Delving into the mysteries of 'Lost'
JEN CHANEY
Special to The Washington Post
"Lost" fans want answers. They want clues, too.Basically, they want any new sliver of information they can get about this hit TV series that's packed with enough mysteries to fuel Web chatter until the end of time. Lucky for them, the DVD of the show's second season offers plenty of fodder to keep blogs abuzz until the new season begins Oct. 4.
The seven-disc box set may not resolve the more crucial questions raised by the elaborate "Lost" mythology, but it delivers eight hours of mostly satisfying bonus features. In addition to all 24 episodes from season two, the collection includes five commentary tracks with cast and crew; more than 20 minutes of deleted scenes; a blooper reel; numerous Easter eggs (many can be found on disc seven); and a ton of featurettes that explore everything from conspiracy theories about the show's meaning to the devilish Sawyer's gift for flinging clever insults.
The seventh disc hosts most of the extras, each introduced via grainy training-video footage courtesy of the Dharma Foundation, a fictional group that plays a crucial role in the "Lost" universe. The feature sure to spark the most interest (and waste the most time) is "Lost Connections," an elaborate look at the "six degrees of separation" phenomenon that seemingly links virtually every crash survivor to each other.
After a short introduction, viewers land on a video screen whose wires connect to other video screens, each displaying clips that reveal how all these lives intersect. After spending nearly 20 minutes with this cleverly designed interactive, I still hadn't learned much that I didn't already know. But surely that won't stop "Lost" fans from digging in as deeply as they can. All this business about Dharma and "six degrees" might make this box set sound impenetrable to first-time viewers, but it actually makes the perfect primer for those eager to start watching the popular drama. After ingesting all the episodes, you too will be combing the crevices of this DVD, looking for clues with fellow "Lost" fans.
Best Bonus Gossip: The "Secrets From the Hatch" featurette shows the intricacies behind building the set for this underground lair, but also shares fun tidbits about the arcane technology housed inside. For example, the repetitive beeping noise that perpetually emanates from the computer is actually the sound of items being scanned at a cash register in an L.A. grocery store. No wonder I always felt hungry during those scenes.
Most Touching Bonus: Perhaps the season's most poignant episode, "S.O.S.," focused on the relationship between spouses Bernard (Sam Anderson) and Rose (L. Scott Caldwell), and the revelation that Rose has terminal cancer. During a featurette that focuses on the making of that episode - one of 10 that explores a specific "Lost" installment - Caldwell explains that the plot is based on her real life. After marrying around the time the "Lost" pilot was being filmed, Caldwell's husband died a year later.