Lost: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		5.0

Lost: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie Review

Once more down the rabbit hole...

If Lost's first season was a well-calculated opening volley in a six-season television assault, its sophomore outing was a massive forward attack on the senses. Not only did its twenty-four episodes take fans by surprise with increasingly shocking twists and turns, lead writers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, and producer-extraordinaire J.J. Abrams continued to develop the heart and soul of the series: its wonderfully-flawed, ever-intriguing characters. More importantly, the series' creative team injected new blood into a proven formula, substantially upped the ante of the island's mysteries, paved the way for a deliciously manipulative villain, and dragged their viewers on an enthralling journey into a strange world of underground bunkers, secret medical stations, and an unexpectedly civilized enemy force.

Darker and more hopeless than ever before, the second season is an outstanding achievement...

For anyone not in the know, Lost began as a tale of 48 castaways who survived a devastating plane crash on a remote, not-so-deserted island. Among them was troubled surgeon and reluctant leader Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox), sarcastic ex-conman Sawyer (Josh Holloway), clever survivalist John Locke (Terry O'Quinn), misunderstood fugitive Kate Austen (Evangeline Lilly), former Iraqi soldier Sayid Jarrah (Naveen Andrews), cursed lottery winner Hugo Reyes (Jorge Garcia), drug addicted rock star Charlie Pace (Dominic Monaghan), frightened new mother Claire Littleton (Emilie de Ravin) and her bouncing baby boy Aaron (played with committed realism by... erm, a baby), pregnant married couple Jin (Daniel Dae Kim) and Sun Kwon (Yunjin Kim), distraught single-father Michael Dawson (Harold Perrineau), and grieving silver-spooner Shannon Rutherford (Maggie Grace). While rampant in-fighting and tragedy dominated their earliest days on the island, the survivors soon turned their focus to more pressing dangers including an elusive "monster," a band of vicious natives dubbed the Others, and a distress signal emanating from somewhere beyond the jungle.

To the stunned silence of everyone, season two introduced a fresh group of castaways into the mix who, as we come to find out, crashed on the other side of the island in the tail section of the plane: among them are Nigerian priest Mr. Eko (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), clinical psychologist Libby (Cynthia Watros), airline stewardess Cindy Chandler (Kimberley Joseph), dentist Bernard Nadler (Sam Anderson), and former LAPD police officer Ana Lucia (Michelle Rodriguez). When they encounter Sawyer, Jin, and Michael (still reeling from his son's kidnapping), they're reasonably cautious, but soon decide to make their way to the main survivors' camp. Meanwhile, Jack and Locke explore the strange hatch they found in season one and discover a man named Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) living inside a giant underground science station. There, they're instructed to enter a series of numbers every 108 minutes to prevent a large-scale calamity. Locke, ever consumed with the supernatural properties of the island, insists on obeying, while Jack, convinced that fate and destiny belong in fairy tales, defiantly argues that they shouldn't do a thing. But while they debate about how to proceed, Sayid returns from the jungle with a prisoner named Henry Gale (the exquisitely-creepy Michael Emerson) who, despite Sayid's suspicions, assures the three men he isn't one of the Others.

Lost's second season rises where other series' have fallen. It never abandons the things that made its debut season such a rousing success, but it never grows stale either. Moving, changing, and evolving with measured intensity, every episode expands upon the last, unfolding each character as if they were an intricately-crafted puzzle box, and masterfully developing each subplot as if there were no other storylines to deal with. The new castaways are an initial distraction, but soon become a welcome addition to the series. The splintering scripts are daunting at first, but soon begin to align and reveal the startling design of the series writers. More to the point, the characters aren't simply faced with physical dangers: their conflicts often revolve around morality, philosophy, and trust. Running from a deadly beastie is fun for a few minutes, but watching Jack and Locke engage in a battle of wills over whether to torture the truth out of a prisoner is quality television to say the least. Following their arguments about faith and reason is intellectually stimulating; listening to their mounting frustration all the more frightening.

But it's Lindelof, Cuse, and Abrams' composure and control that makes it all so compelling. They move characters like chess pieces on an indescribably complex board, they hurl threat after threat at the survivors simply to see how each one will react, and they maneuver friends and enemies next to each other and wait for the inevitable confrontations to ensue. Through it all, their scripts are fast and fierce (unexpected deaths and bizarre twists abound), serving up perfectly-conceived dialogue that grounds the castaways in a fitting reality, and melding story and pacing together for an exciting romp through the jungles of the island. By the time Locke decides what to do with the infamous button and its 108-minute countdown, you'll be grasping your seat, wondering what the writers could possibly have in store for their characters in season three. Make no mistake, Lost: The Complete Second Season is an unrivaled experience that enriches everything that's come before and sets the stage for the madness yet to come. I can't recommend it enough.

Lost: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Before the next paragraph devolves into superfluous gushing, allow me to sum up my feelings for Lost: The Complete Second Season's astonishing 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer in two simple words: absolutely gorgeous. With the concurrently-released Blu-ray edition of the series' First Season delivering a less-than-perfect video presentation, I was a bit worried as to how good my favorite castaways would look this time around. However, my fears were quenched within seconds. Colors are bleak but beautiful, skintones are exceedingly natural, and blacks are bottomless. In turn, depth, dimensionality, and detail are mesmerizing, rendering everything from the dank depths of an underground bunker to the soft face of a sunburned beauty with the same effortless ease. Whether it be the dense jungle underbrush, the rusting edges of a mangled hatch, or the thick-beards and tattered clothing of a weathered island survivor, textures remain crisp and refined, delineation is exceedingly revealing, and edges are wonderfully defined. Moreover, artifacting, banding, source noise, intrusive edge enhancement, and pesky DNR are nowhere to be found. Each and every episode looks exactly as it was intended -- grain and all -- and each actor and locale looks amazing.

I hate to scour the thesaurus in my brain for any other words that mean "perfect," so let me just say this: The Complete Second Season offers a remarkable, nigh-impeccable transfer that overshadows, outclasses, and outshines both its standard DVD and HD broadcast counterparts. Casual fans and hardcore enthusiasts alike will be overjoyed to see how well each grim-n-gritty episode has made the transition to high definition.

Lost: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Wishing you could unload more enraptured praise on a single release? Look no further than Disney's jaw-dropping DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, quite simply one of the best television mixes I've ever reviewed. Dialogue unfolds with the intensity and raw emotion of its actors' performances: crisp, clean, and perfectly prioritized, it never gets buried beneath action sequences or overwhelmed by the island's at-times noisy locales. Acoustics and environmental ambience (actually rear speaker aggression overall) are excellent. The click-clack-clattering countdown sounds positively ominous in Desmond's confined quarters, the hesitant creak of opening vault doors, and the crashing thunder of falling trees are resonant and robust, serving up the sort of sonics I expect in the theater... not on TV. LFE support is multifaceted as well, blessing the faintest whispers and most ear-splitting assaults with convincing weight and presence. At the same time, precise directionality and slick pans send voices and effects darting about the oh-so-immersive soundfield without a hitch -- distant shouts will make you turn your head, a father's desperate cries bound across the ocean surface, and the Others get a fitting omnipresent tribute from every channel in the mix.

Ultimately, there's little to complain about and even less to criticize: The Complete Second Season smacks away the competition with a devastating AV haymaker punch that may just catch you in its swing.

Lost: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The 7-disc Blu-ray edition of Lost: The Complete Second Season lands with all of the 2006 DVD's extensive special features. Granted, I was left jonsing for more audio commentaries and I was disappointed that the video content was presented in standard definition, but Losties and newcomers alike will be thrilled with the number of high-quality supplements Disney loaded on this release.

• Audio Commentaries: Like its Complete First Season, Lost's second season serves up five fantastic audio commentaries for your perusal. "Man of Science, Man of Faith" includes an engrossing chat from executive producers Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse, and Bryan Burk, as well as director Jack Bender; "23rd Psalm" finds Lindelof, Cuse, and Burk engaged in a smart, informative discussion about the show's many characters and flashbacks; Bender and actors Jorge Garcia and Cynthia Watros dissect "Dave" and its significance in regards to the rest of the season; "What Kate Did" is unraveled by director Paul Edwards, director of photography Michael Bonvillian, and actress Evangeline Lilly; and "The Whole Truth" earns a strong track with writers Elizabeth Sarnoff and Christina Kim and actors Daniel Dae Kim and Yunjin Kim.
• Fire + Water (SD, 32 minutes): If you only have time to watch one special feature on The Complete Second Season's mammoth 7-disc set, make sure it's this mesmerizing documentary. Tracking the creation of an entire episode from scripting to editing, this incredibly thorough behind-the-scenes tour literally covers every aspect of the production. It's a first-stop, must-see documentary that any Lost fan worth their salt will enjoy.
• Lost On Location (SD, 45 minutes): Next up is a collection of secondary featurettes that delve into the characters, episodes, flashbacks, origin stories, and structure of the series' second season. It boasts countless interviews with key members of the cast and crew, as well as several investigations into the interconnectivity and interpersonal relationships of the characters.
• Deleted Scenes and Flashbacks (SD, 23 minutes): Fourteen deletions are included as well. While they don't offer any earth-shattering revelations, Lost regulars will be happy to spend a few extra scenes with their favorite characters. Shannon pops up too often for my personal tastes, but it's nevertheless a decent collection of cuts.
• Mysteries, Theories and Conspiracies (SD, 10 minutes): A fun interview piece in which a variety of cast members share their personal theories about what's happening on the island.
• Secrets from the Hatch (SD, 16 minutes): Everything you've ever wanted to know about the mysterious hatch, including its function in the story, its construction, and its meaning.
• The World According to Sawyer (SD, 5 minutes): It may be way too short, but this spry look at the nicknames and comebacks that lash out of Sawyer's mouth is a real treat.
• Bloopers (SD, 4 minutes): Despite some repetitive flubs and redundant gags typical of this sort of feature, disc seven's outtake reel is fairly amusing.
• Channel 4 UK Promo (SD, 2 minutes): An uber cool and surreal commercial created by famed director David LaChapelle.
• Lost Connections: An interactive experience of sorts ported over from the DVD that allows users to view the endless connections between the characters and events of season two.
• Season Play: With this helpful option engaged, newcomers won't lose track of where they are while plowing through the second season's twenty-four episodes.

Lost: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Lost hits its stride with its second season, tossing out more intriguing characters, developing old favorites, delivering richer storylines, and presenting deeper, more satisfying mysteries. Its twists and turns are masterful without ever feeling formulaic or predictable. Thankfully, the Blu-ray edition of The Complete Second Season is just as impressive. It features a staggering video transfer, an invigorating DTS-HD Master Audio track, and a healthy dose of supplemental goodness. Honestly, what more could you ask for? This is a must-own release for fans of all stripes. It not only renders the DVD edition obsolete, it outclasses most other Blu-ray television releases. With a price point seemingly designed to encourage rampant thievery, this one is an absolute steal.