Doc Jensen's spoiler article for the show later starts us off...
And, the Doc Jensen review for today's show is great...
JJ started:
the devil is in the details
this episode was a bit of a jip for me. i liked it, but wanted more CABIN FEVER! i felt we have been waiting all season to get into that cabin again, and when we did, eh. not much going on in there. but....
there were a myriad of very cool things happening otherwise:
the most interesting of these things for me was John Locke being visited by ageless Other, Richard Alpert. that was very cool. there at his birth, there to test him when he's a young child, sending him an invitation to Mittelos Bioscience (where Joooliet went for her interview with Richard last season), and then another visit from Matthew Abaddon when Locke became paralyzed. all of these incidents were telling him he was trying to be someone he was not. that the Man of Faith we have seen since the very beginning is a poser and is supposed to be a Man of Science. or perhaps a Man of Both. i thought this was the most fascinating bit of the episode, coming right after we see another Jack episode who tries constantly to be a Man of Science only, and his life is in total shambles all the time. are Jack and Locke living lives intended for the other? should Locke be a brilliant, resilient, scientist doctor -- not a hunter filled with faith to spare, but just enough to serve the island. and in turn should Jack be a warrior, guided in all his decisions by a higher power. his stubbornness and determination seem well suited for that role. hmmmm.
we see the decline of Benry here, accepting that the island has cast him off as the chosen one. i thought that was the case when Ben got his tumor in season 3 and really thought so when Jack's appendix burst and Rose said what she did about the island healing people, not making them sick. well, apparently is does both! the island does whatever is has to do to get these people to do whatever it wants. but seeing Benry sink into a sullen zombie wondering in the jungle, pining over how he had dreams too once was very Biblical. very King Saul rejected by God for his disobedience and replaced by King David. very Elijah replaced by Elisha. very "this guy lost his way, so now this other guy is going to have to step in." pretty cool. incidentally, if i remember right, King Saul says in the Bible that God no longer visits him anymore and goes to seek a medium to conjure up the spirit of Samuel the prophet to try and get instructions for his life one last time. Samuel tells him King David has replaced him, that God's spirit is now on David's life due to Saul's disobedience and arrogance. sound familiar?
seeing the Freighter descend into chaos was interesting. i am wondering if Sayid gets back to the island to try to shuttle groups of Losties back to the freighter in the finale... he'll get the O'6 back and then Locke will successfully get the island "moved" and he was told to do, thus preventing Sayid from being able to go back for the rest of them. the island will be gone, hidden anew from the world, and then the 6 will have to come up with their lie about the other Losties to spare the hearts of the other loved ones who will never see their survivor again. maybe....
the cabin had me very intrigued. i knew Claire would be there, but didn't like how she was acting all loopy. what's that about? has she had a sense of what's up with the island all along? not likely. but waaaaaaay back in season one when Jack sees his daddy on the island the first time and chases him (White Rabbit), Locke interrupts the pursuit to tell Jack he is meant to be the leader. i think Locke was wrong on this one. i think LOCKE was supposed to be the leader and Jack was supposed to follow daddy to the cabin and start his Man of Faith path. now Claire is on it, and obviously very comfortable with it, to be chillin' on the cabin sofa. Claire went off with white rabbit daddy and seems to have possibly found her purpose. was Jack supposed to do the same? as for Aaron: the "he's where he is supposed to be" line had XinhXan and i talking. i think Aaron is supposed to still be RAISED by Claire, but while the war between the insane mercs and the Losties blows up, he is supposed to be with Sawyer, because Sawyer is living up to all the things Jack is failing at right now: decisiveness, protection, courage, etc. perhaps Aaron will survive only because he has been left with Sawyer... and perhaps Kate and Sawyer and supposed to be together, not Kate and Jack (why Hurley says what he says to Jack in the looney bin from Charlie's message for him). or perhaps Aaron is never meant to leave the island, but the Losties will decide he should go with Sayid on the first boat ride back to the freighter. we shall see...
p.s. -- what are everyone's thoughts on Christian Shepard speaking for Jacob? interesting. and that he identified himself as "Christian," his real name when he was alive. is he resurrected? a vision? a ghost? hmmm.
21 comments:
Heather...
Okay… first of all, detail… I’m sure we all saw the Plan B folder taken out of the safe with directions from Widmore had the Dharma logo on it. This episode was pretty Dharma-centric (including Horace and showing Hurley the murdered Dharma scientists) compared to recent episodes. Interesting that they’re reminding us of Dharma since I think last week someone had the theory that Hanso is Widmore? I also liked that comment in Doc Jensen’s article last week (I think that’s where I read it either there or J Wood’s article on Powells) that the chick knowing Korean could be a bigger sign about Sun’s father being tied together with Widmore and/or Dharma.
I liked the White Rabbit episode tying together with last week’s Jack reading Aaron the Alice in Wonderland excerpt. I also like what you’re saying about Claire… and another note from last week is that Jack stepped on Aaron’s Millenium Falcon… is Claire the Leia to Jack’s Luke? Taking up Jack’s mantle of being the bad-ass Island Faithful servant?
Does anyone else think that Christian looks like he could be Richard in 30 years (if Richard aged?) Is he the father of Locke? If so, is everyone on the island a son or daughter of Jacob? Seems loony I know… but they have been waiting a LONG TIME for Locke. Locke drawing the smoke monster coming after him when he is a mere boy has DESTINY written all over it… I guess LOCKe is the KEY?
Matthew Abbadon says Locke will owe him one… whatever will that be?
And come on! They already know that they’re not there to “save” them because Farraday has admitted it… so they just stand on the beach and wait for the helicopter to come and see them when they don’t know what the people on the ship are really after? Seems silly… and WHY ever would the pilot toss out that phone? Does he want them to come so he can pick them up on the helicopter? Is that how the O’6 gets back and not on the boat with Sayid?
Prediction then…if so… it makes sense that Sun makes it out - Jin has already threatened people to get her off… then not sure about Hurley unless he gets hurt from the mercenaries… but Jack could rip open his stitches and declare that Kate and not Juliet has to take care of him on the flight? Maybe that’s why he’s so bitter about Kate paying attn to Sawyer when he was the one who saved her because he could have saved Juliet instead and she wouldn’t have had her heart split on who she really cares about.
Troy:
what about 'moving the island'? when we first saw that people were looking for the island/survivors (penny's boat) - where were they looking? wasn't it in the arctic? i can't remember... i just thought that was interesting. could this idea of the island moving connect with why ben was wearing the parka when he shows up in the desert?
Heather:
Good point... or why there are polar bears on the island?
JJ:
in season one, i thought the island was moving. but i thought it was constantly moving, like a giant vessel that was possibly being piloted by someone inside the hatch. and that could also have explained the polar bears. that theory got blasted to bits in season 2, but now looky here with Locke being directed to "move" it. Troy, you could be right about Benry wearing the parka. interesting. how can the keep filming in Hawaii if the island goes Artic on us?
and the dude's hunting for the island who called Penelope to let her know they thought they might have found it were in an Antarctic research station. wonder where those dude are now? will we see them again?
Troy:
another thought... if Ben is 'using' the island in the future (desert appearance), should we expect him to become 'the island's choice' again? perhaps john fails? hmmmmmm
Heather:
That reminds me of the doctor… they already saw him washed up on shore dead… then Keamy kills the doctor this episode. Just more to mess with our heads.
JJ:
i'm thinking that Ben is on his own path of revenge in the future. that he just wants to kill Penny to stick it to Widmore. perhaps Ben flees the island because he is not happy with Locke's leadership... maybe the wound on Benry's arm is given to him by Locke once Locke is fully in charge? what if in the future, Benry is totally doing his own thing, at war with Locke and the others, at war with Widmore and Dharma, and using the O'6 with his mighty powers of manipulation to do his bidding to get the island back and avenge Alex's death.
anybody else notice the Geronimo Jackson cover art in Locke's high school locker?
Heather:
And was that WALT's comic that Richard put on the table in front of a young Locke?
Troy...
I saw the art but couldn't quite pick it out... there seemed to be a lot of visuals like that in this ep.
What about the items that are laid in front of young John... significance??? the face the knife was worn and rusty looking was interesting i though... were they purely symbolic - or more?
Heather:
Geronimo Jackson link…
http://lostpedia.com/index.php?title=Geronimo_Jackson&oldid=279515
the band’s album was called Magna Carta… and John’s “book” that they seemed to hone in on that Richard was showing to young Locke was called Book of Laws… coincidence?
Frank:
not walts comic
hello fellow readers, some random non-well-thought-out thoughts
just wanted to chime in real quick - again, excellent points all around, this was an excellent episode, one worth watching a 2nd time, i think.
liked teenage locke saying "dont tell me what i can and cannot do!"
also liked hurley and ben sharing a candy bar (presumably a Apollo Bar) - the way they were acting was almost like a "ya, we're pretty useless at this point."
claire was very comfortable about having learned all the island's secrets in the few hours* or so she was in the cabin (*I have a hard time putting time on events now, since as far as we know, she could have been in the cabin for a few minutes or a few months)
also read this morning that the next 2 seasons will have an extra episode each, so the next 2 seasons will be 17 episodes each (instead of the originally planned 16 each). more story telling time.
also was left open that there might be more story to tell after those two seasons, with the obvious result a final theatrical movie (my guess)
I think the pilot dropped the phone out (remember we saw him 'hide' it) to let them know where the toughies were coming from - and racer x incorrectly thought that they should follow it (and yes, as Heather mentioned, durrrrr, you know they're not here to rescue you).
I find it odd that after the toughies fly to the island it appears that desmond and micheal alone on the boat - i know not alone, but i think they're the only characters we know of thats on the boat. hows about going to the cap'n's room and look around a bit?
i didnt watch next week's previews but my wife did mutter "oh.. .wow" at the end of the preview, so i'm looking forward to next week's (dont spoil it for me)
i'm going to make my prediction: we've seen flashbacks, and flash forwards, i think the next few seasons will show flashsideways. same people, parallel time. as Hannibal would say in the A-Team: "it sounds crazy enough that it just might work".
Frank:
...and during a flash-sideways there will be a battle of the bands with Drive Shaft, Geronimo Jackson, and Wyld Stallyons.
JJ:
there are no coincidences on L O S T !
Heather M. - that is whack if you are right about all the Losties being Jacob's kids. (the ultimate polygamist.) can't see that being the case, though. i think they made it pretty clear that con-man Cooper was Locke's real father. horrible, evil, vile wretched father. good riddance on Sawyer killing that freak.
Richard's toys: we had a baseball glove (could Jack have been paid a visit as a child? we know he likes baseball), the Book of Laws, the jar of sand or dirt or something, the compass, the knife, and the comic book. Six objects. Oceanic Six?
H:
Re Jakob’s kids… I just had a vision of Anne Rice’s The Witching Hour/Taltos… where the ghost spends time waiting through generations for the right soul to come along to be born to so it can come to life in solid.
JJ:
check it out --
Saul has the medium conjure up Samuel the prophet to try and reconnect with God...
I Samuel 28:15
"Now Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" And Saul answered, "I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and does not answer me anymore, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may reveal to me what I should do."
Samuel's reply from verse 16 on is not a positive one.
i think the passage completely encapsulates the episode. The Philistines are the mercs making war against Ben, Ben is Saul, Samuel is Christian Shepard, the island / Jacob are God and the prophets and dreams are all the visions we have seen each character have. those have stopped for Ben and Locke is taking his place...
JJ:
check it out --
Saul has the medium conjure up Samuel the prophet to try and reconnect with God...
I Samuel 28:15
"Now Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" And Saul answered, "I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and does not answer me anymore, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may reveal to me what I should do."
Samuel's reply from verse 16 on is not a positive one.
i think the passage completely encapsulates the episode. The Philistines are the mercs making war against Ben, Ben is Saul, Samuel is Christian Shepard, the island / Jacob are God and the prophets and dreams are all the visions we have seen each character have. those have stopped for Ben and Locke is taking his place...
JJ:
check it out --
Saul has the medium conjure up Samuel the prophet to try and reconnect with God...
I Samuel 28:15
"Now Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" And Saul answered, "I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and does not answer me anymore, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may reveal to me what I should do."
Samuel's reply from verse 16 on is not a positive one.
i think the passage completely encapsulates the episode. The Philistines are the mercs making war against Ben, Ben is Saul, Samuel is Christian Shepard, the island / Jacob are God and the prophets and dreams are all the visions we have seen each character have. those have stopped for Ben and Locke is taking his place...
Troy:
I'm totally tracking with you on this.... but it still confuses me as to Ben's role in the future. I guess it could all be him trying to get back to the island... but the whole desert appearing thing seems like it would only happen if he were still connected with the island?
Could the analogy break down in the face that John didn't choose the book? Maybe John will continue to have the inner-struggle that he had in his youth and eventually the island will reject him? Or it will be time for another leader?
JJ:
Troy -
Ben ending up in "the desert," wounded and alone and not sure where / when he is could be meant to be a totally separate allusion. could be the children of Israel wondering in the desert for 40 years before being allowed to enter "the promised land." we know the island is Ben's promised land. maybe this is his "wandering" period while he smites his enemies before he can go back. maybe not. could be some other totally different reference or even a combination of literary references to Shakespeare and H.G.Wells and who knows what else. the writer's of L O S T are notorious for the quintuple meaning of things....
JJ:
Troy -
Ben ending up in "the desert," wounded and alone and not sure where / when he is could be meant to be a totally separate allusion. could be the children of Israel wondering in the desert for 40 years before being allowed to enter "the promised land." we know the island is Ben's promised land. maybe this is his "wandering" period while he smites his enemies before he can go back. maybe not. could be some other totally different reference or even a combination of literary references to Shakespeare and H.G.Wells and who knows what else. the writer's of L O S T are notorious for the quintuple meaning of things....
Julianne:
We've seen someone else's mom who's named Emily! It's so good that I almost don't want to say it. I mean, it could always be a coincidence. But seriously, since no one else has said it, I don't even want to say who's mom it is. It's almost too good to be true. But once you remember who's mom it was, John being where he is will make soooo much sense.
Two, I seriously got the impression that Claire was dead. But I would think that if Desmond's vision of Claire and Aaron getting on the helicopter, was of Claire in a body bag, that he would have shared that with Charlie.
Finally, I was thinking that when Richard says, "which of these belongs to you already?" That maybe if he isn't referring to a time-traveling Locke (who probably does own that knife - or one like it) that maybe there's some sort of reincarnation possibility? Like searching for the Dalai Lama, maybe they thought Jacob had been reincarnated? Just a thought...
I LOVED this episode!
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