Joe Carroll, a former University professor who killed a bunch of female college students, escapes from jail.  Ryan Hardy, the man who caught him, is brought in after leaving the FBI to team with a Mason, a tough female FBI Agent, to recapture Carroll.  It turns out Carroll had help on the outside from a network of wanna be serial killers.

In an interview with Collider, Kevin Williamson had this to say about his upcoming serial killer show on Fox:

You’ll be routing for the FBI agent who is going to bring him down. It’s very emotional. It’s this huge, big, hybrid show like The Vampire Diaries, where it relies on the twists and turns, and the tears, where you just get so invested in the characters and you’re like, “No, not that one,” and then they die. It’s one of those shows.

The Vampire Diaries is probably my favourite show on TV right now, so a comparison by Williamson to that show piqued my interest.  After reading the pilot script by Williamson I see hints of his description, but I don’t know how it will develop into a “huge, big, hybrid show”.  To me it comes across as a standard kinda dark procedural.  I did experience a “no, not that one” reaction whilst reading the script, and I think if it can generate that reaction in me without any of the sensory factors which go along with actually watching a TV show, I think this reaction may be a common occurrence should the show end up running for a while.

I thought the flashbacks to when Ryan was tracking and caught Joe were done well, as well as the ones featuring other character like the student who survived, and Carroll’s wife, and they helped to introduce some of the characters who I assume will be major players going forward.

Whilst reading the script I couldn’t help but picture Carroll as being played by Jere Burns (Duffy from Justified).  He’s not written in any particularly definitive way, but it was the first actor that came to mind and I couldn’t shake it.  Likewise, I couldn’t help but imagine Robin Tunney playing Mason, in no small part because I don’t like Robin Tunney and I didn’t like Mason.

My initial impression whilst reading was that it will probably need to be toned down a bit.  First of all the language, ‘cos I’m fairly certain Fox doesn’t want a bunch of f-bombs being dropped each episode.  Plus it’s a little bit too gruesome in its depiction of violence against women.  I like violence in movies but I don’t like my TV shows to be too gratuitous.

I can say right now that I’m not going to enjoy the initial feeling that every new character introduced could be a potential serial killer.  That shit will get old real fast.

I’m also not too sure about the potential longevity of a show based in essence on tracking serial killers controlled and motivated by someone behind bars, especially if the authorities do what they should and place Joe in solitary to avoid him influencing people on the outside.  It seems rather limited and a bit freak-of-the-week to me.  Still, it’s just a pilot, and shows typically develop and evolve as time moves on.  The thing I always come back to is Seinfeld, which I thought was pretty damn ordinary for the first season and a half, and then developed into arguably the best TV show of all time.

I think that casting, and a commitment for the show to be something more than an ordinary procedural, will ensure that it develops an audience.  This in turn should keep the notoriously cancellation happy Fox from axing the show prematurely.  If both of those factors are covered then I can see myself losing interest like I did with Prison Break and Fringe.

Title: “Pilot”
Written By: Elizabeth Meriwether
Air Date: Sept 20th 2011 (available now on iTunes)

Jess, a cute but nerdy girl, is cheated on by her boyfriend, and unable to stay with her best friend, she moves in with three guys she found on Craigs List.

Lets get the obvious out of the way, the draw of New Girl is clearly Zooey Deschanel.  It’s her first real effort at TV and cos I’m a big fan of this manic pixie dream girl, I’m gonna like this show.  It’s inevitable.

The pilot plays to the charm of Deschanel, namely her overwhelming adorability, but I did find the three roommates to be fairly decent too.  Nick (played by Jake M Johnson) comes across as a slightly less schlubby Charlie Day.  Although the fact that Nick’s ex-girlfriend is played by the waitress from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia probably helped this comparison.

Schmidt (played by Max Greenfield, probably most known for his role as a sheriff’s officer in Veronica Mars) really is a douchebag, but I feel as time goes by the writers will develop him into a more three dimensional character.

Coach (played by Damon Wayans Jr) is easily the best of the supporting characters so it’s a shame that his other show got picked up for another season and he won’t be continuing on in New Girl.  He’s a funny guy that has a nice way of delivering lines.  Plus I always think of his performance in The Other Guys and it makes me smile.

So Deschanel is awesome, and the three guys are at least passable, what about the hot model friend of Jess played by Hannah Simone?  Well, she doesn’t do much in the pilot except be hot, kinda aloof, and dress Jess in a sexy black outfit.  If she continues to just be the hot unfunny friend then I can’t see that she adds anything to the show, but I have a feeling that she’ll end up being a love interest for either Coach or Schmidt.

The one other thing which struck me was the terrible theme song, it sounded like a 30 Rock/SNL sketch joke.  It was only after I was about half way through the episode that I realised the theme was a joke based on Jess’ habit of singing about random stuff, and she does in fact make up a theme song for herself.  Still, I kinda hope they change the theme song or just do away with it entirely.

Rating: 6/10

Conclusion
It’s a single camera, non laugh track sitcom, so right away it’s better than Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory.  I was looking forward to watching New Girl because I’m such a big fan of Zooey Deschanel, but to be honest I wasn’t expecting it to be particularly impressive.  For the most part New Girl isn’t that impressive, but it did exceed my expectations, and I really have to credit the extraordinarily lovable Zooey Deschanel for that.  I’d like to have a full season of the show to see how they develop the supporting characters, but considering the show airs on the fickle and notoriously demanding Fox, I’m expecting that it’ll be cancelled within the first 8 episodes.

Written by: Terry Rossio & Ted Elliott and Tim Powers (novel)
Directed by: Rob Marshall
Genre: Action, adventure

Jack Sparrow and Barbossa embark on a quest to find the elusive fountain of youth, only to discover that Blackbeard (Ian McShane) and his daughter Angelica (Penelope Cruz) are after it too.

I love the first three Pirate of the Caribbean films.  Love them.  Especially the last two.  I know critics say they’re bloated films with a mess of a plot, but I don’t care.  There is such massive scope to them that I can’t help but be drawn in.  Even with the annoyingly whiny Orlando Bloom.

What became instantly apparent when I was watching On Stranger Tides is that there simply isn’t that sense of epic scale.  It’s a very small film.  There aren’t any breathtaking special effects ala Davey Jones or the Kraken, there aren’t any massive battles like the end of At World’s End, hell there aren’t any decent fights.  There’s one shitty fight between Jack and Angelica that’s reminscent of the fight between Jack and Will in Curse of the Black Pearl, and there’s an anti-climactic fight between Barbossa and Black Beard at the end.  So very dull.  How they spent the budget of $250 million on this I don’t know.  I get the feeling that $200 million went to Johnny Depp and the remainder was split between the rest of the cast, special effects and promotion, ‘cos none of it looks like it went up on the screen.

The absolute only worthwhile thing about On Stranger Tides is Ian McShane as Black Beard.  Don’t get me wrong, the character of Black Beard wasn’t that interesting but I did enjoy seeing McShane give a little bit of an Al Swearengen performance.

On Stranger Tides looks and feels like something an amateur would write as fan fiction.  Unlike Scream 4, On Stranger Tides is a completely unnecessary and undeserving entry in the franchise.

RATING: 5/10

CONCLUSION
Ian McShane is in it, Orlando Bloom isn’t, and it’s another chance to see Captain Jack Sparrow.  Those are the only good things about Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

Written by: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
Directed by: Joe Johnston
Genre: Action, comic, war, sci-fi

After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) fights for a place on a top secret research project run by Colonel Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) and Dr Erskine (Stanley Tucci) that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America’s ideals.

I should start by saying that whilst I’m not American I do love America.  I grew up in England and now live in Australia but ever since I first visited the US in 1984 I’ve felt a love for the country that simply isn’t there for my native land.  I’ve been back seven more times since then and long for the chance to move to the US on a permanent basis.  All this is a kinda gooey, hokey way to say that I’m not one of these people who dislike America for it’s storybook ideals and “we’re number 1″ attitude.

The most disappointing thing about Captain America: The First Avenger is that it’s going to be (or already is) number 1 at the box office not because it’s a particularly good film, but because it plays to that phony rah rah attitude of American superiority.  I know America is awesome, I don’t need to be hit over the head with nostalgic patriotism.

As for the film as a whole, I found that the first act was my favourite section of the film because we actually got to spend some time with the characters, whereas Joe Johnston sped through the story in the later acts just so he could get to the next action sequence.  I know it’s a delicate balance when it comes to the pacing of a film, you don’t want to skip ahead too quickly or linger too long, but with Captain America I feel that the whole campaign against Hydra begun, proceeded and concluded far to quickly.  Yeah, he’s Captain America, but that doesn’t mean he can’t encounter some kind of obstacle or setback.  We all know he’s gonna win in the end, the hero always does, but the protagonist needs to face an obstacle.  That’s screenwriting 101.

On the actor side of things I think Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving and Tommy Lee Jones did a decent job, but Haley Atwell as the sexy 1940s pinup-like  officer was a real negative for the film.  I realise they can’t cast some skinny blonde bombshell but my complaint isn’t entirely based on Atwell’s looks.  I think she gave a somewhat OK performance with the material she was given, but that whole romance between her and Captain America was completely manufactured.  There was nothing natural or organic about their relationship, and the “meet in one week” conversation as his plane was going down was laughable.  I’m very hopeful given the way the film ended that Atwell won’t be returning in any form in either The Avengers or the likely sequel.

And speaking of how the film ended, I hope they explain how a guy can be buried in ice in the Antarctic(?) for 70 years and neither age or die.  That seems ludicrous even for a comic movie.

RATING:  6/10

CONCLUSION
I think Captain America: The First Avenger works best as an origin story which sets up Joss Whedon’s upcoming The Avengers.  The first act is decent but the rest feels rushed and paced far too quickly.  Chris Evans is a credible Steve Rogers and Hugo Weaving once again does a good job as a villain.  The special effects are OK and the film is passable.  I wasn’t expecting to be blown away and Captain America: The First Avenger met those expectations.

Written by: Ehren Kruger
Directed by: Michael Bay
Genre: Action, 3D, comedy(?)

The Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the Moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and to learn its secrets.

It’s worth noting right from the outset that Transformers: Dark of the Moon suffers from not having Megan Fox it in.  And I fucking hated the lame ass jokes/asides concerning the absence of Mikaela.

As for the film, it is what it is, and you’ll enjoy it just as much as you expect.  Nothing’s really changed since the first film and if you go in on the understanding that the film is simply a dumb summer blockbuster then you should come away feeling OK about the money you’ve just spent.  I will say that I enjoyed the 3D and despite the notoriously “busy” special effects of the franchise I found that I didn’t suffer any kind of eye strain or headache from watching the 157 minute film.

New transformers are introduced, as they were in the second film, with the notable one being Sentinel Prime.  I found it to be pretty distracting watching a transformer that clearly looked like Leonard Nimoy who spoke with that unmistakable cadence, but he was pretty bad-ass when he was kicking Optimus Prime all over the place.  A scene of particular note which is a fantastic display of special effects is the one featuring Shockwave (who I think is new to the franchise) tearing a whole building apart whilst the good guys are inside as it breaks in half and crashes against a neighboring building.  Really fucking cool.

Comic relief is provided by LaBeouf, Witwicky’s parents played by Kevin Dunn and Julie White (although they’re not in it nearly enough), John Turturro, the legendary Ken Jeong, and Alan Tudyk (who makes his first appearance in the franchise).

Not much more to say about the film beyond that.

RATING: 6.5/10

CONCLUSION
Transformers: Dark of the Moon is a dumb action film just like the first two and just like everything else Michael Bay makes.  But if you go in wanting and expecting that, you won’t be disappointed.  I take some points off because it doesn’t have Megan Fox in it but I add some because it does feature the comedically flawless Ken Jeong.

TITLE: “Pilot”
WRITTEN BY: Jon Harmon Feldman
AIR DATE: September 28th 2010

When I first heard about this show early in the year I thought that it actually sounded pretty interesting, like a combination of Heroes and Modern Family.  Maybe even a live action version of The Incredibles.  Well it’s none of those things.  Heroes was decent enough for the first season but No Ordinary Family has none of the intrigue that would make you come back again and again, and the family dynamic that the show is attempting to push is very forced.  I mean, each family member has problems with another one but at the end of the first episode the fact that each member got some superpower seems to have healed all the problems that this family had.  And you can forget about No Ordinary Family being anywhere near as good as The Incredibles.

Of course, my enjoyment of the show isn’t helped by the fact that I either don’t know, or dislike, each of the four actors and actresses who make up the family.  I’m a diehard Buffy fan and have a soft spot for just about everyone who ever appeared on that show, but I can’t stand Julie Benz.  It probably has something to do with Dexter too because my hatred of Rita knows no bounds, but the very site of her annoys me.  As for Michael Chiklis I think he’s an OK actor at best, but just like the show he’s most famous for, The Shield, I think he’s vastly overrated.

The only redeeming thing I can find in this episode is the inclusion of Autumn Reeser and Romany Malco.  I have an unending love of The O.C. and Autumn Reeser was a part of that show.  And she was good on it unlike Mischa Barton.  Reeser isn’t given much to do in this episode other than help Julie Benz’s character figure out the extent of her power.  I’m hopeful that her role will increase as the show goes on but I’m not sure if I’ll continue to watch No Ordinary Family in the hope that Autumn Reeser gets more screen time.  As for Romany Malco, he was in The 40 Year Old Virgin and Saint John of Las Vegas.  How could I possibly not like him and enjoy seeing him in other projects?

So far I’ve only dropped one new show from my viewing list (Chase) so I’ll give No Ordinary Family another couple of episodes to convince me that it’s worth my time.  But what with the lack of good superhero related material, the extremely average family drama component of the show, and the fact that both Chiklis and Benz are the focal point, I don’t think I’m gonna be able to stick it out very long.  A show that doesn’t know what it wants to be featuring actors I hate is gonna be really hard to watch for any extended period of time.

RATING: 5/10 (only because of Autumn Reeser and Romany Malco)

CONCLUSION:
The only good thing about the pilot was the presence of Autumn Reeser.  I cared so little about what was going on that I’ve already forgotten not only the surname of the family in question but also the first names of every single character.  That can’t be a good sign in a shows effort to build a connection with the audience.

TITLE: “The Robotic Manipulation”
WRITTEN BY: Steven Molaro, Eric Kaplan and Steve Holland
AIR DATE: September 23rd 2010

For three years now I’ve ridiculed my friends Crystal and Bean for liking The Big Bang Theory.  At every possible opportunity I would tell them how unbelievable it is that they enjoy a show which is so generic and unfunny.  I would tell them that The Big Bang Theory is what’s wrong with TV.  It’s a show that appeals to the dumbest in society.  If humanity evolved to the state seen in Idiocracy then The Big Bang Theory would be the show everyone watched.  It’s like the fictional show Yo Teach featured in Judd Apatow’s film Funny People, except fifty times worse.  I said all this and probably much more and I’d only seen about 10 minutes of the pilot.

So I set myself a task.  Between the last episode of The Big Bang Theory on May 24th 2010 and the premiere this season I was going to watch every episode which had been produced.  And I did it.  It was boring and uneventful and downright depressing that so many people find enjoyment in this show and yet are blissfully unaware of other far superior efforts, but I did it.  And it’s with great pleasure that I can say that my snap judgement of the show after my initial 10 minute viewing was absolutely correct.  The Big Bang Theory is a terrible show.  It’s painfully unfunny, offers just about no character development from episode to episode, let alone season to season, and features some of the worst “pause for laugh track” acting seen on TV.  The lack of development means that each episode is interchangeable with every other episode.  Sure, Leonard and Penny got together during the third season but aside from that short lived event there’s been no development whatsoever.  I will admit that it’s not the worst sitcom on the air, but of the show’s that either get good ratings or deserve to get good ratings, it second in shitness only to Two and a Half Men.

Over 64 episodes I’ve chuckled, not laughed, twice.  First was when Sheldon said he wasn’t going to watch Clone Wars before Attack of the Clones because he wanted to be disappointed in the order that George Lucas intended.  The second was when Sheldon goes insane and ends up in a pool of plastic balls emerging through them to taunt Leonard with shouts of “bazinga”.

None of this should be taken to mean that I don’t like the actors.  Jim Parsons was awesome in Garden State.  Johnny Galecki was on Roseanne so he gets credit for that.  And Kaley Cuoco is hot in a kinda more female Brooke Hogan way.  The other two I can do without.  It’s just that the show is so ordinary.  I don’t understand how The Big Bang Theory can get 3 to 4 times as many viewers as Parks and Recreation.  What kind of a world do we live in that would allow that to happen.  Why do people choose to watch something that’s clearly inferior?

I’m gonna continue to watch The Big Bang Theory this season so that I can validly criticise it to my friends and so that superior comedies like Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, Modern Family and Eastbound & Down look that much sweeter.

RATING: 4.5/10

CONCLUSION:
It’s shit, unfunny and loved by the masses.  If that’s not a sign of the dumbing of society I don’t know what it.

TITLE: “Audition”
WRITTEN BY: Ian Brennan
AIR DATE: September 21st 2010

Last season I watched the first 20 or so episodes of Glee over a period of a couple of days.  I’d got caught up watching other stuff and somehow or other I kept pushing back watching Glee.  But when I watched the first episode it opened the floodgates and I couldn’t stop watching until I’d devoured every single second.  I’ve watched the first season three or four times through now and was anticipating its return more than anything else on TV.

Well, it’s back.  My favourite show from last season returns with everyone looking slightly more attractive, a new football coach, and a couple of new kids showing their singing talents.  A couple of people were noticeably absent, namely Emma (Jayma Mays) and Terri (Jessalyn Gilsig) but they weren’t really missed.  In fact, I’m not even sure if Gilsig is on the show this season, and to be honest I would be happy if Terri never appeared again.

A few things were noticeable almost from the outset.  First is that the songs that will be used this season seem like they’re gonna be a lot more current than they ever were last season, and second is that the background characters from last season will get a bit of a push.  So that means more screen time, lines, and hopefully stories for Santana, Brittany and Mike.  None of this is news if you were keeping track of Glee developments over the last couple of months, but it’s a little surprising that the shift occurred in the very first episode of the new season.  As long as they don’t completely forget about the awesome 80′s and early 90′s songs that were featured so heavily last season I’m happy with whatever music they choose.

“Audition” also introduced a bunch of new characters that will be around this season, first was Coach Beiste the new female coach of the football team, Cheyenne Jackson showed up right at the end of the episode as the new Vocal Adrenaline coach to poach another newbie Sunshine Corazon (Charice Pempengco).  Also new this season is Sam Evans (played by the impossibly named Chord Overstreet).  The two new students have really good voices so I hope that they’re featured enough without taking anything away from Lea Michele but also allowing for more performances from Mark Salling, Naya Rivera and Heather Morris.  I’m hopeful that Jackson will be able to appear on both Glee and 30 Rock this season but I guess it all depends on how fleshed out his stories are on both shows.  Time will tell.

Aside from that, there were some decent songs, I particularly liked how New York State of Mind was shot because it was kind of liberating seeing a performance outside of the auditorium or music room.  So often last season the performances were limited to indoors and it really took away from what they could be.  I wasn’t always a fan of the outright fantasy singing where the performer was imagining their surroundings, but I didn’t like everything being indoors either.  Hopefully there’ll be more performances in different locations to change things up a bit.

As always Jane Lynch was sublime as Sue, and it looks like she may have found a worthy competitor in Coach Beiste.  I think Coach Beiste is going to act as a magnet for Sue’s rage this season which will leave Will to take his Glee kids to NYC for Nationals.  And finally, I loved the opening interview montage by Jacob which basically put all the real world complaints Glee faced last season to the characters.  Very clever and very funny.  Oh, and Becky Jackson returned as an assistant to Sue during tryouts.

RATING: 8/10

CONCLUSION:
It wasn’t the knockout punch of a season opener that I like to get from the first episode in a new season, but it was a very solid effort that ranks up their with the best that Glee has put forward so far.  It also didn’t hurt that the comedy was supplied from a number of characters this week rather than the usual lone source of Sue.

TITLE: “Pilot”
WRITTEN BY: Peter M. Lenkov
AIR DATE: September 20th 2010

TITLE: “The End”
WRITTEN BY: Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof
AIR DATE: May 23rd 2010

I was going to write a review of the series finale as soon as I’d finished watching it but when it was over I found myself going over everything in my head.  After that I went online and had a look at some of the reactions.  Needless to say they were at both ends of the spectrum.  Some were calling it the worst thing ever and that it made six years of the show worthless, which in itself is a ridiculous notion, and other were proclaiming it the best episode of TV ever.  Hell, E! just named Lost the best show of the last 20 years, which I have a feeling the finale played a strong part in.  After reading all this and with everyone weighing in on the finale I kinda lost interest in having my say.  However, my friend Crystal just called me and voiced her disappointment that I hadn’t given my opinion on the end of the show.  With her in mind here are my thoughts on the end of one of the best shows ever.

First off, I don’t buy Darlton’s claim that Lost has always been about the characters.  That may have been the writers intent all along but a healthy dose of fans followed the show for the mythology first and the characters second.  This season was certainly more focused on the characters with the mythology episodes seemingly used to answer questions raised in previous seasons, and I think now that the sideways world has been revealed as some sort of purgatory that side of the story also plays strongly towards the character side of things.  Being an atheist I wasn’t particularly happy with the idea that now all the characters had awakened they could all go on to heaven together, but I can appreciate what the show was going for.  When all the characters started to get together at the church I was sure it was the same church with the lamppost station that Eloise Hawking used to send the Oceanic 6 back to The Island.  I figured they were all going to go back and live happily ever after.  Guess I was wrong.

Lost has from the very beginning been able to introduce new characters and make them feel like a part of this universe.  They’ve never felt like addons or third wheels.  That’s a testament to the writers and the amazing actors.  Chief among all the new additions to the show was Michael Emerson (Benjamin Linus).  My understanding was that the character was written for a two or three episode arc but Emerson impressed everyone so much that he was written into the show fulltime.  I loved Ben’s apology to Locke outside the church, and him commending Hurley on being a great #1 and I really feel like Ben found peace with everything he’d done.  It was also great that Locke forgave Ben.  That short scene between the two was absolutely fantastic.

Aside from the skillful writing and the mystery surrounding The Island, Lost was a success because of the stellar acting of everyone involved.  I’ve harboured a grudge against Heroes since the show came on the air because fanboys insisted that it was a better show than Lost.  I’d like to think that the 1st season finale of Heroes and the 3rd season finale of Lost which aired a few days later proved conclusively that Heroes wasn’t worthy to like the shit off Lost’s shoes but if you need further proof you should look to the quality of acting on the two shows.  One of the many reason why Heroes was so God-awful was the absolutely terrible acting.  Lost never suffered from this problem and this is one of the reasons why so many new characters could be introduced and all be embraced by the audience.  Just off the top of my head after the 1st season the show was able to introduce Ben, Juliet, Mr Eko, Anna Lucia, Libby, Desmond, Penny, Charles Widmore, Eloise Hawking, Charlotte, Lapidus, Miles, Daniel, Richard, Jacob, the MiB, and probably more that I’m forgetting.  All of these characters were superb additions and each actor portraying them did an outstanding job.

Despite my misgivings about whether or not Lost has always been about the characters I have to admit that this was a very moving episode.  I haven’t cried once during the entire run of Lost, even when episodes are structured to bring about those kinds of reactions (like the one where Sun and Jin died), however I couldn’t help but tear up during some of the awakenings.  Of particular note was the whole Kate/Claire/Charlie scene.  I’ve never been a big fan of Charlie, he was always kind of a whiner, but for some reason that whole scene really got to me.  However, my favourite awakening was the Sawyer/Juliet one.  Those two were so great together and that scene was played brilliantly.  I always liked the chemistry between Sawyer and Kate but it was more of a lustful relationship than one of love.  Juliet and Sawyer loved each other.  Whilst we may not have seen their relationship develop they effectively spent 3 or so years together living with the Dharma Initiative.  They belonged together and I was extremely happy when it was those two who awakened each other and not Sawyer and Kate.

I was happy that the episode was able to mix in a healthy chunk of action along with the drama.  Jack facing off with Not-Locke was pretty cool and has been something that’s been building from the 1st season.  I know that Not-Locke isn’t the original and that Jack’s come around to Locke’s way of thinking about The Island (he even says that Locke was right about everything and that Not-Locke is just wearing Locke’s face) but it was still nice to see those two faces going at it on the edge of the cliff.  Not-Locke stabbed Jack fucking good.  And after six seasons of Kate following after people I shouldn’t have been surprised that she turned up to shoot Not-Locke yet I was.

Finally, I’d like to briefly mention what a pleasant surprise it was to see Boone and Shannon return.  Like Charlie I was never a very big fan of these two but I thought their inclusion was a further nod to the show and the characters returning the their 1st season origins.  It never actually occurred to me that Shannon would be the one to awaken Sayid.  I figured Nadia was his one true love and when he didn’t get together with her that he’d be awakened in some other fashion.  And again, it was a touching flashback montage of their memories.  It was also great to see Rose and Bernard on The Island.  I’d forgotten about them completely.

When Jack became the protector of The Island last week I can’t say I was surprised.  Jack has been the lead character since the very first episode so it stands to reason that he’d be the one to take over for Jacob.  I know my friend Crystal would have been disappointed with that development because she hates Jack and wanted Hurley to be the one to take over.  I know she’ll be happy that Hurley ended up being the protector of The Island.  I also really liked the conversation between Hurley and Ben after Hurley took over.  That desperate need of Ben to be important was validated by Hurley asking him for help.  It’s something that Ben hasn’t really experienced in a number of seasons, that someone actually needs and wants him, and it’s fitting that Hurley, probably the purest Lostie, would be the one to show Ben that he’s needed.  And that his need is in requirement of The Island only makes Hurley’s request more significant for Ben.

After last week’s episode there was ridiculous talk about Lost jumping the shark and that people weren’t going to watch it anymore.  Just craziness.  But that’s the type of devotion fans have for the show.  Me on the other hand, I like to just role with whatever the show throws my way.  I haven’t bothered to try and formulate a theory about what The Island is or why they were all brought there, so when that stuff is actually revealed I have the luxury of not being disappointed that my theory was wrong or second guessing the decisions of the writers.  I think my approach to watching Lost is one that lead to me enjoying the conclusion of the show more than those who’ve invested a lot of time into developing a theory of everything that’s taken place simply because I have no preconceived notion of how I think the show should/would end.

More idiocy followed the finale with people saying it ruined the previous six years.  I’m positive that anyone who feels this way doesn’t have the intelligence necessary to follow a simple conversation between Jack and Christian.  Below is a transcript of everything that was said between the two in the church:

Christian: Everything that’s ever happened to you is real.  All those people in the church, they’re all real too.

Jack: They’re all… they’re all dead?

Christian: Everyone dies sometime kiddo.  Some of them before you, some  long after you.

Jack: But why are they all here now?

Christian: Well there is no now here.

Jack: Where are we dad?

Christian: Well this is a place that you all made together so that you could find one another.  The most important part of your life was the time that you spent with these people.  That’s why all of you are here.  Nobody does it alone Jack.  You needed all of them and they needed you.

Jack: For what?

Christian: To remember… and to let go.

Jack: Kate, she said we were leaving.

Christian: Not leaving.  No.  Moving on.

Jack: Where are we going?

Christian: Let’s go find out.

Retards the world over are saying that the finale made the entire series a waste of time, presumably because they think the castaways were dead the entire time.  It’s precisely because there are morons in the world who can’t follow a simple conversation that networks feel the need to make simple mindnumbingly shit shows like The Big Bang Theory.  A look at what was actually said between Jack and Christian shows that this is simply not the case.  Everyone was real.  They crashed on The Island.  They lived there for a time and clashed with The Others, the smoke monster and the freighter guys.  It all really happened.  The finale provided a bookend to show that that time on The Island was the most important time of those people’s lives.

As for complaints I would have liked a little bit more mythology in the episode but I guess the whole water thing and that underground cave can be debated over by fanboys until they’re blue in the face.  I’m also not sure what happened to Desmond.  Did he live or die after going into the cave?  For a guy who was so important to The Island his ending was a little ambiguous.  In addition, the one mystery which still has me wanting an answer is “the rules” between Ben and Widmore and why Ben had said he couldn’t kill him yet he did.  That seems like something which is pretty important and is probably the one remaining question I’d like answered the most.

RATING: 9/10

CONCLUSION
I thought it was suitably epic, sad, heartwarming and poetic.  A finale perfectly in tone with what the series has always been.