Yeah, uh-huh, that’s right– I’m already back with the next installment of Jane Gets LOST. If you thought a plane crash on an island shrouded in mystery was enticing enough, then just you wait for the trials and tribulations of Season 2. We’re talking an underground bunker situation aka THE HATCH, a bounty of new characters, shocking deaths, emotional reunions, multiple hostage scenarios, and even a thinly veiled commentary on our class-based society. Intrigued? Let’s get LOST!

**OBVIOUSLY so many spoilers ahead**

(but also this show has been out for over 15 years, get a grip)

Desmond

Season 2 opens with Cass Elliot’s iconic hit “Make Your Own Kind Of Music” as we meet a new character, who, unbeknownst to the islanders, has been living underground on the island, pressing a button to save the world every 108 minutes: Desmond. My first impression of Desmond was just “oh god, those are some crazy eyes.” To be fair, he’d been living in solitude underground and was extremely sleep deprived from all of that button-pressing-world-saving stuff. I’d also have crazy eyes if I was only napping for 108 minutes at a time. But I come to you from the future, the omniscient future of mid-season-3, to assure you that the crazy eyes wear off and Desmond is, in fact, quite dreamy. A fantastic addition to the cast of characters, but I’ll leave my in-depth analysis of Desmond for my report on Season 3.

The Hatch

I’d say the thesis statement of Season 2 is “Hey check out this hatch!” We open with Desmond in the hatch, and we close out with the hatch quite literally exploding. What can I say about the hatch? It’s certainly a double-edged sword. On the one hand, our motley crew of islanders are given a shower, large stock of food, and even access to some music! So much could be said about the hatch as a key gear in the story machinery of Lost Season 2. But instead, I want to talk about the aesthetics going on. I’ve never seen Star Wars, Star Trek, or any sci-fi thing with “Star” in the title. BUT. I’d describe the aesthetic of the hatch as like “20th century Hollywood spaceship.” There’s a ton of computer-ish stuff in stacks, lots of little beeping and blinking lights, a triangular-paned-window-dome room, and of course, the all-important flip clock timer on the wall. The “living areas” are all heavy on the 70s retro vibes. What a place to save the world! Bummer it had to explode.

The Tail End

So the plane crash of Lost actually involved the airplane breaking in half mid-air before landing on the island. Our main cast of characters have been the survivors of the front end of the airplane. The people in the tail end were presumed dead. BUT! Turns out?! There were survivors from the tail end! And they’ve been on the other side of the island– and absolutely roughing it, may I add. They were being absolutely HUNTED by “The Others” (the mysterious villains who live on the island). We’re talking 23-survivors-down-to-only-5-remaining hunted. The familiar gang back on the beach was playing golf while these poor souls were carrying sharpened sticks around as weapons. The lucky ducks flying first class had the privilege of salvaged luggage and enough security to warrant RECREATION, while the people stuck in the back of the plane were LITERALLY BEING PICKED OFF IN BROAD DAYLIGHT BY AN EVIL VERSION OF NEVERLAND’S LOST BOYS. And that’s on classism.

But anyway, the characters introduced via the Tail End Gang were a zesty crew. We got Mr. Echo, an immaculately sculpted Nigerian priest/drug lord. He’s a man of few words, but he can protect you by smashing the enemy’s head in with a rock. We got Libby, the QUEEN of this show. She’s nice, she’s pretty, she’s not insufferably annoying. She’s got it all. We got Bernard! The husband of a woman named Rose from the front of the plane! Therefore we got their tear-jerking reunion! Amazing. Incredible. And, of course, we got Ana Lucia, a theoretically dynamic and complex character, but in reality: the absolute worst. Worst thing about her? Low-rise pants– even lower than Kate’s, if you can even imagine. Take a gander.

Henry Gale / Ben Linus

So long story short: our original gang finds a dude in a trap in the jungle who claims to be a wayward hot-air balloon pilot from Wisconsin named Henry Gail. They take him prisoner to interrogate him and assess his trustworthiness. Torture sequences and mind games ensue. It’s disturbing, and honestly just gross, but they were right to feel sus about him, because turns out HE’S ONE OF THE OTHERS. Bruh!! My main thing with this character is how deeply unsettling his face is. He truly is the spitting image of a malevolent rodent. My housemates have described him as “an evil mouse,” “a drowned rat,” and also “sexually enthralling.” He’s bad news.

Deaths

These writers are Not Shy about killing off characters. My goodness. Ana Lucia accidentally killed Shannon. Michael killed Ana Lucia to free Ben Linus to barter for his son Walt back from The Others (I will admit that the show began to verge on soap opera for awhile there). AND!!! Michael killed Libby when she walked in on Michael killing Ana Lucia!!! Libby was the best character and they killed her off. She was helping Hurley find love and self-acceptance and she got killed by happenstance. Simply tragic! Too much death and too many hostage-scenarios in Season 2.

Many Questions Remain

I continue to not understand this show, but I am increasingly enraptured with it. Every question they manage to sort of answer for us, they raise 3 more. The mysteries keep getting weirder and I keep getting more and more befuddled. This show is truly all I think about anymore. It’s in all of my Thrill content now. I created a 10 minute solo performance piece about the relative hotness of the characters for an assignment for my senior seminar in drama. I often prioritize our nightly episode(s) over schoolwork. I talked about it in therapy yesterday. It’s all consuming. It’s a lifestyle.

We’re already about halfway through Season 3, so expect more Lost content very soon. And, thank you for indulging me in this journey.

XOXO,

Jane