When 'Lost' was in its prime, it was must-watch television. Remember first watching it, found it remarkably easy to get into, was hooked from the start and was on Season 3 by the end of one week. The general consensus is that the final season is a disappointment and cannot disagree.
Season 3 started off well with "A Tale of Two Cities" and "The Glass Ballerina" was decent, though neither are 'Lost' classics or among its best episodes. The season sees its first disappointment with "Further Instructions", not an awful episode but a pretty strange one and the weakest for me by quite some way since "Fire + Water". It was great to have a Locke-centric episode, and one where he is closer in characterisation to when he first started.
"Further Instructions" certainly has good things. As ever it is a stylish-looking episode and the music is subtle and chilling.
It is very well acted, especially by Terry O'Quinn. The sweat-lodge stuff is the most arresting "Further Instructions" gets and Hurley is an amusing presence with some great lines.
However, the story is let down by that the flashbacks are pretty dull and add nothing to either the episode or Locke's character. Nikki and Paulo's appearances were majorly misjudged and were similarly pointless and Desmond's contribution to the episode was just strange and didn't do justice to a great character.
Writing has been much tighter and sharper, apart from with Hurley it's pretty bland. Likewise with the pace, having too much that was unnecessary slowed things down. Didn't like Charlie here and how someone usually pretty likeable was made to be a jerk, it's enough to make one turn off him.
All in all, count me in as another fan who was disappointed. 5/10 Bethany Cox
