Getting Lost: S01E01&02: Pilot part 1 and 2

The first few episodes are going to be a lot more about rehashing the plot we see and observations about character traits and what I see setting up, as I predict comparative examination to come as things progress and get revealed, rather than me talk too much about something before it is revealed in the show.

It's a little bit strange watching this episode, seeing all of these old friends for the first time and laying such a critical eye on everything. Jack is such the iconic hero in this episode; I even like him. I don't even hate Kate right away.

I love a lot of the foreshadowing and parallels we get from square one: we begin with Jack unconscious, bleeding from the side, in a forest of bamboo, with Vincent. Just as we eventually end.

Michael's only existence in this show is to chase after Walt. Whether he is physically searching for Walt or chasing after Walt's approval, this is the only purpose he ever fulfills.

From the get-go Kate is the person who demands to always go along with any trek. It isn't annoying yet, but it's already palpable. Is this left over from my previous viewings, or a trait that's already on highlight? The scene where she's running from the monster, her acting, her show of fear is really impressive to me. I love that she invokes Jack's 'count to five' method of letting fear rule and then casting it out. I would like to say it works for her too well and she successfully casts fear out forever in this scene, leaving her open to be filled with self-righteous busy-bodyness from this day forward. Kate is ultimately a good person (she oxygen masks her captor during the crash after he sustains a head injury and loss of consciousness, she stitches up Jack when they first meet), but so so annoying.

Hurley has a throw-away line that really intrigued me, and opened up a brand new line of questioning for me. During a montage of conversation he says "how do we know this even is an island?" He gets no response, but it really stuck with me. How do they, ever really know they're on an island. They never map it out (Sayid eventually will begin to). For all they know, they're on the mainland of Costa Rica or something and they never do the due diligence of verifying their situation.

Though we don't know it yet, the show is already suggesting its faith vs. reason thematic arch. John Locke is seen happy and reveling in the situation--and why not? He has received a miracle. And Rose, how little we ever paid attention to her in these episodes, she is in prayer. The game of backgammon as the oldest existing game is brought up, as is its metaphor fr the battle between darkness and light.

I am positive I see Bernard very briefly on the beach, which I know is impossible. The monster sequences are so evocative of Jurassic Park I remember feeling so strongly that it was a dinosaur.

Other foreshadowing we're gifted with: Jack's alcoholism. Kate's incessant need to run away and yet also be involved with everything. Sun's English language skills. Charlie writing on his hand in Sharpie. Sawyer holding a badge.

Continuity Inconsistencies
None yet, though some I know are coming are already apparent (Kate doesn't know how to operate a gun. Jack has chest hair).

My Questions: (I will carry these forward from review to review until they answered in the show, even if I know the answer now.)
1. What is the monster?
2. Why didn't the survivors ever go in search of the tail section?
3. Why is there a polar bear on a tropical island?
4. What federal law did Kate break that has her chased round the world by a U.S. Marshal?
5. Who is the French woman on the radio?