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 4 was a solid season, with high points such as "The Beginning of the End", the three part finale and particularly "The Constant" and the only disappointments (though they were still decent) being "The Other Woman" and "Eggtown". "Because You Left" couldn't be a better way to start Season 5, definitely among the stronger 'Lost' season openers and one of the most confident and most settled. The episodes between that and this were also good to great, the weakest being a long way from low-points.
"The Variable" is a great episode, not one of the show's very best but one of the best of the season. It's taut and thought-provoking, providing new mysteries and questions as well as some answers and nice references here. The on-island events are tense, emotional and above all gripping.
My only problem was that an explanation could have been provided for Daniel's changing his mind with changing the past, that would have been really interesting so it was a little disappointing it didn't come.
On top of all that, it advances characters, shows plot progression rather than repeating itself or being filler. There are surprising moments and also illuminating ones, particularly with Daniel's origins.
Also found "The Variable" to be an episode full of entertainment value, tension and emotional moments. The latter is most obvious at the end, which devastated me more than a lot of individual scenes from Season 5. The more dialogue-driven parts is a case of it being thought-probing, relevant and adding a lot rather than slowing things down and rambling. The character dynamics are surprising and with interesting perspectives and the revelations shock.
Can't fault the performances, particularly the truly powerful one of Jeremy Davies.
Nor the stylishness and atmosphere of the visuals, nor the effectively understated and chilling use of music, taut writing and the tightly controlled direction.
Summing up, great. 9/10 Bethany Cox
