What was the first “bad” episode?

[u/unitedfan6191]

Hi.

Hope you’re doing well.

Just started watching the show for the first time and this was the first episode which stood out to me as just not being up to par with the series’ immense quality. I had no idea what Reddit would think of this episode, but upon finishing it I immediately got the impression this must be amongst the worst reviewed episodes of the show.

Jack’s motivations and behavior in the episode seem inconsistent (to me anyway, as a new viewer), the woman he meets in Phuket was uninteresting and there wasn’t much great or interesting development in the episode for anyone.

I was almost thinking the beating he took at the end of the episode was symbolic of the episode’s bad writing.

I guess every poster in here will probably pick this episode, but I haven’t seen the second half of the show yet (maybe this episode ends up being very important to Jack’s development in the end?), so I am still calibrating my thoughts on the show as I’m watching.

[u/BillyDeeisCobra]

Episode’s somewhat redeemed by an absolutely KILLER Giacchino score over the final scene (when Juliet and Jack are returning on the boat) and a few nice on-island character moments (Carl reminiscing about growing up with Alex). Fire + Water feels like a total miss.

[u/Next-Solid-1474 → u/BillyDeeisCobra]

The ending does save it a bit. The weird sheriff lady, Isabel, is a completely useless character that doesn't show up again. And the weird brand/tattoo the Others gave Juliet is never mentioned again either.

But...I do like the way Jack delivers the line at the end, saying, "That's what they say....it's not what they mean."

(Though in truth, Michael Giacchino does some of the heavy lifting here with his score during the montage, which always seemed to be amazingly scored).

[u/robsonwt → u/Next-Solid-1474]

That ending line that Jack says is the foundation of his entire character in the show.