All of us are lost....

[rogueslayer452]

Apparently today marks the 20th anniversary when Lost premiered. Twenty years ago. It's hard to fathom, honestly. I remember when it premiered, I remember the hype surrounding the show, everyone on my LJ friendslist were freaking out about it at the time. Although I didn't watch the show throughout its run, I did watch the first season. I bought the DVDs for it. It wasn't a show I was interested in continuing, mainly because I was already watching so many other stuff during that time, but it was something I kinda knew of as people were reacting to it over the years as the seasons went on. I know that the controversial series finale is what most people talk about years after it ended, but I also know how absolutely bonkers it was learning of the things that happened throughout the seasons. The flashbacks, OMGWTFPOLARBEAR, smoke monster, "we have to go back!", etc.

Moreover, this is probably one of my favorite promotional advertisements done for the show.

Watch on YouTube

Additionally, because it's been on my mind regarding a lot of popular and successful shows of the past, it's kind of wild to consider the possibility that if Lost were to premiere today it most likely would be cancelled after one season. Which says all that needs to be said regarding the sad nature of our current state of television and media overall via streaming.

Comments

[author_by_night]

I remember the hype surrounding the show, everyone on my LJ friendslist were freaking out about it at the time.

Right?! Everyone was talking about it. I never watched Lost myself, but I learned a lot through osmosis. Including the very controversial series finale.

Admittedly, some of my Lost friends got annoying about it, but that doesn't represent all of them.

[rogueslayer452]

I remember it was inescapable in a lot of fannish communities. Which to be fair happens whenever a new thing emerges that captures people's attention, though back in the day when people would update their journals several times a day it truly was like I was seeing everything about the show. It is how I ended up watching the first season, because I was curious to see what the deal was.

It's a show where I do contemplate on whether or not I should try it again. I did like the first season, and perhaps knowing how the show ends it might make the experience a bit better.

[night_owl_9]

Oh boy, do I remember the hype around it, holy crap. I only watched the first few episodes but enjoyed what I saw.

[shipperslist]

Apparently today marks the 20th anniversary when Lost premiered.
...and now I feel old.

I watched about until they reached the village times but dropped it after because I grew tired of the New Exciting Wowza Plot Twists, so I lived through the flashbacks, polar bear, and smoke monster, but am only familiar with the we have to go back via fandom osmosis.

if Lost were to premiere today it most likely would be cancelled after one season
What a wild, depressing thought.

[rogueslayer452]

Yeah. Time, what even is it anymore?

One thing I learned through fandom osmosis was how the show continued to pile on the crazy plot twists, among other things. It's a show that aside from the first season was always in my periphery. I have thought about the possibility of actually watching the show in its entirety, knowing what I know now of how things end, just to see what else that I missed since I only got little bits and pieces but not everything.

What a wild, depressing thought.

It really is. :/

[shipperslist]

I have thought about the possibility of actually watching the show in its entirety, knowing what I know now of how things end, just to see what else that I missed since I only got little bits and pieces but not everything.

You're braver than I.

[profiterole_reads]

Oh yeah, I just ignore the last 10 minutes of the finale, but I remember that some people were so pissed that they were saying they had wasted 5 years of their lives over this show.

[rogueslayer452]

It certainly was a polarizing series finale that created quite a stir at the time. I wonder if attitudes and perspectives have shifted and changed over the years regarding that ending, aside from choosing to ignore those last several minutes.

[profiterole_reads]

Hopefully, they have relaxed about it. We know that US shows add new content every season (until they are cancelled) and often don't have a plan on how to end properly. This is one of the things I really like about Asian shows: the plot is usually carefully planned from start to end.

[shipperslist]

This is one of the things I really like about Asian shows: the plot is usually carefully planned from start to end.

Same. It's a contained story with a beginning, middle, and an end. A whole story that doesn't fuck characters over depending on the sponsors of the new season.

[rhoda_rants]

"OMGWTFPOLARBEAR"

So you kept up with Cleolinda's recaps too? I miss those. <3

It was more my dad's show than mine--he has the entire series DVD box set, plus a coffee table book I got him for his birthday last year--and we watched it together every single week. I was in college when it started. My roommate at the time got me into it. I was still kinda, "Eh, this is fun, but not sure how invested I am," until Dad started watching it.

It truly was Event TV in a way we just don't get anymore. The thing everyone talks about at work the next day kind of TV. The thing entire online communities pick apart for clues. The whole "mystery box" style of pacing JJ Abrams is now known for.

I definitely enjoyed most of it, and watched the whole thing, although I remember seasons 2 through 4 as being the best. "The Constant" is one of the best single episodes of television I've ever seen, and I think it's what got me into stable time loops as a plot device. The writing is so tight and clever, and what sells it for me it's really a love story when you strip away the time travel hook. I love that episode so much.

The final two seasons got weird, and there was so much pacing-through-the-jungle-to-get-somewhere I got REALLY bored of it, so I haven't rewatched them like I did the others, but it was ambitious in a way I'd love to see someone do again. I think WandaVision got halfway there, but yeah, like you said, only one season. (And the new Agatha spinoff doesn't count.)

[rogueslayer452]

Heh, I did. Although it was a phrase that was playfully adopted by a lot in fandom at the time, for the show and for many other things. That became quite memorable and I still kind of use it every once in a while. :)

It truly was Event TV in a way we just don't get anymore. The thing everyone talks about at work the next day kind of TV. The thing entire online communities pick apart for clues.

It's really kind of sad how much of that has declined over the years, because event television watching was the way to engage with people about something. People got excited to sit down at a scheduled time to watch a new episode and talk about it, be it online or the next day with friends/family/coworkers/etc. Lost was among those shows that truly had the mystery locked and loaded that it kept going for people to keep talking and guessing, to speculate and theorize, especially in between seasons or mid-season finales.

[rhoda_rants]

Honestly, there are so many terms she introduced to the pop culture lexicon. I think "fursplode" was another one.

I know—I miss that too. I can see drawbacks and benefits to both dropping the entire season at once, and waiting a week between episodes, but I strongly prefer the wait. The anticipation and speculation is part of the fun, y'know?

---

[cruel_summer]

I can't believe it's been 20 years since it premiered! It does not feel like that long ago.

[rogueslayer452]

I know. It's so crazy to think about, honestly. The passage of time truly messes with me whenever I hear whatever anniversary of something is. It's like, wait, didn't that just happen? It wasn't that long ago, right?

[pianogurl330]

I can't believe it's been 20 years! I remember reading all kind of theories online about what was happening on Lost. I stuck it out to the end, lol.

[rogueslayer452]

Yeah, I remember the theories and people speculating what was going to happen, what things meant, etc. I only paid half-attention because it was everywhere online, even if it was people ranting about what was going on, lol. There was just a lot of confusion and frustration yet it engaged so many people at the time.

This was a prime example of live television viewing that we don't really get nowadays. It was an event when watching these shows that had seasons long mysteries that kept audiences on their toes every week.