Not Penny's Boat

[Freakish Lemon]

Lost is back on folks, and I could not be happier. Or more afraid.

As you all well know, there are few television shows that I sit down to watch and enjoy. A strange aversion to viewing awkward situations leaves me unable to watch most programs and the desire to be not only entertained but intellectually stimulated narrows the choices down to very small number.

I like to think. I like to be unable to see the episode's, season's, or show's conclusion. I like the weird, the partially unexplained, and the things that make me just uneasy enough to keep me on my toes.

We all know my affinity for Farscape. Shot into a distant part of the universe in an experimental IASA cruiser, American astronaut John Crichton must face evil empires, impending wars, volatile alien species, and the incredibly mindfucking reality that is the universe. Even if I could predict the outcome of one episode (as many of them resolved the immediate issue during the episode), I never knew if he would get back home.

Then, of course, there was Joan of Arcadia. A simple, suburban girl with a fairly uncomplicated life finds herself on missions from God who speaks to her through many strange and colorful characters. Though the show was favored by Christian housewives, I found it incredibly fascinating. Especially because Joan never really believed in anything before God started appearing to her as an electrician, a Goth, or whatever he felt like being at the time. I never knew what was going to happen or what God would ask Joan to do. The last episode ended with God expressing that she needed to let others in on the secret so that they can fight the war with Satan. I was disappointed to hear that the show was canceled.

Now there's Lost, with J.J. Abrams leading the movement for mindfuckery and plot scrambles. I have to hand it to him and his partners; they sure know how to make a person uneasy and wanting more. It started out so simply. A plane crash. A desire to be rescued.

Now, not even the actors know what the hell is going on. Theories are flying everywhere and speculation is rampant, but no one can figure out where this show is going.

And I fucking love it.