Page 1: Show Discussion, Discs 1-4
Page 2: Discs 5-6, Video/Audio, Bonus Features, Menus & Packaging, and Closing Thoughts

A star () denotes ten favorite episodes from the season.

DISC 5

17. ...In Translation (43:02) (Originally aired February 23, 2005)
Jin and Michael’s animosity toward each other only heightens in this Jin-centric episode, as Sun’s secret gets harder to maintain. When Michael’s nearly-finished raft is destroyed by arson, he sets the blame squarely on Jin. However, we learn through Jin’s story flashbacks that he is not nearly as dangerous a person as previously thought - he truly loves Sun, and only suffers at the whims of her father in order to earn approval. Trying and failing to escape the blind wrath of Michael and the others, Jin squarely faces Michael’s rage in front of a large group of survivors and refuses to fight. Only when Sun interjects and pleads for them to stop - in English - do they consider it was someone else. Indeed it was - and the real answer is a shock. Upon discovering his wife’s secret, a hurt and dishonored Jin leaves her at the caves to go help Michael build a bigger, better second raft.

18. Numbers (43:06) (Originally aired March 2, 2005)
A fan favorite, this episode centers on Hurley - and his backstory has proven to be one of the most intriguing. Stumbling on a set of 6 numbers - 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42 - that carry a curse in disguise, Hurley wins the lottery with them and becomes a millionaire. But even though his life goes unscathed, those around him begin to suffer in numerous terrible ways. Eventually, Hurley uses his money to track down anyone in the world with knowledge of these numbers, but finds dead ends. On the island, Hurley discovers that these numbers have been written on one of Rousseau’s papers - the French woman stranded on the island for 16 years, and the one who captured and interrogated Sayid. Abandoning all pretense, Hurley goes off to search for the woman in a desperate quest for an answer - or maybe just a simple affirmation. The mysteries only deepen as we discover eerie links between the numbers, the island, and the mysterious hatch.

19. Deus Ex Machina (42:39) (Originally aired March 30, 2005)
Locke and Boone (his “acolyte” of sorts) continue to work on the now-unearthed hatch, but Boone is getting weary of their fruitless efforts. Locke’s determination is unfazed, until he has a prophetic nightmare (or an island-induced vision?) trying to lead him to the wreckage of a small plane. Indeed, when he and Boone set out to find it, the self-same aircraft is perched precariously over a cliff edge, held up by tree branches. In this episode, we’re given some insight into Locke’s past - full of betrayal and pathos. As ambiguous a character as Locke has been, things are about to get worse for him on the island as Boone’s exploration of the plane ends disastrously.

20. Do No Harm (43:14) (Originally aired April 6, 2005)
A frantic Locke brings a seriously injured Boone back to camp before taking off in a fit of guilt and remorse. Despite Jack’s best efforts to save him, Boone’s condition continues to get worse. More character analysis of the good doctor ensues in yet another Jack-centric episode, this time focusing on his questionable marriage and some lingering issues with his father. Meanwhile, life begins anew as Claire gives birth to a healthy baby boy, but this bittersweet episode leaves us wondering where Locke is...

DISC 6

21. The Greater Good (43:15) (Originally aired May 4, 2005)
Despite Jack’s best and sincerest efforts, Boone succumbs to his injuries. At his burial, Locke appears out of nowhere, still covered in Boone’s blood. His apologies and explanations aren’t good enough for Jack, who rounds on him in a terrific rage. Locke thereon loses much trust and face in the eyes of the other survivors. In this Sayid-centric episode, Shannon, overcome by grief, asks Sayid to “do her a favor,” concerning Locke. An extreme test of their budding relationship, Sayid does not want to do anything rash, but does subtly interrogate Locke about exactly what happened to Boone. Flashbacks of his past show a tragic betrayal of friendship that Sayid was forced to choose for, well, the episode title says all!

22. Born to Run (43:14) (Originally aired May 11, 2005)
True to Jack’s suspicions, Locke has been hiding something from the other survivors. He brings Sayid and Jack to the hatch, which only causes worry - especially when the prodigious Walt, who doesn‘t know of the hatch - empathically tells Locke, “Don‘t open it! Don‘t open that thing!” Michael’s raft is almost done, but he suddenly keels over in pain, and after a brief assessment, Jack determines he has been poisoned. But why - and by whom? Curiously, the episode is Kate-centric in its flashbacks, as it continues to chronicle her criminal past and weave other mysteries about her life, such as why her mother is an invalid in a hospital and screams for help when Kate sneaks in to see her.

23. Exodus - Part 1 (43:16) (Originally aired May 18, 2005)
In this first hour of the season’s three-hour finale, the single flashback format is abandoned in favor of showing the final hours of several of the show’s main characters in civilization - at the Sydney airport. On the island, Rousseau (Mira Furlan) shows up and warns the survivors that, “The Others are coming!” Indeed, an ominous thick column of black smoke has appeared on the horizon, and plans to depart the finished raft with its four passengers - Michael, Sawyer, Jin, and Walt - are bumped up. Claire fears for her child’s life as it’s suspected the unstable Rousseau may take her baby in order to “exchange” him for her son Alex, who was taken by the Others in a similar manner 16 years ago. As a last ditch effort to defend themselves against the Others, Jack has Rousseau lead them into dangerous territory to obtain explosives in order to blow open the hatch, for there may be shelter or resources within it to utilize. Of course, there may be nothing but danger awaiting, as well…

24. Exodus - Part 2 (1:24:58) (Originally aired May 25, 2005)
The last two hours of the season finale prove to be riveting for viewers. More questions than answers are given as the survivors continue to hastily prepare for the potential threat of other inhabitants of the island. Rousseau leaves Jack and the others in their quest for explosives and shows up again at the main camp, mesmerized by Claire’s baby. Claire has a flash of a memory - scratching at Rousseau’s arms to keep her away when she was previously abducted. Though she refuses to let Rousseau hold her child, the next we know she has been knocked on the head, while both Rousseau and her baby are gone. Sayid and Charlie quickly go after her, convinced she’s headed toward the smoke to give Claire’s baby to the Others.

When Jack, Kate, Hurley, and Locke make their way back to the beach with 2 bags of dynamite, the “monster” lurking in the forest makes an attack. We’re given teasing, obscure glimpses of the beast, but are no closer to knowing exactly what it is. When something attempts to pull Locke into a large pit, Jack and Kate use a stick of dynamite to ward off the creature - despite Locke’s surprising protests.

Sayid and Charlie’s search ends at the large bonfire creating the smoke, where they find Rousseau crying helplessly with the baby. The two manage to take the child safely from her, amidst her baffled repetitions that the Others did not come - “The Others said they were coming for the boy!” An enraged Charlie puts her off as a lunatic. Leaving Rousseau to despair, they bring the baby - recently christened Aaron - back to camp and an overjoyed Claire.

Meanwhile, the moment of truth at the hatch has come, as the dynamite is ready for ignition. To his shock, though, Hurley discovers his cursed 6 numbers etched in to the metal of the hatch container, and pleas for the fuse not to be lit - but it’s too late. Something even more shocking awaits the raft party, as a fleeting moment of joy at supposed rescue when a motorboat slides up to them quickly turns into chaos. These are the Others, and they have come for Walt. Shooting at Sawyer and wrestling Walt away, the Others make a hasty retreat, leaving a burned raft and a despairing Michael behind. More mysteries unfold as the smoke clears around the hatch. The four clamber up onto it and remove the twisted cover. Peering down into a long, dark shaft, we’re left to wonder what Jack and Locke see as the first season of “Lost” comes to a close.

VIDEO and AUDIO

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and naturally enhanced for 16x9 displays, the naked-eye quality of playback for the series is a bit of a puzzle. It’s undoubtedly a very clean and “artifact-free” presentation, but an ever-so-slight “fuzziness” of the picture is present during much of the playback of these episodes. Whether it was to create a certain atmospheric sense in this enigmatic show, or the result of cramming 3 hours worth of episodes on each disc, I can’t exactly say. A similar befuddling feature is the often very dark and muddied tones and shadows used throughout. Again, whether this was intentionally tweaked in post-production (via digital grading or other such techniques), a result of filming in many different environments (i.e. the daylight gloom beneath the canopy of a tropical forest), or just bad disc authoring, I can’t say for sure. It’s not enough to detract from the average viewer’s enjoyment, however.

The audio provided for the DVD is a single English Dolby Digital 5.1 system, with English subtitles and captions the only written options. Apparently, some pressings also have an English DD 2.0 Surround provided as well, but these appear to be second-run editions and onwards. The second season of “Lost” has so far featured an alternate Spanish dub on the SAP during its television broadcasts, so one can infer that this will be available on the second season’s eventual DVD set. But I digress! No problems were encountered with the 5.1 system - contrarily, it was incredibly effective and put to great use for this show. The roars of the mysterious inland beast are quelling, the panic of fleeing, frightened survivors tangible. Even the sound effects of the menus are distributed grandly throughout the room! Overall, a great set to feature digital sound in, in my humble opinion.

BONUS FEATURES

The box set for “Lost” boasts a wealth of extra features, most of them located on the seventh disc. On the set's first disc however, one can find three of the five audio commentaries on the set as well as a few other goodies. The commentary on the "Pilot: Part 1" and "Pilot: Part 2" episodes features none other than J.J. Abrams himself, who directed these 2 separate installments. Abrams keeps the information flowing at a steady rate for the viewer/listener, and never gets overly technical nor wanders into tangents. These two commentaries also pause often to show behind-the-scenes footage relevant to a particular scene or sequence. Amusingly enough, the audio commentary Abrams actually directs the action in the episode to stop while the extra features play. He is truly the king of branching technology! "Walkabout" also features commentary from a different pack of cast and crew - chiefly director Jack Bender and co-star Terry O'Quinn. The other two commentaries are "The Moth" and "Hearts And Minds"; located on discs 2 and 4, respectively. Each features quips and insight from various producing and episode-relevant cast members; I have to say that Dominic Monaghan's off-the-wall silliness for "The Moth" was most likely my favorite of the five, though. Must be that British humor!

Disc One also contains an interesting DVD-ROM feature called the "Lost Scriptscanner," which is basically what it sounds like. Computer users can select "Pilot: Part 1" or "Pilot: Part 2" to watch whilst the original screenplay for the episode scrolls past on the right-hand side. This feature requires the InterActual DVD-ROM software, which is automatically installed by disc 1 should the user agree to have it.

Other than that, all extras are to be found on Disc Seven, and are divided into 3 main areas. DEPARTURE is, true to its name, an ideal place to begin, and you can either browse different features at your leisure, or select the play all feature, clocking in at a movie-length 1:44:26.

Tracing its roots to a concept as outrageous as Cast Away: The Series, The Genesis of “Lost” (8:40) is a relatively short but informative overview of the earliest concepts of Lost, and traces its rather frenzied history from executive buffoonery (see aforementioned proposal) to the introduction of more mysterious and fantastic elements, such as the island being a character unto itself. The premise proved so potent, that in the span of just a few short weeks, ABC had picked up the show for production based on an outline alone!

Designing a Disaster (7:59) is the amazing chronicle of the set preparation for the series’ memorable pilot. Due to extreme time and budget constraints, producing realistic plane props for the crash scene was out of the question. The next best thing? Buy your own retired L1011, chop it up into messy pieces, and strew it all over a Hawaiian beach! Another demonstration of the crew’s amazing ingenuity under such scheduling pressure, the resulting plane crash set proved to be so realistic that signs and reassurances had to be made to travelers and passers-by that the wreckage was only for a television production.

Allowing for only three weeks to cast nearly two dozen members of a primary group of characters - with a constantly evolving script to boot - was a bit of a challenge, suffice to say. Before They Were Lost (22:55) gives us a bit of insight into the frenetic process. Casting director April Webster met this challenge gloriously, sometimes taking the first person brought in, as was the case with Jorge Garcia’s character, Hurley. In some cases, the writers “retrofitted” the character profiles to complement the actor eventually cast. As with several other elements, the production of “Lost” was a constantly evolving venture. The Audition Tapes (23:34) are a compilation of 13 original readings with the actors whom would eventually be cast - several in roles that they hadn’t auditioned for originally.

"Welcome to Oahu: The Making of the Pilot" (33:20) is an excellent production featurette that covers everything from technical aspects of shooting to the dynamic between the recently assembled cast members. Filmed in the tropical climate of Oahu Island, the rushed production understandably encountered several weather-related roadblocks along the way that made filming difficult at times. The inundation of the rainy season soaked their equipment, and the wildly varied terrain made it difficult to obtain some shots. A much easier issue was the camaraderie of the cast members, who even after having been thrown together in a whirlwind production schedule, clicked with an astounding chemistry. A particularly amusing segment in this behind-the-scenes feature entailed shooting a polar bear dummy out of an air cannon to simulate an attack - and the embarrassing results that came of it.

The Art of Matthew Fox (6:07) is an enjoyable extra not unlike other “Art Reviews” we have seen before on Disney DVDs such as Brother Bear. Fox, an amateur photographer, decided to document his time in Hawaii in pictures, and construct a book for the series’ crew at production’s end. In this featurette, several samples of his (mostly panoramic) photography scroll by the screen as Fox gives a bit of insight on the history and composition of the shots. An appreciated and reflective extra piece amongst all the other features on this disc.

LOST@Comic-Con is, at only a minute and fifty seconds, an excruciatingly short reaction to the show’s hype before airing, focusing in particular on the pilot’s warm reception at the 2004 Comic-Con, weeks before it hit national television. Though the concept of this extra was great, one only wishes that the follow-through had been a little lengthier!

TALES FROM THE ISLAND is Disc Seven's second branch, and again can be played individually or with the play all feature at just under an hour (57:37). "LOST: On Location" is a series of eight clips documenting production issues and stories from individual episodes. "The Trouble with Boars" (5:19), which may have been a working title for "Outlaws," is fairly self-explanatory. It outlines various travails that the cast and crew had in working with the various boars used for the series; whether trained or wild-caught, they all seemed frustratingly stubborn! "House of the Rising Sun" (7:19) carries a theme of otherness and bracing differences amongst the survivors of the island, but the most interesting part talked about the use of docile drones for a scene involving a beehive. "Confidence Man" gives a bit insight into the episode's core theme of anti-heroes and sympathetic "bad guys," and a bit of the effects shots used for the torture scenes. "All The Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues" (4:56) was especially interesting, showing the practical effects used in Charlie's hanging sequence - as well as the skillfully filmed emotional cue it triggers from the audience. A stunt coordinator talks a bit about fight choreography as well. "Whatever The Case May Be" (2:58) is just a small piece about the character of Kate and her development into a more ambiguous character on the show. "Hearts and Minds" (6:20) discusses the complex relationship between Shannon and Boone, but the most entertaining bit was the recollection of a practical joke involving garlic, a make-out scene, and one very clueless Ian Somerhalder! "Special" (3:05) is chiefly a technical piece about the effects used to create the attacking polar bear, and the results are quite entertaining! Damon Lindelof also gives a tempting crumb of insight into Walt's character. "Exodus" (9:21) is chiefly a technical production diary, documenting the vast props created (i.e. the raft, as well a partial life-scale model of a 19th century ship) and the shots used to create certain responses from the audience. All in all, "LOST: On Location" is a fairly informative and entertaining segment.

In a weak attempt at corporate synergy, On Set With Jimmy Kimmel (7:15), a segment taken from “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” which just happens to be broadcast on the Disney-owned ABC network, follows the late night chat host around as he jokes with the cast on set, under the supposed guise of “finding out the secrets of ‘LOST.’” The dry humor is often reminiscent of Conan O’Brien, and seems unfortunately “lost” on Kimmel’s typical audience demographic. Good for a once-through chuckle, the extra doesn’t really contain much substance on the whole, and I’ve probably already written too much about it by this point!

Backstage With Drive Shaft (6:40) is a look into the fictional band from which the character Charlie gained his fame. Actor Dominic Monaghan gives us some insight into his portrayal of the ill-fated musician Charlie Pace, and several of the crew members share amusing anecdotes about the origins of the song lyrics.

LOST REVEALED is the third and final tier of the extras disc, and as with the other two areas, it boasts a play all feature clocking in at 34:29. The Lost Flashbacks consist of two sequences that were cut from the multi-character flashback season finale. "At The Airport: Claire" (3:07) shows a slightly nervous Claire having a discussion about the legitimacy of psychics with the flight's pilot (slightly more alive than the last time we saw him). "At The Airport: Sayid" (1:28) is a short clip showing Sayid trying to pick a tie at the Sydney airport for when he finally gets to see his beloved again - only to then be taken into custody by airport security.

The Deleted Scenes section has a batch of 13 clips can be viewed separately, or as a 14:41 play all sequence. Most of them are fairly short, and of course, fairly inconsequential as well. Some the more insightful scenes, like "Finding the Tell" and "The Huddle" are quite thought and provocative character pieces, but otherwise these are more or less just negligible snippets.

There's a great and light-hearted set of outtakes in Bloopers From The Set, a four minute seventeen second montage of clips with the typical flubbing of lines and bumping of heads, as well as a hilarious cheesy-fake death scene at the very end. It's great to witness when the actors know they're already screwing up a scene, and just let go and improvise instead.

Live From The Museum of Television & Radio (10:56) is an excerpt from the salute to “Lost” held at the Director's Guild of America, and was part of the Museum's 22nd Annual Paley Festival. It's your basic Q & A format with a few of the major crew members, as well as several of the cast members. All of the present cast members were male except for Yunjin Kim, and hence the humor and lighthearted teases within the group interview were nothing short of hilarious. Jorge Garcia has an especially subdued and wicked sense of humor; he's such an "approachable" figure that one can easily imagine having a casual night out at a bar with him!

Easter Eggs

Those of you that want to be left to your own cunning to uncover the set's unannounced extras may skip this section completely. There are a fair few eggs and little menu quirks to be found on this box set, which is actually a bit unusual for a television release. These eggs are easier to find via DVD-ROM when you can just hover the mouse cursor over the hidden spot, but I digress!

Most eggs will be found on disc seven - at least the ones I’ve seen thus far. The disc’s main menu contains an alternate title sequence that was created for the show - complete with floating heads and intense music. The resulting effect is a wee bit cheesy, and the current, subdued, eerie title sequence which is currently used “fits” the mood of the series much better.

The Tales from the Island section contains a mildly amusing 1:36 clip of several takes in progress of the pilot episode scene where Locke makes an "orange-slice" smile.

An alternate 36-second “deleted scene” is available - where else - in the Deleted Scenes area. It’s a bit tricky to access by remote, but well worth the effort. It is recommended you watch the “regular” deleted scene “The Climb” first, however!

Another “selectable” Easter Egg can be found on the Episodes menu of disc two. Finding it yields a repetition of the French distress signal, isolated and looped for your listening pleasure. Otherwise, most of the other “treats” are the kind that require patience. The main menus of the first six discs have visual or sound effects to some degree, and little “things” will occur in several of them if given enough time. A monster may roar past ominously, a plane may fall; neat little touches that give the set an extra element of fun to it.

MENUS, PACKAGING, and DESIGN

As just mentioned, the design of this box set is particularly good. The menus are 16x9 enhanced and aren’t particularly invasive to navigation. The main menus of discs one through six are animated and on a loop, although in places where it may be noticeable (as with survivors walking or bathing on the beach) the loop is just long enough so that the action flows smoothly. Most feature simple sound effects - rain falling, waves breaking - with some of the show’s eerie music used as transitional score between screens. Disc seven isn’t animated, though it features a lot more music on its main and secondary menus rather than sound effects - and the result can be a bit grating after a while. The menus all have a different "theme" on each disc.

The Sneak Peeks menu on disc one features the teaser trailer for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, as well as several ads for Buena Vista television sets; an amalgam Buena Vista TV on DVD, “Alias”: The Complete Fourth Season, “Desperate Housewives”: The Complete First Season and “Scrubs”: The Complete Second Season. There’s a teaser for the second season of “LOST” as well as an ad for “Jimmy Kimmel Live;” topping off the mob of disc-peddling are trailers for Dark Water and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

The packaging design is not unlike the others we have seen for “Scrubs” or “Desperate Housewives.” A fold-out Digipak contains five interior panels housing the six episode discs in an overlapping tray design - two to a panel. The lone seventh disc of extras has its very own tray on the fifth panel, and the myriad inserts and program booklet are held in a pocket design on the first flap. The well-designed booklet has six pages of episode synopses and a list of bonus features on the back. Also present is a catalog for Buena Vista’s television DVD sets, as well as an entry form to win a library of Buena Vista TV-on-DVD. There’s a single-fold insert displaying shameless promos for “Lost” merchandise on its exterior, with a puzzling ad for the Museum of Television and Radio located inside.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

“Lost” may be more universally appealing than its mysterious air lets on. Judging from its ratings, it certainly isn’t drawing in just the nerdy sci-fi fans, nor is it attracting the sole attention of drama junkies. Its twists and turns are intriguing for even a casual fan and a source of obsession for the truly devoted. Drawing on the old sideshow trick of “what exactly is going on?”, the show keeps its audience guessing, but rewards observant viewers at the same time. The DVD presentation of the show, in turn, is nothing to sniff at. Boasting one of the most in-depth treatments for a television set with its excellent layout and its wealth of extras, the quality of the DVD alone is worth picking this show up! But overall, I’m enthusiastic about this series’ future, and - provided that it doesn’t lose itself in its own tangled web - it has the potential to be a great show for several seasons to come!

More on the DVD / Buy from Amazon.com

Lost on DVD: Season 1 • Season 2 • Coming December 11: Season 3 (Preorder)