tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134984132024-03-06T23:51:46.162-05:00Lost... and Gone ForeverUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger361125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-79147831232135160992011-09-10T07:04:00.010-05:002011-09-10T07:26:06.677-05:002011 Fall TV Preview!<p class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:15.0pt"><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"></span></p><span><span></span></span><span><span>I’m cutting it close this year – new TV shows start this week! Read quickly!<br /><br />This year’s Fall TV Preview is unlike those of most past years – for the first time in as long as I can remember, I haven’t been successful in locating the pilot episodes of this year’s crop of new TV shows online. That means I can’t really fully vouch for any of them being fantastic, or steer you away from any that are terrible. But what I can do is tell you which shows I’m going to give a chance – and why – along with the returning favorites that have already earned the much coveted Brian Seal of Approval.<br /><br />The good news is, this might offer me a good excuse to Blog a bit more often over the course of the next few weeks as we test out these new shows. I don’t know that any of them will actually be Blog-worthy (but here’s hoping!), but if nothing else, determining which shows earn a spot on my busy DVR schedule and which fall by the wayside might make for some entertaining posts. </span></span><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>So stay tuned, I might actually be blogging semi-frequently for the next few weeks! </span></span><div><span><span><br />For now, here are the shows that I’ll be watching at the start of the season…<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span">Monday</span></u></b> </span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span><span><span><u>8:00 pm – How I Met Your Mother (CBS) – September 19</u><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>After a pretty lackluster fifth season, the only sitcom I’ve ever liked on CBS came back with a strong sixth season last year featuring a number of great storylines – the Ted / Zoey / Arcadian storyline, Barney meeting his Trinity Killer Father, Lilly finally getting pregnant, a flash-forward to Barney’s wedding day (!), and one of those “damn you for making me feel emotions, alleged comedy” storylines where Marshall’s dad died… which was powerful and touching, but still found a way to be hilarious thanks to its frequent references to Crocodile Dundee 3.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>Even though the show continues to move forward at a snail’s pace in its titular (wait – is that a dirty word?) promise to show us how Ted meets the mother of his children, as long as the storylines with the characters remain strong, I really don’t care. With Lilly’s pregnancy and Barney’s wedding, the show potentially dropped two bombs big enough to destroy the show that we all know and love… (everyone knows that writing babies onto a show is generally accepted as meaning the writers are out of ideas) but also gives us two guaranteed overarching storylines for the next year to move the story forward.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>In an ironic way, HIMYM is kinda like Lost - it’s one of those situations where you want to know the outcome of the story, but once you do, it’s over… so maybe we should stop worrying about the ending and just enjoy the ride. Plus, how disappointing is it going to be when it turns out that Ted is dead all along and the show is a place he created for he and his friends to meet up in the afterlife?<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><u>8:00 pm - Terra Nova (Fox) – September 16</u><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>True story – I love me some dinosaurs. As a little kid, they adorned my clothes and birthday cakes. As a medium sized kid, Jurassic Park was the first movie I ever saw in a theater multiple times. So it’s no wonder that this show intrigues me. The premise is that it’s the year 2149 and all life on earth is about to go extinct. Thankfully, scientists develop a time machine to send the people of 2149 back a few million years back in time when the earth was full of lush vegetation, clean water, and life-threatening dinosaurs (why not just send them back to the 1980s?). The show follows a family as they join “Terra Nova” – the first human colony in the prehistoric world. </span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>Oh, and the show is produced by Steven Spielberg, who knows a thing or two about making dinosaur-centric entertainment.<br /><br /><p class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:15.0pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A; background:white"><iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/X6aNEIZwPFc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><o:p></o:p></span></p><br />There’s a lot of potential ways for this show to fail miserably. Terrible special effects (although the show’s budget is absolutely huge – something like $4 million per episode - so I’m hopeful), cheesy dialogue, the feeling like it’s some type of Avatar-rip-off, etc. But the dinosaur-loving-kid in me wants it to be great, so I’m going to give it a chance.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><span><span>Stay tuned…<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span">Tuesday</span></u></b><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><u>8:00 – 90210 (CW) – September 13</u><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>Yes 90210 is still appointment viewing in our household. This is how you know although I use a lot of big words and talk all intellectually about TV shows, I’m not actually a TV snob. I like entertainment, and 90210 gives it to me in huge, ridiculous portions. What do you need to know? Teenage drama, pretty people, generally likeable characters, and one of the rare shows that actually graduated its high school cast at the end of last season. Last year featured the typical teen drama storylines of a character realizing he’s gay, a character overcoming her fears of surfing by smoking pot, assisted suicide, and the risks of stealing song ideas from your dead boyfriend to become a temporary superstar. You know, the usual.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>What next?<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>I don’t really care. Kate thinks the show bordered on the absurd last year, but I absolutely ate it up and loved it. All I know is that my high school years would have been a lot easier if 90 was around back then for me, warning me of the potential dangers of a monkey attack in Mexico (again, dead serious about the storylines).<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><u>9:00 – Ringer (CW) – September 13</u><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>True story #2 – I loved me some Buffy the Vampire Slayer back in the day. You might say this was the show that got me obsessed with TV. It certainly was the first show where I paid attention to things like episode titles, writers, season long story arcs, and used the Internet as a place to discuss and debate episodes. So I can’t help but feel a little nostalgic that Buffy herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar is coming back to TV. Watching the previews for Ringer on TV, it looked fairly terrible – but after reading the plot synopsis and critic reviews on Wikipedia, I’m intrigued enough to give it a shot… plus I’ll already be on the CW watching 90, so it just makes life easier this way. Also, it’s got Richard Alpert in it.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>Here’s the plot:<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>Twin sisters Bridget and Siobhan (both played by Gellar) have been at odds for the last eight years and find that their lives are both unraveling at the same rate. Bridget, a recovering alcoholic, is on the run from the mob after witnessing a murder. She flees to her twin sister Siobhan's home. The sisters seem to be repairing their broken relationship until Siobhan mysteriously disappears overboard during a boat trip the sisters take together. Bridget soon discovers her sister's seemingly perfect life is full of secrets after she is attacked in Siobhan's home.<br /><br /><p class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:15.0pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A; background:white"><iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/o537y9ipy0M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><o:p></o:p></span></p></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>The critic reviews promise a lot of “twists and turns” and actually praised the intelligence of the story-telling, which is pretty surprising given that it sounds like a bad soap opera. But more than a few critics called it the best new show of the year – so I’ll give it a chance.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span">Wednesday</span></u></b><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><u>8:00 – The Middle (ABC) – September 21</u><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>For as much as people talk about Modern Family, I’m shocked that The Middle doesn’t get more love. It’s nothing life-changing, or quite at the same level as Modern Family, but it serves up its fair share of laughs with a few heartfelt moments sprinkled in. Plus it seems more like that “more traditional family” show that the average American could relate to. Don’t get me wrong though, this isn’t some “Everybody Loves Raymond” show – although it does star Patricia Heaton – it’s much more edgy and sarcastic… but not on a depressing “Roseanne” level. It just works. On more than one occasion last year, it was funnier than Modern Family. If you’re not watching it, you should probably give it a chance. You’ll probably like it.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><u>8:00 – Up All Night (NBC) – September 14</u><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>I feel like a broken record here, but I’ll say it again – if GOB is going to be on a show, I’m going to give it a chance. Seriously, when is a network just going to start re-airing “Arrested Development” reruns in primetime rather than developing new shows that we all just hope are half as good? This is probably as good of an excuse as any to put another Arrested Development video on the Blog:<br /><br /><p class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:15.0pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A; background:white"><iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/N9TXVMkQ29g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><o:p></o:p></span></p><br />Up All Night has the added benefit of potentially being a sneak preview glimpse into my future six months from now, so it’ll either be absolutely terrifying and drive me to drinking whiskey every Wednesday night, or it’ll teach me important life lessons that I will jot down and will help make me into the greatest parent of all-time. I don’t think there’s any potential middle ground here.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div></div><div></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><u>9:00 – Modern Family (ABC) – September 21</u><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>Not much to say here – Modern Family is the gold standard for TV sitcoms right now. But I think we can all admit that the first season was far superior to the second season. This is somewhat normal for TV shows, since writers tend to use up all their good storylines in their first season in an effort to build a fan base, but what normally happens – and what happened with Modern Family last year – was that to “kick things up a notch”, they end up turning the characters into outrageous caricatures of themselves as they escalate the ridiculousness of the storylines more and more. Here’s hoping that the show overcomes their sophomore slump, tones it down a bit, and returns to the laugh-out-loud storylines from its first season.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><u>9:30 – Happy Endings (ABC) – September 21</u><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>This show actually burned through 13 episodes over the course of April and May of last year, but I know very few people who actually watched it. Those who did absolutely loved it. Now it’s got the prime slot of airing right after Modern Family where it is guaranteed to have a big audience for at least the first few weeks – and I can’t think of a more deserving show to have the slot (unless we can go back in time and give it to Arrested Development). Having seen most, if not all, of the first 13 episodes I would compare the show to a hybrid between Friends and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It’s about a group of friends who drink and have ridiculous things happen to them, but it never quite gets as over the top ridiculous as some of the Sunny storylines. The basic premise of the show centers around what happens after two of the friends break off their wedding at the last moment, but still remain friends with everyone – so at least it’s something a little different than the run of the mill “pretty people hanging out and drinking in the city” sitcoms of the past ten years.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>Also, the cast features both Kim Bauer (hot in a hot way) and Jo from the final season of Scrubs (hot in a “she could probably beat me up” way).<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>Give it a shot. You’ll like it.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span">Thursday</span></u></b><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><u>8:00 – Community (NBC) – September 22</u><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>A year ago, in my mind this was the funniest show on TV. This year, it’s still a strong candidate for that title. The show continues to operate on a meta-creative level so beyond anything else that I’ve ever seen on TV that it’s ridiculous – even escalating to the point where they branch out beyond the show itself (see the “Cougar Town” / “Community” crossover videos below as a perfect example. The shows are on different networks for crying out loud!):<br /><br /><p class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:15.0pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A; background:white"><iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ifv_Uqjf3d8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><o:p></o:p></span></p><br />On the other hand, Community still manages to deliver surprisingly normal – and dare I say even “moving”? – storylines as well (see Troy’s 21st Birthday Party as an example). Aside from perhaps Pierce, who verged on the ridiculous last year, every character is both hilarious and believable. Sometimes the show is too weird for some people, but that’s usually when it takes its homage storylines a little too far (such as the Dungeons and Dragons episode last year). Still, I find myself laughing out loud at Community more than any other show on TV – and if that’s the best criteria to determine the “funniest show on TV”, then Community retains the crown.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div></div><div></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><u>8:30 – Parks and Recreation (NBC) – September 22</u><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>Over the course of the past year, Parks and Recreation has gone from a fringe show that only a few people watched, to a quotable show that the majority of people I know watch and love – that’s a good sign. Ron Swanson has become the most iconic character on TV, with his meat-loving, government-hating, down-to-earth-common-sense-ness serving as a beacon of hope for the world in a land full of political correctness and dirty hippies.<br /><br /><p class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:15.0pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A; background:white"><iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HAQ4yNgXelk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><o:p></o:p></span></p></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>The supporting cast of Parks – even the minor characters like Jean-Ralphio provide more laughs top to bottom than most shows on TV. The show is currently operating at a pretty high level – I honestly can’t remember thinking a single episode of last season was “bad” – so here’s hoping it can keep it going through the fourth season and finally (along with Community) become the massively popular shows that NBC needs to replace the fading Office and 30 Rock (which you notice are no longer on my list).<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><u>9:00 – Person of Interest (CBS) – September 22</u><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>On the surface, Person of Interest sounds like a typical CBS show that I would hate – a CSI-esque show that offers “mission of the week” crime drama without anything deep or overarching over the course of a season. But then when you read the details, it sounds much more interesting:<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>Mr. Finch (Michael Emerson) is a mysterious billionaire who has developed a computer program that predicts the identity of a person connected to a violent crime that will take place sometime in the future. However, the program has its limitations: for example, it cannot predict whether the person will be a victim, perpetrator, or witness, nor can it predict when or where the crime will take place. Unable to stop the crimes on his own, Finch hires John Reese (Jim Caviezel), a former CIA agent who is presumed to be dead, to help stop the crimes from taking place.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>Also interesting? In addition to starring Benjamin Linus and Jesus Christ, the show is Executive Produced by JJ Abrams (Lost), Bryan Burk (Lost), and Jonathan Nolan (The Dark Knight). I’m still afraid the show is going to be typical CBS-terrible, but I’ll give it a few shots to prove me wrong. It’s got a strong enough pedigree to deserve it.<br /><br /><p class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:15.0pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A; background:white"><iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KK4YuIf2cIg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><br /><u>10:00 – It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX) – September 15</u><br /><br /></span></span></div><div></div><div></div><div><span><span>Sunny has always been absolutely ridiculous, but this season they are taking things to new heights – with one the main characters on the show intentionally gaining 50 pounds in real life for the sake of being able to make fat jokes this season. When serious actors do stuff like this for movies, they are praised for their “dedication to the art”. What is it called when comedic actors do it for the sake of making jokes? Unhealthy? Or hilarious?<br /><br /><p class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:15.0pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A; background:white"><iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WhD14Jvey44" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><br /><u>10:30 – The League (FX) – October 6</u><br /><br /></span></span></div><div></div><div></div><div><span><span>Not a whole lot to say here. If you watch Sunny, you’ll probably stick around for the League afterwards. If you play Fantasy Football, you can relate. If you don’t fall into either of those two categories, this show isn’t for you. Far from my favorite show on TV, it’s entertaining enough… although the 10:30 timeslot is dangerously close to being past my bed time.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span">Friday</span></u></b><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><u>8:00 – Chuck (NBC) – September 23</u><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>Confession – I’m a horrible fan. I think I saw maybe the first three or four episodes of last season of Chuck, but the rest are all still sitting on my computer, waiting to be watched. I love Chuck! But it’s previous Monday night at 8:00 pm timeslot was impossible to deal with, since there were like 10 DVR conflicts at the same time. Since no one else I know really watches the show, it was the show that fell by the wayside that I would “catch up on” over the summer. It’s now September and I haven’t gotten to it yet.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>Because of this, I can’t help but feel 100% responsible for this being Chuck’s final season. 13 episodes, airing on Friday nights, when all cool people are out on dates. Still – how impressive is it that Chuck has basically survived cancellation for the past three years, each year with ratings lower than the previous, and is going to get the chance to have a proper ending that the series deserves?<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>Someday I will catch up on you, Chuck. Someday…<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>For now, here is your token Yvonne Strahovski photo:<br /><br /><p class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:15.0pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A; background:white"><a href="http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/?action=view&current=Yvonne.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/Yvonne.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><br /></span></span></div><div></div><div></div><div><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b><u>Sunday</u></b></span><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><u>8:00 – Once Upon a Time (ABC) – September 25</u><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>This show has the strongest potential to be the “Lost” of the 2011 TV pilot crop. It’s from Lost writers, including Damon Lindelof, who is a “consulting producer” – how do I get that job? I’ll read your scripts and tell you what works and what doesn’t work. Heck, I’ll do it for free just to make the shows I like better! The previews even have Lost references in them (like a clock freezing at 8:15). But what is the show actually about? Per Wikipedia…<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>The series is loosely inspired by the classic fairy tale stories except set in the present day, hence the series name. The stories hold a key to the mystery that will draw a bail bonds collector and the son that she gave up for adoption 10 years earlier to a New England town called Storybrooke, Maine. This town is actually a parallel world in which fairy tale characters look like normal people and don't remember their true identities or anything about their true lives.<br /><br /><p class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A; background:white"><iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Rga4rp4j5TY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><o:p></o:p></span></p><br />I really have no idea what any of that means, but hey – if nothing else, that sounds unique and unlike anything else on TV right now (except maybe that “Grimm” show on NBC, which seems pretty similar, actually).<br /><br /></span></span></div><div></div><div></div><div><span><span>I’ll give it a shot!<br /><br /> </span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><u>9:00 – Dexter (SHOW) – October 2</u><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>After a fourth season which rivaled the best of the series (John Lithgow still terrifies me to this day), last season was uneven. It seemed like the writers didn’t know where they wanted to go with the season, and would introduce and drop plot lines without any explanation on a fairly regular basis. By the time they got to something that seemed like it could carry a full season (the Jordan Chase plot), there were only a few episodes left, and that story ended up feeling rushed. I attribute a lot of this to the show’s creator, Clyde Phillips, leaving after the end of season four – and a new writing staff finding their feet. Still – I have high expectations for the upcoming season, which looks like it will revolve around the concepts of faith, religion, and how they apply to our favorite serial killer. </span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><p class="MsoNormal"><iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RsvGslI_KcM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><o:p></o:p></p></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>Really, all you need to know about Dexter is that it makes me subscribe to Showtime for three months of the year. We sign up right before the season premiere, and cancel right after the season finale. I don’t think I even watched a single other show or movie on it over the course of the three months last year. Which means, I basically paid $60 to watch last season of Dexter.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>It’s that good.<br /><br /> </span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>So there you have it! The 11.5 hours of TV I’m going to attempt to watch this year. That admittedly seems a little high (I do have a job after all), but I’m sure we’ll start cutting the losers out of this mix in short time. For now, you have my initial recommendations, so you are well equipped to watch the best of the best on TV and be the envy of your friends and coworkers.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>Happy TV-ing!</span></span></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-76447520836567010092011-08-15T21:19:00.002-05:002011-08-15T21:21:44.982-05:00Living the Dream<p class="MsoNormal">It’s been a while since I’ve sat down to write a Blog – so hopefully I remember how this works. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">When I last wrote, I lamented that I was desperately searching for something worthwhile to write about - something important enough for me to sit down and spend a few hours each week thinking about and dissecting. Foolishly, I was looking for this in the world of television – assuming that only a TV show could provide me with enough source material to spend hours thinking about something, over-analyzing something, and eventually putting those thoughts down as words for the world to see.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I was wrong.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">At some point in history, people decided that there were three critical components to fulfillment in life – three things that equate to “living the American dream”. In order, they are getting married, buying a house, and having kids. Since this Blog started, I knocked out the first two. Now it’s time to work on the third. That’s right Internet friends… Kate and I are expecting a baby!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Note: back in 2007, when I proposed to Kate on the Blog (wait, you all know that wasn’t for real, right?), FOB heliopath requested “please add a clause in the marriage contract that there shall be no baby making till after May 2010 so parenting shall not be an excuse for sloppy blog posting.” You are welcome heliopath, you are welcome.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I don’t want to be one of those annoying people who do nothing but talk about their baby – because let’s face it, life (TV) goes on – so I’m not going to cannibalize this Blog with my thoughts about becoming a parent, babies, and life. Instead, this Blog will remain dedicated to TV (although it’s admittedly been pretty lame lately thanks to the lack of Blogworthy TV on the air), with sporadic posts as I feel necessary. I’ve created a new Blog – <a href="http://man-vs-baby.blogspot.com/">http://man-vs-baby.blogspot.com</a> that will be used to track the baby endeavor. If you’re interested in reading along – awesome. If not, no big deal either. I’m the guy who fakes interests when friends and family show me pictures of their babies. My feelings will not be hurt. But if you know nothing else about me, you should know that the Blog will not be the typical touchy-feely baby blog full of pictures of exposed stomachs and ultrasound pictures. It’s going to be a blog from a man’s perspective. A logical man’s perspective. We’ll see how it goes.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">For everyone else, stay tuned. I'm sure the Fall TV Preview is only a few weeks away!</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-33309156837673917902011-07-23T02:15:00.002-05:002011-07-23T02:20:41.449-05:00Hilarious... and SadSaw this today:<div><br /></div><div><embed src="http://www.sl-lost.com/player-viral.swf" height="380" width="640" bgcolor="000000" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="&backcolor=000000&bandwidth=4181&dock=false&file=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sl-lost.com%2FLOST_20110821_COMICCON.mp4&frontcolor=FFFFFF&icons=false&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sl-lost.com%2FvplayerHD.jpg&level=0&lightcolor=999900&plugins=viral-2"></embed></div><div><br /></div><div>and a few things struck me:</div><div><br /></div><div><ol><li>The conversation between Locke and Jack from Season One is absolutely awesome - and showed how much promise the big picture story line on Lost had. It gave me chills listening to it again, so many years later. </li><li>Listening to Jacob and Anti-Jacob talk through the "answers" was hilarious - but just drove home how badly the writers failed to see the story line through to completion. It was so so so good for five seasons - and then so so so bad in its final sixth. It's just a damn shame, because it left such a bad taste in my mouth.</li></ol><div><br /></div></div><div>But in other news, here's something to get you excited for Fall TV!</div><div><br /></div><div><iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RsvGslI_KcM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Last season wasn't the best, but I'd be lying if this promo trailer for Season Six of Dexter doesn't make me giddy.</div><div><br /></div><div>(Oh yeah, also - hello world, I've missed you over the past year of non-Blogging!)</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-37266670070867781672010-09-18T13:11:00.003-05:002010-09-18T13:21:34.363-05:00Fall TV Preview!<p class="MsoNormal">Hello again. It’s been too long.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Not sure if anyone is still out there or not. Since I’ve only posted once on the Blog in the past three months, I’m guessing most people have moved on with their post-Lost lives, or are just morbidly waiting for the Blog to die a slow and painful death. That’s my fault. I need to get back on the horse and bring this thing back to life. But it’s been a weird few months. I’m still waiting for that spark, for something to come along and inspire me to start writing again, something that speaks to me enough to be worthy of writing volumes and volumes about – but it just hasn’t happened. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Actually, the closest thing to inspire me was a recent trip to <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">California</st1:place></st1:state> where I had to go to four liquor stores before I could find a place that sold Miller Lite. Are you kidding me? The second most popular beer in the country and I went to three places who had hundreds of types of alcohol but no Miller Lite? I was furious and ready to tell the world about it… but then we eventually found Miller Lite, I drank it, and forgot about the whole ordeal. Spark ignited… and then extinguished by delicious hoppy goodness.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Which brings us to this Blog post. It’s the fall – and with the fall comes the promise of a new season of TV, a bunch of new chances for something to come along that creates that spark to drive me into an obsessive place where the words fly from my fingers and before you know it I’ve written hundreds of thousands of words about something important like the availability of Miller Lite in California.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This year, I’m grouping the shows into three categories:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><ol><li><b><u>Must See TV</u></b> – if you are only going to watch a few hours of TV each week, these are the shows you should be watching. No excuses.</li><li><b><u>Promising Newcomer</u></b> – if you are looking to give a new show a chance to join your uber-valuable DVR space, these are the shows that you should look into. At the very least, these are the shows that I am looking forward to this year.</li><li><b><u>Fading Veterans</u></b> – shows that are past their prime, but still worth tuning into because they display occasional flashes of the brilliance that attracted us in the first place – and because they’re familiar old friends who I can’t bear to let go of… yet.</li></ol><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">With that, here’s my day-by-day breakdown of how you should be spending your valuable evenings this fall!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Sunday</span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>8:00 – Amazing Race (CBS) – Fading Veteran</u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><br /></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">You know, it’s not as though “Amazing Race” has gotten worse over the years, so perhaps the “Fading Veteran” label doesn’t truly apply. It’s more that if NFL games run long and my DVR misses the Amazing Race, no big deal. I don’t actively seek out the episodes I miss. But if I’m at home and the NFL Sunday Night Football game is lame, I’ll absolutely tune in. It’s a great show, showing you the world and proving that reality TV doesn’t have to be trashy. Even though it finally relinquished its death grip of the “Best Reality TV Show” Emmy this year (rightfully being awarded to “Top Chef”), at the very least it’s one of the two best reality shows on television. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Also - Phil Keoghan has the greatest job in the world. Go to exotic places and hang out there all day, then tell people what order they arrive to meet you. What’s not to like?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>9:00 – Dexter (Showtime) – Must See TV</u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><br /></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">At this year’s Emmys, many probably thought I was rooting for “Lost” to win “Best Drama”. I was not. Dexter was head and shoulders above Lost in every conceivable way last year, and just might be the best show on TV. In my head, I always rationalize this claim by thinking about what one show I would watch if that was all I could watch each week. Although I love a lot of other shows, I think Dexter would win out in the end.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This year, the show builds on what was perhaps the second most shocking season finale of all-time (behind Lost’s “Through the Looking Glass”) and I can’t even begin to imagine where the show goes from here. But watching this preview of the season makes me giddy with excitement. It’s without a doubt the most exciting and powerful show on television.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CUbCMbW-BRE?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CUbCMbW-BRE?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Monday</span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>8:00 – How I Met Your Mother (CBS) – Fading Veteran</u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><br /></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Oh, “How I Met Your Mother”, the timing for us was never right. I failed to watch the show “live” for its first few seasons, but instead caught up via DVD over the past year or two. The first few seasons of this show were hilarious and heartwarming, like a worthy successor to “Scrubs” – but last year, the first one I watched “live”, was pretty weak. It’s getting the point where the characters are becoming caricatures of themselves rather than seeming like real people – and the situations are going from relatable to absurd (kinda like the late seasons of “Friends”, before it returned to form in its final season).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Here’s hoping that the show can find its way and return to “classic” How I Met Your Mother, but if not, I’m still going to stay tuned, if for no other reason than the fact that I’ve invested over 50 hours of my life in the show and still don’t know who the title character is going to end up being.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br />Dear writers – stop being afraid of delaying the inevitable. Introduce the mother!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>8:00 – 90210 (CW) – Must See TV</u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><br /></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">“90210” has undergone quite the transformation over the past two seasons. What started out as a pretty tame teenage drama has kicked things up a notch with increasingly intense / outrageous storylines for each character on the show. It’s walking the fine line between being ridiculous and being awesome, and right now I come down on the side of it being awesome. In last season’s finale, serious stuff happened to nearly every major character on the show (rape, divorce, and admission of murder, to name a few). In this season’s premiere, even MORE serious stuff happened to these same characters, setting the stage for what could be a ridiculously awesome season.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Is it going to make you a better, smarter person? No.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br />Is it going to challenge your way of thinking? No.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Is it going to be trashy entertainment with pretty people? Yes.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s important to have a balanced diet of television shows each season. 90210 is the dessert portion of the schedule.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>8:00 – Chuck (NBC) – Must See TV</u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><br /></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">At this point, you see how crazy Monday nights are going to be. This marks the THIRD show in the 8:00 timeslot that is DVR-worthy, meaning that you have two options:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">1. DVR two shows on one TV while watching the third on a different TV, live (what Brian will be doing).</p> <p class="MsoNormal">2. Watching one of these three shows online after the fact.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">If you are a Nielsen household, I’m going to beg you to watch the fan-favorite but ratings-challenged “Chuck”. It needs you more than the other two shows. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">After barely surviving the past two rounds of network upfronts thanks to obsessive fans and corporate tie-ins, Chuck put together a pretty nice third season that ended with shades of “Alias” as we discover that Chuck isn’t the first Bartowski to become a secret agent. Here’s hoping the fourth season can do what Alias couldn’t – and strike the balance between drama and mythology and fun.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Chuck is a happy show. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, but still has some meat to its storylines. The characters are likeable, the writing is solid, and it features the smoldering hot Yvonne Strahovski. What more do you want to start watching this show?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <a href="http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/?action=view&current=Yvonne-strahovski-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/Yvonne-strahovski-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u><br /></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u>9:00 – The Event (NBC) – Promising Newcomer</u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><br /></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I have no idea what this show is about, but I want to like it. The ads tell us “An abduction won’t prevent it”, a prison can’t contain it, the president can’t stop it, and a desperate act will start it” – so what is “The Event”? </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The story of the creation of “The Event” gives us a hint: In 2006, a young untested writer decided to write his dream TV show – like the shows he liked, 24, Lost, and Battlestar Galactica – a nonstop action thriller with character development and mythology.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sounds good to me.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Of all the shows that I screened this summer, this was the one I was never able to find, so I can’t really speak to if the show will be any good or not – but let’s leave it like this: I really hope it is good, and more than any other show this fall, this one has the chance to to Blog-worthy. It’s reason to be excited and give it a chance.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>10:00 – </u><st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on"><u>Hawaii</u></st1:place></st1:state><u> Five-0 (CBS) – Promising Newcomer</u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><br /></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I watched the screener to this show for two simple reasons – Daniel Dae Kim and Hawaii – thinking it would give me a little of the “Lost fix” that I would be missing this fall. Imagine my surprise when this turned out to be the best new show I saw this fall. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">There are a thousand reasons why this show shouldn’t work – mostly because it’s a remake of a cheesy 1970’s show - but in the end, it feels like a Hawaiian version of the movie “Bad Boys”. Scott Caan (Tweeter from “Varsity Blues”) and Alex O’Loughlin make for pretty entertaining partners, with lots of back and forth banter interspersed with some decent action scenes set against the beautiful background of <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Hawaii</st1:place></st1:state>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s nothing earth-shattering, but I was smiling the whole hour I was watching it and very entertained. Without a doubt, this is going to be the “ratings hit” of the new shows this fall.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Tuesday</span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>9:30 – Running Wild</u><u>e (Fox) – Promising Newcomer</u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><br /></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I’m not going to lie, the original pilot that I saw wasn’t very good. But the re-shoot of the pilot, which I haven’t seen, is allegedly better. The reason why this show makes the list? It features Will Arnett playing a GOB-like character, and it’s created by Arrested Devleopment creator Mitchell Hurwitz. The re-shoot also added David Cross (Tobias!), meaning that it’s about three guest star appearances away from becoming Arrested Development Part 2, right?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br />I want this show to be good and Arrested Development-y. It’s not there yet, but I’m willing to give it a chance to see if it can get there.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/?action=view&current=gobbluth.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/gobbluth.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; "><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; ">Wednesday</span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; "><br /></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>8:00 – The Middle (ABC) – Must See TV</u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><br /></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">What started out as a show that I would accidentally watch while waiting for “Modern Family” to come on became a show that became Must See TV by the end of the season. In my mind, this is what The Janitor from Scrubs went home to each night when he wrapped up his shift as Sacred Heart - wacky family with three equally entertaining kids and a crazy wife trying to hold it all together.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Much like Modern Family, the reason that this show works is that each character is funny in their own right. I love Brick. I love Axl. I love Sue. I love Dr. Jan E. Tor. In fact, the weakest character on the show is probably the “main character” of Patricia Heaton… but even she is tolerable and has her moments. It’s a blue collar middle class show without being depressing (like Roseanne was), and usually features a few laugh out loud moments and quotable lines each episode – which is exactly what a half hour sitcom should do.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>9:00 – Modern Family (ABC) – Must See TV</u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><br /></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Never has a more deserving show won an Emmy. “Modern Family” burst onto the scene and was somehow instantly, classically hilarious right from the start. It was a show that literally EVERYONE, but managed to keep up its high level of quality and hilarity all season long. It makes you laugh – a lot. It warms your heart – a lot. It makes you hopeful for the future of American and its non-traditional families. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/?action=view&current=modern-family-abc-cast.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/modern-family-abc-cast.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br />What more can I say? You all watch this already, and should continue to watch it. It’s the funniest show on TV since Arrested Development. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; ">Thursday</span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; "><br /></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>8:00 – Community (NBC) – Must See TV</u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><br /></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">If I had to pick the funniest NBC show on Thursday night, it would be “Community”. While “30 Rock” might be slightly past its prime, and “The Office” certainly is, Community feels fresh, is hilarious, and has a great balance of cynicism and sweet to make it all work. There were a number of episodes that were pure genius last season (the paintball and Halloween episodes to name two), that took the show beyond the traditional half hour comedy into something closer to full-on parody of pop-culture while still remaining true to the overall feel of the show.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Top to bottom, the cast is great, and each character servers their own hilarious purpose in different ways. I can’t wait to see what the creators come up with for the second season, but can only assume it will continue to innovate and entertain like nothing else on NBC’s Thursday night lineup.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/anGkl_ef8FQ?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/anGkl_ef8FQ?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>8:30 – 30 Rock (NBC) – Must See TV</u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><br /></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">“30 Rock” is probably on the border between Must See TV and Fading Veteran. More often than not last year, I feel like episodes ended with me being pretty “meh” about them. But when it is firing on all cylinders (read: dealing with the main cast of characters and not the guest star of the week), it’s as funny as ever. It’s almost as if 30 Rock is becoming too “cool” for its own good and needs to return to its more simple roots.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Love Tina Fey. Love Alec Baldwin. Love Tracy Morgan. Therefore, I’ll keep watching and hope for a return to greatness.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>9:00 – The Office (NBC) – Fading Veteran</u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><br /></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s the show that people still talk about at work, even though it’s not really funny anymore. It boggles my mind that the Office has such higher ratings than every other show on NBC’s Thursday nights. It’s almost as if America decided it could only handle one “different” comedy (read: not something formulaic on CBS), and latched onto the Office – and is unwilling to let go, even as shows like 30 Rock and Community have matched and surpassed the Office in terms of entertainment value.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Still – this season is worth tuning in for one simple reason. It’s the last one with Michael Scott. The door is wide open for the writers to do some unique storylines that fundamentally change the dynamic of the show (perhaps for the better?) One of the hard truths that no one talks about is how Michael Scott is probably the least funny character on the show, especially in the later seasons where his shtick has lost its luster. Perhaps getting rid of him is just the jolt that this show needs to let some of the minor (but more hilarious) characters – I’m looking at you, Creed – move into the forefront and get this show back to being worthy of the water cooler talk on Friday morning.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>10:00 – It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX) – Fading Veteran</u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><br /></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">My friend Blair put it best – Sunny is funniest when it’s just the core group of characters hanging out in Paddy’s Pub, talking about random things and doing stupid stuff. Last year, the show branched out more (in terms of characters and storylines), and had its moments – but the farther they strayed from the core formula, the less successful the show seemed to be. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The first episode of the new season didn’t give me much hope that this season will be much different – and once it ended, I was pretty indifferent to the previous 30 minutes of television I had just watched. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Still, it’s the embodiment of the Fading Veteran. It’s got moments of true hilarity and I love the characters. There’s no way I’ll stop watching it, even if it doesn’t entertain as consistently quite like it used to.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>10:30 – The League (FX) – Must See TV</u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><br /></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The good news is, the introduction of “The League” seemed to coincide with the fading of Sunny. Having been a part of a pretty serious Fantasy Football league for nearly a decade, I can say with some authority that the show is generally spot-on with its take on Fantasy Football and those who participate in it. Solid characters, good writing, and friends being jerks to each other for the sake of winning an imaginary game<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>- it’s almost like me and my friends looking into the mirror.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <a href="http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/?action=view&current=key_art_the_league.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/key_art_the_league.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">So there you have it, ten and a half hours of worthwhile TV for you to watch each week. Like I said, we’ll stay tuned and hope for some breakout show to become Blog-worthy, but if not, hopefully something else in life will inspire me to get writing with more frequency. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Until then, happy TVing!</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-68325955543731248842010-07-17T17:44:00.003-05:002010-07-17T17:48:44.944-05:00If I Wrote Lost...<p class="MsoNormal">Here’s how this evening started:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Kate: “What are you going to do tonight?”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Brian: “I think I might finally Blog again.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Kate: “About what?”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Brian: “Lost.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Kate: “Isn’t it too late for that? Does anyone even care?”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The answer is probably “no”, and in all honesty, I’ve actually thought very little about Lost since my last post over a month ago… which when you think about it, is absolutely insane. Here’s a show that created thousands of online communities dedicated to discussing and dissecting every minute detail over the past six years – and even though we all hoped that it would eventually end in a way that tied up all the loose ends and prevented the need for us to over-analyze the finale, I don’t think that anyone thought it actually would. Heck, even the actors and writers told us that it would end in a “very Lost way” – which to me, means somewhat ambiguous, open to interpretation, and with a dash of unanswered questions – questions that the fans would debate for the rest of time.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Yet somehow Lost did the impossible – it created an ending that, aside from some initial debate on when characters died, seemed to squash the questioning nature of its rabid fan base. Maybe we realized that once you see the very ending of the story (the death of all the characters), the unanswered questions along the way don’t seem to matter as much. Or maybe we were all so exhausted from six years of heavy thinking that it was a sigh of relief to finally have Lost complete, allowing us to return to mindless television and reality shows.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">But I also think part of the reason, one that almost seems like blasphemy, is that Lost actually started to lose itself in the final season. There was something missing for a lot of the last season – like the writers knew where they had to take us, but didn’t enjoy the ride in getting us there… and that they weren’t sure how long it would take to get there. Think about how many episodes from Lost’s final season would make your “Top 10 List of the Best Lost Episodes Ever”. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">My answer? Zero. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">For those wondering, in no particular order my Top 10 list would include:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">Pilot</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">Walkabout</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">Man of Science, Man of Faith</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">Orientation</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">Lockdown</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">Live Together, Die Alone</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">Greatest Hits</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">Through the Looking Glass</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">The Constant</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">The Shape of Things to Come</li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">(Note: you’ll also notice that there are no episodes from Season Five in there either. Weird.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Why do I bring this up? Because for as great as Lost was – and don’t get me wrong, it’s without a doubt one of the greatest television series of all time – I feel like a few minor changes along the way – in particular in its final two seasons – would have taken it to another level, the kind of level that would put Lost head and shoulders above all others… at least for me. And in the end, isn’t that what matters the most?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Disclaimer: it is super easy to criticize someone else’s work, especially in hindsight. It’s even easier to come up with storylines without the limitations of real life actors, budgets, and network brass. I’m just saying – in a perfect world, had Damon and <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Carlton</st1:place></st1:city> called me up, here’s what I would have told them.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">The Easy Fix</span></u></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">In my mind, the biggest problem with Lost’s final season was the Flash Sideways – not the concept behind them, but the way in which they were carried out. In the end, all the weird differences between reality and the Flash Sideways were all part of a “long con” of the audience into thinking that things were different because our Survivors had changed the past during the Incident. The writers basically wasted half of Lost’s final season building what amounted to a dream world that didn’t really matter.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">What would I have changed? It’s quite simple – I would have had the Flash Sideways actually represent the lives of our Survivors had Oceanic 815 landed in LAX. Jack wouldn’t have a son, Locke wouldn’t be engaged to Helen, Sawyer wouldn’t be a cop. They would be the exact same people they were when they boarded Oceanic 815 in the first episode. It’s still the “after life” – but instead of representing some weird dream sequence where the characters came up with their own back stories, it would truly be a purgatory of sorts, where our characters proved to God if they would have turned their troubled lives around on their own had Oceanic 815 not crashed on the Island. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">It’s kinda like “The Bachelor”. How hard is it to fall in love with someone when you’re going on crazy vacations and living a glamorous lifestyle without the day-to-day grind of work, chores, and paying the bills? It’s not. Likewise, how easy is it to turn your life around when a mystical being (Jacob) brings you to an Island that removes you from the majority of negative temptations and influences in your life – putting you on a literal and spiritual Island to “find yourself” and turn your life around. It’s still hard (as there were still temptations), but it was a lot easier than it would have been back in the real world.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The storyline on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> plays out exactly as we saw. Jack and Desmond save the world, defeat Locke, and some characters fly away to live happy ever after. In reality, we know who found redemption and how – but in the Flash Sideways, we would see who would have found redemption and how… or who wouldn’t – were it not for Jacob. Knowing as much as we do about the characters, wouldn’t it have been fascinating to see Jack struggling with drug addition, Sawyer learning to live an honest life, and Desmond trying to win over Charles Widmore?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">I feel like that’s what purgatory would actually be like – proving that you learned lessons in life that you would carry over to the afterlife. Learning how to be good and do good, and passing a final test to show that if you had to do life all over again, you’d do it better.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The ending remains the same – Jack gets over his daddy issues and reconciles with his father in church, where he (and the audience) comes to the realization that they are in the afterlife. Those who “remain behind” like Ben are the characters that didn’t learn their lessons quite yet – and are doomed to stick around, or repeat the process until they get it right. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://s581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/?action=view&current=normal_the-end1729.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/normal_the-end1729.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Flash Sideways would be much more “real”, build on the characters that we got to know in the past five seasons, and actually mean something in the grand scheme of things – rather than being a waiting room for people to realize that they are dead but once had some crazy times together on an <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">That’s my easy fix.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Want to get more complicated? That requires going back a bit further and making a few fundamental changes to what ended up being the overall end game of Lost.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;">The Complicated Fix.</span><o:p></o:p></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">In a nutshell, I would have kept Lost’s focus on a concept that was introduced early on, always lingered in the background, and seemed like the “point” of Lost all along:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Science vs. Faith</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">It’s a pretty heady concept, one without a clear answer, and something that anyone can relate to – just the kind of thing that you would expect Lost to build its overall foundation upon… and it did, until the end. In my mind, we had two characters to full represent this battle, a “good guy” and a “big bad” – although it’s debatable about which was which (just the way Lost likes it):</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Benjamin Linus and Charles Widmore</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/?action=view&current=WidmorevsLinus.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/WidmorevsLinus.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s a storyline that was slowly introduced over the course of the first five seasons, but then relegated to the background and hastily resolved in season six as Jacob and Anti-Jacob took over the roles of “good guy” and “big bad” (again, both ambiguous). But the problem was that the writers basically introduced a new storyline about escaping the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> and ending the world (maybe) which didn’t truly build on the foundation of the first five seasons.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">So here’s what you do – keep Jacob the same way he was for the first five seasons of the show – as a mysterious being that may or may not have a physical manifestation that the Others believe in and follow… a “god”. Benjamin Linus represents faith. You can still keep the storylines of Ben faking his relationship with Jacob, as it shows how deep his faith in the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> truly is – he’s believing without ever seeing. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">As for Widmore, although the fifth season established the start of the rivalry between him and Ben, you would take it a step further to have the rift start over a fundamental difference of opinion. Widmore wants to research the unique properties of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, use them to make the world a better place, and if he makes a few bucks in the process, great. Widmore becomes the one that reached out to Hanso and Dharma to start their research on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> – which brings me to another point.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The fifth season of Lost basically ruined the Dharma Initiative. They went from what we thought was a group of the best and brightest scientists in the world attempting to save the world from its own destruction to a group of no good hippies who just wanted to party in paradise. While I’m fixing things on Lost, I’d make Dharma full of people like Pierre Chang – believers that the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> had the properties to save the world, as long as they could figure out how to use them.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Widmore bringing Dharma to the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> also would allow Lost to fulfill another of my long-standing theories for the show – the “cowboys and Indians” theory. The Others join Dharma, they move into their fancy Barracks, they enjoy electricity and beer, and they start to lose their faith – lose their connection with the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. This is the cause of the sudden pregnancy issues on the Island, and one that Ben hopes he can remedy by creating a faction of true believers, who eventually wipe out Dharma on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. These are all the storylines that we should have been getting in season five – ones that would prove to be immensely important to understanding the overall story of Lost. Because when you think about it, the net result of season five was basically setting up the audience to trick them into thinking the Flash Sideways of season six might be the result of our Survivors changing the past. But since we changed those Flash Sideways with my first “fix”, this is no longer required. Instead, we can build the relationship between Ben and Widmore, learn more about the unique <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> properties we’d been wanting all along, and have our Survivors get a front row seat in this “faith vs. science” debate that was playing out between Ben and Widmore. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Which would nicely setup season six – with our Survivors having to pick a side in the debate. Charles Widmore returns to the Island, and the “battle for the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>” that we talked about for years actually comes to fruition. Who is right and who is wrong? Who do our Survivors side with? <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Battle</st1:city></st1:place> lines are drawn, you split up the characters in the love triangle on different sides of the debate, and you have some great tension and storylines that focus 100% on the core characters of the series for the final season of Lost.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Why would our Survivors care about the “battle for the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>” in the first place? Well, tying in with the other major theme of Lost (destiny vs. fate), they are told by Ben that they were all brought to the Island by Jacob for the critical roles that each would play in the battle – but keep in mind that no one knows if Jacob even exists, if Ben is lying, or if any of this is true. But they also find out that in the wrong hands, the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> could be destroyed – and if destroyed, it very well might bring about the end of the world. The Island truly is some type of electromagnetic lynchpin that holds the world together – and there’s the risk that if Widmore wins, and starts digging up the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> (like we saw at the Swan Station Incident) to harness its power, it might bring about the end of the world. Again, at least that’s what the “faith” side believes. Widmore would counter with “that’s ridiculous, and we could save a lot of people by curing cancer, etc.” through his <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> experiments.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">So there’s your heavy drama. Like we discussed during the middle of the sixth season, with everything that transpired over the first five seasons of Lost, all suffering, all the death, and all the importance of everything – the only possible justification for it all is that it was all required to save the world.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">How does it end? The logical answer to the science vs. faith debate is that the truth lies somewhere in the middle – and I think that’s the answer that our Survivors will realize. Ben and Widmore both probably die in the battle, leaving our Survivors as the de facto “leaders” of the suddenly leaderless Others on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> – and they impart this knowledge to them. Thus, we see that our Survivors truly did grow up, overcome their own issues, and serve a higher purpose thanks to all the time they spent on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">In one of the final scenes that take place on the Island, Jack wonders aloud if they would have all achieved the same sort of enlightenment and personal growth were it not for the plane crash on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>… cut to the Flash Sideways scene in the church with Jack and Christian Shephard. The audience now understands that the Flash Sideways represented exactly that – a purgatory type place after the death of our Survivors that takes place after they all die, where they prove to themselves that it would have been possible to turn their lives around even if it weren’t for Jacob and the Island – and for those who didn’t, that they can keep working at it in the Flash Sideways until they get it right.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">I swear in my head it’s not as cheesy as it probably sounds when I write it out.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Sure, there are some other details that would need to be worked out with this ending – most notably an explanation for what Smokey is and how he was created – but heck, you could even piece together a pretty easy explanation that similar to what happened to Anti-Jacob falling into the “heart of the Island” and becoming Island Protector without much effort and it would still nicely tie into the new storyline I proposed.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">So there you have it – was it worth the wait? Absolutely not. Again, I’m sorry for the huge delay on this – but come on, you know the Blog always sucks in the summertime, right? Once summer is over, life should get a little less busy and the posts will once again be more frequent. Now we just have to figure out what those posts will be about. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">(Note: this will not be my last post about Lost, obviously. We’ll still have to discuss the additional scenes on the DVD once it is released, at the very least).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">But for now, if anyone still cares to think about or discuss Lost, the Comments section is yours!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=571.0">http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=571.0</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-84529030701010137002010-05-29T20:44:00.003-05:002010-05-29T20:52:33.565-05:00"The End" Analysis (That No One Probably Cares About)<i>I feel like this is a day late and a dollar short, since everyone has had massive discussions about Lost over the past week - but whatever. Here it is, in case anyone cares!</i><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">One week ago, I said the following:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">“Part of me thinks that we shouldn't jump right into our normal over-analyzing of the episode, nit-picking details and trying to reconcile what we just saw with the previous 119 hours of the show. On a strictly emotional level, the Lost finale was fully satisfying, emotional, epic, sweeping, and felt more important than any television finale I've ever seen. The wife was in tears. I was confused as I tried to work it all out in my mind. In short, it was everything you would want from the final episode of Lost. If you didn't tear up a little when Vincent laid down next to Jack, you do not have a heart. The final ten minutes were about as perfect as anything I could have imagined for the last Lost - and the episode as a whole had everything I wanted - action, closure, callbacks to the major moments from the previous five seasons, and plenty of perfect "character moments" that are really going to make us all miss these characters.”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I still stand by that statement 100%.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">However, the time has come to turn our critical eye to “The End” and do a full-blown traditional analysis. Let’s leave our emotions at the door and get down to business. What really happened in “The End”?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">The End</span></u></b>. One of my biggest complaints about the final season of Lost is the writers’ inability to frame the real “danger” on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. We were often told that it was a very bad thing if SmokeLocke left the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> – going so far as telling us that it would mean the end of existence – but never told why. They left it ambiguous, and because of that, the motives and actions of the final two episodes took a dramatic shift from what we were anticipating all season long. Let me explain:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">Anti-Jacob just wanted to leave the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. However, as long as Jacob was alive, he could not do so.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">Even once Anti-Jacob found his loophole and killed Jacob (something that took him thousands of years to accomplish), he still couldn’t leave the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> as long as Jacob’s candidates were alive.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">One Anti-Jacob found out about Desmond last episode, suddenly he decided that destroying the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> was a crucial part of his plan… or perhaps just an added bonus.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">However, once Desmond removed the <st1:city st="on">Cork</st1:city> from the Heart of the Island, Anti-Jacob immediately left for his boat to escape before the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> sank, even though a number of Jacob’s candidates were still alive and well.</li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">It seems a little illogical that after spending thousands of years working towards one goal, Anti-Jacob would abandon it and focus on something else… and that magically, the rules surrounding the candidates tying him to the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> would no longer apply.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Yes, it’s possible to come up with some explanations for this – which we’ll touch on in a moment – but the audience shouldn’t have to make these logical stretches to understand the major conflict of the season. In the end, the battle between SmokeLocke and Jack was important to us because SmokeLocke killed Jack’s friends – but it lacked any sort of additional stakes where we cared if SmokeLocke left the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> or not… which, even though the fight was pretty badass, left it pretty hollow. Heck, part of the audience was probably still rooting for SmokeLocke, feeling sorry for him being trapped on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> all these years. All he wanted was to go home… something he never got to do.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Jack</span></u></b>. The best explanation for SmokeLocke’s actions is that once Jacob “knighted” Jack as the new Protector of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, he no longer had to kill the remaining candidates. He only had to worry about killing Jack – and when he left Jack knocked out with the Island collapsing around him, SmokeLocke assumed that Jack would eventually die as the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> sunk to the bottom of the ocean. (Again, for a guy that forged the most complex plan in human history to find his loophole, this seems like an outrageously unrealistic action on his part – there were no “rules” forbidding him from killing Jack. Even if this was the case, why not stab him in the heart before running off to the boat? Illogical.)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As for Jack himself, he finally fulfilled the destiny that brought him back to the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> in the first place. In Jack’s eyes, he’s screwed up everything else in his life (failed marriage to Sarah, failed engagement to Kate, failed career, drug addition, horrible beard), the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> is his one chance to right all those wrongs by doing something good, something important, and make his life all worthwhile. What Jack doesn’t realize – or doesn’t utilize – is that from the moment that Jacob makes him the new Protector of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, Jacob’s “rules” no longer apply. The new “rules” are Jack’s to make, but he doesn’t realize it (another example of the poor transition on Jacob’s part. He would never make it in upper management). </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The only thing that Jack knows is that he’s confident in his plan, even if he doesn’t know exactly what it is. He knows that he is somehow going to use Desmond to stop and kill SmokeLocke, and that he, and John Locke, were right about the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> all along. It turns out that they were right.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Desmond</span></u></b>. From Desmond’s perspective, ever since he was blasted by Widmore’s electromagnetic experiment on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, he apparently saw his afterlife – and it was a happy one. Widmore loved him, he was just starting a new relationship with Penny (free of all the drama and mistakes he made the first time), and he didn’t have some pesky kid running around forcing him to be responsible. What’s not to like?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">That’s exactly why Desmond basically “gave up” on life at this point. He was back on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, he wasn’t confident that he would ever get off and be with Penny again in life, so he just wanted to die so that he could be with her in the afterlife.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It brings up an interesting, super deep philosophical question – if you knew that you had a perfect, happy afterlife waiting for you after you died, what’s the point in living through all the crap in life? Would you just look for the quickest and easiest way to kill yourself to get to that “happily ever after”, or would you continue to soldier on through the trials and hardships of life?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">For Desmond, he picks the first option. He adopts the opinion that “none of this matters” on the Island, and thinks that he needs to carry out one final mission to “save the world” (again), and once he’s done, he will die and return to his “happily ever after life”.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">He was wrong.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As for Widmore and Jacob, Desmond was basically another “failsafe” switch – a last ditch effort. Their original intention was to use Desmond to pull the <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cork</st1:place></st1:city> in case SmokeLocke was successful in killing all the candidates. This would render SmokeLocke mortal – but destroy the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> in the process. As a mortal, I suppose SmokeLocke leaving the Island wouldn’t be such a bad thing (since he couldn’t go all Smokey on the world and rule the human race with an iron-smokey fist)… but this also means that it really wasn’t that important that the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> exist in the first place, right? If the destruction of the Island meant that the light at the heart of it would go out, obviously it wouldn’t bring about the end of the world / hope / existence – otherwise, Jacob wouldn’t have sent Desmond back to the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> as a safety precaution that all the candidates died.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://s581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/?action=view&current=normal_the-end0746.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/normal_the-end0746.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Remember my original complaint about the writers not framing the danger of this season very well? This is exhibit B in support of that argument. The spent a season telling us how important it was to protect the Island, or else “all hell will break loose”, but then we find out that Jacob’s backup plan is to allow the Island to crumble as long as it renders SmokeLocke mortal.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br />Disappointing. But I digress.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Two weeks ago, I settled on “power” as being the thing at the heart of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> – the thing that is inside each of us a little, the thing that everyone wants more of, but if someone had total control of, it would be a very bad thing. After watching “The End”, I still think that analysis is spot on. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The existence of the <st1:city st="on">Cork</st1:city> in the Heart of the Island indicates that there was a time on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, pre-Cork. Once the <st1:city st="on">Cork</st1:city> was in place, it somehow harnessed the power that was emanating from the Heart of the Island, which in turn gave the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> all its magical powers and “unique electromagnetic properties”. The essence of Smokey – the heart of his power – was tied to the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. The area immediately around the <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cork</st1:place></st1:city> was so close to this power, that it would kill anyone who came close – a nice defense mechanism from preventing anyone from removing it… except Desmond. Once Desmond removed the <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cork</st1:place></st1:city>, that power was released, and SmokeLocke became mortal. Unfortunately, with all that pent up power suddenly being released, the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> began to fall apart under the impact of this surge of power. Even more unfortunate for Desmond, he survived the whole incident. Although logic would tell you that he would have eventually died as the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> collapsed, were it not for Jack, in his mind, this was the worst case scenario.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">He was back trapped on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Smokey</span></u></b>. After the epic battle with SmokeLocke (where Jack gains not only the bleeding cut on his neck that we saw throughout his Flash Sideways, but also the fatal cut in his side that we all interpreted to be a scar from his appendectomy – but now I guess it could be either), Jack realizes that his rule as king of the Island will be short-lived, since it’s up to him to replace the Cork and restore balance to the Island now that SmokeLocke had been killed. He passes the torch to Hurley (fittingly using the Oceanic 815 water bottle), re-corks the Island, but somehow is not killed by the exposure to the electromagnetic power that again begins flowing from the Heart of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. Instead Jack is “spit out” from the Heart of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> just like Anti-Jacob was – where he stumbles to his death in the bamboo forest with Vincent by his side. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://s581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/?action=view&current=normal_the-end1738.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/normal_the-end1738.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">All of this brings up one big question – what happened to Smokey with all these transitions?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">My best theory from “Across the Sea” was that The Woman was both Protector and Smokey rolled into one, and she split those powers among Jacob and Anti-Jacob to create a balance and limit the chance for man to abuse those powers. Jack became the new Jacob, but SmokeLocke still had the Smokey powers (since Kate’s bullets this episode had no effect on him). Once SmokeLocke died, what happened to those Smokey powers? Did they return to the Heart of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>? If so, why didn’t Jack become Smokey when he was exposed to the Heart of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>? Or is it that since Jack (and later Hurley) were “pure of heart”, that there was no Smokey anymore?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In the grand scheme of things, I’m not losing any sleep over these questions – but based on the Egyptian hieroglyphics we’ve seen over the years, as long as the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> has existed, there has been a Smokey on it as well. For Smokey to suddenly cease to exist because Jack and Hurley are “good people” seems a little silly to me. On the other hand, the image of Hurley “hulking out” and becoming Smokey in a moment of rage seems super awesome to me, so that’s how I’ll pretend things ended up.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I think that wraps up the “main storyline” on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, but there are a few side items worth noting before we move on to the Flash Sideways…</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Rose and Bernard and Vincent</span></u></b>. It turns out that Sayid didn’t save Desmond from the Well, but Rose or Bernard or Vincent did. So even though Sayid did end up saving our Survivors from the bomb on the Sub, he wasn’t suddenly “100% good” again after his encounter with Desmond. As for Rose, Bernard, and Vincent, their existence on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> was finally explained (they time traveled along with our Survivors). They remained uninvolved in all the silly drama that our Survivors found themselves entangled in, and as a result, had a pretty happy little life on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. In my head, I picture Hurley, Ben, Desmond, Rose, Bernard, and Vincent having picnics on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> and talking about the good old days for years to come until each of them meet their natural deaths.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Of course, Vincent never dies. The <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> has a thing for dogs.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Benjamin Linus</span></u></b>. The flip-flopping of Benjamin Linus was a little far-fetched during the final few episodes of the series. I suppose we can justify it as being a “long con” that he was trying to pull on SmokeLocke – one that conveniently allowed him to kill Widmore in the process (talk about two birds with one stone), but even at the beginning of “The End” he was putting a gun in Sawyer’s back and leading him to SmokeLocke. Then at the end, he was helping our Survivors kill SmokeLocke. But the most confusing thing of all is the way that he magically escaped from being pinned underneath that tree. I was sure that was going to be Ben’s redemption. He saves Hurley from being crushed, but ends up dying in the process. Instead, he gets what he wanted all along – a true role of importance on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, as Hurley’s #2.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Richard Alpert and Frank</span></u></b>. Thank God that both of these characters ended up being alive and well on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, saving them from unceremonious off-screen deaths that neither deserved. Alpert is finally aging, and Frank fulfilled his destiny of flying Ajira 316 after all (yeah, still super unrealistic to me).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://s581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/?action=view&current=normal_the-end0410.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/normal_the-end0410.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Claire</span></u></b>. I’m sorry, but Claire really didn’t add anything to this season. The scenes with her were always awkward, the storyline with her being “claimed” by SmokeLocke never really panned out to anything, and she did little besides throw out empty threats to our Survivors and provide a purpose for Kate being back on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. They probably should have just let her die in Season Four.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Okay – I think that wraps up my thought about the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. Let’s move on to the Flash Sideways.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Flash Sideways</span></u></b>. First of all, should we continue to call them the Flash Sideways? Per Christian Shephard, there is no such thing as linear time in the Flash Sideways, but they are all taking place after each character dies in life – making them Flash Forwards, right? Oh well, we’ve called them Flash Sideways for this long, might as well stick with it for “The End”.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">After a season of waiting, we finally got our explanation for what the Flash Sideways represented – a place created by the Survivors so that they could meet up before moving on to the next stage of their afterlife (heaven?). I loved this explanation because it made everything that happened on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> over the past six seasons “count”. Dead characters weren’t magically alive again. People didn’t get a second chance to correct their mistakes. Everyone died, like I was hoping for – but by having the Flash Sideways, it wasn’t the most depressing finale in television history. It had a happy, hopeful ending.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Having said that, I definitely have some problems with how these Flash Sideways were handled this season.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The biggest complaint that I have is that for the first time in Lost history, the writers were intentionally trying to trick the audience with red herrings that make no sense now that we know the truth. Why would Jack be married to Juliet, instead of Kate – who was much more of his “true love” in life? Why would characters like Charlie and Faraday say things like “we aren’t supposed to be here” and “none of this is real” – when in fact, even if it wasn’t the final stop in the afterlife, it was apparently a necessary stop along the way? I understand that the Flash Sideways could be viewed as a sort of “dream world”, where things are based in reality, but slightly different – but some of it still feels cheap. We’re going to tackle some explanations for these differences in a moment, but it still doesn’t seem right that we’re making these stretches to explain something that should make total sense at face value.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In short, I think we could have spent a lot less time in the Flash Sideways and achieved the same end result.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The other thing that was weird was the collection of characters who “created” this reality. With the exception of Boone and Locke, who were kinda BFFs on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> back in the day, it seems like unless you had a significant romance with another character on the show, you weren’t invited to the “moving on” party at the end. This meant that there was no unifying factor between all the characters who had their epiphanies and “moved on”, which seems a little weird. But I can’t deny that it made for a great, emotional final scene for Lost. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Let’s look at each character who “let go”, and what caused each to do so:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Boone</u> – we never learned what led to Boone’s epiphany, but I’m guessing it had something to do with getting over <st1:place st="on">Shannon</st1:place>, again.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Rose and Bernard</u> – not shown, but it seems like both of them understood what the Flash Sideways were from the start. Rose made a comment to Jack about “letting go” on Oceanic 815, Bernard was weird and cryptic when Jack talked to him, and both seemed to have found a peace in life that might have carried over into the after-life.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Claire </u>– giving birth to Aaron, causing her to “let go” of the guilt she felt for abandoning him in the first place?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Kate</u> – helping Claire give birth to Aaron, which only happened because she stopped running and helped a very pregnant Claire in the Flash Sideways world… so I guess it was really about no longer running away? It’s a stretch…</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Charlie</u> – touching Claire, which showed him that he could be a good person and loving pseudo-father, instead of a junkie rock and roller? This makes no sense either, since Flash Sideways Charlie didn’t really do anything to prove that he could make the right decision and sober up – he was just in the right place at the right time… thanks to Hurley’s intervention.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Sun and Jin </u>– seeing Ji-Yeon’s ultrasound, which helped them “let go” of abandoning their child in life so that they could die together? That doesn’t make much sense either, but it’s the best I’ve got.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Sayid and Shannon</u> – touching each other, which apparently means that even though Sayid spent his entire life searching for Nadia, two weeks on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> with a hot blonde made her his soul mate. Likewise for Shannon, two weeks on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> with an Iraqi torturer was the best time of her life? It makes no sense, unless you play the “Sayid realized that he couldn’t be with Nadia because he didn’t deserve her after all the bad things he did” card – but it’s the afterlife! Isn’t that your chance to “let go” of the wrongs of your past?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Locke</u> – regaining his ability to walk reminded him of all his time on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, which definitely was the best part of his life. Noticeably absent from his after life epiphany? His fiancé, Helen – so I guess he was “moving on” from her and didn’t really love her after all? Weird.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Libby and Hurley</u> – kissing, which let them finally have the relationship that they were robbed from on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Desmond and Penny</u> – touching, which might have helped Desmond get over his abandonment of Penny twice in life thanks to that damned Island (who knows if he ever returned back a second time or not). But Penny? She’s definitely the oddball inclusion in the final scene, having never set foot on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> or even met the majority of the characters in the final church scene. But it made for good TV, I suppose.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Sawyer and Juliet</u> – perhaps the best part of any Flash Sideways epiphany, we finally realize that there was no greater meeting in Juliet’s “it worked” comment from “LA X” – she was simply experiencing the moment in the Flash Sideways where Sawyer got his candy bar. Although if you think about it, this means that she must have been living through the Flash Sideways for quite some time before she actually died – and in dying, she jumped to the place in the Flash Sideways where she had her moment with Sawyer… unless I’m thinking too linearly about the Flash Sideways and time doesn’t really work the same way there. I also loved that she summed up all the weird stuff with the Island and the <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cork</st1:place></st1:city> with her “you an unplug it and plug it back in and that’s technically legal” line. Love Juliet.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But again, what did either of them actually “let go” to earn this epiphany? They just touched. Neither did anything to overcome the issues they had in life or prove that they learned some lesson, did they?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Jack</u> – finally we have Jack. You could make the argument that Jack was the one who created the Flash Sideways, and it would make a lot of sense. In it, he learned to get over his daddy issues by being a good father to David (PS – sucks to be you David, you don’t actually exist or get to “move on” with your parents), accepted his own father’s death, and performed the ultimate “fix” of John Locke. If it was all about Jack, the Flash Sideways would have made perfect sense.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">You can see the issues, right? Aside from a few characters, the Flash Sideways weren’t really about “letting go”, they were about connecting with your loved ones in the afterlife so that you didn’t have to go on alone. It’s like “live together or die alone” taken to the extreme. I’m fine with this explanation – but again, if this is the case, then a lot of the stuff that we saw in the Flash Sideways was unnecessary filler… it really didn’t matter what fake lives these characters were living in the Flash Sideways because they were all fake – all that mattered is that they found their loved ones, regardless of what it took to find them.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://s581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/?action=view&current=normal_the-end1729.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/normal_the-end1729.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;">Wrap Up</span></u></b>. Originally, I was going to post my “what I would have done differently” thoughts here – but I think I’ll wait and do that for my next post. For now, let’s just focus on what actually happened in “The End”. In the end, I think that “The End” was a great episode – and I think that most of my issues with the episode actually had nothing to do with the episode, but rather the ones that led up to it. As you can see, looking back on the final season as a whole, there was a lot that didn’t make a lot of sense and seemed a little sloppy. But we’ll get to that later as well.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I feel like everyone is all burned out on discussion of “The End”, but if there are any outstanding items you’d like my take on, feel free to post them in the comments. Otherwise, I’ll be back in the next few days with my overall thoughts on the series and what I would have done differently.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Discuss!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=569.0">http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=569.0</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com113tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-71598678482930357382010-05-24T15:02:00.002-05:002010-05-24T15:06:11.924-05:00Unanswered Questions Report Card<p class="MsoNormal">The final season of Lost was not without its faults. I’ll be the first to admit that, and will touch on that subject in much further detail in the near future. It’s totally understandable that the series finale didn’t connect with everyone the same way that it connected with me – it was more about the emotional connections with the characters and the big picture “fate” of the characters we grew to know and love over the years than the mythology. If you loved Lost for the sci-fi elements, you were disappointed. If you loved Lost for the characters and their relationships, you loved it. If you loved both (like me), you probably came down somewhere in between, depending on how the final scene connected with you. Again, for me, it was fantastic. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s very easy for a show to have a great season finale. I can rattle off a dozen off the top of my head that blew me away. However, it’s much harder to do a great series finale. Thinking back to all my favorite shows over the years, I can only think of two candidates: Lost and Scrubs. Both found a balance between staying true to the series and sending it off in an extremely emotional way that stuck with me for days and weeks after the fact.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">But that’s not the point of this post. It seems like the biggest complaint that people had about “The End” is that it didn’t answer the big questions that they still had about the series. So I thought I would revisit what I deemed to be the “big questions” before this season began to see how many were answered… and how many were not (<a href="http://lost-and-gone-forever.blogspot.com/2010/01/top-10-unanswered-questions-on-lost.html">http://lost-and-gone-forever.blogspot.com/2010/01/top-10-unanswered-questions-on-lost.html</a>) – then we’ll see if this argument is justified:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">10. Juliet and the Jughead – ANSWERED</span></u></b>. I thought we would get this reveal early in Season Six – but as it turns out, it took until the final moments of the series before we got the real answer – The Jughead simply caused the Incident, just like Miles had predicted. It didn’t create an alternate timeline, it didn’t change the past, it simply reinforced “whatever happened, happened” – just like I had hoped all along. (Note: It also seems that a side effect was the transportation of our Survivors from 1977 to 2007.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">9. Adam and Eve – ANSWERED</span></u></b>. Adam and Eve = Anti-Jacob and The Woman. Was it anti-climatic? A little? Was it proof that the writers had this whole storyline planned from the start? Hell no. Was it a question that was answered? Yes.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">8. The </span></u></b><st1:place st="on"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Island</span></u></b></st1:place><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> History – PARTIALLY ANSWERED</span></u></b>. More than any other question, this is the one that I wish we got a little more answers to. Yes, we learned how the Black Rock arrived on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, who built the FDW, and the history of Richard Alpert… which actually were the three things I specifically mentioned regarding this question in my original post – but I’m greedy and still want more. I didn’t need to go any further back in time to learn about the Egyptians (which would have undoubtedly come across as ridiculous), but I would have liked a little better answer about why it was such a bad thing if the Island was destroyed and what would have happened if SmokeLocke had escaped the Island. Getting these two additional pieces of information would have gone a long way in justifying everything that happened on Lost, and helping us understand the importance of the final battles between SmokeLocke and our Survivors, since we would know the repercussions of losing that battle.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">7. Good and Evil – ANSWERED</span></u></b>. Even though the answer was… there is no answer. As I predicted, things stayed predictably “gray” throughout the final season. Even when the writers went so far as to make SmokeLocke the “bad guy” by killing off a number of fan-favorites, they turned around and made his character totally sympathetic in the next episode by revealing what made him the way he was. The only disappointment here is characters like Ben, who flipped back and forth from good to evil numerous times throughout the last few episodes on a whim. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">6. Jacob and Anti-Jacob – ANSWERED</span></u></b>. They were two brothers, born on the Island, who became the Protector and Security System for the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> after some heavy manipulation by previous Protector, “The Woman”. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">5. The Others – UNANSWERED</span></u></b>. Yes, we spent some time at the start of the season in the <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Temple</st1:place></st1:city>… which was a huge disappointment. But we never learned much about the nature of the Others and their society on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. Were they continually getting instructions from Jacob via Alpert? Did they develop the rules of their society on their own? Were they truly “worshippers” of Jacob who were acting to protect the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, or were they a group of people being tricked by Anti-Jacob via Ben all along? What was up with the kidnapping and costumes from the early seasons? The writers had plenty of opportunities to answer these questions every season, and every season they decided not to – which means they didn’t know, didn’t think it was important, or wanted to leave it intentionally ambiguous to let the Others be whatever we wanted them to be. Disappointing.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">4. Fate vs. Destiny – ANSWERED</span></u></b>. Jacob brought our Survivors to the Island to become candidates to replace him, because they were all individuals who needed the Island as much as the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> needed them. Although I still think it would have been cooler to find out that Jacob didn’t know much, and was retroactively evaluating his candidates based on who accidentally ended up on the Island, the body of evidence seems to point to the opposite – Jacob was a flawed individual who “pushed” characters in a way to bring them to the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. He wasn’t perfect – his actions resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people over the years (at least), but he brought them to the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. It wasn’t just a coincidence.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b><br /></b></span></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b><br /></b></span></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b>3. Smokey – ANSWERED</b></span></u>. We didn’t get the “nuts and bolts” answer of what Smokey was made of, but most of us didn’t want that anyways. We learned that Smokey was SmokeLocke who was actually Anti-Jacob, who turned into Smokey after being thrown into the heart of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> a long time ago. There are still unanswered questions about why the ash and pylons kept him out, why he killed some but not others, and other miscellaneous “rules” that would have been nice to find out – but we got the big answer.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">2. The Funky </span></u></b><st1:place st="on"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Island</span></u></b></st1:place><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> Stuff – PARTIALLY ANSWERED</span></u></b>. We got answers to the Numbers, Richard never aging, the Sickness and the Whispers… and a lot of people thought they were lacking. So maybe it’s for the better that we never got firm answers to the other items in this category, like the time travel, moving the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, random appearing and disappearing of Others, etc. More than any other question, I’m okay with leaving some of this stuff unanswered. The <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> is a mysterious place where magical things happen – to find out exactly why takes away some of the “magic” from the equation. But like most, it would have been nice to get a little closure to the Aaron / Walt storylines from the early seasons.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">1. The Fate of the Survivors of Oceanic 815 – ANSWERED</span></u></b>. The most important question of all, and one that was totally answered in the finale. In short, they die. We all die, eventually.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul><li>Jack sacrifices himself to save the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> (and world?).</li><li>Hurley becomes the new Jacob, Ben becomes the new Alpert.</li><li>Alpert, Kate, Sawyer, Miles, Claire, and Frank escape the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> on Ajira 316 to live out the rest of their days in the “real world”.</li><li>Sun, Jin, and Sayid die on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>.</li></ul><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">As predicted, everyone got a little bit of redemption on Lost. Their time on the Island made them better people, helped them “let go” of the baggage they brought to the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, and find love. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">So looking back, it looks like in the end we received somewhere between 70% and 90% of the big questions answered. Sure, it’s easy to come up with a bunch of smaller questions – but these were the big ones I had before the final season started. Looking at them, I have a hard time being upset at the finale using the argument that “they didn’t answer any questions”.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">But again, as we discussed earlier this season – Lost is open to interpretation. Maybe you didn’t feel like any of these questions were answered “enough” for you to be satisfied. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">One more thing - after the episode ended, I started looking back at some of my earlier posts to see how close / far away from the real ending we were way back in Season One. I came across the following post from April of 2005:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Locke is already the most sage-like character on the island. Is he really serving as their "Christ-figure", giving them guidance for how to live through their new life on the island? If you buy the whole "They’re in purgatory" theory, it could be that when Locke met the monster way back when, he was changed to become a guide of sorts to get everyone else’s souls to the same place he is. That’s why he’s working to get them to "release their inner demons" and "move on", even though everyone has a TON of past baggage in their lives.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://lost-and-gone-forever.blogspot.com/2005_04_01_lost-and-gone-forever_archive.html">http://lost-and-gone-forever.blogspot.com/2005_04_01_lost-and-gone-forever_archive.html</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Replace “Desmond” with “Locke” and it’s pretty damn close to what we saw in Lost’s final season. That’s pretty cool.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">What next? “The End” analysis, complete with an analysis of the big picture storyline of Lost. For now, keep on discussing – but let’s keep it civil, people!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <a href="http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=567.0">http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=567.0</a></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com104tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-90323325264274249992010-05-23T22:38:00.002-05:002010-05-23T23:05:12.508-05:00"The End" Instant Reactions!<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Brian's One Word Review</span></u></b>: Powerful.<div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Part of me thinks that we shouldn't jump right into our normal over-analyzing of the episode, nit-picking details and trying to reconcile what we just saw with the previous 119 hours of the show. On a strictly emotional level, the Lost finale was fully satisfying, emotional, epic, sweeping, and <u>felt more important</u> than any television finale I've ever seen. The wife was in tears. I was confused as I tried to work it all out in my mind. In short, <u>it was everything you would want from the final episode of Lost.</u> If you didn't tear up a little when Vincent laid down next to Jack, you do not have a heart. The final ten minutes were about as perfect as anything I could have imagined for the last Lost - and the episode as a whole had everything I wanted - action, closure, callbacks to the major moments from the previous five seasons, and plenty of perfect "character moments" that are really going to make us all miss these characters.</div><div><br /></div><div>But I suppose I need to give you something, so that you can sound smart and impress your colleagues tomorrow morning at work - so here's my take on the ending.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Flash Sideways</span></u></b>. Finally, it all makes sense. Although this is definitely up to some interpretation, here's my Cliff's Notes understanding of the Flash Sideways.</div><div><br /></div><div><ol><li>The Flash Sideways were, effectively, purgatory. </li><li>The world in the Flash Sideways was somehow mutually created by all of the Lost characters, as a place to "meet up" before moving on. Per Christian Shephard, "this is a place that you all made together so that you could fine one another. The most important part of your life was the time you spent with these people. That's why all of you are here. No one does it alone. You needed all of them, and they needed you." For what? "To remember and to let go."</li><li>The Flash Sideways were a place to work out and accept the things that each person did in life, to come to terms with their lives before moving on to the afterlife - whatever that may be. It's a beautiful symbolism that ties into the overall Lost theme - finding redemption in life, accepting those decisions in death - and then <b>MOVING ON.</b></li><li>Everyone dies - but they didn't all die together. We're trying to fit the Flash Sideways in a very linear timeline, and that's the problem. "There is no now, here." They're a different world - separate from the physical one that we live in. Some characters died long ago (Charlie), some died in "The End" (Jack), and some are going to die, even though we don't know when or how (Hurley, Ben, Kate, Sawyer, Frank, Miles, Claire... and even Richard Alpert - although I didn't see him in the final scene).</li></ol></div><div><br /></div><div>Beautiful, hopeful, powerful stuff.</div><div><br /></div><div>There will be all sorts of full analyses of this episode and the entire series forthcoming - but for now, I kinda want to sit back and bask in the Losty goodness of this episode (and watch Jimmy Kimmel).</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>But for now - discuss!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=565.0">http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=565.0</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com148tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-50123545096973067142010-05-18T21:31:00.002-05:002010-05-18T22:17:57.362-05:00"What They Died For" Instant Reactions!<div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Brian's Two Word Review</span></u></b>: Finally, but...</div><div><br /></div><div>A lot finally happened in this episode that we've been anxiously awaiting for most of the season (if not longer)... but the payoff didn't exactly live up to the hype in a lot of cases. Still, it's pretty clear that we are moving full steam ahead, and I'm pretty pumped for the Lost-a-palooza on Sunday night. I know a lot of people were complaining about the show for the past week, but I think it's shaping up to be a pretty fantastic finale - if nothing else, this episode gave us a hint of how the final episode is going to feel. Epic. Powerful. Final.</div><div><br /></div><div>So what happened?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Across the Sea.</span></u></b> We finally understand why the writers chose to show "Across the Sea" so late in the game - there was a lot in this episode that directly referenced that episode... although give the Lost fans a little credit - we probably would have remembered it even if it happened two months ago, after all, most of us still remember minute details of things that happened five years ago on the show. Still, it makes that episode a little more meaningful in the grand scheme of things, which should appease some of the people so unhappy with it.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Jacob.</span></u></b> I also finally understand why they writers had to wait so long for Jacob to finally explain his plan to the Candidates in person - but it's been pretty obvious for the entire season that Jack was the only real Candidate, wasn't it? He was the one who was suddenly talking about "destiny" and "letting go" and "believing in the Island". That's what you call nailing the job interview right there. But having said that, couldn't Jacob have given this speech earlier in the season, and then have a few episodes of the Candidates reacting to this monumental decision in trying to figure out if they can trust him, if any of them want to do it, and what it would mean? Even if Jack would eventually make the right decision, wouldn't it have been nice to see him think about the consequences of his decisions (more than the two seconds between him asking "how long do I have to do this job?" and drinking the water)? Since so much of the season has seemed to be lacking an overall focus, it seems like this storyline could have been a good way to gain some traction.</div><div><br /></div><div>Speaking of Jacob - was this the last we'll ever see of him? Apparently the only reason that we were seeing images of him on the Island was because Ilana gathered his ashes from the fire, keeping him from fully burning away... although when Ilana gathered those ashes, the fire was already out - so it's not like they were going to burn away anyways. It seems as though his brief two minute speech were the only instructions he was going to give Jack and Co - now it's on them to figure out what to do with them. But you can't blame him, at least he gave more instructions to them than he received from The Woman when she made him the new Protector of the Island.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Candidates</span></u></b>. In regards to the Candidates themselves, we finally got an explanation for WHY Jacob brought all these people to the Island in the first place, and it's something we've noted for quite some time - the lives of all of these people were crappy before the Island. They needed the Island as much as it needed them... but this is pretty crappy for all the happy, good people on Oceanic 815 who died unnecessarily in the process, isn't it?</div><div><br /></div><div>We also confirmed the reason that Kate was no longer a Candidate - once she "became a mother", she found her purpose, she had someone to care for, someone who needed her as much as she needed them. She no longer needed the Island. This also seems to establish that Jin was the Kwon Candidate, not Sun - since she also had a child. However, Sun and Jin are another great example of Jacob's flawed logic. Since they fell in love and had each other after arriving on the Island, shouldn't this have eliminated both from being Candidates long ago?</div><div><br /></div><div>It's also pretty funny that as much as we fans of Lost have eliminated Kate from the running of being the new Protector of the Island, Jacob laughs at us and says "it's just a line of chalk on the wall - if you still want the job, it's yours!" Maybe we shouldn't have been obsessing over all the names this season. I think anyone left on the Island is now a possible Candidate... although those numbers are getting pretty thin.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Death</span></u></b>. After two years, countless theories, and a ton of buildup, we FINALLY got the confrontation between Widmore and Benjamin Linus that we've all been waiting for... and it ended without any explanation of their history or "the rules" between the two of them. I have to admit, it was pretty sweet that Ben FINALLY got his revenge on Widmore for killing Alex - but the slaughter of both Zoe and Widmore just seemed like the writers didn't have any other use for them - and their purpose was pretty much just to bring Desmond to the Island.</div><div><br /></div><div>Note: Widmore also claims that Jacob is the one who visited him and told him what to do. One, that would have been a pretty awesome scene to show earlier this season, rather than just hearing about it after the fact. Two, this adds some more blood on Jacob's hands - since he basically led Widmore to the slaughter of SmokeLocke.</div><div><br /></div><div>In other shocking news - was that the quick and dirty death of Richard Alpert, the guy who couldn't kill himself if he tried earlier this season is suddenly swept away by Smokey and dies off camera? Logic would tell you that this is crazy talk, and he'll most certainly show up again - perhaps with Frank (come on Frank, I was hoping you were going to wash up on shore in the beginning of the episode!), and Miles (who conveniently ran off, setting the stage for him to play some huge role in the finale) - but if not, that was a super crappy way for him to go.</div><div><br /></div><div>As for Zoe, it's interesting that SmokeLocke said "if she's not going to talk to me, she's useless" - maybe we're supposed to take the instructions of Dogen literally. If you let SmokeLocke talk to you, he has some power of manipulation over you, and you can't kill him. If you don't let him talk to you, you have the power over him to kill him. But if this is the case, what character is left that hasn't talked to him, who can kill him in the end? Or is it just a case of Zoe being a worthless character whose time was up (my vote)?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Benjamin Linus</span></u></b>. So... did Ben just do a professional-wrestling-style bad guy turn, or is he manipulating SmokeLocke to eventually save the day? I'm really hoping for the later, since the past few seasons have really shown Ben growing into a sympathetic character on the show. I can forgive his murder of Charles Widmore (they had a pretty long-standing grudge, and payback's a bitch), but if Ben suddenly becomes SmokeLocke's right-hand man who tries to murder the Candidates, it would be pretty illogical... and where is Claire in all this? Left on Hydra Island, all alone, again? Man, no wonder she has abandonment issues.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Island</span></u></b>. As many predicted, Desmond is the "wild card", invincible to the electromagnetic properties on the Island, capable of pulling another "fail safe" maneuver to prevent SmokeLocke from leaving... but apparently SmokeLocke can also use this to destroy the Island? I'm not sure of the logic here, but it seems like he now has to kill the remaining Candidates AND stop Desmond before he can leave. I can't help but think that "destroying the Island" = "sinking the Island", which is exactly what we saw in the Flash Sideways. Does that mean that the Flash Sideways actually represent what happens if SmokeLocke wins, and the series could potentially end with a "choose your own adventure" ending where Reality #1 = our Survivors defeating SmokeLocke and Reality #2 = SmokeLocke winning? Then it's up to the viewer to determine which is really the "happy ending"? Seems kinda lame, but that's the direction I'm heading in right now.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Like I said in the beginning, things are finally moving - but I can't help but wonder how much more enjoyable this season might have been if some of these things had happened earlier to give the audience (and characters) a little more time to think about them, digest them, and theorize about them. As it is, we've got four days before the finale and we're just now getting an idea of where the action is heading. It would have been nice to have this momentum slowly building all season instead of going 0 to 60 in the last moments.</div><div><br /></div><div>But I digress. This was a great episode of Lost, and there's plenty to discuss. I'm going to try and do a brief analysis (if possible) and a quick episode preview for "The End" (maybe) - but like I said, that's a lot to do in the next four days while I'm out of town.</div><div><br /></div><div>I will say this - thank you very much for all the nice comments in the past few Blog posts. It's nice to know that people do appreciate the time and effort I put into the Blog, and I'm glad that I've been able to enhance your Lost experience over the years. Someone also suggested now is a good time to do a final "Lost... and Gone Forever Census" - which we've done a few times in the past with always shocking results. So if you want to take part, just post the city / state / country that you're reading from in the Comments Section. I'll tally up the votes after the finale.</div><div><br /></div><div>For now, discuss!</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=561.0">http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=561.0</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com374tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-36532169026409209052010-05-17T21:27:00.002-05:002010-05-17T21:31:36.979-05:00Lost - "What They Died For"<p class="MsoNormal">This is it.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Fight back the tears and keep yourself together – but this might be the very last Lost episode preview ever. I’m going to do my best to get a preview for the finale up, but it’s going to be a crazy week – I’m actually out of town Thursday through Sunday afternoon making the world a better place – stupid community service! - so it’s not guaranteed.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Also, part of me is thinking maybe it’s for the best. After all the angst and debate that followed last week’s episode, maybe it’s time for us to stop over-thinking and over-analyzing, sit back, relax, and just enjoy Lost for one last time. There’s going to be plenty of time to debate Lost once it’s over.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But enough about Sunday’s series finale. What about tomorrow night’s episode?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Episode Title</span></u></b>: “What They Died For” </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Brian’s Deeper Meaning Guess:</span></u></b> This is actually a great question. After a one week hiatus that took us back thousands of years in the history of the Island (and alienated a good chunk of the Lost fanbase in the process), one assumes that the “they” in question are Sun, Jin, and Sayid – three major characters that died two episodes ago. What did they die for?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">With Sayid, there’s an easy answer. He died to protect the rest of his friends. He sacrificed himself. He got a little bit of redemption after a season of being a soulless killer.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">With Jin, there’s a questionable answer. He died to spend his final moments by the side of his true love, Sun. He died so that she wouldn’t have to spend those final moments alone. It’s noble. It’s sweet. But in all honesty, he abandoned his daughter… and didn’t really <u>have</u> to die.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">With Sun, there’s no good answer. She died <u>because</u> of SmokeLocke, but she didn’t die <u>for</u> him. Unlike Sayid and Jin, her death wasn’t due to any decision that she made – it was an accident. To say what she died for is like trying to explain why bad things happen to good people. They just do.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Actually, this episode title got me thinking – could this title refer to something bigger than simply the three deaths last week? What about all the characters who have died over the past six seasons – what did they die for? Were they simply pawns in a game between two bickering brothers? Or was it for a greater cause?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s easy to see how some of the deaths brought us to where we are today. Without Charlie dying, the Survivors wouldn’t have been able to contact the Freighter, get off the Island, come back to the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, complete the Loophole, etc. Without Michael sacrificing himself on the Freighter, more of our Survivors (including three of the Final Four Candidates) might have died there. I can see and understand what they died for – the greater good.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But what about some of the other characters? Like all the innocent people that died in Oceanic 815 to get a few select people on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>? Or characters like Libby and Ana Lucia who died as a result of the Others stealing Walt (the Others, who in theory, were following Jacob)? They were simply fodder in the bigger picture – unfortunate pawns in a game that was more important than their lives. The <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> used them and discarded them (Ilana). What did they die for?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Long ago, I said that the only possible justification for all the carnage we’ve seen over the years is if the end game of Lost involves saving the world – I guess either Reality #1 or Reality #2 at this point, or both. For a story as epic as Lost, it really seems like the only ending that is powerful enough to stand up to it and make it all worthwhile. Not proving man is fundamentally good, not showing that people can find redemption, not finding the key to eternal life – it has to be saving the world, or else I chalk it up to “not worth the cost” in my book. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Here’s my best guess at the meaning behind the episode title – at some point this episode, Jack or Desmond is going to figure out what they need to do to stop SmokeLocke and save the world. It might involve some sacrifice, death, or carrying out a crazy-sounding mission. But their justification for soldiering on is that if they don’t do it, all those people over the years died for nothing. But if they are able to accomplish their mission, they’ll save the world – and then all those deaths will not have been in vain.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:261.0pt"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Guest Stars</span></u></b>: Michelle Rodriguez as Ana Lucia, Mira Furlan as Danielle Rousseau, Alan Dale as Charles Widmore, Tania Raymonde as Alex, Mark Pellegrino as Jacob, Dylan Minnette as David, Sheila Kelley as Zoe, Kenton Duty as Teenage Boy, Wendy Pearson as Nurse Kondracki, Ashlee Kyker as Student, Ernesto Lopez as LAPD Cop.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Guest Star Breakdown</span></u></b>: Up first, we have two characters making their “curtain call” as so many characters have done this season - Ana Lucia and CFL. It seems logical that they will appear in the Flash Sideways, as so many of the other dead characters have done this season. Although, let’s not forget that Ana Lucia also appeared as a ghost to Hurley at the start of Season Five – so there’s an outside chance she’ll play the role of “spiritual guide” to our Survivors through Hurley, much like Michael earlier this season. Since most of the family relationships in the Flash Sideways have been consistent with Reality #1 (Ben and his Father, Boone and Shannon, Locke and Helen), smart money is on CFL being Alex’s mother. The real question is – will she be crazy? Or will the moniker CFL no longer apply, forcing me to finally learn to spell “Rousseau”, something I have been putting off since the midway point of Season One on this Blog (December 1, 2004! <a href="http://lost-and-gone-forever.blogspot.com/2004/12/lost-finally-back.html">http://lost-and-gone-forever.blogspot.com/2004/12/lost-finally-back.html</a>)?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The other interesting thing is that this episode features both Jacob and Young Jacob (I guess this press release came out before last week’s episode, but I think it’s about time we start referring to Kenton Duty as “Young Jacob” instead of “Teenage Boy”, don’t you think?) Will we see him growing up in Ghost form? Will he appear as Young Jacob to some but adult Jacob to others to help keep his identity secret? Or will this episode feature both the need for Jacob to get into a really small place and purchase alcohol, requiring both identities to accomplish his goals?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Otherwise, the guest stars seem to be progressing the Flash Sideways storyline? David is back, once again teasing us that his mother will finally be revealed. Alex is back along with Nurse Kondracki (the woman who was having an affair with Principal Reynolds), so apparently we’ve got a little more Benjamin Linus story left – even though it seemed pretty well wrapped up the last time we saw him. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Finally, we’ve got Widmore and Zoe – who owe us an explanation of where they were during “The Candidate” while all their friends got slaughtered by SmokeLocke. Hiding like chickens? Or off furthering their goals, using the attack at <st1:placename st="on">Hydra</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype> as the perfect distraction to sneak back to the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Main</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place> when SmokeLocke wasn’t looking?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Episode Description</span></u></b>: While Locke devises a new strategy, Jack's group searches for Desmond.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Episode Breakdown</span></u></b>: Hmmm – the first part of this description makes it sound like SmokeLocke is doing a little bit of improvising – that this wasn’t part of his “master plan” that he’s been working on all season (killing all the Candidates). If he’s devising a “new” strategy, it means that the old one doesn’t work (blowing them all up in the Submarine). It puts him in a tough spot – because now the remaining Candidates know he’s coming for them… and the only “weapon” he has left to indirectly kill them seems to be Claire – who might be able to take out Kate (for personal reasons), but not the rest of them. I’ve got no idea where SmokeLocke goes from here because there aren’t any other obvious solutions jumping out at me.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The second part of the description is what we’ve all been anticipating ever since Desmond returned – his reunion with Jack, where all sorts of enlightenment about the end game are revealed. Desmond finally explains what he knows and why he’s been so zen-like since Widmore’s electromagnetic test. At this point, everyone is assuming this end game involves Desmond entering the “heart” of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> that was revealed last week and… doing something. Something that will probably involve Jack, might involve sinking the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, but will definitely involve saving the world in some fashion.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">…and with that, I think it wraps up the episode preview for this week. We’ve been through a lot together over the years – had our share of good times and bad, agreements and disagreements, terrible Blog posts and only semi-terrible ones - but the important thing is that the Blog has provided the entertainment needed to entertain bored people at work, keep lonely housewives with drinking problems sober for a few hours a week, and give overweight comic book reading nerds living in their parents’ basements the closest thing to real friends that they’ll ever have.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">And in the end, aren't these things the most important things of all?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Until tomorrow night, and perhaps for the last time ever…</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Happy Losting!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=559.0">http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=559.0</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-28876964295461750252010-05-15T15:50:00.003-05:002010-05-15T15:57:51.439-05:00Across the Sea Analysis… or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Lost<p class="MsoNormal">In the words of John Locke, I was wrong.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oXV1kDeorWo&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oXV1kDeorWo&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In a way, I think we’ve all been wrong. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We were wrong about our approach to Lost over the years. It’s not our fault, really – it’s the way the show was presented to us from the start – that Lost was going to be one big mystery, a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. It was a battle of wits between the show’s creators and its viewers. They were leaving little clues along the way, slowly revealing the truth behind the mystery – and we assumed that if you were smart enough, spent enough time thinking about it, researching, and collaborating with others, that we would be able to “figure it out”. That’s pretty much the origin story of this Blog – it was a way for my friends to discuss the show together, to try and figure out what it all meant, where it was heading, and what the ending would be. We were going to outsmart the writers and figure out the ending before they told us. We were wrong.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">“Across the Sea” simply solidified something that we should have known all along – there isn’t going to be a clear-cut answer. The hints were there all along. The first season ended by opening the Hatch, but not showing what was inside. It frustrated a lot of people – people who wanted answers – but allowed the audience to spend the summer speculating and debating, discussing Lost. Over the next five seasons, they have thrown enough characters, side stories, and mythology at us that it required a degree of obsessiveness to keep it all straight. We’ve been waiting for the big reveal, when they throw back the curtain and magically tie EVERYTHING together – Jacob, Smokey, Dharma, Hanso, the Others, the Swan Hatch Implosion, the Incident, Widmore, Ben, the crazy connections between all our Survivors, the whispers, the time travel, the funky time, the FDW, and Jacob’s Cabin. We were hoping that at the end of this season, we’d all say “Oh! I get it – that’s how all of these pieces of the puzzle fit together – it was all building up towards this ending! Now I understand it all!”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But if you think about it, that kinda “closes the book” on Lost. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s going to piss a lot of people off, but I think the creators of Lost are going in the complete opposite direction – they’re going to leave the book open. They’re going to leave volumes of unanswered questions – and questions that they only provide vague answers to, so that Lost lives on. The debate can continue. People can continue to pull together pieces of the overall Lost storyline to draw their own conclusions.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The book of Lost is going to stay open forever.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">If you’ve listened to the interviews and podcasts with Damon and <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Carlton</st1:place></st1:city> over the years, you’ll notice that they continually refuse to answer some questions, telling us that it’s open to interpretation. A lot of us assumed that this was code for “we can’t reveal the true answer yet” – but now I think it’s clear that it was code for “we’re not going to answer it so that Lost can be everything to everyone.” There are no right or wrong answers. It’s kinda like interpreting art, or interpreting song lyrics – it’s going to be something different for everyone, but it’s going to be something personal for each person as well. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So how does this make you feel?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">To some, it’s a beautiful thing. Lost truly becomes a work of art – the type of thing that can be discussed and revisited unlimited times over the years, each time connecting with the viewer in a different way based on where they are at in life. Philosophy classes can dive in and dissect the big questions that Lost posed – and in true philosophy fashion, not have any right or wrong answers. Lost is about life. Life is about big questions that can’t be answered. But the important thing is that we ask them and think about them.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">To some, it’s the worst thing ever. We were promised answers (indirectly from the show’s creators over the years, directly from the ABC promos this season), and while we are getting some answers to minor things, a lot of the major ones are left dangling. It’s a story without an ending. While it’s fun to have each person make up their own interpretations, we want to know the interpretations of the show’s creators, whether we agree with them or not. Life is already full of unanswered questions. Lost doesn’t need to be one of them.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Where do I fall in this debate?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Like Natalie Imbruglia, I’m torn. Part of me likes that this means Lost will never end. Years from now, I can come back to it and view it totally differently than I view it today. People can continue to debate it and draw meaning from it. It becomes this living, breathing thing that lives on even after the show ends.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">On the other hand, I think that by doing this, the writers have kinda cheated. By knowing that they were never going to have to definitively answer some of these big questions, it’s allowed them to use them as plot points and twist them in ways that almost become contradictory. Those of us who are looking for the big answers to tie them all together have worked long and hard to try and tie together all the things we know into one cohesive theory – but it’s impossible (see: explaining Jacob’s Cabin). That’s my problem with it. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I have yet to talk to anyone who loved “Across the Sea”. The reactions have ranged from indifference to downright hatred. A lot of this can be blamed on the production values, child actors, pacing, and the lack of firm answers that so many people assumed were forthcoming. But the funny thing is that once you accept that Lost isn’t going to give you these firm answers, this episode provided a lot of fodder for discussion and debate – perhaps more so than any other episode this season. Isn’t that what the Lost experience has always been about? </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yes, Lost has decided to go a route that is going to make a lot of people angry. But when you stop worrying about needing the answers, it’s a lot easier to appreciate what they have given us – a whole hell of a lot of entertainment.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">With that, let’s get into the analysis of “Across the Sea” – or should I say, MY analysis of “Across the Sea”. Your analysis could be totally different – but it’s not right or wrong (a soldier’s last breath, his baby’s being born), that’s the beauty of Lost:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Light</span></u></b>. The lack of definitive answers has never been more evident than it was with the magically, gooey, bright, warm light that we saw this episode. It seems as though it’s the source of the “unique electromagnetic properties” of the Island, the reason why so many weird things happen there, and is the thing that makes the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> so important. It’s the heart and soul of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, but what in the hell is it?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/?action=view&current=normal_across-sea-165.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/normal_across-sea-165.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">According to The Woman:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">“It’s light. The warmest, brightest light you've ever seen or felt. And we must make sure that no one ever finds it. Because a little bit of this very same light is inside of every man. But they always want more. And if they tried they could put it out. And if the light goes out here... it goes out everywhere. It is life, death, and rebirth. It’s the source, the heart of the island…”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">With that explanation, it literally could be anything. If you want to get sappy, it could be something like love. If you want to get science-y, it could be something like electricity. If you want to get spiritual, it could be something like a soul.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Me? I want to get logical… and the most logical thing I can come up with to explain the light is that it is <b>POWER</b>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">There’s a little bit of power inside of everyone, if someone tries to gain all the power, it goes out (i.e. – uncontrolled power could destroy the world). We each have the power to create life (bow-chika-wow-wow), kill people, and be reborn – to start fresh and pick ourselves up after we fall… redemption (you know, kinda like the central theme of Lost).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It also works well to tie in this explanation with Widmore – although it seems as though Widmore may have some altruistic intentions, we’ve also been told by Ben that he wants to harness the power of the Island for his own personal gain. For reasons unknown, the Island is home to ridiculous power, the side effects of which are the “unique electromagnetic properties we’ve seen”, a power so strong that if manipulated (FDW), it can bend time (funky time and time travel) and space (move the Island).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Hmmm – maybe we’re going to stumble upon some overall answers in this analysis after all!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The other thing The Woman told us about the light?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">“No matter what you do, you won’t ever go down there. It’d be worse than dying… much worse.”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Smokey and The Woman</span></u></b>. At the conclusion of the episode, Jacob threw Anti-Jacob into the heart of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, and out roared Smokey. Was this the “birth” of the Smoke Monster we all know and love?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I don’t think so. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">There are two huge pieces of evidence that Smokey existed before the Anti-Jacob incident:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ol><li>The fact that The Woman knows the repercussions of going into the heart of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. How would she know unless she had seen it happen before?</li><li>The bodies at the Roman Camp massacre looked just like the Pilot’s body after being attacked by Smokey… and unless you’re a Smoke Monster, I don’t know how else you could quickly kill all those people AND fill in their FDW hole.</li></ol><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/?action=view&current=normal_across-sea-475.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/normal_across-sea-475.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">With all these hints that Smokey existed pre-Anti-Jacob, where was he this episode?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Right before our eyes, in the shape of The Woman.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Get ready for the “big theory” portion of the Blog Post:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I think that The Woman was Jacob and Smokey all rolled into one. She was THE protector of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. Where did she come from? From the little information she gave, it sounds like she arrived on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> “by accident”, just like Claudia – but that’s not important. This episode clearly is as far back in time as we’ll ever see on Lost, so let’s just accept that The Woman has been there for a really long time. She was the single entity who understood the power of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> and her job was to protect it, no matter what the cost.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Periodically, people would accidentally end up on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, and she would observe them – which is how she came to develop her views about mankind. “They come, they fight, they destroy, they corrupt... and it always ends the same.” Unfortunately for The Woman, protecting the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> is a long, boring job – one that she wished that she could give up, to be released from duty and be allowed to enter the after-life where she can hang out with all of her old drinking buddies. But she knew that she couldn’t entrust the job to a single man – he would probably abuse the power / destroy the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> (or world). But what if she could somehow split the powers among multiple men? A little separation of powers – two entities that are separate but equal who would keep each other in line and serve very different functions – but the combination of the two of them would achieve her desired goal – protecting the power of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The wheels were in motion. Now all she needed was two people to mold into these roles – and she got exactly that when Claudia showed up.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">(Aside: I’m not sure if The Woman truly brought Claudia to the Island the same way that we’re supposed to believe that Jacob brought our Survivors to the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. She did say that she arrived “by accident”, but could be lying. However, I find it hard to believe that given the era that The Woman and Claudia lived in that it would have been easy to travel from the Island to Rome (or wherever) and back. I really do think it was an accident that brought Claudia to the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> – an accident that The Woman was waiting a very long time for.)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">From there, The Woman carried out her plan, cleverly manipulating the two boys into the roles she needed – a calm, loyal protector (Jacob) and a strong-minded angry enforcer (Anti-Jacob). It’s easy to see how everything we saw in “Across the Sea” was part of this master plan.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Ghost Claudia appears to Anti-Jacob (but not Jacob), which helps drive him away.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Woman allows Anti-Jacob to grow up with mankind to understand how terrible it is, effectively giving him the same views that she has (and we know he retained these views, since he repeated her “They come, they fight, they destroy, they corrupt... and it always ends the same” speech to Jacob years later.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Once Anti-Jacob gets too close to leaving the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> with the FDW, it’s go time. The Woman knocks him out, kills all his people, and blocks his attempt to leave the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. She knows this will infuriate him to the point of killing her.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Woman quickly takes Jacob to the Heart of the Island to force him to become the Protector of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> (note that she doesn’t give him a choice in the matter). She then sends him to collect firewood, to give Anti-Jacob the opportunity to kill her.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/?action=view&current=normal_across-sea-436.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/normal_across-sea-436.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Woman knew that once Jacob discovered her dead body, he would throw Anti-Jacob into the Heart of the Island, thanks to all the little hints she dropped along the way (i.e. – “you can’t kill Anti-Jacob” and “going into the Heart of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> won’t kill you, but it will be worse”)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The plan played out exactly as she wanted. With her death, Jacob became the Protector of the Island without having to go into the Heart of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> himself. By throwing Anti-Jacob into the Heart of the Island, he became Smokey – gaining all the power needed to protect the Island, but not actually being the official Protector of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. Jacob is there to do the thinking, Anti-Jacob is there to do the killing. The Woman’s plan worked.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Anti-Jacob is basically trapped, like the Genie in Aladdin. Jacob gets to come and go from the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> as he pleases, but always returns because he likes it there – and has a job to do. Anti-Jacob is more of a prisoner to the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, wanting nothing more than to leave... and so begins everything we saw starting with the scene between the two of them in “The Incident”.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">(Note: Isn’t it ironic that the two individuals that have “been” the Smoke Monster didn’t have true names? The Woman and Anti-Jacob. That’s gotta be intentional on the writers’ part, but I’m not sure why.)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I have to give it to The Woman and Anti-Jacob. When they make a plan, they make a plan – it might take years to see through and involve so many moving parts that it almost seems impossible to guarantee it’ll work – but in the case of the Separation of Power and The Loophole, both took a really long and complicated path to finally achieve their goals. That’s good project management right there.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">That pretty much sums up the meat of the episode, doesn’t it?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Looking back, there were a lot of interesting little scenes (like Anti-Jacob talking to Jacob as if he is a detached god, “That’s easy for you to say. Looking down on us from above. Trust me, I’ve lived among them for 30 years.” It’s curious that this is exactly what Jacob ends up being, pre-Alpert. A god who wants people to do things on their own without his involvement), but I can’t think of anything else that requires any heavy thinking and analysis.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Where do we go from here?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I wonder if Jacob found himself in a similar predicament as The Woman – that mankind sucks, so how could he ever find a replacement if Anti-Jacob was successful in killing him? Although he started with a large number of potential candidates, I wonder if instead of trying to whittle the list down to one “winner”, he’s actually looking to whittle the list down to a group of “winners” – the final Candidates, our Survivors. Maybe he’s looking to take the Separation of Power one step further, to prevent the issues that he encountered with his brother wanting to kill him. If there were a group of people who all shared the responsibility, it’s possible that you could build a happy little utopia on the Island, where they both protect the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> and live a happy little existence in their own community. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s a little “Captain Planet”, but looking at the remaining Candidates on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, you’ve got the heart (Hurley), brains (Jack), and brawn (Sawyer). We’re all looking for one single replacement for Jacob – but it’s possible he could take it one step further and create a trinity of people to become the Protectors of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> (hello, religious symbolism!)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;">The Outrigger</span>.</u></b> Finally, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I’d rather have you hear it from me than from some stranger on the street. We’re never going to see the other side of the Juliet / Outrigger scene. Read this interview (which reiterates a lot of my points from the start of this Blog post), and focus on this question and answer from Damon and <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Carlton</st1:place></st1:city>:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-alan-watching/posts/exclusive-interview-lost-producers-damon-lindelof-and-carlton-cuse-talk-across-the-sea">http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-alan-watching/posts/exclusive-interview-lost-producers-damon-lindelof-and-carlton-cuse-talk-across-the-sea</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Q: Okay, finally, I have to ask, simply because it's been driving me nuts for a year and a half: what's going on with showing the other half of the outrigger shootout? </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">CC: The outrigger shootout is not something we're bending around in gyrations so we can solve it. In the grand scheme of the show, that is a fairly obscure piece of the show. It is your particular obsession...</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">DL: ...and you're not alone in it. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">CC: You're not alone in it. And yes, it would have been great if we had had the opportunity to close the time loop. But you can't get everything done and keeping the narrative going in a straight line. This is one of those things where we made a very conscious choice to ask, "What are the big questions? And most importantly, what are the paths of these characters? Where do they lead?" And we followed those paths and tried not to trip ourselves up getting too diverted from that. We felt that that's the thing that's ultimately going to make the finale work or not work. We got to the point where we made the finale we wanted to make, that was our approach, and I think it was the only approach we could take. We sat here in my office, had breakfast every day for six years, talked about the show, and we used this gut check methodology, where if we both loved something and thought it was cool, that would go in. We applied that same methodology to the finale, and that was the only way we could do it. We came up with a finale that we thought was cool, that was emotional and one we really liked. That's the best we could do. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">DL: When we wrote that scene and somebody started shooting at them, we knew exactly who was shooting at them. That is not a dangling thread that we don't know the answer to. That being said, as we started talking about paying that off this season, it felt like the episode was at the service of closing the time loop, as opposed to what the characters might actually be doing in that scenario. It never felt organic. We decided we would rather take our lumps from the people who couldn't scratch that itch than to produce an episode that was in service of putting people in an outrigger and getting shot at.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Q: You put people in a lot of outriggers this season. It feels, frankly, like you're taunting me. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">DL: We can't entirely deny that we're taunting you. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">CC: Honestly, though, the logistics of getting all the participants in the outriggers in the configuration that was on the A-side of the time loop was actually really daunting. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">DL: Considering half of them had been killed off</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">CC: It's not like we didn't want to do it. Like Damon says, it was just too much of a narrative deviation to do it.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">To me, that kinda sucks. One, it means that as recently as one season ago, the writers still<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>didn’t actually have the ending of Lost plotted out well enough to actually get to the tail end of storylines they were introducing at the time. Unlike The Woman and Anti-Jacob, that’s poor project management. It’s also a little frustrating that they had plenty of episodes earlier this season to carry out the conclusion to this scene (honestly, are there any characters that haven’t been on Outriggers at one point this season?), but chose not to because they were afraid to “pull the trigger” (pun!) and potentially kill off a main character before the very end of the season.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But remember – there’s no reason to get angry about this. We just need to accept that this is the show that Lost is going to be – the kind of show where questions won’t be answered, but the questions that will be posed will be very good. Stop worrying and love the Lost – we’ve only got three and a half hours left.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It seems as though another line from the episode was directed at us, the viewers, as if it was uttered by Damon and <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Carlton</st1:place></st1:city> themselves:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">“Every question I answer will simply lead to another question. Just be grateful you're alive.”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Amen to that.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Until next week!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=557.0">http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=557.0</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com76tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-78452873305783216922010-05-11T19:26:00.002-05:002010-05-11T23:25:57.951-05:00"Across the Sea" Instant Reactions!<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Brian's One Word Review</span></u></b>: Indifferent.<div><br /></div><div>Yeah - I didn't see that coming either.</div><div><br /></div><div>What a weird episode. </div><div><br /></div><div>Before this episode, I was hoping it would be the one that finally revealed the true nature of Jacob and Anti-Jacob, where they came from, and explained the "rules" between the two of them and the Island. In my wildest dreams, I didn't expect that it would also be the episode that explained the Frozen Donkey Wheel, the light behind it, AND finally reveal the identities of Adam and Eve. </div><div><br /></div><div>So why did this episode feel so "meh"?</div><div><br /></div><div>Sure, there were some parts that were a little hokey (the explanation about the light - and generally the special effects about the light) and some parts that were a little slow (the first twenty minutes featuring Young Jacob and Young Anti-Jacob) - but I guess the weirdest thing about this episode is that even though I now know the answers to all the aforementioned questions - it doesn't change any of my "big picture" views about Lost. It didn't reveal anything new that makes me understand or appreciate earlier episodes anymore - or suddenly give me a bunch of new theories about the direction the show is heading in its final three and a half hours.</div><div><br /></div><div>What did we learn?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Timeline.</span></u></b> Apparently all of the action in this week's episode took place BEFORE the Egyptians came to the Island - so a couple of hundred (or thousand) years before JC. I say this because there was no Tawaret statue visible, and it featured the "birth" of Smokey, who we see featured in the hieroglyphics around the Island. This provides us with an understand of just how long Jacob and Anti-Jacob have been on the Island, and how hard it really was for Anti-Jacob to finally find his Loophole to murder Jacob. It literally has taken him THOUSANDS of years. Crazy.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Woman</span></u></b>. So who was the "Woman" who was the pre-Jacob? How long had she been there? Why did she feel the need to murder Claudia as soon as Jacob and Anti-Jacob were born? Even if she wanted Jacob and Anti-Jacob to be her two "candidates" since they were unspoiled by all the bad things that people do, couldn't she have stolen them away Benjamin Linus style and let Claudia live? It seems a little ironic that she murders a woman in cold blood, and then gives her speech about how terrible mankind is because they come, they corrupt, they MURDER. Pot, this is the kettle. You're black. (That's racist).</div><div><br /></div><div>It's also interesting that upon being killed by Anti-Jacob, she thanks him - as she finally gets her release from the Island, and the job of protecting it. In this way, it actually makes her closer to Anti-Jacob than Jacob, which explains why she had the affinity for him all along.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Island</span></u></b>. All along, I've talked about the "gooey electromagnetic core" of the Island - something at the heart of it that's the center of its power - and it looks like we've finally found it, in the form of bright, "warm" light emitting from various points around the Island. The Woman told Jacob and Anti-Jacob that it represented life and death, and that there was a little bit of it in each of us. She also told them that if people tried to take too much of it, it would kill them... so does this mean that the Island is God? I'm guessing this is going to be one of the items that the writers leave open to our interpretation - and based on your religious beliefs, you'll probably find some answers more meaningful than others. But I would bet any amount of money that the journey for Desmond in the final three episodes of the series will involve traveling to this core of the Island.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Rules</span></u></b>. One of the biggest disappointments of the episode was the lack of a real explanation of the "rules" that conveniently pop-up here and there. The illogical thing is that although The Woman never really told anything about the Candidates or Rules to Jacob and Anti-Jacob, they've been talking like they are experts on them ever since we met them. Heck, even Ben and Widmore seem to know some of these rules. Did people just pick them up along the way when they found limitations to what they could and couldn't do? Are they written down somewhere? It's a little bit funny that the only rule that we were explicitly told was that Jacob and Anti-Jacob couldn't hurt each other... and yet we saw that Jacob did hurt Anti-Jacob - in fact, he killed him - even though he became Smokey in the process, so technically he is "living on".</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Adam and Eve</span></u></b>. We were told that Adam and Eve represented proof that the writers of Lost knew what they were doing all along, and had a master plan in place way back in Season One. Having finally found out who Adam and Eve are... I don't know that it's a fair argument. Sure, Adam and Eve ended up being characters that we didn't find out about until - well, THIS EPISODE - but it seems like the writers found a way to explain Adam and Eve (while ignoring Jack's comment about them being dead for 40-50 years... instead of a few thousand) instead of using them to drive home any sort of major plot point that was relevant to the show all along. In the end, it's nice to know who they are - but does it change how we view the skeletons from Season One at all? No. Does it make me say "Wow - they really did have this planned from the start?" Absolutely not.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Frozen Donkey Wheel</span></u></b>. Here's the interesting thing - The Woman was so hellbent on Anti-Jacob staying on the Island, that she attacked him and killed all his people to prevent them from installing the FDW. (PS - how exactly did she kill all of them? Could she become Smokey?) Yet, in the end, the FDW ends up being installed anyways and we know that Jacob comes and goes from the Island as he pleases in his efforts to find a worthy replacement. The Woman kinda hosed Anti-Jacob on this whole deal, don't you think? It would also be interesting to find out who truly finished the FDW and tested it out for the first time. It seemed like Anti-Jacob was the man with the plan, so it's likely he manipulated some other people who came to the Island into completing the construction. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Anti-Jacob</span></u></b>. It's also a little bit curious about how much Anti-Jacob knew about the inner-workings of the Island in general. He knew that if they cut a slit in the rock and inserted a FDW, it would help them leave the Island. Huh? How? I think we are to assume that some of his knowledge came from the Ghost of Claudia, but could she possibly have known all this? Do spirits on the Island become all-knowing about everything? If so, sweet perk of the after-life.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In the end, I guess I just don't see anything that was so huge in this episode that it needed to be shown as the second last episode of the series. While it was a nice little story, nothing major was revealed. Wouldn't this have fit a lot better early on in the season, rather than breaking up the momentum of last week's episode? I guess it would have ruined the mystery of Young Jacob running through the Jungle and tormenting SmokeLocke - but it also would have made us better understand his motivations all along.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Okay - it's way late. That's all I've got for now. Discuss!<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=555.0">http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=555.0</a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com109tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-16671470032479279232010-05-10T20:19:00.003-05:002010-05-10T20:23:27.186-05:00Lost - "Across the Sea"<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Episode Title</span></u></b>: “Across the Sea”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Brian’s Deeper Meaning Guess</span></u></b>: Do you know what has been noticeably absent for Lost’s entire final season? An episode title that actually had any real deeper meaning or tie-ins to popular culture, books, movies, or songs. In previous seasons, I spent a good amount of time researching the episode title, trying to find thematic hints about the bigger meaning of the episode, or finding how the title provided a clever spin on the action taking place on the show. This season they seem to be more of an afterthought. It’s not to say that the episode titles have been “bad” – most have done a good job of tying together something from the Flash Sideways to the action On-Island (“What Kate Does”, “The Package”) – but some have seemed to be nothing more than being a simple reference to one scene or character in the episode (“The Lighthouse”, “Dr. Linus”). But hey, we don’t watch Lost for the episode titles – it’s not really that big of a deal – but it’s my justification for one reason why the episode preview posts this season have been so brief.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Which brings us to this week’s title: “Across the Sea”.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">When I first read it, my mind immediately began humming the Bobby Darin song “Beyond the Sea” – which has been referenced on Lost before… but is not actually the same as “Across the Sea” – so any comparison between the two is probably an illogical stretch.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">My second thought was that this episode title can be taken two ways – across the sea (literally) and across the sea (of space and time), meaning that this episode will feature people journeying to the Island as well as the audience journeying across the seas of time to learn a little more of the history of the Island, and two if it’s oldest inhabitants:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Jacob and Anti-Jacob.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">That’s right – this is the long-anticipated episode that cast members have been talking about since early this season, using phrases like “unlike anything you’ve ever seen on network TV”. For months, they’ve been pointing to two episodes this season as the “tent pole” episodes that would provide a ton of the mythology answers to the audience. The first was the Alpert-centric “Ab Aeterno”. The second is this week’s Jacob-centric “Across the Sea”.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The bad news is that we’re probably not going to see a lot of advancement in the On-Island action this week, as I’m anticipating the episode being nearly 100% flashback. The good news is, this might finally be the episode to answer some of the “big questions” on Lost surrounding the nature of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, Jacob, Anti-Jacob, Smokey, their powers, the “rules”, and maybe even the identities of Adam and Eve.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Yeah – that sounds like an episode that’ll be worth 42 minutes of my life. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/?action=view&current=acrossthesea-x.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/acrossthesea-x.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;">Guest Stars</span></u></b>: Mark Pellegrino as Jacob, Titus Welliver as Man in Black, Allison Janney as Woman, Kenton Duty as Teenage Boy, Ryan Bradford as Boy in Black, Lela Loren as Claudia, and Ivo Nandi as Oldest Hunter.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Guest Star Breakdown:</span></u></b> The phrase “Guest Stars” might be a little misleading this week. Typically, the “guest stars” appear in a few scenes here and there, but the series regulars are the ones in the spotlight for the majority of the episode. This week will likely be quite different, as any origin story about Jacob and Anti-Jacob would feature ZERO of the Lost characters we know and love (aside from perhaps Alpert) for the first few hundred years of their time on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The writers appear to have tipped a bit of their hand here – but it comes as no surprise that if there is a “Boy in Black” (a young Anti-Jacob), it stands to reason that “Teenage Boy” is going to prove to be a young Jacob – meaning that our theories have been correct – and the young boy we’ve seen appearing periodically this season is exactly who has been tormenting SmokeLocke this season, laughing at him and reminding him about “the rules” of who he can and can’t kill. Perhaps we’ll finally learn what Young Jacob really is (a ghost? Jacob being reborn on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>?), why his hands were bloody when we first saw him (did he murder someone? Did someone else just die in his arms… tonight?). QUESITONS WILL BE ANSWERED.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">It also seems logical that if there are two young boys on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, there should also be a parent of some kind there as well – which is probably where Allison Janey’s “Woman” comes into play.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">But for the most part, I’m expecting this to be the Jacob and Anti-Jacob hour, and upon it’s completion, we should finally have an understanding of the motives of each of them, and have a deeper appreciation for both characters, and how they’ll factor into Lost’s final episodes.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Episode Description</span></u></b>: The motives of John Locke are finally explained.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Episode Breakdown</span></u></b>: It seems as though we already know a good portion of John Locke (aka “SmokeLocke’s”) motives – he wants to kill the Candidates and leave the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> because he’s been trapped there for so long. He just wants to go home! He’s tired of being corked up on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. Life is rough when you’re a super powerful, non-aging being living in paradise. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">But although we already know WHAT SmokeLocke wants – this week should finally show us what brought him to this point – to help us understand the man behind the smoke, and what brought him to this point. Why has he hated Jacob so much for so long? How did he and Jacob grow apart, if they clearly had some connection as youth? And if he started out as a normal “Boy in Black”, how did he become Smokey?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">This episode could go a long way in explaining a lot of the big mythological mysteries on Lost. You should probably be excited about it. With that, I’m wrapping it up for this week.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">On this week’s Podcast, Damon and Carlton said you should probably go into this week’s episode knowing as little as possible, so that you’ll get maximum enjoyment out of it… which means by reading this much, you’ve already ruined the episode for yourself. Shame on you.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Happy Losting!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=554.0">http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=554.0</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-3539653312058340372010-05-09T10:07:00.003-05:002010-05-09T10:12:58.930-05:00"The Candidate" Analysis!<p class="MsoNormal">Last week, we established that Lost is a lot like life – there are big questions, mysteries that will never be answered, and it’s all about doing your best to leave the world better than you found it. This week, Lost reminded us that an important part of life is death. Thankfully, the Lost writers have always done death very well (except for maybe Ilana). When people on Lost die, it’s for a purpose – either saving others, or to drive the storyline forward. This week was no exception. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://s581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/?action=view&current=pour-some-beer-out-for-homies.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/pour-some-beer-out-for-homies.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Sun and Jin</span></u></b>. It’s pretty clear that the writers have always wanted Jin to die in some sort of water accident – or are just really uncreative in figuring out ways to kill people. At the end of the first season, he was on the Raft that was blown up. At the end of the fourth season, he was on the Freighter that was blown up. This week, he was on the Submarine that was blown up. Unfortunately for Jin, after his miraculous survival the first two times, this week his luck was up.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Having said that, Jin probably didn’t have to die. In fact, most logical people out there have pointed out that he should have left Sun (sad as that may have been) in order to attempt to get back to Ji-Yeon to prevent her from being raised by the same crappy parents who raised Sun (as I’ve mentioned before, Sun really wasn’t that good of a person when you think about it. I blame bad parenting). To take it one step further, I think that Sun’s death scene would have actually been much more powerful if she did tell Jin “Leave me. Go raise Ji-Yeon”, followed by a shot of Jin absolutely losing it and then fighting to escape the submarine. Heck, even if Jin dies in the process, the scenes would have been ridiculously intense / sad. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But apparently Jin is a man of his word. When he says “I will never leave you again”, he means it – even if it means dying because of it. Good for him. I suppose it’s fairly Shakespearian that the two of them ended up dying together… after spending over three years apart. After keeping Sun and Jin apart for nearly two full seasons, the writers reunited them, then killed them one episode later (they were together for roughly one day in <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> time). Why?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The deaths of Sun and Jin were necessary to “raise the stakes”. Up until this point, none of the Survivors (with the exception of Team Alpert and maybe of Jack) has really cared about stopping SmokeLocke. He’s wasn’t really a bad guy to them. They were simply focused on getting off the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, regardless of if SmokeLocke was tagging along, left behind, or bringing about the end of the world. Heck, people on the Internet were still debating if SmokeLocke was really a “good guy” up until this week’s episode. It was time to lay the cards on the table, reveal SmokeLocke’s true nature (to both the characters and the audience) and ratchet things up a notch for the final four episodes. Now, not only will our characters be concerned about getting off the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> – but with stopping / killing the monster that killed their friends.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">While the deaths of Sun and Jin are sad, they make sense. The driving force behind both the Sun and Jin storyline for the past two seasons have been the two of them reuniting. Once they reunited, what was left for them? Neither one of them had any interest in stopping SmokeLocke, finding Desmond, or trying to understand the mysteries of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. They just wanted to leave and get home to their daughter. There’s exactly two ways their story could have ended – leaving the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> and living happily ever after (something that might not be possible for ANY character on the show), or dying. The writers went with the second option, using their deaths as an opportunity to drive the story forward. I’m fine with that.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://s581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/?action=view&current=normal_candidate_540.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/normal_candidate_540.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The part that bothers me (a little) is that it seems like the writers really wasted an opportunity with Sun - what purpose did she really serve post-Oceanic Six? There were hints of a really interesting storyline where Sun would join Team Widmore and be a “double agent” in returning to the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> in an attempt to kill Ben – but nothing ever came from that. Once she returned to the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, Christian Shephard (SmokeLocke) told Sun that she had “a long journey ahead”. I guess he really meant “you have to travel to <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Hydra</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place> in a two weeks, reunite with Jin, and then die.” Because that’s pretty much all she did this season. Remember the “Sun forgetting English” storyline? I’m guessing we’re not getting any more resolution to that one either. It’s hard to explain that it was an example of realities bleeding (as some hoped) when the character is dead.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But that’s nothing compared to what the writers potentially did to Frank…</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Frank</span></u></b>. Remember at the end of last season, when Bram and Ilana dragged Frank from <st1:placename st="on">Hydra</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype> to the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Main</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place>, discussing if he was potentially a candidate? There were plenty of other survivors of the Ajira 316 Flight (until they were all killed by… someone. Still need to circle back to that mystery, I suppose) – but they specifically chose Frank to bring with them to the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Main</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place>. We now know that Ilana knew EXACTLY who the candidates were (and Frank wasn’t one of them). Actually, if you go back and rewatch the scene, it’s Bram who is asking about if Frank is a candidate, with Ilana telling him that Frank “was important”. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But aside from rocking a sweet outfit and providing a little comedic relief, Frank has actually contributed zero to this season. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">On a grander scale, remember the conversation between Frank and Ben earlier this season? Where Frank wondered how his life would have been different if he would have flown Oceanic 815, like he was originally supposed to?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">FRANK: Can you believe it? Imagine how different my life would be had that alarm gone off.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">BEN: How different would it have been? The island still got you in the end. Didn't it?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">These little comments really made it seem like Frank had some greater purpose on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, some bigger role in the grand scheme of things – but instead, he potentially dies this week off-camera inside the Submarine?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This means one of two things:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><ol><li>Frank is alive.</li><li>The writers originally had different plans for Frank, but drastically changed them at some point this season.</li></ol><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">After much soul searching and deliberation, I come down on the side of Option #1. I might be a trusting fool, but I trust that the writers are better than this. Frank still needs to do something “important” – save the Survivors or fly Ajira 316, I don’t care – but he needs to directly accomplish SOMETHING in the main storyline of the show, to justify his existence and inclusion in the past two seasons. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The only reason to kill Frank in this episode is if the writers are conceding that they actually have no idea what to do with him, changed their minds, and are tired of having him tag along in the background along with the more important characters to the storyline. If this is the case, then I’m really starting to worry about how they intend to wrap up the rest of the series. Basically, it comes down to this – if Frank is dead, it hints that the writers are making this up as they go. If Frank is alive, the writers really have known what they were doing all along.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">No pressure, Lost writers. The fate of your show rests on Frank’s shoulders. Do the right thing.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Sayid</span></u></b>. Finally, there was the expected death of Sayid. As I mentioned in “Death Watch 2010”, death was the only way out for Sayid. Thankfully, he got to die in a heroic way – and much like Sun and Jin, his death is definitely going to drive the overall storyline forward in a big way, thanks to this little conversation with Jack, right before the explosion:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">SAYID: Listen carefully. There’s a well on the main island, half mile south from the camp we just left. Desmond’s inside it. Locke wants him dead, which means you’re going to need him. Do you understand me?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So not only did Sayid attempt to diffuse the bomb, and eventually sacrifice himself by running away with it – but before he did, he made sure that he gave Jack the best information he had about how to defeat SmokeLocke – and that somehow involves Desmond. Now, the remaining Survivors want to defeat SmokeLocke – and they know that Desmond is on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, and may be the key to doing just that.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">What caused the change in Sayid?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It seems as though his conversation with Desmond last week made him realize that even though SmokeLocke promised to bring Nadia back from the dead, if he had to do terrible things to meet his end of the bargain, she wouldn’t respect him for doing so. The interesting thing here is that it means that SmokeLocke doesn’t really have 100% control over the dead that he claims. They’re not mindless zombies, they are just zombies that are really susceptible to his manipulation. Sayid demonstrated that even though he no longer felt anything, and kinda knew that he was supposed to be dead – that didn’t mean that he couldn’t do the right thing in the end and help his friends.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It makes you wonder if the same is possible for Claire…</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">One more thing – Sayid’s final words:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">JACK: Why are you telling me this?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">SAYID: Because it’s going to be you, Jack.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">What exactly does this mean? I interpret this to mean that Sayid (somehow) knows that it’s going to be Jack that needs to take on, and take down SmokeLocke – that Sayid knows that Jack is the one who needs the information about Desmond, because he’s going to be another piece of the puzzle in defeating SmokeLocke / saving the world. It’s going to involve Desmond surviving a catastrophic electromagnetic event, and Jack being there afterwards to do… something. Four episodes left in the series, and I still can’t come up with a better theory for the ending that Desmond and Jack teaming up to sink it to the bottom of the ocean – which is actually pretty exciting.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://s581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/?action=view&current=normal_candidate_598.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/normal_candidate_598.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">The Bomb</span></u></b>. Aside from the fate of Frank, the big mystery of the week is where the C-4 that was planted inside Ajira 316 came from. Most people have narrowed it down to three candidates (pun):</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ol><li>Widmore</li><li>SmokeLocke</li><li>Team Alpert</li></ol><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">It’s easy to rule out Team Alpert right away. If they somehow got their hands on some C-4, they would just use it to blow up the plane, preventing SmokeLocke from using it to leave the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. They wouldn’t be concerned about wiring it to the plane’s electrical system to only have it detonate when the plane starts up. Their intentions aren’t to kill our Survivors or SmokeLocke, it’s just to keep them here. Also, it seems illogical that they could have gotten to the Barracks, back to <st1:placename st="on">Hydra</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype>, and then back to the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Main</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place> without someone on Team Widmore finding and capturing them. They aren’t invincible like SmokeLocke. The guard’s bullets would have hurt them.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As for SmokeLocke, it’s possible he went over to <st1:placename st="on">Hydra</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype>, planted the C-4, and then returned to the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Main</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place>, all part of a master plan to trick our Survivors into thinking that he is saving them. After all, he knew to pick up the watch off of Widmore’s security guard before entering the plane, as if he knew that the C-4 would be on there. On the other hand, once he entered the plane, he actually took the time to seek out the C-4 by tracing the wiring back to where it was hidden – and upon finding it, gave a little smile as if he was happy to find that his assumptions were correct. If SmokeLocke had planted it, he shouldn’t have needed to follow wires to find it – he would have known exactly where it was.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://s581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/?action=view&current=normal_candidate_291.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/normal_candidate_291.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This leaves only Widmore – which actually makes sense. He didn’t want to destroy the plane right away, in case he needed it later – but wanted to be sure that if someone other than his people tried to use it to escape (like SmokeLocke), it would blow up. It was a safety precaution – but one that fit right into SmokeLocke’s plan. SmokeLocke knew that Jack wouldn’t board Ajira 316, since he didn’t want to leave the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. However, by attempting to board the submarine, SmokeLocke knew that Widmore’s men would attack in an attempt to defend it. Did we ever actually see who shot Kate? I wouldn’t be surprised if it was actually SmokeLocke who shot her, knowing that this would force Jack into attempting to save her by boarding the submarine, giving him his best chance of killing them all in one place.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In a nutshell, it proves that even though Widmore knows a lot (like who the candidates are – how could he possibly know this unless Jacob told him?), and has a master plan, SmokeLocke is still one step ahead of him. Widmore’s only wild card remains Desmond – that seems to be the one piece of the puzzle that SmokeLocke hasn’t figured out, or doesn’t understand – which is why he’s going to be the key.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">The Rules</span></u></b>. The most debated topic of this week’s episode surrounds the “rules” on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> around the killing on the candidates. Jack summed it up nicely during the episode:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">JACK: Locke said that he can’t leave the island without us. I think that he can’t leave the island unless we’re all dead. He told me that he could kill anyone of us whenever he wanted. So, what if he hasn’t because he’s…he’s not allowed to. What if he’s trying to get us to kill each other?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">All along we’ve known that SmokeLocke can’t directly kill the candidates – heck, even Young Jacob (I assume) has mocked him about this, reminding him about the rule. It presented SmokeLocke with a very difficult task: how do you get the candidates to kill themselves, if you can’t do it directly?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The answer: you create a bomb and hope that they set it off on themselves.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I think Jack is 100% right. If they just sat there and watched the bomb countdown to 0:00, nothing would have happened. That would have been SmokeLocke directly killing the candidates, which is not allowed. The <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> would have prevented the bomb from going off. This would have saved both the candidates, and the non-candidates (like Kate). It was the right move.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Instead, Sawyer interfered with the bomb, pulling out the wires. In effect, he didn’t have the same “faith” in the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> that Jack did, and changed the situation. Now, it isn’t SmokeLocke directly killing the candidates, but Sawyer creating a situation where they could be killed. That’s the difference.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">A lot of people are comparing the scene with Jack and Alpert from earlier this season with this one – since when Jack lit the dynamite, the fuse went out and no one was hurt. But in this case, when Sawyer manipulated the bomb, it still went off and people died. What’s the difference?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Maybe the “rules” around Richard Alpert are quite different than the rules around the candidates. Maybe Alpert can’t be killed, regardless of if it’s by his own hand, or by the hand of someone else (which makes me re-think his place on my Death Watch). If I were on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, I’d be sticking by this guy’s side, since it would potentially provide a halo of security from some methods of death (like explosions). </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Or, maybe it all comes down to a matter of faith. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Jack had faith that nothing would happen when he lit the dynamite. He believed in the Island, and the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> saved him. On the submarine, Jack had faith that nothing would happen with the bomb. Sawyer did not. This lack of faith in the Island might have kept the same <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> protecting powers from coming through in the submarine the same way they did inside the Black Rock.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Either way, this point is clear – SmokeLocke can’t directly kill any of the remaining candidates, which suddenly makes his job a lot more difficult. Hurley, Jack, and Sawyer now all know that SmokeLocke is a bad guy intent on killing them… but that he can’t do it directly. This means that he will either need to put them in scenarios where they get killed, or trick someone else into killing them. I really can’t see Claire killing them all, regardless of how much manipulating SmokeLocke does, which means I have no idea how SmokeLocke intends to complete his mission. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br />Again, that’s a very exciting thing for me.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Flash Sideways</span></u></b>. Finally this week, let’s touch on the Flash Sideways – which were pretty fantastic… but did they offer any new revelations to help us better understand their role in the big picture?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Not really.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The writers teased that perhaps Bernard is living in the Flash Sidways post-epiphany, making somewhat cryptic and wise-sounding comments to Jack during his visit, and telling him “I hope you find what you’re looking for”. Does this mean that Bernard knows that Jack must come to his epiphany on his own, without someone flat out showing them (similar to what Desmond did with our Survivors – giving them a “push” to put them in the scenario to find out on their own), or is this just the writers toying with us, knowing that we would read deeper into the conversation that we were supposed to?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It would be a lot easier if we had seen what happens to a character after they have their epiphany in the Flash Sideways. But aside from Desmond, who is “special”, we don’t know. Is Hurley now enlightened, understanding the big picture and walking around making cryptic comments to people he meets? Or is he freaking out and back in the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Santa Rosa</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Mental Hospital</st1:placetype></st1:place>, blabbering about how the Flash Sideways world is a fake? It’s pretty obvious that the writers are intentionally keeping this from us since it would reveal where the Flash Sideways storyline is heading… and it’s driving me crazy.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s also interesting that Locke was speaking lines from Reality #1 while coming out of surgery in Reality #2. Does this mean the dreams of our Survivors offer a gateway between the two realities? In their subconscious dreaming state, do they have memories from both?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">No idea there either.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In my Instant Reactions, I pondered whether the death of Sun and Jin in Reality #1 meant that those two must end up in Reality #2, or else it would be too depressing… but I want to take that back. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that if Lost ends with Sun and Jin living happily ever after in Reality #2, it totally cheapens the emotional death scene we just experienced. Dead is dead. You don’t get to magically come back to life in an alternate reality just because you want to. I think this will just add to the emotional weight of the final decisions of the remaining candidates in the final episodes of Lost. They know that they are going to “wake up” the Survivors in Reality #2, yanking them back to Reality #1… even if that means they will be “killing them”.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This week, my friend Sully asked me the question of what would make me hate the ending of Lost, and feel like the past seven years of my life were a waste. I came up with two scenarios:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul><li>If everyone gets to live happily ever after in Reality #2, wiping out the previous five seasons of the show and cheating us out of all the emotions that we had along the way.</li><li>If the show ends with Jack opening his eyes in the Jungle, in the same scene as the episode pilot, meaning that it’s all been one big loop that will continue on forever.</li></ul><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Both are cheap. Both are lame. Both will force me to sit down and re-write the ending of Lost.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">I think the last conversation between Jack and Locke in the Flash Sideways summed up a lot of these feelings:<br /><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">JACK: You can punish yourself as much as you want and that’s never gonna bring him back…What happened, happened…and…you can let it go.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">LOCKE: What makes you think letting go is so easy?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">JACK: It’s not. In fact, I don’t really know how to do it myself. And, that’s why I was hoping that…maybe you could go first.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">LOCKE: Goodbye, Dr. Shephard.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">JACK: I can help you, John…I wished you believed me.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://s581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/?action=view&current=normal_candidate_577.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/normal_candidate_577.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">No matter how much we hope that our Survivors can carry out some heroic action in Reality #1 that will allow all their friends to survive and live on in Reality #2, it’s not going to happen. What happened, happened – but the hard part will be learning to let go. It’s not going to be easy. Things might have been different – had the Survivors believed in Locke initially, or Jack more recently. If only they had faith, things might have worked out better. But they didn’t… and now they have to deal with the consequences.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Okay – that’s all for this week.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Until Monday night!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=553.0">http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=553.0</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-88527315413711801582010-05-04T21:22:00.003-05:002010-05-04T22:10:20.587-05:00"The Candidate" Instant Reactions!<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Brian's Two Word Review</span></u></b>: Well, Shit.<div><br /></div><div>I mean shit both ways:</div><div><br /></div><div>1. Holy shit I can't believe they just killed four major Lost characters in the span of ten minutes.</div><div>2. The shit is really hitting the fan. I guess we're playing for keeps from here on out.</div><div><br /></div><div>All you people who were trying to argue that SmokeLocke could have been the "good guy" all season, the deaths of Sun, Jin, Frank, and Sayid are on your heads. I hope you're happy with yourselves.</div><div><br /></div><div>In actuality it looks like Sawyer is the poor guy who is actually responsible for their deaths. I think Jack was right - SmokeLocke couldn't kill any of the Candidates on his own, but once Sawyer intervened and messed with the explosive device, well then it was his fault, not SmokeLocke's... a nice little mini-loophole.</div><div><br /></div><div>A few moments of the episode were pretty well telegraphed (SmokeLocke stealing the watch, locating the C-4, swapping backpacks with Jack) - but I was thinking that in the end, it would be Jack winning out, convincing Sawyer to trust the Island... but if that happened, I have to think that only Jack, Sawyer, Hurley, Sayid and Sun (or Jin) would have magically survived, as they were Candidates and the others (Frank, Kate, Sun or Jin) were not. In the end, I guess we can't blame Sawyer too much - the net result of his decision was that Kate lives rather than Sun / Jin and Sayid. Frank was screwed either way. Given the chance between saving Kate or Sayid - I probably would have gone with Kate as well. Sorry Sayid - you're cute... but not my type.</div><div><br /></div><div>I must say, I'm pretty shocked that the writers killed BOTH Sun and Jin - the two characters left on the Island who actually had a chance for a happy ending, and two of the few characters who actually had someone to get back to off-Island in Reality #1 (Ji-Yeon). But honestly, their fate was sealed when Jin got sappy during their reunion.</div><div><br /></div><div>As for Frank, part of me is holding out hope that he somehow survives. After all, we didn't see any evidence of him dying - just getting knocked out and going under water. Who's to say that he didn't wake up and swim out? I have to think that the writers would have given us at least a brief shot of his dead body in the submarine if he actually died - his character deserves more than an off-camera death, doesn't he? Yep, I'm sad that Frank is gone - but would probably bet money that he's not actually dead.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sayid got the happy death that we (or at least, I) was hoping for - redemption. Saving his friends, revealing to Jack where Desmond was trapped (critical!), and getting blown to bits. In the end, the fact that Sayid both attempted to save the Survivors, and then sacrificed himself for them, makes me think that he did reclaim a little bit of his soul, and at least died in a way that would make Nadia proud.</div><div><br /></div><div>So now what?</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, it seems as though next week is our "Jacob and Anti-Jacob Flashback Episode", you know, the one that is rumored to not feature ANY of the main characters on Lost? If the rumors are true, it means we have two weeks before the action on the Island will again move forward, meaning we have plenty of time to ponder the answers to these questions before the final three hours of On-Island action of Lost...</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Candidates</span></u></b>. It looks like we're down to the final three - Jack, Sawyer, and Hurley. Kate is in really bad shape right now (truth be told, I thought she died earlier in this week's episode when she was shot). Widmore and Sawyer are right - she's not a Candidate, so she's expendable. That's not a good thing. There's also this little rushed conversation between Sayid and Jack before everything went to hell:</div><div><br /></div><div>SAYID: "There's a well on the main Island, half a mile south from the camp we just left. Desmond's inside. Locke wants him dead. Which means you're going to need him." </div><div>JACK: "Why are you telling me this?"</div><div>SAYID: "Because it's going to be you, Jack."</div><div><br /></div><div>Did Sayid mean that Jack was going to be "The Candidate" (like the episode title), as if he knows that Jack is the one that is destined to be the next Jacob? Or does this mean that he just knows that Jack is going to be the one to defeat SmokeLocke, and that Desmond is the key? </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Non-Candidates</span></u></b>. Speaking of Desmond, outside of the Candidates, there are a few remaining players in the final act of Lost - Widmore, Zoe, Alpert, Ben, and Miles - not to mention any other random Others / members of Widmore's crew who will most certainly die the next time they appear on screen. </div><div><br /></div><div>Now the action will shift back to the Main Island (damn, we didn't get the resolution to the Juliet Outrigger scene... yet) with Jack, Sawyer, Kate, and Hurley reuniting with Desmond - who will hopefully enlighten them to their mission, and where they go from here. But now that our remaining Survivors know SmokeLocke's true intentions, how is he going to kill the remaining Candidates? He can still use Kate as a pawn in his game - but I don't see how he'll be able to take out all three of them... unless he doesn't have to.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have this sneaking suspicion that Team Alpert is going to show up in an attempt to blow up SmokeLocke... and may inadvertently put the lives of the remaining Candidates in danger in the process - at least that's probably what SmokeLocke is hoping for... or playing on Claire's abandonment fears to have her shoot them all out of anger.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Flash Sideways</span></u></b>. I have to admit, the Flash Sideways were super enjoyable this week, mostly due to all the ironic callbacks to previous episodes (both in action and words) and Jack's slow realization that it's a little weird that everyone is so connected to Oceanic 815. Also, did Bernard somehow know exactly what was going on in Reality #2? The way that he said "of course I remember" Anthony Cooper's name makes one wonder if he's already had his epiphany - or if the writers just meant that he could never forget someone who was in such a horrific accident. Ironically, a plane crash.</div><div><br /></div><div>In other news, there were plenty of chances for Jack and Locke to have their epiphanies - but it wasn't obvious that either had one, which makes you wonder what it's going to take for them to wake up - or if they ever will. I really don't see Jack performing the surgery on Locke at this point (he's now turned him down multiple times, and we understand WHY he's doing it - to remind him of the pain he caused his father). I'm almost to the point where I don't want Jack to perform the surgery - he's approaching Desmond-esque Flash Sideways creepiness with his insistence.</div><div><br /></div><div>Although I hate it, with all the death and sadness this episode - and the prospect of more to come - you almost wonder if Reality #2 is going to be the end game for at least some of our Survivors - perhaps the ones who haven't had the epiphany? Could that explain why those who are dead realize it's fake (they don't get a second chance at life), and that the other ones are those whose consciousness will remain in Reality #1? That would mean Desmond and Hurley (so far) in Reality #1 - but that there's still a chance for Sun and Jin to live happily ever after in Reality #2. Yeah, there was a little bit of sideways bleeding from Sun while being wheeled into the hospital - and a little from Locke this week ("Push the button" and "I wish you believed in me") - but neither was the eye opening epiphanies that the others have had.</div><div><br /></div><div>If this is the case, it would explain why we haven't seen the epiphanies for the other characters in the Flash Sideways - the writers don't want to tip their hands at their fate.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>With that, my thoughts are turning to gibberish, so we'll call it a wrap. Mourn death, celebrate life, and get rip-roaring drunk in the Comments section below! </div><div><br /></div><div>Oh - and if you're really depressed, this will cheer you up. They just announced that the Lost Series Finale will now be TWO AND A HALF HOURS LONG - running from 9:00 - 11:30, pre-empting local news! That means Lost will be on ABC from 7:00 - 9:00 (Recap Show), 9:00 - 11:30 (Series Finale), and 11:30 - 12:30 (Jimmy Kimmel Special). That means there will be FIVE AND A HALF HOURS OF LOST on Sunday, May 23.</div><div><br /></div><div>Chances of Brian going to work on Monday, May 24th? Slim.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=552.0">http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=552.0</a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com97tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-8308540033923436372010-05-03T21:21:00.001-05:002010-05-03T21:23:04.446-05:00Lost - "The Candidate"<strong><u><span style="font-size:130%;">Episode Title</span></u></strong>: “The Candidate”<br /><br /><br /><strong><u><span style="font-size:130%;">Brian’s Deeper Meaning Guess</span></u></strong>: It doesn’t make sense, but I think that last week’s episode title, “The Last Recruit”, was somehow a reference to Jack. Throughout the season, we’ve seen Locke “recruiting” our Survivors (well, at least Claire, Sayid, and Sawyer) by promising them things in return for siding with him. Although the episode ended with SmokeLocke saving Jack from Widmore’s bombs, telling him “you’re with me now” – we all know that Jack is ANYTHING but “with him”. The whole reason that he jumped off the Elizabeth and left his fellow Survivors behind is because he wants to do the opposite of what SmokeLocke does. That doesn’t sound like a “recruit” to me. Also, what about Hurley and Sun / Jin? They are “Candidates” who have yet to been recruited by SmokeLocke, so how could Jack be the last one?<br /><br /><br />This might be one of Lost’s great episode title mysteries, right up there with “Eggtown”… and perhaps this week’s episode.<br /><br /><br />Likewise, my gut is telling me that this week’s episode title, “The Candidate”, must be another reference to Jack, right? After all, the title is THE Candidate – singular… and he’s the only Candidate currently isolated from the other potential Candidates. Hurley, Sawyer, and Sun / Jin are all on Hydra Island – all are alive, all are non-zombies, all seem like legitimate options to replace Jacob. Back on the Main Island, we’ve got Jack, SmokeLocke, and Sayid – where only Jack seems like a realistic option to replace Jacob – making him “The Candidate”.<br /><br /><br />Of course, the other option is that this week is a bloodbath.<br /><br /><br />Remember my Death Watch from the “Lost… and Gone Forever Bye Week Spectacular”? Remember how depressing it was, and how I basically could justify why each character would die? Could it be that this episode title is a hint that after this week ends, only one Candidate will be left standing?<br /><br /><br />It seems a little extreme, especially with four hours of the season remaining – but that would be a very logical explanation for this week’s title, wouldn’t it?<br /><br /><br /><strong><u><span style="font-size:130%;">Guest Stars</span></u></strong>: Alan Dale as Charles Widmore, Kevin Tighe as Anthony Cooper, Sam Anderson as Bernard, Katey Sagal as Helen, Fred Koehler as Seamus, Maile Holck as Nurse, Casey Adams as Wheeler, Ken Elliott as Orderly, Christopher McGahan as Paul and Alan Seabock as Sub Captain.<br /><br /><br /><strong><u><span style="font-size:130%;">Guest Star Breakdown</span></u></strong>: The guest stars break down fairly predictably based on where the action for the episode should be headed – we’ve got the standard hospital workers (Nurse, Wheeler, Orderly) and the return of Widmore’s Crew that have guested numerous times this season, but I probably wouldn’t recognize if they walked into my front door (Seamus, Paul – aka “Clipboard Guy”, Sub Captain). The two big ones for this week are Anthony Cooper and Bernard.<br /><br />Cooper’s inclusion probably means that he (along with Helen) are called to the hospital after Locke’s accident, and that the audience will finally found out the exact nature of the relationship between Locke and his father (which apparently is pretty friendly, based on the happy picture of the two of them on Locke’s desk – and that Locke was talking about inviting him to the wedding). But this begs the question – if Locke didn’t become paralyzed by being pushed out of a high-rise window by his jerk father, how did he become paralyzed? I would welcome an answer to that little Flash Sideways mystery as well.<br /><br /><br />Bernard’s inclusion is an obvious rebuttal to my comments in the Bye Week Spectacular, where I said that the writers wanted us to forget about Rose and Bernard so that they wouldn’t have to come up with an explanation for where the two have been for the past few months / years. Just kidding – since Bernard is in the guest star list, but Rose is not, it seems likely that Bernard will also be appearing in the Flash Sideways. Do dentists work at hospitals?<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><u><span style="font-size:130%;">Episode Description</span></u></strong>: Jack must decide whether or not to trust Locke after he is asked to follow through on a difficult task.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><u><span style="font-size:130%;">Episode Breakdown</span></u></strong>: Logic tells us that SmokeLocke is going to pick up right where he left off last week, heading to Hydra Island to reunite with his Candidates and to take on Widmore in “The Battle for the Island”. Does Jack trust SmokeLocke? Of course not. Will he go along for the ride in an effort to try and understand SmokeLocke’s true intentions and figure out how to stop him? Most definitely.<br /><br /><br />What is the “difficult task” that SmokeLocke tasks Jack with? The last time an episode description was worded like this, it was when SmokeLocke was convincing Ben to murder Jacob – could it be that this time it’s about Jack murdering Widmore? Maybe SmokeLocke promises to save all of his friends if he agrees to go along with him. Maybe he claims that the only way to save the Island is to go along with him. Either way, it’s going to be something that makes Jack question what his true purpose on the Island is, who he can trust, and what he should do. He’s going to be all alone in this decision, and it’s finally going to see if all that time spent staring out at the ocean paid off.<br /><br /><br />Until tomorrow night.<br /><br /><br />Happy Losting!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=551.0">http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=551.0</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-18503830849392447362010-05-01T10:11:00.003-05:002010-05-01T10:34:30.223-05:00Lost... and Gone Forever Bye Week Spectacular!<p class="MsoNormal">Welcome to the “Lost… and Gone Forever Bye Week Spectacular!” Inside, you'll find my current "Death Watch", rankings of each season of Lost, my predictions for the final five episodes, and the meaning of life (seriously). </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Enjoy!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Death Watch</span></u></b>. There are only five hours of Lost left. This means for the first time in the show’s history, literally every character’s life is at risk. I could see the writers killing most of the main characters or I could see the writers killing none of the major characters. The truth will probably lie somewhere in between. Let’s rank them, starting with the safest characters and working our way up to the most at risk:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Safe:</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Vincent</u> – I’m not sure we’ll actually see Vincent again on the show, since that would force the writers into explaining what the hell Rose and Bernard have been up to all this time on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. Did they “jump” to 2007 after the Incident along with everyone else? Did they stay in 1977 and live out the rest of their lives on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> (somehow magically avoiding Smokey, the Others, and Dharma)? It feels like the last time we saw them, during last season’s finale, it was meant to be their farewell on the show. I know a lot of people have been asking about them, but I think the writers want us to forget about them and assume they had a happy ending, living a simple life happily ever after on the Island.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As for Vincent, years ago the writers assured us that he is the one character on Lost that would make it to the end – which is good news for me, since I would gladly kill off every other character on the show as long as Vincent lives. I would be perfectly fine with the series ending with everyone dying, and Vincent running out of the jungle, tail wagging, realizing that he gets the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> all to himself to dig, swim, and play.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://s581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/?action=view&current=lost-vincent.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/lost-vincent.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Hurley</u> – In terms of actual characters on the show right now, Hurley is the only one I consider “safe”. He’s the heart and soul of the show, as he is now the only character left who hasn’t become “dark” in some way. There’s no tortured past, drug addiction, undead zombie-ness, or murder with Hurley. He talks to dead people, and had some bad luck after winning the lottery. That’s nothing compared to some of the drama that our other Survivors have experienced in life pre and post <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. I could see him becoming the new Jacob on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. I could see him becoming the new Alpert on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. I could see him living happily ever after on the Island hanging out with <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> spirits and ghosts. I could see him returning to the real world with a newfound “luck” in life. Basically, I can realistically see any of these things happening – but not Hurley dying.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for any other character on the show…</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Danger Zone:</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Jack</u> – Before Lost started, the writers originally planned to kill Jack during its first episode – which makes it seem like killing him now would be no big deal. But a lot has happened since then. More than any other character (outside of Locke), Jack has done nothing but suffer over the past six seasons of the show. He stepped up in a leadership position immediately after the crash, and because of it, has felt the weight of the all the Survivors on his shoulders ever since. When characters die, he feels it more than anyone else – he blames himself and questions what he could have done differently along the way. His fatal flaw is the desire to “fix people” and “save them”, which has led to a lot of internal pain and suffering over the years. But I think because of this, he’s less likely to die. Even in his newfound “enlightened” state where he is letting others make decisions and trying to follow the desires of the Island, he hasn’t quite found redemption yet – he’s not yet to the point where he can let out a sigh of relief that his work is done. I could see him reaching that point by the end of the show, when he can stop worrying about everyone else, accept that he did his best, and let go. Once he gets there, I could see Jack dying. Until that point, he’s safe.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Jin</u> – I really debated who is more at risk between Sun and Jin, because I think both are in trouble (ever since Jin jinxed them by saying “we’ll never be apart again. I promise you”). On the one hand, Jin has never gotten off the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> and has never seen his daughter – so it seems like he should live long enough to get those opportunities. But on the other hand, I could see him heroically dying to save Sun. Sun and Jin represent one of the only chances for a couple to receive a happy ending on the show, so it wouldn’t surprise me if both somehow survive – but it seems like the writers are setting us up for heartbreak.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Sun</u> – If I had my choice, Sun would die and Jin would live. I think it’s funny that people seem to view Sun as this innocent little female who just wants to have her happy family together. Pre-Island, Sun was an adulterous, deceptive person. Post-Island, Sun was seemingly in cahoots with Widmore and focused on killing Ben, manipulating characters like Kate in the process of accomplishing her plan. Honestly, she’s a real B – and I wouldn’t be sad if she died on the show. Let Jin live and raise his daughter. Sun would probably just be a negative influence on her anyways. However, the one thing that helps Sun out more than Jin is that she’s one of the few females left on the show… and as you’ll see, things aren’t looking good for any of the rest. Unless the writers are total misogynists, there has to be at least one female standing at the end, right?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Claire</u> – Claire is a tough character to read, mostly because we don’t know if she is truly the walking undead – or if she’s still alive, but been so manipulated by SmokeLocke that she appears to be in the same state as Sayid. If she died in the Barracks explosion of last season, she’s as good as gone. She’ll carry out the remainder of her “mission” for SmokeLocke (which probably involves attempting to kill Claire) and then no one will have any use for her. Aside from Kate (and potentially Jack), the rest of the characters have written her off as being unworthy of tagging along in any escape plans, she seems unfit to raise Aaron, and I have to assume that leaving the Island would make her drop dead, as she would no longer be under the “magic spell” of the Island / SmokeLocke. If she is actually alive and just totally messed up by being left alone on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> for three years with SmokeLocke, there’s a chance she makes it out alive to ruin Aaron’s life and be tormented by the demons of her past killing for the remainder of her days. So either way, no happy endings for Claire.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Ben</u> – Much like Jack, it seems like Ben still needs to reach total redemption to complete his character arc. Sure, he might have been a pawn all along, manipulated by Anti-Jacob into being a “bad guy” on the Island – killing people, orchestrating the Purge, potentially ending the world by killing Jacob – but he’s gotta end up being a “good guy” right? I mean, all he ever wanted was to help the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> and be loved. He can’t help it if someone smarter and more powerful than him tricked him into doing the wrong things all these years. There’s no life for Ben off the Island (as shown by his Flash Sideways, where the best the writers could come up with is that he has a decent relationship with his dying father and helped Alex get into college), so his story either ends with him remaining on the Island, or dying to make up for all the wrongs he’s done over the years. Either way, the conclusion to his character arc should be pretty powerful, as he’s been one of the best written characters on the show over the years.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Miles</u> – There’s really no compelling evidence one way or the other for Miles. His character serves a purpose on the show, he’s likeable, and still has a little bit of mystery left (how exactly he is able to communicate with the dead) – but I think most people assume at this point we’re not going to get a firm answer to that question. Like I said, I like Miles, but I see him being caught in the crossfire in the “<st1:city st="on">Battle</st1:city> for the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>”, with the writers (and audience) thinking to themselves “It’s sad – but better to lose him than Kate / Sawyer / Jack / Hurley”.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Frank</u> – Pretty similar to Miles, except it seems like the only reason the writers are keeping Frank around is that he could potentially fly Ajira 316 off the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> (laugh). Once that plan is eliminated / the characters realize how absurd it is, Frank’s in the same boat as Miles (literally?) – an acceptable casualty that will make the audience sad, but preserve the main characters to live another day.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Man, this is getting depressing. If you thought those were bad, wait until you see the rest!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Screwed:</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Desmond</u> – Widmore told Desmond that he would need to make a “sacrifice”, or else we’re all dead. Widmore also told Desmond that he needed to make sure he could live through another catastrophic electromagnetic event, or else we’re all dead. It seems like Widmore is prepping Desmond to do something similar to turning the fail-safe of the Swan Hatch, where he’ll be exposed to high levels of electromagnetism, but that it’ll save the world (at least the people in Reality #1, perhaps). Desmond seems to have accepted his fate in Reality #1, which makes it seem like his story is going to end one of two ways – being the hero, saving the world, and sacrificing himself in the process, or being the hero, saving the world, and somehow coming out on the other side alive. But if that were the case, I don’t think Widmore would have used the word “sacrifice”. He would have said something like “I need you to do something”. Maybe Widmore is wrong, but I’m not optimistic.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Sayid</u> – Let’s face it, Sayid is already screwed. He’s the walking undead. He’s got nothing to live for either reality. He’s being prepped by SmokeLocke to be an emotionless killer because “it’ll make his upcoming tasks easier”. As I mentioned last week, the only way Sayid can have a semblance of a happy ending with redemption is by dying in some heroic fashion in an effort to help save the world / the other Survivors. There’s also the chance that he dies as our Survivors / Widmore defend themselves against him. Either way, death looks to be the only ending for Sayid’s story.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Sawyer</u> – It seems a little unfair to have Sawyer die on the Island, as he’s one of the few characters (along with Jin and Miles) that never got the chance to leave and see what life would have been like if they never crashed on the Island (short answer: still pretty crappy). Because of this, he’s got a single-minded approach to every action her performs from here on out – getting the hell off the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. He’s willing to do anything to achieve that goal, even if it means leaving people behind (Jack), cutting losses with others (Claire), or making deals with the enemy (Widmore and SmokeLocke). Unfortunately, I think it’s this obsessive focus that is going to get him killed. Live together, die alone. The good news is, as awesome of a character as Sawyer has been, he’s sure to die in some awesome, heroic fashion – saving Kate, saving the world, or at least getting off a hilarious one-liner in the end… and hopefully saying “Son of a Bitch” one last time. When all is said and done, we’ll look back on Sawyer as having some of the biggest character development on the show – and being more of a “hero” than any other character. Sad.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Alpert</u> – This one is actually not a bad thing. Alpert’s “happy ending” is to finally be able to die, to finally be reunited with Isabella in the afterlife, and to finally be able to leave the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. I’m not sure what the “rules” around his immortality are, but I’m guessing that someone else could kill him (which is why he asked Jack to blow him up in the Black Rock), leaving him open to being a casualty in the “Battle for the Island”. If not, perhaps once the Island spell is broken – the Candidates are all eliminated and SmokeLocke is defeated – the curse on him will be broken, and he’ll no longer be immortal, making him instantly succumb to old age. Unlike the rest of the characters on Death Watch 2010: The Final Countdown (with a sweet techno intro by the band “<st1:place st="on">Europe</st1:place>”), we should all be pulling for this one to occur… and I think it will.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Kate</u> – This one pains me, but I have to face the facts. Of all the remaining “main characters” on Lost, Kate is the one with the least “meat” to her story. She came back to the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> to rescue Claire and reunite her with Aaron… which is looking like a terrible idea. Before she left, she already gave Aaron away, so there’s no way that she could reclaim him upon return from the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. She’s already attempted a relationship with Jack that failed. What else does she have in life? But the biggest reason that I put Kate at the top of the list is that unlike all the other remaining Survivors on Lost, she isn’t a Candidate. For Jack, Hurley, Sawyer, Sayid, and Jin (or Sun), it seems like all the major players in the Battle for the Island have a reason to keep them alive and together – be it to become the new Jacob, or leave the Island together – but the common theme is that whatever they do, they have to do as a group (according to SmokeLocke). This makes Kate the odd man out. Or, the “odd hot woman out”. Sure, there are plenty of B-list characters that could die (Frank, Miles, all of Widmore’s crew), but if the writers are going to punch us in the gut with a major character death – it’s going to be Kate… and it will achieve its intended goal. Characters on the show are going to be upset and have a newfound purpose and desire, viewers at home are going to realize that the stakes are raised and anything can happen, and Season Six will finally gain some of the emotional power that’s been sorely lacking.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s just a shame we’ll lose the only eye candy left on Lost to achieve these goals. Damn you writers!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://s581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/?action=view&current=Kate.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/Kate.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;">The End</span></u></b>. You’ll notice that the overall theme of the Death Watch was just how dire the situation is for a lot of characters on Lost, how little they have to live for in Reality #1, and how there’s a lot of opportunity for multiple characters to die “heroic deaths”. When did Lost become the most depressing show on TV? From a big picture perspective, what is the fundamental take away from the story of Lost? From the start, the writers have told us that Lost is about “life”. Does this mean that the story of life is one of depression, death, and being puppets in some game being carried out by mysterious God-like beings?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Before we tackle the meaning of life (that’s right mankind, I’m going to answer this little question in this Blog!), let me give an overview of how I see the season (and series) wrapping up:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Team Sawyer (Sawyer, Kate, Sun, Jin, Hurley, Claire, Frank) are captured by Widmore. Luckily, they’re on <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Hydra</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place>, where there are plentiful Polar Bear cages / underwater chambers to hold prisoners (see: Season Three). They won’t be there long.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Team SmokeLocke (SmokeLocke, Jack, Sayid, any surviving Others) will still make their way over to <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Hydra</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place> – after all, that’s where all the other Candidates are, that’s where Ajira 316 is, and that’s where Widmore is. There’s no point in sticking around on the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Main</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place> at this point in the game. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This sets up the “<st1:city st="on">Battle</st1:city> for the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>” that we’ve actually been talking about since Season Four. Crazy. Team SmokeLocke will probably have a two-front approach – attacking Widmore’s people and rescuing the Candidates. Note that this is where things get bad for the non-Candidates, since there is less motivation to protect them in a heated battle. SmokeLocke is going to be focused on rescuing Sawyer, Sun/Jin, and Hurley – along with Sayid and Jack, that’s all he needs.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Team Alpert (Alpert, Ben, Miles) is the wild card. I’m expecting them to show up as some unexpected visitors during the battle. They’re not concerned about who wins or loses – they’re simply focused on blowing stuff up to ensure that no one leaves the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> – especially not SmokeLocke. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Who wins in the end? I think Team Alpert will succeed in destroying Ajira 316, but logic tells you that Team SmokeLocke (who, you know, have a Smoke Monster on their side) will be able to defeat Widmore’s army of nerd scientists. However, I do think that with Widmore’s dying breath, he’s going to reveal that although SmokeLocke thinks he has won – Widmore still has an ace up his sleeve… Desmond Hume.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Note that at this point, EVERYONE is on <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Hydra</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place> except for Desmond – who is theoretically still at the bottom of the well (although there is a chance that Sayid helped him out when he was mysteriously gone last episode). It’s only logical to have the action shift back to the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Main</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place>, but why? I’m thinking at this point, Widmore reveals why Desmond is the key to saving the world, and what task he gave him before sending him off to be captured by SmokeLocke. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">What is this plan? Based on the “catastrophic electromagnetic event” talk, it seems as though Desmond is going to be exposed to the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>’s funky core. I’m picturing Desmond doing something along the lines of turning the Swan Station Fail Safe or the FDW, basically completing some act that destroys (sinks?) the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> once and for all, or at least makes it so that SmokeLocke can never escape. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The important thing is that this will create a “race to find / stop Desmond” between competing Teams from <st1:placename st="on">Hydra</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype> back to the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Main</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place>… and how are they going to get there? The Outriggers. FINALLY, after being teased all season long, we’ll see the other side of the “Juliet shooting someone in the back Outrigger” scene from the time jumping escapades of last season. This will either end tragically (Juliet killing Sawyer!) or heroically (Juliet killing Evil Sayid!) – but either way, this is one question that will be answered.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">From here, the details get a little fuzzy. I still can’t put together a logical explanation for the final few scenes of the series, since they would need to tie back in with the Flash Sideways (which you’ve noticed I haven’t mentioned at all in this theory), something I don’t really understand. Conceptually, it would make sense that Desmond’s “catastrophic electromagnetic event” might bring the two realities back together the same way that Juliet and the Jughead split the apart – but that leaves us with Lost ending with everyone dying as Desmond destroys / sinks the Island. Again, pretty depressing.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://s581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/?action=view&current=HydraIsland.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/HydraIsland.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Maybe it’s better we not try to figure out exactly how Lost is going to end, just in case we accidentally guess right. Let’s focus on something easier – the meaning of life.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Regardless of how Lost ends, it’s pretty clear what the overarching theme of the series has been – and if Lost really is about life, than what the purpose of life is. It’s really quite simple:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>To leave it a better place than you found it.</u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u><br /></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">You can take this at both a micro and macro level. On the micro level, life is all about the people you meet, the connections you make, and the influence you have on them – positive or negative. Hopefully, when you die people are able to say that their lives were better because you were in them. On a macro level, it’s about the bigger picture things – saving lives, protecting the planet, inventing things that make us all a little more “enlightened” about the human condition. It’s very rare for a single person to accomplish one of these macro goals, but we have numerous occasions to be a part of a group that works towards achieving these loftier goals.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">When you think about it, people today are standing on the shoulders of the people from yesterday – and it’s been that way from the start. We’re slowly becoming smarter, creating more technology, and understanding more about life. It’s all thanks to the micro and macro contributions from those who came before us. What are we building towards? Total enlightenment? Eventual destruction of the world? Sadly, I think both are equally likely.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br />What does any of this have to do with Lost?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br />If Lost = Life, it helps explain what this crazy show has been about. Sure, there are a lot of mysteries along the way – including those that we won’t get answers to – but that’s life. There’s all sorts of stuff in real life that I don’t understand and probably never will (women, Calculus, how airplanes fly), but in the end it all comes down to one overall purpose – making it better. On Lost, we’ve seen that from the start. On an individual character level, we’ve seen people helping other people – literally saving lives and figuratively “saving” souls. On a bigger scale, it looks like Lost is building towards one of those rare situations where a small group of individuals have a chance to achieve one of those “macro” steps forward for the human race – preventing the world from going to hell, or from ceasing to exist, or whatever the hell happens if SmokeLocke leaves the Island. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The moral of the story is that even if all our characters end up dying in destroying the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, it’s really not as depressing as it seems – they saved the world, giving life the chance to fight another day and continue to improve.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Like Jacob said, “it only ends once, everything that happens before that is just progress”.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;">Rankings</span></u></b>. Okay, enough “smart person talk”. Let’s move on to something more fun. I’m always a big fan of making lists of rankings to see how things stack up to each other – you know, just in case someone ever puts a gun to my head and forces me to pick my favorite CD of all time, I’ll have an answer (Jack Johnson, “In Between Dreams”). It seems only appropriate at this point to take a fond look back and rank the six seasons of Lost (of course, since the sixth season hasn’t ended, its position could jump around quite a lot over the next five epiodes):</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">6. <u>SEASON SIX</u> – Not a huge surprise here, since the season hasn’t ended yet – and without understanding the Flash Sideways yet, a full 50% of the season is still a mystery – but at this point Season Six has paled in comparison to the previous five. As I look back at the episodes from this season, not a lot are jumping out as “classics” like each prior season has had. Are there any episodes (outside of maybe “Ab Aeterno”) that you can see yourself watching multiple times? I’m not seeing many. Remember all the <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Temple</st1:place></st1:city> stuff that dominated the first third of the season On-Island? Was there a point to any of it? Is anyone looking back fondly on the time our characters spent there with Dogen and Lennon? Doesn’t it seem like we could have skipped that storyline and just had our Survivors divided between Ilana and SmokeLocke from the start? Since then, things have picked up – but the combination of wasting a third of the On-Island action with not really understanding / appreciating the Flash Sideways yet, it means that only about 20% of Season Six has been awesome.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Like I said, this is all going to change based on the last five episodes – but I figured we should include Season Six on the list anyways – and it lands at the bottom.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">5. <u>SEASON FIVE</u> – Simply put, Season Five should have been better. The writers took a big risk in Season Five by introducing time travel to the show, allowing the audience to view some of the major events in the Island’s history through the eyes of our characters (genius), and then leaving them in the 1970’s, setting up the writers to give the audience something they had been begging for since Season Two – learning everything about the Dharma Initiative! But it turns out that the common view of the Internet didn’t match the view the writers had for Dharma – instead of being genius scientists attempting to save the world through their crazy experiments on a magical Island (which we all assumed), they turned out to be beatnik hippies who didn’t seem overly competent or interested in the great things that could be accomplished using the Island’s powers. Disappointing.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The other disappointment was the hokey way in which the Oceanic Six returned to the Island (that’s right, I’m still not over the ridiculousness of Eloise Hawking telling Jack that the flight had to be recreated as closely as possible – and I pray every day that the writers explain this further in the last five hours of the show). I think Season Five is an example of the show suffering by keeping its characters apart for too long. While it was great to see relationships between Sawyer and Juliet / Jack and Ben develop, I missed having the whole gang back together.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Season Five definitely had its highlights (“The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham”, “The Variable”), but it doesn’t stack up to the rest.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">4. <u>SEASON FOUR</u> – Season Four is the shortest season of Lost (stupid writers’ strike), told the story of the Oceanic Six, and had one of the best Lost episodes of all-time (“The Constant”). It introduced us to the Freighter, awesome characters like Daniel Faraday, and huge sci-fi jumps like the Frozen Donkey Wheel. On the whole, the season works – it tells a tight, action-packed storyline – plus, it has a totally fresh take on the flashes by using Flash Forwards for the first time. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In the end, it’s not higher on the list because of how few episodes there were. There simply wasn’t a lot of time to let the characters “breathe” and have enough moments to build up the emotional impact of the season. It’s a huge contrast to Season One, where the writers almost took too much time in soaking in the atmosphere and experience. If the writers had a few more episodes to play with, I’m quite confident this season would have been higher on the list.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">3. <u>SEASON ONE</u> – The season that started it all – compared to the later seasons of the show, Season One feels totally different. There’s such a relaxed, deliberate pace to the storylines. The writers are in no hurry to get anywhere, and are perfectly continent to let the camera linger on gorgeous shots of the Hawaiian scenery. While there are hints of the mysterious, nothing is definitive in Season One. In fact, as I originally noted in my analysis of the Season One finale, it’s almost as if the writers were afraid to reveal their true colors in Season One – they were trying to keep everyone happy as long as possible by not revealing too many sci-fi elements, promising us that everything would be explained by pseudo-science, and keeping the stories very realistic – focusing on survival and getting off the Island, as opposed to the current storylines focused on saving the world and stopping a God-like being from leaving the Island.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In fact, it would be quite possible for someone to use Season One of Lost as their base, and spin it off in a totally different direction quite successfully. There are plenty of “hooks” to build on, but just basing things off Season One, anything was possible. Even without all the mythology and action-packed storylines, Season One is totally enjoyable on repeat viewings, reminding the viewer of simpler times, and a simpler storyline.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">2. <u>SEASON TWO</u> – It’s the season that gave us the Dharma Initiative, Desmond Hume, the Tail Section, Benjamin Linus, and the Others. It’s the season that first started splitting our Survivors apart into groups (which helped tell multiple storylines at once… but has also strained the story a bit over the years). It’s the season that gave us the Blast Door Map, which seemingly was my post that “hooked” the majority of you readers. Although there were some sub-par episodes (“Fire + Water”) and storylines (Sayid being in love with Shannon? Really?), on t was a great season, full of great episodes. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It took everything that we loved about the first season and built on it, giving the hardcore fans the mythology they were hoping for, introducing a tangible “enemy”, and giving us great new characters<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>in the process (Desmond and Eko).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">1. <u>SEASON THREE</u> – It’s funny, because Season Three represents both the best and the worst of Lost. Remember, Season Three is home to “Stranger in a <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Strange</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Land</st1:placetype></st1:place>”, the episode so bad that it forced the Lost writers to demand an end date for their show. It also was the season that started with Jack, Kate, and Sawyer on <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Hydra</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place> for six episodes in the fall – and then endured a three month hiatus before picking back up in the spring. Yet for my money, the ending stretch of episodes of Season Three are as good as the series has ever had – culminating in perhaps the greatest episode of television I’ve ever seen (and certainly the most shocking) – “Through the Looking Glass”. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://s581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/?action=view&current=Lost-Jack-Kate.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/Lost-Jack-Kate.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But there are a ton of gems throughout the whole second half of the season – “Flashes Before Your Eyes”, “The Man from <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Tallahassee</st1:place></st1:city>”, “The Brig”, “The Man Behind the Curtain”, and “Greatest Hits” were all fantastic episodes… and the pace of the On-Island storyline was fantastic. We were hurtling towards the conclusion and couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next (as opposed to other seasons that have felt like we were sitting around and waiting for the finale, because we knew they wouldn’t make the big reveal before then).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yep, in Season Three the good outweighs the bad – and the good is SO GOOD that it vaults the season to the top of my list. If I was going to re-write the ending to Lost (which I still might do, if the ending sucks), I would start with Season Four – I don’t think there’s any way I could improve on where the writers left us at the end of Season Three. It’s the best of what’s around.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Questions and Answers</span></u></b>. Okay, finally I promised to address any questions that you guys posted in the Comments section to last week’s post. Here we go!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Sba said...</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Any Fringe fans out here? </i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><br /></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Brian says…</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I would like to be a fan of this show. I think I’d like it (especially the episodes that deal with the big picture mythology – more than the “monster of the week” ones) but I do not currently watch it.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>smacky said...</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>What about when Juliet shot someone in the pursuing boat when they were time jumping? Is that still to happen? Every time they mention a boat I fear it will be an outrigger and Juliet is getting ready to appear and shoot someone!</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><br /></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Brian says…</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yep – as I mentioned in my predictions for the rest of the season, this will absolutely be addressed. There may be some questions from the first few seasons that never get answered, but the writers introduced this in the middle of last season – it’s fresh in their minds, they knew where they were going with it, and they’ll get us there when the time is right.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Sawyer5665 said...</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>I wonder what Sayid was looking for in the jungle when Flock found him and asked him what took him so long? Sayid then lied and said he killed Desmond. Anyway, it looked like he was really looking hard for something. Was he looking for something to pull Desmond up out of the well?</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><br /></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Brian says…</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s possible. If Desmond is already out of the well, it’s also possible that he’s going to do his “catastrophic electromagnetic event” while everyone else is on Hydra Island, which could give us that amazing visual of the Island sinking while everyone watches on from Hydra – although then I don’t know what you do with the last four hours of the show.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i> Derek said...</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Why hasn't juliet been shown in reality 2 yet?</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Do you think faraday will appear again in reality 2? Is desmond is constant or is charlotte? The writers seemed to have changed their mind about this...</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><br /></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Brian says…</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Smart money is on Juliet being the father of David, right? She’s really the only “main” character that’s left whose appearance could offer any sort of emotional impact on the audience. Since she’s currently on another show, I’m sure the writers wanted to maximize her time that they had her on Lost – meaning that she probably won’t appear on the show until the finale, where they can give her character closure as well as revealing her place in the Flash Sideways.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The whole concept of the “Constant” is something that exists in Reality #1 – not Reality #2 (since in that reality, Faraday never did the experiments that messed with his brain, requiring a constant in the first place). In Reality #1, Desmond is his Constant. In Reality #2, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Charlotte</st1:place></st1:city> was the “emotional connection” that led to his epiphany. Two totally different things.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Amaneldth said...</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Did I miss something? What happened to Bernard and Rose?</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><br /></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Brian says…</p> <p class="MsoNormal">As I mentioned earlier, I think the writers want us to forget about them. It seems like a dangling storyline, but I don’t think most people care about them enough to bring them up again and have to explain what they’ve been doing for the past few months / years.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>stephenf44 said...</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Nice overall analysis, but you lost me on Juliet and the Flash-sideways. Juliet was in reality #1 as she apparently jumped back and forth to reality #2 -- isn't this the counterexample of saying the bleeding only goes one-way?</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><br /></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Brian says…</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Good point. I guess I was more thinking that no living character in Reality #1 has had an epiphany where they see things in Reality #2, even though a ton of characters have had intense emotional moments. Maybe that’s because they need to experience sunshine happy experiences to match up with their experiences in Reality #2? It just seems like if Reality #2 has always been there, someone would have become aware of it at some point this season, aside from Juliet on her deathbed.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i> Brendan said...</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>I have no doubt the Juliet-shooting-someone-in-and-outrigger scene will be shown again. I'm guessing they're holding off until the finale. If I had to guess who gets shot, I'd say it's Ben, Richard or Miles. It just seems like it has to be someone who wasn't in the outrigger with Juliet, because why would they shoot knowing that Juliet would shoot back?</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><br /></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Brian says…</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Because they are all on a “race” to the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, and think it’s SmokeLocke’s Outrigger in front of them? If there are multiple Outriggers in the water (with opposing sides in each of them), it’s likely there is some gunfire going back and forth – Juliet’s Outrigger could suddenly appear in the middle, and either side might think it’s the enemy.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Hedy said...</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Also, does this explain the lists? The people that weren't on the list turned out to be candidates?</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><br /></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Brian says…</p> <p class="MsoNormal">There have been multiple lists over the years, for multiple purposes. For example, the one list contained the names of people that Ben needed to manipulate to get Jack to perform his spinal surgery. Other lists were from Jacob, outlining the “good people” that would be worthy Others. I don’t think Jacob ever produced a list of just the Candidates, or else Alpert would have known about them – which he didn’t.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Dave Harty said...</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Is there any chance that reality #2 bled into reality #1 for Sayid? In reality #2, Sayid told Nadia that he could never see her again (opposite of what he was promised by Smoke Locke). He then had a change of heart about killing Desmond in reality #1.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Maybe AJ's promises in reality #2 will start to unravel and those in reality #1 will realize that there is nothing better waiting for them - all "smoke and mirrors" as Brian would say.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Regarding Ben working for AJ all this time, wouldn't Jacob have confronted Ben with the truth as he was about to be stabbed? I know I might be tempted to raise this point if I was not the one ignoring Ben for so long.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><br /></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Brian says…</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s possible, but you would think we would have noticed if Sayid experienced such an epiphany when he was about to kill Desmond. Like I said, I feel like it should be a two way street. If the two realities are both equally viable, when a character comes to an epiphany in one reality, shouldn’t that same character have the equal and opposite epiphany in the other? They don’t, which is why it seems like Reality #2 is the fake one (“smoke and mirrors”), and we’ll eventually come to the point where our Survivors will be put under a spell to see that Reality – but Juliet’s experience seems to contradict this point. I don’t know.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">And yes, it seems like Jacob could have very easily prevented his death. Perhaps he’s like Anti-Jacob – he was ready to “leave”, but couldn’t until he was killed – he just didn’t bitch and moan about it all the time like Anti-Jacob.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Rob Rose said...</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Brian...</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>I've come up with an explanation for Christian's appearance 1) to Michael on the Freighter and 2) off island to Jack... its quite simply actually... and makes COMPLETE SENSE. (although personally I think the writers just luck out that it makes sense)</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>The explanation is simple...</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>THAT ACTUALLY WAS CHRISTIAN SHEPHERD.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>1.FREIGHTER:</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Two things bring me to this conclusion that seem pretty obvious to me. The first is that DEAD LIBBY had previously appeared to Michael on the freighter, accompanied by the whispers... confirming that the dead have the ability to travel over water. The second bit of proof is simply the fact that right before Christian appeared on the freighter... Michael heard the whispers.. which we now know are the dead people trapped on the island, I.E. Dead Christian Shepherd. </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Why Christian was the one to tell Michael he could die now, is anyone's guess.. but it looks like that's what happened.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>2. OFF ISLAND/JACK</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>During the time of the Oceanic Six's three years off island. Hurley had been shown to have been being visited by those who died on the island (Charlie, Mr. Eko, Anna-Lucia etc..) Apparently, its been revealed that these people were NOT any kind of apparition of Man In Black or Jacob, but rather the dead people themselves...</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>EARLIER IN THE DAY Before Jack saw his father, he visited Hurley... Hurley told Jack that he had been talking to Charlie... and that he had told him that Jack would be visiting... before Jack left the hospital, Hurley told Jack that "he told me that someone was coming to visit you[Jack] too" and that it would be soon. That night he saw Christian at the hospital. So its apparent that it was ACTUALLY Christian who appeared to Jack off the island.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Brian says…</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It would work – but it doesn’t feel right to me. Why would Christian Shephard care about Michael, the Freighter, or anything besides talking to his estranged son, Jack? The Off-Island experience with Jack makes sense, but the Freighter still does not. I think we need to just chalk it up the writers being inconsistent / unsure of how it was all going to play out. It seems like they gave us their final answer on Christian Shephard, and we need to stick with it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://s581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/?action=view&current=YouCanGoNow.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/YouCanGoNow.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Rob Patterson said...</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Well... I think my best questions were from my post from the instant reactions, but here is a recap...</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>the importance of Widmore's team, camp, or technology?</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>-contain smokemonster, merely to deliver Desmond, destroy island?</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>How do the survivors defeat Smokey?</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>-electromagnetism, being a candidate (what the crap does that mean?), not leaving the island, stabbing him with a sword before he talks (the only way we have actually been told but probably wrong), dynamite?</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>What is the significance of the flash sideways? (so we know they are an alternate reality that is gaining awareness of island reality, but so what...)</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>-to show the personal sacrifice of the survivors (i think this is your current hypothesis brian), that they can defeat the smokemonster there, representing the smokemonster winning?</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>What are the remaining important factors to the storyline?</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>-jacob's ashes?</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>-the candidates (duh)</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>-desmond</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>-electromagnetic pockets?</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>-flash sideways ephiphanies</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>-the sub</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>-the plane</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>-wells?</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>-children (walt, jacob's or MIB's ghost)... (BTW... why can't the child showing up be one of the ghosts?)</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>-this factors into how it will be concluded right?</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Also, i think you are dead on about the action headed towards </i><st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on"><i>hydra</i></st1:placename><i> </i><st1:placetype st="on"><i>Island</i></st1:placetype></st1:place><i>. Which consequently gives a great camera shot on the island sinking.... hmmm...</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><br /></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Brian says…</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Too many questions, and I feel like I addressed a lot of these already. I’m acknowledging that I see them, but letting you know that I’m already 7500 words into this Blog post, and answering them all would cut into my drinking time today. Sorry.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Rob Patterson said...</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>What is the island?</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>-cork, purgatory, bridge between realities? </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Brian says…</p> <p class="MsoNormal">This one I’ll take. My big question is this – is there only <st1:placename st="on">ONE</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype> across both realities, or is the sunken Island in Reality #2 a copy of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> we currently see in Reality #1? You’ll notice in all my theories, I’m assuming there is only one – and the Island is the nexus point of the Realities – but that’s a big assumption on my part that has almost no evidence to support it. But that’s what I think the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> is – it’s the axle and there are multiple realities branching out from it like spokes. It helps explain why it would be the gathering point for evil, spirits, God-like creatures, etc – it’s the center of it all, and maybe the pathway from one reality to another… or from life to the afterlife.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Island is like <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Ohio</st1:place></st1:state> – it’s the heart of it all.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Vidya said...</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Brian - do you think that Christian Shepard appearing off </i><st1:place st="on"><i>Island</i></st1:place><i> and all the other "dead" people seen by Hurley were Jacob himself?</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><br /></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Brian says…</p> <p class="MsoNormal">No – I think Hurley legitimately sees dead people (like Michael) – or at least their spirits, who take a break from playing shuffleboard in the afterlife to give him guidance because he’s got important things to accomplish, like helping save the world. If the world were to cease to exist, who would the dead people watch all day? It would be like taking away TV from you and me!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Rachel said...</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>In the episode rerun last night, they said that lock is still a candidate? It was sun or jin, jack, kate, hurley, sawyer and LOCKE. That doesnt make sense.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><br /></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Brian says…</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Maybe there’s still a chance for Locke to come back from the dead / overtake Anti-Jacob and reclaim his body, putting him back on the board as a potential Candidate? Or maybe the rerun was simply stating the final six Candidates, which included Locke, even though his name has now been crossed off the list.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>mark said...</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>ok brian, here are some questions i have for you (and everyone) based on the assumption that if the MIB was responsible for all the island appearances of christian shephard, was he responsible for many of the other apparitions everyone else saw over the course of the series?</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>this would include a lot of random mysteries over the course of LOST, and raise some other very interesting questions...</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>- did he appear to charlie back in season 2 to try and convince him to drown aaron? is this further evidence that the MIB is afraid of aaron for some reason, or that aaron was (and maybe still is) a candidate?</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>- why would he take the appearance of kate's horse after sawyer, jin and michael's return? what did he hope to accomplish? and when did smokey get a chance to scan kate?</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>- did he appear to hurley as dave in season 2 to try and convince him to kill himself? when did he scan hurley? this would seem to make sense, it would be a way to eliminate one of the candidates within "the rules.."</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>- if some or even all of these mysterious appearances were by the MIB, i think the most logical explanation for how he scanned or learned about them was by taking the appearance of vincent. we saw in one of the mini episodes that christian finds vincent and directs him towards jack right after the crash. i think the MIB takes vincent's form after that point at different times to keep an eye on the survivors. what do you think?</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>- did he appear to locke as walt at the end of season 3, and give him instructions to kill naomi? why would smokey want to prevent the freighter crew from finding the island if they would come and kill everyone, including the candidates, therefore freeing him?</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i> </i></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>- do you think everyone who comes to the island is initially a candidate, but certain things they do can disqualify them and take them off the list? or does jacob choose people and find a way to bring them to the island?</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><br /></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Brian says…</p> <p class="MsoNormal">You’re killing me. I’m in the home stretch and my fingers are pretty much typing without any input from my brain at this point, so of course the last question would actually contain like twenty separate questions. But here’s my best attempt to answer all of them in one fell swoop:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">No, I think some of the apparitions are dead people (“those who can’t leave”, like Michael told Hurley), some are apparitions (like Jack suspected, brought on by the trauma of the experience), and some have been manifestations of Smokey. Going back and trying to figure out which is which might be a tough task – but one that we’ll have plenty of time to do after Lost concludes. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It would be awesome if Aaron were somehow involved in the final five episodes of the show to explain why he was so important in the first season, and not since then – but I just don’t see it happening. He’s off-Island, five years old, and living with his grandma. In Reality #2, he’s living inside Claire’s stomach. I don’t see how either can interact with our current storylines unless a grown-up Aaron comes back to the past (from the future, where time travel is possible) and kills SmokeLocke… but that would be super lame.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I do think that everyone that comes to the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> is initially a potential candidate – and after watching them for a while (both on-Island in the present, and through his Lighthouse, to watch their pasts), Jacob decides which ones are “worthy” of becoming official Candidates. This would also help support my theory that Jacob isn’t really all-knowing and all-powerful, but just uses the tools of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> to appear that way (using the Lighthouse to learn about a character’s past, jumping around in time via FDW to interact with them and give them “pushes” here and there, etc.)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">With that, here ends the final “Lost… and Gone Forever Bye Week Spectacular”. I hope you found it spectacular, and it has helped you prepare for the final stretch of Lost episodes. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Time for a beer (out of the sweet Dharma beer glass the wife got me for our anniversary):</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <a href="http://s581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/?action=view&current=Beer.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss258/dmbeternal2/Beer.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">BEST WIFE EVER.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=550.0">http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=550.0</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-39998836386533244382010-04-25T12:59:00.001-05:002010-04-25T13:04:07.559-05:00"The Last Recruit" Analysis!<p class="MsoNormal">Somewhat ironically, we have a full two weeks to analyze “The Last Recruit”, since next week will be a repeat of “Ab Aeterno” before the final stretch of Lost EVER – and there really isn’t that much to analyze from “The Last Recruit”. Yes, a lot actually happened – but there wasn’t a lot of mystery to those actions. Still, we’ll do our best to make this a worthwhile post. Let’s do it!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Christian Shephard</span></u></b>. Undoubtedly, the “big reveal” of the episode was SmokeLocke’s admission to Jack that he was the entity masquerading around as Christian Shephard ever since the show’s first season. Although some are questioning if SmokeLocke was telling the truth, I think we have to believe him. With only five hours of Lost remaining, I don’t feel like there is time for the writers to have characters lying about any of the “big mysteries” of the show. Now if SmokeLocke had told Jack about this at the start of this season… maybe – but even then, probably not.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Knowing this, let’s take a look back at some of the Christian Shephard actions from Lost’s earlier seasons (courtesy of Lostpedia):</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The first appearance, and one that Jack referenced in this week’s episode, occurred during the first few episodes of Lost. Jack saw visions of his father, but chalked them up to being hallucinations brought on by lack of sleep and post-traumatic stress disorder… until Locke encouraged Jack to suspend his skeptic nature and follow the apparitions. Jack did, and ended up discovering the caves.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It wasn’t until three seasons later that we got more Christian Shephard action (which really does make it appear as though the writers originally intended his first appearance to be a hallucination, then realized they could use him for another purpose). When Hurley got separated from the group leaving the beach, he stumbled upon Jacob's cabin. Looking in the window, he saw Christian Shephard sitting in Jacob's rocking chair – apparently talking to someone else, although it now seems that it was just Anti-Jacob taking on multiple appearances?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/?action=view&current=800px-Cabineye.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/800px-Cabineye.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Next we had Christian appear to Claire after she may or may not have died in the explosion at the Barracks. She finds him sitting, nonchalantly holding Aaron, recognizes him as “Dad”, and then follows him off in the middle of the night. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Later, when Locke returned to Jacob’s Cabin, he met Christian inside, who claimed to be speaking on Jacob's behalf. Claire was inside as well, acting all weird and telling Locke “it’s fine, I’m with him." Christian tells Locke that to save the Island, he has to move it (although he pulls the same move he did on Jack this week – when Locke starts to ask some real questions, he asks him to forget about them and focus on the one true question. For Locke, it was “how do I save the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>”. For Jack, it was about his father. Annoying.)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">At the end of this Season Four, Christian appeared to Michael on the Freighter, telling him “you can go now” after the nitrogen ran out – just before the bomb exploded. This is one of the biggest example of inconsistencies in SmokeLocke’s explanation that he is Christian Shephard – since earlier this season he told Sawyer that he couldn’t travel in Smokey form across the water (which is the only logical way he could have gotten to the Freighter and back). </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The other big hole in SmokeLocke’s explanation is when Christian appeared to Jack off the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> during the Oceanic Six days. Jack was working late, heard a smoke alarm going off (irony!) and found Christian sitting on a chair in the lobby. Jack chalked this up to hallucination, just like he did when he first saw his father in Season One – and maybe we’re supposed to do the same. Because there is no way that Christian could have appeared to Jack off-Island at this point in time.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Back on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, Christian appeared twice more. The first was in the pre-Orchid well, telling Locke that he had to turn the Frozen Donkey Wheel and die in his attempt to bring the Oceanic Six back to the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. The second was to Sun and Frank at the Barracks, revealing that Jin was back in a 1977 photo from the Dharma Initiative and telling her that if she ever wanted to see Jin again, she should wait for John Locke. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So, aside from the two inconsistencies off-Island (with really only Michael’s being unable to be explained), this explanation holds up much better than the reveal about the Whispers last week. When you add it all up, his involvement with our Survivors does seem to be part of a “master plan”. He had to lead the Survivors of Oceanic 815 to water to keep them alive in order to have Locke turn the FDW (although it took him two attempts to get this right), in order for Locke to die off the Island and come back in order to trick Ben into killing Jacob as part of the Loophole. I’m pretty satisfied (that’s what she said) with this theory aside from two outstanding questions:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>1. Jacob’s Cabin – it’s been established that there was a ring of ash surrounding Jacob’s Cabin that could keep Smokey out / trapped inside. The line appeared to be intact in all occasions when it was found in 2004, but was seen to be broken in 2007 when Ilana's group arrived at the cabin. Since we still don’t know the original purpose of Jacob’s Cabin, if Jacob ever used it, or if it was always a jail for Anti-Jacob, it’s possible that this is irrelevant – but if it was truly being used as a jail for Anti-Jacob, and if the circle of ash was intact in 2004, Anti-Jacob couldn’t have appeared as Christian in Season One. This makes me think that the ring of ash has been broken ever since our Survivors crashed on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> – which makes sense, as Anti-Jacob has been clever enough to outsmart the ring of ash other times.</o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">(I’m a fan of the theory that Anti-Jacob was successfully contained within the Cabin for a number of years during the “glory days” of the Others post-Dharma, pre-Ben-in-charge – but that Ben, in his efforts to pretend that he was communicating with Jacob to become the Leader of the Others, accidentally was helping Anti-Jacob and broke the circle of ash.)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">2. Why did he bother “claiming” Claire? Once she died – if she died – it seems like it would have been another potential Candidate checked off his list… unless she is part of some greater master plan.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Redemption</span></u></b>. Is redemption possible for Claire and Sayid? This episode featured two scenes that hinted that there still might be a chance for our two undead Survivors. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">First, we had Sayid’s meeting with Desmond. Although we didn’t actually see the outcome of their meeting, there is absolutely no chance that Sayid actually shot Desmond. You don’t kill a beloved series regular without actually showing it… plus Desmond still hasn’t carried out his “mission” on the Island, which will involve exposure to high amounts of electromagnetism. But the important thing here was that Desmond was able to draw upon Sayid’s love for Nadia to get him to do the right thing. He made Sayid realize that even if siding with SmokeLocke is the only way to return to Nadia, if he does horrible things in the process, he won’t be able to be happy with Nadia because of the guilt of the actions he took to be with her. For the first time since he has come back from the dead, Sayid disobeyed the commands of SmokeLocke, meaning that he’s more than a mindless servant.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Second, we had Claire’s meeting with Kate (and the rest of the Survivors on the <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Elizabeth</st1:place></st1:city>). Claire is understandably upset about everyone trying to leave her – again, but Kate’s little speech about reuniting her with Aaron makes her give up her gun and join the crew of the <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Elizabeth</st1:place></st1:city>. Unlike Sayid, there’s a chance that she’s doing this as a way to spy on our Survivors / sabotage them / turn them over to SmokeLocke in the end. But for the sake of argument, let’s say that this offered a glimmer of hope that normal Claire is still hiding underneath all that crazy hair.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Then what?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Even if Sayid finds a way to shake out of the power SmokeLocke has over him and reclaim his soul, it seems as though the only way to achieve redemption will be in sacrificing himself for a greater cause. He’s a soulless murderer in Reality #1 – and Nadia is dead. He has no one and no thing to go back to, even if he were to save the world and get off the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. Meanwhile, he’s reverted back to his old murdering ways in Reality #2 – and even told Nadia this episode that they can never see each other again before being captured by the police. Things aren’t looking much brighter there. Out of all the characters on Lost, Sayid is the one person who will never get a happy ending – at least not until he dies and is reunited with Nadia in the afterlife (maybe).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/?action=view&current=normal_last-recruit315.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/normal_last-recruit315.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">If I were making a Death Watch 2010 List (which I actually will be doing), Sayid would go to the top of the list. Still, his death can at least have a hint of happiness if Sayid heroically sacrifices himself in the process… and maybe if it’s good enough, he’ll be able to atone for at least some of his sins in the process.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">(Aside: I don’t know that I ever really put these thoughts into words, but this week’s episode again confirmed that Sayid died, and was brought back to life by Anti-Jacob… at least according to him. It’s an interesting parallel between the powers of Jacob and Anti-Jacob that it seems as though Jacob had the power of healing over the living, whereas Anti-Jacob has the power of bringing the dead back to life. Even if the two characters aren’t pure good and evil, it offers nice symbolism of one having the power over “life” and one having the power over “death”… which really makes you wonder if the Flash Sideways are some unholy union of the two forces. But I digress…)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Claire is a whole different story. She’s got the potential for a happy ending in both Realities… and yet I can’t shake the feeling that the only reason SmokeLocke would have kept her around for so long is to kill one of the Candidates – namely, Kate. It seems far too easy to have Claire pretend to be working with the Survivors only to turn around and ruin their plans / kill them in the end. Having her suddenly realize that SmokeLocke has been manipulating her and start working for the “good guys” is just way too easy. For all intents and purposes, Claire should have died during the fourth season – and up until this point, her contribution to the overall Lost storyline is that she provided a reason for Kate to come back to the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. Now that she has fulfilled that purpose to the storyline (and to SmokeLocke), the writers (and SmokeLocke) could easily kill her. Even if they let her live, the path to redemption looks pretty rough. There’s no way she can be reunited with Aaron without a lot of psychological help, and even then, she’ll be living with the knowledge of all the Others she murdered on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. Yet without being reunited with Aaron, she’d have no purpose in life.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In the end, I come down on the side that Claire is going to betray our Survivors. Her only hope for a happy ending lies in Reality #2.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/?action=view&current=normal_last-recruit396.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/normal_last-recruit396.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;">Flash Sideways</span></u></b>. Speaking of Reality #2, in my Instant Reactions, I noted that no characters had epiphanies this week… which is somewhat true. No one had the full-on, memories of the Island flashing before their eyes, eye-opening revelation that the world they were living in is a fake, kind of epiphany – at least not that we saw. But there were two hints that there might be a little intra-reality bleeding going on:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">While in the ambulance, John Locke used the phrase “I was going to marry her” when talking about Helen Norwood. Some people point to this as an example of Reality #1 John Locke speaking through Reality #2 John Locke’s body. But that doesn’t make a lot of sense. Helen Norwood was dead and gone in Reality #1. Why would Locke be talking about marrying her? If his knowledge from Reality #1 was bleeding over, it would know that she was dead, actually hated him, and was never close to marrying him. I’m chalking this one up to Reality #2 Locke thinking that he was about to die, and was lamenting that he wouldn’t get to have the wedding that was forthcoming with Helen.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">When being wheeled past Locke at the hospital, Sun said “No! No! It’s him! It’s him!” when she saw Locke. Seeing as though she didn’t know Locke in Reality #2, this one does seem to be an example of Sun’s memories from Reality #1 bleeding over into Reality #2. Based on her apparent fear of Locke, it’s her memories from “present day” in Reality #1 – since she would have no reason to be afraid of Locke before he died. He didn’t become scary until he became SmokeLocke. However, it doesn’t seem like Sun had a total epiphany, since she didn’t mention anything about it once she came out of surgery. Granted, maybe she just hasn’t had the chance to talk with Jin in detail, but if I woke up and realized that I was living in an imaginary world, I think that would be one of the first things out of my mouth.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sun’s ability to “see through realities” while hanging between life and death is consistent with what happened with Juliet. She seemed to be jumping back and forth between realities as she was dying. The same thing could have been happening to Sun – but since she was saved, she was yanked back into Reality #2 without having a full epiphany of realizing that the world there was a fake.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I know a lot of people are thinking that Reality #2 must be the surviving reality (especially if the majority of our characters have any chance of a happy ending), but I think the fact that we are only seeing “one way bleeding” is more proof that this isn’t going to happen. If the two Realities were separate but equal (meaning that both were actually “real”), you would think that the bleeding would go both ways. You would think that the Survivors in Reality #1 would be having similar epiphanies where they realized that there was a Reality #2 out there where things were totally different… but they aren’t. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I might be totally wrong on this, but everything is telling me that Reality #2 is fake, wrong, and going to disappear before it’s all said and done. I stand by my analysis from last week – it provides a tragic ending which will make for great TV as our characters give up happy lives to save the world… and shows how much they have grown due to their experiences on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. They’re going to save the world… no matter how much it costs each of them personally in the process.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">You and Me</span></u></b>. Once again this week, there were references that once SmokeLocke talks to you, it’s too late. You’re already under his power. You’re “with him”. I don’t think we can take these statements quite literally – or else everyone would be hosed, since I believe SmokeLocke has now talked to every single character on the show. However, I think symbolically, these comments are meant to emphasize SmokeLocke’s ability to trick people into doing what he wants, like the devil tricking you into doing something by using fancy words, smoke, and mirrors (weird - those last two are pretty common themes this season, actually - Smokey and the mirrors in the Flash Sideways. Maybe it is all just a “deal with the devil”!)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">However, at the end of the episode, SmokeLocke himself used the expression in quite a different way – telling Jack “it’s going to be okay. You’re with me now.” Some have theorized that this means that Jack died in the explosion and was claimed by SmokeLocke – but I think he meant it literally… like he was going to protect Jack now from the attacks from Widmore. Also, Jack is “with him” now because he has no other options. Jack doesn’t know that Desmond is on the main <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. We don’t know where Alpert, Ben, and Miles are right now. Jack doesn’t know if he trusts SmokeLocke or not, but you can bet that he’s going to stick around with him and gather more information.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/?action=view&current=normal_last-recruit618.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/normal_last-recruit618.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This is all good news for the viewer, since the scene between SmokeLocke and Jack from this week’s episode was one of the best so far this season. After spending the better part of two seasons apart from each other, these two characters should be spending the majority of the final five hours of Lost with each other – which is quite the exciting prospect.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;">The </span><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Island</span></st1:place></u></b>. Finally, there’s the chance that this week’s episode marked the last time that Sawyer, Kate, Sun, Frank, and Claire will ever set foot on the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Main</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place>. Now that they are on the <st1:placename st="on">Hydra</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype>, taken prisoner by Widmore, I don’t see any scenario where they would head back to the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Main</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place>. If they somehow escape (which they most certainly will do, probably within the next two episodes), they would attempt to steal the Submarine or take Ajira 316 to get off the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. They wouldn’t head back to the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Main</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place>. Per Sawyer, “we’re done going back” (a nice reference to Jack’s “we have to go back!” speech to Kate from the end of Season Three).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But to take this thought one step further, doesn’t it seem like all the action is heading to the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Hydra</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place>? Is it possible that the season will wrap up on the <st1:placename st="on">Hydra</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype> instead of the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Main</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place>, as that is the home to Widmore, the Submarine, and Ajira 316? Or perhaps the next few episodes will feature the destruction of the Submarine and Ajira 316 forcing our Survivors to return to the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Main</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place> for Plan B?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">(It seems to me that this might be setting the stage for a group of our Survivors standing on <st1:placename st="on">Hydra</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype>, watching the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Main</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place> sink to the bottom of the ocean after Desmond does his electromagnetic mojo in the finale. Sounds like a pretty awesome looking final shot for the series… assuming it isn’t ruined by terrible CGI.)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Anyways, although our Survivors may have escaped SmokeLocke for now, there is nothing stopping him from grabbing Jack and heading on an Outrigger out to <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Hydra</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place>, is there? Jack is wounded and could easily be thrown into the Outrigger as Locke and Sayid paddle out to the Hydra. This would accomplish his goal of having all the Candidates there together – he could take the battle to Widmore and do his best to carry out his master plan, leaving Desmond stuck in a well. The only wild card in play right now is Team Alpert, who I can envision showing up at the last moment and blowing up the Submarine / Ajira 316 just in time before SmokeLocke can carry out his plan.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Where Do We Go From Here?</span></u></b> I didn’t think we would have this opportunity this season, but with a repeat next week, it looks like we’ll have time for a “Lost and Gone Forever Bye Week Spectacular”. At the suggestion of FOB Rob Patterson, I’ll try to come up with an overall “ending” for Lost, based on where we stand right now and what outstanding questions NEED to be answered. I’ll also be answering any questions that you guys pose in the Comments section below (queue the QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED promo from every Lost commercial this season), and maybe even do some overall episode and season rankings. Who knows. We’ll see what inspires me.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This is the calm before the storm. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Until next week!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=545.0">http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=545.0</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-57979991849385208912010-04-20T20:02:00.002-05:002010-04-20T21:38:01.112-05:00"The Last Recruit" Instant Reactions!<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Brian's One Word Review</span></u></b>: Escalation.<div><br /></div><div>or...</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Brian's Thirteen Second Video Review</span></u></b>:</div><div><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VePxbFQ-qfw&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VePxbFQ-qfw&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></div><div><br /></div><div>It's a little bit funny that after a somewhat slow, deliberate pace for the first two thirds of the season, the writers seem to have realized "oh crap, we don't have a lot of time left", resulting in the most eventful episode of the season thus far - and things are only going to pick up from here. Both on the Island and in the Flash Sideways, not a single scene was wasted, and each were totally critical to moving the story along... the episode on whole even felt a little "rushed", if that's possible.</div><div><br /></div><div>So what happened?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Christian Shephard</span></u></b>. Last week, we learned the secret of the Whispers. This week, we got our confirmation that Christian Shephard has been a manifestation of Anti-Jacob all along... which is what most people were predicting all along (note: along with the Whispers, this makes us 2/2 for correctly guessing the "big mysteries of Lost" - maybe we're all a lot smarter than we thought we were). Although the reveal of this mystery was a little anti-climactic (just like the Whispers) since it was one character flat out asking the question and getting an answer, rather than a more natural reveal - at least it felt logical. If I was Jack Shephard, this would probably be one of the first questions I would ask a walking undead version of John Locke. Good work, Jack.</div><div><br /></div><div>I did a quick scan of Lostpedia on all the former appearances on Island of Christian Shephard to see how well this explanation holds up... and I have to say, it holds up pretty good.</div><div><br /></div><div>Christian indeed was responsible for helping our Survivors live through the first few weeks on the Island by helping Jack find water. He was inside Jacob's Cabin, which we learned had actually been a "cage" for Anti-Jacob (although when Hurley stumbled upon it, it still seemed like there were two people in there). He was the one who told Locke to "move the Island" - which in turn resulted in all the time traveling escapades of our Survivors... which in turn resulted in the Others thinking that John Locke was some sort of "chosen one"... which in turn allowed Anti-Jacob to take his appearance when his dead body returned to the Island... which in turn allowed Anti-Jacob to get close enough to Jacob to convince Ben to murder him... thus completing his loophole. It's a pretty impressive scheme!</div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, the only thing working against this explanation is Christian's appearance to Jack in the Hospital during his time off the Island. We've established that Anti-Jacob couldn't leave the Island, but as I theorized earlier, maybe he could appear as a ghost-like being Off-Island... but couldn't physically leave? Or maybe Jack was just going crazy and seeing things.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Jack</span></u></b>. Speaking of Jack, this week was his turn to jump off a vessel leaving the Island in hopes of saving his friends (matching Sawyer jumping from the helicopter in the Season Four finale). It's pretty clear that he's going to the Jacob's only hope for a replacement - and the only one who has any intention of staying on the Island. He's definitely become the new Locke - someone with faith that he was called to the Island for a greater purpose - and had the most logical line of the episode when he theorized that if SmokeLocke wants them to leave the Island, that's probably the last thing they should do.</div><div><br /></div><div>With one of Widmore's mysterious explosions (what are those things being fired from, anyways? A cannon? A drone?) taking out all the other random Others, it seems like it's just Jack and Locke left on the main Island - which hopefully opens the door for some more sweet one on one conversations between the two of them... because the three minutes of discussion between them at the start of this episode was fantastic.</div><div><br /></div><div>PS - Does this mean we just saw Cindy, Zack, and Emma die as well?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; ">Sun and Jin</span></u></b>. I have to admit, I didn't see this coming at all. In fact, with a few minutes left in the episode, I wondered aloud "what's Jin doing all this time?" without putting it together that a reunion with Sun was imminent. The wife loved it. I found it to be a kiss of death. Silly Jin, didn't you learn from Desmond's mistakes? Don't ever promise that you'll never leave someone you love / go back to the Island, because it's a surefire way to ensure that both happen. Part of me was thinking that one of them was going to be shot at the end of the episode immediately after Jin uttered those words. The wife is holding out hope that the two will leave the Island and reunite with Ji-Yeaon (the "happy girl ending"). I think it's a guarantee that one of them is dying before the season is over (the "Joss Whedon ending").</div><div><br /></div><div>Also, seriously? Sun can speak English again because she was reunited with Jin? If that is the end of the "Sun gets hit in the head and forgets English" storyline, it's definitely the worst storyline in the history of Lost. I'm not seeing any connection between it and the bleeding of realities - so I'm not holding out hope for a better explanation. Nikki and Paulo, congrats - you are no longer the biggest mistake the Lost writers ever made.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>What else?</div><div> </div><div><ul><li>Desmond - No way Sayid killed him.</li><li>No epiphanies this week, even though it featured the long awaited reunion of Jack and Locke in the Flash Sideways... although Desmond continued to be kinda creepy. First hanging outside a high school, then pseudo-stalking pregnant ladies. It's a good thing he talks with a sweet accent and is easy on the eyes or he'd be in jail right now.</li><li>It looks like Team Sawyer is in a bad place right now. I think they're all going to be thankful that Jack jumped off the boat so that he can save them later... or Team Alpert.</li><li>Is next week a repeat? The episode preview sure made it seem that way.</li></ul><div><br /></div><div>Hmmm - I feel like there's more to say, but that's all that comes to mind right now. If I missed anything, let me know.</div><div><br /></div><div>Discuss!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=542.0">http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=542.0</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=117661664917077&ref=ts">http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=117661664917077&ref=ts</a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com52tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-45711640701920268832010-04-19T19:45:00.002-05:002010-04-19T19:49:33.821-05:00Lost - "The Last Recruit"<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Episode Title</span></u></b>: “The Last Recruit”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Brian’s Deeper Meaning Guess</span></u></b>: One of the subtle storylines running through this season has been the concept of SmokeLocke “recruiting” people to his side. In fact, if it weren’t for the pop-up video version of the episodes that were aired during the first half of this season, the whole concept might have gone over my head as well. But at the end of “The Substitute”, where Sawyer agreed to go along with SmokeLocke’s plan to get off the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, it noted that SmokeLocke had claimed his first “recruit”.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Over the course of the season, his numbers have steadily increased, forming the group of people we commonly refer to as “Team SmokeLocke” today. Some are with him voluntarily in hopes of gaining something from the endeavor (Sawyer), some might be “claimed by him” and have no other option (Sayid), some are there out of fear of the alternative (Cindy), and some are skeptics who don’t trust him, but are along for the ride as the best option available (Kate).<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">All told, here are the “recruits” that SmokeLocke has claimed thus far:<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul><li>Sawyer</li><li>Jin</li><li>Sayid</li><li>Claire</li><li>Kate</li><li>Cindy</li><li>Zach</li><li>Emma</li><li>Roughly 15 unnamed Others (who will almost certainly all die before the series finale, right? They’re basically fodder)</li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">So who is the “last recruit”? At the end of “Everybody Loves Hugo”, we saw Hurley, Sun, Frank, and Jack enter SmokeLocke’s camp. Does this make them “recruits”? Or does SmokeLocke still need to talk to them and convince them to “follow him” in some way before they become official recruits? If so, then it seems likely that there will be one holdout for the majority of the episode who finally is “recruited” in the end – the final piece of the puzzle to fall into place before SmokeLocke can take his recruits over to <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Hydra</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place> and the next stage of his plan.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">(Note: conveniently, this is also where Jin is – who is a “recruit” of SmokeLocke even though he was kidnapped by Widmore. So once there, finally, for the first time, all our characters will be back together – aside from Alpert, Ben, and Miles, who annoyingly went off on their own last week.)<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The deeper meaning of the episode title is made a little more difficult this week since we don’t know the centricity of the episode – or if there is one at all. But since logic would tell you that things seems to be building towards a showdown between SmokeLocke and Jack (Jack-ob?), he’ll be the last holdout… the final piece to fall into place for SmokeLocke’s master plan… his last recruit.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Guest Stars</span></u></b>: Andrea Gabriel as Noor “Nadia” Abed Jaseem, Sheila Kelley as Zoe, Kimberley Joseph as Cindy, Dylan Minnette as David, Teresa Huang as surgeon, Skyler Stone as EMT #1, Todd Coolidge as EMT #2, Yvonne Midkiff as receptionist, Christopher Amitrano as Burditt, Kasim Saul as guard, Steve Boatright as Mike, Mickey Graue as Zack and Kiersten Havelock as Emma.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Guest Star Breakdown</span></u></b>: If I had to guess a centricity for this week’s episode, it would be “The Hospital in the Flash Sideways”, as it seems as though that’s where all the action will be headed in that storyline. Last week ended with Locke being run over by Desmond, and we still have the dangling storyline of Sun being shot in the background. I would guess that this week features the continuation of all these storylines at the Hospital, which is why Nadia is a guest star (still tending to her husband there), along with a “surgeon” and a couple of EMTs.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The other guest stars pretty much fill out the ranks of the individuals left on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, regardless of what group they are in. On the one hand, we’ve got Zoe and Mike (members of Team Widmore with names). On the other, we’ve got Cindy, Zack, and Emma (members of Team SmokeLocke with names).<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The only real intriguing guest star this week is the return of Jack’s Flash Sideways Son, David. Sure, it would make sense that he could be included in an episode that would feature his father working in the hospital – but could this be the episode that finally reveals his mother? Although none of the more popular candidates are listed as guest stars, could this be the week that features the return of Juliet, Ana-Lucia, or Mrs. Phil Dunphy? Or will David simply have a minor role waiting for his dad to get off work to take him to piano practice?<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Here’s hoping the Lost writers are intentionally keeping us in the dark about the guest stars this week (and from here on out, for that matter!)<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Episode Description</span></u></b>: Alliances are forged and broken as the Locke and Jack camps merge.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Episode Breakdown</span></u></b>: Not a lot to work with here. The episode description hints at some people flip-flopping as the debate which “side” to join in the big “battle for the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>”. What’s clear is that the two groups are finally together, and there will obviously be some “growing pains” as the two assimilate together. There’s also going to be a lot of distrust, questioning of motives, and debate about the “right decisions” to make. But really, I’m just hoping that this episode signals the end of SmokeLocke’s waiting. He’s finally got everyone he needs (besides Jin), let’s get this party started. Bring the battle to Widmore, start explaining the master plan, and let’s see how it all shakes down.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Wow – surprisingly short and sweet this week. I’m going to guess this is a trend down the stretch, as the show’s creators intentionally lock down (pun!) information to maximize the surprise and enjoyment of the final few episodes.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">So I guess with that, it wraps things up for this week.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Happy Losting!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=540.0">http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=540.0</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=lf#!/group.php?gid=117661664917077&v=wall&ref=nf">http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=lf#!/group.php?gid=117661664917077&v=wall&ref=nf</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-19844347962794916592010-04-17T08:12:00.004-05:002010-04-17T09:34:05.079-05:00"Everybody Loves Hugo" Analysis!<p class="MsoNormal">To kick things off this week, I’d like to address a question that my wife has gotten from a few people this week (strangely enough, none of my friends ever really ask me about the Blog – or read it):</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The question is this:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">“How does Brian feel about Lost ending? Is he happy? Sad? Worried that his life will lose all meaning and purpose?”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">What might be surprising is that I’m actually really excited about Lost ending – because it’s going to finally offer the payoff that I’ve been waiting for since the summer of 2004 (yes, I watched Lost illegally before it originally aired – so I’ve been waiting longer than almost anyone in the world). I understand those who don’t want Lost to end, because when something is really good you want it to last forever - but you have to realize that unlike almost every other show on TV, Lost was never intended to last forever. In that way, it’s much more like a book than a TV show. A book has a beginning, a middle, and an end. You wouldn’t want the middle of a book to just keep getting longer and longer to prolong getting to the ending. You want the middle to be important and to matter to the story, but also to serve its purpose – which is to get you to the end and conclude the story.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">On the other hand, most TV shows have the ability to live forever. They can reinvent themselves from season to season, or at least introduce and close a new storyline each season. Usually it’s the audience losing interest or the writers running out of ideas that result in a TV show ending. Lost isn’t like this. While it has had “sub-storylines” that were introduced and wrapped up most seasons – it’s really been one big storyline from the start. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It needs to end.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Back in Season Three, the fans and the writers both realized that an end point was necessary to ensure that the story didn’t end up spinning its wheels, wasting our time on trivial storylines that didn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. At that point, by taking the unprecedented move of setting an end date for a series that was still immensely popular and profitable, Lost accepted that it wasn’t a normal TV show.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Will I miss the show? For sure. We’ll see how things wrap up, but it’s definitely a contender for my favorite television show of all time – and without a doubt it’s going to be the television show that I spend the most time with over the course of my life. I haven’t kept track, but doing some rough math I would estimate that I’ve spent over an entire month of my life watching and writing about this show, and that doesn’t even count all the time I spend thinking about, reading about it, or discussing it with others.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">While it’ll be nice to have all that extra time back in my schedule, it also introduces the big question for the Blog – what the hell am I going to write about once Lost is over? People are hoping that some new show comes along that is worthy of in-depth analyzing, but you never know – even if one did come along, what if I don’t like it? Lost was the perfect storm of a show I loved that also required a lot of time, effort, and thought to fully appreciate. Who knows if that storm will come again? Do I just start writing about random things? Do I just write about TV, music, movies, politics, or whatever else inspires me? That I don’t know – but I’m more than open to suggestions… because at the end of the day, I like to write when it’s something I’m passionate about. On the other hand, writing about something that my heart isn’t totally into (like some of the Blog posts over the years) is torturous, and results in craptastic results.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But back to Lost – I’m pumped for the ending. I’m excited to see what the writers have in store for us, and I’m excited to go back and revisit old seasons with the newfound understanding of the big picture. I’m curious to see how well the old seasons hold up after you know the conclusion – what mysteries seem less interesting, what hints there were along the way, and whether or not all our time and effort that we’ve put into this show was worth it all along.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So there’s your answer. If there are any other burning questions, feel free to post them in the Comments and I’d be happy to address them.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">On to this week’s episode!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Flash Sideways</span></u></b>. I have to start with the part of the episode (and season) that has occupied my mind the most this week – the bane of my existence, the Flash Sideways. The way that Hurley’s epiphany played out was somewhat predictable – he recreated a moment from Reality #1 that held intense emotional connection to him – his picnic with Libby that never quite happened, complete with a little smooching. If you think about it, that seems to be the common theme that leads to these epiphanies: emotional moments in Reality #2 that mirror moments from Reality #1. It sounds like for Charlie and Faraday, it was more of a “love at first sight” thing – and maybe part of that has to do with the fact that both are actually dead in Reality #1. But for both Desmond and Hurley, it was the recreation of a moment that triggered the connection.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Which brings us to Desmond running over John Locke at the conclusion of the episode.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Based on the same logic that we applied to Charlie and Faraday, Locke should be in the same boat. He’s dead in Reality #1, but alive in Reality #2. If he were to experience a moment that had an intense emotional connection to him, he’d probably have his epiphany and see the truth. Since his relationship with Helen was pretty strained in Reality #1, his time with her didn’t trigger it the way it did for Charlie-Claire and Faraday-Charlotte, even if perhaps the two of them were truly in love in Reality #2.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Which raises the question – what was the most emotional moment for John Locke in Reality #1?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">I would narrow it down to three events:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="1"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">Getting pushed out of the window by his father, breaking his back.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">Crashing on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> and magically gaining the ability to walk.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">Encountering Smokey for the first time on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>.</li> </ol> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">While it’s possible that Locke could gain his ability to walk in Reality #2 (thanks to Jack, perhaps) – or encounter a vision of a black pillar of smoke (from something burning) that would trigger Locke’s epiphany, both of those events would take at least another episode or two to occur. Whereas with option number one, it could have already happened, allowing the Flash Sideways storyline to keep zipping along.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Desmond running over Locke with his car accomplished the same thing as Locke’s father pushing him out of the window – it was an intense physical moment, one where his life hung in the balance, one where he was lying on the ground, bloodied and looking towards the sky for answers. Heck, if you look at a screen shot from the two events, they even look like mirror images of each other!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/?action=view&current=normal_love-hugo-533.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/normal_love-hugo-533.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/?action=view&current=normal_theincident491.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/normal_theincident491.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">If this is the case, John Locke just had his epiphany.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It also gives us some new “rules” for these epiphanies – most notably that they don’t have to be events that occurred on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, so long as they occurred at some point in the life of the person in Reality #1. It would also establish that they can be “close” to the event from Reality #1 without being an exact replica, so long as the emotional connection is the same… which you think would make things a lot easier for the remaining Survivors in Reality #2 to experience them.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">However, it also raises one very big question: now what?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Desmond said that he had “something to show” some of his fellow passengers of Oceanic 815 at the end of “Happily Ever After”. Well, he helped Hurley get into a position to “see the truth” – but upon seeing that Hurley had his epiphany, he didn’t recruit Hurley for some bigger mission or give him any further instructions. Instead, he just drove away. Hurley has no way of getting in contact with Desmond, and Desmond has no idea where Hurley will go or what he will do with this newfound enlightenment. Unless Desmond is suddenly magically “all-knowing”, or Hurley is going to use his deep pockets to track Desmond down, the chances of the two of them reuniting in the Flash Sideways seems pretty slim right now. It was as if seeing the truth was all that Desmond cared about. With that done, Hurley is checked off his list and he could move on to John Locke. With John Locke done, he can move on to Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Sayid, Sun, and Jin.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So assuming Desmond accomplishes his “mission” with each of these people, what is the end result? Each of our Survivors realize that the lives they are living in Reality #2 are fake and…</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l3 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list .5in">…attempt to get back to Reality #1? I don’t see how that would be possible. It’s not as though they could detonate another nuclear bomb or create some other cataclysmic event. There’s not enough time, and without the magic electromagnetic properties of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> it would probably just kill them all.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l3 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list .5in">…appreciate the second chance at life that Reality #2 offers them? They appreciate the sacrifices of their friends and learn from the lessons on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, and vow to live their lives to the fullest, truly living “happily ever after”? What about someone like Jack, who has a “fake son”? Does he love him less? What about the characters who died in Reality #1? They magically come back to life? Seems pretty cheap and after-school-special-y to me.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l3 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list .5in">…the collective “waking up” of all the Survivors causes Reality #2 to vanish, whoosing them all back to Reality #1? But what would that even mean? Our Survivors in Reality #1 don’t seem to have any notion that Reality #2 exists – so were it to vanish, would they even know? Would they care? I don’t see how this would tie back to the main storyline at all, and would make all the time we’ve spent in the Flash Sideways this season a horrible waste of time.</li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">So I’m stumped. I can’t come up with any logical way for things to conclude in Reality #2 without seeming like an enormous copout – which is why I keep coming back to my best theory from last week, where Reality #2 is all some elaborate hoax put on by Anti-Jacob to keep our Survivors out of his way while he attempts to carry out his mission. The problem with this theory is that as the weeks go on, it seems like Anti-Jacob isn’t as all-knowing and all-powerful as we once thought… at least not powerful enough to create an alternate reality and put our Survivors into a Reality #2 coma.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So instead of thinking about the big picture explanation, I’ve tried to go about this another way – to think about some of the individual little scenes that could give the conclusion of the Flash Sideways dramatic weight and emotional importance. I can picture things like:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3;tab-stops:list .5in">Locke “sacrificing” himself in Reality #2 by accepting that he needs to return to Reality #1, even though that means he will die.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3;tab-stops:list .5in">Juliet and Sawyer getting one more day of happiness in Reality #2 before Sawyer says goodbye to her for good.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3;tab-stops:list .5in">Jack understanding that if he had the chance, he could have been a good father, then returning to Reality #1 where it will never be possible.</li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The common thread in all of them is a return to Reality #1 driven by our characters choosing to give up something better in Reality #2. I hate to go back to it, but this all starts to feel like my “deal with the devil” theory from earlier this season. Maybe that’s still the best option available. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The characters are given fantastic imaginary lives, and all they have to do in return is accept them and let Reality #1 go to hell. But since they have all grown as people over the past five seasons, they take the high road and sacrifice themselves to do the right thing – to give up their pseudo-perfect lives in Reality #2 for the sake of the greater good for the rest of the world of Reality #1. That seems very Losty to me, and would leave me satisfied (that’s what she said!) with the Flash Sideways… but I still can’t quite figure out how the story would get to that point. If someone else could figure it out for me, I’d greatly appreciate it - because I keep trying unsuccessfully.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;">Motivation</span></u></b>. Similarly, the other thing I’ve been trying to figure out this week is the motivation behind the different characters on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. What’s their end game? The only character with a clear motivation right now is SmokeLocke. He wants to get all the Candidates together, go to the Hydra Island, get onboard Ajira 316, and leave the Island (allegedly – the whole flying Ajira 316 off the Island seems a little outlandish to me, but I digress). How about everyone else?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br />A lot of the characters have general motivation right now – like Team Alpert wanting to stop SmokeLocke by blowing up Ajira 316… but then what? Being trapped on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> forever with a pissed off Smokey who could kill them all in an instant? Some characters clearly want to leave the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> – like Sawyer, Sun, and Jin – but the motivations of the rest seems less clear. Miles had a chance to leave the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> in Season Four, but stuck around. Jack had a terrible life off-Island. Would he really want to go back to it? I guess what I’m getting at is that even though our characters are approaching this big “battle for the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>”, I don’t know what they’re actually working towards achieving in the end. Restoring the order to the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> and staying there forever? Destroying the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> and leaving it for good? Saving the world, even if it means sacrificing themselves? </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/?action=view&current=normal_love-hugo-350.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/normal_love-hugo-350.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I know the writers are intentionally keeping the specifics of what SmokeLocke, Widmore, and Desmond are attempting to accomplish secret to allow for maximum surprise at the payoff, but I have to fault them here for not building up the motivations of all the other characters better. We’re moving towards a big battle between the key players on the Island, but without knowing what each individual Survivor is hoping to see in the outcome of that battle, it has taken a lot of the drama out of the individual Survivors actions and decisions on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. Hopefully that turns around this week with most of our characters finally getting together.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As for this week’s episode, the one character’s motivation that I’m most intrigued by is Michael… or Ghost Michael. He says that he’s come to stop Hurley from getting everyone killed. He then tells him that since people are listening to Hurley now, if everyone gets killed, it’s going to be Hurley’s fault. Really? Let’s analyze.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;">Whispers</span></u></b>. I wish there was a tag for “saying something like Brick on the Middle – head down and whispering” – because that’s totally how I just said “whispers” in my head when I wrote that.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This week finally offered the big payoff to one of Lost’s longest mysteries – the mysterious whispers that we’ve heard on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">HURLEY: Hey, you around? Michael? You're stuck on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> aren't you?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">MICHAEL: 'Cause of what I did.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">HURLEY: And... there's others out here like you, aren't there? That's what the whispers are?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">MICHAEL: Yeah. We're the ones who can't move on.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Was it heavy handed and anti-climactic? Absolutely.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Was it what we expected all along and what makes the most sense? Probably.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I’m fine with the answer. From what I’ve read, the purpose of the whispers actually changed over the seasons when the concept of the Others changed. Time for a history lesson!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Originally, the Others were going to be a more primal people on the Island (notice how they appeared in ragged clothes, barefoot the first few times that we saw glimpses of them on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>). Although the writers later tried to cover this up with the lame “we’re wearing costumes” storyline (looking back, seriously?), the truth is that the changed their original concept for what the others would be.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It seems to me that originally, the Others were going to be more of a primitive “tribe” on the Island that worshipped the Island, were “one with the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>”, and were semi-spiritual and mystical. The whispers were going to be their mysterious semi-supernatural way to communicate amongst each other. Somewhere along the way, the writers decided it would be much more interesting to have the Others be normal people that were brought to the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. So the concept of the whispers had to be changed along with them.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">What’s curious is that even after the concept of the Others changed, the writers continued to use them much in the same way as they did at the start. The appearance of the Others continued to signal the arrival of Others all the way up to the start of this season, when our Survivors were grabbed by the Others outside the <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Temple</st1:place></st1:city>. I might have changed that philosophy and hoped that people just forgot about the details surrounding the Others in the first season by the time they were revealed in the sixth season – but it’s not my show.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Back to Michael – whispers aside, his conversation with Hurley paints the picture of a “trapped soul” on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. Someone who “can’t move on” because of what they did. You’ll also remember that he said the following:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">MICHAEL: And Hurley, if you ever do see Libby again, tell her I'm very sorry.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We can take this one of two ways:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="1"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l2 level1 lfo4;tab-stops:list .5in">The “ones who can’t move on” are only the ones who did bad things on the Island, and it results in their souls being in a sort of “purgatory” on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> to atone for their sins.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l2 level1 lfo4;tab-stops:list .5in">The souls on the Island can’t interact with the other souls on the Island, and are leading a really, really lonely existence there rather than it being a soul Island party with random hookups and all night soul keggers.</li> </ol> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Since the transcripts of the whispers often indicate a conversation between multiple people (even after the concept of the Others changed), I’m going to vote for Option #1. If you are a bad person and you die on or around the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, your soul gets “stuck” there. If you’re a good person and you die on or around the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, you’re free to go. (Note: but if you die off the Island, you’re free to visit the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> if you’d like. See: Isabella).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Of course, the other option is that the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> truly is a purgatory for any “lost souls”, and everyone who dies – regardless of where in the world - as a “bad person” is trapped there until they atone for their sins. This would literally make the Island purgatory – but a purgatory that also exists as a physical <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> in the real world that you can visit. I don’t think the writers will go that far, although with some of the talk of Anti-Jacob being “evil incarnate” it’s not out of the question to start viewing things like Smokey as the conglomeration of all these evil, lost souls angrily roaming the Island – and wanting to be free.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The other thing that is curious is why Michael decides to step in and help Hurley now. If he’s been on the Island since the end of Season Four, why didn’t he step in and help out any of the people who have died on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> since then? Or given them some “tips” to help them along the way? Was this just a case of giving the character of Michael a curtain call on the show, or are things at such a critical state that it’s imperative that he assist our Survivors to help prevent the world from ending? Or is he just trying to use this action as a good deed he can put on his resume to prove that he has atoned for his sins in hopes of being able to finally leave the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>? </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I think we’re all hoping for Option 2 or 3, but something tells me that Option 1 is the most likely.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Ilana</span></u></b>. “There she was - handpicked by Jacob, trained to come and protect you candidates, no sooner does she tell you who you are, then she blows up. The <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> was done with her. Makes me wonder what's gonna happen when it's done with us.”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Ben’s comments this week remind us that even though we’re talking about Jacob and Anti-Jacob as the “god-like players” in this game, they’re really not. Remember my business / religion metaphor from earlier this season?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><st1:placename st="on"><u>Mystical</u></st1:placename><u> </u><st1:placetype st="on"><u>Island</u></st1:placetype><u> Power</u> – governing body of all those on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, the creator of the rules. It’s the unseen, unexplainable force that keeps order. (If you want to go religious, he’s “God”)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Leader</u> – Jacob, the CEO of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, in charge of the “big picture stuff”. Creates lists and messages that he sends to his employees (the Others) to keep things running smoothly. (If you want to go religious, he’s “Jesus”)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Security System</u> – Anti-Jacob / SmokeLocke / Smokey. The “muscle” on the Island that exists to take out trouble makers and judge those on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> to make sure they are “worthy”. (If you want to go religious, he’s “The Holy Spirit”)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Secretary</u> – Richard Alpert. The connection between the Leader and the employees (the Others). He takes lists from one to the other and provides necessary information to both sides. The Leader uses a Secretary like Richard Alpert to accomplish the same goal. (If you want to go religious, he’s “The Pope”)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>The Employees</u> – The Others. People who were brought to the Island and deemed worthy, allowed to be let in on some Island secrets, given some sense of purpose and happiness in serving the Leader, and getting a sweet life in paradise in return. (If you want to go religious, they’re “Followers of the Religion”)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I think it still holds true – although maybe we should now add a footnote that says “all employees are pawns in the game, and are only as good as carrying out their role in the master plan”. If this is the case, then our remaining Survivors are still in store for “big things” and will have a major role to play in the remainder of the season. This gives me hope for characters like Miles, Frank, and Ben, who haven’t really done much this season aside from a key scene or two – but it also seems a little crazy to think that the moment that the Island is done with you, it kills you. Sure, that seems to have been the case with Ilana and Michael – but what about all the other people who died, many senselessly on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>? Was the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> “done” with Libby when Michael shot her? No. Was the Island “done” with all the Others in the <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Temple</st1:place></st1:city> that were slaughtered by Smokey? No.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Maybe we should look at this from the other perspective. The <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> doesn’t kill you when it’s done with you (which would make it a malevolent force). Instead, it PROTECTS you while it still needs you (which would make it a benevolent force), but after that you’re on your own. You can accidentally get shot. You can get eaten by Smokey. You can toss around unstable dynamite and get blown up. That’s on you. Not the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> is fundamentally good. But that doesn’t stop people from being bad, killing, or just being plain careless.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Wells</span></u></b>. Aside from the whispers, the other big Island mythology reveal concerned the wells on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. For one, the well that eventually became the Orchid, that houses the FDW (Frozen Donkey Wheel, the thing Ben / Locke pushed to “move the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>”) deep within isn’t the only one. Per SmokeLocke:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">LOCKE: They were looking for answers. A long time ago places like the one we're standing at right now made compass needles spin. And the people holding the compasses needed to know why, so they dug.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/?action=view&current=normal_love-hugo-453.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/normal_love-hugo-453.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">To me, this makes total sense, and I like the way it starts to give a logical explanation for something totally mysterious like the FDW. It makes you wonder if there are other FDW on the Island, or if the FDW well was the only one that they actually dug deep enough to reach the gooey magical core of the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. It’s clear that this particular well doesn’t go so deep – since the preview for next week shows Desmond sitting in the bottom of it. So why did SmokeLocke throw Desmond down the well, if it effectively accomplishes the same thing as keeping him tied up to a tree, which is how he started the episode?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Thankfully, SmokeLocke told us just a few seconds later:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">LOCKE: You're out here, middle of the jungle, with me, not a person on earth even knows you're here.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Keeping Desmond tied up in the Jungle, just a short distance away from Team SmokeLocke, increased the likelihood of him being found – especially since we already have seen that Team Widmore knows where that camp is (since they abducted Jin from it just two episodes ago). SmokeLocke thinks that throwing Desmond down the well is a way to keep him out of the picture… something he definitely wants because he doesn’t quite understand Desmond – and doesn’t like that he isn’t afraid. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But as I mentioned in my Instant Reactions, this is going to be more of an all-time backfire than betting a kiss on making a hockey goal from mid-ice, because Widmore is actually looking for these pockets of electromagnetic anomalies on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. He’s got a map and he’s got Jin, who made the map. It looked like there were only a handful of these pockets on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>… so it’s only a matter of time before they find him once they start looking.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As for Widmore himself, SmokeLocke once again brought up the “most likely” explanation for his involvement with the Island – that he’s only interested in the power that the Island could bring him (and, in my mind, the monetary gain that goes along with it). Widmore’s been coming across like a “good guy” in the past few weeks – but this comment was a nice reminder that the most likely motivation for Widmore is probably still something less than 100% altruistic.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Jack-ob</span></u></b>. Lastly, the episode dropped a pretty big hint that Jack is going to be the “next Jacob”, if there is going to be one. I know he’s probably been the front runner all along (heck, Jacob even took him to the Lighthouse and let him sit and stare at the ocean for a few hours to try and make him see how important he is), but a lot of people have been theorizing that maybe it’s going to be Hurley. But for me, this statement pretty much seals the deal:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">JACK: Ever since Juliet died - ever since I got her killed - all I've wanted was to fix it. But I can't. I can't ever fix it. You've no idea how hard it is for me to sit back and listen to other people tell me what I should do...but I think maybe that's the point...maybe I'm supposed to let go.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In short, he’s realizing that he needs to let go of his past mistakes, stop trying to fix everything, and stop trying to make decisions for other people… kinda like Jacob, who was pretty adamant about letting people make their own decisions – right or wrong – in hopes of eventually proving that they are fundamentally good. Sure, he might give a little push here or there, but he’s a “hands off” kind of leader – and that’s exactly what Jack is becoming before our very eyes. If he can keep himself alive for the rest of the season, I think the job is his.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Phew. That was a good one. For the first time in a long time, I’m actually pretty happy with the way that Blog turned out. But you tell me. Am I crazytown? Right on? And what should I be doing with this silly little Blog after Lost ends?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br />Discuss!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=538.0">http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=538.0</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Also, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=117661664917077">http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=117661664917077</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">(PS - what's the protocol there? Do I become a fan of my own group? Or is that kinda conceited?)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; "><br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-61660797462540542232010-04-13T21:10:00.003-05:002010-04-13T21:48:42.161-05:00"Everybody Loves Hugo" Instant Reactions!<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Brian's One Word Review</span></u></b>: Boom.<div><br /></div><div>The episode started with a bang (I guess we can stop waiting for that Ilana-centric episode now), ended with a bang (that might send Locke right into the care of Jack Shephard), and dropped a minor "mythology reveal" bomb as if it was no big deal in the middle (so the whispers, all along, have had nothing to do with the Others?).</div><div><br /></div><div>Boom goes the dynamite.</div><div><br /></div><div>So what did we learn this week?</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ilana</span></u></b>. As soon as Ilana started haphazardly throwing bottles of water on top of the dynamite in the bag, I said out loud "isn't that stuff supposed to be super unstable?" With that, my comment was instantly addressed with Ilana going all Arzt on us. Thankfully, Ben was there to put her death in perspective a few minutes later. Ilana completed her "mission". It turns out that it wasn't to protect our Survivors - but to reveal to them that they are Candidates. With that mission complete, the Island was done with her... and got rid of her. Pretty harsh, right?</div><div><br /></div><div>The theme continued later in the episode with Michael, who told Hurley that he "can't move on" because of what he did. So... it sure does seem like it's not so much Jacob who is all-powerful, but the Island itself that is actually "controlling fate" and deciding who is living and dying - and to take it one step further, that is deciding whose souls can find peace and whose souls are trapped on the Island as punishment for their actions.</div><div><br /></div><div>Are we sure the Island isn't purgatory?</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Whispers</span></u></b>. The Whispers have been around since the beginning of Season One, and we finally got an explanation for what they are... in the most anti-climactic fashion ever. Hurley saying "hang on dudes, I know what these whispers are" and then revealing that they are the voices of those who have died on the Island. I suppose it makes sense if you look at them as being these voices from beyond the grave talking about what was happening to our Survivors on the Island, sometimes trying to warn them about danger, sometimes simply predicting what was about to happen. I suppose based on the dead character whispering, some could be positive, some could be negative, some could be indifferent about our Survivors. </div><div><br /></div><div>Still - if you go back and review what the Whispers have actually said over the years, some still seem out of place: <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Whisper_transcripts">http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Whisper_transcripts</a></div><div><br /></div><div>More on that in the Analysis.</div><div><br /></div><div>Based on Michael's comment, it seems like there are some who were able to "move on", and some who were not. Is this the Island passing judgment on who is good and bad? Or is it more of a literal sense of who was able to come to the Island and leave alive, vs. those who died on the Island (or in its vicinity like Michael)?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Libby</span></u></b>. Another week, another dead character in Reality #1 that "sees the truth" in Reality #2. This week it was Libby - who didn't need a near-death experience to have her epiphany, but just see Hurley and experience "love at first sight". On the other hand, it took a kiss from Libby for Hurley to experience the same epiphany.</div><div><br /></div><div>IT's a little strange how the experience that sparks this epiphany changes from character to character. It's not something as simple as love - or else Desmond probably wouldn't have plowed his car into Locke (man, that guy just can't catch a break!). The real question is how Desmond has such a deep understanding of what matters most to each member of Oceanic 815 that he can give them a little "push" in the right direction to experience enlightenment (Hmmmm - a "push" in the right direction, who does that remind me of?). Both on the Island and off the Island (in both realities), Desmond seems to know more than anyone else - SmokeLocke included. How he arrived at this state of total knowledge is beyond me... but I'm hoping for an explanation of that at some point in the future.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Desmond</span></u></b>. As for On-Island Desmond, he took a trip with Locke to an ancient well (although it didn't seem to be the same well that houses the FDW based on the preview for next week). However, SmokeLocke did tell him that there were a number of wells like that on the Island - and that they were dug - by hand - by an ancient people on the Island who were trying to figure out why their compasses went crazy in those locations. (Note: since the first magnetic compasses were around in 221 BC, the people who dug those wells - and perhaps created the FDW - could be really, really, really old. Like older than Jesus)</div><div><br /></div><div>Initially, I was thinking that Locke was actually taking Desmond to one of these locations to expose him to the electromagnetic core of the Island in hopes of "cancelling out" his powers, overloading him with energy, or something else super science-fictiony. However, it looks like he threw him down the well simply as a way to get rid of him - at least for now. Why not just kill him if he's a threat (and not a candidate)? Is it just to keep him away from Widmore?</div><div><br /></div><div>The bad news for SmokeLocke is that Widmore is looking for the same place that he hid Desmond - pockets of weird electromagnetic matter on the Island (remember the map with Jin a few weeks ago?) SmokeLocke may have unknowingly put Desmond in a place where he will quickly be found - or exactly where Widmore wants him to be... which makes you wonder if Desmond's "enlightenment" means that he knew exactly what SmokeLocke would do - and that was exactly where he needed to be?</div><div><br /></div><div>One more thing - it seemed like Desmond was "done" with Hurley after he saw that he had his epiphany. He didn't come up to him and say "now that you see this world is a fake, let's go save the real world!" or anything like that. So what's the purpose of each Survivor coming to this realization? What will they do with this knowledge? These are the questions that will be keeping me up at night this week.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>What did I miss? Another appearance by Young Jacob (maybe - was it the same kid as the first time? His hair looked darker, but that may have been the lighting), another annoying separation of characters (although conveniently, all the Candidates - plus Frank, who Ilana originally said "may be one" - are now together), except of course, Jin - because we can't have the Sun and Jin reunion before the finale, right?</div><div><br /></div><div>Where is all this heading? Well, we've got three groups on the Island right now. Team SmokeLocke with Candidates, Team Widmore, and Team Alpert. I honestly don't know who is right, who is wrong, or how any of this is going to play out - but obviously someone has to get shot by Juliet at some point, right? I also find it interesting that it's clear that there is some serious advancement happening in the Flash Sideways storyline... but I can't figure out the end point for those either.</div><div><br /></div><div>Good work Lost writers. I honestly thought by the time we hit the midpoint of the season, we would have some pretty good guesses about how the show would wrap up. But with six episodes left, I still have no freaking clue.</div><div><br /></div><div>Discuss!</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=537.0">http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=537.0</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com68tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-79932917506222955112010-04-12T20:21:00.002-05:002010-04-12T20:27:24.780-05:00Lost - "Everybody Loves Hugo"<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Episode Title</span></u></b>: “Everybody Loves Hugo”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Brian’s Deeper Meaning Guess</span></u></b>: Earlier this season, we had “What Kate Does”, an episode title that paid homage to the Season Two episode “What Kate Did”. This week, the writers are back to similar hijinx with “Everybody Loves Hugo”, an obvious reference to the Season Two episode “Everybody Hates Hugo”.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">For those who don’t remember the specifics of that episode (read: me, before I want back and read the Lostpedia entry on it), this was the episode where Hurley was put in charge of the food stash inside the Swan Hatch, and people were mad at him for not sharing it / keeping it secret. The flashbacks featured Hurley quitting his job at Mr. Cluck’s right before being revealed as the big lottery winner. The episode ended with Hurley throwing a big feast on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> where everyone ate all the food from the Swan – and in fact, everyone did love Hugo at the end of the episode for it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In the Flash Sideways of this season, it doesn’t seem like Hurley has much to worry about. He’s rich, he’s well-known, and seems to be a pretty nice guy (see: his conversation with Arzt on Oceanic 815, offering to hook Locke up with a job, telling Desmond where his bags would be). I’m sure in the Flash Sideways, “everybody loves Hugo”. Keeping in line with most the Flash Sideways for our previous characters, this appears to offer more ammunition to my latest theory that the Flash Sideways are Anti-Jacob’s attempts to trick our Survivors into thinking this happy life is the one they should be living, rather than having them interfering with the real action On-Island. Yet just like Desmond being well-liked by Widmore, but not having Penny, I think Anti-Jacob missed the same ingredient for Hurley’s “perfect” life… and that is love.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Granted, it’s not like Hurley has some profound, space-time-conquering love like Desmond that he’s missing out on. Over the course of the first five seasons, the closest thing Hurley ever had to a lady friend was Libby – and that relationship lasted exactly two weeks on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> before Michael shot and killed her. The two never even really went on a date together. But it still seems like the title will be a little bit bittersweet. Everybody “loves” Hugo – but no one person is actually “in love” with him. Hurley needs a little lovin’ too!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">What about on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>? I’m guessing the episode title will take more of an ironic twist – but we’re getting ahead of ourselves. First the Guest Stars!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Guest Stars</span></u></b>: Henry Ian Cusick as Desmond, Harold Perrineau as Michael, Cynthia Watros as Libby, Francois Chau as Pierre Chang, Lillian Hurst as Carmen Reyes, Bruce Davison as Dr. Douglas Brooks, Kenton Duty as teenage boy, Samm Levine as clerk, Jesse Smith as waiter and Archie Ahuna as Tito.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Guest Star Breakdown</span></u></b>: Speak of the devil… and by “the devil”, I mean the return of two more dead characters this week! Last week brought us the return of Charlie and Faraday in the Flash Sideways, both with knowledge that things weren’t “right” in that reality. This week brings us the return of Michael and Libby – although given that Hurley can see dead people on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, the odds are just as likely that the two characters appear in Reality #1 as Reality #2. Either way, their appearances should have some substance behind them. On the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, they could help “guide” Hurley similar to his visions of Charlie in the mental institution. Off the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, they could provide two more characters who know that the Flash Sideways aren’t “real”. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/?action=view&current=libby.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/libby.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The important thing is – just like Charlie and Faraday to Desmond, both characters have a lot of history with Hurley. If it weren’t for Michael, Hurley and Libby might have had a nice little romance on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. So regardless of if the action takes place in Reality #1 or Reality #2, everything these two characters say and do should make an impact on Hurley.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">On the other hand (pun intended), Pierre Chang’s could very easily be a throwaway guest appearance in the Flash Sideways. Based on Miles’ comments a few weeks back, he seems to be working at the museum in LA X along with <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Charlotte</st1:place></st1:city>. Initially I was also thinking that he might be another example of a dead character speaking “the truth” Off-Island… when I realized that we really don’t know what happened to Pierre Chang in Reality #1. When we last saw him, he was fleeing the Incident, albeit one hand short. But what happened to him from there? Did he die in the Purge? Did he leave the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>? Miles’ mother claims that he had been dead for a long time in “Some Like It Hoth”, but if <st1:city st="on">Pierre</st1:city> stayed on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, how would she know? Chang is an example of one of those dangling storylines I never thought about – and maybe isn’t all that important, but it would be nice to find out what happened to him after the Jughead. He’s one of the few characters within Dharma that we, as the audience, bonded with over the years. I think he’s deserving of a happy ending – or at least some ending.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;">Episode Description</span></u></b>: Hurley agonizes over what the group should do next, and Locke is curious about the new arrival to his camp.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Episode Breakdown</span></u></b>: We already established that “everybody loves Hugo” in the Flash Sideways – but I’m guessing his newfound leadership role on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> is going to lead to some people hating him in Reality #1. Think about it – to resolve the situation with the food in the episode “Everybody Hates Hugo”, his solution was to give it to everyone, effectively removing himself from a position of power on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>. Hurley’s not comfortable being the leader – he’d much rather be the follower, doing his own thing and being damn happy in doing it. But now that he is the only person who can communicate with Jacob on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place>, he’s been forced into a leadership role, and it’s one that he has slowly been growing into it. He’s slowly learning to stand up to other traditional leaders on the Island (Jack) and doing what he knows he must do, regardless of if it makes him popular or not.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So it’s not surprising that Hurley will be “agonizing over what the group should do next”, as I’m guessing the instructions that Jacob provides him are going to be unpopular ones amongst Team Jacob. When we last left Team Jacob, they were planning on traveling to <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Hydra</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place> to destroy the Ajira 316 plane in an effort to stop SmokeLocke’s plans for escape – so it would reason that Hurley’s decision this episode will revolve around this plan. My initial thought is that Jacob reveals to Hurley that someone will die in carrying out this mission (finally giving us the other side to Juliet shooting the back Outrigger storyline, perhaps?) and Hurley is debating whether or not to try and save that person or not – but it could be anything along those lines. Hurley’s going to need to decide if it’s more important to carry out the mission or keep his friends out of danger. Being a leader isn’t always easy.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/?action=view&current=HurleyJack.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/HurleyJack.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Meanwhile, over at Team SmokeLocke, there’s a new member of his camp – Desmond. The curious thing is that the episode title says that Locke is “curious” about his arrival at camp… but didn’t he send Sayid to <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Hydra</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place> to retrieve Desmond? Shouldn’t this be totally expected? Maybe he’s surprised at how easily Desmond came along with Sayid – or maybe he was expecting Sayid to kill Desmond on the spot? It seems as though Desmond knows exactly what is going on – some have even gone so far as to say he seems “possessed”, so it will be curious to see how Desmond interacts with the other members of Team SmokeLocke. Will he be good ol’ normal Desmond, full of smiles and “brothas”? Will he reveal his plan to them? Will he tell them the secret to his enlightenment? </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Lots of questions.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Here’s the reason why I’m excited for this week’s episode. I’ve made a bunch of comparisons between Season One and Season Six this year, and I’m going to continue doing it here. Remember back in Season One, how Hurley was the very last character to get a centric episode? Some characters got two flashbacks before Hurley got his first one – and once we finally got the Hurley backstory, it was huge because it introduced the Numbers to the Lost mythology. Remember my post a few weeks ago where I said Season One Numbers = Season Six Jacob?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Bingo. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">I don’t think it’s coincidence that Hurley is the final Flash Sideways in Season Six, just like it was intentional that he was the final flashback in Season One. The real question is – will Flash Sideways Hurley encounter Jacob (or some Jacob-equivalent) in Reality #2? Something that will open his eyes and reveal to the audience the whole purpose behind the Flash Sideways? Or will that reveal simply be shown on the <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> in one of his ghost whispering conversations with Jacob?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">After this week, we may be saying goodbye to our Survivor-centric episodes in favor of “everyone-centric” episodes to wrap up the series… which means this might be the final character-centric episode of Lost ever. Here’s hoping the writers saved the best for last.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Happy Losting!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-58600488192025676372010-04-09T17:54:00.004-05:002010-04-09T18:02:40.435-05:00"Happily Ever After" Analysis!<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">“You can’t always get what you want – but if you try, sometimes you just might find – you get what you need.” – Rusted Root… covering the Rolling Stones.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">This week’s episode, “Happily Ever After”, didn’t play out like I was expecting. Although some portions of the episode matched my pre-episode expectations - Faraday espousing wacky and confusing theories, Eloise Hawking being mysterious and all-knowing, Desmond and Penny potentially finding love in the Flash Sideways, – I was shocked that a good 95% of the episode took place in the Flash Sideways world. Given the distaste that so many people have for the Flash Sideways (myself somewhat included), this could have meant disaster for the episode, breaking the streak of every Desmond-centric episode being totally awesome.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br />Turns out, the episode was still fantastic. But more importantly, this episode was exactly what we needed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><b><u><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Flash Sideways</span></span></span></u></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">. For the first time all season, the Flash Sideways storyline gained some tangible importance. We saw that there was indeed a connection between Reality #1 (on the </span><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Island</span></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">) and Reality #2 (in LA X). Heck, we even had characters being aware of the Flash Sideways world itself:<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">CHARLIE: “I've seen something real, I've seen the truth.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">CHARLIE: “I feel sorry for you, mate. You think you're happy. You think you've got it all - this, your life. But, you don't.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">CHARLIE: “This doesn't matter. None of this matters. All that matters is that we felt it.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">ELOISE: “Someone has clearly affected the way you see things. This is a serious problem. It is, in fact, a violation. So, whatever you’re doing, whatever it is you think you’re looking for...You need to stop looking for it.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">DANIEL: “Just listen, what if, this, all this, what if this wasn't supposed to be our life? What if we had some other life and for some reason, we changed things? I don't want to set off a nuclear bomb, Mr. Hume. I think I already did.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">This is huge.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">When you put all these comments together, a few things become very clear:</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ol><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">The Flash Sideways world isn’t how things are “supposed to be” for these characters. I won’t go so far as to say it isn’t “real”, but that is a distinct possibility as well. Whatever the Flash Sideways world is, our characters were brought into it via unnatural means – and some are becoming aware of that. They “belong” in Reality #1.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">It’s curious that we only have proof of three characters coming to this realization – Desmond, who is “special” - and two characters who are dead in Reality #1 – Faraday and Charlie. Charlie had his epiphany during a near-death experience, but Faraday had his simply by seeing </span><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Charlotte</span></st1:place></st1:city><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">. It makes one wonder about the connection between the characters in Reality #1 and #2. If a character dies in one reality, does it throw things out of balance and make that person more aware of the fact that things aren’t right? Or is this just a coincidence of this episode at this point? After all, we didn’t hear any of this talk from </span><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Charlotte</span></st1:place></st1:city><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> – although maybe she hasn’t had her epiphany yet since Sawyer wasn’t exactly her soul mate? (Note: from this point forward, I’m going to call the realization that there is a second reality out there an “epiphany”.)</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Eloise continues to be all-knowing. She seems to see the big picture of everything within the space-time continuum and has knowledge of both realities… yet we know that she was a normal person who grew up on the </span><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Island</span></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> from 1954 to at least 1977. How did she go from a semi-leader of the Others to the keeper of the space-time continuum? Was this the “wish” that Jacob / Anti-Jacob granted her, similar to making Alpert live forever? She would have knowledge of everything that would happen, but would be forced to ensure that things stayed in balance? Or could it be that the truly enlightened Others are “special”? They have a deep connection to the </span><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Island</span></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">, which might be the nexus of both realities – and therefore might have some dual-reality citizenship, so to speak.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">One could also debate that Charles Widmore fits into this category as well since he knows precisely what Desmond needs to do in Reality #1 to keep the world from falling apart. So we have Widmore in Reality #1 and Eloise in Reality #2 both trying to influence Desmond’s actions. Are they on the same side? Opposing sides?</span></li></ol><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">We’ll come back to that. Based on these assumptions, what does it all mean?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">If the Flash Sideways were simply some “dreamlike state” that our Survivors all entered after the Jughead explosion, it would explain how familiar characters keep re-appearing and interacting… and why a lot of it seems to be a version of “happily ever after” for most of our Survivors. But if this were the case, I don’t think Eloise would be so concerned about violating the “rules” of Reality #2… and it would mean the writers wasted a hell of a lot of the final season of Lost on a “dream”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Likewise, the fact that we have living, thinking characters like Charlie and Faraday – characters who were dead before the Jughead explosion – attempting to influence the other Survivors to see “the truth” eliminates a lot of the theories about the Flash Sideways being the result of a “Deal with the Devil” or being an “Epilogue” to the Lost storyline after the On-Island action concludes. If this were a new reality given to our Survivors in the end, it wouldn’t be “fake” – and seeing the truth wouldn’t do our Survivors any good. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">There are clearly two opposing forces at play in the Flash Sideways. On one side is Eloise, on the other is Desmond / Charlie / Faraday. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Hmmm – two opposing forces at play? Perhaps one light, and one dark? A “balance” of sorts? Where have we heard this before?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><a href="http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/?action=view&current=normal_happily095.jpg" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/normal_happily095.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></span></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Time to get crazy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">I’m not sure how – or why – but could it be that what we are seeing in the Flash Sideways world is some sort of “battle” for the very souls of our Survivors between Jacob and Anti-Jacob? On the one side you have Anti-Jacob giving them everything that he thinks they need… but is demonstrating how little he understands them and their human condition by not getting it quite right. (Note: this is really where the whole “Deal with the Devil” theory came from in the first place – the fact that in each Flash Sideways, there is a twinge of sadness mixed in with an otherwise, overall, very positive existence for our characters.) <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">On the other side, you have Jacob (perhaps manifesting himself through the dead characters in Reality #2, just like Anti-Jacob does in Reality #1) trying to shake our Survivors out of it, to tell them that this isn’t what they are supposed to be doing! These lives may be nice, but they are fake… and once they experience something that touches upon the core of their soul – a near-death experience, true love, their first taste of Skyline Chili, they see Reality #2 for the fraud it is.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">I’m not really sure how this makes sense, as it seems to require that all our Survivors on the Island fall into some sort of coma or “spell” to be experiencing Reality #2, but that didn’t seem to be the case with Desmond this week. The two realities seem to be happening concurrently. I also don’t quite see how “enlightening” the characters in Reality #2 would that help the current situation on the </span><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Island</span></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">. But this is one of those situations where I have more of a general feeling for what’s going on than the hard facts sorted out in my head. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Earlier today, I commented to my Hot Wife Kate that one of the reasons that the Flash Sideways haven’t been very interesting to me is because of the lack of an overall conflict. The stories carry no real weight. Sure, there are individual character struggles and problems – but since none of the characters really know each other, these individual dramas don’t carry a lot of importance. If Sun dies from being shot in the stomach, Jin would be sad – but no one else in the Flash Sideways would care. They don’t know her… or at least they don’t know that they know her. So who cares?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">But by introducing this larger “battle” between two opposing sides in the Flash Sideways, you introduce some much needed conflict. You’ll have characters taking sides and making important decisions that affect everyone. It would also offer a nice parallel to exactly what is going on in Reality #1 on the </span><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Island</span></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">I still don’t know if the end game involves one reality “surviving” while the other disappears, the two realities merging, or something in between – but it could be that Widmore’s comment two episodes ago about “ceasing to exist” may have been a hint that there are going to be two wars going on – one in each reality, but both with the same players. The winners continue on. The losers vanish forever. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Or could it be that each character will have to make their own choice? Take the fake, happy reality of Reality #2, or take the real, sometimes brutally painful world of Reality #1? I don’t think there will need to be any sort of “group consensus” on the matter since it’s pretty clear that some characters are far better off in one Reality vs. the other (especially those who are dead).<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">The real question is – why is any of this necessary? Why is it important? Regardless of who or what created Reality #2, why is it important to the viewer that so much of Season Six has focused on it?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Here’s what I’m thinking. Back in Season One, one of the central themes on Lost was that the </span><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Island</span></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> gave people the chance to start over. Their pasts didn’t matter. They had the chance to do good on the </span><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Island</span></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">, make something of themselves, and earn redemption. Well, here we are five seasons later and what do we have? A Flash Sideways world where the characters are presented with a similar opportunity. It’s a “reset” of the characters lives’, free from all the death and drama that happened once they set foot on the </span><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Island</span></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">. It’s a world without the </span><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Island</span></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">, and they have the chance to determine if their lives would really be better off without it – or if their experiences there actually made them who they were supposed to be… even if it meant dying in the process.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">It’s been important to establish the storylines for each character in the Flash Sideways world so that we’ll understand the heavy decisions they might have to make in regards to staying in Reality #2 or going back to Reality #1. Is it better to have loved and lost, or never to have loved at all? Is it better to have done something great with your life and die in the process, or live a long, simple life without any profound meaning? These are some super heavy questions that typically require about half a bottle of whiskey to fully debate – so it makes sense that a show as super-intellectual as Lost would attempt to tackle them with its final season.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><a href="http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/?action=view&current=normal_happily277.jpg" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/normal_happily277.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">To recap, we might see the final seven episodes of Lost dealing with a war for the Island in Reality #1, and war between realities in Reality #2, and potentially an entire world (or both) hanging in the balance depending on the decisions of our Survivors.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Yeah, I’d say that’s a pretty worthwhile storyline.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Okay – enough crazy. I’m sure that came out like gibberish, but I promise it makes sense in my head. Tell me why this theory sucks in the Comments and I’ll do my best to explain it in a different way.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Desmond</span></span></u></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">. The only other thing I wanted to touch on this week was Desmond himself. In Reality #1, Widmore told him “the </span><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Island</span></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> isn't done with you yet", that he’ll have “to make a sacrifice”, and if Desmond can’t survive another catastrophic electromagnetic event, “we all die”. Needless to say, this would make anyone freak out a little bit – and Desmond did just that. But after a little reality-jumping, Desmond returned to the </span><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Island</span></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> seemingly totally enlightened. He calmly tells Widmore that he understands his mission and keeps the same cool demeanor after being pseudo-kidnapped by Sayid. It’s as if he has accepted his fate and is marching on to meet his destiny, even though it might result in his death / eternal imprisonment on the </span><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Island</span></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">My first thought was “okay, this makes sense. Desmond is sacrificing himself in Reality #1 so that he can be with Penny in Reality #2”. But that makes no sense. Desmond, more than anyone else, has realized that Reality #2 is a fraud. It’s not where he is supposed to be. In fact, he may be working to destroy Reality #2 by showing the other Survivors of Oceanic 815 the truth. Yet he goes on setting up a date with Penny in this reality.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">This would make it appear as though Desmond is laying the foundation for a long life in Reality #2, after his mission in Reality #1 is complete. Yet I’m almost 100% certain that if there was only going to be one “surviving reality” in the end, it would be Reality #1. We’ve spent way too much time there to have it cease to exist, and it would render all the action on the </span><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Island</span></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">, all the Candidate talk, and even all the Jacob and Anti-Jacob stuff moot. I don’t see that happening. So then why is Desmond, the only person on (or watching) Lost that seems to understand it all, acting in a way that would indicate that Reality #2 is going to be where he ends up?</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><a href="http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/?action=view&current=normal_happily379.jpg" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/dmbeternal/normal_happily379.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">It seems to add some weight to the theory that both realities will continue to exist, and that characters will get to choose where they end up. Perhaps Desmond is going to be the sacrificial lamb to “save” everyone in Reality #1 (including Penny and his son Charlie), but once he has completed his mission will jump into some electromagnetic storm that will whisk him away to Reality #2 where his consciousness will live “happily ever after” and start a new life, one where he not only has Penny, but also the respect of her father, Charles Widmore.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Okay – I think that’s enough crazy talk for one week. Be prepared for these theories to be blown out of the water next week, in what may be a recurring theme until the finale, when it is revealed that all of Lost was just a dream inside Vincent’s head, and we’ve all wasted the past seven years of our lives obsessing over it.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Discuss.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=534.0">http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=534.0</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13498413.post-62916652433164132842010-04-06T19:51:00.002-05:002010-04-06T21:48:14.253-05:00"Happily Ever After" Instant Reactions!<div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Brian's One Word Review</span></u></b>: Outsmarted.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the end of this episode, it was clear that Desmond - both on the Island in Reality #1 and in the Flash Sideways of Reality #2 had an epiphany about what was going on, what he needed to do, and why it was all so important. Clearly, Desmond David Hume is far smarter than me because my feeble brain isn't there yet.</div><div><br /></div><div>What happened?</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Special</span></u></b>. We discovered what makes Desmond special is that he can survive exposure to a "catastrophic electromagnetic event", which is going to be critical in saving the world and all of existence. This seems to narrow down Desmond's "purpose" on the Island to getting really, really close to the electromagnetic core of the Island and doing... something - something which is going to cause another one of these "catastrophic events", that will result in the sinking of the Island. Widmore told Desmond that he's going to ask him to make a sacrifice, and I'm guessing it's going to be the <u>ultimate sacrifice</u>. Desmond is the only one who can do it, the only one who can forever trap Anti-Jacob underwater on the Island - he's special. </div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></u></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Love</span></u></b>. Love is a many splendor thing. Love lift us up where we belong. All you need is love. Turns out that every songwriter in human history was correct - apparently it all comes down to love in teh end. Is it a coincidence that when Charlie experienced a near death experience in the Flash Sideways, he had a vision of Claire, a vision which brought him total happiness? Or that Desmond's meeting with Penny caused him to "jump" back to Reality #1, and be totally enlightened to everything that he needed to do... and not only that - but also calmly accepting of what might be a death mission? Or that Faraday saw Charlotte for only a minute, and it inspired him to subconsciously write a formula that mathematically explains the science behind these Flash Sideways? He told Desmond:</div><div><br /></div><div>"Imagine something terrible was about to happen - and the only way to stop it was to release a huge amount of energy, like setting off a nuclear bomb. What if all this wasn't supposed to be our life? What if we had some other life, for some reason, we changed things? I don't want to set off a nuclear bomb Mr. Hume. I think I already did."</div><div><br /></div><div>Based on everything we've seen this season, I've already determined that the Jughead didn't cause the creation of Reality #2 (due to all the events that took place before the Jughead went off that are totally unrelated to the Island), but maybe it simply caused the consciousness of the characters to jump from Reality #1 (where they were supposed to be) to Reality #2 - where they are seemingly happy... but without love.</div><div><br /></div><div>Faraday (er... Daniel Widmore) also told Desmond:</div><div><br /></div><div>"It happened to you too. You felt it. Love."</div><div><br /></div><div>Earlier in the episode Charlie explained this sensation of "true love" to Desmond as being "what you've always been, and you always will be."</div><div><br /></div><div>In a super sappy, totally head over heels romantic way (that I am totally a sucker for, by the way), it shows that love conquers all - including space, time, and alternate realities. Once a character interacts with their true love, the feelings come rushing back across space and time, linking their memories to those that took place in a different world.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the end of the episode, Desmond told Minkowski to gather the manifest for Oceanic 815, telling him "I just need to show them something". What could this possibly be? How can Desmond "prove" the existence of Reality #1, a place that all our Survivors are supposed to be, using a concept as intangible as love? He seems pretty calm and confident about it, but I haven't a clue how this is all going to play out.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Eloise Hawking-Widmore.</span></u></b> The curious thing about this episode is that it continued to paint Charles Widmore as the "good guy" on the Island - someone who was forced to kidnap Desmond and perform tests on him for the sake of all existence. On the other hand, in the Flash Sideways, Eloise Hawking-Widmore seemed very concerned that Desmond meeting up with Penny would be a very bad thing. She told him:</div><div><br /></div><div>"Whatever you are looking for, you need to stop looking for it. You have the perfect life, and the one thing you wanted the most - the approval of Charles Widmore." </div><div><br /></div><div>When Desmond asks how she knows all of this (a question I think most fans have about Eloise Hawking-Widmore's seeming omniscience), she replied with "because I bloody do." If that's the extent of the explanation behind how she knows so much, I'll be pretty upset. </div><div><br /></div><div>But the bigger question is - why does she want to keep Desmond from finding his true love? Is there some negative repercussion to realizing that he is in Reality #2, a place where he doesn't belong? Will that somehow "reveal the secrets of the universe" and bring about the end of the world? From the start, more than any other character on the show, Eloise has been concerned with keeping order in the universe - although at the same time she's said that even if things changed, the universe would course correct. But yet again she seems to be getting herself involved in things (like Desmond's life) which seem totally unnecessary if this were really true.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's hoping this discovery of love in the Flash Sideways doesn't cause our characters to start skipping back and forth between realities, like a Desmond without a Constant - or else he might accidentally be bringing about the demise for all of them by "showing them" what he has learned.</div><div><br /></div><div>Also - did you notice the painting in Widmore's office? With the balanced scale with white stones on one side and black stones on the other? I was disappointed the Namaste Polar Bear painting wasn't there, but this one was equally cool.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So in the end, I know it sounds like I understand this episode - but I really don't. At least not yet. Given what we saw, what Desmond experienced in the Flash Sideways, I don't understand how he suddenly understands and accepts what Widmore has requested of him on the Island. As I already said, I also don't understand how his knowledge about love and the existence of the alternate reality is going to help the Survivors in the Flash Sideways.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is one of those episodes that makes me feel dumb, because we were clearly given enough information to figure out the Flash Forwards and where the storyline is heading... but I'm not there. I think we've got all the pieces to the puzzle. Now it's just a matter of putting them together in a way that makes sense and shows us the big picture.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's time to get thinking.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=533.0">http://facethewoods.com/lost/index.php?topic=533.0</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com60