by Teresa Jusino
Lost returns tonight (yup. It’s a NEW TIME FOR LOST EVERYONE – Thursdays at 10PM EST), so I thought it about time to get around to reviewing the last episode that aired, the Elizabeth Sarnoff & Brian K. Vaughan-penned “Meet Kevin Johnson”, starring everyone’s favorite tortured dad, Michael!
The episode opens with a clunky scene in Locke’s house, as he brings in Miles and promises the rest of the group that there will be “no more secrets”. Miles proceeds to tell everyone that the crew of the freighter is there for Benjamin Linus. Duh, says the group. What they don’t know is that a) part two of their mission is to kill everyone on the island once they have Ben, and b) Ben knows this because Michael is his spy on the freighter.
Michael-Michael?
Yes, that Michael.
The Michael with a rapidly-aging son named Walt?
Yes, that Michael.
The one who used to own the dog we still have?
That’s the one.
The Michael who built a raft at the end of season one, left with Sawyer and Jin, ended up getting captured by the Tailies, then captured by the Others?
Yes! *sighs* THAT Michael.
Wait…the same Michael who shot Ana-Lucia and Libby…
YES, THAT MICHAEL!
And here is where I will stop and discuss the most annoying thing about Lost right now. They seem to be so desperate to make sure everyone (particularly the elusive “new viewer”) is informed and knows what’s going on that they’re sacrificing mystery, good, believable writing, and our enjoyment! Example: when I re-watched this episode on ABC.com for the purposes of this review (which I can do again, now that the writers have gotten an acceptable deal! Woot!), I accidentally selected an “enhanced version” of the episode, not seeing you could choose a regular version. Great, so I not only have to suffer through repetitive references to past events in the dialogue, but I also have to suffer through “Pop-Up Video” every time I want to watch an episode of Lost online. Well, the second problem is easily remedied. Choose the regular version instead of the “enhanced” version when watching online episodes (you also have the option of watching them in HD! Jeez…so many freakin’ choices. Am I watching a TV show, or selecting a college?) However, the first problem is just, in my opinion, faulty writing.
The opening scene at Locke’s annoyed me, especially on second viewing, because we don’t need Sawyer recapping their relationship with Michael and Locke saying “Yes, that Michael.” WE ALL KNOW WHO MICHAEL IS! Not only that, but we’ve known that he is “Ben’s man on the boat” since before it was revealed on the show the first time! I mentioned the same thing in my review of “The Beginning of the End” in reference to the myriad times they paused and let the air out of the episode to tell yet another person that Charlie had died. And that’s the thing. In the interest of keeping new viewers informed, they’ve bogged the show down this season with unnecessary, repetitive recapping, sacrificing well-paced storytelling. “Enhanced” episodes are a fine option, if new viewers really want or need the “Cliffs Notes” version of Lost, but whatever happened to going back and watching the episodes you missed so you know what’s going on? Isn’t that why the episodes are available online in the first place? The first scene should’ve gone like this:
Ben: Michael’s my spy on the boat
*cast looks at him in shock*
*Hurley says something snappy including the word “dude”*
Conversation continues…
Done and done.
Thankfully, the rest of the episode was less with the recapping, and more with the moving the plot forward. It told the backstory of how Michael came to be on the freighter. Apparently, he couldn’t live with the guilt of having killed Ana-Lucia and Libby, so he unloaded on 10-year-old Walt (who looks 35), who now doesn’t want to see him anymore and lives with his grandmother (?). Without his son, Michael doesn’t think he has anything to live for, so he tries to kill himself. Only, he can’t. As Tom tells him later, “the Island won’t let [him]” kill himself, because he still has work to do. Tom tells Michael that if he wants to redeem himself, and save the lives of the people he left behind on the island, he needs to take a job on the freighter and kill them all to stop them from reaching the island. Blah-blah, Charles Widmore, blah-blah, Sayid turns Michael over to the freighter captain, blah-blah those on the island prepare for the worst.
And then we lose another cast member. Well, two really, but only one we really care about.
And here is where I’ll bring up the second most annoying thing about Lost lately. They’ve become a victim of their own hype. The week before this episode aired, the trailer said that SOMEONE IS GOING TO DIE! So, during the entire episode I know someone’s going to die, and I’m just waiting for it. And being the savvy TV viewer I am, I know that they’re probably not going to kill someone off until the end of the episode. Once there got to be five minutes left until the end of the episode, I knew it had to be one of three people: Danielle, Alex, or Karl. Then Karl died, and I said to myself No one gives a crap about Karl (sorry, actor-who-plays-Karl!). Surely, he can’t be THE death with which this episode will culminate. So then I knew it would either be Danielle or Alex. And it was Danielle. (Goodbye, Crazy French Chick!) But by then, I’d already had so much handed to me, it didn’t really have the big impact that I think was intended.
The one reveal that I thought was awesome? Tom being gay. THAT was great, and totally unexpected!
I know that there are only a few episodes left over the next couple of years, and a lot probably has to happen. I know that we’re at a point in the show’s history where we’re going to be hit with one thing after another. But its kind of sad that we’ve become so used to *BIG, FLASHY REVEALS* that there’s no real mystery anymore, only answers to questions we’d forgotten we want answered. I don’t know… “Meet Kevin Johnson”, once that first scene was over, was a solid, well-written, well acted episode. I was intrigued by the fact that the only reason Michael is doing this is so that the Island will finally let him go so he can die. I hope that is explored more. My problems were less with this one episode and more with the way the show as a whole is being handled. I hope the show stops trying to lure in new viewers, and starts giving the people already watching quality, focused stories again that are less about hype and more about character. Something tells me that if the quality stays high, new viewers will come without being pandered to. And yes, they can play catch-up by watching older episodes online or on DVD like millions of current Lost fans (myself included) did before them.
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TERESA JUSINO was born on the same day that Skylab fell. Coincidence? She doesn’t think so. As a writer, her work has appeared in Elmont Life newspaper, and on the sadly defunct website, CentralBooking.com. She is currently at work on a collection of short stories. As a geek, Teresa loves Star Trek, Lost, comics, and anything Joss Whedon ever touched. Also, she has a fangirl *squee-ing* crush on Brian K. Vaughan. Yes, she knows he’s married. Teresa recommends: 5 Minute Lost
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TERESA JUSINO was born on the same day that Skylab fell. Coincidence? She doesn't think so. As a writer, her work has appeared in Elmont Life newspaper, and on the sadly defunct website, CentralBooking.com. She is a founding member and editor of The Revolving Door Commune Blog, is currently at work on a collection of short stories, and is writing a web series for Pareidolia Films called The Pack, which is set to debut this fall! As a geek, Teresa loves all Star Trek, Lost, Fringe, comics, and anything Joss Whedon, Brian K. Vaughan, and Neil Gaiman ever touched. She is also an aspiring fangbanger. 
