Sat Jun 20, 2009 — by Robert Greenberger

Review: 'Lost' Seasons 1 & 2 on Blu-ray

ABC’s Lloyd Berman had a nifty idea: turn Survivor into a drama. He handed the notion off to producer J.J. Abrams, who at the time was riding the critical wave of success with the network’s Alias. Abrams, in turn, sat with Damon Lindeolf and Carleton Cuse and they brainstormed a concept and characters.  From there, they shot an expensive, moody, intriguing pilot that got everyone’s attention. And suddenly, Wednesday nights were appointment television evening as everyone wanted to watch Lost and dissect it the following morning.

In the hands of these three, they took a high concept and turned it into one of the most layered and nuanced television programs ever attempted that demanded the audience pay attention. Not just to the dialogue or performances, but the little details in the backgrounds. Was that really Hurley winning the lottery being broadcast on Korean television? By concentrating on the show, by demanding our attention, the producers delivered with surprise after surprise, twists and turns that you couldn’t possibly see coming.

They hired an ensemble and told them all they were expendable. And wisely, they used flashbacks to make us care about these unfortunate survivors. We learned about them, and their odd connections with one another, while propelling the storylines forward as the island itself came to life. Before that first season ended, it became clear the island was going to be as important a character as Jack or Claire or Charlie or Locke. Nothing may have surprised as much as learning that Locke was wheelchair bound before the crash. The island was magical in some way.

And the names. The names demanded attention to find their sources and understand what that also told us about the characters.  There was nothing like it and we were enchanted.

The second season expands the show with the introduction of those who survived from the rear of the plane and we meet the annoying Ana Lucia and the soulful Mr. Eko. However, the best introduction to the series that season was the arrival of the well named "Henry Gale" (Michael Emerson), who steals just about every scene he has been in ever since.

Now, the first two seasons have been released on Blu-ray and invites us to once more revisit the beginnings and revel in how things hang together better than we recall. Yes, by the end of the second season its wild success meant the end was nowhere in sight and that meant plot lines and character arcs had to be stretched or watered down. That was course corrected later on but you could see them starting to tread water, but they did that better than most.

The show stands up to rewatching, especially five seasons in, so you can see how long-term plot lines were set up, and how engaging the writing and acting was from the beginning. You also are reminded of how slowly but surely the producers sucked us in, telling us about the 48 survivors then came the others, the man in the hatch, the crazy Rousseau and then the revelation about the tailies and the other island and on and on. Yes, the island began to feel crowded but it all seemed to hang together from the beginning.

The struggles for dominance between the selfless Jack and the greedy Sawyer played out overtly but the real battle for control was between Jack and Locke, who wanted to understand what happened to him and what his destiny would be. Their journeys were fun to watch and best of all, engaging and unexpected as allegiances and romances came and went. Supporting them were an unusual collection with the Everyman Hurley, who often gets the best lines, while Sayid, Shannon, Charlie and the rest proved to be strong individuals in their own right, each with their own challenges, especially Charlie’s addiction issues.

So, you’ve seen the show, already own the seasons on DVD and the question comes down to the Blu-ray’s value. High definition makes the Hawaiian island where the action is filmed look more lovely than ever. The ocean, the jungles, the caves, everything really sparkles. All the colors are lusher and gorgeous. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track brings the island to life in new ways and you gain new appreciation for Michael Giacchino’s spare score.

All the extras from the standard discs are here, including the audio commentaries. There are also, on season one, The LOST Flashbacks - All-New, Unseen Flashbacks Reveal Additional Secrets, Welcome to Oahu: The Making of the Pilot - Behind the Scenes Featurette on LOST's Premiere Episode, The Genesis of LOST - Series' Creators Tell How the Show Was Conceived, Designing a Disaster - Exciting Insights Into the Look of Before They Were LOST, The Art of Matthew Fox, LOST at Comicon, LOST on Location, On Set with Jimmy Kimmel, Backstage with Drive Shaft, Live from the Museum of Television and Radio, Flashbacks and Mythology and Deleted Scenes/Bloopers From the Set.

The second season’s extras include some nifty bits hosted by Dr. Chang, who were got to know far better in the most recent season so it’s fun to see him once again. In addition to more commentaries (best skipped), you have new flashbacks, a piece on the Lost Connections between the characters (a nice recap), Secrets from the Hatch, Mysteries, Theories, and Conspiracies, Lost on Location, and Fire + Water (an expansive look at an episode from beginning to end).

New to the Blu-ray editions is Season Play, allowing you to essentially bookmark where you are while watching in case you’re interrupted.

A nice touch from Disney is a chance to upgrade from standard to Blu-ray at a discount and honestly, it’s worth the investment. Just send in the included slip, a proof of purchase tab from the original DVD, and cash register receipt that's dated between 6/16/09 and 6/16/10. In exchange you get back $20 per household. In addition, Amazon is offering a special discount: buy any two seasons of Lost on Blu-ray and save $20 off your total purchase at checkout, buy any three seasons and save $30 off, buy all four seasons and save $40.

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