LOST - Exodus Part 2

[Sydney]

Cinescape reviews the LOST finale and gives it A+.

Explosive.

Lindelof and Cuse are, without doubt, the most sadistic producers working in television today. They’ve purveyed a season of set-up capped with a finale where things get terribly interesting only to go on vacation leaving the viewers on the edge of their seats. Alas, they understand this TV concept too well. “Exodus Part 2” would seem to be the apotheosis of LOST’s seemingly religious adherence to non-stop surprises. From the tension filled transportation of the unstable dynamite, to the relentless pursuit of Danielle Rousseau, through to the treacherous voyage of Michael’s raft, every sequence delivered the goods in full without ever stopping for breath. Apparently lengthened from a 90-minute running time, the episode showed no evidence of padding, and the GOOD MORNING AMERICA ads promising more material the following morning would suggest that the show had more to offer than its time slot would allow.

Like those of the preceding segment, the best bits here were the character moments. As any writer worth his or her salt knows, the best way to reveal the core of a character is to really tighten the screws down on him to see if he breaks. This story is full of power screwdrivers and everyone gets a taste. Shannon’s moment of clinging to her brother’s possessions does more for the audience’s appreciation of her than an entire episode did. Hurley’s guilt over his perceived curse echoes the self-doubt experienced by anyone who’s ever had a run of bad luck. Even Rousseau gets a moment of openness as she owns up to her actions to Sayid and Charlie. Best of all, the writers make use of Arzt to present the perspective of the nameless denizens of the island. In a rather meta-fictional fashion, the science teacher pontificates on the burden of being a glorified extra in a world populated by the more important. The tirade is punctuated by a darkly hysterical denouement that truly makes Arzt’s point better than he ever could. The scene is nicely contrasted when Locke later tells Jack that Boone was a sacrifice demanded of the island—clearly, the island, like its inhabitants, assigns different values to the lives lived upon it.

Speaking of Locke and Jack, their conversation in the aftermath of a security system attack sheds some much-needed light on the philosophies that guide the two men. In fact, most of the castaways come to grips with why they are the way they are in this double-length installment. Some face temptation while others face their fears. Still others wonder aloud if the island is their punishment for secrets they’ve kept and sins they’ve committed. With particularly sparkling performances from Terry O’Quinn, Jorge Garcia, and Mira Furlan, the episode really ties together a number of threads while laying the ground work for the second season. Perhaps most extraordinarily, the series manages to remain just barely on the mainstream side of the fantasy divide. Though it’s rife with numerological portent, awash with mysterious concepts, and swathed in genre trappings, nothing beyond the realm of reality has yet occurred. The fleeting glimpse of the security system is, thus far, the only vague evidence that this series is anything more astonishing that a grounded dramatic series. One wonders if that’s the secret to the show’s success—SF enough to intrigue the fans, but mainstream enough to appeal to a mass audience.

By Jason Davis
Cinescape.com
May 27, 2005