Lost - The Complete Second Season (DVD, 2006, 6 - Disc Box Set)

Take a couple handfuls of survivors -- some family, mostly strangers -- crash them onto an island with a traumatic plane wreck, and give them little sign of hope, a mystery in the jungle, and no sign of rescue; add a pinch of Gilligan's Island, a smidge of Survivor, a sprinkle of grownup Goonies, a dab of 24, and a generous serving of originality to taste. This is what being LOST is all about.

Each episode adds a building block to the mystery surrounding the survivors. Viewers are slowly introduced to the past of each character with flashbacks to what led them onto the fictitious Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 and eventually, to the island. Slowly, we discover their fate was no accident, and there are connections between the remaining passengers.

The blend of mystery and drama is enthralling and tends to overshadow any violence that occurs along the way. The storyline was strongly built over the first season; love triangles are in place, a pregnant survivor gives birth to the beginning of the first generation of the island, a mysterious hatch is found and opened (though the discovery of what or who is inside will have to wait until season 2); a polar bear is discovered to be living and terrorizing the sunny isle; and finally, the survivors have discovered they are not alone.

The series delivers a range of characters including Dr. Jack, who collected the prescription meds from the luggage, made supply carts out of snack carts, and bandages out of clothing. A married couple, Sun and Jin, only one of whom speaks English, have caught fish for food, assisted in making a boat, and planted a garden from passion fruit seeds. A former Iraqi soldier, Sayid, has attempted to repair a radio signal with some success while Boone, the resident boar-hunter, finds solace in the unknown.

The interlocking puzzle of characters, secrets, and endless discoveries can make for an enticing family drama. Lost could be considered the television version of a board game. There are compelling questions left at the end of each episode, and vast amounts of room for interpretation. Parents may find there is plenty of room to discuss serious issues of death and loss, but the overall mystery and weekly disclosure of "clues" presents an opportunity for light-hearted conversations with teens: What do you think is on the island? How do you think the survivors are connected? And most importantly, after a cliffhanging season finale, what do you think is in the hatch?