Lost
Touchstone Television/Bad Robot
Seasons 1-3 now available on DVD and Blu-Ray; Season 4 available December 9, 2008
3115 minutes
It may sound obvious. Of course any TV series is better on DVD, whether it’s a sitcom, drama, or sci-fi series. But with Lost making fans wait until February 2009 for the fifth season on ABC, and Season Four due out on DVD and Blu-Ray on December 9, 2008, dig out, rent, or buy the first three seasons and start watching. Here are six good reasons to do so:
1. NO COMMERCIALS! – It seems fairly obvious that any series on DVD would be easier to watch without a commercial for Depends, Always, or Viagra, but there’s another reason why Lost minus the commercials is a better way to watch: momentum. The episodes flow faster, keep you engaged, which means you don’t get distracted. With Lost and other hour-long shows on ABC moving toward a six-act format, that only means more commercial breaks. And more annoying story starts and stops. On DVD the pace is consistent, and much more enjoyable.
2. Lost Marathons! – Watching Lost on DVD allows you to sit and watch an entire season without the hassle of waiting until the next week’s episode. It also allows you to follow the story elements and see any inconsistencies or other moments missed during the first viewing. With a multi-storyline show like Lost, it’s easy to get confused about what’s going on from week-to-week. Marathons help solve that problem by keeping everything current.
3. Freeze Frame! – Think you saw something in a scene that no one else saw? Now you can prove them all wrong with the power of the PAUSE button. Was the smoke monster nearby right after Flight 815 crashed? Who was in the rocking chair in Jacob’s cabin? Now you can join the dozens of other Lost addicts and break down each episode frame-by-frame.
4. What have they actually answered? – With the power of DVD you can look back and see what questions about the island, the Others, the Dharma Initiative, and the characters have actually been answered. And I don’t mean fake answers like those always given out by Ben. What do we really know about these people, the island, Tom’s sexuality? Just a few things to ponder.
5. Casualty Count! – Let’s face it, Lost kills off dozens of people each season, whether on the island or off. Whether they are regular cast members or extras. With the magic of DVD you can tally how many die in the course of a season. Just remember: the producers like to wipe out the most people during season finales.
6. Predictability! – How many times does Kate say “We have to go back for Jack”? How many times does Locke exclaim “The island will tell us what to do next”? How many different nicknames does Sawyer have for each person on the island? Now you can play your own Lost trivia game and stump your friends with the answers to these questions and more. Don’t just watch Lost, obsess over it!
Along with these six reasons, there’s also a load of DVD extras that include documentaries, audio commentary, audition footage, and, my favorite, outtakes. With only 32 episodes left before the obligatory big screen movie (you know it’s coming), it’s always good to refresh you memory of seasons past. It’s also good to realize that the show’s producers have about as much of an idea about what’s going on as you do!