[Cinephilic TV Addict]

season 2 has been beyond disappointing - only everybody hates hugo and Sun's lost wedding ring have been up to par with season 1. the rest are easily the worst of the entire series.

but, i have faith that it will get better. they're just stuck in that 'ol season 2 curse right now (same one that stargate atlantis fell into for most of the first part of season 2).

[Vyse]

This season has been incredible. I've been on the edge of my seat during every episode. I curse at the TV every time the show goes on commercial break, kinda like I am with 24. I love this show, it's the best show on TV right now IMO.

[Cinephilic TV Addict]

This season has been incredible. I've been on the edge of my seat during every episode. I curse at the TV every time the show goes on commercial break, kinda like I am with 24. I love this show, it's the best show on TV right now IMO.

I agree w/ 24 - that always keeps my ready for the next episode (I got lucky w/ season 4, because I had far too much class work to watch the last five episodes, so I didn't get to see them till the middle of the summer, so it doesn't seem that long since it ended before season 5 begins in january).

But season 2 of lost is different - it's not crap (like parts of stargate atlantis season 2 were), but the writers and directors lost a bit of quality (no pun intended). The sawyer/michael diaologue and sawyer actions in 202 were just plain aweful, the *spoilers*


shooting the shark with the gun wasn't believable, etc. Desmond being from Jack's past is stretching it too far, but i believe they could have made it work if the dialogue was better. Locke asking jack *spoilers*


to push the button on a leap of faith was completely unbelievable - usually the flashbacks only partially elude to the modern episdoe - in other words, their subtexts are usually similar. however, this 'leap of faith' crap was foregrounded, which is just bad writing. okay, we get it - jack's a man of science, locke a man of faith - now they need to take it to new levels. i could go on, but i'll stop.

but, like i said, it's not crap - the acting is still good, and they still have their potential. The recent episode, *spoilers*


with Sun losing her weddding ring, was great - i loved how everyone she talked to was the exact right person - Jack inadvertantly made her feel worse (he replicated his ring and his marriage broke up), hurley reminded her of jin (jin gave her a dog too), when she tears up her garden because she's sure she's lost jin, locke is the perfect one to step in (to renew faith), and even kate wasn't just trying to make her feel better, but had her own intentions (she cares about Sawyer and wanted to read his message, which makes be believe a future conflict between kate and ana lucia may arise, because sawyer is obviously going to fall for ana lucia). and in the end, finding her ring gives both her and kate hope that the ones they care about are still alive. beautiful story. the jin/michael story on the other side of the island was only so-so.

anyway, let's hope that the next new episode is as good as the commercial says it is (although I don't like the fact that it eluded that *spoilers*


someone may die - those suprises should be surprises).

[twiggy]

I think that so far it's been pretty good. If they kept us all on the edge of our seats for every episode, eventually, we'd get used to it, and they'd have to do more to keep up that intensity. kinda like rollercoasters, they keep having to make bigger and faster ones.

anyways, i like the slower paced ones (hurley's and sun's), because it reminds us of why we fell in love with these characters in the first place. sometimes i think that i would like jack a little bit more if he had an episode like that, just light hearted and nice. right now, i don't like him, because all of his episodes are dark. (also, i liked him in sun's episode, even though he made it worse, because he was normal, like a human being again. not this gun-toting maniac running around trying to make people do things, or else will shoot them.)

[prion]

Yes, disappointing. I'm not a big fan of the show but I like to watch it and it held my interest but this season, I'm flicking channels. It's not good when you can easily guess 10 minutes into the episodes what the plot will be and how it will resolve.

[AdrianneP]

So far I have found season 2 to be very disappointing

Season 1 was very high quality but Season 2 has been average especially episode 2

What do you think?

Sadly, I'm equally disappointed.
Like a lot here I was saying, "Well it's early yet." But as the season progresses I'm not seeing anything that makes sense. So many plot lines have been dropped.

Spoiler:

They did a whole episode of Shannon flash backs only to kill her. Why??? Why show us her backstory and introduce us to her evil Stepmother and then kill her off? No, I don't think that will ever be answered. The hatch HAD to be opened to hide everyone from the EVIL Others. Get off the beach, they know we're here, they're going to kill us all ... Oooo! The hatch is open and it looks pretty big from what I've seen ... NO ONE IS USING THE HATCH FOR SHELTER! Everyone is still on the beach without any fear of The Others. WHY?! The writers have been saying from the beginning that they're so excited about the Love Square they're going to create with Ana/Jack/Sawyer/Kate. Oo it's just SO exciting, the sexual tension between them four. I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was watching a Soap Opera on the Beach!!! This is not something I want to see! Tell me more about these numbers and why they're so bad and why everyone seems to be connected and experience these numbers before boarding the plane! Oh! Never mind, we have a great love story to tell between four people! Wow the sexual tension is going to be great!! ::Screaming::

Yeah the season has really sucked for me ...

Adrianne

[ShadowMaat]

The season isn't progressing, that's the whole thing. Snails look like speed demons compared to the pace of this season, and now they've done the whole two-eps-ending-at-the-same-point-in-time thing TWICE. In the FIRST HALF of the season! I keep yelling about that, but FFS, it bugs the hell out of me.

I can stand a slow pace, but I like it to actually MOVE FORWARD and there's no forward movement this season. Plots ARE being ignored. Nothing is happening.

And then add to that the fact that the sex/romance stories are apparently going to become the focus (TPTB have spent a lot of time and interviews talking about the love triangle/quadrangle they're building) and you get a show I don't think I want to watch anymore. I might watch them at a later time, but for now, I'm skipping it unless or until I see evidence that something relevant might actually HAPPEN in an ep.

[Osiris-RA]

I like S2 better than S1. I dunno, I'm just more into it. Ever since the hatch opened, it's gotten cooler and cooler. I can see bits of a plto forming...somewhere. Right now, I just really want to know what happened to those kids and where they're going with this hatch and invisible beast thing. I like the new characters, mainly Ana and Mr Eko. The writers seem to be filling in the blanks of the past of these characters now...which could be why everything drags just a bit. But, I'm hooked so far.

[AdrianneP]

Right now, I just really want to know what happened to those kids and where they're going with this hatch and invisible beast thing.

[Sarcasm]I just love how cute and innocent this reads. That you honestly believe these things will be answered and mentioned ever again. Just so cute. [/Sarcasm]

Adrianne

[FoolishPleasure]

The best writer from season 1, David Fury, quit after the season ended. He is currently working on the new season of "24". Don't know why he quit, but it was obviously a huge loss.

[Cinephilic TV Addict]

The best writer from season 1, David Fury, quit after the season ended. He is currently working on the new season of "24". Don't know why he quit, but it was obviously a huge loss.

Well, at least he went from one great show to another. Maybe we'll see an episode of 24 where a flashback reveals Jack was blind until he tortured his first terrorist and was magically healed...

...just relating back to Fury's best episode of LOST, if you get my drift.

[Morbo]

So far I have found season 2 to be very disappointing

Season 1 was very high quality but Season 2 has been average especially episode 2

What do you think?

you're wrong.

Season 2 is going at about the same pace as season 1 did.
Remember there are 24 episodes in the season. We're up to....8? 10? I don't remember.

Season 1 had its slow episodes in the middle too. Backstories for all the characters. Think of the Jin and Sun episodes, the Walt and Michael episodes etc. THey were slow, and we didn't see "The Others" or stuff on the island. But they were good episodes and helped set up the story more.

People who bought/rented season 1 and watched it all at once didn't get the pacing that people who watched it week to week.
I watched it week to week, so i kept along. I'm not saying you didn't, I'm just saying that it's all about pace and story building.

Season 2 has had all great episodes so far. All great. Just because it started out with a bang finishing the cliffhanger from the first season doesn't mean the remainder of the season sucks. It's been great.
And its only getting better.

[Cinephilic TV Addict]

Hey everybody – I have figured out some basic reasons why S2 is worse, and would like to know any other observations people have as to why it is not as good as S1 so far.

Reasons –

1) Lost S1 mostly asked questions. S2 seems to want to answer questions first and then show us how they got to that answer (the hatch in episodes 1 and 2, the other 48 days, etc.). In other words, the question “How?” has not made as good television as the question “What?” (for LOST, as least).

2) Almost all the stories from the other side of the island (Sawyer, Michael, and Jin w/ the tailies) fell flat because WE DIDN’T CARE about the tailies yet. Lost tried to make good TV out of the reactions of the tailies to Sawyer, Michael, and Jin and it did not work.

3) All the stories from the other side of the island seemed to lack direction – the LOST folks have such an intricate storyline going with our original survivors (and how their lives have intersected or crossed paths – Jack didn’t save Shannon’s father, Hurley owns Locke’s box company, etc.). They seemed to be just winging it when it came to the stories about the others and the tailies, dragging out the action w/out real purpose.

Then, of course, there are the random things that are just too far – Sawyer pulling the bullet out of his shoulder by hand, Desmond being arbitrarily from Jack’s past instead of intertwined in some unique way, etc. And not to mention that problem so many of us have with Michelle Rodriquez...

Now, don’t get me wrong – this isn’t a polemic. I’m not trying to start an argument over “is season 2 better" here, because no one short of God can possibly convince me that S2 is better. I’ve talked to other peers about it, and even a professional TV writer. The execution (read as: directing, cinematography, etc.) is slightly worse than S1 and the writing varies from a little worse to a lot worse (depending on the episode).

Also, it’s not that S2 is horrible – there’s been some good stuff. And it’s getting better – I’m almost wary about starting this thread in fear that the next episode will be great. It’s just that the first eight episodes have not been up to par w/ S1 (all with varying degrees – abandoned was okay, for example, but adrift was easily the worst episode of the series). I still love the show and will watch it every week.

I was just wondering, for those of us who are disappointed w/ S2, if anyone else had some other observations. I have a hunch that ABC asked the J.J. Abrams and TPTB to extend the show for at least one more season, so they had to draw out some of S2’s stories. Either that or it’s just the season 2 curse…

[ShadowMaat]

I watched Lost week-to-week last season and loved it. Despite taking time out for all the back stories, I still had a sense of forward momentum, I still had a sense that time was actually passing.

I don't feel that this season.

Last season took place over 40 days. This season, we're halfway through and I'm not even sure we've gotten through an entire week. They keep backtracking and covering the same timeframe that has already been covered in previous eps. And whereas last season I could deal with taking time out for the characters and thought that it all added to our understanding... now I feel like they're just stalling, delaying, and making excuses not to continue the story.

I'm glad you're still happy with it, but last week for the first time I skipped an ep... and I haven't missed it. At all.

[AdrianneP]

you're wrong.

<snip>

Season 2 has had all great episodes so far. All great. Just because it started out with a bang finishing the cliffhanger from the first season doesn't mean the remainder of the season sucks. It's been great.
And its only getting better.

That's your opinion and it's great that you feel that way.
You shouldn't tell people their wrong because their opinion differs from your opinion.

Last season took place over 40 days. This season, we're halfway through and I'm not even sure we've gotten through an entire week. They keep backtracking and covering the same timeframe that has already been covered in previous eps. And whereas last season I could deal with taking time out for the characters and thought that it all added to our understanding... now I feel like they're just stalling, delaying, and making excuses not to continue the story.

I'm glad you're still happy with it, but last week for the first time I skipped an ep... and I haven't missed it. At all.

I feel the same way. Last season we complained (or, well, I complained somewhere else with other people) about the constant replaying of reruns because they didn't have new episodes to air. At least when a new episode aired you knew you were going to get new information.

I don't know if this was mentioned on another thread but on the other board I'm on discussing this person noticed a date difference between this season and last season: http://board.uscho.com/showpost.php?...&postcount=695 (there are no spoiler tags on this website so view at your own risk)

Last season they really pushed the days that have past ... This season, not so much. I don't even know what day were on, I'm not sure anyone does. The story seems much more choppy and incomplete with no sign of cleaning up.

And, ShadowMaat, I agree completely about missing an episode and not caring. I missed the episode with the shark, twice, and twice I didn't care about it.

Adrianne