New to The Island: Lost seasons 1-3

I'm a LOST newbie, to say the least. I began my journey to the island about a week and a half ago. However, in that time I've made it through 3 whole seasons (that's 72 episode). It's quite an understatement to say that I have the potential to be slightly obsessive, obviously. Here is a newbie's perspective half-way through. 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
I've been told by close friends for years to watch LOST, but I never did because I didn't want to give into the hype. Plus, I was so far behind, I knew there was no way to catch up and it would be pointless to do so if I was just going to have to sit and wait around for season 6 to end and come to DVD. So I put it off and I wasn't interested. Why I never watched to begin with is still a mystery to me, as one of my favorite people on earth is a part of it, Dominic Monaghan. The love I have for the Lord of the Rings cast runs deep, and yet, I just skipped LOST. It's inexcusable, to be completely honest. I was thankful to my friends at my job and elsewhere who kept on me about it till I gave in. It was a glorious morning when Kristy brought me a stack of the first 4 seasons on DVD to keep me busy all spring break!

Going in, I didn't know what to expect. The warnings I got were things like: "It gets outrageous, but you have to keep going!" "Yeah, season 1 is good... but then..." "There are things that never get explained, but you just have to overlook that!" etc, etc. It seemed I was taking a big risk in getting attached only to either be disappointed or confused. But as I got into the first season, none of that really mattered anymore. Whether or not I get answers about the polar bears, what the thing was that sounded like a Tyrannosaurus Rex, how does Kate's hair curl so beautifully without hair gel, what is the island, where is the island, omg the island... doesn't really matter to me. It was clear from very early on that this show is not centered around answers, but characters. I care about these people so much that I care more about what happens to them, than understanding it all (if that makes sense). I don't need answer, necessarily (though they are welcome), I need my characters to be taken care of.

I am not the kind of girl who enjoys camping or doing many things in the wilderness. I mean, that might even be an understatement. However, watching this show, I found myself feeling like I wanted to be on the island. Yes, with "the others", the smoke monster, and all the crazy dart traps set up by Rousso, because I would then be with these awesome people, too. The community and bond these characters establish on this island, even though it's a terrible situation to be in, makes all that ok. Makes it seem worth it. Makes a city girl in heels, like me, want to join them on a beach with no showers and no toilets. They may go into the jungle or out to sea trying to find a way to get off the island, but when they return to the beach it's like a homecoming party. Hugging, clapping, joy, music swelling. It's beautiful. These characters and their relationships with one another drive this series.(Sidenote: If I were on the island, I would have totally stayed at the beach, I think. I wouldn't have moved to the caves.)



FAVORITE CHARACTERS:
I went in with very little knowledge of any characters, except Charlie. In fact, I knew so little about who was part of the show I kept thinking Sawyer was going to have an Australian accent. That was dead wrong. I went in knowing that Charlie would be my favorite, just because I can't help but love Dom. What I did not know if how much I would love so many others. It was surprising how invested I got so quickly!

Sun and Jin (My favorite Sawyer nickname for them had to be when he called her "Sunshine." So precious! For Jin... I think he called him "Mr. Miyagi". Is that racially insensitive?)

Theirs is one of my favorite story lines, and I also just really love what they bring to the group. Perhaps one of my favorite moments was when Charlie, Desmond, Hurley, and Jin were having to camp in the jungle and they were telling campfire stories. Jin telling a campfire story completely in Korean while everyone pretended to understand and then be scared when he finished was ... just... SO adorable. I think it was especially hilarious because Jin is serious most of the time.

Hurley (My favorite Sawyer nickname for him was when he was sitting with Charlie and Aaron. Sawyer said "Well if it ain't 3 men and a baby!" He's so mean... but I have to admit I laughed.)

How could anyone NOT love Hurley? He brings much needed positivity and comic relief to the island, but even so, he's not just some fluff character. So many things that surround Hurley's story are outrageous, that even in their tragedy, they are a little silly. The best part about it, though, is how Hurley tends to handle them. He's such a big teddy bear, you never want to see anything bad happen to him, so when he loses the girl he cares about, it was definitely one of the sweetest and saddest Hurley moments, for me.

Jack (One time, Sawyer called him "Dr. Quinn" and I almost spit out my drink.)



I really love Jack. He just makes my heart hurt. I feel like he's always swimming against a current, trying to do all things all at once and not allowing anyone to help him. I made a comment before that he just needs to be hugged, and I mean that in the most literal way. He needs to be comforted, he needs to allow someone else to take care of him, he needs to let some of the stuff he thinks he can carry go, because it's going to break him. Everyone looks to him to fix everything, he is the only one who can do medical things (for the most part), the girl he loves is kind of selfish and keeps switching between him and a guy he kind of love/hates, and he's only one person! He needs a vacation, hard core. I want to bring him a scotch and let him relax while someone else takes care of all the crap.

Sawyer (I can't believe how unfair it is that Sawyer doesn't get a nickname just because he is the nicknamer ... mind blown.) 

Sawyer is exactly the kind of character I tend to always be drawn to. He's a hard ass on the outside, but a sweet heart on the inside. He spits and cusses and he was an awesome angry look, but when you get him settled down, hand him a beer, and ruffle is hair a bit, he shows just what a softy he can be. A Byronic hero to the core. My favorite moments with Sawyer are all flashes of what a precious person he is, deep down. Specifically when he was giving Kate a hard time about her asking for something until she said it was for the Aaron, the baby. Then his eyebrows turned up and he was all: "Here take this! I can help" while digging through his stash. Or how about when he revealed what a love puppy he is when he actually made Kate a "mix tape". Sawyer, your sensitive is showing.

Charlie (Sawyer's nicknames for him weren't my favorite, but he did call him "Jiminy Cricket". That was cute. Once he called him "Munchkin" and I so badly wanted him to refer to him as a "hobbit." I guess that would have been redundant.)


I absolutely LOVED Charlie. But of all the characters, I think Charlie hurt me the most over and over again. I really badly wanted him and Claire to be together, but for so long Charlie kept making decisions that would prevent that from happening. Watching him struggle with his addiction was just awful, and the fact that he kept going back to it made it worse. As much as I love him, there was a point where I went "How can he and Claire EVER recover from this?!" But when season 3 rolled around, Charlie's character started balancing out and eventually he was one of the biggest heroes on the island.

I knew coming in he'd be my favorite, I also knew coming in he would die. That didn't make it any easier to watch, nor did it make it any less sad when it happened. The episode about Charlie's "Greatest Hits" was just wonderful. I was on the verge of crying as Charlie dived down, but it wasn't until they showed a simple shot of one of his shoes coming off that I really cried. Then I was just a hot mess. And of course, when his death actually happens, I don't think it could have been done in a better way, with the music swelling, and his message that will truly save the rest of the island. If it HAD to happen, I'm glad that it happened like that.


HONORABLE MENTIONS:
As for the rest of the cast, I really love Sayid (whom Sawyer called "The Red Beret" at once point), and Ecko (who Sawyer called "Shaft" BAHAHA). I was really sad when Ecko died. I felt he had a lot more to give. I even like John Locke, who has seemed to have lost his marbles in the last few episodes. I am holding out hope he will come back around eventually.

I HATE Ben Linus. I have been told he's just mislead, but OH MY GOD I cannot stand him and I want him to die, hard core. I guess I will see eventually if he does redeem himself and turn around so that I can eat my words, but as of right now... just... no. (Sawyer called him "George" like from Of Mice and Men. I LOVED that.)

I like Kate. I haven't really mentioned her but to describe other characters, but I do like her. She is going to have to stop jumping from Jack to Sawyer whenever she is feeling vulnerable, because that is getting LAME, but we'll see. She's beautiful, to say the least. I also like Juliet. I think she is really trying to help and I believe she will turn out good. I hope she and Jack get it on and are in love and Jack finds happiness there so that he won't be heartbroken over Kate for much longer.

Also, if I had to pick a favorite character that wasn't on the island but just in the flashbacks, I'd either say Desmond's first fiance, the red-headed one who just tells him the heck off. Loved it. OR the lady that has her husband capture Sayid because he tortured her once. Her story about the cat and the firecrackers still upsets me. Great story line. 

Random Sawyer nickname mention: I LOVED when he called Alex (Rousso's daughter) "Sally Sling Shot." WINNER!

THEORIES
I'm afraid that this section of my post will leave a lot of be desired. Since I went in knowing a lot wouldn't be explained, I haven't really tried to guess what a lot of things are. However, I do have some ideas, so I will just touch on those.

Not sure, at this point what to make of the Sawyer/Kate/Jack love triangle. On the island it looks like Kate is jilted by Jack now who likes Juliet, even though Jack was just jilted by Kate, and therefore now Kate is jilting Sawyer... But in the future flash, where Jack has a crazy castaway beard worse than anything he had on the actual island, Kate is obviously with someone else and Jack is alone. She just refers to that person she is with as "he" and never specifies who it is. But where the story seems to be going, is that there will be duel time lines, and so it could very well be that Kate could be with both of them... simultaneously... across the space/time continuum. Am I reading a comic book right now? WTF. So I guess... I will just have to watch and see because it could go ANYWHERE.

If I was going to just comment on who I think is better for Kate, Sawyer would be my answer. She obviously wants the hell out of him, and they are very much alike. Not to mention... OMG does Sawyer love her. It's ridiculous. Some of the most powerful acting has been in the weird cages "The Others" keep Sawyer and Kate in. When that one guy forces to Kate to admit she loves Sawyer by beating the crap out of him... I got goosebumps. Also when she is trying to get him to escape with her and he won't go, great stuff! I think Sawyer and Kate have the chemistry to make a good love story.


Also what Charlie did to get them off the island killed him, so Jack standing there at the end of that episode crying about wishing he had never been rescued  REALLY PISSES ME OFF. I've been told that Jack is right and that eventually I will understand... but OH MY GOD let's just cry all over Charlie's beautiful sacrifice. UGH.

As for how things will turn out with the mysteries, this show finds ways to go so completely the opposite way than what is expected, so I don't know if I can really guess or even follow clues to what will happen. I have a feelings that if they shouldn't have been rescued eventually they will want to try to go back. (As Jack shouts over and over at the end of Season 3). I also think that the title "LOST" may not have anything to do with the fact that they are castaways on an island. Not one person on the island has a story that doesn't show them to be just lost in general, if you want to go that route.

Short term, I just want to see what happens when Desmond returns and let's everyone know Charlie sacrificed himself for them to be rescued. I want them to appreciate him and celebrate him and mourn him.

Long term, I just want the ending to be beautiful, and fitting, and make my cry. I've been told that it will achieve all of these things. The only thing is I don't know how to watch this show without Charlie, so it will be another new experience going into 4, 5, and 6.

Wish me luck! On I go!