COWBOY PETE–“LOST” AND “ALIAS”

54 comments on “COWBOY PETE–“LOST” AND “ALIAS””

1. PAD,

   Agreed about “Lost.” While I hope we’ll get answers eventually, I’m willing to wait and see what develops.

   Rick

2. About your Ricardo Montalbon comment–did you see the MADTV version of Lost this past Saturday?

3. I agree with your opinion about Lost. Sometimes the ‘magical mystery tour’ can be more enjoyable than the answers.

4. Yes! I am so glad that I’m not the only one who noticed Hurley on the TV! And since it looks like next week is the Hurly episode, I’m estatic. Ever since the show started, all my friends keep telling me “It’s you man! J. J. Abrhams knows you somehow and put you in the show!”

5. I completly agree with PAD about Lost. What an awesome show!

   I disagree about Rambaldi on Alias though. For me, last weeks episode was the best so far! FINALLY Rambaldi is mentioned again and we get to see Sark and Gina Torres character again AND we get a CLIFFHANGER. MAN I MISSED THE CLIFFHANGERS!! The cliffhangers are part of what makes season 1 my favorite season. Cliffhangers, awesome Rambaldi stuff, continuing plot threads, etc. I’m glad to see some of that returning. I wish they’d do more cliffhangers! I’m glad to see Gina Torres is in next episode and it looks like Jack is up to no good too! 🙂

   I enjoyed that episode the most. This season has been good, but not great. I like Alias, but..I still think season 1 is the best and they have not topped that yet. Season 1 is just awesome. Then season 2, then three (which I thought was good to ok on tv and then when I watched the dvds, I loved it. so maybe I’ll feel the same way about season 4 when it comes to dvd), and now four. Thats the order for me. Season 1 is the best and season 4 is so far, the weakest (but its still a really good series and definitly not as weak as Smallville has become. *sigh* ).

   What they did this season is kind of a reset and kind of not. The kind of not comes from the fact that they have not forgotten their past, which I’m very happy about! I’m glad to see that Sydney still holds a grudge against Solan and so does everybody else (expect Jack it seems…who’s been acting all buddy buddy with Solan lately..).

   Overall, Lost is definitly the best J.J. show right now, but I love the whole 2hr. Lost/Alias setup. One of the best nights of TV imo!

   DF2506
   ” Hopes we get more Rambaldi, cliffhangers, and continuing plots! The stand alones were good (expect for one of them..), but I like the continuing episodes better! “

6. On the other hand, while I agree that the Rimbaldi stuff was getting ridiculously convoluted and improvised, I’m also much less impressed with this season of Alias. The all one-offs just aren’t that interesting to me, and won’t be until they get upped to Mission:Impossible levels. While there doesn’t have to be Rimbaldi, where’s the personal conflict season-arc? Sloane’s in charge and despite the occasional muttering by folk there’s no real conflict about it. Syd and Vaughn have no reason not to be bøffìņg like bunnies other than a writer-imposed “Let’s take it slow”. Syd and Jack are getting along about as well as they ever have. There’s no evil outsider inserted into the group. I just don’t see any character growth or conflict happening, and I think it’s badly needed.

7. Considering that Jennifer Garner was dating Michael Vartan and then they broke up, it might be that the take-it-slow mandate wasn’t “writer mandated” so much as it was concern over the actors for any number of reasons.

   PAD

8. LOST: Maybe this is the wrong approach to take, but I wouldn’t be the least bit bothered if we NEVER found out what was going on, because the mystery is not, in the least bit, getting in the way of telling intriguing stories. And really, that’s what it’s all about.

   I agree 100% but I know some folks who are beginning to bìŧçh about it. I don’t want to see the show cancelled or, worse, end up being forced to explain everything because of network mandate. I remember how people left Twin Peaks in droves after the first season.

   And really, how can you not love an episode that ends with a sexy woman in a bikini standing on the surf.

   Testify! Between Sun in a bikini and Condi Rice in her Hellfire Club boots last week was smoking hot.

9. Lost: My girlfriend and I were watching the tube that night, as per usual since I introduced her to both shows this season, and she was the one who noticed Hurley on the television um… on the television. I missed it completely, but have to wonder about how cool a twist it would be if he was some sort of celebrity, former child star, etc. We began discussing it during a commercial and agreed that he is a facinating, if not background, character that we’d like to see some backstory on. We were both thrilled to see that this looks to be happening in the next episode from the looks of the preview at the end of the show.

   I’m continuing to wonder about a pergatory-type scenerio playing out here. Guess we’ll see… but like a few of you, I’m not in that much of a rush to get all of the answers. The jaded critic in me almost wonders that once all is revealed, we may not be disappointed. Abrams and crew haven’t disappointed with this series yet.

   Alias continues to be fun, but not nearly as the previous seasons. I have a constant sense of daja vu and don’t know that we are seeing anything here that we’ve haven’t seen repeatedly in the show’s 3 year history. Sure, the show’s ingenuity plays a role in my high expectations, but I’m beginning to wonder if we’ll get through 1 episode this season without Sydney coming up with another way to face down Sloane and express how much he has hurt her, how much she dispises him and that she’ll never forgive or trust him.

   Though it is convenient to have 2 of my favorite shows on in the same evening (It works out on Sunday as well, with Boston Legal following Desperate Housewives.), due to the high intensity nature of both, I find myself a bit exhausted by the opening credits of Alias and wonder if I’d enjoy it more if it didn’t immediately follow Lost.

   Fred

10. Lost: It’s not only people who want the show to go faster, it’s people whose favorite couple(s) are/aren’t together. This show is a shippers’ dream (and Kate can be put with *anyone* and have chemistry, even with the Invisible Monster).

    The other grumbling comes from people whose afraid that their favorite ‘what is going ON?!?’ scenario won’t play out, and that the explanation will be ‘lame’ (especially if it ends up being their ‘most unfavorite explanation’). I like the way they are slowly putting the pieces together, period, and it’s JJ Abrams’ story. Nuff said.

    People have been griping about when the Hurley story will air. Here we go. Watch we hear people grumble after it airs, too.

11. Re: Lost
    I have to agree with the overall tone of the thread (the journey thus far is extremely satisfying, even if no clear answers are in sight), AND, we’re starting to see more clearly how all the characters have crossed paths in one way or another before (Boone at the police station with Sawyer being brought in, Sawyer having drinks with Jack’s dad, and now Hurley on the TV in the Secretary’s house while Jin was there). Having said that…
    **MILD SPOILER FOLLOWS**

    It has sort of been leaked already why Hurley may have been on TV. IMDB has a listing of future guest roles, and, right at the very top is a “lottery official.”

    **END MILD SPOILER**

    I’m really looking forward to seeing where this is going.

    Re: Alias
    Really liking the partial reboot to seasons 1-2, as well as the Rambaldi plotline. I get the feeling that JJ has a long term plan for this, and , PAD, I’ve been reading rumors that Lena Olin MAY make an appearance foir the season finale (my guess is that not all who are apparently dead will stay that way).

    To all those in the Jersey/NY area (myself included)– Stay safe, enjoy the snow.

    r

12. Over at The Fuselage discussion boards, someone translated the Korean titles that were on screen when Hurley appeared.

    **MILD SPOILER FOLLOWS**

    The captions identify him as a lottery winner.

    **END MILD SPOILER**

    They also translated some unsubtitled things that Jin said, including this interesting bit:

    **MAJOR SPOILER FOLLOWS**

    There’d been some debate online about whether Walt had used his apparent powers to torch the raft. But Jin says (unsubtitled) that he saw Walt set fire to the raft, so no powers here. Plus, this means Jin knows that Walt let him get beat up.

13. http://www.lostlinks.net/

    THis has various links to websites about the show. If you look under the episodes transcripts section, they have a site dedicated to translating the dialouge between Sun and Jin, and it includes what they were saying on that newscast that Hurley was on

14. LOST: This is compelling television. Some episodes haven’t worked for me, but last week’s focus on Jin was just outstanding. Jin and Sun are two of the most fascinating characters on the island. For some reason, Michael grates on my nerves, though I like Walt. Locke is my favorite character, though…just a great enigmatic jungle philosopher. (I loved when he emerged in the midst of the fight between Michael and Jin and stated the obvious: “We’re not alone on this island, and we all know it!”) There’s supposedly a major character death in the season finale, and if I had to lay odds, I’m looking at either Jack or Locke. I don’t think they’d kill Sawyer…too much potential as an antagonist for the other castaways. But Locke is training Boone, and I have a feeling that once Boone fully understands the island, Locke’s purpose will be served…he’ll have trained his student in his ways. Part of me thinks they’ll never kill Jack, but part of me also thinks this show wants to be really ambitious…how ambitious would it be if the show were to feature the death of the most prominent character, the leader of the cast as it were? I suspect one of those men aren’t long for this world…and that’s unfortunate, because they’re both great characters.

    ALIAS: I’ll level with you, I’ve been largely disappointed in this season. There’s been some great moments, fantastic scenes of character interaction. Dixon’s confrontation with Sloane was outstanding, Sydney’s rationale for staying with APO is compelling, and Jack’s supposed killing of Irina all made for interesting developments. I loved that scene where Sydney enters her apartment and finds Sloane sitting at her kitchen table with Nadia. Marshall is the one cast member I can count on for consistency…remember the second episode of the season, when they brought him in? He tells Weiss how much he missed the old gang, and that his longing for a familiar face led him to have eggs with Sark in prison. Then that priceless scene when Marshall is brought into APO. “Syd? Sloane is right behind you.” “Marshall, we know.” ;-D

    I’m still undecided about Nadia. I agree with PAD…so much of the first two seasons was Sydney against the world, never knowing if she could trust her father, her mother, and her bosses. Now Sydney has a confidant, it’s sisters against the world, I dunno. It’s like they’re trying to hearken back to the Francie/Syd dynamic, but Francie never knew about Syd’s double life, so it different.

    I also agree…Rimbaldi could easily become the storyline that ate Tokyo. I like what they’re doing this season…only occasionally coming back to the subplot as an anchor. Revisiting Rimbaldi also gives us a chance to revisit Sark and Anna Espinosa, and that’s just classic Alias.

    But I’ve been largely disappointed with this season. I liked the first two episodes, but then I didn’t terribly enjoy the episode where Syd had to get that terrorist to fall in love with her. Liberty Village had some great action sequences, but the premise was too familiar for my tastes. The vampire bite episode allowed us insight into Sydney’s deeply hidden doubts and fears about her father and Vaughn, so on that level, it became a fantastic episode, but I hated the plot device of having her get bitten by a vampire. I know it was the show’s way of acknowledging they’ve picked up a few of the writers from “Angel,” but it didn’t work for me.

    As for Lena Olin, don’t get your hopes up. Lena gave an interview where she said she’d like to come back for an arc, but wouldn’t return full-time. Then, as I understand it, JJ Abrams has made the offer, but she hasn’t bitten yet. I suspect that she’s waiting for a raise. That was her big sticking point in not returning last season, and I suspect Lena’s manager is telling her that Alias is getting the best ratings its ever gotten, it’s one of ABC’s highest rated shows, and thus ABC can afford to cough up more of a salary. I’d love for Lena to come back and provide the character of Irina closure, but time will tell as to whether the payment suits her.

    Last comment: I hate the name of the division Sydney is working for. APO sounds like an insurance agency, which I suppose is part of it’s appeal, plus it’s got the whole “hiding in plain sight” angle. (Says Sloane: “The name is right there on the door.”)

    The season is getting better as it goes along, and I fully understand the need for the done-in-one approach, but I’m glad we’re getting back to the old-fashioned serialized cliffhanger Alias of the first three season. I’ve enjoyed this season, but I’ve been less excited by it.

15. RE: Lost

    I understand that some folks are supposedly griping because the answers to mysteries are slow in coming. Screw ’em. I’m along for the ride for as long as they go.

    I agree. The character development has been so well done, that I don’t really care. We are getting the revelations that really matter. And I suspect that knowing the secret of the Island would not be as good without knowing the characters on the Island.

    RE: Alias

    I hated this at the start of the season. It had lost its magic. The tension was gone, but I couldn’t figure out why since there were the family tensions and the tension with Sloan. Then I figured it out: none of it mattered. They were no longer fighting for something bigger than themselves. The reason the first season rocked was because it was David vs. Goliath. It was a story about much more than a single mission. The last few episodes have begun to restore some of that. The “vampire” episode in particular seemed to return to the core characters. And the last episode with the return of Sark & co. seemed to restore the games of something greater.

    I do want to see some sort of resolution about Rimbaldi rather than it just being dropped. But I think Abrams is capable of coming up with something new and better to replace it. If he can come up with LOST, he is can do better on this season of Alias.

    Iowa Jim

16. My biggest problem is that ALIAS really does seem like it’s JJ Abrams practicing to make the next Mission Impossible movie.

    The only thing missing is the tape recorder and Sloane looking at pictures at the beginning of each show.

    (Not a total complaint, since I think the original show is my favorite TV show of all time.)

    I’m also one of the people that love Rimbaldi and miss it greatly. But I’m also a sucker for Illuminati-type fiction and the like.

17. RE:Alias (Part 2)

    My wife made an interesting comment about Alias. In the last episode they had to remove a body part to save someone’s life. My wife’s comment was that they are becoming SD-6 all over again. I found that interesting. Is it inevitable that a black-op organization will slowlly lose its moral compass? Not sure if that is what J.J. has in mind, but having Sloan in charge does not bode well.

    Actually, I still have problems with that very premise. It still doesn’t make sense. I am not sure why he didn’t swap Jack and Sloan. THAT would have made a much more intersting premise. Jack is now the spider at the center of the web, leading Sydney to not know whether she can still trust her dad. Sloan is an adviser to APO, but he moves into the role Syd’s father played the first season (especially with Nadia, but wanting to with Syd). That premise would have very nicely flipped the first season on its head, restored some of the organic tension, and been a lot more believeable.

    Iowa Jim

18. My biggest problem is that ALIAS really does seem like it’s JJ Abrams practicing to make the next Mission Impossible movie. The only thing missing is the tape recorder and Sloane looking at pictures at the beginning of each show.

    I thought the same thing the first episode this season. Even the techno driving music during the mission had changed to almost a ripp-off of the MI theme. I find it hard to believe that was an accident.

    Iowa Jim

19. For LOST, I think they could keep the show going if the revelation behind the island is revealed. Even if they find out why they are on the island, they still have to get off the thing! Personally, I’d be disappointed with a metaphysical solution (they’re in purgatory — but people still drown when swimming? they can be killed by other people?) and would prefer a sci-fi explanation (an island for genetics experimentation, somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle). But that’s just me.

    I suspect Claire escaped because the Frenchwoman went after the other group. She has a gun, after all, and seemed a lot more sympathetic to Sayed than to the other group. (Didn’t she kill several of them?)

    I don’t know why Locke would keep the mysterious hatch from the others. If it’s so important, why not get as much help as possible in opening it? For that matter, why not try to clear away as much ground around it as possible, to get a better idea of what it is?

20. Lost is one of my favorite TV series at the moment. I like that characters of Jin and Sun. My wife happens to be Korean and she’s watched most of the episodes. She noticed though, that the male actor speaks Korean with an American accent, but that he’s been improving as of late. I think the female actor is stunning.

21. Hey, I’m new. I agree about Lost. I love the pacing. There have only been 1 or 2 episodes that really didn’t do it for me. But, the rest are really good! Last week was an amazing episode. Favorite part, when Sun just broke out in English, “I was going to leave you!” that nearly broke my heart. Her delivery was dead on.

    As for Honestly, I’m sort of hoping Alias get’s cancelled. Lately, they have sucked in my opinion. Liberty Village was the only one I was like, “Wow, that was awesome.” The Vampire episode was terrible.

22. Daniel Dae Kim in a recent interview mentions that he doesn’t really speak Korean (he grew up near Philly), but has been learning as they go along. The actress who plays Sun is Korean and has been helping him.
    http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271|93634|1|,00.html

23. Aside from cartoon network fare, Lost is the only show on TV I’ll watch. Honestly, I think it’s the best show that’s been aired for a very long time.

    So far my favourite episode was the Locke backstory. Without a doubt my favourite character, right there. It’s kind of funny to see Superman in a different show too, though.

    The ending of the last episode was great, I really liked the part where Hurley’s batteries died. Brought in a touch of comedy that we needed after that ride.

24. LOST: I actually wish they’d get on with the mysteries already, though I do enjoy all the character backstories we’ve been getting.

    Am I the only one who despises Walt after last week’s ep? He just stood there and allowed Jin to be beaten for his raft-burning—-wow, there’s a son to be really proud of. I sure hope Michael finds out the truth sooner than later.

25. I think too many people are worrying about where the show is heading and not really enjoying the ride! At first, I missed Hurley on the TV in the background because I was reding the sub titles, but of course that is what the rewind button is for. I’ve read that when the DVD box set comes out, there will be a short movie either explaning or showing why the plane went down in the first place. So I’m really looking forward to September, but i’m going to try to enjoy the summer first. We need more eposides of Kate swimming in the same outfit that she wore when she retrived the breifcase!! And lets have Sun in the blue bikini on the beach more since Jin have left her! And now for Carrie I would like to see Jack or Sawyer in their speedo! Sawyer surley found some in the luggage somewhere!

26. 1″Part of me thinks they’ll never kill Jack, but part of me also thinks this show wants to be really ambitious…how ambitious would it be if the show were to feature the death of the most prominent character, the leader of the cast as it were?”

    Matthew Fox was not the first choice for the role of Jack on Lost. It could had been Michael Keaton in that role, but he didn’t want to do an on-going TV series. Had he had taken it, the character of Jack would had been killed off in the first episode.

27. I agree with PAD’s comments about Nadia. I’m lukewarm on her, and that’s not a good thing after this many episodes.

    However, as I think about what they are doing with the character and the hints and clues they are dropping, I can’t help but feel we’re in for a major turn in Nadia’s story arc. The one thing that keeps popping up in this season of one-offs is the idea that at some future date Sydney and Nadia will be adversaries. You might say that the groundwork has been laid for this with the whole secret of who killed Irina.

    More than that, I think what PAD pointed out shows the biggest reason for following through with making Nadia an enemy: she’s redundant. Why else even create her if not as a counterpoint to Sydney? This show has a history of women turning evil (for one reason or another) and it’s not like the Sydney-Nadia relationship doesn’t have precedent. Buffy and Faith anyone?

28. This show has a history of women turning evil (for one reason or another) and it’s not like the Sydney-Nadia relationship doesn’t have precedent. Buffy and Faith anyone?

    Y’mean Nadia’s gonna become mega-cool while Sydney becomes a bìŧçhÿ, bile-spewing martinet…?

    *g*

29. Anybody else out there convinced that Locke is actually running the whole situation? I just REALLY get that feeling, it’s sorta like the GREAT Vincent Price in House on Haunted Hill, he sets up the situation and lets everybody play in it just to see what happens. Although, when I write, I’m not above throwing in a few themes only to completely pull a Dark Helmet-Ha, ha, FOOLED YOU! And that’s one of the things that really works on this show. You DON’T know what the heck’s going on. With everyones’ past, maybe, just maybe, it’s like the island is a Chance For A New Start With The Right Priorities.

    Or maybe I just think too much.

30. Rat, while I’m not sure that he is actually running the situation, he is certainly playing a larger role than the others in the turning of events. He’s gained some sort of insight over happenings on the island and appears to be more of a facilitator than the enactor, giving a nod and a wink with nearly every event that plays out in the castaways favor.

    Fred

31. Since I am too cheap for Tivo, I started off watching Smallville this season since I had been watching it the last few years. The first 5-6 episodes of Smallville were really disappointing I thought so I watche Lost when they replayed the first episodes at the end of the year. Haven’t missed an episode of Lost yet. If the story writing stays as consistent as it has been, I could watch the show for years without finding out what the heck is going on.

32. I enjoyed the living bejesus outta LOST tonighter, BTW.

    Any Short Round/ Indiana Jones reference is a good one in my book.

33. BID–I saw an old epidode of Smallville (“Drone”) tonight. It was about an election at the school (class president?) between a girl-a cheerleader and a guy-science nerd?. He was printing out posters of himself in what looked to be a Superman outfit–just before the bees came of of the drain in the sink. Did I see that right? And what was written on the bottom of the poster? Thanks, Dave.

34. Re: Lost. I had to step out for a few minutes. Could someone tell me why Hurley was arrested? Who did the cops think he was and what did they think he’d done?

    Rick

35. First of all, a belated, LOST related comment on the latest issue of HULK. I remember reading a column by mister David (I think in CBG perhaps) about how people will constantly accuse a writer of “swiping”. He referred to (among other examples) plots in Supergirl that mirrored plots in Buffy (sometimes plots which occured at a later time). I can totally see people starting this discussion with HULK in regards to LOST. A mysterious island, people seeming to come back from the dead, flashbacks. I’m sure the issue was plotted long ago, but it makes you think about synchronicity (my favorite issues of HULK, by the way- issues 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42…)

    As for the secrets of LOST being revealed slowly- I love it! I read a lot f comments by people who want answers now- I’d rather have answers later! I want to speculate and be teased about the questions. There were a few questions that I thought were answered too soon, and it annoyed me.

    As for Alias, I like the change to character centered stand alones. I feel the first few episodes resolved a lot of unanswered character conflicts from last season. Now that these have been resolved, we come back to Rambaldi (which I don’t think is made up as they go, but I could be wrong…)

36. Not sure that they ever said why they arrested him other than it was a false arrest and he got a settlement out of it.

    oooo I want to talk about this weeks! Giddy-up Cowboy Pete!

37. Rick,

    Co-worker says they thought he was a drug-dealer. Forgot that.

38. Hugo’s (Hurley’s) backstory on LOST surprised the hëll out of me; who knew it would tie together so intimately with the secrets of the island? It didn’t confirm my suspicion that Hugo is a role-playing gamer, but it didn’t smash them either (I still suspect that he knows more than a word or to of Klingon). The issue just didn’t come up. Still, I’m interested to learn the reason for his institutionalization. Depression? Did he attempt suicide? Hopefully, we’ll find out.

39. “…word or two…” dammit!

40. Last night was a great night of television.

    Hurley’s quest to find the French woman was outstanding, and I loved the way it ended.

    The real story of the night, in my book, was Alias…man, was that good. That was just vintage Alias at its best. Yeah, there were elements that didn’t work as well for me, but any time that Sark was on screen, it was electric…likewise with Anna Espinosa, and frankly, likewise with Sloane. Very interesting developments, and it looks like we’re back to old-school serialized Alias, instead of the “done-in-one Mission Impossible style” Alias that we saw the first 7 episodes of this season. What’s going on between Sloane and Jack? Will we get a glimpse of Sloane’s true colors next week? Just an outstanding episode of Alias…probably the best of the season thus far.

41. Okay, how many have tried to play those numbers on something?

    And, what about Hurley being a warrior? Guess that’ll be in the next flashback he gets.

    Chris

42. Watch West Wing instead of Alias.

43. Another Alias fan… and it is fun reading your comments. Due to little kids and evening troubles I tape it. I am behind in watching it, but my interest is spiked again. 😀

44. LOST: So who here thinks that the box company that Hurley owns is the same box company that Locke worked for.

45. ~”LOST: So who here thinks that the box company that Hurley owns is the same box company that Locke worked for.”~

    Good Call! I bet yer right.

    It’s like frickin’ six degrees of Locke on this show!

46. Then again, didn’t the Box Co. burn down? Locke ever mention that?

47. Then again, didn’t Hurley’s Box Co. burn down? Locke ever mention that?

48. Ooops. Sorry for the double!

49. Nope, that was Hurley’s shoe factory that burned down, if I recall correctly.

    But when I heard the mention of his box factory, I immediately recalled Locke.

50. AHHHH! Yes that’s right!

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