My Thoughts on LOST Finale

The Simpsons and Lost: Two great tastes that taste great together! There are a lot of thoughts going to be posted on the finale of Lost in the next few hours, days and weeks. In fact, there are a lot of reactions out there on the web already, mostly positive, but not all.

It was clearly, an excellent episode of television, cinematic in its scope, production and ambition and largely worked on these levels. But, Lost has always been a show that works on miltiple levels, a palimpsest of sort. One of the most obvious different levels of analysis of the text that is Lost is from the perspective of a character-driven narrative versus a plot-driven narrative. All meaningful entertainment has to have both, of course.

I would argue that the finale of Lost was more geared towards satisfying the viewers interested in character than plot (not that there's anything wrong with that!)

However, as a finale to a complex, popular and critically acclaimed television series it was not as satisfying as HBO's Six Feet Under's conclusion, but this is not surprising since the two shows were very different. But even if one tries to compare the finale of Lost to the seminal final episodes of other television series like SyFy's Battlestar Galactica, Stargate SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis, HBO's The Wire, J.J. Abrams' own Alias I would say that Lost's outshone all of them with the possible exception of The Wire.

So, while there was a lot more about the episode that I like than disliked, here are the main issues I had with the finale:

1. Two words: Dharma Initiative. There was no explanation about how the Dharma Initiative was founded, and what it's goals were. The producers did explain the creation of the stations all over the island during the series but there was never revealed a "grand unified theory" explaining what Dharma was all about and what they were trying to do with the Island.
2. Walt. In Season 2 and 3, a lot of the plot revolved around The Others and their obsession with kids and the mystery of why women who got pregnant on the island would die. This issue was never resolved in the series.
3. The egyptian statue of Taweret. There never was an explanation of why the oldest parts of the island have hieroglyphics everywhere and why they made a 200-foot statue of the Egyptian fertility god. I am glad they explained how the four-toed statue got there, but it is very disappointing that was all we got.

There are more questions, but these are the main ones that come to mind right now.

Another thought I had is that people are saying that the last image of Lost was that of Jack's eye closing (as he dies) which is a nice symmetry to the very first image of Lost which is of Jack's eye opening, but really the last image was of wreckage on the beach. If that is the wreckage of Oceanic 815, what time period does it belong to? 2007, three years after the crash and just seconds after Jack dies, or is it years in the future, or is it showing us that everyone died and there were no survivors (that was my initial thought but I have rejected that possibility becomes it nullifies all the action of the entire series as basically being a figment of Jack's imagination).

What do you think?

UPDATE 07:17pm 05/25/2010:
Apparently the images of wreckage shown during the credits were not part of Damon Lindelof and Darlton Cuse's script for the show and were added by ABC television executives worried about a harsh transition to the news. (hat/tip LA TIMES ShowTracker)

My Favorite TV Shows of the Decade 2000-2009

Here is my Top 10 list of my favorite television shows from the last decade, broadcast sometime from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2009.

1. The Wire. Probably the best drama on television ever. Sadly, because it was set in inner-city Baltimore and centered around the Baltimore Police Department undercover detective operations (thus the title) it limited its appeal. Each of the five seasons concentrated on a different aspect of life in Baltimore: (Season 1) drug/gangs, (Season 2) unions, (Season 3) , politics/elections (Season 4) the school system, (Season 5) the newspaper/local media. If you watched it once, you were hooked (except for Season 2). Highlight: the instrumental music which plays over the end-credits, Michael K. Williams as the openly gay gangster thug Omar Little, "Hamsterdam" the failed attempt to legalize drugs in Baltimore and the story arc of the quartet of 13-year-old boys who are the focus of Season 5.
   
2. Lost. I started watching Lost from the very beginning because I was a huge fan of his first television series Alias, starring the amazing Jennifer Garner. I was immediately taken in by the huge, multi-ethnic, talented cast and the sheer suspense of the story. I was always more interested in the dramatic aspects of the show instead of the character aspects of the love triangle (or is it a rhombus?) between Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Juliet. I will be very sad when the entire series ends in May 2010 but I am confident that the writers know exactly what they are doing and have been planning this ride for at least a few years, if not from the very beginning. Highlight: The 4th season finale when suddenly we realize we will not only be seeing flashbacks from the past but flash forwards from the future and that the entire story is an enigma wrapped around a riddle involving time-travel.
   
3. Six Feet Under. A family drama about dysfunctional people who run a funeral home in Los Angeles where the patriarch is killed in the first 5 minutes of the pilot? The conceit of Alan Ball's show was that there would be a different, quirky or sad death in the first 60 seconds of each episode. But the glue that held the show together was incredible acting from Lauren Ambrose, Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall as the three adult siblings and their mother, played by Frances Conroy. The guest stars were legendary and always a delight. Highlight: the final three minutes of the show, featuring a coda depicting the deaths of all the major characters set to the song "Breathe Me" by Sia Fuller is the single best conclusion to a television series, ever.
4. Alias. Prior to its debut for what seemed like months all around Los Angeles appeared images of some attractive girl in a bright pink wig with the words "Alias" and the the time and channel. For some reason this sparked my curiosity and was immediately hooked by the central character of a strong, smart female character played by Jennifer Garner and her two impossibly attractive male co-stars, played by Michael Vartan and Bradley Cooper. However, it was the central, complex, intricately woven mythology of the show which made my buy the DVDs and stay with the show through to the disappointing conclusion, when its creator, the now-famous J.J. Abrams, was off working on his next big thing, which turned out to be a little show called Lost. Highlight: Lena Olin as Jennifer Garner's mother Irina Derevko, who shoots her daughter in her very first scene.
5. Battlestar Galactica. Two words: incredible acting. The acting ensemble headed by Mary McDonnell as the President and Edward James Olmos as Commander Bill Adama at some points took your breath away. Calling it a remake of the chintzy late 1970s television series (which itself was trying to appropriate popularity from Star Wars) with the same name does not do it justice. The visual effects were excellent, but always used to forward the story, which was all about survival of humanity itself, after 99.99% of all known human life was extinguished in a nuclear holocaust by cybernetic individuals who are indistinguishable from their victims. Highlight: the Cylon attack at the beginning of the series, as well as the reveal at the very end of the series that the entire series actually took place in humanity's prehistoric past, not our distant future.
6. Sex and the City. How could any gay man not include this delightful HBO comedy about the lives of four women who metaphrically represent gay male archetypes in New York City? Starring Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) as The Writer, Samantha (Kim Cattrall) as The Slut, Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) as The Best Friend and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) as The Prude Sex and the City was appointment television for almost half of the decade. The writing was always strong, and it was impressive how many arcs they could get into each 25-minute episode. Highlight: the sheer zaniness and sincere sexuality of Samantha and the matter-of-fact depiction of urban living and gay life.
   
7. The Venture Brothers. How best to describe this cult cartoon from Adult Swim on Cartoon Network? The Venture Brothers are Hank and Dean Venture, who are the sons of Dr. Rusty Venture, an ethically challenged super-scientist who is the son of another Dr. Rusty Venture who was also a super-scientist cum superhero. Other characters include Brock Sampson, an ultra macho bodyguard who kills anyone who threatens the Ventures with impunity and without remorse, The Monarch, Venture's arch-nemesis, The Monarch's wife Dr. Girlfriend who inexplicably has a deeper voice than Brock and Dr. Orpheus, a mysterious magician who rents a room at the Venture compound. You really just need to watch it to understand it. Suffice it to say that it parodies any and every superhero and supervillian trope you have ever seen, while simultaneously being hysterically funny and always entertaining. Highlight: The accompanying music to Dr. Orpheus (voiced by the incredible Steven Rattazzi) whenever he practices magic and the overall story arc which explains the lack of parental empathy Rusty feels for both Hank and Dean.
8. The West Wing. For political junkies, before the rise of the political blogosphere The West Wing was our fix. By depicting the inner workings and relationships involved in the West Wing of the White House, (especially under a Democratic President) with such verisimilitude and vivacity, creator Aaron Sorkin's show made politics cool and a fun escape from the dreariness of the reality of the Bush Administration. Highlight: The rapid fire dialogue between Allison Janney's CJ Craig and Martin Sheen's President Jedediah Bartlett.
   
9. ER. I know, I know, everybody else stopped watching the show years ago. The show limped to an end after nearly 15 years on NBC this year. When ER debuted the country was still in the first Clinton administration! But what kept ER on my list of shows to watch every week for over a decade was the brutally consistent level of excitement and adrenaline combined with a constantly changing array of compelling characters. Highlight: The relationship between Noah Wylie's Dr. John Carter and Eric LaSalle's Dr. Peter Benton and the depiction of physically challenged Dr. Kerry Weaver by Laura Innes.
   
10. The Daily Show/The Colbert Report. This was the decade that brought us the twin joys of Jon Stewart and The Daily Show and Stephen Colbert and The Colbert Report. Both of these "fake news" shows did such a good job of skewering the important current events of the day that many surveys report that significant portions of Americans under age 30 get their take on the news from either Stewart or Colbert. Highlight: So many! "Truthiness." Samantha Bee. John Hodgman. Senior Black Correspondent.
    

And since I couldn't just mention only ten television shows for an entire decade, here are more (not in any order) that should not be forgotten, as well as a few more to keep your eye on in the future.

Honorable Mentions: Survivor, Family Guy, The Simpsons, Desperate Housewives, The Closer, Entourage, 24, The Real World, Frasier and The Office.
Potential, but too soon to tell (but things look good so far for these being on the 2019 list): Glee, True Blood, Stargate: Universe, Damages and Flash Forward.

VIDEO: New "Simpsons" Opening Sequence

The opening sequence of The Simpsons has changed. (hat/tip Joe.My.God)

Obama, Biden, McCain and Palin as Simpsons Characters

VIDEO: Homer Simpson Tries To Vote For Obama

The Simpsons Couch Gag Montage

Hat/tip to Queerty.

Top 10 Movies of 2007

Last year's list of the Top 10 (MadProfessah-reviewed) movies of 2006 was not issued until March 6, 2007, a week after the Oscars were announced and the Top 10 (MadProfessah-reviewed) movies of 2005 was not published until January 18th, 2006.

However, I want to make sure the list to be a list of the best movies that I actually saw in 2007, since my previous Top 10 list was published here.

10. 3:10 to Yuma. The best western since Unforgiven stars Russell Crowe and Christian Bale in a remake of a classic which matches the original for intensity and suspense--with the added benefit of a scenery-chewing performance by Ben Foster as the fey psycho violent sidekick.

9. Boy Culture. What? A well-written gay movie? Yes, Virginia, they do exist! This romantic comedy had very handsome actors interacting in a surprisingly real and really surprising way.

8. 300. A homoerotic smorgasbord of computer generated ultraviolence masquerading as a historic epic. "1800 abs" was a unique visual experience, very stimulating and although story-deficient, oddly compelling.

7. Ratatouille. The latest film from Brad Bird, the creator of my 2004 favorite film, The Incredibles is the creative force behind this tour de force animated masterpiece from the magicians at Pixar about a rat in a Paris restaurant who loves to cook.

6. 28 Weeks Later / Sunshine. From the mind of Danny Boyle (28 Days Later) and each featuring Rose Byrne comes these two very different, science-fiction based action films. 28 Weeks Later is actually more effective than the original. Sunshine is an absolutely gorgeous spaceship-based thriller influenced by seminal films like Alien and 2001.

5. The Simpsons Movie. Like a really good, 90-minute episode of The Simpsons--what's not to like?

4. The Namesake. I may be influenced by my trip to India last year, but I was greatly moved by this film adaptation of one of my favorite books by Jhumpa Lahiri. The story is about the intergeneration conflict between immigrant parents and their American born children. In addition, the acting by Kal Penn and Irfan Khan is extraordinary, and Mira Nair's directing is at her most proficient to date.

3. Sicko/¡Salud!. The health care crisis in the United States is only growing worse day after day and these two documentaries pointed out the ridiculous state of affairs while also highlighting that there are other solutions many other countries around the world have identified and implemented.

2. The Bourne Ultimatum. A technically flawless summer action movie helmed by director Peter Greengrass and carried by Matt Damon which starts with the accelerator to the floor and doesn't let up until the final frame.

1. Juno. The most enjoyable time I spent at the movies all year was watching this heartfelt, pitch-perfect comedy that has an impact which is felt long after the movie is over. Diablo Cody's script along with an incredible ensemble cast headed by the hitherto unheralded Ellen Page in the title role are destined to receive Oscar recognition.

Honorable Mentions: The Host, American Gangster, Hairspray and I Am Legend.

It should also be noted that I have yet to see end-of-year contenders like Sweeney Todd, Atonement, No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood, The Great Debaters or Persepolis. When I see them, I will review them, but they will count towards my 2008 Top 10.

Television Is Back!

The Simpsons started its 19th(!) season on Sunday

Heroes started its 2nd season on Monday

Heroes and The Simpsons have returned with new episodes, with Stargate: Atlantis, Numb3rs, E.R., The Office and Grey's Anatomy all starting back later in the week. Mad Professah is happy to be spared from the likes of 4400 (yes, I watched it anyway, but it's like the poor man's version of Heroes, with 1/10th the budget and acting talent, and THAT's saying something!) Once Stargate SG-1 ended and Stargate: Atlantis finished its season I even started watching the new Doctor Who, a favorite of mine from childhood.

New shows that I intend to give a chance are Back To You and Bionic Woman. Returning shows I will possibly start watching are Ugly Betty and Brothers and Sisters. I'm also looking forward to the return of Nip/Tuck in October and Lost in January. I've finally given up on Survivor and a long-time ago stopped watching MTV's The Real World so I will be completely reality television free!

REVIEW: The Simpsons Movie

Mad Professah saw The Simpsons Movie this weekend. Although the New York Times' A.O. Scott said that although the movie is not as good as the best Simpsons episodes of all time, it is still good enough to want to watch it "20 or 30 times." I would agree. The Simpsons Movie is like a really good episode of the show that goes on for 90 minutes--who can be disappointed with that? After all the show is described as "an inexhaustible repository of humor, invention and insight, an achievement without precedent or peer in the history of broadcast television, perhaps the purest distillation of our glories and failings as a nation ever conceived."

However there are some aspects of the film that are notably improved over a typical well-written episode, specifically the computer enhanced animation and the focus of the film on the nature of the familial bonds between the central characters (Homer and Marge, Homer and Bart). This leads to a more engaging entertainment experience because the movie looks great while also providing more emotional hooks for the audience to connect with the plot.

And the plot is a typically convoluted Simpsons stemwinder that revolves around Lisa's environmental activism and Homer's lust for donuts and inherent sloth which leads to a catastrophic result for the entire Simpsons family and the town of Springfield. Happily, baby Maggie saves the family and (eventually) Homer saves the town. (Oh come on, is that really a spoiler? It's The Simpsons after all!)

With so many characters that have been introduced over 400 episodes there are very many individual favourites that are given short shrift in the movie. Marge's sisters Pam and Selma? Apu and Manjula? But the biggest disappointment is basically a cameo by Homer's evil boss C. Montgomery Burns and his openly gay assistant/henchman Waylon Smithers.

Despite this minor quibble The Simpsons Movie is the most entertaining movie of the summer so far, one which can be seen over and over again without a reduction in enjoyment.
Clearly, many other people agree with Mad Professah because the film opened with a weekend opening gross of over $70 million, a larger debut than any of Pixar's CGI-animated classics.

GRADE: A.

The Simpsons Movie Is Today!

Mad Professah is a huge Simpsons fan and last week went to the website for the upcoming movie and was able to create my own MadProfessah avatar who looks like a Springfield resident! The Simpsons Movie opens today and is expected to earn $50 million in its opening weekend and is getting very positive reviews.

The Simpsons Movie Is Coming!!

I finally checked out the website for the upcoming Simpsons movie which comes out on July 27th. It's very fun. Mad Professah created his own Simpsons avatar; you can too! If you can't see me in the above picture (I'm in the lower left corner :)), here's a close up (note the color-coordinated outfit!):

New trailer for The Simpsons movie