Lost: Down the Hatch | Season 3 Episode 9: “Stranger in a Strange Land”

Josh Wigler (@roundhoward) and Mike Bloom (@AMikeBloomType) discuss the worst episode of “Lost,” ever.

This week on Down the Hatch, it’s all about Jack’s tattoos. That’s right, we have finally arrived: “Stranger in a Strange Land,” widely considered the single worst episode in the entirety of “Lost.” But is it the worst? Is that just a cool thing to say about an episode that has (at least some) merit? Josh and Mike explore!

 

About Down the Hatch …

LOST: Down the Hatch is a full-tilt spoiler-filled rewatch of LOST. Every week, Josh and Mike break down an episode of LOST with the benefit of knowing the series’ full trajectory, using the following structure as a guide:

• We Go “Fourth” – Josh and Mike begin each podcast with a deep-dive into the story both in front of and behind the camera, and they do so with the assistance of eight sound clips from each episode.
• The Others – Josh and Mike answer questions sent their way by listeners through the official e-mail address: [email protected]
• 23 Points – Each week, Josh and Mike hand out points for the best and worst characters of the episode in question, in a foolhardy attempt to determine the most and least valuable players in the LOST pantheon.
• 4.2 Stars – Josh and Mike rank every episode of LOST, by rating them all on a scale from 0 – 4.2. Josh and Mike offer their individual scores, listeners’ scores will be averaged as a third data point, then the three points combine as the podcast’s official score on each episode.

 

Additional reading/listening/viewing from the podcast:

• Support Post Show Recaps through Patreon
• The LOST: Down the HatchWikipedia Page
• Josh’s LOST Episode Rankings on The Hollywood Reporter
• Javier Grillo Marxuach’s Lost Will and Testament
• The Storm’s Bai Ling Interview
• Jim Fels music analysis

 

The 2/3 MVP/LVP Points For Season 3:

Juliet: 9

Sawyer: 6

Desmond: 4

Ben: 2

Jack: 2

Monster: 2

Eloise: 2

Kate: 2

Achara: 1

Penny: 1

Eko: 1

Christian: 1

Hurley: 1

Locke: 1

Boone: 1

The Marshal: 1

Richard Alpert: 1

Alex: 0

The Others: -1

Red Shoes: -1

Law + Order: -1

Jan: -1

Eddie: -1

Polar Bears: -1

Karl: -1

Sarah: -1

Sayid: -1

Marijuana: -1

Colleen: -1

Edmund: -2

Paulo: -2

Emeka: -2

Munson: -2

Charlie: -2

Isabel: -3

Widmore: -3

Paik: -3

Pickett: -9

 

 

The 4.2 Star Episode Rankings For Season 3:

1. Flashes Before Your Eyes – 4.16
2. The Cost of Living – 3.92
3. A Tale of Two Cities – 3.83
4. Not in Portland – 3.74
5. I Do – 3.45
6. Every Man For Himself – 3.14
7. The Glass Ballerina – 3.02
8. Further Instructions – 2.48
9. Stranger in a Strange Land – 1.85

 

Mike Bloom’s 4.2 Star Episode Ranking Rubrik

4.2 – Perfect episode of LOST. Firing on all cylinders, no real weak points

4.0-4.1 – Near-perfect episode of LOST. Has one or two minor things that are meh or weak.

3.7-3.9 – Awesome episode of LOST. Has one or two major things that are meh or weak.

3.3-3.6 – Great episode of LOST. Many great elements, but not enough to put it in the top tier

3.0-3.2 – Good episode of LOST. More good than bad, but not a lot of outstanding moments

2.5-2.9 – Below average episode of LOST. Has a few redeeming moments, but a lot of misses as well

2.0-2.4 – Dud episode of LOST. The good stuff is few and far between

< 2.0 – Bad episode of LOST. Nearly all of it doesn’t work

 

Josh Wigler’s 4.2 Star Episode Ranking Rubrik

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