JBond Presents: The Televised Works of J.J. Abrams

[Neverending]

J.J. Abrams is now "King of the Nerds" by traveling to where no man has gone before and joining The Force. So I decided to take a journey to his roots and watch his humble beginnings as a simple farm boy dreaming of someday being Captain of the Enterprise. However, instead of going one show at a time, I'm jumping around. So, it could get a bit chaotic. If you guys wanna pitch in or get ahead of me, you're more than welcomed.


FELICITY (1998-2002)
EPISODE 1: PILOT (SEPTEMBER 29, 1998)
EPISODE 2: THE LAST STAND (OCTOBER 6, 1998)



It's amusing to think that J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves, who would go on to the realm of geekdom, got their start in a melodramatic teen show on The WB. Even more amusing is that it foreshadowed a lot of things. For starters, the series is executive produced by Ron Howard who worked with George Lucas in American Graffiti and Willow. Secondly, anyone who was a young adult at the time will remember the outcry when Keri Russell cut her famous hair. As crazy as it may sound, millions of teenage girls stopped watching Felicity and the show was cancelled. So, J.J. Abrams is very aware to NOT mess with iconic hair, and Star Wars definitely has its own famous hairdo. And lastly, John Cho, who plays Sulu in the Star Trek reboot, has a role in the show. So keep an open eye towards all these shows. Any of these people could show up in Star Wars VII. But anyway.....

The first two episodes of Felicity are pretty good, maybe even great. The adorable Keri Russell plays the title character. As a guy, she's the main reason I watched the show. Not to mention that the freakin' Pink Ranger, another one of my boyhood crushes, plays her best friend. But re-watching these episodes for the first time in over a decade, I'm surprised by how relatable they are. Felicity spent all four years of high school following her parents plans, then, in a moment of impulse, she runs off on her own. That feeling of being independent for the first time in your life is captured very well by Abrams. Now granted, since this is a teen drama on The WB, there's a lot of nonsense thrown in like Felicity chasing after her high school crush (Scott Speedman) and the incredibly dorky Scott Foley. It's the only thing that prevents these two episodes from truly being a masterwork. Nonetheless, it's a very strong start for Abrams and Reeves.


ALIAS (2001-06)
EPISODE 1: TRUTH BE TOLD (September 30, 2001)



Remember when I said to keep an eye out? Well, Bradley Cooper is on this show. You can bet he's being considered for Star Wars. Anyway..... the first thing that stands out on this show is the inclusion of composer Michael Giacchino to the Abrams/Bad Robot team. His music is my favorite element of the pilot. It's just badass. Jennifer Garner is also awesome as the college student by day, double-agent spy by night that's out for revenge. Overall, it's a pretty cool concept for a show. Although, the pilot has an extended running time for some reason and it drags in certain parts. It should have been a standard 40-45 minutes instead of 70.

[JBond]

I think it's more interesting he wrote Forever Young and Regarding Henry.

[Henri Ducard]

Originally Posted by JBond

I think it's more interesting he wrote Forever Young and Regarding Henry.

Nothing tops him being the screenwriter on Michael Bay's Armageddon. On the TV side, however, Felicity is definitely his most shocking work. It's like a weird combination of John Hughes and Aaron Spelling.

[FranklinTard]

Joy ride!

"Candy cane... candy cane..."

[JBond]

Joy Ride is underrated.

[MovieBuff801]

I watched the pilot of Alias a while ago on Netflix. I've been meaning to give the rest of the series a shot.

[Wyldstaar]

Originally Posted by MovieBuff801

I watched the pilot of Alias a while ago on Netflix. I've been meaning to give the rest of the series a shot.

The first couple of seasons are awesome. Three and four are good. The final season is pretty much a disaster, due to Jennifer Garner's pregnancy and the show's unexpected cancellation. Alias was cancelled two weeks after Garner was signed to a two-year contract to continue playing the role.

[Justin]

Am I the only one who had zero interest in Alias from the start?

[shained]

I loved Alias. It did go off the deep end and seemed to have lost its way near the end, kind of like Lost.......

[Henri Ducard]

Originally Posted by Justin

Am I the only one who had zero interest in Alias from the start?

Yes.

[IanTheCool]

I loved the Alias pilot. One of the best TV pilots, in my opinion.
I also thought the finale wrapped things up well, even though I barely watched the last season.

[JBond]

Originally Posted by Justin

Am I the only one who had zero interest in Alias from the start?

I've never seen an episode.

[Henri Ducard]

Originally Posted by JBond

I've never seen an episode.

Why not?

[JBond]

I just haven't. There's a lot of shows I haven't seen.

[Justin]

Why is it "Jbond Presents", exactly?

[Neverending]

Originally Posted by Justin

Why is it "Jbond Presents", exactly?

Because JBond loves JAbrams so much

[JBond]

Because I brought it here overseas.

[Neverending]

FELICITY
EPISODE 3: HOT OBJECTS (October 13, 1998)
EPISODE 4: BOGGLED (OCTOBER 20, 1998)

J.J. Abrams shakes things up a bit with these two episodes. Felicity, the nerdy chick from high school, is finally starting to bloom by experiencing the usual teenage stuff. Meanwhile, Ben, the popular kid from high school, is struggling with everything. Plus, the dorky Scott Foley reveals he has a girlfriend after kissing Felicity. What a sleezebag! It's always fun when things are turned upside down. J.J. did a good job with these episodes.


EPISODE 5: SPOOKED (October 27, 1998)



This is the first episode not written by J.J. Abrams which explains why it has more humor than the first four. There's literally an entire gag revolving around Scott Speedman making out with "the Pink Ranger" at a Halloween party which is amusing because the actual Pink Ranger is a castmember on the show. And, of course, as you can see, Keri Russell and her infamous hair dressed up as the Bride of Frankenstein. It's a nice episode and a good change of pace.


EPISODE 6: CHEATING (November 3, 1998)
This episode made me laugh, but not intentionally. I was wondering how many episodes it would take before the show seemed dated and the answer is six. The plotline revolves around Ben getting caught cheating and the university being very upset because there's this new - thing - called the Internet and students are using it to cheat. There's one scene in particular that truly had me laughing out loud. Scott Foley reveals that he has a "webpage." I think the last time I heard the term "webpage" was in 1998.

[Deexan]

It's like seeing a "Tarantino presents" banner on a movie poster. You know the content is gonna be semi-viewable but you're kinda disappointed that the great man himself didn't make it.

[Neverending]

Originally Posted by Deexan

You know the content is gonna be semi-viewable but you're kinda disappointed that the great man himself didn't make it.

Thanks.

[PG Cooper]

Originally Posted by Deexan

It's like seeing a "Tarantino presents" banner on a movie poster. You know the content is gonna be semi-viewable but you're kinda disappointed that the great man himself didn't make it.

Zing! That's hilarious.

[Neverending]

THE 10 BEST SEASON ONE EPISODES OF LOST!

I'm taking a different approach with Lost. Instead of doing episodic reviews, which is rather pointless considering that J.J. Abrams isn't really the "mastermind" on this show, I'm doing a top 10 list for each season and ultimately a top 10 overall list. First up is season one.


#10 - OUTLAWS
Original Airdate: February 16, 2005
Written by Drew Goddard
Directed by Jack Bender

A boar starts messing with Sawyer (Josh Holloway) and so he goes out on a hunt to track it down and kill it. Meanwhile, flashbacks show his pursuit for the man responsible for his parents death. The episode does a great job of balancing slapstick comedy with a heartbreaking tale of murder and revenge. It also fleshes out Sawyer from a Southern bad boy into a character with great depth.


#9 - THE MOTH
Original Airdate: November 3, 2004
Written by Jennifer Johnson and Paul Dini (of Batman: The Animated Series fame)
Directed by Jack Bender

Heroin addict Charlie (one-half of the gay Hobbit duo) is suffering from withdrawal and flashbacks show his rise and fall as a one-hit-wonder rock star. He gets to redeem himself when Jack gets trapped in a cave and he volunteers to rescue him. Although Charlie is the focal point of the episode, it is Locke who gets to shine. His spiritual wisdow guides Charlie and he uses a moth coming out of its cocoon as an example of what Charlie needs to do.


#8 - RAISED BY ANOTHER
Original Airdate: December 1, 2004
Written by Lynne E. Litt
Directed by Marita Grabiak

To quote Martin Lawrence in Bad Boys II, "s--t just got real." In this episode, the survivors discover there are "others" on the island, and we, the viewers, realize that there might be a supernatural reason for the airplane crashing on the island. Most of season one is spent on developing the characters, but this episode is almost purely setting up the story arc that would dominate the series.


#7 thru 5
EXODUS, PART I (May 18, 2005)
EXODUS, PART II (May 25, 2005)
EXODUS, PART III (May 25, 2005)

Written by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse
Directed by Jack Bender

Michael (ship driver, or whatever, from The Matrix), his son Walt, Sawyer, and Korean Dude built a raft and attempt to escape the island. Unfortunately, the island pulls them back in. Meanwhile... Jack, Locke, Kate, Hurley, and some dude who blows himself up, finally open the hatch. Normally, season finales wrap things up. However, Lost is a show that raises more questions than it answers, so they open up a new can of worms.


#4 & 3
PILOT, PART I (September 22, 2004)
PILOT, PART 2 (Septemer 29, 2004)

Written by Jeffrey Lieber, J. J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof
Directed by J.J. Abrams

The only episodes written and directed by J.J. Abrams set-up the premise for the show. A plane crashes on a mysterious island and the survivors have to brace themselves for quite the adventure. Both episodes do a brilliant job of getting viewers hooked on the series.


#2 - NUMBERS
Original Airdate: March 2, 2005
Written by Brent Fletcher and David Fury
Directed by Daniel Attias

Hurley, the goofy fat dude played wonderfully by Jorge Garcia, turns out to be the key to the mystery. The episode is mostly comedic, but it unleashes a wealth of information and is an overall satisfying viewing experience.


#1 - WALKABOUT
Original Airdate: October 13, 2004
Written by David Fury
Directed by Jack Bender

John Locke (Terry O'Quinn) is like the Gilligan of the island. He's the only one that's benefitting from it and it is a life-changing experience for the better. This episode tells his tragic backstory, with a brilliant twist ending, and also sets him up as the perfect antagonist for Jack.

[JBond]

The Moth was my favorite. White Rabbit was another I really liked.

[IanTheCool]

Best episodes of Season 1: Season 1.

[JBond]

I agree. Also:

Best seasons of Lost: Season 1.