Bullet Sunday from Chicago! It's a good place to be!
• Lost. When the television phenomena known as Lost debuted, I was a serious fan. I obsessed over the show and was lauding it as "genius" with each new incredible revelation and juicy mystery. It was everything I loved about television come to life. But then, somewhere in the middle of Season 2, I slowly began to realize that the the show was all smoke and mirrors with no substance whatsoever. It was nothing but mystery on top of mystery, and the writers were quickly building a house of bullshit from which the show would never escape. They just kept piling on "cool stuff" until NO resolution would ever be worth it. So I gave up the show. Every once in a while I'd tune in because people would tell me how awesome it was getting, but all I ever saw was more shit being dropped on a big box of bullshit...
And so tonight, after a lovely dinner out in the 'burbs, I got back to my hotel where the final episode of Lost was nearly over. So I decided to watch. I decided that if I liked what I saw, I'd admit I was wrong all along and go back and watch everything I missed.
Except I wasn't wrong. In my humble opinion, it was the single biggest wimpy cop-out bullshit of an ending the writers could have possibly come up with. It just validated my belief that they really didn't know what the hell they were doing, which is why they kept adding "cool shit" to distract everybody and keep the audience watching. That would have been fine, except you have to be able to really deliver at the end. And they didn't. So when I hear how show-runners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse imply that they knew what was going on all along, I think they're either A) LYING, and just slapped on some lame shit that "explains" nothing and everything at the same time... or, B) THE WORST WRITERS EVER that they think THIS was a worthy end to a six-year investment of people's time. I'm not saying that every detail had to be wrapped up and explained at the end, I'm just saying that, ultimately, the end has to be a satisfying conclusion to everything leading up to it, and I didn't see that.
Whatever the case, I thank heavens I never wasted any more time with the show than I did.
And yet, if there are fans who loved the show and felt the ending was perfect... more power to you! Not everybody has to like the same things, and so congratulations on getting what you wanted out of Lost.
• Grey's. If there's one guilty pleasure of mine to be found on television that's NOT Lost, it would be Grey's Anatomy. Overall, despite some very notable set-backs and other stupidity (e.g. Dead Denny), I find it to be highly entertaining. Somehow, the writers are always managing to come up with these clever twists and interesting stories that keeps moving everything forward.
Except for the season finale last week, which was a total load of crap. What kills me is that the premise was outstanding. Genius, even. But then the writers got lazy and stupid and just decided to fill time with scene after scene of characters going into needless fits of hysteria. It was enough to make me want to bitch-slap half the cast through my television. Maybe two hours was too much time to fill... I just don't know... but by the time they finally got to the end, I was to the point where I never wanted to watch the show ever again. Not exactly the best way to wrap-up a season.
• Kinda. This afternoon I was lucky enough to have RW (of 1 Step Beyond fame) invite me out for his own recipe "Kinda Mediterranean Pizza" with him and Mrs. RW...
Just as he claimed when he published the recipe, it was fucking delicious. I think the secret must be his homemade Carrettiera Sauce, because it adds a lot of flavor while managing to keep things light and fresh (which makes me wonder how many other ways it could be used). Most definitely worth your time to make... especially since he has a step-by-step guide free for the taking.
You'd think that hanging out drinking beer and talking with friends on a beautiful Chicago day would be enough... but RW had to go and make awesome pizza too. The bastard. How can I in good conscience order out from Dominoes when I have friends over? I can't! From now on I'm going to have to go to the extra effort to buy frozen pizza and pretend like I made it! Thanks a heap, RW!
• Interview. Many thanks to Troy of Blue Goo Ate My Mom fame for giving me a heads-up to the great interview with a-ha posted over at CBC's Q Uncut. It's well worth a listen, even if you never heard of the band after Take on Me disappeared from the airwaves. They went on to a lot of great music, and the interview helps North Americans get "caught up" with all the things we missed...
Though Minor Earth Major Sky is probably my favorite a-ha album, their latest (and last) album Foot of the Mountain is exceptional, and harkens back to the sound that made them famous. Sadly, stupid-ass record labels have tied up the distribution rights so you can't buy the album in the USA unless you pay for an import, but a good (but incomplete) "singles" collection is for sale on iTunes.
And now, I suppose it's time to get some work done. What else is there to do on a Sunday night?
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You are welcome. Seriously.
I have seen every episode of Lost and I was pissed about the ending last night. It just seemed so lazy and cop out-ish.
That pizza looks amazing. I am definitely going to have to try making it.
Also? You were in Chicago and didn’t let me hang out with you? No brownies for you! (kidding…but I do have a refrigerator full of brownies right now and you did miss them…I guess there is always next time right?)
I agree with you 100% on the Lost finale…we even used the same words to describe it. I was with it until the last half hour, and then it just became pure bullshit. I HATE deus ex machina endings, and that’s all this was. The writers were lying out of their asses when they said they knew where all these stories were headed. Bastards.
Hate Lost.
Hate Grey’s Anatomy.
LOVE RW! I am so jealous!
I just started watching bits and pieces of LOST this season. If regular viewers are confused, imagine how confused I am. It just never grabbed me. Same with Grey’s… I just haven’t had an interest in seeing McDreamy or Sandra Oh. Granted, I liked Sandra in the movie “Sideways”
I’m glad you were able to see a-Ha’s final tour. Having listened to some of their other songs, I can agree with you that they are an exceptional band.
You figure that the writers had to have kept adding new elements to make the show intriguing but, after the flashbacks, they started adding the flash-sideways-alternate-reality episodes. Then, it really seemed like the Lost-train’s wheels were coming off and you knew it was derailing big-time. There wasn’t any way they were going to resolve this in 2 hours…or even 2 days, other than the way they did.
My prediction was that Pam was going to wake up to realize Bobby wasn’t dead and that it was all a dream and this was part of it…Now that would have been cool!
I really like the finale of Lost last night, but I can TOTALLY see your point. Especially since you dropped out (mostly) in Season 2. That was a low point for me as well. I really, really wanted to drop it because of all the new questions with no answers in sight. But I hung on because I was interested enough in the characters, and I’m glad I did. If I hadn’t and I had tried to watch last night’s finale, I would have been watching from a high point of cynicism. And I would have hated it. Kinda like you.
I thought “Lost in Space” ended years ago. No?
I didn’t get through the 2nd season of Lost. I liked it when it was intense plane crash Lord of the Flies drama with hints of monsters in the jungle.
The pizza looks a lot like what I had last night. My method’s pretty damn simple: pick up a cheese pizza from Costco, cover it with chopped up black olives, marinated artichokes and marinated red peppers, then cook! Yum!
Three words.
Sopranos. Mid sentence.
The Lost finale was good right until the last 10 minutes. *****SPOILER ALERT***** as soon as Jack said “because I died?” I died a little inside too. Copout indeed.
I *love* Grey’s. Love it. I only started watching it last season so I’m using Netflix to catch up on all the previous seasons.
I read somewhere that a-ha are playing a charity gig in October in London (?) where they’ll be playing ‘Hunting High & Low’ in its entirety.
Lost always gave me the impression that the writers were making things up as they went along. That’s how I felt about Twin Peaks, too.
I don’t watch Greys, but I do love me some House M.D. It’s one my favorite shows and it never disappoints.
Love a-ha. Hate pizza.
I’m still deciding how I feel about the Lost finale. I can see your point–especially since you haven’t seen all of the episodes–but I’m leaning more toward “good stuff, I feel satisfied.” about it. Mostly for reasons I won’t type so as to avoid spoilerishness.
As for Grey’s: I am still kind of recovering. I think the hysteria wasn’t needless–I’m pretty sure that if there was a shooter roaming the place I felt safest I’d be pretty hysterical too. Though if the actor who played the shooter doesn’t get an Emmy for his guest role this season? I will be PISSED.
Of course I have absolutely ZERO problem suspending my disbelief or skepticism (though I do want to know where the hell the blow torch came from) when I watch TV or movies so that might be why I’m so easy to please 🙂
I was with a group of people at the elevator Friday and sobbed, “The elevators aren’t humming!” and no one got it.
I watched season one of Lost and I liked the idea of it then but there was no way for me that it could last so I didn’t start watching season 2… The same for me as Prison break – great idea, great first season, but once they are out of prison ……? They both would have been better as mini-series but do mini series even get made anymore? Oh… and I LOVE LOVE LOVE A-ha.