Hello, my name is Shawn. This is where I put things. This site has been active since 2002. A lot has changed since then but basically I'm still writing ridiculous articles about ridiculous things. You can also look at my [UPDATE: Whoops, I meant to mention that I’ve opened comments on this post. It’s been over a year since I’ve had that option on my site. I’m excited – if a bit nervous – to have it back. Leave a note!]
I said last week that Lost was my favorite show. I kinda lied a little. I wanted to raise it up by labeling it my favorite, almost a dare for it to live up to that standard. But even then I had my doubts and after last night’s episode, I’m really beginning to worry. This last episode proved that, if the writers don’t completely disrespect the audience, at the very least they at least don’t trust us anymore.
The addition of these two flaky filler characters that alternate between instruments of self-referential humor and pure exposition are an absolute insult to anyone who’s invested time in this frustrating show.
Killing Eko in the face of adding these two ridiculous characters compounds the problem. Eko’s fate may have been the result of circumstance, or the intention all along but that’s not an excuse for bad writing. The flashback confirmed what we already knew about Eko but did not really add anything. We could have guessed he was capable of slaughtering a bunch of bad dudes. What’s funny is that he hasn’t actually done anything this season. His goal was seemingly to go through the motions of his episode from Season 2 only this time he’s just more sleepy.
After redeeming the episode somewhat with a genuine and heartfelt speech to his “brother” we’re suddenly thrust back into clunky mythology. “What makes you think I’m your brother?!” Um, the fact that you look exactly like him? And so he’s suddenly afraid of the monster and it kills him despite last season’s episode that proved he wasn’t afraid of the monster – and this episode re-confirming that he’s not afraid of his past! Then it’s back to more clunky mythology. Eko’s dying words are “You’re next!” Really? They couldn’t have come up with something a bit more layered and cryptic than “You’re next”? I’d even have taken him saying it in Latin just to add something to it.
Don’t even get me started about the guy with the eye patch who has apparently been waiting next to a security camera in a hatch for 50 days just so he can look spooky at just the right moment then turn the camera off for dramatic effect.