Episode 16: “What They Died For”

Introduction

I really like this episode. I think it filled in more information than the previous episode, whose sole purpose seemed to be explaining the Big Picture. Also, it seemed to do a good job setting up the finale. Overall, I think we know most of the backstory about the Island, why everyone is there, and the motivations of Jacob and the Nemesis. There’s still a little mystery left; but there always will be.

Flashsideways: 2004

In this episode, and this is continuing from a few previous ones, Desmond is concerned with getting everyone to recognize their alternate realities. He also seems to be setting up some sort of plan. Not everyone is together, but they all seem to be where Desmond wants them to be: Locke is going to have the surgery; Sayid is with Hurley; Kate is with Desmond; I’m not sure where Sawyer is. They’re obviously setting something up for next episode. I don’t really have much of an idea, but I do feel as if it’s feasible to close this reality up. The bigger question is how will this reality be connected to the real-reality.

Jacob’s Explanation

Jacob’s explanation for his motivations, why everyone was “summoned” to the Island, and what they need to do is quite simple: Jacob made a mistake in making his brother into the Smoke Monster. If the Nemesis leaves the Island, evilness will spread throughout the world, or something like that. [This part of the Big Picture is still fuzzy. Why is the Nemesis evil? Or why is releasing him from the Island so bad? Does the Nemesis want the life source? Does he want to destroy it?] Jacob knew his evil twin would eventually kill him, so he had candidates ready to take his place. Now he needs one of them to do just that. As I supposed, Jack steps forward. After he becomes the new Protector, they are informed that they need to stop and/or kill Un-Locke.

Ben, Widmore, and Un-Locke

So is Ben bad again? I don’t like the idea, especially since they made such a point emphasizing his redemption. Is he playing along to find a way to destroy Un-Locke, playing his part well by killing Widmore? Does he really care about “ruling” the Island? Either way, Zoe throat is slit by Un-Locke, Widmore is shot by Ben (after Widmore explains what Desmond’s purpose is), and the Smoke Monster kills Alpert. Ben and Un-Locke go off, only to find Desmond gone from the well. Un-Locke explains that this is fine, since Desmond is resistant to the electromagnetism, and his new plan is to destroy the Island. [Quick question: Why did he tell Ben that? Isn’t the carrot Un-Locke is dangling in front of Ben the position of ruling the Island? Now that he knows it will be blown up, will he follow Un-Locke and kill the candidates for him? Ah, I think I have it. Un-Locke doesn’t need Ben now, since he will somehow have Desmond blow up the Island, thereby killing all of the candidates without Ben’s help.]

Finale / Desmond

So where are they going with this? On the one hand, Un-Locke wants to use Desmond to blow up the Island. On the other hand, Jack and his crew need to kill Un-Locke. I think the key to all of this is Desmond. I think that they need Desmond to do their part. Everyone needs Desmond. And this somehow connects to the parallel world, where Desmond is running around and setting up another plan. They can go a lot of different places with this, but I think they’ve set themselves up well for a number of reasons: First, the objectives of both sides are clear. Second, the majority of the Big Picture is answered. I don’t know about you, but I’m psyched for the finale!

By the way, I think the plan right now is to watch it at Ed and Daria’s Thursday evening.

Episodes 14 and 15: “The Candidate” and “Across the Sea”

Introduction

I plan on going through these two episodes rather quickly, and dedicating a little more time to the most recent episode, the penultimate one.

13: Flashsideways: 2004

The real Locke awakes from his successful surgery. Jack thinks he could make him walk again, but Locke refuses the offer. We find out Locke took his father, Anthony Cooper, on a plane ride, and they crashed. Locke was paralyzed from the waist down, but Cooper became comatose. Locke sees his situation as punishment, a purgatory of sorts, and his guilt disallows him to take Jack up on his offer of possible healing.

13: The Island: 2007

All of the candidates are together. When they – and this includes Un-Locke – find the plane rigged with explosives, they go to the sub. Everyone gets on except for Un-Locke and Claire. This was Un-Locke’s plan. The apparent theory is that Un-Locke cannot kill any of the candidates, so he tries to set them up to mistrust and kill one another. It sort of works. Sawyer distrusts this aforementioned theory, as espoused by Jack, so he pulls out the wires to the bomb Un-Locke put in Jack’s bag. This accelerates the bomb. Sayid tells Jack where Desmond is – then the bomb instantly kills him. This was pure sacrifice, and it allows Kate, Jack, Hurley, and Sawyer to reach the shore. Sun and Jin don’t make it… (What about Frank? I think he’s coming back. Who else will fly the plane?)

14: Jacob and… What’s His Name?

I mainly like this episode, but I disliked a bunch of it, too. Let me try to summarize what we learn: Jacob and The Nemesis are twins. A nameless woman, known only as “Mother,” kills the brothers’ real mother right as they’re born. She is the Island Protector before Jacob. We assume she isn’t the first, since she mentioned arriving on the Island just like the pregnant woman, apparently washing up on shore. She seems to be protecting some sort of life source – a life source that cannot leave the Island, even though it will be desired, or else bad things will happen.

As children, Jacob doesn’t lie, but his twin is more sneaky. He doesn’t seem evil, just more devious. Mother likes the Nemesis more. But the Nemesis wants to leave the Island after seeing other people on the Island that came from another country. He leaves, and Jacob chooses to stay.

After much time has passed, the Nemesis, along with the help of others he is with, discovers a possible way to leave the Island. When Mother finds this, she destroys the well and kills all of the men. The Nemesis is pissed off (and rightfully so, right?) and he kills Mother. In a fit of rage and revenge, Jacob throws the Nemesis into the life source, since he has heard that going in there would be worse than death. The Nemesis exits as the smoke monster, and his physical body is dead.

Quick Thoughts

I like the idea of going back and explaining some of the Big Picture, but I’m hesitant that this was the best approach. The storyline doesn’t explain the Nemesis’ evil-ness; it makes Jacob look highly flawed – in fact, why is he any better than the Nemesis? He stayed with Mother, who doesn’t seem to be a positive character. Importantly, the good vs. evil or man-is-inherently-good vs. man-is-not conflict really goes by the wayside; in its place, we get more of a disorganized feud between two flawed people.

Episode 13: “The Last Recruit”

Introduction

I really enjoyed this last episode. It wasn’t the best of the season, but I thought it was better than average. For the most part, they didn’t add too much extra confusion, like the last three episodes. It didn’t answer too much, though. With only four episodes left, I’m wondering how “tied up” the entire show will end. At this point, we can only hope.

Flashsideways: 2004

There’s actually quite a lot that occurs in this reality. The real Locke goes into surgery; Jack is the surgeon; the episode ends with Jack recognizing Locke. Now the question is: Does he recognize Locke from the airport, or from the real 2007 reality? Either answer works, especially since when Sun gets carted through the hospital and sees Locke on a cart next to her, she freaks out; obviously, she too is connecting to the real reality through alternate-memories. In relation to Sun, we find out the baby and her are fine after the shooting. After Kate and Sawyer discuss a little in the police station, Sawyer and Miles are off to the multiple homicide; after seeing a videotape of Sayid, he becomes their target. Miles and Sawyer apprehend him. Desmond runs into Claire again and convinces her to see his lawyer, Ilana. Ilana had been searching for Claire anyway, since she is also Jack’s lawyer, and Claire is Jack’s half-sister and mentioned in Christian’s will. Right after Claire and Jack meet, Jack gets called into surgery and has to leave.

2007: Real Reality

I think this may be the only episode (other than the Desmond one) where a considerable less happens in this reality. Basically, Widmore wants Desmond back, and threatens Un-Locke’s group through Zoe. Un-Locke tells Sayid to kill Desmond. Although he arrives at the well with a gun, after Desmond’s plea to Sayid, we aren’t sure if Sayid went through with it. I think we’re supposed to assume that no killing occurred. Meanwhile, Sawyer leaves with a group to get the sailboat. Although he was told to meet up with Un-Locke, he goes straight to Hydra Island, hoping to reunite with Widmore, who has a “deal” with. Before getting there, he gets Hugo and company to meet him at the boat; and when Claire tries to hold them at gunpoint, Kate convinces her to join them in peace. Is Claire back to being good now? Not sure… Also, Jack leaves the boat. (See next section for a more in-depth discussion of this act and the character of Jack in general.) Once on Hydra Island, though, Widmore’s crew handle Sawyer’s group roughly, alluding to the fact that Widmore will not honor their “deal.”

Jack

Although I dislike the “sensitive acting” of Jack, I do see that he is the most positive of characters throughout all six seasons. Although he whines and throws fits, he always seems to be trying to do the right thing. And now, he seems to be the most consistently committed to seeing all of the actions of and on the Island as having meaning. I think I was correct in saying earlier that Jacob’s plan in “The Lighthouse” was to show Jack that everything is imbued with meaning – it worked. Jack has yet to give up this belief, and his jumping back into the water in this episode only reinforces this idea. I think Jack is a very important character – perhaps the most important. Let’s remember that the entire show began with him. I think it will end with him. This leads me to my newest “theory.”

May 23 / Number 23 / Jack

OK, let me throw this out there: Next Tuesday, there is no episode; it is the only week skipped. Also, the season and show’s finale is on a Sunday. Neither of these seems like glaring conspiracies. However, this means the show will end on 4/23. Both of these numbers are part of the Lost numbers – Hurley’s lotto numbers, etc. In particular, 23 is Jack’s number: It was next to his name in the cave where Un-Locke showed Sawyer, and it was next to his name on the huge compass in the lighthouse. When you set the compass to 23, you saw Jack’s childhood house. I think they purposely moved things around so they could end the show on the 23^rd, and I think this is because of Jack. Will he be the one to take over the Island. I sort of think so…

By the way, use this link to check out TONS of references to 23 throughout the whole show. It’s kind of crazy. Some of them are stretches, but some seem intentional. Example: Jack’s seat on the plane is 23A. http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/23.

Where are they going with all of this?

There are only four installments left. That’s not too much time to answer so many questions. In the middle of the season, they seemed concerned with getting at some of the bigger questions: Jacob and the Nemesis’s relationship, etc. Lately, they’ve been working on the relationship between the two alternate worlds, and what happened exactly when the bomb went off. This episode didn’t seem concerned with either of those. Instead, I felt like they were preparing the scene for the final conflict. They probably have in mind what exactly they want going on in the last two-hour finale; and I think they’re making sure everyone is their correct places before then. That’s why Jack leaves the group, Sawyer is on Hydra Island, etc.

Sayid and Claire Back to the Good Side?

If Sayid chose not to kill Desmond, and Claire’s quick change of heart and mind is real, then the two pretty “evil” characters are back on the “good” track. Is everyone going to end on this side? No idea.

Polls

By the way, 66% of us thought the show is NOT going to end with someone taking over Jacob’s job, and 33% said yes. I was the one yes, and I stand by it. By the way, vote on this week’s poll!

Episode 12: “Everyone Loves Hugo”

Introduction

This was an OK episode. Of course, I love the show and have enjoyed every episode of this season so far. But it was a bit on the weaker side; plus, it made no advancement of the bigger questions (although Richard did say he “knew what the Island was”). I have accepted, even if begrudgingly, that the writers feel content with some of their answering of the bigger questions in the episode focusing on Richard. They are now more concerned with connecting the alternate and real worlds together. (By the way, I feel as if we can call it the “real world” now, since a growing number of people in the “alternate world” feel as if their world is not complete reality – as if there is a “realer” world somewhere else.)

Flashsideways: 2004

I really enjoyed the reintroduction of Libby. Calling me sexist, but I feel that too many of the female characters in the show are bad actresses or “butch” egos – some are both. But Libby’s always played a good role. However, one of the reasons I didn’t like this flashsideways as much was because of this fact: we really learn nothing new about the connection between the two worlds through Hugo and Libby’s relationship. We still simply know that people are having memories of the “real” world. I’ll deal with Desmond’s running down of Locke later in this post.

Michael?

So, is Michael really Michael? And either way, whose side is he on? And either way, is he telling the truth? All of these questions need answering. When he first came, we heard eerie whispers, reminiscent of the Smoke Monster. This definitely created suspicion in the viewers – as intended. When Michael reappeared and discussed what the whispers were – the dead on the Island that can’t move on – he seemed a more positive character, especially when he said he was sorry for killing Libby. But why did Hugo listen to him? This leads me to my next point.

The Plane / What the Heck Should They Be Doing?

Are they supposed to blow up the plane? If we posit Jacob as good and true, then they should be listening to Richard. So why is Hugo, someone who has followed Jacob in the past and doesn’t seem disinclined to believe him, choosing to change up the plan on account of Michael’s one warning? It doesn’t add up exactly to me. But this situation opens for me one of my frustrations of the show from the “Season 1”: I keep asking, “So what the heck should they be doing?” What seems the correct course of action is often discredited in the following episode. Although this isn’t the worst thing in the world, it does create annoyance in me at times. Why? It discredits the previous episode and its conflict. For example, if Michael and Hugo are right and they shouldn’t blow up the plane, then Jacob’s message to Ilana to “follow Richard” and Richard’s revelation that they need to blow up the plane become meaningless. I’m sorry to be negative in this post, but I need to let this out. And I’m not finished…

Lack of Information Leads to Neither Moral nor Immoral Choices

When it comes to decision making and the conflicts that arise from this, there needs to be some indication as to what it the right and what is the wrong choice. If not, it is not really a moral or conscience-driven choice – in reality it’s simply a roll of the dice, an emotional reaction to a specific situation. As Joe noted (and I agree), if there is no indication as to what it good and what it bad – or if good and bad keep changing – the conflicts lose their meaning. Using this episode again, is Higo making the right or wrong decision? Well, there’s absolutely no indication as to an answer – and if there were, we could be sure next week they’d flop the sides again. As much as I love the show, this annoys me perhaps the most.

The Island Again

Richard made mention of the Island again, in his words, “I know what the Island is.” This sentence doesn’t exactly seem to imbue the Island with human-like or conscious qualities. Either way, I’m glad this has come up the last few weeks; this means they probably really want to answer it.

Desmond and Locke

So why does Desmond run over Locke? This is my theory. I think the alternate-Desmond is closely connected to real-Desmond. Now, whether this means he’s having vivid flashbacks or he is actually traveling between realities doesn’t matter. What I think happened is that alternate-Desmond thinks Locke is bad since real-Desmond experienced Locke tossing him down the well. Now, to us it’s obvious that Locke and Un-Locke are not the same. But let’s remember that when Un-Locke asked Desmond who is he was, he answered, “John Locke.”

Candidates / Conclusion

So who exactly are the candidates? I always assumed it was the following list: Jack, Sayid, Kate, Sun/Jin, Hugo and Sawyer. Was there more? Maybe. Maybe Aaron. Or are the Oceanic 6 the candidates? Either way, apparently Kate isn’t one anymore. Why? I don’t know. What I do know is that when Hugo and his companions join Locke at the very end of this episode, it seems that all of the candidates are in the same place (except if Jin is the candidate and not Sun).

Episode 11: “Happily Ever After”

Introduction

My feelings about this episode are mixed: On the one hand, it was exciting, complex, and rather neat; but on the other hand, it made no more advancements in the essential Lost questions that I so want answered. With only 5 installments left (6 hours, since the last episode will be two hours), I’m not completely sure they will handily tie up the major questions. I hope it ends well enough, at least.

Connection Between The Two Alternate Worlds / What the Bomb Actually Did

This episode began the writers’ attempt to make a real connection between the two alternate worlds. I guess I don’t care too much about this – at least not as much as knowing what the Island, who Jacob is, why they are on the Island, and questions like these. I suspect that the writers decided that through episodes such as “Ab Aeterno” (the one with Richard’s back story), they have answered enough of the bigger Lost questions so far; now they’re on to trying to explain exactly what went on when the bomb exploded – what exactly is the connection between the two alternate worlds.

They don’t even really answer these questions, though. All three – Desmond, Charlie, and Daniel – seem to have visions of their lives on the Island. However, these visions didn’t really occur in their worlds. Somehow this world isn’t a real complete world; somehow the splitting of reality that happened at the end of “Season 5” created a world that should not be.

So what are they driving at? Since Charlie sees Claire when he almost dies (I think it’s Claire), is the real world the afterlife of this alternate world? That wouldn’t make too much practical sense. So what? Please, readers, send in your thoughts to this question as comments

Desmond’s Purpose

Desmond miraculously survived the electromagnetic explosion in Hatch, somewhere back in “Season 3” or “4.” This makes him a wanted man, at least in the eyes of Widmore. The real question here is “For what does Widmore want to use Desmond?” What does Widmore plan on detonating – a bomb or the electromagnetic power locked in the Island itself? – and what does he plan on destroying? If we hypothesize that Widmore is good (and I sort of think this), then perhaps he is planning on blowing up The Nemesis/Un-Locke. I like this idea.

The Island?

Something Widmore said early in the episode made me recall how the show has shifted gears since the earlier seasons. Widmore said to Desmond, “The Island isn’t though with you,” or something to that extent. In earlier seasons, there was always an emphasis on the Island itself as a conscious entity. It had desires and wishes; it could make decisions. True, it wasn’t human, but there was something conscious about it. Was it good or bad? That was never answered. When Jacob came into the picture, the idea of the Island as the supreme being faded; we became more concerned with what Jacob’s intentions and desires were – whether or not he was good or bad. But the question remains: Is the Island a conscious entity outside and apart from Jacob? Is it good, bad or neutral?

Final Episode

The final episode, a two hour finale, will air May 23; I don’t know the times. Note: This is a Sunday. We should get together and watch it live.

Episode 10: “The Package”

Introduction

One blip excluding, this season’s pattern has been one fast-paced, revealing episode followed by a slower-paced, less revealing episode. This week continued the precedent. Although the installment was enjoyable, not an incredible amount happened – and not many of the larger questions of the Island were tackled. It wasn’t the slowest, though.

2004 Flashsideways

Sun and Jin and not married, but have become involved. In fact, their “involvement” is the reason they’re sent to LA, for Sun’s father has planned their deaths – or at least Jin’s. So how did Jin, the son of a fisherman and later a hotel greeter, get a job with Sun’s father in this world? We don’t get an answer to that, and we probably never will. What we do know is that Sayid takes care of Jin’s hitmen, Jin shoots and kills one of them, Sun is hit by someone’s stray bullet, and she informs Jin she is pregnant.

Importance of Sun and Jin

Two of the warring parties seem preoccupied by Jin. Widmore wants Jin because he worked for the Dharma Initiative, and can read their maps; apparently, Widmore’s group is interested in the pockets of electromagnetism. Meanwhile, Un-Locke spends time trying to convince Sun to go back with him to his group and Jin. He almost convinces her.

Un-Locke’s Plan

Of course we don’t know much, but it seems that Un-Locke is trying to get off the Island. He also mentions that he needs all of the candidates to be able to do that. Why is this? Is this so that none of them can take Jacob’s spot as protector of the Island? This seems a reasonable answer.

Widmore?

On the one hand, Widmore came across in this episode as part of Team-Jacob. He seems preoccupied with keeping Un-Locke on the Island, which is exactly what Jacob and his followers want. Of course, is it as simple as that? Widmore is back on Jacob’s side? I’m not sure. Widmore’s smile, his team’s desire to find the pockets of electromagnetism, and his capture of Desmond all point to a more complex answer.

The Final Showdown? Hydra Island?

It feels like the final showdown is going to happen on Hydra Island. The plane and sub, the two physical vehicles of rescue, are there, and everyone is drawn to them. Richard seems convinced now that they should go there, because Un-Locke will be there. If this is true, then all three groups – Team-Jacob, Team-Un-Locke, and Team-Widmore – will be there soon.

Episode 9: “Ab Aeterno”

Introduction

What an episode! I know I’ve said great things about a few of the latest episodes, but this may be my favorite. Not only was the acting great and the story extremely compelling – but on top of all of that, we get real, tangible answers to major questions. Of course, not everything is as clear as the waters of Lake George; but do we really want it to be? Come on now, we do have a bunch of episodes left.

Jacob’s Purpose

This episode said explicitly some important things the season had been implying. First of all, Jacob is a defender of the Island, and his main job is to keep The Nemesis there. If his job fails, the evil in The Nemesis will spread to the entire world. I liked the wine bottle analogy. And how about The Nemesis breaking the bottle at the end. Foreshadowing?

Man’s Inherent Goodness/Badness & Freewill

What separates Jacob and the Nemesis ideologically is their opinions on man’s inherent goodness or badness. The Nemesis thinks man is more bad than good, and always will corrupt and destroy. Jacob disagrees, and this is why he brings people to the Island: to demonstrate that people can and will choose to be good. However, he does not want to interfere in human affairs, thinking it will affect people’s freewill. Although this is an incorrect view of freewill, I guess Jacob’s point is that he wants people to arrive at what the moral choice is by their own natural abilities, and to choose to do it. But Ricardo makes the point that the Nemesis is at work corrupting the people Jacob brings to the Island, so Jacob needs to counter; without giving up his belief that he doesn’t want to affect people’s freewill, Jacob compromises, and allows Ricardo to be his figure and representative on the Island (like the Pope?).

Jacob is like God, but not exactly…

Although there have been persistent theories that project Jacob as not good (thanks, Mom), I think this episode really separates the two sides. Jacob believes in freewill and man’s inherent goodness, while the Nemesis does not. I don’t know how they could spin Jacob into being bad now – at least, I don’t think they could do it well, without there being a lot of dumb holes. I’ve spoken in the past about Jacob’s “God-like” quality. I remain steadfast in this belief. However, it must be understood that there are distinct differences between his “God-ness” and our Christian ideas. I don’t think Jacob is all-powerful or all-knowing; and although I think he’s “good,” I don’t think he’s all-good in the way we talk about God being all-good.

Are They All Dead?

The writers of the show already spoke out against the idea that everyone on board the plane is dead, and they’re in hell or purgatory. They said this a year or so ago. So when it comes up in this episode, I think we’re supposed to recognize it as being false.

Two Different Approaches to the Major Questions

In getting at the heart of the major questions of the show, I see the writers of the show as going in two directions. Let me make my point by asking an important question: Why did the plane crash? Why are they on the Island? On the one hand, we can go in the direction this episode presented, and say that they are just another in a long list of people Jacob has brought to the Island to show that man is inherently good and can make good moral choices. On the other hand, we have this idea of candidacy; in this vein, our answer would be that Jacob has summoned the group to the Island to have someone take his place. I’m not saying that the two contradict each other; I’m simply saying that they take us to different conclusions if we focus on one and not the other.

The Rules?

Let me end by simply saying a word or two about the “rules” this Island seems to be bound to. We know some of the rules already, like Un-Locke couldn’t kill Jacob himself – and he can’t kill certain people on the Island now, like Sawyer. But there also seems to be other rules that both Jacob and the Nemesis are bound to: like the only the way to kill one of them is with a specific knife, and only before the victim speaks. Once he speaks, the power seems gone. It does make me wonder how Ben killed Jacob.

Episode 8: “Recon”

Introduction

This will be a short post, not only because it was a less engaging and thought-provoking episode, but because I feel the need to get to the latest episode. All in all, this episode was on the weaker side, especially since it is surrounded by incredible episodes. There was less of a compelling story, and a real lack of answering any of the major Lost questions. I guess next week’s episode makes up for it.

2004 Flashsideways

Although this begins with a bang – Sawyer not being a conman, but a cop – it fizzled. I thought perhaps Sawyer’s parents would still be alive, but this isn’t the case. I do like how Miles is his assistant, and how he runs down Kate.

Un-Locke’s Group

The Island has become more and more polarized, with Un-Locke recruiting and the rest of the “Jacob group” gathering on the Beach. For now, Jin has joined Un-Locke. Claire’s attempt to murder Kate, Sayid’s dispassionate observance of this, and Claire’s later admittance of guilt all lead us to see the evil effects of Un-Locke. We really don’t learn much more than this, other than the minor, but interesting, tidbit that Un-Locke had a crazy mother.

Sawyer’s Individuality

Sawyer seems to be working for Un-Locke. But he confesses to Kate that he is working for neither Un-Locke nor Widmore. He tells both sides partial truths, so they believe he is on their side. But Sawyer’s real hope is to have the two sides fight, and in the confusion to get away in the sub. Classic Sawyer.

3 Groups?

The only question I leave us with is this: How does Widmore fit into all of this? Widmore was once part of the Others, which is a Jacob-based group. But he was kicked out, and seems to be working completely on his own. This sets up what seems to be a triple battle: Un-Locke vs. the Jacob-group, and Un-Locke vs. Widmore. Anyone with other thoughts?

Episode 7: "Dr. Linus"

Introduction

I really, really liked this episode. I was expecting a rather weak episode, considering the pattern so far has been a fast, good episode followed by slower, weaker one; but this broke the cycle. It didn’t have the quick action of last week’s, but it was exciting nonetheless. I think it may have been the best so far. It reinforces my rather strong belief that Ben is the best actor of the show.

The episode, like last week’s, also reinforces some of the potential answers the show has been presenting so far this season. In fact, it said concretely what had been only implied up to this point. I like concreteness. With these last two episodes, I’m happy about where the season is going.

Ben’s Redemption

The show has decided to completely redeem the character of Ben Linus. He is initially presented as a conniving, treacherous character, cold-blooded and willing to do anything to get his way. There was no way anyone could trust him. However, if there was any doubt concerning Ben’s seeming goodness in the 2007 reality, the flashsideways put it to rest. His empathetic, selfless decision to give up his potential principal position (not to mention his blackmailing) for the sake of Alex’s shot at Yale University was tremendous – I think the tight narrative and Ben’s acting made it superb.

I wonder why they decided to redeem Ben. Was it because he had fan appeal, and redeeming him was the best way to keep him involved? Or are the writers planning something bigger? Is Ben’s goodness somehow integral to the entire show’s conclusion? Either works for me.

Flashsideways: 2004

As mentioned, I thought this was the strongest flashsideways. It was by far the finest character study so far. (Sayid’s was probably second best.) I liked the inclusion of Alex as Ben’s student. One quick question: When the bomb blew up and reality was split, was that after Sayid shot Ben? I’m not sure this is important; I’m just interested.

Richard Alpert

We finally learn some tangible specifics about Richard. Some of it had been implied - some not. It seems that he came to the island in the Black Rock – more specifically, as a slave. (So he came in the 1500’s, I guess. Or am I getting the date wrong?) We also learn he was “touched” by Jacob: that is the reason he never ages; it is also why he can’t kill himself. With Jacob’s death, Richard thinks his whole life and Jacob’s plan was meaningless. I really like how Jack stood by his belief that there is meaning to Jacob’s plan and all of the actions so far concerning the Island. Perhaps the entire purpose of having Jack go to the lighthouse was to have him discover the meaning in his life and Jacob’s plan. Although he doesn’t like that Jacob “meddled” with his life, he does recognize meaning in it now.

Ben and Ilana

I found it interesting that Ilana decides to let Ben rejoin them. At first, I thought she was able to sympathize or empathize with him; and this still may be the case. But perhaps she just doesn’t want him to go to Un-Locke…

Jacob as a Christ/God Figure

It was interesting to note that, as Miles tells us, Jacob was hoping Ben did not kill him. That could lead one to think that Jacob’s death wasn’t part of his plan – but I disagree. I keep drawing parallels to God. I’m sure Jesus didn’t want Judas to betray him. On the one hand, he knew he would; but on the other hand, there was still the free choice of Judas. Therefore, although Judas sinned, and God never desires anyone to sin, it was still part of the plan of salvation. I think the parallel to Jacob is eerily clear. Perhaps the only difference is our idea of God being outside of time. Therefore, he knew what was going to happen – and not because it was fated, but simply because all is present to him. Jacob, on the other hand, doesn’t seem outside of time. But he does seem God-like in the sense that he uses people’s free choices, for it’s important they’re free, to further his plan. Remember, Miles only said that he didn’t want to die. Well, Jesus didn't want to die either (see the Garden of Gethsemane). He did want to gain out salvation, and was willing to do whatever it took.

The Solidification of the Dichotomy

With Jack, Hurley, and Richard’s return to the beach, the opposing teams are pretty solidified. Almost everyone is either at the beach or with Un-Locke. Jin is still off in the woods, nursing a hurt leg. Also, although Kate is with Un-Locke, I’m not sure she intends to stay. Something interesting to note: The characters with Locke are the ones who did “bad” things in their past: Kate’s murder and con jobs, Sawyer’s murder and con jobs, and Sayid’s torturing. Jack, Hurley, and Sun don’t have these pasts – but they’re at the beach. And Jin, who could be arguably in either category, is in the woods, between them both. Coincidence?

Misc.

We hear from one of Jacob’s group, Ilana, that the most of the main characters are “candidates” to take over his job. Although we heard this before, it had only been from the lying mouth of Un-Locke. I like this confirmation – a lot.

If you haven’t noticed the parallels between the two alternate worlds in the other episodes, you may have here; it was strong and engaging. In both worlds, Ben is faced with a decision, and in both he makes the right one: to stay with Ilana at the beach (we assume this is the right choice) and to give up being principal for the sake of Alex. They did a similar decision-parallel with Sayid; but Sayid didn’t do as well as Ben…

Conclusion

How about Widmore at the end? Is he on Jacob’s side, Un-Locke’s, or neither? I’m assuming Jacob’s, since I’m assuming he was the person Jacob wanted to make sure got to the island, from “The Lighthouse" episode.

With two strong, consistent episodes, I’m digging the season and the way they’re closing the show. Come on next Tuesday!

Polls

Well, 50% of us thought Sayid would remain evil, and 50% thought he would be redeemed. Vote on this week’s poll!

Episode 6: "Sundown"

Introduction

What an episode! I thought it was the best so far. It had cool action scenes; crazy stuff happened, but the majority made sense; it continued to drill in some of the same ideas this season has been progressing, without dropping them to the side, or contradicting them.

2004 Flashsideways

This was definitely the most action-packed flashsideways. Sayid is still a torturer, but it is his brother and not he who marries the Nadia. He is trying to “be a good person,” and so doesn’t want to commit adultery or murder – although he is “forced” to do the latter. We get our classic “coincidental run-ins” with other Lost characters, like Jack in the hospital and Jin in the freezer.

Last thing about this alternate world: Are they going to try and connect everyone’s stories in this alternate world together? And then are they going to connect that to our original time-line? I don’t know how possible all this is... But I guess they need to; a lot of this season would be pointless without it all connecting.

Sayid and His “Evilness”

I guess Sayid is turning evil. It’s hard to say if this is the case because he is “infected” or simply because he’s begun to “serve” Un-Locke. Either way, he seems to be on the wrong side of the line right now. Will he come back to the “good” side? I can see it playing out either way.

Dogen

I wasn’t a huge fan of Dogen, so I can’t say I’m very upset he’s gone; but he did have some cool moves. If we take his word, he truly seems to be on Jacob’s side; so I guess they cleared that up. What was his exact purpose on the Island? That we don’t know.

Further Clarification of the Overall Picture

I think they confirmed a lot of things they’ve been alluding to throughout this season: a) Un-Locke/Nemesis had been trapped on the Island; b) Jacob was key to keeping Un-Locke trapped; c) Un-Locke has more freedom now – more now that Dogan is dead (So was Dogen a candidate-type person? Was he a Jacob replacement, for the short time?); c) the Temple-People were on Jacob’s side; d) Un-Locke is recruiting.

Un-Locke as Satan

Un-Locke more and more comes across as a blatant Satan-character. This episode, he played the Tempter with Sayid. And when the smoke monster flew above Kate, there looked to be, and sounded to be, demons in the smoke. That final scene with Un-Locke amidst his carnage only reinforces his blatant evilness. People follow and believe him, for he is the father of lies.

Differences between Un-Locke and Jacob

Last week, I pointed out the difference in Jacob’s and Un-Locke’s demeanors: Jacob’s confidence and Un-Locke’s anger. In this episode, they both make similar promises to people; but I see a distinct and important difference. Jacob promised to heal Dogen’s boy, which implies the boy was still alive. Therefore, Jacob is presented as a “healer” character. On the other hand, Un-Locke has basically promised to bring Nadia back to life, presenting himself more as an “occult-like” character. If you think about it, Un-Locke has been connected to “bringing people back to life” throughout the show, but not in any sort of “resurrection” way. He takes over dead people’s bodies. If I were Sayid, I wouldn’t be so sure of the Nadia that may return… This all makes sense if Un-Locke, in the Greek mythology sort of way, is god of the dead.

(I think that Jacob will return, but in the resurrection sort of way.)

Un-Locke’s Goal?

So what is Un-Locke’s goal? Why is he gathering a tribe? As a few people have said in the show, he desires the death of every living thing on the island. If this is true – and I’m inclined to believe it – then he must need a group of people to “do something for him.”

Misc.

Anyone else miss the constant presence of Ben? I’m nearly positive he will be the focus of the next episode, by the way.

Although only two of us voted (and no one commented!), I will reveal the winners of last week’s polls: 100% of us believed that both Jacob and the Nemesis “summoned” the crew to the island; and 50% thought Sayid was going to turn evil (good going, Clare!) and 50% thought there “was a different answer."

Vote on this week's poll!

Episode 5: “Lighthouse”

Introduction

OK peoples, I’m finally getting around to blogging about the last episode. Although I had days off from school, I’ve been crazy-busy with our new pad. (In related news, we have curtains!)

I thought the episode was relatively good and engaging. It wasn’t as good as the previous week, but not as slow as “What Kate Does.” All in all, I find this season to be moving pretty slowly. I can’t say I hate this about it; for one, it means they aren’t introducing additional plot points and twists. As a fan of the show, I’m fine with taking it slow and letting it roll around like the first sip of a vintage Cabernet. However, I could use a few concrete answers soon. I’m thinking that one of the next two episodes should answer one of the “medium” questions (“What is Dharma?” or “Who are the Others?” or “How does the Nemesis take over other bodies?” or “What is it that the Nemesis wants?”) Practically speaking, I don’t think we’ll get anything concrete, though, until the last four or so episodes.

2004: The Flashsideways

This storyline has remained simple and straightforward. Jack has a son in this alternate world. He is distant from him in the beginning, but finds a way to connect by the end. Christian’s body is still lost; and I’m sure that’s going to play into it at some point. Although I dislike Jack’s emotional moments – and there are MANY – I like his desire to be a good father.

The Quest

The major storyline in this world is the quest Jacob gives Hurley, which also involves Jack. In some ways, by the end of the episode, you get the feeling that the whole purpose of the mission was to get Jack into the state of mind he was in the end, staring out into the open sea. Jacob did not seem concerned that his mirrors were broken. Actually, I really like that about Jacob: nothing at all seems to faze him, not even his own death did. In this way, he is more of the “God” figure here, working in the lives of people, but always assured of “who is going to win.” People have choices, but the victory is certain. In this vein, the Nemesis/Un-Locke is like Satan. Although cunning and confident, he appears driven mainly by anger and a desire to control. He may seem unafraid, but he does not have the same confidence Jacob has. This also has to do with how the actor plays Jacob, who I really like; I also dig his costume: the Greek demigod look does him well.

Claire

Well, I guess I was wrong about Claire’s “savage goodness;” it seems pretty obvious that she is bad – or at least her mind is so confused that she is participating in evilness. By the way, I’m not sure Claire pulls off the “I’ve been living in the woods for years” like Danielle did. I didn’t find it completely believable. However, I was completely shocked when she killed Justin with the ax. Unexpected. So what do we learn from these scenes? Well, Claire wants Aaron back; she thinks the Temple-people took him; she is friends with Un-Locke; she seems to have gone mad. Side note: I guess it doesn’t look good for Sayid…? (See poll.)

The Lighthouse / Are We Getting Closer to the Answering Anything?

Has this episode helped get us closer to answering anything? I’m not sure. I guess the only thing (and, as usual, it was ambiguous) is the numbers in the Lighthouse, which leads us to recognize that Jacob has in fact been watching the crew throughout, perhaps, their entire lives. So was the “cave” Un-Locke was in last week with Sawyer Jacob’s place too, or is it, as I suspect, The Nemesis’ lair? I guess it doesn’t matter all that much. What I really want to know now is this: Who “summoned” the crew to the island? Was it the Nemesis in an attempt to free himself, kill Jacob, control the island, and/or find a “loophole?” Or was it Jacob in an attempt to find himself a replacement? I think this question really gets at the heart of the entire show. (See poll #2.) If I have time another week, I’ll expand on my theory from the end of Season 5, which still works, for the most part.

Misc.

I think Sawyer needs to punch Jack in the face – hard. I cannot stand his “hissy fits.” How many moments throughout the show has Jack pulled this: a) I want to do the noble thing, b) I want your self-pity, c) I’m going to let my emotions get the better of me, and d) I’m almost going to cry about it, but I won’t, so hopefully my restraint reinforces both A and B. (See the top image on the blog.) Come one, why did he break the mirror? He pretends to be so strong and noble, and yet he stamps around like a 3 year-old whose jack-in-the-box has been taken away.

Does the Biblical Jacob tell us anything about Jacob? Hmm. And the Nemesis is our Esau character?

Last week's poll was unanimously won. I guess we all think Jacob is good and the Nemesis/Un-Locke bad. At least, we hope...

Episode 4: "The Substitute"

Introduction

There were at least five points in each season of Lost that I began asking a set of questions like this: Why in the heck did everyone get to the island to begin with? Why are they compelled to stay there? And why, even once some of them left, were they “forced” to return? I like how this episode began to answer some of these “ultimate” questions, especially since in answering them, they begin to get at the ultimate conflict in the show. (I also like the absence of the Temple-People.)

Un-Locke’s Explanation

Let me begin by saying that I don’t trust Un-Locke’s words all that much; however, he does offer us a particular view of the ultimate question mentioned above. Even if it is false, it is the first one we have. Let me try to paraphrase it in a few sentences; I will use parenthesis to add personal thoughts to what I remember Un-Locke telling us:

Jacob was the one who gathered everyone to the Island. His “touching” of them, in one sense, compelled them to end up at the Island. He was looking for Candidates. What’s the open position? The next “Jacob” of the Island. (I assume they would “run” or “protect” the Island, as Jacob has been doing for years. Also, why was Jacob looking for a replacement? Because he knew he was going to die?) Un-Locke makes Jacob’s supposed plan look bad to Sawyer by pointing out that they haven’t really been free in their choices. No one likes being compelled to do something; plus, we like thinking of our lives as somehow shaped by our choices. So Jacob is presented as a manipulator.

Response to Un-Locke’s Explanation

My biggest suspicion with this story is the fact that Un-Locke has been presented to us as the nemesis, as some sort of embodiment of evil. (Will the writers of Lost throw us for a HUGE loop, switch who is good and bad, and make Jacob bad? Or will neither be bad or good? I don’t like the idea of the latter option, since it undermines any meaning in the conflict. Who cares who wins or loses, if no one is good and no one bad? Especially if we don’t have feelings for either side… See the poll.) Second, were Sawyer and Un-Locke really in Jacob’s home? I thought his home was in the statue? Third, how do we know it wasn’t the nemesis who wrote everyone’s name and number on the walls?

Misc. Questions

What is Un-Locke’s Goal? What does Un-Locke want? What does he want from Sawyer? More specifically, where does he want to go? It seems from the final conversation that he wants to leave the Island, as if the Island has been his prison. (Alpert says he wants to kill everyone on the Island. So why hasn’t he?)

Who is Un-Locke? Assuming Un-Locke, the nemesis, and the smoke monster are all the same people, we still don’t know WHO they are. Un-Locke tells Sawyer he was a human once, and lives now “trapped.” Do we believe this? Also, what is Jacob? He always appears the same age, but he also “died.” I find this set of questions very intriguing.

Who is Richard Alpert? Other than appearing to be on Jacob’s side, we don’t much about him. He is afraid of Un-Locke, though.

Oh, and who is the boy who talks with Un-Locke? Is it Aaron? He seemed to be different ages the two times we saw him. He seems intent on making Un-Locke follow the “rules.”

Locke In 2004

This timeline throughout the season so far has been relatively easy to follow. People keep coincidentally running into each other; but other than that, there haven’t been too many “revelations.” In this flashsideways, Locke worked for the same company (I think) and also did not do the walkabout. He is getting ready to get married, though. Oh, and although he was the face of Faith in the first world, he now doesn’t believe in miracles. Also, I’ve been right so far about thinking that each episode will track the same person in the alternate worlds.

That’s it for now, folks! Post your responses. Let me know if I missed anything important!

PS: In last week's poll, 75% of us thought the Temple-People were neither good nor bad; and 25% thought good. Vote on this week's poll. It's an important one!

Episode 3: “What Kate Does”

Introduction

As I suspected, the craziness has slowed down a bit. This isn’t to say the episode was less confusing or more enlightening, but there weren’t a hundred things happening. I like this, simply so we are able to consciously reflect on the few major questions/points at hand.

Most of this episode was plot driven: In 2007, Kate is running from the law. In her escape, she treats Claire badly, and feels bad after she realizes Claire was pregnant. She helps Clare, almost gets caught, and then Clare helps her. In 2004, Sawyer runs away, Kate follows him, Jin is almost re-caught by the “Temple-people,” but Claire – savage looking, reminiscent of Rousseau – shoots his captors. However, the real questions of this episode are explored in the Temple area, with Sayid, Jack, Lennon, and Dogen.

What Has Happened to Sayid? (And are the Temple people good/bad/neutral?)

Is Sayid’s body a conduit for Jacob? I think not. But what is going on with it? Are Dogen and Lennon correct and/or truthful in their assessment of his impending death/haunting? I think those last two questions are separate: a) Are these Temple people good or bad? Are they working for Jacob, Un-Locke, or neither? Their “freaking out” when they heard Jacob was dead made them seem to be good. b) Are they correct in their assessment of Sayid? (And why the torture as a form of diagnosis? My guess is that this one won’t be exactly answered; it’s a classic one of Lost’s lost questions.) I’m suspicious of their diagnosis since I think the writers intended to make Claire appear savage yet good at the end of the episode, reminding the show’s audience of Danielle. This would make the Temple-People’s assessment incorrect, but not necessarily bad.

This last question about the Temple-People is my only “issue/beef” with the season so far, which I really like. In trying to be crazy and confusing, the writers are beginning to blur the line once again between good and evil. Are we supposed to trust the Temple-People, or not? I understand that “unknowns” are cool, but here’s the problem with one like this: it undoes Jack’s situation. Should Jack have given the pill to Sayid? Should he have pretended to? Should he have taken the pill, like he did? In all honesty, as a blind audience, we don’t know – and therefore, we don’t really care because, well, we can’t really care without a little knowledge, right?

Cool Things!

The Temple leader is named Dogen. Well, Dogen is a famous Zen Buddhist, who wrote a book called Treasury of the Eye of the True Dharma. Dharma? Pretty cool. Here’s the Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogen.

Final Observations/Questions

At least some of the “Temple-People” seem to be late-Others. The kid who got shot by Claire was angry at Kate for hitting her with the butt of a rifle long ago; and I think this was when she was in the cages, along with Sawyer. (Someone correct me if I’m wrong.) Also, this kid’s fellow-guard mentioned that they shouldn’t kill Jin in case “he’s one of them.” We don’t know who these “them” are yet.

My guess is that the next few episodes are going to follow a specific character in 2007, and then attempt to connect the 2007 storyline to it. In this episode, we followed Kate; and they tried to connect this to 2007 by having Kate say that she really left the Temple in order to find Claire, to whom she feels an obligation.

I want to see Un-Locke and/or Jacob again soon.

PS: Vote on the new poll! Last week’s poll was won by “Sawyer.”

Episodes 1 and 2: "LA X"

Introduction

Well folks, “Season 6” has begun! I thought it was a fantastic beginning. It is confusing and crazy, but we knew to expect that. All in all, I didn’t think it was ridiculously “out there;” and I could follow most of it.

The only thing I didn’t exactly like was Juliet’s death…again. What was the point of having her “survive?” I guess the only thing we learn from her is what she wanted to tell Sawyer right as she died: “It worked,” she wanted to say.

“Flashsideways”

The writers of this show love experimenting with different methods of story-telling. I really like that about it. We have the flashbacks in the first few seasons, the flashforwards after, and the time-traveling in “Season 5;” now we have flashsideways (not that it’s a real phrase). I like the idea. It’s as if we are witnessing two alternate ways the bomb could have affected the world. In the one, the plane never crashes; and in the other, it still has, but they are transported 30 years into the future, to ’07. It’s almost as if the writers couldn’t decide on what happened after the explosion, so they’re giving us two ways of looking at it. I like the idea. I suppose that the two worlds will somehow come together, but for now, we are witnessing parallel universes.

Parallel One: 2004

In our first universe, the plane never crashes. However, it’s not quite as simple as that. This alternate world is not the same; there are some marked differences. For example, Desmond is on the flight; Boone doesn’t get his sister to go home with him; and Hurley claims to be the luckiest man alive. But I guess the world wouldn’t be exactly the same in the alternate world where the bomb goes off. For example, there would be no reason for Desmond to be on the island, since there would be no reason to hit the button in the Hatch – so theoretically he could be on the plane.

Parallel Two: 2007

The first thing I like about this world is that they brought the two timelines from last season together. Jack, Kate, Sawyer and crew jumped from ’77 to ’07. With all of the craziness of the flashsideways, this should make it a tad saner. But what has happened in this world? How and why did the bomb not kill them, but simply propel them through time 30 years? We are left with questions.

The Unknown One / The Man in Black / The Man Who Impersonated Locke: aka Un-Locke

I am so happy about the Jacob and man-in-black conflict introduced at the end of “Season 5.” Perhaps the most frustrating thing for me throughout Lost has been recognizing meaningful conflict. It originally was the survivors vs. the Others; but then Darma was introduced – then there was Widmore. Not knowing who is good and who is bad is cool and exciting, to an extent; but when you can’t ever tell if there even is a good side and a bad side, things start to lose meaning. Earlier battles that seemed important become meaningless. But the final episode of “Season 5” moved the show is the right direction. Now, at the heart of all of the conflict, all of the deaths and killings, all time-travel and flashes – at the heart of all of this is the epic battle between two Greek demigod-like characters: Jacob and his nemesis, the man in black. Has the whole thing – the plane crash and all – simply been an elaborate plan by Jacob’s nemesis to “find a loophole,” kill Jacob, and take control of the island – while, at the same time, Jacob has been working on an even more elaborate counter plan to make sure all ends well? For the answer to that, we shall have to wait.

Near the end of this episode, the man in black (heretofore referred to as ‘Un-Locke’) tells Ben that he wants to “go home.” I’m assuming home for Un-Locke is somewhere on the Island, as if he wants to be in control of the Island; or perhaps he wants to bring the Island back somewhere, since the Island can move through time and space.

The “temple people,” when they hear Jacob is dead, freak out and start building defenses; so perhaps without Jacob to protect itself, the Island can be controlled by Un-Locke.

Oh yeah, and Un-Locke is the smoke monster. I guess that makes sense. If you remember back to the beginning of the last episode in “Season 5,” the conversational conflict between Jacob and his nemesis was whether or not to have people on the island. The nemesis is against this. So perhaps all of the supernatural things on the island that kill and scare people belong to the nemesis, who desires to have the island uninhabited.

Questions:

Temple/New Others: Who are these other “others?” What is the Temple?

Sayid: How did Sayid come back to life? Bean’s suggestion was that perhaps Jacob has come back to life in his body. Cool idea…

Final Thoughts

In “Season 4” or “5,” someone (Faraday?) mentioned that changing what has already happened would cause reality to split. Perhaps this is what as has happened; perhaps the parallel universes are caused by the bomb working and splitting reality. Either way, I think there will be some meeting of the two universes by the end.