THE Merely GOOD DOCTOR

Article first published as TV Review: THE GOOD DOCTOR on Seat42F.

ABC premieres yet another medical drama tonight, one of the most common types of shows made. This one, called THE GOOD DOCTOR, follows a young man named Shaun Murphy, who has Autism and Savant syndrome. Shaun is hired as a pediatric surgical resident at San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital. Most of the staff, including the head of surgery, do not want him there, feeling his limited ability to recognize and express emotion will make it impossible for him to be proficient at the job. But with strong support from the president of the facility, Shaun is allowed to give it a go.

Shaun is played by Freddie Highmore, a brilliant actor who is fresh off a starring role in the series Bates Motel. Highmore makes Shaun as interesting and well-developed as his Norman Bates was, and it is immediately clear that Highmore will do a great job. Joined by the excellent Richard Schiff (The West Wing) as Aaron Glassman, the aforementioned president, as well as several other capable, sometimes terrific, actors, it seems there is the framework in place for a very solid show.

Furthering the points in THE GOOD DOCTOR’s favor is the creative team behind it. This show is based off of a successful South Korean series, and was developed for the U.S. by David Shore (House) and Daniel Dae Kim (Lost). Shore definitely knows something about making strong dramas in the genre, and Kim is well respected as a performer, which sometimes makes for a good guiding hand in production.

Here’s where the review takes a turn, though. Despite everything working in its favor, THE GOOD DOCTOR is merely the adjective the title uses – good. You may ask, what’s wrong with good? Indeed, many merely good series are watched by a great number of people week after week, year after year. But this is 2017, the era of peak TV, and there are many, many more innovative, complicated, and compelling options available. Good is no longer good enough.

There are plenty of factors working against THE GOOD DOCTOR, starting with how the story is very cliché. Despite being somewhat character-driven, it appears poised to feature mainly stand-alone episodes. The way Shaun’s thought process is depicted is a step above what House did, graphically speaking, but not unusual when compared to other, more recent series. The climax feels forced, and the resolution, unrealistic. Characters are almost two-dimensionally against Shaun for the wrong reasons, and viewers are hand-fed manipulative emotional scenes.

So what could THE GOOD DOCTOR have done better? Well, let’s start with the other characters having more nuanced opinions of Shaun. Why be so certain he’s going to fail before a person has even met him? Or worse, once they see Shaun impressively figure out a tough puzzle, why do they still write him off so quickly? In stark contrast with Highmore’s performance, it’s glaringly bad. It would also be interesting if the show was more focused on communicating Shaun’s experience, rather than using it as set dressing against a more mediocre storyline.

The one thing it probably could not have done better is choose better actors, and that’s probably why I’m so disappointed. We have enough melodrama on TV, and there are plenty of fine thespians to handle those. With people the likes of Highmore and Schiff, far above average, the project could and should have had more weight.

In fact, the thing I would most relate this show to is a formulaic, feel-good Disney film about overcoming diversity, with the struggle simplified to a sugar-coated, nutritionally-lacking, tasty but unsatisfying snack. This is the television version of that. Airing on Disney’s ABC, that might work out for it. But for the discerning viewer who only has time for high quality and freshness, this won’t make the cut.

THE GOOD DOCTOR premieres tonight at 10 ET on ABC.

THE DIVERGENT SERIES: INSURGENT Blu-ray Review

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: 'The Divergent Series: Insurgent' on Blogcritics.

This week, the second film in the Divergent Series, Insurgent, is released on 3-D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD.  Divergent is set in a post-apocalyptic Chicago, where the remaining humans have been sorted into castes based on their abilities. One girl defies the framework and challenges those who wish to manipulate it for their own gain. Picking up just a few days after where the last Divergent movie ends, Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) must bring the fight to Jeanine (Kate Winslet) before she destroys their society, pinning death and chaos on the pair. Jeanine’s tool to do so happens to require Tris, and the trippy adventure to get there is action-packed and visually impressive.

The story behind Insurgent is interesting, if a little underdeveloped. The plot rockets through four different groups of people in two hours, while still trying to grant some character development to the leads. This means little insight into the various factions and their leadership structures, even as each new corner of the world begs to be explored. And it’s a fascinating world.

Most of the action is focused on Tris, the emotional entrance to the film’s heart, and I understand the desire to maintain the focus there, but it feels like there are wasted possibilities constantly plucked and then discarded.

As a result, those plot threads are neglected, minimizing the roles of terrific actors, new to the sequel, including Octavia Spencer (The Help), Naomi Watts (The Impossible), and Daniel Dae Kim (Lost). I find myself wishing for more story in each of their zones. The talented new cast members, join the already impressive cast from the first movie (which, alongside Winslet, includes Ashley Judd, Mekhi Phifer, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Miles Teller, Maggie Q, and more).

The overall story arcs feel a bit weak at times. For instance, Tris is able to resist the mind-controlling serum in the first movie because she is Divergent, but quickly succumbs to Candor’s truth juice? The powers of a Divergent aren’t quite clear. And why does Candor have its own guards? It also seems like Jeanine has a lot of power, but then has no idea what is going on in other parts of the city, though the soldiers that work for her always seem to show up when the movie requires another shot of adrenaline.

Insurgent is not a bad film. What it lacks in plot, it makes up for in some really neat shots. I wish I’d been sent the 3-D version of this film to review because I am sure it would be cool to see all of the visual effects with depth. As it stands, even the  Blu-ray version is pretty good looking. Some wide shots and crowd scenes are identifiable as computer-generated, but everything that happens to Tris, and there’s a lot of mind-confounding stuff for her to go through that isn’t set in reality, is very well done. As a blockbuster-type movie, Insurgent delivers on the expectation for big, flashy scenes.

The special features on this set are also much better than most recent releases I’ve seen. “The Ultimate Behind-the-Scenes Access” is the entire length of the movie, often showing the film in a small box while talking about different aspects. This is more than just fluff, giving real insight into a variety of pieces of the production. There’s also a separate audio commentary, and several featurettes about adapting the book, the cast in general, a break down on a scene, and a look at perhaps the most interesting character, Peter Hayes (Teller). Most of these are not on the straight DVD, so that means blu-ray is recommended, though I’d imagine 3D is the best way to go if you have a 3D television and player.

In short, while Insurgent has some flaws, the package has a lot of value to it. It may not be as good as some other recent entries in the genre, but there is a lot of clever, original material here, too, which will give the savvy viewer much to ponder long after the film is over. Combined with a great array of extras, I’m glad to add this to my collection.

The Divergent Series: Insurgent will is available August 4th.

Hawaii Five-0 - "Ha'i'ole"

     Hawaii Five-0's season premiere "Ha'i'ole," picks up one week after the season finale ends. Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) is in jail, until Victor Hesse (James Masters) stabs him. Victor knows Wo Fat (Mark Dacascos) will soon come after him, and wants McGarrett to take out their mutual enemy first, so a non-fatal wound provides an opportunity to escape. McGarrett goes on the run, with his old friends showing up to help him. They succeed in getting McGarrett's name cleared and Five-0 reinstated, but Kono (Grace Park) is not part of the deal, since she is being investigated by Internal Affairs. And by the time it's done, Victor is already dead.

     McGarrett is lucky that the Five-0 group has bonded. If not, there is no way that he would be able to clear his name. Not only do Danno (Scott Cann), Chin Ho Kelly (Daniel Dae Kim), and Kono assist, but so do Jenna Kaye (Larisa Oleynik), Kamekona (Taylor Wily), and Max (Masi Oka, now a series regular). Plus, the man who trained McGarrett, Lt. Commander Joe White (Terry O'Quinn, Lost), comes to the island. White doesn't tell them why exactly he came, but he does lend a hand, and his familiarity with McGarrett's father (William Sadler) proves invaluable to proving McGarrett  innocent.

     Unfortunately, the evidence, which comes from a camera that the senior McGarret placed in the governor's study, has some dark implications. Yes, the film shows that McGarrett did not shoot Jameson (Jean Smart), but it also reveals a secret meeting between Jameson, Wo Fat, and the elder McGarrett. Could Steve's dad not be the hero that Steve thinks he is? Or, more likely, does the team just not understand what they are seeing? After all, there is no audio to clue them in.

     Things will not stay status quo for Five-0, or so it seems. With Jameson dead, the lieutenant governor (Richard T. Jones, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) gets to decide the team's fate. He is willing to allow them to continue, since they have been effective at lowering the crime rate, but he also tells McGarrett that they will not be able to cross as many lines. They no longer have unlimited power and resources. When McGarrett falters at agreeing to these terms, the lt. gov. says it's fine. But is it? Will he be an impediment? And if not, why even go through the trouble of bringing in the new character?

     Even though Five-0 is back on the job, things are not all cheery for the team. As mentioned above, Kono is not reinstated with the others because she is under investigation. Considering how corrupt the police department is, it's not certain that she will ever be allowed to rejoin her friends in an official capacity. It took a lot of effort for Chin Ho's honor to be restored. Is it Kono's fate to repeat her cousin's journey this season? Hopefully not.

     Worse, Danno learns that Rachel's (Claire van der Boom) baby is likely not his, so she decides to go back to her ex, leaving him alone. Is she being truthful? Why raise the plot point of Danno getting Rachel pregnant in the first place if the writers are just going to go back on it? Sure, some drama is necessary to give a series life, but does everything have to be an uphill battle all of the time? It's not like Danno's love life is an essential element, or Rachel is a main character, where tension needs to build between them each week.

     "Ha'i'ole" is a satisfying episode overall, tying more into the larger arcs of the show than a stand-alone case. Even the crime that is investigated in the episode has to do with Wo Fat, making the stakes mean more. As such, it's a pretty good outing, and hopefully Hawaii Five-0 will give more of those, and less of the stand alone hours that filled up most of last season.

     Hawaii Five-0 airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.

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     To buy Hawaii Five-0 DVDs or streaming episodes, please click here.

Article first published as TV Review: Hawaii Five-0 - "Ha'i'ole" on Blogcritics.

Hawaii Five-0 - "Oia'i'o"

     As CBS's Hawaii Five-0 wraps up its freshman year, a lot goes down in "Oia'i'o." The biggest surprise is that the governor (Jean Smart), the woman who founded Five-0, isn't who she says she is. Once Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) learns her secrets, he becomes a wanted man, on the run from both the law and criminal mastermind Wo Fat (Mark Dacascos). Only Danno (Scott Caan), who is supposed to be leaving the island forever with his family, can likely clear Steve's name. Unfortunately, one of Five-0's own, Kono (Grace Park) is arrested, and another, Chin Ho Kelly (Daniel Dae Kim), turns his back on the department. All of this makes for one intense cliffhanger.


     Blue Bloods, take note. This is how you get around the CBS procedural trap, and make a show that is both popular and exciting. While many episodes of Hawaii Five-0 do feature stand alone story, it is the full season mystery of Wo Fat, and his connection to McGarrett's father, that is the driving force behind the series. With the season finale, the show drops all pretense of a case of the week, and focuses completely on the larger arcs that have threaded their way throughout the season.

     Steve McGarrett is the hero, and no matter what Wo Fat does, any obstacles thrown at Steve are only temporary. When McGarrett realizes the governor's assistant, Laura Hills (Kelly Hu), is the one returning his father's evidence to him in small packages, McGarrett turns his attention to Governor Jameson. Hills is blown up in a car bomb, and it isn't long before McGarrett figures out that Jameson is behind it. However, instead of taking down a corrupt official, when McGarrett goes to confront the governor, Wo Fat kills her and frames McGarrett, leading to the Five-0 leader's subsequent arrest.

     Thankfully, Steve does not work alone. He did on taking down the governor, and look where it got him. Luckily, Steve's story is not over, and next season, it shouldn't take more than an episode to clear Steve's good name.

     The most likely person to do so is Steve's partner, Danno. Danno cares more about his daughter, Grace (Teilor Grubbs), than anything else in the world. Yet, when Danno's ex, Rachel (Claire van der Boom), offers Danno a chance to run back to New Jersey with his family, he hesitates. That's because Danno knows the difference between right and wrong, and what is happening to Steve is wrong. If he doesn't stay, who else will help Steve's? It isn't a mark against Rachel and Grace that Danno doesn't make the flight. He'll catch up with them eventually. His only mistake is promising to get to the airport when so much bad stuff is going down around him.

     Of course, Danno is never leaving Hawaii, at least not until the end of the series. And considering that he moved his life all the way out to the island for his daughter, Grace's departure can only be temporary. She must be in Hawaii for Danno to stay, and Danno is staying, or the show would suffer severely. Therefore, logically, Grace and Rachel will soon return. Hopefully Danno hasn't screwed up his chances with Rachel permanently.

     Kono is also a loyal member of the team, so it is with great regret that she takes the fall in something they all participated in, stealing money from lockup. Five-0 stole the money to save Chin Ho's life, and it turns out the governor is the one who has been protecting them. With her gone, and evidence already having leaked against Kono, that protection is no longer guaranteed. But like Danno, Kono is an essential part of the Five-0 team, and like McGarrett, she is righteous hero. All that points to a very short stint behind bars for her as well.

     Sadly, Chin Ho doesn't seem to share Kono and Danno's loyalty. Sensing the end of Five-0 now that they are not supported by Governor Jameson, Chin Ho accepts a restoration to the police force, which comes with a promotion. The Five-0 unit is still new enough that Chin Ho can be forgiven his betrayal. After all, from where he stands, McGarrett looks guilty. But that forgiveness will only extend so far, so it is advisable to Chin Ho that he come to his senses soon and help clean up the mess he contributed to.

     And what of Jenna Kaye (Larisa Oleynik)? She is clearly taken with Five-0, and also wants to help McGarrett. Any chance she may be sticking around long-term, once Steve's name is cleared? Not likely, considering the cast list for season two of this as-yet-unrenewed-but-certain-to-be show has already been released, and includes only new name among the primary cast - Dr. Max Bergman (Masi Oka, Heroes). Sadly, that means Kaye's days are limited. Hopefully this means recurring status with much time spend off the island, rather than death.

     The final important cast member, who should also be ungraded to main character, but hasn't been, is Kamekona (Taylor Wily). Time and again Kamekona has proven himself invaluable to the Five-0 team, and in "Oia'i'o," he does so again, not only supplying Steve with firepower, but warning Danno that he did so. Kamekona is wise and helpful, keeping his finger on the pulse of both the legal and illegal communities. Considering where Steve and Kono are right now (in jail), Kamekona's assistance may be necessary once more if they are going to secure release for the team.


     Hawaii Five-0 gave an exciting first season. It will most likely return for a second outing next fall on CBS.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Click here for all of my Current Season Reviews.

     To buy Hawaii Five-0 DVDs or streaming episodes, please click here.

Article first published as TV Review: Hawaii Five-0 - "Oia'i'o" on Blogcritics.

Hawaii Five-0 - "Ne Me'e Laua Na Paio"

     On this week's episode CBS's Hawaii Five-0, Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) gets another piece of the mystery concerning his father's death when he learns Wo Fat (Mark Dacascos) may have ordered the hit. McGarrett is now being aided by C.I.A. analyst Jenna Kaye (Larisa Oleynik), who has a personal vendetta against Wo Fat, and after finding his location, takes a leave from the agency to track him. Steve isn't fooled as Kaye claims to be on an active mission, but soon the two team up and work together.

     I hope it doesn't take 12 years for Steve to catch Wo Fat. I am aware, though I never saw the show, that Wo Fat was a character in the original Hawaii Five-O that messed with the team from the pilot all the way through to the series finale after a dozen seasons. While the first half of this new show's first season has done little to deal with this overall arc, the past few episodes have been very good at furthering the larger story. As such, Steve may not take down Wo Fat this year, but two or three years from now, it'll definitely be time to find a new bad guy.

     As for the rest of the episode, it is fun, but not anything special. Like most procedurals, even though Hawaii Five-0 has a spectacular cast, things drag a little as the team pursues the case of the week. This week's murder is convoluted, making the team work through a number of twists before solving the case. That leads to some fun moments, such as Steve and Danno (Scott Caan) at a costumed convention, Kono (Grace Park) channeling her inner stripper to send a text, and the team talking to eccentric medical examiner Max (Masi Oka). But it did get boring in parts.

     One complaint, and I know this is being picky, but at the convention, a black man in a Star Trek uniform corrects Danno when he calls him Captain Kirk, claiming to be Commander Sisko, instead. The man, if he were really a Star Trek fan, would know that he is dressed as Captain Sisko from the later seasons of Deep Space 9. Four pips on the collar represents Captain, not Commander. Sisko began the show as a Commander, but was promoted about halfway through. The uniform in the episode is also the uniform design worn later, after the promotion, rather than the completely different design from when Sisko was a commander. Look up Commander Sisko and Captain Sisko on google images, and you will see a startling difference in appearance, though it is still the same actor, so I'm complaining about a lot more than just a button on the collar. The casual viewer would not catch such a mistake, but Deep Space 9 is one of my favorite shows of all time, and certainly the best Star Trek series. The man in the costume would definitely know the difference.

     I know this is the most popular new show of the season, and I will anger people with my criticisms, but it is the truth. Watching the same thing over and over again gets boring. I have watched all 19 episodes thus far, and have really enjoyed only about a third of them. Thus, the series joins the ranks of other popular shows that are really not very good. I'm looking at you CSIs, Law and Orders, NCISs, The Mentalist, etc. It's not a coincidence that most of those air on CBS. I won't even get into the plethora of reality shows like Dancing With the Stars and American Idol. The biggest difference with Hawaii Five-0 from those other shows is that this one has the potential to be really great, and sometimes is, rather than staying mediocre and rote.

    To make a consistently better show, I recommend they give more screen time to the larger arcs, and less to the case of the week. Sometimes, get rid of the case of the week all together. Have more interaction between team members. Sure, the group is often together in various combinations, but much of that together time is spend examining evidence. Steve and Danno's one on one conversations in the car are ALWAYS a high point of any episode. So why not have two or three, or even four, every week? And give a little more to Chin Ho (Daniel Dae Kim), who has had fewer fun bits than anyone else. Making Kamekona (Taylor Wily) a series regular, also not a bad idea. Embrace the humorous elements, and play them up more. Lastly, an English translation of the episode titles at the beginning of each episode would be nice.

     I am rooting for Hawaii Five-0 to succeed, and the winter has been better than the fall. If the spring can improve even more, we'll be in business.

     Hawaii Five-0 airs Monday nights at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.

Article first published as TV Review: Hawaii Five-0 - "Ne Me'e Laua Na Paio" on Blogcritics.

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Hawaii Five-0: TiVo 'Em, Danno!

     CW, take note. This is how you remake a classic television show. I was too young to have watched the original (it ended three years before I was born), but I loved the pilot of the new Hawaii Five-0 last night. Yes, the remake has a 0 instead of an O in its title, which seems weird to me. However, that was the only thing that appeared to be out of place.

     I dislike cop shows as a general rule, and procedurals as well. Hawaii Five-0 is probably both, and so may soon get boring and worthless. I suspect that will not be the case, though, because of just how right this first episode was. Not only do we get to see the beautiful island state every week, but CBS (which also aired the original show) brought together a terrific cast of four talented actors, and that may be what sets this series apart from other recent updates.

     The new Hawaii Five-0 is not a sequel to the original series, but rather a reboot, featuring the same characters played by new actors. Steve McGarrett, the leader of the squad, is played by Alex O'Loughlin. This was a bit of a surprise, since O'Loughlin has very recently starred in two short-lived shows for CBS: the mediocre Moonlight and the terrible Three Rivers. Neither made it to a full-length season, but gladly, the network is taking a chance on the actor again. Third time's a charm, right? Danno is now Scott Caan of Entourage and the Ocean's movies. Daniel Dae Kim, who recently completed the Hawaii-filmed Lost, takes on the role of Chin Ho Kelly. Finally, Grace Park plays Kona Kalakaua, as she is apparently the go-to girl when a series is remade and the producers want to change a heavyset male part into that of an attractive female (she did the exact same thing for Battlestar Galactica).

     Each one of those four leads have magnetic chemistry. Add to that the legendary Jean Smart (Samantha Who?, 24, Designing Women) as the governor who sets up the task force, and there are the makings for a real television classic that breaks the standard cop show mold. Despite the familiar situations, there wasn't a thing ho-hum about the pilot. It has charm and amusement that no other crime show on the air matches. Plus, it retains the original theme song. And, if you need another reason to watch, the pilot guest starred Buffy the Vampire Slayer's James Marsters.

     Tune into the new Hawaii Five-0 Monday nights at 10pm on CBS.

Article first published as Hawaii 5-0: TiVo 'Em, Danno! on Blogcritics.

Lost wows, saddens, as things wrap up

    Last night's episode of ABC's Lost, "The Candidate", like most this season, blew my socks off.  Or it would have, had I been wearing socks.  The story is winding down with just two more installments before the series finale, which airs on a Sunday, mind you, instead of the usual Tuesday, so don't miss it.  Also, it was announced today that the finale will be TWO AND A HALF HOURS long!!!  Gone are the single-character stories, though a large part of the flash sideways this week was Jack (Matthew Fox) attempting to help Locke (Terry O'Quinn).  But on the island, everyone is gearing up for a big showdown, and more than couple of characters left the island for good.

     The biggest, most emotionally moving death scene that Lost has delivered in years concerned that Kwons, Sun (Yunjin Kim) and Jin (Daniel Dae Kim, no relation).  Hours after being reunited, the two having been separated in the world and the time line for over three years, Jin refused to leave Sun to die.  And so he stayed in the sinking submarine with her, allowing them to pass from the world together.  It was incredibly sad, a fitting ending to two of the original cast.  Sure, moments later we saw sideways Jin alive and well walking down the hall of a hospital.  But in the story of the show as we know it, he's gone.

     Which begs the question.  Is the flash sideways our happy ending?  Most of the main characters of Lost have died over the years, but almost every single one has been revealed to be alive and well, usually happier, in the sideways universe.  With only nine main characters left on the island, perhaps this odd parallel is as close to satisfying closure as we are going to get for many.

     Speaking of the nine, Jack, Sawyer (Josh Holloway), Kate (Evangeline Lilly), and Hurley (Jorge Garcia) crawled out of the watery death trap and onto the beach.  These four, along with Locke, who has been recast as the big villain, have always been the core of the series.  They seem unlikely to die, at least not until the finale.  The other four did not star in all six seasons, although Desmond appeared in all six, and only one was in this week's episode.  Ben (Michael Emerson) and Richard (Nestor Carbonell) seem likely to simply pop up and get a little icing before disappearing.  Claire (Emilie de Ravin) could go either way, as she seems to be the henchwoman of Locke.  And Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick), perhaps my favorite character, surely figures very prominently into the end, but even his use will probably be up an hour or two before the curtain.  It's sad to see these important, but not quite essential, characters in their swan songs, but in a show as sweeping as Lost, it's time to lose them so we can wind it all down.

     Original cast member Sayid (Naveen Andrews) also bowed out in heroic self-sacrifice, although not much was said about it afterwards.  My biggest regret was the quick, apparent death of Frank (Jeff Fahey), who had more to do in previous seasons, when he wasn't a main character, and then all we saw of his demise was a door slam into him.  He has to be dead, or he would have attempted to help our heroes, but it was a sad, dismissive way to go.  I wish he had gone out earlier, in some better fashion.

     The final season of Lost will continue for two more Tuesdays at 9pm, and then conclude on Sunday, May 23th on ABC.

Lost leaving viewers more... well, lost

     Four hours of the final season of ABC's Lost have already been aired in the last three weeks, which is about a quarter of the season.  Despite being promised many answers as the season progresses, so far there is much more confusion than explanation.  We saw the island on the bottom of the sea, and as many expected, Oceanic 815 landed without problem at LAX in 2004.  However, our favorite castaways are also still on the island, clearly not at the bottom of the ocean, and I have no idea why.  Gone are the flashbacks, flash forwards, and time jumps, but here to stay is presumably either alternate realities or parallel dimensions.

     The people that landed in Los Angeles are clearly not the same ones we met throughout the series.  There are a number of differences in their lives from the ones we previously saw.  Hurley (Jorge Garcia) is lucky, not unlucky.  John Locke (Terry O'Quinn) is planning a wedding to his fiance, Helen (Katey Sagal, Married With Children, Sons of Anarchy, Futurama) and seemingly getting along with his father.  And the paths of our beloved characters keep crossing uncontrollably.  Kate (Evangeline Lilly) unwittingly kidnaps Claire (Emilie de Ravin) during her escape from the police.  Locke talks to Jack (Matthew Fox) at baggage claim, then after seeking work from Hurley and Rose (L. Scott Caldwell), he runs into Benjamin Linus (Michael Emerson) while substitute teaching.  Seemingly it is destiny that they meet.

     Also curious is that the episodes featuring certain characters are airing in the same order as in the first season.  First we had a hodge podge in the two hour premiere, then Kate was the first standard episode, and Locke was second.  Following that logic, Jack and then the Kwans (Daniel Dae Kim and Yunjin Kim) should be next.  Of course, not every character from the first season is still starring, and there are plenty of new ones, so it seems doubtful this pattern will last.

    Back on the island in 2007, the Smoke Monster posing as Locke showed Sawyer (Josh Holloway) a list of names of the survivors that Jacob (Mark Pellegrino) had written on a rock, and most were crossed out.  All the names left were people Jacob was shown visiting throughout their lives in last season's finale. Except he visited Kate, and she wasn't on the list.  And all six of Hurley's lottery numbers were taken, so it must be significant that she isn't there, not just a simple edit mistake.  Is she something special and different, or did Jacob just not find her worthy when he visited her?  And does Kwon refer to Sun or Jin, and if it is Jin, is that why Sun wasn't tossed back to the 70's with everyone else?  Not only that, Jacob had a thing for J names, as the numbers in question name Jack, John, James, Jin (maybe), and Jarrah (Naveen Andrews).  But that leaves out Hurley, though Hugo can be spelled with a J for Spanish names.  All are male, too.  Also, screen caps reveal Claire's last name as #313, Charlie's (Dominic Monaghan) as #195, and other last names from island characters, including Linus and Goodspeed, which could refer to several people.  Why?  Weird.

     Lots more questions and answers await, and Lost will continue to air Tuesdays at 9pm on ABC.

Lost: it's time to be found

    ABC took a chance five years ago on a series called Lost.  Steeped in mystery, it was the ultimate serial.  The survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 find themselves on an island, where all sorts of unexplained things occur, from a paralyzed man who can walk, to a polar bear, to a smoke monster.  Not only that, each of these castaways had a story, and each week we got a piece of the puzzle.  It was extremely popular at first, then fans tapered.  Yet, except for arguably season two, the show has only continued to get better with age, as the flashbacks became flash forwards, the Oceanic Six got off the island and returned, many of the characters did a stint in the 70's, and time became completely unhinged.  Tonight, the final season of the show begins.


     When we last left Jack, (Matthew Fox, Party of Five) Kate, (Evangeline Lilly, The Hurt Locker) and Sawyer, (Josh Holloway) the love triangle had fought, but decided to detonate a nuclear device that could possibly stop the entire series from happening.  It appears that may have worked, as the show began on a flight from Sydney to Los Angeles, the characters kept talking about how they would awake on their plane on course if it worked, and the two part premiere tonight is called "LA X".  This is great news for Sayid (Naveen Andrews), who was bleeding to death, and to Sun (Yunjin Kim) and Jin (Daniel Dae Kim, 24, Angel), a couple trapped more than three decades apart in time.  But what about the woman who actually set off the bomb and laid next to it as it went off, Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell, V)?  Is she dead?  She is not among the principal cast for this final season.

     Of course with Lost, nothing is certain.  Many dead characters are signed on to appear this year.  This has happened plenty of time before on the show, most notably with Jack's father, Christian (John Terry, Trauma), who despite having been dead when the flight left, appeared several times on the island.  But was it him, or the mysterious Man In Black (Titus Welliver, Deadwood), who possibly can appear as dead people, such as John Locke (Terry O'Quinn, Alias), who remains a main character despite his demise?  Other deceased characters slated to appear at least once this year, although in what form is unknown, include Charlie (Dominic Monaghan, FlashForward, Lord of the Rings), Michael (Harold Perrineau, Oz), Boone (Ian Somerhalder, The Vampire Diaries), Shannon (Maggie Grace, The Fog), Libby (Cynthia Watros, The Drew Carey Show), Charlotte (Rebecca Mader, Justice), Daniel (Jeremy Davies), Alex (Tania Raymonde, Cold Case), and even Arzt (Daniel Roebuck).  Also, rejoining the cast full time is Emilie de Ravin (Roswell), whose character, Claire, disappeared without explanation at the end of season four.

     I can't end this article without mentioning the other huge plot point left hanging from last season.  Locke, or perhaps the ghost of Locke, persuaded Ben (Michael Emerson) to kill Jacob (Mark Pellegrino, Dexter).  We also found out that Jacob visited many of the main characters in the past, although as to what purpose is unknown.

    The series also stars the wonderfully talented Jorge Garcia (Becker) as Hurley, my personal favorite character.  My other favorite character, Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) no longer stars, but will play an important role in the final season.  The show stars Ken Leung as Miles.  Joining the principal cast this season are longtime guest star Nestor Carbonell (Suddenly Susan, The Dark Knight), Jeff Fahey, and Zuleikha Robinson (The Lone Gunman).  Lost's sixth season will begin with a two hour premiere tonight at 9pm, and will air Tuesday nights through the spring.