"Lost" is quite well-known by now for pulling out all the stops for the season finales. "Live Together, Die Alone" was, when it aired, the greatest episode of "Lost", and one of the all-time TV greats in general. It still stands out as one of the show's greatest achievements in every way- writing courtesy of showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, direction by Jack Bender, cinematography by Michael Bonvillain, music by Michael Giacchino, and striking performances from just about the entire cast, but in particular Terry O'Quinn as John Locke. To say that this episode (and, in fairness, all the other season finales) are on par with some of the best feature films being produced would be a gross understatement.
Even though the latter stages of every season of "Lost" follow a sort of formula (set up big confrontation, pull out some surprise and twists, etc.), the writers always have something unexpected up their collective sleeve. For those of us who avoided spoilers, the very fact that they had the audacity to center a season finale on a minor character who made a couple of appearances early in the season and did little more than yell at people. Not only that, but they actually pulled it off, making Desmond, over the course of just one episode, one of the most interesting and popular characters on "Lost", and one of the most likable. The flashbacks here are tremendously well-written, setting up what is perhaps the only truly well-executed romance on "Lost", between Penny and Desmond, and eventually taking Desmond to the island, where we learn a bit more about the history of DHARMA, see some new areas of the island, and see why the plane crashed (although many will disagree that was a definitive answer). The strength here again is the focus on character. If we don't have an emotional connection to the characters, the mythology means very little.
The island events are focused on two different story lines. Upon Desmond's return Locke convinces him that the button is worthless, and eventually they succeed in locking Eko out of the room where the computer is, which sets up Desmond turning the failsafe key. That is, of course, a very shortened version of the events, and we get some more outstanding interaction between Locke and Eko, with Desmond added in for good measure. Come on, how can you resist that? Meanwhile Michael is leading Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Hurley right to the Others, and Sayid, Jin, and Sun take Desmond's boat as backup. The four-toed statue is still one of the most annoying mysteries, because it feels like ages since it was introduced and it hasn't even been mentioned again.
Like all the season finales, and many other episodes of "Lost", "Live Together, Die Alone" is meditative, philosophical, intelligent, and character-focused beneath all the running around and action/adventure stuff. That is what truly sets "Lost" apart from the majority of genre television. This episode is one of the show's most brilliant achievements, and given its 87 minute length, one can rightfully compare it to some of the finest films ever made. The quality of the production from every angle, from something as general as the direction to more detailed aspects like sound editing and mixing, is quite an astonishing achievement.
10/10
Even though the latter stages of every season of "Lost" follow a sort of formula (set up big confrontation, pull out some surprise and twists, etc.), the writers always have something unexpected up their collective sleeve. For those of us who avoided spoilers, the very fact that they had the audacity to center a season finale on a minor character who made a couple of appearances early in the season and did little more than yell at people. Not only that, but they actually pulled it off, making Desmond, over the course of just one episode, one of the most interesting and popular characters on "Lost", and one of the most likable. The flashbacks here are tremendously well-written, setting up what is perhaps the only truly well-executed romance on "Lost", between Penny and Desmond, and eventually taking Desmond to the island, where we learn a bit more about the history of DHARMA, see some new areas of the island, and see why the plane crashed (although many will disagree that was a definitive answer). The strength here again is the focus on character. If we don't have an emotional connection to the characters, the mythology means very little.
The island events are focused on two different story lines. Upon Desmond's return Locke convinces him that the button is worthless, and eventually they succeed in locking Eko out of the room where the computer is, which sets up Desmond turning the failsafe key. That is, of course, a very shortened version of the events, and we get some more outstanding interaction between Locke and Eko, with Desmond added in for good measure. Come on, how can you resist that? Meanwhile Michael is leading Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Hurley right to the Others, and Sayid, Jin, and Sun take Desmond's boat as backup. The four-toed statue is still one of the most annoying mysteries, because it feels like ages since it was introduced and it hasn't even been mentioned again.
Like all the season finales, and many other episodes of "Lost", "Live Together, Die Alone" is meditative, philosophical, intelligent, and character-focused beneath all the running around and action/adventure stuff. That is what truly sets "Lost" apart from the majority of genre television. This episode is one of the show's most brilliant achievements, and given its 87 minute length, one can rightfully compare it to some of the finest films ever made. The quality of the production from every angle, from something as general as the direction to more detailed aspects like sound editing and mixing, is quite an astonishing achievement.
10/10