OK, unlike Robin, I didn’t think last night’s Lost sucked entirely. It was — in my opinion — somewhat entertaining to see Nikki and Paolo as the Forrest Gump(s) of the island, interacting with the cast throughout the various Season 1 and 2 dramas. Unfortunately for the producers, those flashbacks also served to remind me just how ungodly good this show was when it first came on the air. Don’t get me wrong — in the past few weeks, we’ve turned something of a corner (I hope), but still… Season 1 was magic, people. And last night drove that home. (God, remember when the castaways seemed terrified at every moment? Remember when survival was paramount?)

In all, the episode was a well-structured little character mystery, though I do wonder why a TV producer would have eight million bucks in diamonds lying around his house. Couldn’t the producers have had something else as the MacGuffin? Maybe blackmail-worthy photos of a celebrity or something? That would be more realistic, I think.

Good:

  • the explanation for Paolo’s trip to the Pearl’s lavatory (I hearby revoke my previous nickname for him: Sir Shits-A-Lot)
  • the final, chilling shovel of dirt tossed on Nikki’s eyes just as she opened them.. (brrr)
  • Sawyer reverting to type (sneaking away for the diamonds, natch)
  • Sun decking Sawyer
  • Hurley dissing Desmond’s super-power
  • Hurley describing Exposé as “like Baywatch, only better”
  • seeing old friends like Arzt, Boone, and Shannon again

Bad:

  • the writers having enough contempt for the intelligence of the audience that they felt it necessary to have Nikki explain what “Medusa” means
  • Nikki suddenly hearing the approach of the male medusa spiders and looking around — um, what?
  • those spiders showing up way too fast
  • Arzt totally telegraphing the whole spider thing in the first place — clumsy

Now, the very best part of the episode was the twist that the poison only paralyzes, doesn’t kill. And, of course, the mounting horror of being buried alive. I admit I’m conflicted on this point: Are Nikki and Paolo really dead? At first I thought they would just rise up out of the sand, but then I saw that freakin’ huge mound of sand Sawyer et al piled on top of them. I don’t know — I think it would be tough to come up from that!

But then again, let’s not forget what Locke told Paolo earlier: Things don’t stay buried on this island. The tide’s coming in. If Nikki and Paolo can stay alive until high tide, they might just be rescued by Nature itself.

Is it evil of me that I don’t really want them to be?