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Thursday, January 31, 2008
1/31: Lost is back!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Lost” has been fascinating and infuriarating, exhilirating and exasperating, fantastical and frustrating. And that’s why we still watch. The last half dozen episodes last season led up to the show-stopping finale in May that many arguably say was the best episode ever.
Finally, after eight months, in the midst of a writers’ strike, “Lost” feeds us a satisfactory return episode with a fair share of drama and pathos. It by no means compares to the finale but provides just enough revelations to keep fans hungry for more. (I also got to see the second episode, which is even better!)
We learn that there is such a thing as the “Oceanic Six,” implying that six of the islanders make it back to the mainland. The writers appear to have ditched flashbacks and will continue with the flashforwards they sprung on us in May. That’s definitely a good thing and will drive the story forward to its conclusion 48 episodes from now. It appears the time frame of Hurley’s fast forward is not long after they got back but before Jack’s flashfloward last May, before Jack grows his beard and becomes addicted to OxyContin. So we know Jack and Kate made it back, and Hurley, too. Plus, an unknown dead person from the May episode.
With Hurley running from the ghost of Charlie at a convenience store, he becomes the target of a huge 10 cop car chase. I’m still not clear why his departure from that store merited a cop car chase, though. But it got him back into a mental institution, a sanctuary he seemed to crave. Jack seems okay at this point (though he’s already drinking) and he even visits Hurley but things turn dark quickly when he asks, “What are you really doing here Jack? You were seeing if I went nuts, whether I was going to tell.” “Are you?” Jack asks. We of course have no clue what they’re hiding.
Charlie’s ghost pops in for a visit: “Now you have to do something but you’re hiding from me. That’s the real reason you ran when you saw me in the store. You knew I was here to tell you…” We don’t find out what he has to do — yet. Hurley seems to yearn for a return back to the island before Jack is ready to accept it. And that mysterious visitor pretending to be part of the Oceanic Airlines seems to be connected with Naomi and the “rescuers.”
Speaking of Naomi, she somehow not only got away from Jack and Kate (and creating a dummy trail) despite the fact Locke last season gutted her with a knife. How that happened, I have no clue! Then she manages to climb a tree, get the phone away from Kate, fix it and then die. That seemed a bit script convenient and not terribly organic.
The best scene is when Locke splits the group between those who believe the “rescuers” will truly rescue them and Locke’s belief that they are evil. Ironically, he’s now on the side of Ben, who shot him. Locke, who is pretty convincing, manages to get Hurley, Claire and Sawyer to join him and go to the barracks on the belief it’s better on the island than off of it. (The Sawyer/Kate fans can’t be happy about that!) Jack and most of the group stay overnight in the fuselage. The rescue helicopter arrives and Farraday parachutes down. The “rescuers” have arrived. It’s game on!
Well, what did you think? Worth the wait?
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1/31: Reax to Regular Guys return
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m sure a lot of you are psyched to have the Regular Guys back and I’ve already spilled a fair amount of cyber-ink on them. But here is my last entry of the week about them— just reactions from various folks around town:
WSB-AM’s Clark Howard, via email: “I think you know that I like both Eric and Larry. I was so bummed when the two of them said they could never work together again because they are definitely a pair that the sum is better than the parts. They are extremely bright and love, love, love radio. This is such a puzzle though. Here you have a start-up station with a well known morning show vs. well known radio stations with people no one has ever heard of. My money is on the Regular Guys. But then again, I hope the Giants beat New England.”
Dick Wybrow, now at CNN Radio and formerly part of 96rock’s “Dick & Justice” afternoon team from 2002-2004 or so: “I love those guys. I really do. Some of their stuff, though, might be feeling a bit passe. But they bring a lot to the table and have really bright players. Tim Andrews is great. I had him on our show a couple of times. A very funny guy. And he can be dark. It’s also great to have ‘Southside’ Steve back. There was always so much tension between Larry and Eric. Every time they hit him, all that pressure would be released from the room. They need him.”
JImmy Baron, formerly of 99X.: “If Cumulus leaves them alone and let them do the show they know how to do, I think they’ll be enormous. It was a hiring coup.”
Marshall Chiles, runs the Funny Farm Comedy Club: “I had no idea how good they were until I had to listen to other shows while they were gone. It’s quality entertainment. I disagree with them politically but I still find them entertaining. Funny is funny.”
Fred Toucher, who used to compete against the Regular Guys at 99X but is now at WBCN-FM in Boston: “The Regular Guys were the best show in Atlanta when I lived there. I am friendly with Eric and Rich [Shertenlieb, former 99Xer and his co-host in Boston] is with Larry. However, I fear that they may have a nervous breakdown if they get sat on by whatever ‘programming genius’ Cumulus has let limp into the building. However, the owners of Cumulus are in Atlanta so everything will be fine.”
Jamie Bendall, co-owner of the Punchline Comedy Club: “I’m a big fan. I’m glad they’re back. It sounds like everybody is loose and enjoying themselves.”
Tim Rhodes, former Regular Guys member, now at Bulldog 103.7 in Athens, in an email: “I think the RG’s sounded strong. Sure didn’t seem like they’ve been off the air for 15 months. I think that Steve adds so much to the show. He is such a great 3rd mic. No one pulls off the one liners like he does. His line about “Throwing away his cowboy hat” when Eric got pissed was a classic. With the RG’s in the morning, Axel in afternoons, the only thing missing is me in middays. :) I would love to get the call but if it doesn’t happen I’ll keep working. I’m very grateful to Kevin Steele at Bulldog for giving me a radio avenue.”
MIke Rose, who worked with the Dickeys at 1340 as a program director and is now in mortgage banking: “I think it’s a very smart move by Cumulus and the Dickeys. They will take audience away from 96 and with 99.7, they’ll go after Star. It’s a good strategy. They’ve always been very perceptive in that way. 99X was well beyond its prime. The Regular Guys believe in what they are doing. The Dickeys will have to grin and bear it.”
