Lost: Expose

Wow, what a mixed bag.

Nikki and Paulo are presumably quite dead. I'm not even going to bother prefacing that with a spoiler warning since it should not come to a shock or disappointment even to people who haven't gotten to Season Three yet.

Trust me - when you see them you'll understand.

Both characters were shoved unceremoniously into an already contentious season. We had not seen nor heard from them prior in any episode. They were like Arzt only completely unlikable and even less useful. While fans were still wanting answers about season one, these guys walked into the scene in what can be assumed to be a way to pad out the storyline without, well, giving answers about season one.

Despite repeated defensive statements by the producers about how their abrupt entrance was a factor of editing and that they would give viewers something to like about them - this episode is clearly a mea culpa. In one hand, they go to great lengths to splice these two back into previous seasons ... even dragging back old cast members and footage. There were scenes that almost felt like a clip show - hitting key notes with little alteration except Nikki running past someone.

If I have any major complaint it is that the writers once again skipped past a perfectly good opportunity to answers a few things and instead jeopardize their own continuity. So Locke walks right past the Pearl hatch ... even after it has been cleared and opened by Nikki and Paulo ... but this dynamic duo found it right away? Huh?

It's like the producers just spent a lot of money to say: see, we didn't just conjure them up ... we had a plan. And when you ask what plan, clearly it was to explain what Paulo was doing so long in that bathroom.

I would guess the visceral fan response to the pair and flagging ratings lead to the burial of these characters. I doubt they spent the time and money to interject them just to have one extra throwaway episode featuring them. Especially for what was kind of a weak payoff. Sawyer threw away diamonds? What? Weak.

Except, of course, now they're dead.

Like I said - a mixed bag. And if they turn out to be alive? Worst episode ever.