You should know the drill by now, although I'm making a slight change today. From now on, when there is a negative list, it will be placed before the corresponding positive list, so as not to end the article on the negative note. Let's begin.
"Lost's" Top Five Flashbacks
I was going to do a bottom three list for this one, but then I realized that the only character who has bad flashback episodes on a relatively consistent basis is Kate, and I've already expounded a little bit on why I dislike her, with more to come in the next list. Anyway...
Flashbacks are integral to "Lost's" first three seasons (as are the flashforwards in season four), but, from a characterization perspective, they've had ramifications on the entire show. The writers used them to establish backstory, reveal plot points and - in one special case, as you'll see below - create plot points on the present day island.
Another thing that I've always liked about the flashbacks is that not all of the best flashbacks belong to the best characters. I'm still finalizing my top 10 characters list, but at least two of the characters on this list won't be making it onto that one. Note: When I give the flashback count, I am counting flashforwards, and I am only counting episodes in which all or most of the flashbacks are centered around that character. Also, I'm not counting season five, as many of the flashbacks from that season are primarily expository in nature and could be considered as happening concurrently with the main action.
5. Hurley
Flashback count: five
Hurley is a solid character, but, crazy-guy angle and Libby lamenting aside, he's primarily used for comic relief. Thus, when he does get a flashback episode, it's always interesting to see Jorge Garcia show his chops.
Sometimes the flashbacks contain even more comedy than a traditional Hurley appearance, like season one's "Numbers," which rather darkly parades a seemingly endless amount of mishaps that befall Hurley after he wins the lottery. Most often, the flashbacks are surreal, showing the audience the weird misery in which Hurley has lived much of his life (the most infamous incident is the meteor strike from "Tricia Tanaka is Dead," but the best example of this kind of episode is "Dave").
However, my favorite flashbacks of his are from "Everybody Hates Hugo," which features Garcia's best acting on the show to date. In this episode, the flashbacks parallel Hurley's on-island dilemma, as his problems as the food supervisor seem to mirror what happened to him when he won the lottery. Hurley has often said that he would get rid of his winnings if he could, but we've never believed it more than when he makes his best friend promise never to change.
4. Charlie
Flashback count: four
I wish that Dominic Monaghan's fame for playing Charlie exceeded the amount he got for playing Merry, but such wishes are in vain. Nevertheless, Monaghan managed to create a smart, funny and dramatic character in his washed-up British rock star, and nowhere is that character more on display than in his flashback episodes.
Even though Charlie only had four episodes of his own before he died, the writers weave one of the saddest backstories on the show into these moments. To watch good brother Charlie's downward spiral into drug addiction while the undeserving Liam got clean is an experience in depressing irony, and we can't help but feel for the guy.
While you can't beat "Greatest Hits" for an overall Charlie episode, my favorite flashbacks for the character occur on "Fire + Water," when Charlie's dreams of a comeback are fatally dashed by Liam, who, even in his attempt to get clean, is more selfish than Charlie ever could be.
3. Michael
Flashback count: 4
Two of his flashbacks are primarily expository, and he shares three of them with Walt, but the writers sure know how to make you feel for this guy. Michael is often maligned by many "Lost" fans who I know, primarily because of his at first angry behavior and later because he shouts "WAAAAALT!" all the time. However, all of his flashbacks provide a very deep insight to his character.
In the flashbacks, you see Michael for what he is: a very flawed and inexperienced father who loves his son very much. The first thing this does is make you feel much more sympathy for his character (and hatred for Walt's mom. Man, it burned me when I found out she didn't give Wallt any of Michael's letters). The second thing it does is help you understand why Michael is the way he is. When you find out his backstory, you begin to understand his cross demeanor and his over-protectiveness. He becomes much more well rounded.
While the two expository flashbacks ("Meet Kevin Johnson" and "Three Minutes") are fine, Harold Perrineau really shines in the two Walt-story episodes, particularly in "Adrift," the one about the custody battle (although "Special" contains my favorite Michael scene, when he shows Walt his letters and doesn't drag Mom's name through the mud while doing so).
2. Desmond
Flashback count: four
Desmond is obviously a unique case, as his flashbacks were the ones I mentioned previously as having present day influence on the plot. While every other character's flashback is presented as a retrospective narrative, Desmond participates in two of his four flashbacks, and he realizes that he is in the past (he also does this one other time, in the season five premier).
Desmond is such a good character that his two normal flashbacks are as interesting and sympathetic his two "Back to the Future" outings. In the two normal episodes, we learn about Desmond's relational cowardice and the rather odd succession of jobs he took in an attempt to find fullfillment. There's also lingering mystery, as we find out that he was court-marshaled and that Libby gave him his sailboat.
However, his two trippy time travel flashbacks are the real winners. "Flashes Before Your Eyes" is an interesting journey, as it features the debut of Faraday's mother and the first real inklings that time travel was part of "Lost." And, of course, there's "The Constant," perhaps the show's most successful effort to date at combining sci-fi with characterization.
1. Locke
Flashback count: seven
If one thing could be said conclusively about John Locke, it is this: the man has some serious issues. While many of these issues, like his hatred of limitation and his childish desire to be special, come into play at various times over the course of the series, none of them can match his absolutely epic daddy issues. Jack should feel lucky.
Everyone loves "Walkabout," and it is a good episode, but there's just something wonderfully unsettling about Locke's other season one flashback, "Deus Ex Machina." You sense there's something wrong with Locke's dad from the start. You just don't expect the thing that's wrong to be, "He pretended to be close to me in order to steal my kidney." Weird stuff had already been happening on the island by this time, but this episode showed that some pretty bizzare stuff could come from these characters' pasts, too.
My favorite Locke flashbacks are in "The Man From Talahassee," when we finally learn why he ended up in the wheelchair. It's played nearly perfectly, as it provides not only emotional satisfaction, but, because they wait until the middle of season three to reveal it, narrative satisfaction as well. Locke is never more interesting than in his flashbacks.
OK, next list.
My Biggest "Lost" Hopes and Fears
If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm pretty darn excited about season six. While this wouldn't be surprising on the surface, it might be just a little confusing when you look at my "best seasons" list from yesterday. "Lost" has been a little lackluster as of late, and yet, I'm still anticipating Feb. 2 with baited breath.
However, behind my excitement, there does lie a twinge of fear. While I trust that Lindelof and Cuse are working their hardest to make a good show, there are still some things that could go terribly wrong. Here they are.
3. We could see a slide further into melodrama
As I've said before, season five was so full of overacted deliveries you could swear you were watching a soap opera (or a sidearm pitcher). With the exception of some good Faraday moments, gone were the times of cerebral mysteries and puzzling quandaries, and here were the days of "buh, buh, All this happened because you left!" and "(sob) You looked at her funny!" and so on. The last couple of episodes of season five have sort of started to dispel the melodrama a little bit, but it was by no means absent. This season, let's hope for more science fiction weirdness and less uninteresting love story.
2. A lot of the most interesting characters are dead/missing/fading into the background
I've written previously that the writers are to be commended for their willingness to kill off fan favorites for the sake of the story. The problem, however, is that many of the dead characters (here's looking at you, Charlie, Mr. Eko and Daniel) are among the most interesting characters. To top it off, of the remaining characters, the writers have chosen in recent times to focus primarily on Locke (now unLocke), Jack, Sawyer, Juliet and Kate. While Locke, Jack and Sawyer are all good characters to various extents, the three of them fighting with each other/other people does not a good show make.
In season five, Jin and Sun were relegated to tagalong status, Desmond left the island (and is not on the main character list for season six), Sayid was locked in jail for a while and then disappeared for several episodes, Faraday left the island for several episodes, Ben whined a lot and Hurley and Miles engaged in an endless (but admittedly funny) Laurel and Hardy time travel routine. There a lot of good characters here who didn't do very much.
There's much hope that things will be different this time around, and there's also word that many of the dead characters will be showing up in the final season. Unless this jumps the shark, we could see a more balanced cast this year.
1. There are still a ton of unanswered questions
Even though "Lost" has given us plenty of thrills, chills and spills over the years, the only reason we've stuck around to see them is because the premise of the show implicitly promises that one day, eventually, our questions will be answered. While the writers have promised that most of the mysteries will indeed be addressed, the sheer volume of mind bending elements packed into the first five seasons seems almost insurmountable.
Granted, they probably won't even attempt to answer every nagging complaint, and they probably shouldn't have to. But even if you toss out some loose ends (why is Libby in the insane asylum, who are Adam and Eve, etc.), you still have a lot to answer for.
And that, ultimately, is my biggest fear about Feb. 2 and beyond. If we come away still scratching our heads about what was actually going on, not only season six will be ruined. The entire show will be.
OK, here's the less depressing list: my hopes.
3. I think Jack caused The Incident when he set off the bomb
There are many reasons why I think this is important to the fortunes of the show. The first is that we then stay in the same timeline as all of the questions and characters we've watched and care about for five seasons. The second is that Juliet might be dead, thus lessening her impact on the plot this year.
The third reason is that The Incident is one of the anchoring events of the entire show. Its occurrence now sets up or indicates the coming of several events only hinted at so far, like the origin of the hatch's button, Mikhail Bakunin and his crazy eye patch, the purge, the orientation videos and more. It could be the beginning of the show's attempt to answer some questions.
2. Old characters return!
While this could push at the bounds of believability (even for "Lost"), I can't help but be excited that the writers have confirmed that many of the dearly departed players will return, including Charlie, Boone and Faraday. Not only does it signal a nostalgia laden trip down memory road, but the surprise announcement that characters like Michael and Libby will also be returning is good news for some lingering mysteries to be cleared up.
1. They've been planning this since season three
Cuse and Lindelof have stated that the show getting an end date was a very liberating thing, as it allowed them to stop stalling and start planning how they really wanted things to finish. Since that time, they've made seasons four and five, which, for anything you might say about them, were nothing if not jam packed with story.
Season six promises to be no different, but more importantly, there is comfort to be had in knowing that the writers are and have been aware not only of the questions we had before the last three seasons, but also of most of the questions that have arisen since that time. "Lost" has been called by some a show primarily about faith. Perhaps the viewers should have faith that the show's creators know what they're doing.
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