Lost: Season 1, Part 2 Review

Arriving two months after the initial release to work around UK broadcasting schedules, the second half of Lost’s first season is finally available. Building on previous momentum, these latter episodes provide heightened suspense, some genuine shocks (“You’ve got some Artz on you”), the first major death and the best back-stories so far. What they don’t give, though, is answers. Mystery is this show’s currency, and in that area the second half really cashes in. The contents of the hatch, the island’s other inhabitants, the introduction of ominous black smoke and a string of cursed numbers all thicken the already murky plot, ensuring that far-fetched fan theories continue to propagate. A growing suspicion that the creators have no more clue what’s going on than we do may ultimately prove its undoing, but for now, Lost remains one of the most compelling shows on TV.