Lost - The Complete First Season (DVD, 2005, 7-Disc Set)

If you don’t know by now what this hit TV series is about, then you’ve probably been, well, stuck on a desert island for the past few years.

To recap: forty-eight passengers en route from Australia to the States narrowly escape death when their plane crashes onto a deserted tropical island. But Lost isn’t quiet a 21st century retelling of Robinson Crusoe or a fictionalized version of Survivor though: something creepy and downright weird is happening on the island. For starters, there’s the miracle of the paralyzed passenger who can walk again. Then there’s the polar bear which attacked a group of survivors. Polar bear? Yup, and it gets weirder: there’s also some kind of giant man-eating creature trampling trees in its path (is it a dinosaur?) and a transmitter broadcasting a distress signal by a French woman stuck on the island from an earlier shipwreck 16 years ago; not to mention what appears to be ghosts . . .

Internet fans are abuzz as to what exactly is happening on the island. Is it a government conspiracy? Aliens? Maybe it’s all in their heads. Or maybe they’re all dead, and in Purgatory. The show’s otherworldly atmosphere is further enhanced by the fact that Lost was filmed on the same Hawaiian locations used for Jurassic Park.

A surprise hit, Lost is a breath of fresh air on TV: it isn’t a lawyer or cop show, and there isn’t a starship captain in sight. With a story arc recounting one story line, the show doesn’t really have any self-contained episodes. Miss an episode and you’ll lose the thread of things (characters tend to get killed in the show).

THE DISCS: You get the entire first season on six discs. The seventh disc consists entirely of extras such as making of features, deleted scenes and even the actors’ audition tapes.

The image is in widescreen unlike the full-screen in which it is usually broadcast on TV. This lends a more “theatrical” feel to the series, and makes it feels less like television. The 5.1 sound has a nice dimensionality.

WORTH IT? With a fresh-faced cast (except for that guy who played a hobbit in the Lord of the Rings movies) and some clever writing, Lost features the sort of unpredictable, character-driven drama and adventure that makes for addictive viewing. It is ideally suited for the DVD format: you won’t have to wait until next week to see what happens next – just pop in the next disc or flip to the next episode.

The only problem that Lost faces is its own success. With the highly anticipated second season showing on American screens and a third season already in the pipeline, Lost seems to be in it for the long run. To extend the show the writers might just end up discarding whatever story arc they originally planned for the show and wind up writing themselves into a corner. Lost might end up like the X-Files in which viewers soon realized that nothing will ever be explained or wrapped up satisfactorily and eventually stop watching it altogether.

It should first be noted that I watch a lot of T.V. This means I watch a lot of good T.V., a good amount of fair T.V. and, yes, on occasion I have been known to sit through some horrible television.
When news began to leak out that J.J. Abrams was working on a pilot about a plane crash, my initial thought was: Cool, but it will never see the light of day, I figured some network honcho would corner J.J. wih, "It's good, but is it a series?"
Yes, it is a series. A well-written, well-acted, cinematic series with plot twists, high production values, and cliffhangers that keep you coming back every week.
I am telling you, even if you have never seen this, this is the one and only T.V. DVD that I would say it's okay to buy sight-unseen. It's that awesome.

Right off the bat, with the opening scene, one can sense that this is something reaching the extraordinary. A devastating frame: the catastrophic wreckage of a plane ripped apart and smoking- the hellish nightmare of chaos wracked upon a shore of sublime beauty, where stunned survivors clamor about trying to get a grip- the bright sands, the deeper shades of the jungle slightly inland, and the rocky heights of the cliffs against the backdrop of vast ocean and sky, conjures the feeling that the medium projecting all this can't possibly be merely a TV screen.

Needless to say, I was hooked from then on. I'd not only made up my mind to watch the rest of the Season One episodes (4 episodes to each of the first 6 DVD's, and then the 7th for special features), but had also made sure that I would acquire them, as I knew I'd certainly not be the only one of my acquaintance to needs get hooked on something such as this.

Each episode focuses on one of the 14 main characters in the form of flashbacks while the storyline moves forward on the island (there were some 48 survivors in all, but only a few- the "take action", plaintively elite of the bunch - who are the focus.) Among them are Jack (Matthew Fox), a doctor; Kate (Evangeline Lilly), a fugitive from the law; Locke (Terry O'Quinn), a salesman at a box company; Charlie (Dom Monaghan), a British has-been rock star; Sayid (Naveen Andrews) an Iraqi soldier; and Michael (Harold Perrineau) an unemployed artist & construction worker who had just recently reclaimed his estranged 10-year-old son, Walt (Malcolm David Kelley) after the boy's mother's death. Add to the mix, with piquant dashes of blessed good chemistry, a rough-necked Texan con artist, a self-centered young woman and her brother, a young Korean couple, an unmarried Australian woman about to give birth, and a young man who'd won the lottery under weird circumstances, and you have here a show that raises the bar for all of network TV entertainment.

What makes this series additionally so appealing is its atmosphere, which contains somewhat of an undeniable supernatural factor. Indeed, it's almost as if the island itself were alive: an entity possessed of a soul all its own.

Once I saw the pilot episodes (the first two), I knew this was a show for me. It had everything you want in a series. It had the cool plane crash and backstories before the crash which kept me watching for the entire season. And every episode after the crash kept me on edge and wanting more. It had the qualities that anyone would want whether they want to see action/adventure, drama, mystery, comedy, or romance. There's always something going on with this deserted island whether it's someone trying to figure out a scheme to get off the island, someone trying to sabotage someone else's plans, or people just trying to make the best of a bad situation.

Lost came out when there wasn't a whole lot of competition as far as action goes on the major networks. 24 and Alias were the main competition (excellent shows also), but Lost held up their end with a bunch of unknown actors/actresses. The actors/actresses were definitely excellent choices. Whoever did the casting for this show won't be out of work long if this show decides to call it quits. The entire cast seems like they were born to play the part that they were given, which I think is a credit to the person who did the casting for the series. Where would this show be without Jack, John Locke, Charlie, and Sawyer? Who knows, but the smaller parts of Micheal, Walt, Siyed (sp?), Jin, Sun, Boone, Hurley, Shannon, and Claire are just as important. Even Vincent the dog plays an important role. Of course, you can't forget the beautiful but sneaky Kate (she's somewhat a partner-well not partner, more like an adversary-in crime to Sawyer) who likes to throw a monkey wrench into everything. Jack is always looking out for her, but you never know who she's looking out for. Mostly herself, but sometimes others.

That's what's cool about the show. Their is always mystery and intrigue. Who did what to who? Who is going to hook up with who? Who is going to put everything on the line for who? There are always surprises, and you never know what type of spin the writers are going to pull over your eyes from episode to episode. It's always something new, and the show is far from anything that has been done before. What I love about the show the most is the way the backstories are put in, always having to do with something in the present, showing why something is happening because of someone's past history.

What a well chosen cast, but also, what excellent writing. The writers make us feel for the characters, whether it's Jack and his neverending problems with being the doctor and leader, Kate trying to hide her past, or even Sawyer who's a dink but he does things that a dink doesn't do which shows he has some heart.

Far from ordinary, Lost astonishes and will keep you on the edge of your seat. The only thing that kind of stinks about the first season is that there are so many questions that still need to be answered at the end. I guess that's why there's another season (which is cool now because you can just go right to second season), but I was kind of ticked when I first seen it on TV, because I knew I had to wait eight long months (just guessing, I'm not sure how long I had to wait, but I think I'm in the ballpark) to continue the journey.

I cannot even begin to describe the depth and intensity of the series . I have not become so addicted to a series or show since I was a child . Now this is just my opinion so I will describe the show as it apeals to me .

The show itself is loaded with an action adventure type of theme set upon a deserted island , or is it deserted ? It contains mystery and edge of the seat suspense . This is no joke if you watch the show late at night with the lights turned off at times goosebumps flow and you jump and cheer for the characters .

The Characters are loaded left and right and it's not even overcasting , each one has they're own story which is described as the show goes on .

The story begins with a plane crash and there are around 40 survivors , the main cast starts with a handful of people as you watch and learn while they try and help and save each others lives , hunt and fish . They are plagued with personal issues and the threats the island gives them such as why is there a polar bear on tropical island . Or what is this monsterious thing knocking over 50 ft. trees and screams through the night and killed the pilot .

It is not farfetched what so ever and intrigues the mind as you live and watch the characters . As each episode goes along new characters are discivered and portrayed more in depth so it's not the same old same old , yet you still get everyone in every episode .

I truly wish I could describe how great of a show this is . It is worth every penny . This might not be the show for everyone , but I have not met someone who dislikes it . The show may not be for you if you don't enjoy a macguyver meets juraspic park meets the drama of law and order meets indiana jones . It is all of these things mixed into one and then more .

The show contains mysteries , as they suspect others are on the island and confirm it in one instance but are these others sane or deranged . Also contains issues of mysterious items and a curse upon numbers . There is just so much packed into the series I cannot explain it all .

If this review has intrigued you at all please vote yes and hopefully it has helped you buy or not buy the series .

At its most basic premise, Lost tells the story of 48 survivors of a plane crash that try to make a life on an island while waiting to be rescued. We quickly find out that there is more to the island than meets the eye, and that each member of the survivors (or at least the 14 main actors of the group) have little secrets they are trying to hide.

Due to its mysterious plots and ensemble cast, Lost is a great show and really sucks you into the story. Each episode reveals a little more details about the island and the 48 survivors that are waiting to be rescued.

At the same time, each episode builds on the mystery and often leaves the viewers with more questions than answers. Each time some history of a character is revealed, another shade of their personality presents itself.

The island’s many secrets are never fully revealed, and this plot technique leaves the audience continually trying to figure out its mysteries. From the strange sounds and “creature” that roams the island to the hatch with no way of opening, the island keeps its secrets kept tight, and leaves fans of the show just wanting more.

The ensemble cast, including Matthew Fox, Naveen Andrews, Terry O’Quinn, and Evangeline Lilly, also helps keep the audience glued into the series. Each actor brings something original to the show, and their characters’ history help the mysteries continue to hook the audience.

The only downside to the show is that it rarely reveals any of its mysteries, and you start to get the feeling the show’s makers never will.

Each episode builds on what was discovered in the last, but there are never any straightforward answers. While this isn’t a problem if you are a fan of the show, it might be a bit taxing on someone that isn’t into the show.

The season one box set is perfect for any fan of the show. It comes loaded with special features that any fan will enjoy watching and will get you ready for season two.

The box set is also great for anyone wanting to give the show a try, but never had time when it aired on television or for anyone wanting to find out what Lost is all about.

I highly recommend this box set to any fan of the show, or anyone who hasn’t seen it. With its mysterious plots and great characters, Lost will win you over and grab your attention.

The actors do a great job and the show has the ability to suck you into it, and not let you go until you have reached the last disc in the set. Its cliffhanger ending of season one will make sure you are watching Season Two.