Praise For A First

I am a big fan of Lost. The style of storytelling is interesting, the characters are all well-drawn. Some viewers' interest has waned because, to them, the storyline moves forward too slow. This is actually one of the things that makes it so intriguing to me.
Lost is much like the video game Myst. The island is a place you roam through and discover. It is a complete unknown. As you get deeper and deeper, you come upon new things. You don't know what the final outcome is until you get there.
Last night's next to the last episode of the season brought something new that I don't think I've ever encountered before in TV or in the movies- the surprise non-death of a character. The entire episode was devoted to the impending death of Charlie. As the episode progressed, I braced myself for the inevitable. Charlie knew he was going to die and how he was going to die. I watched how he handled it and accepted his fate, knowing his death would mean salvation for those he loved. It was a beautifully executed story. And then what happens? Charlie doesn't die!!! But he still could. As the episode ended, he was being held at gunpoint by two brand new characters.
This is the second time Lost has actually shocked me. The first time it was by how suddenly a main character died, and this time it was because somebody didn't die. That is impressive writing!!! Less people are watching Lost these days, and that's a shame. This is truly one of the best-written shows in television.