Episode #2 (S1E02): Pilot Part 2

It is clear after watching Pilot Part 2 that the first two episodes of Lost should really be viewed as one episode. While Pilot Part 1 focused on Jack and the island, Pilot Part 2 is an episode about how different characters respond to adversity. While the level of action was lower in this episode, the slower pace allows the audience to get to know a number of the characters at a deeper level.

In the first episode, Shannon refused to eat because she expected a quick rescue. Early in this episode, we see Shannon sunbathing among the wreckage from the flight, leading the audience to believe Shannon thinks a rescue is coming soon. However, she later has a breakdown with her brother Boone on the beach. By the end of the episode, she is clearly beginning to lose hope for a rescue as she translates the french distress signal to the rest of the group.

Sawyer irrationally blames Sayid for the plane crash, which leads to a fight between the two powerful men. Sawyer makes a number of incorrect accusations toward Sayid throughout the episode. However, his accusations seem half-hearted, and he doesn't seem to put up much of a fight when Sayid fights back verbally. It seems like being able to place some blame elsewhere, even if it is irrational, helps Sawyer deal with his current situation.

Jin and Sun attempt to provide for the group, collecting fish and attempting to feed Claire and Hurley. Despite being unable to speak English, the couple seems intent on contributing to the group.

Locke continues to remain isolated, although he does successfully communicate with another human being by explaining backgammon to Walt. The explanation of light and dark in backgammon could be some foreshadowing. Maybe its just because he has totally kept to himself at this point, but it seems like Locke could create some problems for the rest of the group in the future.

This episode advances the plot from the previous episode. While the group has the transceiver, it doesn't work. Sayid, a former communications officer for the Iraqi National Guard, fixes the transceiver but cannot find a signal on the beach. A team including Kate, Sayid, Sawyer, Boone, Shannon, and Charlie ascends a mountain on the island attempting to find a signal. On this trip, the group encounters noises from a creature similar to those heard in the first episode. Most of the group runs, but Sawyer pulls a gun taken from a US Marshal on the flight and shoots and kills the creature. The creature ends up being a polar bear, which is clearly not what killed the pilot in the first episode. The group questions where they are, as polar bears are not indigenous to tropical islands. The group eventually gets high enough to find a signal, but can't send out a distress signal because someone is already broadcasting. It is a distress signal from a woman started 16 years ago. The group concludes that the woman was never rescued. The pilot ends with the all important question for the show: Where is the island?

A lot of interesting character tidbits were revealed as well:

• Kate was on the flight as a prisoner, accompanied by a US Marshal who now has shrapnel in his chest.
• Charlie has a drug problem. This explains his skittish behavior in the first episode. When he went into the airplane bathroom, he was retrieving the drugs he had been using when the plane started to crash.
• Claire feels a kick from her baby after eating a piece of fish from Jin. This came after Claire had stated that she hadn't felt a kick since landing on the island.
• Hurley seems like a nice guy, but he clearly isn't the smartest guy on the island. In part one, he misspelled bodies "B-O-D-Y-S." In this episode, he fails to deduce that Sayid is an Iraqi when he says that he fought in the Gulf War.

Overall, the pilot did a great job setting up the series. I expected the series to start slowly, raising new questions gradually as time progressed. I was wrong. Two key questions that will probably linger for the entire show have already been raised:

• Where is the island?
• What is the mysterious creature?

Additionally, many characters have been introduced. While only Jack and Kate have had much screen time, enough has been shown of the others to give the audience some viewpoint on each character. With character introductions out of the way, I expect the plot of the show to progress quickly in the next episodes.