Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Lost - "Further Instructions"

Episode Title: “Further Instructions”

Brian's Deeper Meaning Guess: Okay, so “A Tale of Two Cities” and “The Glass Ballerina” didn’t really live up to my “deeper meaning” expectations – but I’ve got a lot of hope for “Further Instructions”. It’s a Locke-centric episode (always a good sign), and it’s the pivotal third episode of the season (which historically has been one of the best episodes of the season). So what are these “Instructions”?

Well, let’s take a trip down memory lane with our boy John Locke. Remember how badass and mysterious he was in Season One? He was one of the first characters to face Smokey (and survive), and emerged from the encounter with seeming newfound gifts of survival and knowledge about the Island. In return, he had a love (and almost a respect) for the Island. He gave his “I’ve looked into the eye of the Island – and what I saw was beautiful” speech and always seemed to be manipulating everyone else on the Island for his benefit. Locke felt he was brought to the Island for a reason, that he had a special purpose… and he was hellbent on finding out why, even if it meant sacrificing people in the process.

Enter the Hatch. Once Boone and Locke discovered the Hatch, Locke found his purpose. Getting inside that mysterious metal door consumed him. He didn’t really know what was inside, or why he needed to get inside, but the Island seemed to be leading him there (remember the creepy visions of dead Boone and the Beechcraft plane?)

Then came Season Two. Locke found exactly what he was looking for. Through entering the Numbers, he was saving the world – his greater purpose was as great as anyone’s purpose could be. And yet, Locke was… different. Gone were the days of badass Locke winging hunting knives at people and manipulating the rest of the Survivors. He became a slave to the Hatch, becoming a man who sat at a computer mindlessly entering numbers all day (not so different than his former, boring, pre-Island life). There was nothing more telling of Locke’s total change in character than the finale, featuring a crying Locke apologizing to Eko inside the Hatch. That was not the badass John Locke we all knew and loved.

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But with the conclusion of Season Two, and the “destruction” of the Hatch, “Computer Nerd” Locke seems to be firmly behind us, and John Locke is once again is looking for meaning – for “Further Instructions”, if you will. Where does he go from here? Will Locke step in as the de facto leader of the Survivors? Will he embark on a quest to save Jack, Kate, and Sawyer? Will he shift his focus to another Dharma Station (back to the Pearl, perhaps?) in his quest to better understand the Island?

Maybe eventually, but there seems to be more pressing matters for Locke this week – namely, saving Eko…


TV.com Description: The aftermath of the hatch and its implosion results with Locke and Desmond safely alive. However, Mr. Eko remains in grave danger with Locke trying to save him. Meanwhile, Claire is stunned to see castaways Paulo and Nikki having sex in Jack's tent. Also, Hurley discusses in detail to the camp survivors on what it was like being captured by the “Others.” Lastly, flashbacks reveal more about Locke’s past. Locke also begins to come to terms with his involvement in Boone’s death.


TV.com Breakdown: Wow. Best episode description ever. Seriously, our typical episode descriptions give us one or two generic sentences about the episode, revealing little of what is actually going to happen. This is like a Cliff’s Notes summary of the episode! I had a hunch this episode would be huge after looking at the third episodes of the first two seasons, but after reading that description, it confirms it – this will be the best episode of Lost so far this year. Where to begin?

After spending Episode One entirely with the Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and the Others; then spending Episode Two splitting time between them and Sayid, Sun, and Jin, we’re finally getting back to the rest of the Survivors. Finally! While my most pressing questions about Lost revolve around Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and the Others – it’ll be nice to see the rest of the amazing ensemble cast again.

As predicted by most everyone this summer, Locke, Desmond, and Eko all survived the white light Hatch meltdown from last season. No big surprise there. The intriguing thing is, based on the episode preview, they aren’t all stumbling out of the Hatch together – they seem to be scattered all over the place in the Jungle. I suppose the meltdown could have “thrown” them out the Hatch – but doing so without totally beating them to death seems pretty amazing. It makes you start to wonder, as the producers have suggested we start thinking about, what exactly happened when the meltdown occurred… How will each be affected?

The one specific thing the episode preview tells us is that Eko isn’t in the clear yet. He’s not just in danger, he’s in “grave danger” – that’s the worst kind! What on the Island could possibly put someone in such a perilous state? CFL? The Others? Trapped somewhere with Claire blabbering about her “babay” being in danger? Nope, nope, and please God no – the only thing I can think of is our old friend Smokey the Smoke Monster. Why? Well, think about how well it would all fit together…

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Smokey (although producers hint we saw him last season and we didn’t even know it – which I have no explanation for), so we’re due for a reappearance. It hasn’t been since Eko’s encounter with it during “The 23rd Pslam”, which coincidentally was the most we’ve ever seen of our favorite magical smoke friend (well, maybe second favorite – can’t forget about Puff). Eko and Locke are the only two who have successfully stood face to face (face to smoke?) with Smokey and lived, so it would reason they are the two most “knowledgeable” about it. We’ve also been promised that we would learn much more about the nature and purpose of Smokey this season.

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Therefore, if Eko is in “grave danger” from Smokey, the most logical choice to rescue him becomes John Locke. I could also see this “encounter” giving Locke his new purpose for the Island – much like his first encounter with Smokey gave him his initial purpose on the Island. Exciting!

(Sidebar: I’m also kicking around the notion of Locke “killing” Smokey. I don’t know why, or how this would even be possible, but I just get this feeling that something big is going to happen. The producers have hinted that they would be “wrapping up” some un-answered storylines from the first two seasons early in Season Three to make room for some new storylines starting up. I would say the “mysterious monster” storyline would qualify. It’s clearly not critical to the overall story of the show, since it has disappeared for huge chunks of Seasons One and Two without having any huge impact on Lost. It also just seems like the perfect “circle of life” ending to the whole Smoke Monster storyline. Locke serving as the hero, saving Eko, and killing the very thing that gave him his powers.

From a thematic view, one could argue that the first two seasons were really focused on fear of the unknown – Smokey, Desmond, the Others, etc – and how our Survivors discovered and dealt with them. But now, with the integration of the Others (who we can assume know much, if not all about what is going on on the Island), I feel like the answers to these “unknowns” are going to start coming. I’m expecting the theme is going to switch to a more action-based, “how do we get off the Island?” deal... and if it does, Locke ending Smokey seems like a great way to wrap up the storyline. But I digress…)

Elsewhere, we’re finally going to be introduced to the other two new series regulars this season, Paulo and Nikki – and what better way to meet a new friend than with a steamy sex scene? In case you can’t identify the new characters through their sinning in Jack’s tent, here are a few pictures from their pre-Lost lives:

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I like what Paulo and Nikki represent (hot steamy lovers! I mean...) – the “background” characters we’ve seen milling around, attending funerals, carrying rocks, finally getting their time to shine, to step forward and introduce some “fresh” characters without needing another plane or boat to crash. (It really was a genius move on the part of the Lost creators to have these background characters never be identified in the first two seasons.) Expect Claire to have a minor freak-out session upon discovering the love muffins in Jack’s tent, since other individuals taking over Jack’s tent seemingly represents Jack being gone and never coming back, so his possessions are up for grabs.

These feelings will be exacerbated by Hurley’s return, when he describes how they were quickly and efficiently taken down and captured by the Others, helpless against them. I’m expecting a major freak out session among the rest of the Survivors when they realize that three of their strongest members were no match for these mysterious “Others”. Someone is going to need to step up and calm everyone down and organize them. With Sayid still away, and Locke off saving Eko, I’m looking to newcomer Paulo to be the man to do so.

Lastly, after Locke spent last season pretty remorseless over Boone’s death, he seems to finally be dealing with it. Up until this point, he could justify the death as being part of the path he was on – leading him to the Numbers, which were saving the world. Now that they’re gone, and the world didn’t end, he’s forced to look in the mirror and justify where all his actions got him. He’s back at square one, again looking for purpose on the Island, again looking for “Further Instructions”.



Previously on Lost…

Back to last week’s episode. I gave you my Instant Reactions a few days ago. Now it’s time for my more well thought out analysis, which should be a little lighter on the crazy (Sun killing Jae? What was I thinking? I don’t remember drinking during Lost last week)…


Groups. Although a lot about The Others still remains a mystery, the one glaring piece of the puzzle that I could never fit were the costumes that they wore. If you think about it, the only reasons someone would wear a costume is to either hide from someone or trick someone (or possibly to get free candy). But two episodes into the third season, it doesn’t seem like the Others are hiding from anyone. On the contrary, they’ve actually intentionally interacted with our Survivors (the opposite of hiding). Likewise, although they might be outnumbered by the Survivors, they’ve got much more knowledge on their side, which gives them the power edge.

So it’s pretty clear to me that the Others aren’t donning their derelict Mugatu costumes for the sake of the Survivors. But why? Say hello to my newest group on the Island – one I’ll term “Experiment Rejects”.

So who are these “Rejects”? I think they’re the victims or products of whatever messed up experiments Dharma was carrying out on the Island. Think about those freaky feet we saw early last season creeping through the jungle. Now, after spending two episodes with the Others, they don’t seem very Other-like, do they? There was something supernatural about them, something very disturbing about the way they were dragging an old Teddy Bear around. While the Others certainly seem to have some stealthiness about them, it’s nothing compared to these guys:

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When you start adding all the clues in your head it starts to makes sense. A picture starts to form. We’ve seen the Others obsession with children. We know Dharma was working on experiments to extend life, messing with the ability to accelerate or slow down the aging process. Who would be carrying a dirty Teddy Bear? A child who has aged unnaturally fast, and is clinging on to their only memory of youth. How about the creepy whispers we’ve heard from time to time? Remember the Dharma experiments dealing with mind-reading and telepathy? What if it’s just the byproduct of these Rejects communicating with each other? Remember Kelvin? He was Dharma, and yet spoke of the “Hostiles” that he needed to avoid. There has to be a third party, a dangerous party to the Others that are in the mix – and it’s none other than the Rejects.

What about the Others disguises? Well, if these Rejects are as savage as I think (the result of numerous torturous Dharma experiments over the years), it’s in your best interest to blend in with them – thus the Others’ disguises to look like them. I’m thinking that the Rejects have the power, but the Others have the brains, and are effectively outsmarting the Rejects by traveling around the Island incognito.

This also would validate Ben’s claim that “they’re the good guys”. They’re the civilized guys. They’re the ones the Survivors can trust (hard as that may be to believe now). From a story-telling point of view, it gives us “bad guys” on the Island, bringing back the fear that we’ve somewhat lost as we’ve learned more about the Island (note: this would be especially critical if Smokey is gone after this episode, as I insanely predicted earlier) – you need that tension, that fear of the unknown in the jungle – and the Rejects provide just that.

So, for those of you playing at home, we’re now looking at the following on the Island:

  • Survivors (Jack and Co.)
  • Others (Ben and Co.)
  • Rebels (Alex and Co.)
  • Rejects (TBA and Co.)

Boat. The other thing that’s been puzzling me is why Ben was so concerned that our Survivors had a boat. Based on our assumption that the Others can come and go from the Island as they please, there would be no reason for the Others to need that boat for escape from the Island, or anything of that nature. We’ve seen that the Others camp is smack in the middle of the Island, so it’s not as though they’re afraid that the Survivors would stumble upon it if they had a boat. Heck, Ben gave Michael a boat, along with the coordinates to get away from the Island. If they were concerned about something off the coast, don’t you think Desmond would have run into it as he sailed in circles around the Island for the prior month?

So why did he freak out? The only plausible explanation that I can think of is that the boat provides any of the Survivors with a means to get off the Island, and Ben wants to keep them there. Giving Michael the boat was controlled. Michael and Walt got on the boat, and left (and even that was after the Others had presumably “gotten all they could” from Walt). There was no chance of anyone else jumping on board since Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Hurley were all bound and gagged at the time. However, this new boat introduces a wild card. Literally any of the Survivors could hop on board and sail away – and that’s not something the Others are ready for.

The Survivors provide the Others with fresh skills and resources – they could be anything from workers (Sawyer) to experiment test subjects (Walt) to tasty eye candy (Kate). Although the Others seem to have access to resources (through the perpetual supply drops), the one resource they might lack is people. As a commenter noted, you don’t see any Other Kids running around, do you? The Survivors might provide the one thing they need – fresh blood. The Others have plans for them, and they’re not ready to lose any of them yet.


Offer. Speaking of these plans, what do we make of the offer Ben made to Jack? Ben seems to have a very specific request in mind for what he wants from Jack, yet didn’t come out and say it – why? Since Jack is a doctor, it seems the logical answer that they need Jack for some medical purpose. The really intriguing thing is that an episode description a few weeks from now mentions something about “Jack tending to a wounded Other”.

Could Ben have somehow known that this event was forthcoming, and know that he would need Jack to save his fellow Other? It sounds a bit too sci-fi for me, but it would help tie together a few dangling storylines – like why the Others didn’t take Jack, Kate, and Sawyer when they had the chance. This information could have been garnered from kidnapped Walt, using his crazy special “powers”, after the Jungle encounter between the Others and Jack. They’ve kidnapped them, and they’re trying to win him over, knowing that they will need his help down the road.

It fits nice – but is a tad too supernatural for my liking, especially for a show that claims that all its mysteries will be explained by science. We’ll see…


Comments on Comments. But enough of my crazy ramblings. Time for your crazy ramblings! And my crazy rambling responses to them….

Mike said… As for Jae's death... the fact that he was holding the pearls that Sun rejected leads me to believe it was suicide. I think this was one of the best sequences of flashbacks in a while, especially how Jae knew exactly why Jin was beating him even though Jin DID NOT know why he was beating him. That is really good writing.

You’re absolutely right. Jin beats the crap out of Jae and Jae thinks that Sun has told him about their affair, effectively ending it. Since he can’t bear to live a life without her, he grabs the pearls (a memory of her) and jumps out the window, giving up on life. Little does he know that Jin doesn’t know the truth and Sun didn’t tell him. It’s like a Shakespearian tragedy! Great, great writing.

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Trixie said… Usually I'm not one for wack-a-doo theories.. but wasn't part of the initiative tests having to do with extending life expectancy?? If so, here's my submission. Juliette is .. oh around 80 yrs old... just doesn't look it. When Benry was whining that he didn't get soup made for him, I took it as at one time, Ben was cared for/trained by Juliette like Jack is now (perhaps from a baby forward as he's been on the island all his life)... also explains her older musical choices and also points to the comment in the 1st episode about who she was "a long time ago". Perhaps they all just aren't aging, and if they leave the island, they do.

It’s wack-a-doo alright, but it would also make total sense given everything we’ve seen so far this season. However, I think it also skews a bit too “nerd sci-fi” for Lost – although it is an intriguing concept. Good thinking!


THE GREAT ONE said… Does it bother anyone else that the Others know EVERYTHING about the survivors?? we know the two spies, ethan and the other dude, did not get that much info. And even with contact with the outside world, there is no way they can gather that much info at once about a bunch of people from all around the world. They know way too mcuh for ppl that they have lived with for 70 days...there is something behind the others, supporting them.

That’s a really good point. I could see them getting a ton of information about someone like Jack (doctor), Charlie (former star), or Sun (rich), but what about someone like Locke, who was pretty much a nobody in his former life? I know there’s no such thing as privacy anymore in this age of phone taps, Internet monitoring, and surveillance cameras, but it still seems like a bit of a stretch. Maybe they have some sort of government CIA / FBI / CSI computer on the Island that they’re using to gather all the information about each of the Survivors from around the world. Big Brother (1984, not crappy CBS show reference) is watching us!


Jenn said… I'm just really bothered right now in how CFL could know the island so well but not know more about the Others. How come they don't seem to know/care about her? How come she is still walking free? Weird.


Seriously. I don’t trust her. How has she never stumbled upon the Other’s cul-de-sac during her sixteen years of wandering around the Island? Why don’t the Others care about her? She’s a wild card, which makes me think the Others have either a) already used her for whatever they needed her for – and she’s in effect, a “Reject” or b) have plans for her in the future and the time hasn’t come yet.


Hobbes said… In Alvar Hanso's numbers revealed video he comments to the Dharma initiates how before they (the newbies) get sent to a top secret facility (the island) he makes reference that they will go through "induction counseling and survival training". Of course that could just mean "here's a pamphlet and a box of matches." But as some of you have been thinking what if Jack or Kate or Sawyer are going through a similer procedure. Maybe it has to do with the One True Way or Dharma. Possibly all of The Others do or have gone through it at some time.

Exactly. Like an initiation of sorts to join Club Others. Also, think about this – both Kate and Sawyer (the two who are doing the slave labor) are the two of the certified KILLERS out of the Survivors. As much as we love them for their hot bods (I mean, “personalities”) they’re criminals, and maybe this is the way the Others are carrying out punishment for their crimes.

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And with that, I’m spent. Good stuff as always loyal readers! Keep the great comments coming. Enjoy this week – I hope I didn’t hype it up too much (as I tend to do with pretty much everything I love in life), but I’m honestly giddy about it.

If you’re bored killing the time between now and 9:00 pm tonight, go ahead and relentlessly click on those Google ads on the top of the page. I think I get a lot more money when people click on them vs. when people just visit the page. And we all know, I’m only in this for the money. Well, that and the women.

Happy Lost-ing!

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

Small point re Sun and Jae. I absolutely agree that it was great writing, and that is why it is such a talking point. But suicide doesn't feel right to me. Why?

1) Once Sun's father walked in, Jae would've realised that he was busted, and had caused great shame on the Sun family (Asian style). Sun had already told Jae she wouldn't leave her husband by this point, so it seems like this would've been a low point, i.e. potential suicide point.

2) The look of fear in Jae's eyes when Jin came round to give the beats. Someone who wants to commit suicide isn't scared of being killed. When Jin had the gun pointed at Jae, it was Jae's eyes that convince Jin to let him live. Why would he then go on to commit suicide?

While I don't disagree that his suicide is the most plausible explanation, I certain think that the possibility that Sun killed Jae is very much there, and as per the writers' intention.

It's plausible that Jae sat in the car for a long time before Jae returned to the hotel. It's plausible that after he left Sun at home, she also left for the hotel (unbeknownst to us). It's plausible that the home has more than one entrance and Sun entered without Jin knowing (especially as she would've been adept at sneaking round so her father's henchmen wouldn't see her). It's plausible she was waiting in the room for Jae to get some sweet lovin'. It's plausible she hide when she heard the commotion. It's plausible that after Jin left, she came out and met Jae. Jae, seeing his chance, grabs the pearls and offers it to her again, and the chance of a new life. He grabs her, she pushes him off as a sign of rejection. In his weakened state, he falls off the balcony.

Sun can't live with herself and decides to run off to America to leave her troubles behind.

It's not outside the realm of possibility.

But I am sure we will never know, and that is why it is such a good story.

(yay! first comment)

Anonymous said...

Best post ever, Brian!

Anonymous said...

andi~

Good thoughts.

You saw fear in Jae's eyes because it was at that point he realized (falsely) that Jin knew about his affair with Sun. He wasn't suicidal until the beatdown. It was at that point he realized he had no shot with the woman he loved.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone find it odd that everytime Jack, Sawyer, or anyone gets the upper hand on the others, Kate gets "taken". For someone who seems to be able to take care of herself, she gets "taken" very easily. That bothers me for some reason. Any comments?

Anonymous said...

The teddy-bear toting kiddy you show a picture of. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I always thought that kid was one of the two tail section kids. When they reviewed the other 48 days (I think that was the episode). They showed a kid with a teddy bear that looked a lot like the one being dragged by the rope.

And what happened to that other lady from the tail section that just dissappeared on the trek to the beach party?

Is anyone else having Alias season 3 feelings? Like it was going so good, but I'm starting to wonder why it's all repeating itself?

Anonymous said...

To add to Trixie's "wack-a-doo theory" about Juliet being 80 yrs old... I've read posts suggesting that Amelia (the older woman at the book club) could be Amelia Erhart -- who might be 107 years old now. Those ideas fit nicely together.

Anonymous said...

Good thoughts Brian. Esp like the idea about them not ageing!!

I thought it really strange the conversation between Colleen and Sun 'We know your not a killer Sun' The way it was said is like they actually know who of the losties is (and there are ALOT) and who isnt a killer already!

I think this really ties in with my idea about the disease we learned about in the lost experience, something maybe that only effect bad people... and something that has a very unusual effect on children maybe ? (maybe children arent truely good or evil yet)

Anonymous said...

I think continued speculation about Sun having killed Jae is nuts. He jumped after realizing he had no shot with Sun and that he would be shammed forever. Also, excellent insight or question raised about the Others shown last season trapsing thru the woods....these are clearly not the Others we now see (Ben and gang).

Anonymous said...

I am totally not on board with the THREE factions of others. I have no real reason other than it seems too complicated for where we are in the story and that the others we saw trapesing through the jungle didn't seem different than the others we now know.

Of course as I type this I am reminded of what Benry says to Jack when he visits him at the end of the episode...if I would have told you I was one of THOSE people you and your friends called OTHERS...
Maybe, that is as far as I will go with the new theory :)

Brian, your thoughts on tonight's episode...THE BEST EVER!

I would really like to know more about the clues in the episodes so far that I may have missed...anyone else see them?

One I did catch was a boring number clue...the number ont he hotel door when Jae opens his door. Anyone else see fun things? It is all I can concentrate on while I wait...that and clicking on the ads!!!
Watch on LOST friends, watch on...

Anonymous said...

just nice. enjoyed your post as always.

btw, ofc it was suicide. sun killing him and attending the funeral with teary eyes? even sun isn't that much of a badass ;)

Anonymous said...

Hey Brian,

great theory about the Rejects - I really like that! As I´m watching the 2nd season on tv here in Germany again, I came across Goodwin. Ana-Lucia confronted him with the list of names from the Tailies, who were taken by the Others. A list like the one in the last episodes of season two. Goodwin said, the one he killed, Nathan, was not an that list, "because he was not a good person". What does this mean regarding Kate & Co.? Kate & Sawyer are not good either, if you take the theory of punishment for their past. Goodwin seemed to be one of the Others, not the Rejects.
I personally think the Others are not less cruel than the Rejects (Michael Emerson is so creepy - what a great actor!), if you believe that there are different groups of them. It will be a nail-biting time unless we find out...Keep writing that good stuff!

Anonymous said...

Have you noticed that the TVs Ben is watching for surveillance seem unnecessarily old while we know that the Others have modern appliances (Book club house), color TVs (Red Sox World Series clip), and super sensitive/ultra clear microphones (Kate/Sawyer converstion in the cages).

Do you think this is an inconsequential detail or does it suggest that the Others haven't had a need for surveillance (i.e. prisoners) for a long time? This might suggest that Carl was a shill and confuses me about CFLs daughter's role.

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with your "rejects" theory, actually I wrote the same thing under your previous post :p

Great post about further instructions though, you got me all excited, I just hope I won't get disappointed tomorrow...

Anonymous said...

Just a quick comment to say great blog Bryan, keep it up.
Also, if Kelvin worked for DHARMA do you think he would have known about the others village place? Just a quick query if someone would like to help me out.

Anonymous said...

Hokay... my only real point worth adding right now is this.

It's a ncie theory about the Others using the disguises to blend in with the Other Others (heh) or the Rejects as you call them.

Consider this though.

On the pier, Benry looks at Tom (in a quite irritated fashion it seems to me) and he doth say "Tomas! Wherefore art thy beard?" albeit slighty less shakespearean, and Tom answere "I think they already know."

So, it seems to me that at that point at least, they still wanted the survivors thinking that those disguises were the real them - not to fool anyone else at all. I have absolutley no idea as to WHY this should be, and I'm not about to ty and work it out right now.

By-the-by, I'm still convinced that the reason they chose these three survivors is to do with the "visions in black" as I'm now calling them (Jack's dad, Sawyer's boar, Kate's horse). Remember, Kate saw Sawyer's boar and Sawyer saw Kate's horse, but I don't think anyone else did (please correct mt if I'm wrong so I can not pursue this theory any further).

A new point my friend made was about Ol' Smokey... "We've seen him and don't know it." Could smokey BE the visions in black? Is that too crazy?

Lemme know what you think, and thanke-sai ;)

Anonymous said...

Sawyer's boar was real, everyone saw it when it turned Sawyer's tent upside down. Sawyer thought the boar was possessed or something.

I don't remember seeing the smokey in the second season. Come to think of it, maybe the black smoke can turn into things, like the black horse Kate saw and touched? Sawyer saw it too, and they are both abducted. Maybe it's just a device others use (having created it during the experiments) to get insights, deeper knowledge of the survivors? Yeah but why did it kill the pilot on the first episode.

I think we'll see the black smoke, but we'll not learn more than we already know, they can't explore all that in one episode, with all the flashbacks, Locke can't talk ohmygod stuff, Desmond's nudeness, Eko's whereabouts, Boone's ghost in Locke's mind, Hurley coming back to the camp, and maybe Sayid Sun and Jin walking through the jungle...

Anonymous said...

Great post, Brian. I'm absolutely giddy waiting for tonight - badass Locke was my original favorite character, and I can't wait to see him back!

I love justanotherother's reference to the fake psychic back in Sydney. We know he interacted with both Claire and Eko. Any thoughts there?

Anonymous said...

Great post as always Brian.

Just one quick question. Why do we think the Others camp is the middle of the island? Ben had breakfast with Kate on the beach. Did they hike the table and the breakfast all the way from the middle of the island? I think the ? in the middle of the map is still an unknown.

Anonymous said...

So I don't think this super slow aging theory is a very good one.

Why you ask? Well if is true wouldn't CFI daughter (Alex.. who was born on the Island and raised by the others) look only like a little kid, and not like the normal 16yr old that she is???

mmm... just wanted to throw that out there!

Anonymous said...

Senor Feesh, nice insights to smokey. Does anyone remember the clip from seasom one of the superfast black cloud (presemably smokey) flying through the airplanes engine and causing it to explode? From that, and to knowing that Desmond had a failure in the hatch at that time. And then another hatch failure at the end of season two. Brian I think you are right that Locke is going to be saving Eko from Smokey. Perhaps when the Swan hatch is operating it keeps smokey away.
T-Minus 2hours.

Enjoy all!

Anonymous said...

that was the best episode of all time

Anonymous said...

that was the best episode of all time

Anonymous said...

Polar bears!!!

I bet LOST won't be having Coca-Cola as a sponsor anytime soon. They're not quite so cute and cuddly now, eh?

Anonymous said...

Am I the only person who is...thus far...kind of dissappointed in this season? I mean, tonights episode was pretty good, but I think it was good compaired to the last two weeks. Compaired to an episode from the first or second season it kind of falls short. I find myself at the end of an episode saying...that's it? We're not really moving forward here in any of our stories. I don't find myself at the end of en episdoe saying..WHAT? or NO WAY! and then being really excited for next weeks. It's like im just watching it because I was really into the first two seasons. I'm hoping it will start picking up here soon. Let me know what you think.

Anonymous said...

I certainly felt like that the second season until the great finale, but this season has a bit more kick to it thus far.

The feeling the whole time is that something really big is lying underneath and I think tonight's episode was the first true peak into what that might be.

Its kind of a bummer to have almost two seperate story lines at this point because you really get into one and have the next week's focus on the other, but they will merge soon enough. Big things soon, big things.

Anonymous said...

I think that CFL is too scared to explore the whole island. My thoughts have always been that she lives a relatively secluded life and is too afraid of the sickness and the whisphers to go far. She seems to have a knowledge of a limited area of the island though.

PHG said...

Where was the bumping of said nasties??????????

Anonymous said...

Interesting show last night....a few questions;

why did it seem that life was going along normally for the lostees despite the explosion they all must have felt from the Hatch?

Also, going back to last season, why would Desmond go along w/Locke and agree initially NOT to push the numbers after he witnessed the results of the "incident" years back after Kelvin was killed?

It should be cool to see Locke in action (with Sadid?) in trying to rescue Jack and the gang. He seems to be compelled to redeem himself and this will be his lifes focus.

Anonymous said...

I share the disappointment of thesock. Maybe I don't see the the connections (yet). But an entire episode has passed and all we learned is that there is a polar bear and that Desmond was able to foresee the future.

Whereas in Season One I had to watch every single episode, I now get the feeling that I could certainly jump over a few ones. Reading your blog, Brian, is much more interesting than watching the series. Walk on!

Anonymous said...

Like Pat said - was something missing? Did I miss the newbies knockin' boots in Jack's tent?

Anonymous said...

I myself have learned to take TV.com's episode descriptions with a pinch of salt... after all, according to them we saw "leadership struggles emerging in the survivor's camp" in episode one...

And alas, it seems I was wrong about the boar after all... not some crazy vision, but at least now I can get that theory out of my head, so thanks for correcting me there ;)

As it is I think smokey being able to take on different forms is pretty much the only explantion I can think of regarding "seeing it but not knowing it", unless smokey was masquerading as the black smoke that signals the others on their way... hardly likely methinks :P