Social: Being “Lost” Because Netflix/Hulu Lets Us Be

I just finished watch Lost.  I know, it’s been a couple of years since it went off the air.  I initially did follow season 1 on DVD as soon as it went on sale.  However, I left off the rest of the show because I could not find a good deal for them on DVD.  Hence, I reacquainted myself with Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Hugo on Netflix.  And it was then I realized just how video streaming services really change how we watch TV.

And I’m not talking about watching an episode on Hulu, which has more current on-air shows, a couple of weeks after it’s been aired.  I’m talking about years after the show has ended as I am doing now on Netflix.  As it was with 24, which I don’t watch until which ever the current season it was went on sale on DVD, I hate watching shows that I have to wait a week later to find out what happened.

So for years, I purposefully avoided engaging in conversations with friends about Lost or the Internet on what’s going on with the show and reading about the cast out of fear of spoilers.

And that has put me in an awkward position.  After all, a phenomenally popular show like Lost isn’t just isolated to its audience.  Like The X-Files before that, Lost had a huge influence on popular culture that went beyond the core fans.  So, there had been other shows that I’ve seen that had Lost references that completely went over my head.

Even today, there are still plays on the themes from Lost.

Now, imagine any popular shows today.  With the added marketing that social media like Twitter offers, it provides an added dimension to any show, allowing an additional avenue to connect with the readers or viewers.  In fact, social media simply augments the potency of any marketing campaign for any consumer medium in ways that “old media” simply isn’t capable of duplicating.  Imagine if Pottermore with its promised and promising social features came up just as the movies start, allowing the audience to connect with anyone connected with the books.

So, while Netflix has given me the chance to watch the whole series, I am essentially half a decade behind.  You know, kinda "lost".