A few days ago my friend Trevor and I concocted an interesting ploy. We were discussing the TV show Lost and started come up with theories, as all nerds will, as to what the blazes the whole thing is about.
For those not into it, the first season of 24 episodes ended recently and on a curious, if unsatisfactory note. I mentioned that the second season is currently being shown in America and it was Trevor’s idea to check for counterfeit copies on e-Bay. Sure enough, there they were, all available on DVD up to episode ten, which was the last broadcast in the US. That shows remarkable ingenuity – recording, copying, advertising and distributing (completely illegally of course) the latest material to hungry fans around the world minutes after ABC have broadcast it.
This was at the beginning of the week and on Thursday e-bay sent out an e-mail to all buyers saying that for copyright reasons they’ve taken all the copied discs off the site, they were no longer for sale, and that no-one would be receiving them. No-one but us, who’s discs arrived that morning! A lovely victory against the corporate machine.
And so today was our Lostathon of ten episodes back to back. We timed it all so we could watch the football results, and with a fridge full of beer and bowls full of tortilla chips, we were set for an astonishing afternoon of slothfulness, over indulgence, and first-rate illegal TV.
The scamp that had manufactured the discs wasn’t playing games either. True, they were recorded off the broadcast version, but the ads had been cut out, the DVDs themselves had homemade menus for selecting episodes, and the picture and sound were fine. I thoroughly recommend e-bay for all your dodgy DVDs on this evidence.
If you are a Lost fan I’ll not reveal too much about the second season. It throws up more question than answers, though. I’m also wary of my already, at times, dangerously nerdy Blog will start attracting Lost maniacs and theologians and chase off the cooler and more sophisticated cats amongst you. It might start attracting those people who demonstrate how much they like the film ‘The Matrix’ by walking around town in long, black leather coats. The flawed nature of this is that people don’t think “He looks like Keanu Reeves in that film The Matrix. I might ask him to be my life-partner� but rather think “Why is that slightly over-weight ex-Goth with a ponytail trying to look like one of Hollywood’s most successful actors?�
It’s a good life-lesson. Life imitates art, but don’t live trying to imitate art. Or, more specifically, Keanu Reeves in The Matrix.
Today all began with Trevor’s arrival at noon, and we were gripped by the first three instalments of our prize. The pace drops off for a few episodes after that, necessarily and with good reason, but then it beings to build again. The football interlude was important because you need to break the spell and consider events. I’d say five episodes of Lost at a time is optimum without a break.
Some people, especially religious nuts, might sight today’s inactivity as sinful and unholy, but I’d argue it’s the opposite. It stopped us going out and annoying members of the public and was therefore good for the community. It meant going to the supermarket for lots of drink and poor quality food, which helps the economy as a whole. And it helped us financially because we logged onto Betfair, the wonderful internet betting site, before the afternoon’s football matches kicked off and correctly predicted all but one of the Premiership games, meaning it was also a nicely profitable day. There is nothing bad or unholy about watching ten illegally gathered episodes of Lost in a row.
And how can ABC mind? Yes, they miss out of me buying Season Two for a ludicrously inflated price when it’s finally available in the shops, but look at all the free advertising they’re getting here! There are up to six people reading this and thinking ‘I’ve not seen Lost on TV before. Perhaps if someone as cultured as Stanley likes it I should copy him and like it too?’ Although, to be fair, it’s more likely six people are thinking ‘I like the sound of watching ten new episodes of Lost with a friend and lots of beer as well. I’m going to copy Stanley and buy some counterfeit copies off e-Bay too.’
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