Hmm, that didn't take very long.
After knocking over season one and season two at a rather leisurely pace, we just ravenously sped through season three. I think my test subject watching companion is becoming hungry for answers.
Last season he figured out the opening twist (The "Make Your Own Kind of Music" scene = inside the hatch), much to my dissapointment. The opening of 3x01 is basically a redux of that scene: character we've never seen before wakes up, plays a corny 60s pop song, goes abut their morning routine, then BAM they're actually on the island. He was actually surprised by this one. Yay.
"They've explored the island how-many times and they've never found THAT?!?"
I remember thinking the same thing. So I told him they haven't covered as much ground as he thinks. It's a BIG island.
As predicted, he was devastated by the death of his beloved Mr Eko. "He can't die! He's Mr Eko!"
He even said he'd stop watching out of protest.
I explained that the writers wanted to keep him but the actor asked to leave. And that seemed to immediately heal all wounds.
Sayid became his new favourite.
I was nervous about his reaction to the infamous Stranger in a Strange Land, which is commonly regarded as having the worst flashback story of the series. He didn't seem to dislike the episode (the only ones that have that honour so far are Hearts and Minds and Adrift), although during the first scene of Jack and Achara flying a kite, he said "What does this have to do with anything?". Exactly.
"Who is this lady?"
"No seriously, I don't know who she is."
loooooool.
He seemed kind of horrified when they killed her and Paulo at the end of the episode. So I explained the story of Nikki and Paulo (new characters are introduced, audience does not welcome them, writers listen, N&P are buried alive, hilarity ensues), but he seemed just as horrified. "What kind of sick morbid people write this show?"
...Yes.
He hates Juliet with all his might, which is a bit awkward because she's my #1 fave. As of season 3 she hasn't given us reason to trust her yet, so I understand. I perceived Juliet as semi-villianous back in the season 3 days, but even so I had already declared her one of the show's best characters.
He enjoyed the fascinating and hilarious dynamic between Ben and Locke, especially in The Man Behind The Curtain, where Locke had the upper hand over Ben for a short while. This situation would later re-emerge in the second half of season 5, although Locke was actually the Man in Black. Their behaviour was almost identical, which is why it was so easy to believe- both for us and for Ben- that it was the real Locke.
In the scene where little Ben sees his mother in the window, he jumped so high he nearly hit his head on the ceiling. He thinks that it was the monster. I've got to agree.
He enjoyed learning that his Cooper = Sawyer theory was correct. He stubbornly stuck to his Others = Dharma theory, even after information to the contrary given in Enter 77 about the animosity between the DI and the 'hostiles'. But seeing the purge seemed to change his mind. And I've pretty much spelled it out for him that the 'hostiles' are the same group as the Others.
I mentioned in my previous blog that he was spoiled for Charlie's death. But I had honestly forgotten how early his inevitable demise was first heralded by soothsayer Desmond. Flashes Before Your Eyes. That's 14 episodes warning. He was never really a big Charlie fan, but he seemed to warm to him towards the end, and found his death poignant.
He loved the finale, Through the Looking Glass. One of the best episodes ever, right? And in the final scene, where they reveal that it's a FLASH-FORWARD!!!!!1, instead of gasping and flailing and freaking out (like I did) he simply sat there and at the end of the episode said "Ah, so that happens after the island." Don't act so excited, buddy. He underreacts to all the twists. Or maybe I overreact.
Well, it's all downhill from here. I think he'll like season 4. Don't be surprised if my next post happens within a week.