What did you think?

I thought it was pretty good, but i wanted it to end in a cliffhanger.

It literally blew my mind. So many more storylines to tell, so many questions to answer! I was on the edge of my seat.

And for next week, seeing Jin load that gun got me pumped for the rescue!

I thought it was pretty good, but i wanted it to end in a cliffhanger.

agreed, plus I would have liked to see some of the other lostaways... even if it was just bernard going "Look, more rocks"

that would have been enough

HOW did they have all of that current information? Christian's autopsy record was only like 70-some days old.

They're they Others. They can do anything!!!! lol. hopefully we'll find out soon......... :-)

Lol, yeah. Did anyone here notice the difference between the two versions of the first Sawyer scene?

The ABC Sneak Peek version and the version from tonight.

I liked it a lot! I really liked the beginning, showing Henry's quick response to the plane crashing. I thought that was very interesting. I can't wait to learn more about him - he's such a great character.

I will say I would have liked to see the other survivors though too. I missed Eko, Hurley, Locke!

The first five minutes were spectacular. They actually witnessed the crash of Oceanic 815. Unbelievable. The rest of the episode, to me, seemed like a set up for next week.

Yeah definatly agree with the above? Where was everyone else!!?? That really erked me the whole time. But, hopefully we'll get some good stuff next week.... we better! :)

Other than that... I liked it, but I didn't think it was anything special. I thought the begining was cool to see their reaction to the plane crash and 'henry' sending Ethan and Goodwin out, but other than that it was pretty predictable. It was so similar to last season... I already saw it coming.

I also thought it was weird that it just kind of ended... but in a way, I kind of liked it. Maybe now, they won't feel obligated to focus a ton of time on the trio again.

I don't know. It was good, far better than most television out there.... but after four months with my imagination going wild... I thought it could have been better.

Oh, by the way... please remember to put anything from next week in spolier font... some of us weirdos don't want to see/hear those things :smile:

Great Great Great opening. I flipped out when I saw the eye at the beginning but I thought it was gonna be Henry. You can def tell this season is gonna be others focused.

Awesome episode, Definitely One of their Best. That opening was great. I love that song "Downtown". Its the song you expect to hear playing in a movie showing the aftereffects of an apocalyptic scenario...zombies...nuclear...disease. You know, when the camera pans around a devastated deserted city, and there is one lone survivor, tha is the song you expect to hear. It's so happy, yet depressing in that situation.

Ok, enough of me rambling.

The opening was so cool, I love the way it mirrored the season 2 opener.

Benry was as creepy as ever, loved him.

Jack had some of his best scenes ever.

Mr. Friendly had some awesome one-liners to Sawyer. It ain't over between them!

The music was also very good in this episode, I liked the new rendition of the Lost "Credit where credit is due" theme.

I loved it. I think it was a great way to begin the new season. Not giving too much, and not denying a lot of theories. Always a great way to begin a new season of anything.

Jack had some of his best scenes ever.

...

The music was also very good in this episode, I liked the new rendition of the Lost "Credit where credit is due" theme.

Agreed that Jack had some great scenes. The last flashback, along with the island scenes that bookmarked it, were some of the strongest character moments yet in the show.

Glad someone else noticed the soundtrack! I usually don't really notice and appreciate the music upon first viewing, but there was some great music in this episode.

This episode was great in many ways, but perhaps the best thing about it is that we will apparently never hear anything more from Sarah.

Wow, that was amazing.

I'm actually kind of speechless.


I'm so glad they started off this season with some definite answers (hopefully, that will shut up some of the people who say we don't get enough information). We now have some idea of who the Others are, and why there were polar bears on the island! Ohmygoodness, that was one of the best parts for me. Finding out where the bears came from.


...And Henry's real name is BEN!!!! *dies*

The opening sequence was brilliant. I loved it.

I enjoy Jack and Jack flashback episodes so I really liked this episode. Awesome.

Well, I found the episode completely overwhelming. There was so much to absorb.. new characters, the new setting. I really enjoyed it but I still think it's sinking in. Although I am curious about the other survivors (especially Locke, Eko and Desmond) I think that Adding that storyline into the mix may have been a little too much. My brain can only handle so much at once. They did it the way it should have been done.

I think I was most excited about.........Benry!

one of the best easily

Whoa...............where di all the Jack info come from? Outside sources or Kate? Had Jack in fact confided to her and that was why she was crying?

Was definatly above average woudnt say it was one of there best would love to see a few seconds of jin,sun and sayid; claire,charlie, bernard; and desmond of course didnt really satisfy my apitite and left me with more questions then answers.

I thought it was a great season opener. Especially the beginning showing that the others had a town and even a BOOK CLUB.:eek2: They were wearing regular clothes and it almost looked like a normal island.

The episode was definitely memorable. Ben freaks me out.

Definitely one of their better episodes. I really enjoyed the opening scene with the house, muffins and book club. I liked to see how the Others live and that they are in a freakish way...normal!?!?!

I liked the Jack story line, although to be he is still a jerk LOL

I liked seeing the plane split in two in the sky and Benry's reaction to it...Nice to see Ethan and Goodwyn again :)

Questions that cropped up -

How do they get your information?
Who is the guy in the cage next to Sawyer?
What are they going to do to Kate for two weeks?
Who is the guy Jack's wife had an affair with?

Answers that were answered:
We know Henry's new name
We know what the shark is all about
We know where the Polar bears came from
We know that Jack has Daddy issues
We know that the Others keep up to date on current clothing and appliances
We know the plane was a freakish accident and the other didn't know who was on there until Ethan and Goodwyn infiltrated the camps.

Definitley one of the best. 9 out of 10!:clap:

Can't wait for next week.

I agree with what has been said by other posters above - not a whole lot really happened. I don't really mind that nothing happened, because I was interested in seeing the surroundings, getting a feel for what kind of situation Jack, Sawyer, and Kate were in, etc., so the fact that not a lot of action happened was fine with me.

It was very similar to last season's premiere, where we are given a big 'reveal' about something (in this case, it was Otherville, last season it was the interior and contents of the Swan station). In 'Man of Science, Man of Faith', we were essentially given a crash-tour of the hatch, without really being given an understanding of what it meant. In 'A Tale of Two Cities', we're given a glimpse of Otherville, but we don't really know what it means, or what the 'whole story' is with it. Consider how little we knew about Dharma at the end of MOS,MOF - we didn't really even know it existed. Some of us saw screencaps of a funky logo with something that looked like 'DHARMA' on it, but we had no idea what it meant or why it was all over the station. Yet now, a season later, we really have a pretty good grasp of what DHARMA is/was, and the purpose of the Swan Station. Now consider Otherville - we've seen that they have 'modern day' ameneties, but we've no idea how or why. We don't know anything about it, really, other than what it looks like. We likely have a LOT to learn about this place, much like we did the Swan Station, even if we didn't realize the scope of it at the time.

So, I was very happy with the opening sequence. The reveal of how the Others found out about the plane crash (totally surprised, meaning they didn't plan it), how Ethan and Goodwin were 'dispatched', the reinforcement of the authority heirarchy of the Others, the revelation that the Others have nice living conditions, etc., etc. - all extremely well done, rivaling the first few minutes of MOS,MOF. The only problem I had with it is that it almost seemed too similar - the music, the unknown environment, then the 'quake'. But that's OK, I still really enjoyed the sequence.

After the opening sequence, however, things really fall off, action-wise. All of Sawyer's time in his cage is essentially wasted screen time. Nothing of consequence happens. His 'escape' attempt really was pointless from a curious viewer's perspective, outside of the fact that we learned that Jack can't really be too far away from Sawyer, since Juliet was at both places in what I assume was a very short span of time. But other than that, what was the point? Why have him attempt escape at all? What was the narrative purpose? To show us that escape wasn't possible? Well, it wasn't possible at all with him in a cage, so why bother taking him out of the cage to show us escape is impossible? I don't see the point in showing us that. Perhaps it will mean more later (the classic 'Lost' defense of anything that either seems pointless or unimportant, but which hardly ever actually turns out to be the case).

Kate's scenes were more interesting because at least we got some interaction with some of the others, and the threat from Ben, but again, not a whole lot happened, and we certainly didn't learn much from our time with Kate.

Jack's scenese were interesting, but not because anything happened (until the end, at least). Jack's interaction with Juliet was good. Their verbal chess-game was very well done, but ultimately at the end of the episode, we're in the same place we were at the beginning - Jack tied up, and only learned that he was underwater and that Others have real-time access to real-world information. Interesting information, but it took the whole episode to learn those two things, which could have been conveyed in about 2 minutes.

I was hoping for a bit of a faster pace for the season premiere, but ultimately I am satisfied with what they revealed to us... But our protagonists aren't really in any different situation than when we joined them at the beginning of the episode, which essentially means nothing really happened.

Overall, I'd give this episode probably a 7 out of 10. Fantastic opening sequence, not a whole lot after that, but interesting nonetheless.

:mad: Nothing really happened for a whole hour! We got one little scene in the beginning and then after that nothing! I was not happy and I was almost screaming at the tv. I can't stand the smug attitude of the Others. I don't care what is going on on that Island, it does not give them the right to treat people like that. And the fact that they showed the brainwasher breaking down in the beginning left me so cold after she walked out without giving Jack food when he sat up against the wall. After that moment, I could have cared less about her. Then I got frustrated with Jack! Why not let the thing fill with water and swim out!??? You want to get away, you get away! You definitely don't give in to them! So you are hungry? So she tells you about the drugs and how they will affect you? So what? They gave them to you! If they want you to eat, DON"T give you drugs that will make you sick!!! I wish Jack had not given in, especially that quickly! I would have made them force me to eat first. I would not have made it easy for them to break me. Cause at least I would hold on to that. They really would have had to force me. That or just have given in right away. If Jack was that angry and stubborn, he really did cave pretty quickly!

As for the others...I just do not buy that there is anything on that island happening that justifies them torturing and killing innocent people who CRASHED on the island through NO FAULT of their own!!! They had NOTHING to do with being on the island and I am sure most of them given the choice would much rather not be there! (ESPECIALLY all the ones that died in the crash!!!) Its like there is a war going on and they are the innocent civilians who are being killed by by .... Nazis to protect the secret to Hitler's great nuclear project. Then the writers tell you about one of the Nazi, and show them breaking down and then in the next scene torturing prisoners! I mean these people tried to kill Charlie, they were going to kill Claire, they killed several people from Jack's group, and if not outright killed most from the other group, they certainly didn't treat them nice, given what we have seen this episode! Where do they get off doing this and acting like the survivors are to blame by poking their nose where they don't belong! Just does not make sense at all to me!!!:huh:

I was thinking about why I am SO upset, and it is basically

1. The fact that they tried to make the woman sympathetic and then had her do horrible things to Jack and Sawyer!

and

2. Sarah...what a ***Mod edited to remove creative spelling - do not try to get around the language filter, there's a reason why it's there!***!!!! It takes real class to pretend you still care for your ex husband and then take a call from your new man during the divorce meeting? and the scene where she bailed Jack out of prison! I mean, if you know the guy is losing it and you decide to come bail him out, then tell him to get a cab, and goodbye forever and then go outside into the waiting arms of your lover, right in front of him? No wonder Jack was going mental!

I'm sorry but the writers just don't seem able to get real characterization that is in any way logical or at least understandable and they keep flipping how the character acts. Jack going insane in his flashbacks? Why? What was the reasoning for that? It can't just be because Sarah was leaving him. They make statements about his mental health and how he is losing it, but don't say why. Why was Sarah calling the Dad for help with Jack? What the hell was going on with Jack that was pushing her away all of a sudden??? I have no sympathy for her, cause it is obvious she didn't really love Jack to begin with. and this episode proves it.

hmmm, I guess it kinda clear I didn't like the episode.... :biggrin:

It was pretty good though I missed answers and Locke.

I was very impressed with how the writers opened the Season. I am very interested in learning more about the Others and what their deal is. It seems to me that they are definitely studying behavior - but why? And seriously, how the heck DID they get all that info on Jack?:39:
Can't wait until next week!!

I don't have one single negative thing to say about this episode, defintely one of their very best, in my view. It set up the season perfectly, I LOVE the new characters this year, and I can't wait for next week!

I loved it! :clapping: I wasn't expecting to get a whole lot of answers. I was just expecting to get a glimpse of something new to set up the rest of the season, so I wasn't disappointed. And I love Michael Emerson more and more every time I see him. I loved Sawyer and Kate and...all of it!

I didn't like it at all. I loved the opening scene though. I actually wish the whole episode had continued from that. Jack's flashback was useless...I mean, how many times are we going to see that Jack's dad is an alcoholic? It was a total waste. All we found out was that Jack wanted to know who Sarah was with. I was really disappointed in the island parts too. I went really slow for me. I almost fell asleep actually.
Don't kill me! :lipsseal:

Voted "letdown" because I don't know what "below Lost standards" means anymore.

Cryptic was cool in season 1, annoying in season 2, but just plain shameless in 3x01. And now the Henry Gale coolness will fall victim to it as well, or so it seems. I hope he doesn't keep just looking pensive throughout the season and uttering half-statements that just might go somewhere in season 4.

The scenes with Kate were totally meaningless and Lilly's acting is no better than it was in the first season. Those with Sawyer were mildly amusing, but no real development there either. Those with the two of them... well, there's a 'ship that just might make me finally stop watching.

On the good side, I'm finally liking Jack. And it's always good to see his dad in a flashback.

The new character (Juliet was it?) looks promising. Intelligent face, great acting, can pull off stupid cryptic lines without being annoying, hope they don't rush to hook her up with someone and ruin everything with another boring 'ship.

All in all, blech.

I'm one of the few who voted "Best hour of TV ever broadcast!"
I was on the edge of my seat through the whole thing! I havent had this much fun since the pilot!

This is one of those episodes that you have to chew on for a while to get all the little nuances.
I am still chewing. :biggrin:
But I like it so far.

Loved it! Easily my favorite episode since the Pilot. Matthew Fox took it to a whole new level. All of Jack's barriers finally came down. We got to see this crazed, obsessed individual who creeped you out and broke your heart at the same time. Loved the Juliet character and am looking forward to more of the interaction between them. I think Jack has bottomed out and turned the corner and will go back to being a more rational thinker/analyzer/reactor. Did he really give in so easily or is he emotionally spent and going along with the game for now? Hmmm.......

Great stuff and Sawyer in a cage having to perform tricks to be rewarded with animal biscuits and food and water that he has to bend down and lap up like a dog.......Perfect! Playing cat and mouse, letting him believe he can escape only to catch him and drag him back.

Kate's state of mind there at the end made me wonder what the heck Henry/Ben did to her.

I give it 4 Stars, 10 out 10. Excellent! Can't wait for next week!

I like it more every time I watch it. Like many others, I love the parallels between the season two premier and this season's. But I liked it more because it's not taking three episodes to resolve a situation. In season two I didn't like that they tried to focus on everyone - as much as I loved seeing everone, it was kind of scattered. It took three episodes to see what happened in the hatch! I like that they're taking their time with it - this week we get Jack, Kate, and Sawyer. Next week we get Sayid, Sun, and Jin. And the following week we get everone else. As much as I miss Desmond, I greatly prefer this format to last year's.

some interesting trends I've noticed. alot of the people who didn't like the episode are focusing on how nothing happened, especially in Jack's flashbacks...

I thought the Jack-back was one of the best flashbacks since first season in that, it showed us a darker, scarier version of Jack than we'd seen off the island before, and it helped set up the sort of key twist that allowed Juliet to break him down finally...

Similarly, my favorite part about the episode's main story was that it was fairly nuanced and subtle. A lot was said in this episode without saying anything at all.

I ranked it as one of their best, and I stand by that fully.

Flashbacks ruin dramatic tension, and other than expanding on Jack's relationship with his father, added nothing more to what we already know about him. Flashbacks should be banned.

Flashbacks banned? I love the character development in this show. I think it's one of the best parts! And even though I think some flashbacks are better than others, I would be upset if they banned them all together. I think we would be losing a whole dimension of the show if we weren't able to learn more about who these people were before the crash.

Great stuff, no f*rting around , no taking it slow. They just threw us in there.

I like how we got the social dynamics of the Other's Society in that opening sequence, who's in charge (Fake Henry) and who isn't too happy about it.

We got to see the plane come apart, ending that discussion once and for all. Then Fake Henry sending Goodwin and Ethan on their respective missions.

Then it was on with the show, Jack being held in a zoo operating room, Sawyer in an abandoned Polar Bear cage and Kate getting some special treatment to mask something else.

Just a great way to start the season, I think breaking up the season the way that they have has helped the team focus on the story telling, and it will help we fanitypes enjoy the show more.

Oh, whoops! I voted for the wrong one! I ment to vote for "Above average" not "Worst". Sorry. It was a great episode!

I voted "one of the best". Enjoyable throughout - and I especially loved the "Downtown" opening.

Great episode overall. Elizabeth Mitchell was an excellent casting choice. I'm looking forward to seeing more of her. Even the Jackback held my attention, which is not usually the case. Sweet Sawyer/Kate scene. I'm anxious to see how the season unfolds.

great teaser scene. the rest is average, in that theres not much information given.
The episode doesnt adress as much as we might wish, but its ok. lets see where it goes.
And btw the whole episode had an alias feel to it.

.

After the opening sequence, however, things really fall off, action-wise. All of Sawyer's time in his cage is essentially wasted screen time. Nothing of consequence happens. His 'escape' attempt really was pointless from a curious viewer's perspective, outside of the fact that we learned that Jack can't really be too far away from Sawyer, since Juliet was at both places in what I assume was a very short span of time. But other than that, what was the point? Why have him attempt escape at all? What was the narrative purpose? To show us that escape wasn't possible? Well, it wasn't possible at all with him in a cage, so why bother taking him out of the cage to show us escape is impossible? I don't see the point in showing us that. Perhaps it will mean more later (the classic 'Lost' defense of anything that either seems pointless or unimportant, but which hardly ever actually turns out to be the case).

Kate's scenes were more interesting because at least we got some interaction with some of the others, and the threat from Ben, but again, not a whole lot happened, and we certainly didn't learn much from our time with Kate.

Jack's scenese were interesting, but not because anything happened (until the end, at least). Jack's interaction with Juliet was good. Their verbal chess-game was very well done, but ultimately at the end of the episode, we're in the same place we were at the beginning - Jack tied up, and only learned that he was underwater and that Others have real-time access to real-world information. Interesting information, but it took the whole episode to learn those two things, which could have been conveyed in about 2 minutes.

I was hoping for a bit of a faster pace for the season premiere, but ultimately I am satisfied with what they revealed to us... But our protagonists aren't really in any different situation than when we joined them at the beginning of the episode, which essentially means nothing really happened.

Overall, I'd give this episode probably a 7 out of 10. Fantastic opening sequence, not a whole lot after that, but interesting nonetheless.

Had to quote this one, since it was the best written of the post that talk about nothing happening.
I believe what we saw was a lot of things happening, albeit on a very subtle level.
Now when it comes to Sawyer in the cage, as with all 3 characters, it's a means of breaking down their spirit. Some how the Others have a way of finding out who J/K/S were in their life before the crash, and are working on breaking their will with these mind games.
I've said this in another post on the subject, as a student of psychology, I found this epi great! All the classic conditioning techniques are being used to possible make J/K/S conform to the will of the Others.
Maybe the Others picked these 3 out of all the Losties from the beach to break down first thinking they would be the hardest and longest conversion. Also since these 3 in their own ways have become leaders of the fuselage group, they are the logical choose to convert first.

Some thing that one person meantioned about Jack "giving in to easily". Well if any of you have taken a hostage class, the first thing they teach is to comply with your captors without giving in. If they're going to give you food take it. Resisting food will only make you weak and unable to fight or flee when the opertunity arises. Next is to look for means of escape, learn your captors patterns. And keep your sprits up by any means; exersicing, keeping faith with your fellow hostages. It was these methods that have helped many POW's survive and return with honor.

Ok, I'm done ranting. Love reading all the comments. Seems to be a mixed bag of either for or against. I personnal loved it. Love the subtle undertones and story-within-a-story story. :harhar1: :clap:

9 out of 10. One of their best.

Absolutely Loved this episode. It ranks right up there as one of my faves.

Muffin (Juliet) is going to be a great addition to the cast. I hope she gets to TKO Sawyer sometime in the near future. ;)

Jack's flashback brought out the complex, human Jack, everyone can relate to.

More questions than answers, but that's why I watch LOST!!

Foxy brought his A game in this one!!

cheers,

shoegirl

I lack real thought at the moment... but just passing by to say the episode was awesome! Just the edge of my seat programming I'm used to with "Lost" ... left wanting more!

It was a very good eppy, especially for what it had to be: a close-up, yet general, overview of a main story line: J/J/K in the clutches of The Others.

I'm linking you to the Eppy 3.1 review by a guy who reviews each eppy--and who I, personally, think has some of the best perceptions of the show around. (When I do agree with him, and when I don't!)

http://www.entil2001.com/series/lost/season3/lost3-1.html

What'd'ya think?

I really liked this episode! There were some wonderful performances by the actors, good script writing and each scene was filmed beautifully.

I loved the upcoming episode though.....Kate and Sawyer kissing! Whoo Hoo!

:kiss: :)

It was a good episode, but I was too spoiled for it. My own fault. But a lot of the spoilers were provided by ABC, so I blame them too.:rolleyes:

My biggest complaint is that not a lot happened. I'm fine with them not revealing a lot. It's only the first freakin' eppy of the season, after all. But jeez, DO SOMETHING in the episode!

It was sad to not see the Beachies or Hatchlings at all.... can't wait for next week, cause I'm sure we'll see most of them at least. (I hope.)

So, not great, not bad, but by Lost standards, nothing special.

I think the reason I wasn't thrilled with this episode has actually very little to do with the pace, but more of the fact that it contained everything that I really don't like about Lost these days....

I don't like that there is all this technology that they have access to. Even seemingly contact with the outside world (that may not be true, but how else do they get a file on Jack?) I thought the show was more interesting when they had to hunt to eat and no access to pluming. I didn't like that about the hatch and I was extremely unpleasently surprised to find a mini suburia on the island (although I did like very much the rest of that scene)

I liked 'the others' better when they were a mystery. The more I learn about them... the less I liked them. Their not really the animals or savages that they were described as in season 1 and begining of 2. They seem to just be scientist doing experiments. I really hope they become more than that

It only had three main character in it! I know, that many of 'the others' are going to become regulars or whatever... but as of right now, I don't care about them. I care about the people i've been following for the past two seasons and I only got to see three of them after waiting four months! That was my biggest problem right there.

Also, a lot did happen setting up the season and all. And some really fantastic character stuff. But, I got on here yesterday night and found I had little I wanted to talk about. There was no moment where I went "What just happened?" and wanted to race to talk to someone about it. I felt like the episode went by so quickly without much happening. When "LOST" flashed across the screen, I checked the clock becuase I couldn't believe it was already 10! It seemed like I was only seeing half the episode or something.

Well, those are my opinions anyway. *sigh* I miss season 1 so much! I think it was so much better then. I hope this season picks up. I enjoy watching this show too much to be frustrated with it all the time.

this was well worth the wait...so excited for the next one..
skybluelost:-))

I thought it was Great! Can't wait to see what the rest of them are experiencing. Where is Danielle?

Good new character in Juliet. Interesting little twist with the others in Pleasantville. Jack's flashback was a total waste except for showing how much of a jerk he was - it added nothing to the plot. There is obviously a lot of hidden things we won't catch on to for a few episodes but I'm reallly getting tired of 10 new mysteries for every one solved. Solve a few, please before throwing us more loops...

Oldwiz

Alright - I do have one complaint...I am getting sick to death of Jack! We're on the 3rd season already, & it seems all he can do is be a jerk, or hide his face & try not to cry!
I want to see something about his travels (where he got his tatoos...where he learned how to play poker, etc. Enough with his Dad & marital problems. It wouldn't hurt my feelings if they killed him off.
(I did like his line to Juliet about being a repo man! :biggrin: )

I liked the FB stuff, it made me cry and understand Jack a little better. I agree that I would have liked to see more of our longtime friends at other parts of the island. The opening scene was cool, but still predictable to me, not like the opening to Season 2, which was so crazy!

I enjoyed watching this show, espc. the opening sequence. I agree w/ some who say that, since J/K/S ended in essentially in the same situation they started out in, not a lot was accomplished, plot-wise.
Character-wise, it was interesting, although I don't understand the Jack-Sarah dynamic, either. Seemed so pointless...and Sarah so shallow. It seems that Jack often does go off the deep end, so to speak, but a lot of their interactions just didn't make sense to me in this episode. I've really had enough of Sarah, but I suppose that at some point they'll give us another flashback to show us why this bad breakup happened.

Anyway, I enjoyed the ep and look forward to the next, as always. I'm hoping it's not "one of their best" since the season just opened--here's hoping each ep just gets better & better!

It was alright. The start was excellent, the flashback was interesting surprisingly. Jackback's are usually bad but this one was alright.

7/10

Firstly, I want to say how glad I am that all that 'Fenry' nonsense has been put to rest.

Secondly, I can't believe there's actually an episode with Jack flashbacks (or 'Jackbacks', if you will) that I really enjoyed.

I love the way the Others are treating everyone so differently. Sawyer like a Polar Bear, Jack like a dolphin and Kate like some bizarre fusion of Lewis Carroll and a Barbie Doll.

Also, the Others have a book club!!!! Anyone catch the name of the book? I saw it was Stephen King, but which one?

It was alright. The start was excellent, the flashback was interesting surprisingly. Jackback's are usually bad but this one was alright.
Agreed. The start was brilliant, and I liked the resemblance to season two start. I like the new character, Juliet, a lot. And Benry was great, Michael does such an awesome work!
Bad that we didn't see anything about the rest but I think it was fine, we'll see more on the next eppies.

It was below average, really. Too much psych torture. The only especially good scene was where we get to see Other-Ville behind those mountains.

Of course, maybe I'm just disappointed because it came right after the season 2 finale, which was probably the best episode of TV ever.

I loved it, great ep so far great opener. Was some really good storytelling about the characters too, to me it was a great ep as we saw alot of the stations, the others homes, and such. I loved it! ^_^

Like most everyone, I really liked the opening scenes. Definately good to see the crash from the Others' perspective. From there it was just okay. The one word I'd call it would be "Choppy". That's probably because they had 3 people to track, but it definately seemed as if they cut out alot to fit it all into an hour show. What happened between Kate and Ben at the beach? For Jack to break down that quickly seemed a little far-fetched to me (perhaps there was time in there that they didn't show?). I would have liked to see much more interaction between Sawyer and Karl. Perhaps if they could have maded it a 2-hour premier, so they could have developed each story a little further, it would have been better. So, not bad, but nothing special for me (outside of the 1st scene).

Original, intelligent and unpredictable. Three things missing from most TV shows. A bad episode of Lost is better than any CSI / Teenage Beach Show / Fat Guy Married to Thin Wife Sitcoms out there.

The real question I have about this episode is....Where is Ben (Henry Pale's) eyebrows?

HOW did they have all of that current information? Christian's autopsy record was only like 70-some days old.


Magic.

I rated it not bad, but nothing special. For the season premiere, I was disappoint4ed. It seemed too slow and we saw nothing about the other survivors. It would've nice to Alex too. Where was she?

It was good to see Jack and Christian's roles reversed. Jack was the dark one, stalking his ex. Then blaming himself for Christian falling off the wagon again.
The shot of the plane spitting up was cool.

I've heard we may start to sympathsize with the Others this season. I don't see it happening. Ben has almost no compassion.

Pretty cool, huh? Last night was basically Lost as we've come to expect it, and I'd say the Third Season is off to a good start. If you're worried about Locke, Sayid, and our other friends left in peril (which apparently spoiled at lease one national reviewer's enjoyment of the episode)...relax. We'll find out about them next week. A little more suspense won't kill you after four months. More questions than answers? Don't forget, last season's premeire was like that, too. We didn't really start to find stuff out until the second and third episodes.

The Opening Sequence. Nearly as "what the heck--?" as last season's opener. I pretty much realized this was all happening on the island as soon as I realized that the blond woman wasn't Penny (because Penny would have a much nicer kitchen). Coolest scene of the night: Ethan and Goodwin being sent off on their missions. Here's hoping they didn't fly those actors all the way out there for brief cameos, meaning that we're going to get some flashbacks in 'Otherville'.

Speaking of which, I will say that book clubs and burnt muffins are not what I was expecting! Good for the writers, keeping a little surrealism in the mix - Jack being held prisoner by a bored housewife - especially difficult to do because we Lost viewers are getting harder to shock as we learn to expect the unexpected. I just love the dichotomy between the Others as soulless killers and regular folks who work on plumbing, read Stephen King, bicker, and complain.

The Flashbacks. Forget Ethan, Ben, and the shadowy Hanso crowd...Sarah is the true essence of evil on this show. She never loved Jack (just the lifestyle of a surgeon's wife), married him, and robbed him blind for her little gigolo. Sawyer would be proud (and could probably learn a thing or two). To be fair, Jack probably never loved her either -- but at least he thought he did, always did the right thing, and stayed faithful. Despicable woman. Utterly despicable.

Jack suspects Christian of being Sarah's other man (or one of them). I wonder if this subconsciously tipped him to blow the whistle on Dad's wet whistle in the OR. I doubt even Jack knows, which adds a nice dimension to his character. Guilt. Atonement. Which nicely helps explain why he is the way he is. Incidentally, a lot of people think Jack is over-exposed, but I will say that the writers really have a handle on this character. I'm sure some credit goes to the fine actor who plays him, also. He's one of the most consistently written and portrayed characters on this show -- whether you like him or not.

Island Life. "I don't think you're stupid, Jack. Just stubborn." Boy, has she got him pegged. If you're in Jack's situation and someone comes to feed you and talk to you, the smart play is to talk -- give out as little as you can while trying to keep the other person talking, and you might learn something, or even win over an ally. That's certainly what Sawyer would have done. But Jack has no guile in him, he's just going to pound, pound, pound till he can't pound no more. Perfectly in character.

Not a great episode for Sawyer, although his keeping Kate's spirits up was a nice touch of humanity. His exchange with Tom was out of character and silly, though. "I figured out your little gizmo." Would Sawyer really act like a first grader with a gold star, to his mortal enemy? "Only took the bears two hours." Ha, ha, funny. His exposition on Sayid just sounded clumsy, too. Like next week is Sayid's episode (which I don't know, hence no spoiler tag) and we need to be reminded that he's Iraqi and that he tortures people. Just cause, you know, that's all there really is to the guy.

Call him Henry or call him Ben (just don't call him "Benry", please!), he's still stealing scenes. What a great, creepy villain. So far, I really like Juliet. And it was great to see Goodwin and especially Ethan again. Remember when we wondered whether Ethan was even human? Now he repairs plumbing (but apparently doesn't appreciate fine literature like Carrie). I'm looking forward to finding out more about these Others. Good start. Let's say, "Definitely one of their best".

I enjoyed it. Thought it was definitely one of the best episodes. It would have been nice to see more of the characters but hopefully next week's episode will make us happier. The first five minutes totally blew me away. I'd give it an 8.5 out of 10.

I honestly really enjoyed it. The one thing that sorta buged me was that it could have advanced the plot more than it did..

I honestly really enjoyed it. The one thing that sorta buged me was that it could have advanced the plot more than it did..

Yeah I agree, it was still one of the best episodes I'd ever seen.:biggrin: Not the best though by a long way.
I'd give it 9.5!

The opening was awesome. I also wanted to see a bit more of the rest of the cast. The flashback could have been a bit more concise. It started to feel like beating a dead horse because the writers needed to fill time. The extra time could have been filled by a couple of flashes of how Hurley was making it (or arriving) back to the beach.

Also, PLEASE, could the editors quit the back and forth cutting in for advert time? I think most of us would rather have longer, but fewer, commercial blocks to get a soda, have a pee, get a snack, and of course......those mid-show analysis phone calls.

I voted 'one of the best so far.' I'm a Jack fan, so I enjoyed it a lot. The beginning was amazing. I think the new characters are going to work very well, I'm liking Juliet a lot, although I don't know yet if she's good or bad. I'm leaning more towards bad at the moment. It's just great to have the start of a whole new season.

For the first time in a long time, I felt let down by an eppy of LOST.

Maybe it was the lack of John... maybe it was the fact that we didn't get a lot
of interaction between our Losties... maybe it was the boring flashback.

I hated that Jack, James, and Kate asked all the wrong questions. Not that
Ben, Juliet or Tom would have answered, but it would have shown that they are
thinking clearly.

questions Kate could have asked Ben:
Why did you take the three of us? What do you plan to do to us? WHY are the
next two weeks going to be so unpleasant?
NOT: why are you feeding me! Why did you make me wear this dress?

Jack and James also could have asked things of import.

The writers obviously wanted to give us a big bite of cotton candy in the opener.

The ONLY juicy scene was The Others' quaint little village. I loved seeing Ethan
again, if only for a few moments.

I wasn't a big fan of this episode either.

Maybe it'll grow on me after I see the rest.

And, another Jack flashback? I really like his flashbacks... but I thought we already clearly established the "fix it" character flaw. It just looks like they're making up stuff to "save the best for later." Can't they make up good stuff for now?

I actually did like the beginning part, though, though I wasn't surprised by it. Ben (Fenry?)'s quick reaction is definitely something to be curious about.

While I'd be the last person to defend giving Jack additional flashbacks, while holding back on the Thailand story, I actually quite enjoyed these flashbacks. If only we'd seen them a bit sooner, rather than some of his more tedious ones.
The biggest letdown was that Christian actually wasn't having an affair with his Daughter-in-law. It just gave me a feeling of being on a wild goose chase for the last hour (or since Two For The Road, for that matter). Why tell a story that has a pointless ending? It's like if they finished the whole show with us finding out they were actually on a peninsula in the USA, not on an Island.

I'm afraid I'm never going to be able to vote "above average by Lost standards" or above. I mean, if this show ever gives me an episode as good as the "worst" Season 1 episode, I'll eat my hat, and then vote accordingly.

That being said, I liked this opener more than I liked MANY of the episodes last season.

I liked the first (was it?) 4 minutes before the LOST screen.

I liked the Juliet character, a lot (for some reason).

I liked the interaction between Sawyer and Kate.

I did NOT like the ZzZZzzzzZzzz (boring!) Jack flashbacks. Enough!

And also, it did feel like an incredibly short episode..... looking forward to seeing the rest of the cast next week.

I think there were a bit to many comercials, but other than tha, LUBBED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I loved the whole Animal instinct thing, And Sawyers reaction to the fish biscuite.

It was good, but I wish more of the original losties had been featured. I hope LOST doesn't become the Jack and the Others show.

I'm sure TPTB have realised after Season 2 what kind of reaction that would get. I think dividing people up is the best thing that could happen to the show. Now they have no choice but to show some of the previously sidelined characters (Sayid, Claire, etc.)

Nothing special... I was hoping they wouldn't use the "There's someone in the Hatch!" formula to introduce us to the others camp... Kind of old now, isn't it?

Also, I'm still trying to understand the connection between the flashback and the story on the island.. Is there any?

I think it would have been an OK episode in mid-season, but was a dismal slow-paced premiere after the very fun opening scene.

IMHO it was a bad move to start with a captivity narrative instead of taking up after the Hatch explosion. We all knew Jack/Sawyer/Kate are still alive; what I wanted to know is how Desmond/Locke/Eko are faring. They could have capitalized on that curiosity by filling us in, while building suspense on the J/S/K captivity front. Instead they killed the suspense over the Hatch explosion because all the actors' names are in the credits as regulars. They totally missed an opportunity to focus on something satisfying -- and instead opened with an almost sadistic downer. Instead of the fabulous island location, we got a tank, cages, a conformist village. Very claustrophobic.

Yes we got psychological interrogation techniques and manipulators. Now if there had never been a ground-breaking show called The Prisoner, who lived in the Village from which he could not escape, this might have been interesting, but anyone who is a huge fan of this show ought to have seen the Prisoner. (If you haven't, do it!) No new ground.

I am all for character development, but I keep seeing characters who contradict the essential ways they responded in Season One.

Kate was cautious in her speech, willing to conform, willing to play a part, willing to use her charms as a weapon. Who was this Kate who could only be surly rather than trying to find an opening with her captors?

What happened to Sawyer-the quick-thinking guy who always sees the most advantageous move before anyone else? He stands there and presses a button until he gets thrown across the cage? He gets conned by a teenager and has a sub-bear performance?

Jack, the guy who made snap assessments after the crash, who was totally on top of his game after a catastrophic plane crash, is acting like a Neanderthal? (I would say a lab rat, but rats exhibit learning behavior) What, were they all shot up with a stupidity drug? If they were only ACTING stupid it would be easy to show that to the audience. They were all three subpar, and I feel like the only reason I enjoyed them is that I came to this episode with a pre-existing interest. If I had never seen these characters before I would not have found them engaging. Right now I no longer much care what the Others do to them. Instead I wonder what the Others see in these guys.

I like the actress playing Juliet. Michael Emerson is a terrific talent. The talent isn't lacking. Substance, story arc, pacing, and consistency with prior episodes was.

Speaking of which -- I thought it was terrible that the team who produced the graphic showing the island/crash overview was apparently not allowed to communicate with the person who wrote the dialogue and came up with a "one hour" time to reach the Tailies. Unless Goodwin was jumping on some underground subway, the two didn't match up at all. It distresses me to see glaring inattention to detail.

I'd like to see them cover a lot more terrain in an hour episode. Whatever Goodwin does to cover all that ground in an hour, they could emulate that! I don't care about getting all the answers quickly, although I hate it that so many questions were raised in Season One and subsequently dropped as if they never mattered. By covering terrain I mean more story to the episode at hand, more dialogue, more entertainment.

I am fine with the grand answers coming slowly, but I am not fine with pointless shots that simply eat up episode time and reaction shots that last twice as long as needed to register. Lingering for a moment may create a sense of depth; lingering too long allows the viewer's mind to disengage from the story and to notice the actor's technique, the lighting, the scene blocking, and wonder for the umpteenth time what's going on back at camp ... and what is in the refrigerator? Seriously, I actually allowed talking over the show in my living room instead of enforcing my "comment during the commercials" rule! That never happened before. Another first -- no one at my house asked to spin back the DVR and see something again.

I'm sorry to sound so disgruntled, but I loved this show first season and I admit to having hopes it would come back with a bang and the slowness of season two would all have been a bad dream. I hope the fan base hasn't been the show's undoing. It seems like TPTB now take for granted that a crumb of "information" or a "question answered" is enough to make fans praise an episode that really doesn't cut it as a stand alone hour of drama.

Definently one of their best!!!!

Once again a profound insight to a contradiction of human behavior and Jung's theory of a collective conciousness. Perhaps the writers should be labled sociopaths, by lesser minds that would be a fine joke. But in the real world, they would just be elaborating on and illustrating moods and personalities of peoples from different perspectives. In the end (so far at least) they have done what very few shows have done, presented realistic behaviour patterns (not what one might THINK or PRETEND oneself might do) But what really happens in real life. Time allowed the benefit of duration...actions and thoughts change based on desire, from moment to moment, second to second. The Characters on this show are extremely well written.

Bottom line, this is the best episodical ever made, in my opinion!

ETA: Also to add I agrre with Ashley, I was bummed it was too short (should have been two hours) I wanted to see Charlie, Claire, Eko, Locke, and all the other great characters...But I can wait until the next episode. :)

This episode was so DEPRESSING.....

so what do you think of the season 3 premire! i love it and yet it feels too short!
here are some of my insights (actually questions) on the first of episode of the 3rd season:

1. why is the episode titled "a tale of two cities"? is it because there is an "other city" apart from the beach of our castaways? or is it because jack is in captivity in an "other city" apart from kate and sawyer?

2. the book club is reading a stephen king novel. the novel is carrie. why are they reading this book? any clues in the novel? or is it merely an homage to king, who is a big fan of the series?

3. was the cage of sawyer the same as the cage of the polar bears?

4. was sawyer's jailbreak "planned"?

5. are ben (fake henry gale) and juliet romantically linked?

6. what was juliet thinking at the start of the episode in front of the mirror? it's as if she know that something will happen (the plane crash) and that she will someone who's causing her pain (jack)? and why was ben closed the door to juliet? is ben testing juliet too?

well, few things have been answered and more questions popped up. that's just lost friends...

As time's passed since I first saw this episode, I'm wondering more and more who Karl is. It's almost as intriguing as Henry was last season. Is he from the plane? Is he an Other? Did he get there some other way?
I fear everyone else may have looked at spoilers, or at least old casting information, but I wasn't even sure who Juliet was when I first saw her. I have no idea what his allegiance is or anything, and I love it! At last, some mystery that I haven't heard the outcome of.

I thought it was a strong set up for things to come.

I thought it was pretty good. Great start, a darker episode than before and a set up of what is to come

Since my PC is being irritating I'm still updating this post.

Amazing.

I loved it till death.

The first five minutes were eye-opening and spectacular.

I absolutely loved Juliet. She's great! Amazing actress.
I never saw her at work befor, but I got to say.
They choose the right person for the job!

I adored the Juliet/Jack "relationship" too. Great chemistry!

My three favourite scenes where (no particular order):

* The breakfast scene.

Wow. This was powerfull and creepy!
Great!

* The scene where both Jack and Juliet have their hands on the glass.

Intense scene. I fell in love with Jacket (Jack/Juliet) this very moment.

* The Sawyer/Kate reunion scene.

Adorable scene. The way they looked at eachother, what they said - everything.
I loved it.

Evangeline Lilly and Josh Holloway have the BEST onscreen chemistry.

I also adored Sawyer's happy dance <3



Can't wait for episode two!

I see they've decided to get Kate's annual shower scene out of the way early this season. :biggrin:

I wish I had discovered The Fuselage a year ago and participated in this discussion when it took place. I would would have said how perfect it was in setting up a new season and how intrigued I was with all the possibilities. Now, after the whole season is over and we've had all the back and forth's, I have to confess I feel even more so. I don't feel abused or manipulated or put out by TPTB in any way. Pacing, to name one element that keeps coming up, cannot be maintained at a constant pace. It must ebb and flow. Secrets can't all be given up at once--and I don't mean ALL the secrets at once, but all of each secret. Each secret is given out a portion at a time. Eventually it comes together, sometimes after misdirection.

I find all this, frankly, entertaining. I don't want to dictate terms to a show. I want to participate along with others in something that cannote be predicted. I was to get involved in characters' lives, as if I worked or lived with them. Liking them some weeks, not liking them in others. Some people I wish I could see more of, or even at all. Others I'm frankly tired of and wish would go away.

It's interesting to me to peek back into this old convesation and see how varied the responses are. Even variation among those who agreed whether they liked or disliked it: They all had separate reasons.

I knew last season that "Henry Gale" was going to be a keeper. I could tell in the first of dialogue, certainly with his first facial reaction. Similarly, I knew Elizabeth Mitchell would be a solid, provocative piece of the puzzle. I was left wondering exactly what their relationship was. Now, after the whole season has gone we can tell.

And it was all set up beautifully in this little jewele of an episode.

This was fabulous LOST watching. I was riveted.

I loved this episode! I finally figured out youtube and was able to start watching the ones I missed while we were moving. Ben is definately one you love to hate- what a great actor! And in light of having seen the finale- I can see how Jack could end up as he does in the (possible) future. :down: I can't wait to see the rest & fill in the gaps.

It was ok. I guess I did expect more of it. I enjoyed the Jack flashbacks but some of the storylines were a bit confusing it's like there's too many threads left hanging and nothing being tied up.

They always seem to leave something hanging. ;)

Loved the confrontation Jack and his dad had, though. HJack seemed really neurotic at times. I thought more of him, but yeah...perfect doctor has flaws, too.

It's very good
es muy bueno

i loved the beginning of this episode like the beginning of season 2! starting a season with music is really cool^^ and i loved that Ethan was in it :D
i didnt like that there was nothing about the losties on the beach!