Losing patience

A few observations about last night's season three premiere of LOST on ABC:

• It was nice to have an episode without Michael and Walt in it. I have grown very annoyed with Michael's character, especially having re-watched all of season two on DVD in the last month. First, I think the actor,Harold Perrineau, isn't all that great. Second, his lines can be pretty well summarized as

  echo ("They took ");
echo_random ({"my son"} else {"my boy"} else {"Walt"} else {"him"});
echo (" right out of my hands! But, I'm gonna get *him* BACK.");

  I found the picture on the right in someone's signature on the 4815162342.com forum and thought it was very funny and appropriate. Part of me wonders what happened to them after they drove away in their boat at the end of season two, but a bigger part of me is just glad they are gone.

• It was cool that the opening scene was similar to last season's, with the setting being such that we had no idea where we were or what was going on, and with Juliet playing a popular '70's tune just like Desmond did, and then having her routine interrupted by the arrival of our Losties. I thought that was a nice touch.
• As usual, this episode left us with more questions without answers to them, or to the pile of unresolved questions still out there. I've heard several nay-sayers comment that season three will be a big failure for LOST, and if they are right it will be because the writers have tried to build so much mystery without giving us enough resolution to keep us happy. I hate to admit it, but I'm starting to wonder myself how long I can hold on without getting too frustrated to keep watching. I know their ultimate goal is to make money, and they need to keep the show going season after season in order to keep making money, but it seems like it's about time to let us know what the heck is going on on this weird magnetic island. Dear writers, please don't let LOST die a slow, painful death. Please give us a few reasons to keep watching.
• It was strange to see the "Others" in a book club, in a little village with a gazebo and nice little houses. I thought they would at least have some kind of military or scientfic compound that they were headquartered in.

I really hope the series isn't doomed to fail this season. I think they have a lot to prove in the first segment of the show, before the mid-season break. They are teetering on the edge right now, and I'm convinced that a large percentage of the LOST fan club won't come back after the break if the writers don't start giving us more of the story to go on.

I'm frustrated, but I'm also glad my favorite show is back on. In the end, I think it will pick up some speed and prove itself as one of the best shows in quite awhile. At least I hope so.