Excelsior: “Lost” Season Premiere Review – After the Big Bang

“A television phenomenon (…) that captivated millions,” ABC boasted in the weeks leading up to last Tuesday’s season premiere of “Lost.” And yes, it definitely was one of the most longingly awaited premiers this year, seeing as this last season of the show promises to answer any and all questions.

After all, season five ended (like almost every episode in the show’s history) with a cliffhanger of epic proportions. Disclaimer: If you’ve never seen “Lost,” you should stop reading now, visit your local Blockbuster, rent the first season and start watching.

Throughout the last five years, “Lost” has given us a wide variety of stories and narrative strategies. At first, it was simply a story about the survivors of a plane crash who are stranded on a deserted island; interspersed with the character’s back stories. The flashbacks became flash-forwards in seasons three and four. And finally, both became literal by throwing time travel into the mix. And suddenly, the survivors weren’t just stranded on a deserted island; they were stranded on a deserted island in the 1970s.

Many burning questions were left by last year’s finale. Above all: Would the castaways’ plan to detonate a bomb in the past lead to a present where they never landed on the island in the first place?

In traditional “Lost” fashion, this question wasn’t answered in the sixth season’s premiere. Or rather, it was answered with both Yes and No – literally.

The episode started out in a familiar way to all those who had seen season 1. We’re back on the plane, and all – or most – of our favorite characters are there. There are even a couple of cameos of long-dead sidekicks as a special treat for fans. But of course, it’s 2004, and they are strangers. And this time, the infamous flight 815 safely lands at LAX.

Simultaneously, though, it doesn’t: Cut to the island, just post-explosion. In this version of reality, the survivors are still where they were; and the future (or rather, the present) hasn’t changed.

Ever since the two-hour season premiere aired, the fan world is in full speculation mode. The favorite, and, knowing “Lost,” a very plausible theory is the following: The two timelines will converge in the future, and everyone will end up on the island eventually anyway, making the alleged alternate universes one. This makes sense given that the show has made a point of stating that every single person ended up on the island for a reason.

In the meantime, even physicists weigh in on Lost’s interpretation of alternate universes, deeming it consistent with physical theories. (See popularmechanics.com)

What it all really means, of course, only time and the remaining ten episodes of Lost’s last season will tell. Until then, viewers will need a lot of patience – but that’s something “Lost” fans are more than accustomed to by now.