SpeedingUptoStop said:
This is basically my point. I don't understand, it benefits no one. No one's opinion is going to change with this approach, on either side. It's just a nuisance that persists for no reason.
And the thing is, we've heard pretty much every side from the naysayers... every... side... ad... nauseum... and while I see some of their points and can even sympathize with a few of them, they don't even
begin to drill into my love of the story. It's not a matter of being stubborn and refusing not to like it despite valid points being made either. If any of these people who didn't like the show gave me a hardcore and objective reason to rethink my love for it as a whole, I might.
I'm also going to play this card, too, even though I'm not a fan of playing it, but sometimes one must yank it out from beneath the sleeve when things get dirty. Before I continue, no, this in no way applies to everyone who doesn't like the show. No way. People can think for themselves and I trust that they're intelligent enough to not enjoy it. That being said, based on certain things and certain negative points I read sometimes, I gotta say, I don't fully believe that everyone "gets" Lost. By that, I mean, Lost was created in the same style and craft as big, old-school adventure stories like Swiss Family Robinson, Indiana Jones, and the like and I simply don't think some people really understand or have any appreciation for this style of narration.
If this reminds you of the post I made in the Emmys thread about how Michael Giacchino's music is bold and in-your-face epic and gorgeous for a reason, well yes, I'm saying this in the exact same frame of mind because the scoring applies to it as well. You have shows that most of the Lost haters consider incredible, like The Wire or Breaking Bad or Mad Men. I haven't seen them, but from what I know, they're likely more down to earth and more "realistic" than Lost; seeing as Lost is about people who were brought to a mysterious island on an airplane in hopes that one of them can protect a magical light that needs to be protected, yeah, those other shows are likely very much more realistic and probably not supernatural or fantasy-based.
But Lost is. That's just the kind of show it is. Lost is to Mad Men as what Lord of the Rings or Star Wars is to American Beauty. One thing is huge, bold, over-the top and the other is far more grounded. The same thing applies to the acting. This isn't some down to earth city-focused show about crime and justice or whatever they might be about; Lost in its very essence is escapism and that's why people like it. Again it's in the same exact spirit as your classic adventure tales. It's made to be fun, mysterious, emotional, and to give nerds tons of things to discuss and the exact same can be said for something like Star Wars. The Star Wars movies aren't particularly well-acted, not even the originals, but people love them because the story was timeless as were the characters. Mark Hamill didn't turn in an Oscar-nominated performance, but it was good, and people loved him and his character.
I just think a lot of naysayers are so wrapped up in what they believe to be more poignant, real-life, and mature television/films; I guarantee someone who doesn't like Lost would be a person who thought The Hurt Locker should have won the Oscar instead of Avatar. I'd seriously bet a considerable sum on that. The Hurt Locker deals with what I suppose are real issues that soldiers have to deal with, but it didn't interest me in the slightest because I couldn't relate-- whereas Avatar, while not sporting a super-original plot, had colorful and likeable characters that I personally cared way more about than some asshole with no character development at all (Jeremy Renner) who keeps going back for more. Now some of you may be on the disagreement side of this; it did win best picture and plenty of you loved it. This is just what I thought; merely my opinion. I prefer things that don't necessarily remind me of real-life situations because I think one of the best things to come out of the film medium is the idea that you can sit down and watch something and get completely absorbed and just forget about the stresses of everyday life. Shows like Mad Men don't interest me because the cast reminds me of all the massive dicks I've had to deal with at jobs before and I could just care less about them or that story-- though I don't deny it's quality whatsoever, it's not my thing, plain and simple.
But Lost is. Lost was something I could watch, get interested in, ponder the secrets, ponder the fates of characters, tie together some of the great symbolism, be incredibly moved by Giacchino's beautiful and "overpowering" score, guess how this finale is going to play out or what we're going to learn in the next premiere, pray to god that our favorite characters won't be killed off, wait to find out what something is or what something means, and the list goes on far past the horizon. It's not perfect, and I don't need it to be. Not every facet was super well thought-out. But most were. Like Star Wars, and similar stories like it, Lost is just fun, engaging, heartfelt, and timeless, and that's all I need it to be.
Erigu said:
I dunno, it looks like Dances with Smurfs.
I am
so good at this.
