"S.O.S" is one of the lowest rated LOST episodes, and I think the reason is more that it centers on two relatively minor characters who don't have many fans (Bernard and Rose) rather than problems with the quality of the episode itself (a similar case to Season 3's "Expose"). This is, in fact, one of the rare LOST episodes where the behavior of the characters makes perfect sense and the reasons for it are revealed within the 42 minutes: Bernard devises a logical plan to increase their chances of getting rescued, but Rose does not WANT to be rescued, because the island has cured her from her terminal illness. There are some terrific moments in "S.O.S": the airport encounter between Rose and a wheelchair-bound Locke (which is how she realizes the island's powers, when she sees him walking there), the camera circling around Jack as he challenges the Others to come out and talk to him, Locke pounding on the armory door and trying to find out if "Henry Gale" really pushed the button or not, while the camera slowly reveals a devilish smile on "Henry"'s face, so pleased with the frustration and doubt he has created - one of the first classic Michael Emerson moments on the show. *** out of 4.
11 Reviews
A Beautiful and Dramatic Love Story In a Miraculous Place
claudio_carvalho6 July 2006
Bernard tries to convince the survivors to build a S.O.S. signal with rocks on the sand, hoping to be seen by a satellite or an airplane. His first encounter with Rose, who was terminal, and their romance, are disclosed through flashbacks. Bernard never gives up searching for the cure of Rose before crashing the island. Meanwhile, Jack invites Kate to join him in the woods to propose to "The Others" a trade between Henry and Walt. John Locke is intrigued with the words of Henry about the unnecessary use of the computer and obsessed with the symbols her saw while trapped under the door.
In this episode, the beautiful and dramatic love story of the bachelor dentist Bernard and Rose is presented, and the viewer can see how the island has a great energy, healing not only Rose, but also Locke, Charlie, Mr. Eko, Sun. Locke seems to be a little paranoid or deranged, with an abnormal behavior. And Jack challenges "The Others" and has a great surprise in the end of the episode. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): Not Available
Note: On 31 March 2013, I saw this episode again.
In this episode, the beautiful and dramatic love story of the bachelor dentist Bernard and Rose is presented, and the viewer can see how the island has a great energy, healing not only Rose, but also Locke, Charlie, Mr. Eko, Sun. Locke seems to be a little paranoid or deranged, with an abnormal behavior. And Jack challenges "The Others" and has a great surprise in the end of the episode. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): Not Available
Note: On 31 March 2013, I saw this episode again.
In Defense of "S.O.S."
borowiecsminus5 January 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I usually don't find myself writing reviews that start with "In Defense of...," but here, I needed to.
This episode of the, let's be honest, unstable TV show, "Lost," which I have recently been sucked into the void of, has one of the lowest IMDb ratings of all the episodes. It deserves to have one of the highest. People's main problem with this episode is that they consider it to be filler. But "Lost" is a show that has more filler than plot most of the time, or at least real plot. The writers of Lost have filler down to a science, and they've gotten damn good at it. This episode is proof. Looking past that, this episode is a brilliant stand-alone episode of television, and it is what makes Lost so good.
The first (and highest) praise I have to give is to Sam Anderson, who played Bernard this episode, who absolutely knocked it out of the park. When Rose uttered "I'm dying," my smile disintegrated. But Bernard's reaction to that same sentence had me weeping buckets. I hope in the future the show brings Bernard into the central characters, because Sam Anderson is currently the best actor on the show and he deserves to be challenged by it.
Normally, the show's biggest weakness is the very thing it's about: the characters. The show tries so hard to be a character study, and yet it seems to often fail on a fundamental level. There are very strong characters in the show, of course (Rose, Sawyer, Bernard, Locke, Ana Lucia, Jin, Sun, etc.), but there are also characters who just aren't consistently written (Jack, Kate, Hurley, Charlie, Claire, etc.). This episode features two of each - only with a caveat. Jack and Kate, who are normally weakly written, are all of a sudden great, flawed, well- rounded, layered characters, rather than talking devices. So from a character perspective, this episode is miles above most.
Then there's the writing. I'm a fan of a lot of the writing from this episode. First of all, the flashback in this episode is, hands down, the best flashback of the show yet. Every line uttered in that flashback is worth mentioning in this review. In addition to that, there were a lot of great lines thrown in here and there, such as "I'm trying to get people saved," to which Eko replies, "People are saved in different ways," and Kate's (who almost never gets a good line) "I'm sorry I kissed you," and Jack's "I'm not."
Finally, the directing of this episode is something to be proud of. The moments are almost to many to name. There's Rose walking into Isaac's main room, there's Locke rolling up to her in the airport, there's Locke demanding from Henry if he pushed the button and Henry's smirk, there's Bernard and Rose dancing on the beach.
Of course, the best moment in directing in this episode was the camera spinning wildly around Jack, calling for the Others to come and get him. Although they cut to Kate at one point (a decision I personally would not have made), the chunk of time devoted to spinning is a rare moment of absolute directorial brilliance in the show: it makes you think, truly believe that during the next rotation, the Others will be standing there, and the soundtrack will pounce on us like a lion. And the brilliant thing is, the show does something it almost never does: The Others don't show up. All that suspense, and we're left hanging, in this case, exactly where we should be.
The defense rests.
This episode of the, let's be honest, unstable TV show, "Lost," which I have recently been sucked into the void of, has one of the lowest IMDb ratings of all the episodes. It deserves to have one of the highest. People's main problem with this episode is that they consider it to be filler. But "Lost" is a show that has more filler than plot most of the time, or at least real plot. The writers of Lost have filler down to a science, and they've gotten damn good at it. This episode is proof. Looking past that, this episode is a brilliant stand-alone episode of television, and it is what makes Lost so good.
The first (and highest) praise I have to give is to Sam Anderson, who played Bernard this episode, who absolutely knocked it out of the park. When Rose uttered "I'm dying," my smile disintegrated. But Bernard's reaction to that same sentence had me weeping buckets. I hope in the future the show brings Bernard into the central characters, because Sam Anderson is currently the best actor on the show and he deserves to be challenged by it.
Normally, the show's biggest weakness is the very thing it's about: the characters. The show tries so hard to be a character study, and yet it seems to often fail on a fundamental level. There are very strong characters in the show, of course (Rose, Sawyer, Bernard, Locke, Ana Lucia, Jin, Sun, etc.), but there are also characters who just aren't consistently written (Jack, Kate, Hurley, Charlie, Claire, etc.). This episode features two of each - only with a caveat. Jack and Kate, who are normally weakly written, are all of a sudden great, flawed, well- rounded, layered characters, rather than talking devices. So from a character perspective, this episode is miles above most.
Then there's the writing. I'm a fan of a lot of the writing from this episode. First of all, the flashback in this episode is, hands down, the best flashback of the show yet. Every line uttered in that flashback is worth mentioning in this review. In addition to that, there were a lot of great lines thrown in here and there, such as "I'm trying to get people saved," to which Eko replies, "People are saved in different ways," and Kate's (who almost never gets a good line) "I'm sorry I kissed you," and Jack's "I'm not."
Finally, the directing of this episode is something to be proud of. The moments are almost to many to name. There's Rose walking into Isaac's main room, there's Locke rolling up to her in the airport, there's Locke demanding from Henry if he pushed the button and Henry's smirk, there's Bernard and Rose dancing on the beach.
Of course, the best moment in directing in this episode was the camera spinning wildly around Jack, calling for the Others to come and get him. Although they cut to Kate at one point (a decision I personally would not have made), the chunk of time devoted to spinning is a rare moment of absolute directorial brilliance in the show: it makes you think, truly believe that during the next rotation, the Others will be standing there, and the soundtrack will pounce on us like a lion. And the brilliant thing is, the show does something it almost never does: The Others don't show up. All that suspense, and we're left hanging, in this case, exactly where we should be.
The defense rests.
A low-key gem, undeservedly dismissed as 'filler'
ametaphysicalshark15 October 2008
"S.O.S." isn't a perfect episode, nor is it the most eventful of "Lost" episodes nor did it come along at the perfect ime, nor is it a masterpiece of character-driven drama. It is, however, a completely pleasant, genuinely well-written gem which takes a look at Bernard and Rose, two of the few 'normal' people on the island, and certainly one of the more realistic and authentic couples. The flashback scenes are genuinely effective and involving, and even tie into the mythology (through the faith healer and the 'energy areas', one of which is the island, obviously) for those who believe the mythology is the main driving force of "Lost".
The episode is notably well-directed by Eric Laneuville, and very well-written by Leonard Dick and Steven Maeda, and as much as the plot involving Bernard and the sign he wishes to make is unnecessary, it's hardly aggravating or worth getting upset about, and is very, very far from the most annoying episode-contained storyline on the show. It's a good bit of sometimes humorous fun, actually.
The acting is excellent as well from L. Scott Caldwell and Sam Anderson as Rose and Bernard, and the scenes involving Fenry Gale are really fun to watch as well. The episode as a whole is just a really good, enjoyable episode, with an ending that sets up a superior, devastatingly good episode to come.
8/10
The episode is notably well-directed by Eric Laneuville, and very well-written by Leonard Dick and Steven Maeda, and as much as the plot involving Bernard and the sign he wishes to make is unnecessary, it's hardly aggravating or worth getting upset about, and is very, very far from the most annoying episode-contained storyline on the show. It's a good bit of sometimes humorous fun, actually.
The acting is excellent as well from L. Scott Caldwell and Sam Anderson as Rose and Bernard, and the scenes involving Fenry Gale are really fun to watch as well. The episode as a whole is just a really good, enjoyable episode, with an ending that sets up a superior, devastatingly good episode to come.
8/10
Deserving of more credit
TheLittleSongbird8 March 2018
When 'Lost' was in its prime, it was must-watch television. Remember first watching it, found it remarkably easy to get into, was hooked from the start and was on Season 3 by the end of one week. The general consensus is that the final season is a disappointment and cannot disagree.
Can see why fans may dismiss "S.O.S.", with it often dismissed as a filler episode. It is slower in pace from the relatively general tautness of the previous episodes, more low-key and intricate in tone and is not the most character or plot-advancing of all 'Lost' episodes, there are signs of it with the Jack and Kate story-line and the surprising ending but they were more setting up what was to follow.
However, count me in as another person who likes "S.O.S." and considers it one of the most underrated 'Lost' episodes. It is not 'Lost' at its best by any stretch, or even Season 2 at its best, but there are a lot of pleasures and interest points (it's far from Season 2 at its worst, that distinction will always go to "Fire + Water").
"S.O.S." isn't flawless as such. The Mr Eko and Charlie stuff doesn't add an awful lot and is not as memorable as the rest of the episode, and Jack and Kate's dialogue can be very cheesy in spots.
On the other hand, everything with Henry Gale continues to delight (at points even he's creepy here) as does the interaction with Locke. Where "S.O.S." deserves most credit is giving minor characters up to this point more exposure and development and in a way that makes one identify and emotionally invest in Bernard and Rose, as well as giving Jack and Kate something to do that is crucial to the goings on and worthwhile (something that many previous episodes didn't achieve). There are many delightful character moments, and the flashback scenes are among the show's most poignant.
Acting is uniformly good, with the best performances going to Michael Emerson (that shot with the grin indeed will haunt one for days), L. Scott Caldwell and especially Sam Anderson who moved me to tears in his most emotional moments (i.e. the proposal).
Visually, 'Lost' continues to be stylish, atmospheric and beautiful in "S.O.S.", as always making the most of the island setting. The music is as always chilling and understated, everything is well directed and the script is very well written.
Summing up, very good episode deserving of more credit. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Can see why fans may dismiss "S.O.S.", with it often dismissed as a filler episode. It is slower in pace from the relatively general tautness of the previous episodes, more low-key and intricate in tone and is not the most character or plot-advancing of all 'Lost' episodes, there are signs of it with the Jack and Kate story-line and the surprising ending but they were more setting up what was to follow.
However, count me in as another person who likes "S.O.S." and considers it one of the most underrated 'Lost' episodes. It is not 'Lost' at its best by any stretch, or even Season 2 at its best, but there are a lot of pleasures and interest points (it's far from Season 2 at its worst, that distinction will always go to "Fire + Water").
"S.O.S." isn't flawless as such. The Mr Eko and Charlie stuff doesn't add an awful lot and is not as memorable as the rest of the episode, and Jack and Kate's dialogue can be very cheesy in spots.
On the other hand, everything with Henry Gale continues to delight (at points even he's creepy here) as does the interaction with Locke. Where "S.O.S." deserves most credit is giving minor characters up to this point more exposure and development and in a way that makes one identify and emotionally invest in Bernard and Rose, as well as giving Jack and Kate something to do that is crucial to the goings on and worthwhile (something that many previous episodes didn't achieve). There are many delightful character moments, and the flashback scenes are among the show's most poignant.
Acting is uniformly good, with the best performances going to Michael Emerson (that shot with the grin indeed will haunt one for days), L. Scott Caldwell and especially Sam Anderson who moved me to tears in his most emotional moments (i.e. the proposal).
Visually, 'Lost' continues to be stylish, atmospheric and beautiful in "S.O.S.", as always making the most of the island setting. The music is as always chilling and understated, everything is well directed and the script is very well written.
Summing up, very good episode deserving of more credit. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Best episode of the series
zpwilly9 January 2022
I've rewatched the series several times. This is the high watermark of story telling without leaning on the shows core mysteries and characters. Rose and Bernard are the best people on the island and their arc throughout the series is probably the only one without flaw. And "these arms of mine" is a banger and the best song featured in the series. 10/10.
A Rose Is A Rose
ctomvelu-126 November 2008
While Rose's husband becomes absolutely obsessed abut getting off the island, Rose tries to make him see fate has brought them there. It is revealed that he took Rose to Australia to a medicine man, seeking a cure, but it is the island that has cured Rose. She now fears leaving it. Jack and Kate go after the Others, looking to exchange "Henry" for Walt. Much of the epi is a flashback involving Rose and her husband, A little of Rose and her husband goes a long way, if you get my drift. And the business with Jack and Kate gets downright silly, as they end up in a net together. It might have been sexy played by two other actors, but not these two.
What does everyone have against rose and Bernard?
annaily17 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
It's not the most action packed, suspenseful, twist-n-turn episode. But it's beautiful love story of Rose and Bernard, the first one that we got to see flashbacks of their story. We've seen the flashbacks of every crash survivor with a speaking role at this point, even a partial flash back of the least-spoken Libby in the mental hospital with Hurley. We were overdue for Rose and Bernard's story. And it's a really sweet one.
Rose is sick and has become accepting of her own death, Bernard is desperate to save her anyways. It is a horrible situation that many couples and families have unfortunately been in.
When cancer or other terminal illness can no longer be treated, there's often conflict about finding peace in death as "giving up" and that we must keep fighting instead.
Bernard wants to keep fighting, while rose is at peace with her fate.
And that's a common motif throughout the show told in a very unique way in this episode. It's previously been represented by staying at the beach vs moving to the caves - do we keep fighting or do we make the most of our fate? The analogy between this and Rose and Bernard's story is relatable for people who have been in their situation. Plus the fact that rose is now revealed to be the only one who knows that Locke was healed after the crash too. It's really poignant.
I think people who dislike this episode don't feel compelled by stories involving terminal illness because they have never experienced one, and they only like scenes that they find either personally relatable, or ones that have more intense island mystery or gun action.
Rose is sick and has become accepting of her own death, Bernard is desperate to save her anyways. It is a horrible situation that many couples and families have unfortunately been in.
When cancer or other terminal illness can no longer be treated, there's often conflict about finding peace in death as "giving up" and that we must keep fighting instead.
Bernard wants to keep fighting, while rose is at peace with her fate.
And that's a common motif throughout the show told in a very unique way in this episode. It's previously been represented by staying at the beach vs moving to the caves - do we keep fighting or do we make the most of our fate? The analogy between this and Rose and Bernard's story is relatable for people who have been in their situation. Plus the fact that rose is now revealed to be the only one who knows that Locke was healed after the crash too. It's really poignant.
I think people who dislike this episode don't feel compelled by stories involving terminal illness because they have never experienced one, and they only like scenes that they find either personally relatable, or ones that have more intense island mystery or gun action.
Nothing more but a filler episode.
natashajamos-013157 August 2022
If there's an episode to skip then this is the one. It doesn't add anything to the myth arc and you can easily skip it if you're watching for the first time and not miss much. But if you're a fan of Rose and Bernard (I'm not) than watch It.
Filler episode and I disagree with those who are saying being called a filler episode is undeserved.
Filler episode and I disagree with those who are saying being called a filler episode is undeserved.
Sam Anderson & L. Scott Caldwell
richard.fuller117 April 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Sam Anderson is destined to join that most elite club of actors who do shows and becomes never really known for one role.
Mary Wickes, Kathleen Freeman, Charles Lane (still alive at 101) are some of these remarkable members.
However, "Lost" might ruin Anderson's membership.
As I watch him, all I can recall is his appearance on "Boston Common" and he comes up behind incredibly streetsmart Tasha Smith and, trying to sound hip, he goes 'yo ho' and at that time, 'ho' was becoming the slang for a woman of questionable means.
This and his remarkable appearance as the FBI director on "Everybody loves Raymond" as he listens to Doris Roberts.
So now, as Bernard, he is just as lost and worrisome.
When I first saw him on the show, stuck in the tree, I thought how wonderful this character actor is on this show.
And he is married to Rose, whom we met from the start. More wonderful.
And we get a flashback episode for this couple. Still wonderful! He proposed. I was grinning like a blooming idiot.
"Bernard, I'm dying." The smile left my face faster than it did Bernard's.
How utterly unpleasant.
I don't know where this series will go, who will survive, who won't, but I know if Rose does die and Bernard cries for her, I will seriously consider leaving this show.
It better be good.
Do these two performers justice. They can deliver.
I would prefer they leave hand-in-hand, very much alive.
Mary Wickes, Kathleen Freeman, Charles Lane (still alive at 101) are some of these remarkable members.
However, "Lost" might ruin Anderson's membership.
As I watch him, all I can recall is his appearance on "Boston Common" and he comes up behind incredibly streetsmart Tasha Smith and, trying to sound hip, he goes 'yo ho' and at that time, 'ho' was becoming the slang for a woman of questionable means.
This and his remarkable appearance as the FBI director on "Everybody loves Raymond" as he listens to Doris Roberts.
So now, as Bernard, he is just as lost and worrisome.
When I first saw him on the show, stuck in the tree, I thought how wonderful this character actor is on this show.
And he is married to Rose, whom we met from the start. More wonderful.
And we get a flashback episode for this couple. Still wonderful! He proposed. I was grinning like a blooming idiot.
"Bernard, I'm dying." The smile left my face faster than it did Bernard's.
How utterly unpleasant.
I don't know where this series will go, who will survive, who won't, but I know if Rose does die and Bernard cries for her, I will seriously consider leaving this show.
It better be good.
Do these two performers justice. They can deliver.
I would prefer they leave hand-in-hand, very much alive.
Terrible Episode
jsmact19 April 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I don't know about everyone else, but I thought this was one of the worse episodes yet. It was like they were just stalling time with this episode, because they didn't know what else to do. So they did flashbacks for that couple, who frankly I am not that interested in. It was boring, melodramatic, and uneventful. The surprise ending to me was nothing special, because it really did not add anything new, and explained nothing, except that Michael is still alive. I think Michael Emerson (Henry Gale) is a genius and I thought he could have had a bigger part in this episode. I think Lost is the most brilliant show ever to hit television, but sometimes it gets a little too "soap opera like" and this really annoys me. I am also frustrated that at the end of each episode some major thing happens and you don't get to find out what it was all about during the next episode! (example: Libby). What do you all think? Was this episode not just dull and pathetic?
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