Misplaced launched many compelling characters all through its six-season run from 2004-2010, from its principal ensemble of the likes of Jack (Matthew Fox), Kate (Evangeline Lily), Locke (Terry O’Quinn), and Sawyer (Josh Holloway) to its visitor stars and recurring gamers. Whereas most of Misplaced’s characters are definitely flawed in their very own methods, the primary time I watched the collection, there was one I could not appear to get on board with.
That might be Miles Straume (Ken Leung), launched originally of Season 4. The cynical psychic medium’s snarky perspective in direction of the principle gamers rapidly began to annoy me, significantly after three seasons spent principally of their firm. However rewatching the present years later, one thing shocking occurred: not solely did I begin to discover Miles endearing, however I additionally discovered myself actively drawn to him, generally over the characters that had been a part of the collection from the start. So what modified?
Wait, Who Is Miles Straume Once more?
Spoilers for ‘Misplaced’ Seasons 4-6For individuals who would possibly want a refresher, Miles is a part of the crew despatched to the island by Charles Widmore (Alan Dale) on the freighter Kahana to retrieve Ben Linus (Michael Emerson), together with scientists Charlotte (Rebecca Mader) and Daniel (Jeremy Davies) and helicopter pilot Frank (Jeff Fahey). The survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 see this freighter as their means off the island, a notion which the celebration is prepared to use to get near them. Miles was chosen for his expertise as a psychic medium with the flexibility to listen to the voices of the lifeless, so as to commune with the island’s supernatural residents.
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After Ben strikes the island within the Season 4 finale, Miles and a few of the others are despatched again in time to the early days of the doomed Dharma Initiative, the place they combine themselves into the crew and attempt to discover a means again to their very own time. Whereas there, Miles has an opportunity to attach along with his father, Dr. Pierre Chang (Francois Chau), a Dharma scientist whom he resents for by no means being round throughout his childhood, however opts to not take it till it is too late. The group manages to return to 2004 after detonating a bomb to set off a timeline reset, and Miles ultimately escapes the island together with Kate, Sawyer, Frank, Richard, and Claire within the collection finale.
How I Modified My Thoughts on Miles
Watching Misplaced weekly over a interval of years (together with its many months-long mid-season breaks), my authentic loyalty as a viewer was to the survivors of 815, significantly John Locke, who I discovered most compelling the primary time round. So when Miles confirmed up in Season 4 and began performing like a jerk to those characters that I might spent the earlier three years following, I rapidly discovered myself getting irritated with him. This sense continued as Miles turned a extra important member of the solid in Seasons 5 and 6, significantly as different authentic solid members started to be killed off.
However watching the present in a binge format, when years rapidly collapse into one steady stream, Miles’ snarky tone truly felt like a breath of recent air when it arrived. He is capable of rapidly reduce by means of the self-seriousness of characters like Jack, Locke, and Sawyer, whose always shifting alliances and tough-guy posturing grew extra pronounced when watching episodes back-to-back. In an odd flip of occasions, I discovered myself rising extra aggravated with the principle solid, whose dynamics generally felt caught in the identical gear, making Miles’ capacity to puncture their egos that rather more satisfying.
As Miles’ backstory is fleshed out in Season 5, he turns into a extra advanced character with deeper layers than only a snarky counterpoint. Leung additionally does glorious work within the position, his sarcasm clearly a masks for his emotional ache and alienation. Curiously, it appears I’ll have been within the minority on the time, as Miles’ introduction was largely well-received by critics and audiences.
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I am unsure precisely the way to clarify this variation of thoughts. I used to be in my teenagers when Misplaced initially aired, and might need been extra apt to develop into emotionally invested in sure characters, whereas I used to be capable of take a extra goal view as an grownup throughout my rewatch. The binge format additionally performs an essential position, because the characters’ flaws and virtues develop into extra obvious in a condensed timeframe.
As a community collection, Misplaced usually had lengthy season orders to fill, and sometimes discovered itself spinning its wheels or going off on odd tangents to blended success. Binging the collection was a really satisfying expertise, significantly on a plot stage, regardless of what its creators might imagine. However on the subject of the characters, I used to be shocked to search out myself rising impatient with these I might beforehand revered, like Locke. Possibly it is as a result of I do know myself effectively sufficient to know that in an identical state of affairs, I might seemingly be extra of a Hurley or a Charlie than a Jack. Chalk it as much as familiarity, life expertise, or modifications in viewing habits, however I would not have imagined Miles would go from being considered one of my least favourite Misplaced characters to considered one of my favorites.
Misplaced
4
/5
- Launch Date
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2004 – 2010-00-00
- Community
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ABC