Sunday, July 24, 2022

How many episode in the entire series of LOST?

It seems like a question that should have a simple answer. But with LOST, there are never any simple answers. I want to start a full series binge soon, and I'm trying to figure out about when it will end based on if I start my rewatch on September 22 and watch one episode a day.

When LOST was broadcast, the Season 1 finale "Exodus (Part 2)", the Season 2 finale "Live Together, Die Alone", the Season 4 finale "There's No Place Like Home (Part 2)", the Season 5 finale "The Incident", and the Season 6 premiere "LA X" were all broadcast as two hour episodes. The DVDs replicate this and include the episodes as full double-length episodes.

On streaming services like Hulu or Freevee, the Season 1 finale is split into Part 2 and Part 3, the Season 2 finale is split into Part 1 and Part 2, the Season 4 finale is split into Part 2 and Part 3, the Season 5 finale is split into Part 1 and Part 2, and the Season 6 premiere is split into Part 1 and Part 2. Splitting the episodes is better for binging, but does not replicate the original broadcast experience.

Now this is where it gets weird. I recently bought the Blu-rays of each season, and that is how I am going to be doing my rewatch. I assumed that they'd be the same as the DVDs, but I decided to check, and it's a good thing I did. Seasons 3-6 were released alongside their DVD counterparts, so the episodes are the same. Seasons 1 and 2 were released on Blu-ray four and three years later, respectively, than their DVD counterparts. Season 1's Blu-ray has "Exodus (Part 2)" and "Exodus (Part 3)". Season 2's Blu-ray has "Live Together, Die Alone (Part 1)" and "Live Together, Die Alone (Part 2)".

When making my tentative rewatch schedule, I based it on 115 episodes. I guess I can stick to that, and just watch "Exodus (Parts 2 & 3)" and "Live Together, Die Alone (Parts 1 & 2)" in one sitting. I just wonder why the Season 1 & 2 Blu-rays edit episodes that weren't edited on the DVDs. But it's LOST, raising more questions that don't have answers.

Note 1: Episode 5.14 "The Variable" is officially recognized as the 100th episode. If you were to go by the DVD episode count, "LA X" would be considered the 100th episode.

Note 2: Wikipedia considers "The End" as being two episodes, even though it was broadcast as one episode and included on DVD, Blu-ray, and most streaming services as one episode. Hulu is the exception, editing "The End" into two episodes, leaving a lot of scenes out, and also including the full uncut episode.

This post was cross-posted to Reddit.

No comments:

Post a Comment