After the shocking cliffhanger(s) of "The Incident", one major (among many minor) question was torturing the minds of all the series' fans for months: did Jack's plan to alter history succeed or not? In typically audacious "Lost" fashion, "LA X" responds: yes AND no. We are transferred to an alternate 2004, where the Oceanic flight 815 from Sydney to Los Angeles lands safely, with nearly all of our familiar figures on board. But we are also transferred to the same 2008 we left behind, where everything we have already seen happening has happened. Did the bomb go off? Was it another time-traveling flash that brought Jack, Kate, Sawyer and co. from 1977 back to 2008? It remains to be seen. The purpose of the alternate reality also remains to be seen, although it's great fun to see characters like Boone and Charlie back, Kate in kickass mode, Sawyer fully sarcastic, etc. "LA X" is particularly good at creating a feeling of disorientation and confusion, and is full of startling appearances of characters where you least expect them (Desmond on the plane, Jacob to Hurley, Cindy at the temple, Claire in the cab, etc.). There are a couple of startling DISappearances as well - most notably Desmond and Christian's coffin from the plane. But "LA X" is not ALL questions - there are some answers, too, particularly about Jacob's enemy, the forms he can take, how much he knows about the real John Locke, etc. The one part that I didn't really like is how they brought Juliet back for one episode, only to kill her off for good. If that was their purpose, they could have left her "Incident" scenes as her final ones (though she did get to deliver the post-mortem message "It worked"). Overall, a very enjoyable premiere that certainly leaves you hungry for more. Best performance: probably Matthew Fox, though all of them are strong. Best line: "You're the monster!" - "Let's not resort to name-calling". *** out of 4.
Review of LA X: Part 1
