I finally got caught up on Lost last night, and I’ve decided this is a totally Existentialist show. I mean, the character studies are 21st century versions of protagonists out of the novels of Sartre and Camus and the over-arching plot is something out of the plays of Beckett, and that thing with pressing the button every 108 minutes for a reason that’s not entirely clear and may have no efficacy anymore for all they know? OMG, the sheer Absurdity of it, in the Existentialist sense of that term.
Even the title of the show is Existentialist. It’s about levels, people. Levels.
But don’t ask for All Things Philosophical on Lost, ’cause, my brain don’t want to dig that deep.
Author Nancy E. Shaffer 
I have seen 5 eps from the season 1 and I loved them. However, it doesn’t air here so I should download the show online, but I have still to come to it as I have a few other show awaiting to be watched… It’s good to know though that there are new shows on the row.
I, too have a long list of shows I need to catch up on. I got rid of my cable TV after “Angel” was cancelled because I just wasn’t watching the cable stations much. And then I couldn’t keep up with the network shows I could get without cable because there’s a big long list of them and I can never remember when they’re on or to set up the VCR to tape them.
But I can rent them on DVD or download them now, so who needs to worry about TV schedules anymore?
I put “Lost” at the top of the list since it seemed intriguing.
You mention season 2 spoilers, so I assume you have seen the first season episode about Boone’s history. I can’t remember right now any other episode that would have as big an effect on me. I think The body could be very effective know after my dad of cancer.
ehem and the missing word was died…
Which aspect of Boone’s history are you referring to?
Yup. Feel much the same way. Fascinated by the show. But my brain feels no overwhelming desire to dig too deep on it. Lost and BSG – two shows that if I *really* wanted to, I could write reams of essays on. Both deal with issues regarding existentialism, religion, philosophical belief in ways I’m not sure anything else on tv comes close to.
This week’s episode – the idea of the purpose in life being having a job to make money, then making the money, then wait, what is there?
Anything? Looking for food, find more food than you can eat, choosing how to deal with it?
Fascinating.
Hurley’s experience with gaining all that money and losing all human connection (his mom, friends, grandfather, etc) then regaining connection again on the island when he’s lost contact with his money is one of many interesting existentialist portraits.
Or possibly, it’s part of the Capitalist plot to make us all think “money can’t buy happiness” so that we’ll be content making a pittance for a living and let the rich have all the $$$$.
I’d have to say more like the wholesome effect of the episode/story. How first the viewer thinks the man is just your usual office worker daydreamer to whom it might be quite hard to really achieve them and then you realize darn, the man kept his dreams, even if it was actually almost impossible to achieve them. This wasn’t very intellectually expressed, was it? 😉
Do you mean Locke?
Boone is a young (20ish) guy, Locke is older (50ish).
LOL!
I tend to think your last point is valid. Particularly after attending that pysche class I’m auditing.
*knocks forehead*
Yes, I mean Locke. That’s what you get for not watching the show enough. In fact, I have no idea what has happened to Boone. 🙂