The fifth season of Lost premiered not even half an hour ago, and it was an interesting episode. Not entirely what I was hoping for, an a little lackluster, to be honest. Alas, a couple observations regarding the first episode…

This has been happening for a while now, but it’s beginning to reach a maddening point. As viewers become more desperate for answers, J.J Abrams seems to have developed this tendency to place some sort of strange revelation near the beginning of the episode, while not really providing anything else of value for the rest of the hour. Case in point, the episode started off with what appeared to be an early look at the Dharma initiative, featuring none other than Dr. Hallowax filming a station orientation video. But the intriguing bit was who else we got to see in passing – Dr. Daniel Faraday, the scientist who seemingly understands a great deal regarding the effect time has upon the island, was seen during the construction of one of DHARMA’s stations. It’s an interesting revelation, but one that only serves to introduce more questions into the island’s already convoluted timeline.

Of particular annoyance was that the episode really failed to answer much more than we already learned at the end of last season. We’ve already established that everyone needs to go back to the island. We’ve already established no one trusts Ben. We’ve already established that something’s fishy with their attempts to return, and that John Locke’s seemingly dead body is of particular importance. Really, the entire episode simply felt like more of a refresher, which, as usual, introduced far more questions than answers.

What I did find interesting was a breif scene involving a woman we’ve encountered before. When Desmond first experienced his strange, time-based flashbacks, he met an older, white-haired woman who warned him of the futility of trying to change the past. This time, we’re introduced to her in Ben’s company. Interestingly enough, it’s not Ben who’s calling the shots, but her in this situation, perhaps providing some indication as to who’s clearly in charge. Also peculiar is the location in which she’s found; while Ben lights candles in a church hall, the white haired woman appears to be toiling away at calculations, in a technologically laden room very similar to one of the island’s hatches. It’s another example of DHARMA technology and influence existing outside of the island, but raises the ever-present question of how exactly it came to be in the first place.

Overall, it was a premiere that seemed to recognize the dire need to set things up more than anything. There was no jarring opening or relevation, like previous seasons, and the pacing was near-schizophrenic, as the episode’s plot not only jumped between the two groups of survivors, but a multitude of timelines as well. While not impressed for the time being, here’s hoping the ever-approaching end of the series gives viewers the answers they want sooner, rather than later.

Four-toed statue, anyone?