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Thursday, February 19, 2009

L-O-S-T, Season 5, Episode 6 ("316")

So, to preview tonight's episode check out Doc Jensen's Teaser Article and Totally Lost.

Doc Jensen Review Article is here as well.

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Niel got us started this week:
Who caught the Lamp post reference last night for the new Dharma station to Lion Witch and the Wardrobe? It is the marker for where the kids can go from their world into Narnia.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

FRANK:

Having never read/seen that movie/book, I didn't catch it.

But reading Doc Jensen's preview for last night's episode (his new one isn't posted yet - or at least I haven't seen it) seems to be all about that novel/movie.

Anonymous said...

ME:

There is a big Christian subtext to Narnia and one to lampposts in general. I'm not sure if the lamppost came before CS Lewis or after. Once again we see the battle for Jack's faith and a church being at the center of his trip back to the island, once again he is working on his Daddy issues, and not just with Our Father who art in heaven. Prob no coincidence his father is "Christian" Or that Shepherds are the leaders of flocks...a common Christian reference. I don't like being beat over the head with this stuff.

Notably, Sayid is in handcuffs (like Kate was), and Hurley has a guitar case (and is escaped from prison) presumably from Charlie who tells him to come back. We didn't see Walt on the plane but I wonder if he is in the back? Also, the guy who let Jack know he was sorry for Jack's loss? Is he a new survivor?

I liked the grandfather trying to escape...what's up with those Shepherd men, always trying to escape wherever it is that they are?

Anonymous said...

NIEL:

Good point, where in the world is Walt??? The scene with Frank was classic, he is all happy with a new gig and then he glances back and oh crap, we ain't going to Guam. Remember 1st ep of season four, Frank was suppose to have been the pilot on 815....

Anonymous said...

NIEL:

Hurley was great too, buying all the seats except for our two new mystery guests and then telling the guy to buckle up and puts his thingy back over his eyes.

Anonymous said...

ALISON:

Yeah-- thatis a good point on Frank.

I agree that CS Lewis wrote Narnia as a set of Christian Chronicles--especially the part about Aslan's sacrifice, which ties into John sacrificing himself. But CS Lewis never cam out and said there was a Christian connotation, and his step sons battled it out when it came to making the movie --one wanted no Christian undertones, one swore it was intended to be Christian . The other thing is that CS was an atheist who converted--maybe another similarity to Jack, who has to be converted.

It was interesting that Jack was also compared to Thomas, but he never wanted to read John's letter for proof--maybe he was trying not to be Thomas at that point.

Also--notice how Dharma found the island--during a window. So the island moves at planned intervals. Has it always been skipping in time? It doesn't seem like it.

Anonymous said...

FRANK:

Best line of the new season:

Jack: How can you read?
Ben: My mother taught me, Jack.

Anonymous said...

NIEL:

That was great

Anonymous said...

NIEL:

I just had a thought, we heard Hurley repeating the numbers in last week's episode right? If they are back in the 70's and something happened, that is Hurley's distress call to Desmond to find the island. He knows Desmond will recognize the numbers and find his way to the island.

Anonymous said...

H:

Interesting idea. I like that they found Jin right away.

Alison- I don't think the Island necessarily jumps only in time, I think it jumps in location as well. I keep flashing back to that scene of Hurley on the beach talking to Jack I think it was from one of the first seasons... they're listening to a radio and 50s music is on... I think Jack asks, "Where are we?" and Hurley replies, the better question is "When are we?" and then starts laughing.

Anonymous said...

JAMIE:

But they lost Sun!

Anonymous said...

NIEL:

She is in her garden...

Anonymous said...

Alison:

Hey--I'm only responding to you guys since Heather seems to have a theory and I don't want JJ to think I'm wasting his time...

OK, I'm still confused.The location jump was what the pendulum was tracking. But it was after Ben moved the island (and I took this to be a move in location, not a move in time) that we started to see them jump in time. If it's the movement of the island that caused the time travel, then they would have been time traveling the whole time, since the island's always moving--hence Hurley's "when are we." But if they've been time traveling the whole time, why didn't they run into a young Danielle, or why weren't there ever Dharma people at the hatch in the first seasons? If they've always been traveling--both in motion and time--then why are they only running into people from different times now?

Unless the movement of the island isn't necessarily connected with the movement in time--or, maybe the time travel started because Ben moved the island--maybe it changed it's normal course of movement and that's when time travel started?

Anonymous said...

H:

Heyy Alison, I think the island moves in space... (which is why they weren't found) ..but also when Ben hit the wheel then the losties jumped in time, it couldn't reset itself to the right time for them because the people weren't complete... the losties who inappropriately left when they weren't supposed to are the ones who complete the group, which is why Locke went to get them ... I think the people who are jumping in time are the yang to the escapees ying and once they're together again, the time will be back to normal, but the island itelf jumps... and yes, i think the pendulum just tracks that.

Anonymous said...

ALISON-

OK, that makes sense. And I guess Juliet and Faraday's crew were the only ones stuck moving with the Losties since they were together when the flashes started? Because they weren't part of the original crew--they would have had their own path, probably, if they hadn't joined that camp. Maybe they would have stayed stable in their own time, right after the rescue.

Anonymous said...

H

Yup... and also, Jakob told Locke that he was supposed to "Move the Island"... instead, BEN moved the PEOPLE through time.

Anonymous said...

From Traci:

I have read the EW summary and a bunch of posts there and I seem to be the only one who thinks Kate killed Aaron and didn't just give him away. She appeared distraught enough that my reaction is that she killed him (why, we have yet to find out).

Another thing. They all seem to find out for the first time that Locke hung himself, but I thought his obituary that Jack was holding in the episode where he was about to jump said Locke was found hanging. Just an inconsistency, I thought.

My first thought about Sayid being cuffed was he intentionally got in to trouble so that he would have guns available when he reached the island (I am assuming the marshall has a suitcase of guns like the previous one).

Anonymous said...

NIEL:

It will be interesting if they actually go down that path with Kate, everyone loves goober.

Anonymous said...

JJ:

hey everyone,


sorry for my lack of participation last week. i know that last week's ep and tonight's ep were written together and the airing of such was switched just a few weeks ago... so tonight's was originally going to air last week, and last week's tonight. part of me wanted to hold back commenting until i could see tonight's ep and take them both together, because honestly there was a lot about last week's episode i didn't like. i bet that surprises some of you guys, but lemme explain:


first what i didn't like -- i thought the whole approach to the Oceanic 6 being back on the island again so quickly felt forced. a TON of stuff happened in this episode very briskly and while i was excited to see what was was going on and anxious to hear new revelations, it just felt like the O'6 was arriving back on the island all of the sudden and a lot of dramatic intrigue was left behind or intentionally left to explain later. that made the whole Oceanic 6 plotline feel contrived to me. we have been strung along with the O'6 since the season 3 finale, and at first, i liked the idea of some of the Losties making off the island and some not and the mystery of who made it, who didn't and how... well, the way season 5 began, it looked like the urgency of getting these 6 back was crucial to saving everyone and fast, but the circumstances of the 6 actually going for it was impossible. i wanted to see those 6 come to grips with why they had to go back. part of L O S T is watching the characters wrestle with decisions that are never easy and seeing what they do and why. here, that was left aside and we only saw Jack come to his decision. granted, it appears they will give us these juicy tales in flashback form it seems, but still. i wanted to see more attempts by Benry and Jack trying to convince the rest of the 6 to go... so that bummed me out that we glossed over it to get them all back right now. the second thing i didn't like was Mrs. Hawking. she talked down to the characters and the audience with her elementary school marm style explanation. part of it was amusing, but it didn't feel like L O S T. this show is a lot better than that. they have almost never had a character just sit there and talk, explaining a bunch of stuff to us like we're dolts. now i get that most of the characters on the show ARE dolts and have been so about the island since episode 1. but we the audience aren't. the Mrs's Hawking scene could have been done a lot better with more characters challenging her "lesson" with questions and arguments. both XinhXan and i felt like the scene was too simple and kind of dull as a result. Desmond yelling at everyone for falling for all of it saved the scene, in my opinion.


now for what i did like -- while i though the O'6 getting back to the island happened way to fast and i think they could have strung it out for another couple episodes, i loved HOW they did it. the way they wrote everyone arriving at the airport as if by coincidence and with circumstances being replicated to the 815 flight was excellent. Sayid as Kate's fugitive in cuffs, Hurley with the guitar and buying up as many seats as he could to save lives, Kate having something horrible happen to need to run away from, Jack in a suit with a dead guy in tow, all really came together well. it made the episode feel like two hours, rather than just one. and then Lapidus flying the plane was brilliant. loved that touch and getting to see him to boot notice all of the 6 minus Aaron for himself while talking with Jack. sweet. Jeff Fahey rules. Then the replication of Jack waking in the bamboo in the same way he did in episode 1 was another brilliant stroke. i also liked that it looked the same and recognizable, but not exactly the same, because it's a new situation with new circumstances. but this time, Jack is a believer in the island. unlike his first trip there, this time he gets it and will do the things he's supposed to do while he's there. you could see it on his face. nice work, Matthew Fox. next, i liked the Christian allusions, but do feel it was a bit heavy handed. Doc Jensen has stolen a lot of my thunder with the Christian references (although he is mining infallible Wikipedia for his. whatever.) the title of the ep being 316 of course being a refererence to John 3:16, Jack and the whole doubting Thomas correlation, the episode beginning at a church, the Dharma station being called "the Lamp Post. " etc, etc. all of it was great stuff, but.... I saw the Doubting Thomas portrait on the wall in front of Mrs. Hawking as she lit candles immediately. i recognized it and new what it was intended to mean. then, the other subtle references all were clear to me. i didn't need Benry to spell it all out for me as he referred to the painting later and went on about Thomas to Jack and how Thomas isn't appreciated like he should be because we only remember him for the doubting part and not the bravery part or being willing to die with Jesus and so on. i didn't need it, but i know Jack did. and many audience members probably did, too. but L O S T usually doesn't spell it out, as i've already said. i liked it, but it felt forced to me, similar to Mrs. Hawking's ramble. but anyway... Heather M. mentioned in her emails last week that she doesn't like this stuff beaten over her head. as a person who believes in Jesus, i love it when a show dares to broach the subject of faith, especially faith in Jesus because most shows are too afraid to do it because they are scared of offending people who do not believe. i thought Ben's scene with Jack was a bit too heavy handed in it's approach/delivery, but at the same time i know that the writer's were alluding to faith in "the island" and not faith in Christ. the head writer of the show is Jewish, the other is Catholic. in listening to the show's podcast, it is pretty clear to me that neither of them are devout, but faith and spirituality intrigue them, so they enjoy writing about it. it seems to me they aren't out to convert anyone, since one of them would have to renounce their own faith in the process... and the intentional way they inject so many different types of faith into the show, all of which focused on the island and not God or a particular God. we have heard Ben denounce God to Locke in season 2. we have heard Jack repeatedly poo poo anything related to faith and even deny miracles he has witnessed with his own eyes throughout the series. we have had gray area put out there from day one. i honestly can't tell if the show is telling me to believe in something specific, or mock religion and faith in all it's forms. all i know is that i appreciate they talk about it at all. L O S T and The Simpson's are the only shows i know that are brave enough to touch the subject at all. and if they dared talked about Islam, the writer's would probably be kidnapped within a day or two and be seen in some online terrorist execution video having their throats slit for daring to mention Allah and have an independent thought. but i digress.... i will ask if we are only offended when the show brings up Jesus, or faith in any God? the Others believe the island pretty strongly... do they offend us? how about Sayid praying on Desmond's boat or Richard giving the Dali Lama test to young Locke? equal opportunity offenders the show appears to be to me... who's god are they trying to get me to believe in i wonder?


what else did i like? i loved the whole deal with Jack and the shoes and having to put put them on Locke. there is a whole bit i could say here about this scene being like Jesus washing the disciples feet at the last supper, but mentioning it is plenty. you get it. and then there is the numerous untold mysteries laid out for us with what happened with Aaron that makes Kate bolt. how Hurley got out of the county lock up and at the airport so fast (shouldn't he not be allowed to leave the state of something?), and Sayid being in custody and why take him to Guam? plus some new characters were introduced and then finally we land on the island in what appears to be Dharma's heyday. sweet. all that is great set up.


finally i will say that if Benry was successful in killing Penny or Charlie or Desmond, i will be soooo pissed. I'm sure something horrible happened to one of them, and i dread whatever took place. when Benry told Jack he was off to take care of a loose end, i knew what he was going to do and hated him anew. when i saw him on the pay phone at the marina with dried blood on his face (where did Benry find a pay phone, by the way!) i felt a pit in my stomach. "that bastard went through with it," i thought. somebody better kill Ben before the series ends. that SOB has it coming in so many forms.


anyway, Doc Jensen's tease article for tonight is really good. some of his insight about Thomas is quite interesting...


one more thought:
Apostle Thomas
Kate loved a doctor named Tom
Mr. Friendly's real name was Tom
Jack's best friend was named Tom
on and on....


we'll do it all again tomorrow...

Anonymous said...

NIEL:

Good grief, how did you not explode from keeping all that in? I think they may have dumbed it down a little because they have lost viewers and I guess a lot of people are complaining that it is to complicated.

Anonymous said...

HEATHER:

Just as a side note, JJ-I don't mind the faith involved in the show, in fact, I think that makes it a more enjoyable and interesting show. What I don't like and what I don't like being beaten over the head with, is the obvious. The Benry explanation to Jack. The Narnia bits. I think we get that the idea is that it is an issue of faith... being beaten over the head with the obvious insinuation/innuendo of the writers telling us by them being SO obvious that it is an issue of faith is annoying.

Anonymous said...

JJ:

discipline, brotha. discipline.
and a crying baby with lots of doctor appointments : )

Anonymous said...

NIEL:

As for the Hurley getting out, we saw in an episode or two back the attorney tells Ben that he will have him out by morning.

Anonymous said...

JJ:

i totally get you on why you didn't like Benry's lecture to Jack and the other things. i like all the faith allusions -- especially the Christian ones and how well they are presented, but like you, don't need it spelled out so plainly.

Anonymous said...

ALLISON:

I think maybe they are pointing out that it doesn't matter what faith you are as long as faith is there --Jewish, Christian, Islam.. . I like it better when they encourage the Losties to have faith in the island and make it the religious experience. Even if you suck in real life, if you have faith in the island, things are better there. The island heals if you believe. I liked the whole Eko storyline, when he stopped building a church because he needed to push the button. And I liked Mrs. Hawking better when she saw Des and wouldn't let him buy the ring. She didn't need a church or a lecture to come off as a messenger. I think the redemption factor is easy to see on it's own. So I agree somewhat on the not needing to be beat over the head. But I am one audience member who needed the doubting Thomas story to understand it...and, on the name Tom, wasn't that Locke's dad--wasn't he using the name Tom Sawyer when Sawyer took his name?

I'd never thought that they might be toying with us, saying it's stupid to believe, but I could see that happening too. But like JJ, I'm choosing not to look at it that way for now.