The Lost

[purplecat]

It's sufficiently long since I saw The Lost that the details have somewhat blurred in my memory. However, if memory serves, it contains most of the strengths and the flaws of the series as a whole. On the plus side it is not afraid to explicitly move the status quo along by redefining Miss Quill's role and status, clearing away the antagonists from this series and rearranging the relationships of the core cast without allowing them to settle into any kind of cosy friendship. It also manages a good exploration of the episode's theme of loss which ties into the series themes of growing up and afterlives all framed in terms that focus on the characters while making the SF elements central to the action. The sacrificial love interest bucked all expectations by not being a sacrificial love interest, but this does make one wonder even more why he doesn't receive equal billing to the rest of the cast in the opening credits.

On the other hand, the death of two parents, particularly the most explicitly sympathetic and supportive parent, felt a little extreme even for this series which has been making the most of its freedom to indulge in a level of blood and gore that isn't really allowed to the parent show. The SF-aspects of the denouement felt somewhat forced and were rather difficult to follow. April's transmutation into a Shadow kin would be interesting if I thought there was any chance of it sticking, but I can't imagine it will since it will involve both expensive special effects and convoluted story-telling to maintain.

I'm in two minds about the appearance of the Weeping Angels. Used intelligently the Angels are a genuinely creepy monster and I can imagine Class doing interesting things with them. However, like both the Daleks and the Cybermen they can be over-used and when used poorly are really pretty dull. I think I'd have preferred the governors not to be cats-paws for a parent series monster but something new and individual in their own right.


I don't love this series, but I'll happily watch another season. It has a distinct identity from Doctor Who and the potential, and I think ability, to do different and interesting things with that identity. I hope it receives a second season.

Comments

[heliopausa]

I really disliked the death of the supportive and sympathetic parent; I would have liked a good deal more development of that parent-child relationship. Agreed, about the Angels and the Governors.

[purplecat]

Killing the parent seemed like a rather easy route to being dark and edgy. It was particularly disappointing in that I felt the show had done a good job of bringing parents into the group so that they knew what their children were up to which was a refreshing change from a lot of these shows, so it was disappointing to then see them disposed of.