From - A Really Bizarre Horror Show
Bizarre is a pretty way of putting it, this show probably sort of etched itself into Lost's identity and somehow decided carving a horror show on top would have propelled it to the stratosphere. Not really, maybe it's getting there, but it is definitely not having to do with the first season.
You have people stranded on a small remote town, anyone who sees a fallen tree on the road and takes the second route eventually ends up here. They can't go back, as the rules of physics and reality itself don't apply there. Leaving them stuck to survive and figure out what's going on.
There's a twisted game being played here, because the worst part comes during the dark, when certain people start talking to those who are "Lost". They seem friendly at first, then they start smiling too much and getting closer before their faces turn into the Wendigos, and they tore their victims from the inside out. But the psychological horror part comes with the voices, strange dreams, hallucinations, and the whole area being a giant mystery box to solve.
Nobody is really the same
Oh yes, I forgot to mention the Russo brothers are also the producers behind this. Yay
Alright, to explain who the townfolks are, they're a very mixed bunch. You have a black sheriff who was a decorated marine, taking centerpoint for the discipline and order the town needs. He is the forward-thinking person. One this town depends on because soon shit gets real, everybody loses it.
This individual found the talismans needed to ward those Wendigo invaders off, unless the residents welcome them to their house. I think for people who are easily susceptible to the social food chain, they get easily devoured and killed. Bloodily, I'd say even. No one here judges one another because they have skeletons in closets and personal demons they hold back even.
So they all have rules to abide by, obey through. Because it's easier to make the mistake of letting those things in the house and kill everyone. One guy who forgot to look after his wife and kids, since he is busy getting piss drunk. Now deals with the grief that they died without his protection.
Then the Sheriff makes an example of him to the town, basically putting him in a box without the talisman through the night. Not everybody here is cruel, they all deal with moral dilemmas and hard lined rules. They all want to do the right thing. Though, they seem perfectly content with the system they have, till new people shows up, and this is where the trajectory of their lives changes.
Funny how not even the most likeable bunch, outside the billionaire programmer dude, managed to be the focus of the show, as they make weird discoveries, one after the other.
But maybe that seems to work, they're perfectly written to be bothersome, have obnoxious typical American societal traits. They'll panic easily, make rash decisions, then again, what normal human being would deal with a situation like this normally? It doesn't even get easier as more truths are revealed. I never quickly jump the gun into deciding who to cheer for or who to despise, either. It takes the time to open up its nuances, while diving deeper into the darkness.
Into the real madness of it all
Going through the first season was kind of painstaking, as the momentum went as slowly as it could. Kind of like the writers playing safe while teasing us with possible concepts, and a lot of open interpretations. But nothing too interesting to hold up on.
Till season 2 came around, and it's balls to the wall, this point. The billionaire programmer actually managed to open up more secrets, while helping the town understand how their new reality actually works from a scientific standpoint. He also goes through a character arc, this dude might have the ego problem, but he really meant well and grows on me eventually.
The other important party is the family guy and his family of three, almost to be divorced wife, teenage daughter, and a very weird son. The obvious vibe I get is that the son is too positive thinking, and that kind of feels unnerving for everyone to deal with. He is closely attached to the oldest member, who has been there for the past six decades since he was a kid. This guy came off as the archetypical misunderstood fella who knows better than the others in the town.
Oh yeah, I was talking about the dad. I hate him. He's an engineer, yet he is just difficult to work with, and makes a number of stupid decisions that get a number of people killed. There are other factors, like their infant son dying before they arrive there, but like, come on.
I'm being for real when I say this, like my biases and takes on characters feel like its own social experiment as well. The longer I watch this show, the absolute crazier turns it takes. The sheriff guy literally tries to become the hero, only to end up dealing with far more horrible realizations. Then there's his adult son, and soon to be daughter-in-law. They're hippies 😝.
All the answers aren't clear yet, but bits and pieces all come around. But obviously are taking a toll on everyone. And they have to deal with new people arriving once in a while.
Yeah, for fans of Lost, this really seems to be something worthwhile. But it's 2024. I'd say, for our engagement, it really needs to be a lot more subversive, and crazier to grab people's attention. It plays a lottery game of who makes insane discoveries, who dies, who loses their minds and gets fucked or fucks people in the end. Yet better shows have clearer stakes.
There's a line from the film The Mist, it goes like "Sure, as long as the machines are working and you can dial 911. But you take those things away, you throw people in the dark, you scare the shit out of them - no more rules". There's always a way to make insane scenarios work.
I'm just not sure if slowly stretching it out, especially with the show now running in season 3 gets me invested. It seems to have a fanbase, I guess it's tapping into the post-pandemic mindset, and such. There are moments that are anxiety inducing, clearly the writers know they're doing. But not enough daring stuff, probably playing it a bit too safe. Heck, even The Walking Dead show was guilty of this.