Lost: Second Impressions II

I'm rewatching episodes of Lost, Season 1. Just gotten through eps 6 to 12.

The pacing of the show starts to seem a bit off from about episode 6 (the Sun flashback). All of a sudden the show stops watching these characters, and starts forcing them to make decisions, such as 'Stay on the beach or go live in the caves'. It's a huge plot point that gets rushed through - whereas, staying true to the tone that the show's set up, it should take at least an episode to work through.

That's followed by Charlie's episode (saving Jack from the cave in), which feels very traditional in a 'Here's the plot, and here's the metaphor' kind of way.

Basically the pacing of episodes and character motivations in the stories have become faster, more traditional / conventional. Sort of treating the characters and plots like playing pieces in a game to be shifted around into more interesting positions.

For a while I found it less satisfying, but then I started getting into the accelerating pace -
as if the first 9 episodes were an overture. Now we've been hit by the plot - three seemingly separate events that are in reality closely related:

• Clare is kidnapped by someone who was already on the Island
• Locke and Boone discover the Hatch
• Sayid finds Rousseau and learns that there are Others, whispering in the jungle.

There have also been a couple of good character centred episodes (Sayid, Clare). Clare's episode, in particular features three moments of note:

• Her psychic has a baffling change of heart, expanded on in this post
• An amazing dream sequence that features Locke with white and black eyes (significant given Season 5).
• The statement that Aaron is a significant figure in the destiny of the Island.

Jack and Kate are still central, and Kate is still fantastic - highly involved in everything, taking charge. Sawyer is, at most, an amusing annoyance.