Leaving LOST resolution to the last minute...

[myu]

This past episode seemed to go by very quickly. First, there were a lot of story elements going on simultaneously. As such, there wasn't much time to develop all of them very well. Second, a number of key things happened without much of a lead-up to them (like Ilana's death, Hurley blowing up the Black Rock, Desmond mowing down Locke, and Locke tossing Desmond down the well). And finally, the time it took the characters to get around the island was extremely brief (like "just a few blocks" from the beach to the Black Rock, and then from there to Locke's camp).

I'm hoping this is just a hastily put together episode that is more of an exception than the rule. Otherwise... it might mean we'll see things getting wrapped up very quickly as we near the end, which will force a greater suspension of disbelief in order to enjoy it and tolerance of many details left dangling unresolved.

We've only 4 episodes left until the end. This means there is a lot less time to deal with various characters. Or... perhaps telegraphing that the last episode will feature a major sweeping wrap-up. Like someone turning the donkey-wheel for the last time, sinking the island and sending the consciousness of those who survive into the minds of their counterparts in the alternate time line. And then we get to see each person's personal life wrap up somehow.

I know it's still too early to really speculate confidently about how the series will wrap up... but how high is your confidence that it will be scripted in a way that leaves you satisfied?

[notsolost42]

I think with each episode left, they will be faster and faster and yes, they are seemingly hasty and sometimes messy about doing this.

"The faster you go, the rounder you get."

[ortrules]

And finally, the time it took the characters to get around the island was extremely brief (like "just a few blocks" from the beach to the Black Rock, and then from there to Locke's camp).

To their credit, it did go from day to night in the time it took them to walk from the Black Rock to Smokey's camp.

However, this point is almost as nit-picky as people wondering when the characters go to the bathroom, or why Hurley didn't lose weight, and other trivial things like that. If it helps, imagine that they left the beach one day, camped somewhere overnight, and then reached the Black Rock the next day. Is it really that important to show how long it took them to get there? It's just surprising that so many people have brought this up.

[myu]

To their credit, it did go from day to night in the time it took them to walk from the Black Rock to Smokey's camp.

However, this point is almost as nit-picky as people wondering when the characters go to the bathroom, or why Hurley didn't lose weight, and other trivial things like that. If it helps, imagine that they left the beach one day, camped somewhere overnight, and then reached the Black Rock the next day. Is it really that important to show how long it took them to get there? It's just surprising that so many people have brought this up.
Thanks for your constructive criticism.

I am not talking about what is important. I'm talking about the consideration of established premises. They gave us an impression of how long it takes to get from one particular landmark to another on the island. However, they did very little to help support the perception of how much time passed from one scene to the next in this past episode. There are subtleties they could do to help achieve that. Yes, it did go from day to dusk from the Black Rock to Smokey's camp, but that's understandable given the distance. What didn't make sense was their going from their beach camp to the Black Rock... a trip that would take several days. They didn't do anything to help show that transition. It just makes the "feel" of the time passage out of place.

[3d-aholic]

Well how about looking at this way....its a small island.

In the beginning, they didn't know where they were going, they had all kinds of threats and things to deal with. Most of these things are gone now because Jacob is dead and Smokie is busy being Locke, the others are non-existent. Plus you got Ben and RA that know the island like the back of their hand.

Remember, Bens conversation to Ethan. Leave now and you can be there by nightfall...there could be survivors. It looked to be late day when he said that already.

I don't see any problem with where everyone is at this point that they could walk completely around the entire parameter of the island in a day....so getting from point A to point B is easy when you know exactly where your going and there are no obstacles.

[Here'sLOCKEing at you,Kid]

sometimes nitpicky is just plain fun though.
I have all of Nikki Stafford's Lost guide books and she devotes a special segment of every epi/chapter to "Nitpicks" and they are really interesting and fun to ponder, important or not.
It's only wrong if we let ourselves go nuts over them, I guess. LOL

[stream]

Well how about looking at this way....its a small island.

In the beginning, they didn't know where they were going, they had all kinds of threats and things to deal with. Most of these things are gone now because Jacob is dead and Smokie is busy being Locke, the others are non-existent. Plus you got Ben and RA that know the island like the back of their hand.

Remember, Bens conversation to Ethan. Leave now and you can be there by nightfall...there could be survivors. It looked to be late day when he said that already.

I don't see any problem with where everyone is at this point that they could walk completely around the entire parameter of the island in a day....so getting from point A to point B is easy when you know exactly where your going and there are no obstacles.

right, now they know the short cuts!

sometimes nitpicky is just plain fun though.
I have all of Nikki Stafford's Lost guide books and she devotes a special segment of every epi/chapter to "Nitpicks" and they are really interesting and fun to ponder, important or not.
It's only wrong if we let ourselves go nuts over them, I guess. LOL

ohhh Lockey! Where do you get those?
*carefully using punctuation, ever since she was criticized*

[ortrules]

What didn't make sense was their going from their beach camp to the Black Rock... a trip that would take several days. They didn't do anything to help show that transition. It just makes the "feel" of the time passage out of place.

Not exactly true. When they first visited the Black Rock, it took them just a few hours. Artz said they were only a couple miles in, so if the Black Rock is 8 miles away, it would take maybe 3-4 hours to walk to.

As 3d also said, you have to imagine that they'd start to learn faster ways to get from point A to point B after living on the island for so long.

[myu]

Yeah, I hadn't thought of that. Shortcuts. Perhaps they did find a few.

In any case, I'm feeling less nitpicky. Thanks. ;)