When Lost is good it’s better than pretty much everything on television with the exception of Mad Men. When Lost is really good it’s better than pretty much everything, ever. At this point you’re probably thinking overstatement much, but join me as we discuss “The Economist” and I convince you that as in all things I am right.
The first sign that this episode was going to rock was the part where it started with Sayid. That’s always a good sign my friends. On the superficial side Naveen Andrews may very well be the most attractive man on the planet. Outside of that he’s one of the finest actors working today (even if he often makes truly terrible movies). It’s like he has this fire in his performance, a passion that can’t help but bubble over into his work. It’s the reason the man has palpable chemistry with everything from his costars to the floor he’s standing on. That’s why I love his episodes, whenever the rest of the cast stands back and lets him go he commands the screen. It’s always breathtaking.
Thursday’s episode may have been his finest to date. In “The Economist” we discover that Sayid gets off the island becomes a hitman, falls in love yet again, has love end in tragedy yet again, and is working for Benjamin Fricken Linus. Throughout it all Sayid ran the gamut from terrifying (shooting that dude on the golf course) to vulnerable (lying with his head on guest star Chloe Bell’s stomach) to broken (breaking down in Ben’s office). Yes, in the end Sayid seemed to be every bit as damaged in the future as the other members of the Oceanic 6.
And can I just say, what an ending that was? From Sayid shooting his latest lady love and crawling across the floor to close her eyes and remove her bracelet in a perfect mirror scene to the beginning of the episode to the reveal that Sayid had “sold his soul” and was now working for Ben it was tragic and aching while still managing to be completely tantalizing. (My crazy theory: The death Ben uses to recruit Sayid to do his dirty work is Nadia’s. Anyone else thinking she might be working for these freighter folks? She was working for a pharmaceutical company was she not? And I’m sorry but I’m not buying a future where a post-island Sayid doesn’t make a beeline for her.)
And what about the on-island action? That shot of Sayid looking out the island as the helicopter rose into the sky was one of the most beautiful Lost has ever given us. Right up there with Sun dropping her shawl in a quiet declaration of freedom back in season one. Also I think I’m falling for Daniel the way I fell for Juliet last year. His stuttering, bumbling genius makes him difficult not to like. I love it when new characters actually work, in fact I’m a little enamored with all of the freighter folk. And what about that experiment? Time moves differently on the island? Or was it a little more sciency than that?
Finally, Sawyer convinces Kate to play house. Oh, Sawyer she’s going to break your heart so bad sweetie. Line of the night goes to Hurley, after Miles calls him tubby he sighs, “Oh great, the boat brought us another Sawyer.” Oh, Hurley.
In conclusion: Lost > everything else.
Join me next week when Kate deals with the stalkerazzi.
The first sign that this episode was going to rock was the part where it started with Sayid. That’s always a good sign my friends. On the superficial side Naveen Andrews may very well be the most attractive man on the planet. Outside of that he’s one of the finest actors working today (even if he often makes truly terrible movies). It’s like he has this fire in his performance, a passion that can’t help but bubble over into his work. It’s the reason the man has palpable chemistry with everything from his costars to the floor he’s standing on. That’s why I love his episodes, whenever the rest of the cast stands back and lets him go he commands the screen. It’s always breathtaking.
Thursday’s episode may have been his finest to date. In “The Economist” we discover that Sayid gets off the island becomes a hitman, falls in love yet again, has love end in tragedy yet again, and is working for Benjamin Fricken Linus. Throughout it all Sayid ran the gamut from terrifying (shooting that dude on the golf course) to vulnerable (lying with his head on guest star Chloe Bell’s stomach) to broken (breaking down in Ben’s office). Yes, in the end Sayid seemed to be every bit as damaged in the future as the other members of the Oceanic 6.
And can I just say, what an ending that was? From Sayid shooting his latest lady love and crawling across the floor to close her eyes and remove her bracelet in a perfect mirror scene to the beginning of the episode to the reveal that Sayid had “sold his soul” and was now working for Ben it was tragic and aching while still managing to be completely tantalizing. (My crazy theory: The death Ben uses to recruit Sayid to do his dirty work is Nadia’s. Anyone else thinking she might be working for these freighter folks? She was working for a pharmaceutical company was she not? And I’m sorry but I’m not buying a future where a post-island Sayid doesn’t make a beeline for her.)
And what about the on-island action? That shot of Sayid looking out the island as the helicopter rose into the sky was one of the most beautiful Lost has ever given us. Right up there with Sun dropping her shawl in a quiet declaration of freedom back in season one. Also I think I’m falling for Daniel the way I fell for Juliet last year. His stuttering, bumbling genius makes him difficult not to like. I love it when new characters actually work, in fact I’m a little enamored with all of the freighter folk. And what about that experiment? Time moves differently on the island? Or was it a little more sciency than that?
Finally, Sawyer convinces Kate to play house. Oh, Sawyer she’s going to break your heart so bad sweetie. Line of the night goes to Hurley, after Miles calls him tubby he sighs, “Oh great, the boat brought us another Sawyer.” Oh, Hurley.
In conclusion: Lost > everything else.
Join me next week when Kate deals with the stalkerazzi.
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