Lost Season 6

Tags

2010's, Daniel Dae Kim, Elizabeth Mitchell, Emilie de Ravin, Evangeline Lilly, Henry Ian Cusick, Jeff Fahey, Jorge Garcia, Josh Holloway, Ken Leung, Lost, Lost Season 6, Matthew Fox, Michael Emerson, Naveen Andrews, Nestor Carbonell, Terry O'Quinn, Yunjin Kim, Zuleikha Robinson

And here it is, my review of Lost’s final season. I have continued to be enthralled by this enigmatic series from the moment I watched it. Revisiting it has been a great experience, and hopefully this has translated into my reviews of the past seasons. So back to business with this review of the polarizing and highly controversial Season 6. Spoilers will follow in my review.

Last we saw of the characters was Jack(Matthew Fox) attempting to blow the survivors back into the correct time zone by detonating a hydrogen bomb which will place them back on the flight. We now see that they are back on the island once more after Juliet(Elizabeth Mitchell) caused the bomb to explode, preceded by a bright flashing light. Juliet succumbs to death in Sawyer’s(Josh Holloway) arms and Sawyer sinks into depression. Meanwhile, after he got Ben(Michael Emerson) to kill Jacob, the person claiming to be Locke(Terry O’Quinn) revealed himself to be the ‘Man in Black’ or the smoke monster who is now stuck in the guise of the deceased Locke. He takes command over a small group of people in order to gain leadership and revenge. Sun(Yunjin Kim), Ben, Frank(Jeff Fahey) and Ilana(Zuleikha Robinson) try to navigate their way through the jungle to warn the others. With Sayid(Naveen Andrews) injured, Jack,Kate(Evangeline Lilly), Hurley(Jorge Garcia),Miles(Ken Leung) and Jin(Daniel Dae Kim) take him to the Temple, which is populated by a group of ‘The Others’, where he can be supposedly healed. Sayid dies but strangely comes back to life two hours later. But Sayid isn’t how he was originally, and he later switches to the dark side as a result. Kate later goes to find Sawyer with Jin, but the two become separated from each other. Jin soon encounters a familiar face in Claire(Emilie de Ravin) who was last seen wandering into the jungle after seeing a vision of her father in Season 4. Claire has significantly changed from the vulnerable girl we last saw, adopting a harsh personality based on survival and instinct, very much like jungle dweller Rousseau before her. Jack is warned by the leader of the Man in Black’s plans to kill everyone and take over leadership of the island. But with friendships changing and loyalties shifting, can any of these characters survive what is to come? Prepare to be shocked and thrilled as Season 6 unravels with the reasons why the characters are on the island and the history behind it.

The first thing to comment on in this final season is the introduction of the flash sideways. Through this technique, we witness the characters living out what their lives could have been like if they hadn’t crashed on the island. These little snippets of alternate lives prove for interesting viewing to say the least. Many have said that the technique isn’t useful, but I think it does serve as a melancholy reminder of how drastic the survivor’s have changed since their first encounter with the mysterious island. Various scenarios include Locke being reunited with his beloved Helen, Sawyer as a cop and Kate escaping justice and meeting Claire. I admire the heightening of the themes of good and evil, and the cloud of confusion that comes from attempting to fathom who is on the right side. Various characters are afflicted by this, prominently Sawyer and Sayid. Effectively woven into this tapestry are themes of loyalty, friendship and distrust. The season does get quite complicated towards the end, but still elicits a strong emotional response from me. Having watched all of the seasons, there is a deep, emotional tie to these characters in their quest for answers.

The cast as always are impeccable and have become so intertwined with their characters emotions. Matthew Fox is reliable as Jack, whose pitted in this battle of good and evil because of conflicting beliefs and ideals. Terry O’Quinn is menace personified as the Man in Black taking the form of Locke, we watch how he influences the characters in his attempt to escape the island once and for all. Michael Emerson manages to reveal a strangely sensitive and vulnerable side to the normally traitorous Ben, whilst Jorge Garcia imbues Hurley with lovable charm and warm pathos. Josh Holloway is impeccable as Sawyer, whose character has deepened with every season. Naveen Andrews effectively portrays Sayid’s journey to the dark side but also his heroic salvation. Henry Ian Cusick adeptly plays Desmond and his humorous but resourceful demeanor. Daniel Dae Kim and Yunjin Kim are impressive as Jin and Sun, who are finally reunited after being apart for so long.Evangeline Lilly brings her familiar mix of strength and vulnerability to the role of Kate. Emilie de Ravin returns as Claire, and cleverly shows her regression to primal instinct and then her accepting humanity again as she remembers what happened before. Elizabeth Mitchell, despite only appearing briefly, adds sadness to Juliet as she courageously tries to save the island but succumbs to death in the arms of her beloved Sawyer. Ken Leung and Nestor Carbonell are used to great effect as the sarcastic Miles and the ageless Richard. Jeff Fahey gets some excellent one liners as pilot Frank. Zuleikha Robinson returns as Ilana, though it’s a shame that her character is killed off so early in the season and not developed well enough.

This season is full of heart wrenching moments from start to finish. The two that most affected me where Sayid’s heroic sacrifice and Sun and Jin’s death by drowning. As they occur within minutes of each, the emotional impact is all the more powerful as we watch the deaths of three popular characters. If you don’t find their deaths emotional, then you have a heart of stone. Sayid’s death is tragic because he finally finds redemption in sacrificing himself, Sun and Jin’s death is sad because of the various obstacles that they have overcome to be where they are now and how they die holding hands, symbolising their undying love for one another. No discussion of this season would be complete without mentioning the controversial ending. In it, we see all of the characters from many of the different seasons reunite in a church as they move onto the afterlife, whilst a highly emotional score plays in the background. I personally found the scene very evocative and heartfelt. I know many will disagree with me, but I still can’t shake the ending. Many people thought that the ending basically implied that the characters were dead all along, but if you listen closely the whole story is explained by Jack’s father.

Emotional and interesting, the last season of Lost is not to be missed. Some may take certain issues with the series, but the characters are so well written that this is more than enough to get you through. I’m sad to finish watching this series, but fear not fellow bloggers as more television reviews will be coming your way very soon.

Lost Season 5

Tags

2000's, Daniel Dae Kim, Elizabeth Mitchell, Evangeline Lilly, Henry Ian Cusick, Jeff Fahey, Jeremy Davies, Jorge Garcia, Josh Holloway, Ken Leung, Lost, Lost Season 5, Matthew Fox, Michael Emerson, Naveen Andrews, Nestor Carbonell, Rebecca Mader, Terry O'Quinn, Yunjin Kim, Zuleikha Robinson

Following on from the unexpected and riveting finale of Season 4, Lost Season 5 continues the groundwork set by it to contribute more shocking twists and turns in this saga. It may become a bit too complicated at times, but it’s just so addictive to watch that this quibble will most likely forgotten as the season progresses. Spoilers will follow in this review.

What we last saw was Ben(Michael Emerson) turning a mysterious wheel which made the island vanish from view, Locke(Terry O’Quinn) had assumed the role of leader to ‘The Others’ and the freighter had blown up, supposedly killing Jin(Daniel Dae Kim). The Oceanic Six were adjusting to their new lives back at home, but were still being plagued by the pull of the island. It appears, according to Ben that the island will never let them go and they are to return as part of destiny. The present of Jack(Matthew Fox), Kate(Evangeline Lilly), Hurley(Jorge Garcia), Sun(Yunjin Kim) and Sayid(Naveen Andrews) is explored as we watch them realise that they must return to the island they fought to get off. Meanwhile on the island  the people still there, Sawyer(Josh Holloway),Juliet(Elizabeth Mitchell) Daniel(Jeremy Davies), Miles(Ken Leung) and Charlotte(Rebecca Mader) realise that what Ben has unleashed is a continuous jump through time. One minute they are in the present, the next minute they are experiencing the history of the mysterious island. The jumping through time soon seems to herald the arrival of dire consequences as uncertainty rises. As the Oceanic Six return to the island, it appears it is going to be awkward and enigmatic all over again as they have to face their alleged destiny.

The first thing to note about Season 5 is the heavy usage of time travel. In some aspects, it increases the impact of the story to the audience but it can also get more than a little confusing to keep up with. I can understand why certain fans of the show become a bit disillusioned with this season because of the confusion of certain aspects. I agree to some extent about the confusion, at certain points I was really unsure about what the hell was happening, but the character development and mystery kept me interested in this eventful season. Our characters are drawn back together and watching them you see that you’ve come to relate to them and care about what becomes of them. The script cleverly plays with the reasons why the island needs them back and teases the answers out slowly but surely with mysterious effects. I liked how the history of the DHARMA Initiative is intertwined with our characters, and how after time travel, Sawyer and some of the others integrate themselves into the community. The various characters who appear later on such as Eloise and a young Widmore add to the mix of enigma and strangeness. Music is again another highlight of the show as it drives the narrative forward with urgency.The jumpy editing was beneficial to the constant shifts in time and neatly links in the theme of changing destiny. I must mention that Lost Season 5 is filled with emotional moments that will really be devastating to watch. One of these is the death of Charlotte, because of the various shifts in time beginning to aggravate her mind. Daniel watches as the woman he cares for slips away in his arms and we see his guilt at knowing that something like this would happen. The other is Daniel’s death at the hands of his own mother Eloise in the past timeline. His unexpected and heartfelt end also functions as a way of tying up some of the unanswered questions of the season. Both the work of Rebecca Mader and Jeremy Davies ensures that although their characters were only in the show for a short time, they will most certainly be remembered.

Our ensemble cast really steps up here to deliver exceptional performances. Terry O’Quinn really does some amazing work as Locke, who is killed by Ben early in the season but strangely enough seems to have come back to life again. He must now embrace his destiny and protect the island, but what is the mystery surrounding this alleged figure of John Locke? Michael Emerson adds more layers to Ben, showing he is still a manipulative liar but also a very strong ally with important information that could save everyone.Matthew Fox is great as Jack, whose leadership begins to slip when he is transported back into the 70’s. Josh Holloway really fleshes out the character of Sawyer and shows us the inner turmoil and eventual happiness he finds with Juliet as they pursue a relationship. Elizabeth Mitchell continues to impress as the resourceful Juliet, now in a relationship with Sawyer in one of the many timelines. She shows us how Juliet has finally found happiness but is dragged back into the various troubles of the island because of the survivor’s return.Evangeline Lilly portrays Kate as a complex woman, torn between her love for Jack and the mystery of the island. We get to glimpse the maternal bond she has developed with baby Aaron and how no matter what happens, she is always on the run from something in her life. Jorge Garcia and Naveen Andrews continue to deliver fine work as Hurley and Sayid. Yunjin embodies the undying love for her husband and her refusal to believe he is dead. As it transpires, Jin is in fact alive and in the 70’s timeline. Speaking with a better command of English and tougher than ever, Daniel Dae Kim manages to make Jin one of the best characters on the show. Ken Leung impresses again as the sarcastic medium Miles, who has unfinished business with someone in the past on the island. One point that I will make is that I wish that Henry Ian Cusick had more prominence to the story with his character of Desmond. Don’t get me wrong, whenever Desmond appears it is always riveting, but Season 5 unfortunately doesn’t use him efficiently enough. Jeff Fahey adds dashes of humour as the returning pilot Frank.The supporting character of Richard, a high member of ‘The Others’ is given more prominence in this season after a number of guest appearances in the past seasons. The seemingly ageless Richard is portrayed with spooky resonance by Nestor Carbonell, who gets some wonderful scenes with Locke and Ben as they deliberate the fate of the island. The new character of Ilana, an alleged bounty hunter is introduced in this season and she is shaping up to be an enigmatic puzzle of a character. Portrayed with sexy, self-assurance and fierce determination by Zuleikha Robinson, it will be interesting to see what more her character can contribute to this mind-bending show.

Season 5 may get off to a confusing start but stay with it as the various threads weave together to make for intense, emotional and mind-blowing television.

Lost Season 4

Tags

2000's, Daniel Dae Kim, Elizabeth Mitchell, Emilie de Ravin, Evangeline Lilly, Harold Perrineau, Henry Ian Cusick, Jeff Fahey, Jeremy Davies, Jorge Garcia, Josh Holloway, Ken Leung, Lost, Lost Season 4, Matthew Fox, Michael Emerson, Naveen Andrews, Rebecca Mader, Terry O'Quinn, Yunjin Kim

Lost Season 3 proved to be a lesser season to the two that came before it because of the story becoming a little too complicated for its own good. As season 3 went on it gathered momentum and delivered a great finale. Season 4 carries on this momentum and emerges as a superior season to the last with a twisting story. Warning, spoilers will follow in this overview.

To recap,Jack(Matthew Fox) and the rest of the survivors made contact with an alleged freighter for rescue, despite the warnings from John Locke(Terry O’Quinn) and the nefarious Ben(Michael Emerson). Before Charlie died, he managed to inform Desmond(Henry Ian Cusick) that the rescuers were not as good as they seem. This message when relayed to the survivors forges a split in camps as Jack leads those who believe in the rescue and Locke leading the camp that wants to hide. Kate(Evangeline Lilly), Juliet(Elizabeth Mitchell), who has finally chosen her side after much enigma, Desmond, Sun(Yunjin Kim) , Jin (Daniel Dae Kim) and Sayid(Naveen Andrews) side with Jack. Whereas a devastated Hurley(Jorge Garcia), Claire(Emilie de Ravin) Ben and Sawyer(Josh Holloway) choose to go with Locke. We are then introduced to the mysterious members of the alleged rescuers: the awkward physicist Daniel Faraday(Jeremy Davies), the hot-headed medium Miles(Ken Leung), secretive anthropologist Charlotte Lewis(Rebecca Mader) and pilot Frank Lapidus(Jeff Fahey) . It appears that rescue isn’t the only part of their plan as they are actually looking for Ben as well. The man behind this is Charles Widmore, the disapproving father of Penny, who wants to locate the island for his own personal greed. The series also gives us an insight into the futures of characters, in revealing and innovative flash forwards which reveal the members who left the island. Among the stories, Jack has become depressed and turned to drink before attempting to clear his act up in order to get Kate back, Hurley is haunted by visions of Charlie, Kate is caring for baby Aaron and Sayid works as a hitman for none other than Ben. These little glimpses show us how the island seems to have a hold on them despite them leaving and how it is trying to lure them back to the mysterious place. As the struggle for power continues, who will survive as mystery deepens, tensions rise and a familiar face returns? All will be revealed as Season 4, although brief in length, captures the mystery of your imagination and refuses to let go.

Season 4 may be very short, which occurred because of the Writer’s Strike at the time of airing, but it still manages to be gripping television.The animosity between the two factions is amazing to watch, especially in the scene in which they disperse in the pouring rain. Locke and Jack are very much at loggerheads again in their battle for leadership and the way that this is written proves for excellent and emotionally involving viewing.The script is tighter than some of Season 3 and manages to flesh out the conflicted emotions that begin to run high as result of the split and the various motivations for this. The flash forwards prove immensely interesting and eye-opening as we witness some of the experiences of the people who escaped the island and how the presence of their time on it have left them haunted by its spectre. We still get the occasional flashbacks to their time before the island, but the flash forwards make for more compelling viewing. Strong visuals and camerawork give this season a sense of immediacy as our characters navigate their way through uncertain motivations and divided minds. The atmosphere is heightened by the stunning and often enigmatic score that is utilised to excellent effect in this mysterious and mind-bending show. I also found the scenes with Sayid and Desmond on the boat riveting because of the mysterious bouts of cabin fever that resulted in violent consequences and the reintroduction of Michael into the series.The concept of time travel is brought into fruition with Desmond, who begins to experiences flashes of the past and is only able to return if something remains constant. His constant is his unwavering love for Penny. This culminates in an emotional phone call to his beloved that will leave you in tears and ranks as one of the most emotionally rewarding and heartfelt scenes in the series. Everything about this scene is structured so well and really adds to the emotion driven storylines that occupy Lost, especially the amazing acting by Henry Ian Cusick. Another emotional moment is the death of Danielle Rousseau and eventually her daughter Alex by the mercenaries from the boat. I really thought that their reunion in the last season was touching, which makes their respective deaths all the more tragic.

As with before, the wide ensemble cast is exemplary. Matthew Fox shows us how Jack has gone from original stabilizer of the group to driven and slightly dogmatic leader of his section of followers who is now in battle with Locke for supremacy. Terry O’Quinn is always riveting as the ever-changing Locke, who becomes more aggressive and goes full on ‘Colonel Kurtz’ as Sawyer so eloquently puts it.Speaking of Sawyer, Josh Holloway continues with his sarcastic delivery but also finds sympathy and new depths within this character. Michael Emerson impresses as the manipulative Ben, who becomes something of an unlikely ally to the survivors with his knowledge of the intentions of the supposed rescuers and who is behind it. He informs the group that he has a spy on the boat, who is later revealed to be Michael(Harold Perrineau), who we last saw betraying his friends to get Walt back. Harold Perrineau subtly shows Michael’s journey from broken man on the verge of suicide to one who wants to be redeemed for his past misdeeds. His eventual death completes his quest for redemption in spectacular fashion. Jorge Garcia provides emotional depth and humour as the ever lovable Hurley, while Naveen Andrews excels with Sayid’s arc. Yunjin Kim and Daniel Dae Kim quietly portray the love between Sun and Jin and the way they have overcome the various barriers standing in their way. Evangeline Lilly continues to be impressive as resourceful Kate and she has some excellent scenes with Elizabeth Mitchell, who portrays Juliet. Mitchell gets to show us the warmth and compassion behind Juliet’s outward appearance and her budding relationship with Jack makes for interesting viewing as we wonder how it will pan out and whether Jack will be with Juliet or Kate. The newer characters are well written and add different dimensions to the show. Jeremy Davies is suitably nervy yet highly intelligent as Daniel, while Ken Leung portrays the sarcastic and insular Miles. Rebecca Mader adds mystery and toughness as Charlotte and Jeff Fahey gets some amazing and funny one-liners as the cranky pilot Frank.

With red herrings a plenty and emotion driven stories, Lost Season 4 is an enthralling entry into this saga from unexpected beginning to exhilarating finale.

 

Planet Terror

Tags

2000's, Action, Freddy Rodriguez, Grindhouse, Horror, Jeff Fahey, Josh Brolin, Marley Shelton, Michael Biehn, Naveen Andrews, Planet Terror, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Rose McGowan

Film Title

Planet Terror

Director

Robert Rodriguez

Starring

• Rose McGowan as Cherry Darling
• Freddy Rodriguez as El Wray
• Josh Brolin as Block
• Jeff Fahey as J T Hague
• Michael Biehn as Sheriff Hague
• Marley Shelton as Dakota Block
• Naveen Andrews as Abby

Robert Rodriguez’s homage to cheap horror movies of the 70’s comes in the form of Planet Terror, which was released as part of Grindhouse, a collaboration between Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. If it’s substance you’re looking for, turn away now. But if it’s zombie horror, a killer soundtrack and action gore galore, Planet Terror is certainly worth sticking around for.

Cherry Darling is a go-go dancer, sick and tired of her job as she dreams of being a comedienne. She quits her job and finds herself one night in the local diner, where she encounters the enigmatic El Wray. He used to be her lover, but their relationship has cooled. Meanwhile in the rural Texas town, a toxin has been released into the air from a military base nearby. At first nothing happens, but then many of the residents begin developing various side effects and subsequently morph into ravenous zombies. The zombies begin to attack the living causing chaos and a fight for survival. Joining forces with El Wray, the local diner owner, the sheriff, a chemical engineer and a doctor, Cherry leads the fight against the infected, even after she has a leg eaten and replaced with a machine gun. Prepare for kick ass action, copious amounts of blood and grainy visuals as Planet Terror emerges as over the top action in the style of B-movies.

From the opening frames, you know what you’re going to get from Rodriguez. He nails the grainy abrasions that popularised the films of his childhood and adds them to this film in homages which come off rather well, especially in the opening scenes of Cherry’s sexy dance. He even throws in a missing reel with apologies and some sleazy trailers for good measure. The soundtrack is killer, from the grungy guitars to the smoking saxophone, it makes for a rocking listen. Rodriguez directs some pretty great scenes of action as the survivors fight back against the encroaching zombie threat. Gore hounds will lap up the various scenes of zombie hunger and believe me there is a lot of bloodshed in Planet Terror. Where Planet Terror falters is the pacing and some of the humour that doesn’t come off to good. Yet, many watching will barely notice these flaws because of the visuals and kick ass action/horror.

Rose McGowan makes for a fierce, sexy heroine as Cherry Darling and delivers an impressive performance of sassy, kick ass attitude and some great comic timing. Freddy Rodriguez makes for an enigmatic presence as the bad boy, gunslinger El Wray. For the rest of the cast, including Josh Brolin, Jeff Fahey and Marley Shelton, they really have fun with their roles in this action/zombie horror. The real star of the show is Rodriguez himself, firmly creating a tongue in cheek horror homage that is for the most part entertaining.

Short on substance but high on octane and visual techniques, whilst also boasting some great action, Planet Terror won’t be to everyone’s taste. But its a good way to spend a couple of hours without having to think a lot.