Long-awaited 'Lost' premiere does not disappoint

By Michael Lee

Santa Clara students now have a legitimate and legal rationale to be eager for Wednesday nights.

"Lost," which kicked off its third season on Wednesday, Oct. 4, is primed for another year of trippy plot twists and gut-wrenching excitement. (Warning: spoilers below.)

For the most part, the only trippy thing about the premiere was how similar it was to the premiere of season two.

The episode opens with a shot of an eye (just as countless other episodes have) of a new character, who happens to be a pretty blonde woman who is apparently living in a comfortable suburbia.

To make matters more deceptively ordinary, she is shown leading a book club, which is soon interrupted by violent shaking.

What causes it?

The all too familiar plane crash, of course. Our own Henry Gale, leader of the Others, emerges and, with an understandably urgent but remarkably cool tone, gives out orders to the now deceased Goodwin and Ethan to spy on the two groups of survivors.

The "Lost" producers went out of their way to announce that there would be an incredible plot twist at the beginning of the premiere.

But is it really?

Even if you are a lukewarm fan of the series, you should have been very aware by the end of the second season that the mysterious Others are far from savages and quite civilized.

So the realization that the Others' residence looks more like something out of Pleasantville than Cast Away really should not be terribly alarming.

Furthermore, as a clue from the season two opener, when an episode starts off focusing on someone completely novel to the series, chances are that he or she is quite special and very much involved on the island.

Season two opened with Desmond, the vault and the tantalizing discovery of possible modernization on the island.

Season three's opener, though well executed, is still virtually more of the same "Lost" we have been accustomed to.

But no matter; from the looks of it, this season is chock full of secrecies to unearth and gung ho action to indulge in.

For instance, it appears as if the love triangle will finally be dissolved.

While Sawyer and Kate go at it, the sexual tension between Jack and the new girl is going to ratchet up rapidly.

The romance would be soap opera-esque without the polished acting.

The vulnerability on screen emitted by the three leads was heartbreaking.

Jack's raging implosion and descent into forlorn despair was fiery, controlled and mesmerizing.

It's almost a heartfelt "screw you" to the overlooking Emmy voters.

And what about Sun's pregnancy?

With Walt out of the picture (or so we are led to suspect), her baby might be the next sought-after item by the "good guys."

And there is certainly the possibility that the baby is not Jin's, but what if it's not Sun's either?

And how about the statue of the foot with four toes?

Clearly, there are dozens of cryptic mysteries to be elucidated in this colorful show.

And even though the season premiere showed some signs of strain, "Lost" still encompasses twice the level of breathless imagination than its closest competitor.

So come 9 p.m. this Wednesday, stay sober and get lost.

Contact Michael Lee at mlee@scu.edu.