Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Things I Noticed - "The Package" by Vozzek69
I'll admit it... I went into this week of LOST with fairly low expectations. Sun and Jin episodes aren't traditionally known for being action packed, and last week's Ab Aeterno was a pretty tough act to follow. Once more, it's good to be surprised. The Package threw a bunch of HUGE answers at us all at once, in both the ALT and regular storylines. I'll even point them out throughout my recap, to help all the struggling "We didn't get any real answers!" people still out there. Things I Noticed:
The 'V' Countdown Timer Was a 62-Minute Suckfest
Nothing like jamming the next ABC show down my throat while I'm trying to savor the final season of my favorite one. The ads involving that short-haired chick talking about LOST's ending and 'survival of the fittest' was an even bigger turnoff. I'll forgive ABC this week, and this week only. Pulling that shit again next Tuesday would be sacrilegious.
Sayid Didn't Keep Much of an Eye on the Camp
The smoke monster may seem all powerful, but there's one thing he hasn't had to do in the last few centuries: lead anyone. It's all well and good to be ripping trees out by the roots and judging people when the mood strikes, but getting human beings to do what you want while giving them the choice to do something else isn't as easy as just promising puppy dogs and ice cream. "You'll get answers" can only take you so far, and this is why people keep slipping through Flocke's fingers. It's also why he doesn't notice a whole team of Widmore's people surrounding his camp with night vision goggles, even though he has Sayid on his team.
Claire's unhappiness at the current situation was seen 10 miles back when the temple came up Aaronless. Plane or no plane, the dark man has a tenuous hold over her at best. Still, Claire has something Sayid does not: feelings and emotions. Within her version of the sickness we've seen anger, sadness, longing... even suspicion that she'd be left behind. Sayid on the other hand has been sick for much less time, yet all he feels is empty inside (a description which actually seemed to surprise the MIB). His vapid, melancholy stare creeped out my TV, and probably the whole camp. Flocke should've been lining him up some asses to kick or some cute girls to hit on, not handing him a tissue and telling him to man up.
It's important to point out Sayid's motivations for joining the MIB: he wanted to see Nadia again. This was back when he had feelings, however. Without such emotions, Sayid's motivations for continuing on will rapidly disintegrate... and along with that, his loyalty as well. The smoke monster is too busy to see this right now, but as six-year veterans of LOST we all know what happens when Sayid gets restless.
BIG Answer #1: The MIB Needs All of the Candidates Together In Order to Leave The Island
Flat out, we learn the ultimate purpose of Flocke's army: the man in black needs to collect all six candidates before he can leave the island. If he's really going to fly off into the sunset the dark man obviously need Lapidus too, but I'm of the opinion the Ajira plane probably means squat in the grand scheme of things. I don't know about you guys, but I for one do NOT want to see a heroic last-second takeoff as that plane screams down a dirt runway... Hurley helping Frank yank back on the control wheel as Ajira's landing gear skims the jungle treetops. I can totally picture Frank wiping the sweat from his grimy brow: "Whew! That was a close one!" Yikes.
As for Jacob and his nemesis, it must be hard to live with all the rules they're required to follow. The plan to gather up all six candidates seemed a lot like Hawking's need to round up everyone from the Oceanic Six timeline, and we all know how that went. With members of the MIB's army defecting, plotting against him, and now being abducted at dart-point, I just can't see him making the full count. Especially now that Widmore's team - a group infinitely more capable than the shadow-statue people - have finally arrived.
It was surprising to see Widmore's people taking Jin - and only Jin - while leaving the rest of Flocke's army unconscious. By not slitting everyone's throat Widmore may have proved he didn't kill the Ajira folk, but by not taking Sawyer and Sayid he may also have proved he doesn't yet know who all the candidates are. Why Jin? Not sure, but Widmore's ultimate weapon, as we see in the closing scene, is going to be Desmond.
SEMI-BIG Answer #2: Sideways Sun and Jin aren't Married, But They're Still Shacking Up
We learn that in the alternate timeline, Sun and Jin are still happily (although secretly) together. No wedding vows means no binding agreement for Jin to do Mr. Paik's dirty work, which means we're looking at a happier, more golden version of Jin. If you don't believe me, just look at the way he glows later on when he wakes up next to Sun. I thought they were going to draw a CGI a halo over his head in that scene. Compare it later on to the post-mirror glimpse of Jin we get in the bathroom, standing there covered in gloom and shadow.
Sun's plan to escape now includes Jin instead of excluding him. She hasn't learned English in an attempt to escape to America, and probably hasn't cheated on him either. The two of them are very much in love, and Jin seems a lot softer and easier on Sun. The only thing he's upset about is losing the $25k, but even those thoughts quickly disappear as Sun mesmerizes him with her exceptional cleavage.
Man, That Razor Grass Is No Joke
Back on the island however, Sun is an angry gardener. After getting seven lines in eight episodes, maybe she read the script and found out she goes back to speaking Korean. Perhaps she learned that her own centric-episode doesn't even include the long-awaited Sun/Jin reunion. Either way, her plants and tomatoes pay the price.
Here the dark man approaches her, and this time he thinks he's got a sure thing. Offering Sun the opportunity to see her husband is an easy play, which is why he's so taken off guard when she refuses to accept his hand. Flocke can't force Sun to join him here, and he can't physically take her along. Not really having a plan B, he chases her desperately through the tall grass, just like he chased after the young blonde boy a few episodes back. The top-down camera work also reminded me of the polar bear running after Michael and Walt in season one. Very cool.
With each passing episode, the dark man continues to lose control. He's unused to people not doing what he wants. In the past he's killed whenever he needed to, but things are now different. Here, he's forced to try and finesse certain people into doing what he wants without being able to bash them against the nearest tree when they refuse. This is taxing on him - it's wearing him down, and his frustration is growing. The dark man is unable to disguise his impatience with "Something wrong, Claire?" and answering to an increasingly sarcastic Sawyer is taking its toll. His camp is rapidly coming apart, just as John Locke's own perfect little community began unraveling when he lead half the cast to New Otherton.
Tree branches like the one Sun hits her head on should start getting listed in the credits. As she becomes the umpteenth person to slip into unconsciousness this episode, we cut to:
Wow, Look at That! I Just Happened To 'Wake Up' in the Alternate Timeline!
Okay, hang on a second. Before we talk about what happens here, we have to examine the circumstances leading up to this flash-sideways. On-island Sun is knocked out cold, and off-island Sun is just waking up. We've seen this happen time and time again, most noticeably when Jack gets put under for his on-island appendectomy and immediately wakes up in the Oceanic Six timeline.
How many times does this have to happen before it becomes more than just a convenient plot device? Unconsciousness has always been associated with enlightenment. It's always worked as a transition between scenes and storylines... but what if it also acts as a transition between worlds? Remember sleeping Claire waking up in her flashback car crash during Par Avion? Remember Desmond hitting his head on the freighter and waking up in one of his flashes? I could list dozens and dozens of examples here, but there's really no need. The link between unconsciousness and making these journeys is as plain as the big frosty glass of Orange Julius they made Desmond drink on the sub-ride over.
"See you on the other side..." - Ben's words, right before Jack puts him under. Think he's just being cute here? Do you really think, when Sun looks into the mirror this episode, that she's not actually looking into the other side? That she really doesn't start to remember her past self? Do you think it's coincidence that Keamy's knock conveniently and pointedly pulls her back into the 'real' world, exactly the way Juliet got pulled out of her own little mirror staredown by the island burning her cookies?
I said it a few weeks ago, and Sawyer said it again last night: "Of course not. Because that would be ridiculous."
Watch Keamy's reaction as he introduces himself to Sun: he cocks his head and squints a little bit, almost as if to say "Don'tcha remember me?" There's actually a lot off about Keamy this episode - much more than usual. As a criminal we can all agree he's creepy awesome... but as someone who potentially knows things, he's got some pretty odd knowledge. Much more of this gets revealed later on, during his encounter with Jin in the walk-in fridge.
"She hits her head and forgets English? Are we supposed to buy that?" No Miles, we're not. I mean, yeah, some people may be buying it... but not me. And if you're reading this, hopefully not you either, because the mental transition from island to LAX back to island again hasn't caused Sun some obscure medical condition where she can no longer speak English, no matter how deep Jack digs into his patient history. No, what we're seeing here is the first concrete evidence of the next major reveal:
BIG Answer #3: The ALT Timeline is Actually Bleeding Through To the Island's Current Events
We're seeing LAX_Sun's non-English speaking skills carrying over to island_Sun, and at this point there shouldn't be much of a debate about that. The more important question to ask is this: how long has stuff like this been going on? Is Sun losing English the same thing as season one Claire losing her memories? As post-Swan Locke losing his ability to speak? As Desmond losing his clothes? Is this what's been happening to characters we've seen reset or rebooted, and if so, when did it start?
So many questions get potential answers here, it's actually kind of frightening. Were Desmond's "flashes" really just him experiencing the ALT timeline, but we were thrown off by this because he was visiting a past version of it? And while we're at it, exactly how many different timelines exist? Just because our LAX characters seem to have blasted themselves into the "Jughead" universe, it would be ignorant to assume there's only one. Was the Oceanic Six season nothing more than another alternate timeline, one in which Flight 815 really did hit the Indian ocean? Did Ben/Jacob really cure Juliet's sister's cancer, or was Mikhail pointing the Flame's monitor at a different timeline, in a different universe, on a different playground where that cancer didn't exist?
If Sun's memories starts crossing over from the ALT universe, where will they stop? Will all of our on-island characters begin 'remembering' their LAX lives? If so, it makes sense that everyone on the island would end up enlightened by their own off-island experiences. This might be what drives them to make the right decisions - ultimately breaking the seemingly endless cycle of repeating their own mistakes, and thus being the cause of their own suffering.
And if the two timelines merge, will it go both ways? Will the LAX characters gain sudden knowledge of their on-island experiences, and use them to move on with their lives? Is this where everyone's consciousness ends up when they die? Is this how on-island Juliet and on-island Sawyer can eventually go out for off-island coffee?
These are all tremendous questions. The floodgates have been opened here, starting with Sun smashing her head into that tree branch. The possibilities are endless. The stories can wind in any virtually direction. The merging of character consciousness allows for both timelines to remain relevant, and for both timelines to mean something. It seems to be the answer as to where everything is going, and yet at the same time it also seems to be something that's always been there.
Mikhail Still Rocks
Ah, it was good to see Mikhail again! Three whole seasons! While he didn't play a huge role, he still got to flash his trademark knowing smirk. He also got to scrap with Jin again, which he seems eternally destined to do. No matter how many different timelines there may be, it's good to see that some things never change. Jin's always destined to get the best of Mikhail, and the Russian is always fated to lose an eye.
Zoe Still Sucks
Remember how Nikki rubbed you the wrong way (there's a joke in there somewhere) back in S3? Zoe's done the same thing, and there's little chance of recovering from it. No matter what she does from this point forward, it'll be hard for her to make up ground. In a way, I feel somewhat bad for her. In other ways, I just want her off the screen so more important characters can speak.
Continuing our walk down memory lane this week is a nostalgic visit to Room 23. Speakers, wires, creepy Ring-like video... the room is revealed to be "nothing more" than one of Dharma's head games. Pockets of electromagnetism become suddenly important again, lending a more scientific approach to Charles Widmore's group. Here's a guy who shows up with expensive equipment and geophysicists instead of vials of ash and magic daggers. I thought it a little unlikely Widmore's sub brought enough of those cute little sonic fence posts to encircle the entire Hydra station, but if I can suspend disbelief far enough to include time travel I can certainly overlook crap like this.
Introducing Keamy's Gang of Misfit Bad Guys
Martin Keamy once again rocked. Still, there was an odd coincidence involving him and his crew of ruffians: they seemed to include all of LOST's biggest, baddest bad guys. Keamy and Omar are easy enough to put together, but they happen to be linked up with Mikhail too? All of them working for Paik? And when Keamy mentions another guy named "Danny", could he be referring to Danny Pickett - one of the all-time biggest pricks on the show? It felt like we were watching the LOST goon reunion, here. I half expected Phil to come stumbling out of the bathroom, zipping up his pants.
Let's go to the walk-in fridge, where Omar bangs Jin's head on the way in. "C'mon Omar, you gotta be more careful than that..." For a guy about to 'pop' someone, didn't Keamy seem overly concerned about what happened here? Was he just looking to keep things neat and tidy, or was Keamy concerned that Jin might go unconscious on them? Remember, unconsciousness = enlightenment. As far as I'm concerned, Keamy seems to somehow know this. He puts a wet cloth to Jin's head too, not out of caring or kindness but to wake him up. Before even talking to Jin, Keamy prefaces his speech by making sure he can't comprehend him, asking: "You don't understand what I'm sayin' to you right now? Nothing?"
This is, of course, when Keamy mentions THE ISLAND. Yeah, that's right - the island. There's no possible way you can convince me that Keamy didn't say "Just in case you figure out what's about to happen TO THE ISLAND..." here. Closed captioning can kiss my ass, that's what the man said. Maybe it doesn't mean anything, and the writers tossed it in as a joke to get us talking about it. Or maybe it means everything, and Jin - still in a daze from hitting his skull against a metal doorframe - heard Keamy correctly. Either way, we know something is going to happen to the island, back in the regular timeline anyway. Something that sinks it to the bottom of the ocean... probably something we'll see at the end of the show.
Keamy also makes reference to the heart, a reference that parallels his own connection to the heart-monitor bomb he hooked himself up to. His last line seems to foreshadow doom on the Sun/Jin relationship: "Some people just aren't meant to be together". I'm holding out for a happy ending, though. Jack's closing tomato reference represents Sun and Jin's relationship defying the odds. And besides, when Jacob shows up at your wedding? That just has to be good luck.
Razorblades, Garlic, Duct Tape...
Jin's limited view of the Sayid/Keamy encounter comes from inside the walk-in. I thought it fitting and cool that Sayid refused to cut Jin free, but still provided him with a means to do so. This repeats the "Moth" motif we've seen so often, allowing a character to experience personal struggle along the way to freedom or enlightenment. I thought of Locke giving Boone the knife during Hearts and Minds, and of Richard being given the nail needed to chip away at his own bonds last episode.
I'd be lying if I didn't say I asked myself a question: was Sayid fully himself? The carefree way he said "Good luck" (and with an almost evil smirk) belied a character who seemed so committed to caring for his niece and nephew a few episodes ago. It made me wonder if on-island Sayid's 'emptiness' was bleeding through to his LAX life. We already started to see this the moment he shot Keamy, and now we continue to see it in the following scene. Accepting this as fact, the merging of consciousness seems to go in both directions, and this is another huge piece of the puzzle.
BIG Answer #4: Ji-Yeon Does Exist In The Sideways Reality
In discussing the theory that the ALT reality will make up the show's final conclusion, I've always had one huge problem: Ji-Yeon. How could they write a suitable ending for Sun and Jin that didn't involve their daughter? They couldn't just forget all about her, and they couldn't strand her in the O6 timeline. Pretending she never existed was always a possibility, but that just seemed cheap and lame.
Here, bleeding all over Keamy's immaculate kitchen, Sun reveals that she's pregnant. For me, this one small moment changes everything. It lends tremendous evidence in favor of the LAX universe turning out to be the final timeline, because now this story has an ending. Ji-Yeon's place is established in both worlds, providing a satisfying conclusion to that whole story arc.
If you believe Jin's infertility was healed by the island, this could be even more evidence of bleeding through. LAX_Jin has never been to the island, yet somehow he's able to father a child. This could be chalked up as one of the things that are simply 'different' in the sideways timeline, or you could take it to mean there was island influence. Both theories work.
BIG Answer #5: The Smoke Monster Can't Cross Water Directly
For a while now, we've known about smokey's aversion to ash. He's not thrilled about sonic fences, and now we find out he can't cross water. This is the polar opposite of Jacob, whose healing essence seemed to be a very part of the spring water welling up inside the temple. Jacob also showed us he wasn't afraid to get wet when he stopped to give Richard a serious bath.
Being unable to cross the ocean, the island makes the perfect jail for the man in black. This could easily be why he's been imprisoned here, of all places. The fact that he can't cross bodies of water (without a boat, anyway) also gives us an answer to another long-standing question, although indirectly:
BIG Answer #6: Christian Shephard Couldn't Have Always Appeared As The Man In Black
The Christian we saw in the cabin? Yes. The Christian we saw on the freighter, talking to Michael? No way. Because of the dark man's aversion to water, this particular incarnation of Jack's father had to have been someone (or something) else.
But wait, there's more. Think about the Christian Shephard we saw in the Oceanic Six timeline, where Jack saw him at the hospital. This is when the smoke detector went off, prompting everyone (me included) to think we were looking at the smoke monster. Could this have been the man in black taking Christian's form? Not if we believe what the MIB tells us this episode. This leaves us with three possible scenarios:
a) The dark man takes a boat to Los Angeles, fucks with Jack's head, then takes a boat back to the island.
b) Jack Shephard never left the island at all, and the Oceanic timeline is pure bullshit.
c) Despite the smoke detector clue, Christian wasn't the smoke monster here.
You guys make the call, I think you already know my thoughts on this one.
No No No, You're Not Expendable! But on the Other Hand, if Something Were To "Happen" To Kate...
It's interesting how Flocke reaches out to touch Claire, just as she's questioning his motives. Maybe his "I need you" speech isn't enough - he needs to physically touch her in order to keep Claire on his team right now. It's a good thing Richard, Ben, Kate, and now Sun have all refused the dark man's hand when it was offered to them.
We pointedly learn here that Kate's name is not on the candidate wall, and I predict this information will hurt Flocke later on. Because of this he doesn't see her as a threat, but only as a tool needed to recruit his other three candidates. Once the dark man has Jack, Hurley, and Sun in his pocket, "whatever happens, happens". So in order to maintain her loyalty, he lets Claire envision shoving Kate out Ajira's emergency door once Lapidus flips off the seatbelt sign.
QUICK NOTE: Despite his self-proclaimed righteousness, these are not the actions of a "good" guy. Team Jacob is looking whiter and whiter each day.
Richard's Plan... Not Exactly A Bulletproof Masterpiece
Blowing up Ajira? Hurley drags Richard back from the brink of a soulless, evil existence, and this is the best he comes up with? It's no wonder Sun angrily balks at the idea. Now removed from both her daughter and her husband, Sun's understandably not on board with the whole destroy-the-plane agenda. Can't say I blame her either. Hopefully Richard comes up with something better than that... something more befitting of "He who would save us all".
BIG Answer #7: Widmore is Batting For Team Jacob
The Charles Widmore scenes told us a hell of a lot this episode. We learned that Widmore is indeed looking to stop the man in black, if not defeat him altogether. He's on some sort of timetable, and although seizing Jin seemed to be part of his overall plan, it was a part he wasn't yet ready for. He made the best of it though, and did a good job deflecting Jin's angry questions by leading off with photos of Ji-Yeon. Cool scene.
Widmore's confrontation with the man in black was eerie and cool. As a native of the island, Charles knows the MIB from "myth, ghost stories, and jungle noises in the night". Off-island however, it seems he's gained a more intimate knowledge of things. Specifically and perhaps most importantly, Widmore knows what will happen if they fail to stop the smoke monster from leaving the island.
Here's where alternative universes, parallel timelines, and even a little bit of science come into play. Widmore explains to Jin that unless they stop the MIB's army, "everyone we know and love would simply cease to be." I took this in the most basic and direct of ways; if the dark man were to succeed, a new universe would spawn in which everyone and everything would no longer be. It's impossible to say how or why this would happen, but judging from the way Widmore presents the issue it's not hard to believe him. He goes on to tell Jin that he came to "make sure that doesn't happen", and his primary weapon with which to fight the man in black? Desmond.
BIG Answer #8: The Island Isn't Finished With Desmond Yet - Not by a Longshot
Desmond is more than just a favorite character - he's perhaps the one person who's been thrust through LOST's loop fully and completely. Faraday's assertion that Desmond is uniquely and miraculously special seems to be finally coming to fruition: Widmore's gone to great lengths to bring him back to the island again. Whatever powers Desmond obtained when he turned the failsafe key may be the same powers needed to stop the MIB from leaving the island. How's that going to happen? Great question.
The Package was filled with all good stuff - a lot more than I thought we'd get. It gave us a glimpse into the future of LOST, and it handed us answers to some very big questions. In the end it even delivered a savior: Desmond Hume, a character responsible for some of the highest-rated episodes in all of LOST. As has been theorized by many people for many years, it's only fitting that he be the possible key to the end of the show.
The 'V' Countdown Timer Was a 62-Minute Suckfest
Nothing like jamming the next ABC show down my throat while I'm trying to savor the final season of my favorite one. The ads involving that short-haired chick talking about LOST's ending and 'survival of the fittest' was an even bigger turnoff. I'll forgive ABC this week, and this week only. Pulling that shit again next Tuesday would be sacrilegious.
Sayid Didn't Keep Much of an Eye on the Camp
The smoke monster may seem all powerful, but there's one thing he hasn't had to do in the last few centuries: lead anyone. It's all well and good to be ripping trees out by the roots and judging people when the mood strikes, but getting human beings to do what you want while giving them the choice to do something else isn't as easy as just promising puppy dogs and ice cream. "You'll get answers" can only take you so far, and this is why people keep slipping through Flocke's fingers. It's also why he doesn't notice a whole team of Widmore's people surrounding his camp with night vision goggles, even though he has Sayid on his team.
Claire's unhappiness at the current situation was seen 10 miles back when the temple came up Aaronless. Plane or no plane, the dark man has a tenuous hold over her at best. Still, Claire has something Sayid does not: feelings and emotions. Within her version of the sickness we've seen anger, sadness, longing... even suspicion that she'd be left behind. Sayid on the other hand has been sick for much less time, yet all he feels is empty inside (a description which actually seemed to surprise the MIB). His vapid, melancholy stare creeped out my TV, and probably the whole camp. Flocke should've been lining him up some asses to kick or some cute girls to hit on, not handing him a tissue and telling him to man up.
It's important to point out Sayid's motivations for joining the MIB: he wanted to see Nadia again. This was back when he had feelings, however. Without such emotions, Sayid's motivations for continuing on will rapidly disintegrate... and along with that, his loyalty as well. The smoke monster is too busy to see this right now, but as six-year veterans of LOST we all know what happens when Sayid gets restless.
BIG Answer #1: The MIB Needs All of the Candidates Together In Order to Leave The Island
Flat out, we learn the ultimate purpose of Flocke's army: the man in black needs to collect all six candidates before he can leave the island. If he's really going to fly off into the sunset the dark man obviously need Lapidus too, but I'm of the opinion the Ajira plane probably means squat in the grand scheme of things. I don't know about you guys, but I for one do NOT want to see a heroic last-second takeoff as that plane screams down a dirt runway... Hurley helping Frank yank back on the control wheel as Ajira's landing gear skims the jungle treetops. I can totally picture Frank wiping the sweat from his grimy brow: "Whew! That was a close one!" Yikes.
As for Jacob and his nemesis, it must be hard to live with all the rules they're required to follow. The plan to gather up all six candidates seemed a lot like Hawking's need to round up everyone from the Oceanic Six timeline, and we all know how that went. With members of the MIB's army defecting, plotting against him, and now being abducted at dart-point, I just can't see him making the full count. Especially now that Widmore's team - a group infinitely more capable than the shadow-statue people - have finally arrived.
It was surprising to see Widmore's people taking Jin - and only Jin - while leaving the rest of Flocke's army unconscious. By not slitting everyone's throat Widmore may have proved he didn't kill the Ajira folk, but by not taking Sawyer and Sayid he may also have proved he doesn't yet know who all the candidates are. Why Jin? Not sure, but Widmore's ultimate weapon, as we see in the closing scene, is going to be Desmond.
SEMI-BIG Answer #2: Sideways Sun and Jin aren't Married, But They're Still Shacking Up
We learn that in the alternate timeline, Sun and Jin are still happily (although secretly) together. No wedding vows means no binding agreement for Jin to do Mr. Paik's dirty work, which means we're looking at a happier, more golden version of Jin. If you don't believe me, just look at the way he glows later on when he wakes up next to Sun. I thought they were going to draw a CGI a halo over his head in that scene. Compare it later on to the post-mirror glimpse of Jin we get in the bathroom, standing there covered in gloom and shadow.
Sun's plan to escape now includes Jin instead of excluding him. She hasn't learned English in an attempt to escape to America, and probably hasn't cheated on him either. The two of them are very much in love, and Jin seems a lot softer and easier on Sun. The only thing he's upset about is losing the $25k, but even those thoughts quickly disappear as Sun mesmerizes him with her exceptional cleavage.
Man, That Razor Grass Is No Joke
Back on the island however, Sun is an angry gardener. After getting seven lines in eight episodes, maybe she read the script and found out she goes back to speaking Korean. Perhaps she learned that her own centric-episode doesn't even include the long-awaited Sun/Jin reunion. Either way, her plants and tomatoes pay the price.
Here the dark man approaches her, and this time he thinks he's got a sure thing. Offering Sun the opportunity to see her husband is an easy play, which is why he's so taken off guard when she refuses to accept his hand. Flocke can't force Sun to join him here, and he can't physically take her along. Not really having a plan B, he chases her desperately through the tall grass, just like he chased after the young blonde boy a few episodes back. The top-down camera work also reminded me of the polar bear running after Michael and Walt in season one. Very cool.
With each passing episode, the dark man continues to lose control. He's unused to people not doing what he wants. In the past he's killed whenever he needed to, but things are now different. Here, he's forced to try and finesse certain people into doing what he wants without being able to bash them against the nearest tree when they refuse. This is taxing on him - it's wearing him down, and his frustration is growing. The dark man is unable to disguise his impatience with "Something wrong, Claire?" and answering to an increasingly sarcastic Sawyer is taking its toll. His camp is rapidly coming apart, just as John Locke's own perfect little community began unraveling when he lead half the cast to New Otherton.
Tree branches like the one Sun hits her head on should start getting listed in the credits. As she becomes the umpteenth person to slip into unconsciousness this episode, we cut to:
Wow, Look at That! I Just Happened To 'Wake Up' in the Alternate Timeline!
Okay, hang on a second. Before we talk about what happens here, we have to examine the circumstances leading up to this flash-sideways. On-island Sun is knocked out cold, and off-island Sun is just waking up. We've seen this happen time and time again, most noticeably when Jack gets put under for his on-island appendectomy and immediately wakes up in the Oceanic Six timeline.
How many times does this have to happen before it becomes more than just a convenient plot device? Unconsciousness has always been associated with enlightenment. It's always worked as a transition between scenes and storylines... but what if it also acts as a transition between worlds? Remember sleeping Claire waking up in her flashback car crash during Par Avion? Remember Desmond hitting his head on the freighter and waking up in one of his flashes? I could list dozens and dozens of examples here, but there's really no need. The link between unconsciousness and making these journeys is as plain as the big frosty glass of Orange Julius they made Desmond drink on the sub-ride over.
"See you on the other side..." - Ben's words, right before Jack puts him under. Think he's just being cute here? Do you really think, when Sun looks into the mirror this episode, that she's not actually looking into the other side? That she really doesn't start to remember her past self? Do you think it's coincidence that Keamy's knock conveniently and pointedly pulls her back into the 'real' world, exactly the way Juliet got pulled out of her own little mirror staredown by the island burning her cookies?
I said it a few weeks ago, and Sawyer said it again last night: "Of course not. Because that would be ridiculous."
Watch Keamy's reaction as he introduces himself to Sun: he cocks his head and squints a little bit, almost as if to say "Don'tcha remember me?" There's actually a lot off about Keamy this episode - much more than usual. As a criminal we can all agree he's creepy awesome... but as someone who potentially knows things, he's got some pretty odd knowledge. Much more of this gets revealed later on, during his encounter with Jin in the walk-in fridge.
"She hits her head and forgets English? Are we supposed to buy that?" No Miles, we're not. I mean, yeah, some people may be buying it... but not me. And if you're reading this, hopefully not you either, because the mental transition from island to LAX back to island again hasn't caused Sun some obscure medical condition where she can no longer speak English, no matter how deep Jack digs into his patient history. No, what we're seeing here is the first concrete evidence of the next major reveal:
BIG Answer #3: The ALT Timeline is Actually Bleeding Through To the Island's Current Events
We're seeing LAX_Sun's non-English speaking skills carrying over to island_Sun, and at this point there shouldn't be much of a debate about that. The more important question to ask is this: how long has stuff like this been going on? Is Sun losing English the same thing as season one Claire losing her memories? As post-Swan Locke losing his ability to speak? As Desmond losing his clothes? Is this what's been happening to characters we've seen reset or rebooted, and if so, when did it start?
So many questions get potential answers here, it's actually kind of frightening. Were Desmond's "flashes" really just him experiencing the ALT timeline, but we were thrown off by this because he was visiting a past version of it? And while we're at it, exactly how many different timelines exist? Just because our LAX characters seem to have blasted themselves into the "Jughead" universe, it would be ignorant to assume there's only one. Was the Oceanic Six season nothing more than another alternate timeline, one in which Flight 815 really did hit the Indian ocean? Did Ben/Jacob really cure Juliet's sister's cancer, or was Mikhail pointing the Flame's monitor at a different timeline, in a different universe, on a different playground where that cancer didn't exist?
If Sun's memories starts crossing over from the ALT universe, where will they stop? Will all of our on-island characters begin 'remembering' their LAX lives? If so, it makes sense that everyone on the island would end up enlightened by their own off-island experiences. This might be what drives them to make the right decisions - ultimately breaking the seemingly endless cycle of repeating their own mistakes, and thus being the cause of their own suffering.
And if the two timelines merge, will it go both ways? Will the LAX characters gain sudden knowledge of their on-island experiences, and use them to move on with their lives? Is this where everyone's consciousness ends up when they die? Is this how on-island Juliet and on-island Sawyer can eventually go out for off-island coffee?
These are all tremendous questions. The floodgates have been opened here, starting with Sun smashing her head into that tree branch. The possibilities are endless. The stories can wind in any virtually direction. The merging of character consciousness allows for both timelines to remain relevant, and for both timelines to mean something. It seems to be the answer as to where everything is going, and yet at the same time it also seems to be something that's always been there.
Mikhail Still Rocks
Ah, it was good to see Mikhail again! Three whole seasons! While he didn't play a huge role, he still got to flash his trademark knowing smirk. He also got to scrap with Jin again, which he seems eternally destined to do. No matter how many different timelines there may be, it's good to see that some things never change. Jin's always destined to get the best of Mikhail, and the Russian is always fated to lose an eye.
Zoe Still Sucks
Remember how Nikki rubbed you the wrong way (there's a joke in there somewhere) back in S3? Zoe's done the same thing, and there's little chance of recovering from it. No matter what she does from this point forward, it'll be hard for her to make up ground. In a way, I feel somewhat bad for her. In other ways, I just want her off the screen so more important characters can speak.
Continuing our walk down memory lane this week is a nostalgic visit to Room 23. Speakers, wires, creepy Ring-like video... the room is revealed to be "nothing more" than one of Dharma's head games. Pockets of electromagnetism become suddenly important again, lending a more scientific approach to Charles Widmore's group. Here's a guy who shows up with expensive equipment and geophysicists instead of vials of ash and magic daggers. I thought it a little unlikely Widmore's sub brought enough of those cute little sonic fence posts to encircle the entire Hydra station, but if I can suspend disbelief far enough to include time travel I can certainly overlook crap like this.
Introducing Keamy's Gang of Misfit Bad Guys
Martin Keamy once again rocked. Still, there was an odd coincidence involving him and his crew of ruffians: they seemed to include all of LOST's biggest, baddest bad guys. Keamy and Omar are easy enough to put together, but they happen to be linked up with Mikhail too? All of them working for Paik? And when Keamy mentions another guy named "Danny", could he be referring to Danny Pickett - one of the all-time biggest pricks on the show? It felt like we were watching the LOST goon reunion, here. I half expected Phil to come stumbling out of the bathroom, zipping up his pants.
Let's go to the walk-in fridge, where Omar bangs Jin's head on the way in. "C'mon Omar, you gotta be more careful than that..." For a guy about to 'pop' someone, didn't Keamy seem overly concerned about what happened here? Was he just looking to keep things neat and tidy, or was Keamy concerned that Jin might go unconscious on them? Remember, unconsciousness = enlightenment. As far as I'm concerned, Keamy seems to somehow know this. He puts a wet cloth to Jin's head too, not out of caring or kindness but to wake him up. Before even talking to Jin, Keamy prefaces his speech by making sure he can't comprehend him, asking: "You don't understand what I'm sayin' to you right now? Nothing?"
This is, of course, when Keamy mentions THE ISLAND. Yeah, that's right - the island. There's no possible way you can convince me that Keamy didn't say "Just in case you figure out what's about to happen TO THE ISLAND..." here. Closed captioning can kiss my ass, that's what the man said. Maybe it doesn't mean anything, and the writers tossed it in as a joke to get us talking about it. Or maybe it means everything, and Jin - still in a daze from hitting his skull against a metal doorframe - heard Keamy correctly. Either way, we know something is going to happen to the island, back in the regular timeline anyway. Something that sinks it to the bottom of the ocean... probably something we'll see at the end of the show.
Keamy also makes reference to the heart, a reference that parallels his own connection to the heart-monitor bomb he hooked himself up to. His last line seems to foreshadow doom on the Sun/Jin relationship: "Some people just aren't meant to be together". I'm holding out for a happy ending, though. Jack's closing tomato reference represents Sun and Jin's relationship defying the odds. And besides, when Jacob shows up at your wedding? That just has to be good luck.
Razorblades, Garlic, Duct Tape...
Jin's limited view of the Sayid/Keamy encounter comes from inside the walk-in. I thought it fitting and cool that Sayid refused to cut Jin free, but still provided him with a means to do so. This repeats the "Moth" motif we've seen so often, allowing a character to experience personal struggle along the way to freedom or enlightenment. I thought of Locke giving Boone the knife during Hearts and Minds, and of Richard being given the nail needed to chip away at his own bonds last episode.
I'd be lying if I didn't say I asked myself a question: was Sayid fully himself? The carefree way he said "Good luck" (and with an almost evil smirk) belied a character who seemed so committed to caring for his niece and nephew a few episodes ago. It made me wonder if on-island Sayid's 'emptiness' was bleeding through to his LAX life. We already started to see this the moment he shot Keamy, and now we continue to see it in the following scene. Accepting this as fact, the merging of consciousness seems to go in both directions, and this is another huge piece of the puzzle.
BIG Answer #4: Ji-Yeon Does Exist In The Sideways Reality
In discussing the theory that the ALT reality will make up the show's final conclusion, I've always had one huge problem: Ji-Yeon. How could they write a suitable ending for Sun and Jin that didn't involve their daughter? They couldn't just forget all about her, and they couldn't strand her in the O6 timeline. Pretending she never existed was always a possibility, but that just seemed cheap and lame.
Here, bleeding all over Keamy's immaculate kitchen, Sun reveals that she's pregnant. For me, this one small moment changes everything. It lends tremendous evidence in favor of the LAX universe turning out to be the final timeline, because now this story has an ending. Ji-Yeon's place is established in both worlds, providing a satisfying conclusion to that whole story arc.
If you believe Jin's infertility was healed by the island, this could be even more evidence of bleeding through. LAX_Jin has never been to the island, yet somehow he's able to father a child. This could be chalked up as one of the things that are simply 'different' in the sideways timeline, or you could take it to mean there was island influence. Both theories work.
BIG Answer #5: The Smoke Monster Can't Cross Water Directly
For a while now, we've known about smokey's aversion to ash. He's not thrilled about sonic fences, and now we find out he can't cross water. This is the polar opposite of Jacob, whose healing essence seemed to be a very part of the spring water welling up inside the temple. Jacob also showed us he wasn't afraid to get wet when he stopped to give Richard a serious bath.
Being unable to cross the ocean, the island makes the perfect jail for the man in black. This could easily be why he's been imprisoned here, of all places. The fact that he can't cross bodies of water (without a boat, anyway) also gives us an answer to another long-standing question, although indirectly:
BIG Answer #6: Christian Shephard Couldn't Have Always Appeared As The Man In Black
The Christian we saw in the cabin? Yes. The Christian we saw on the freighter, talking to Michael? No way. Because of the dark man's aversion to water, this particular incarnation of Jack's father had to have been someone (or something) else.
But wait, there's more. Think about the Christian Shephard we saw in the Oceanic Six timeline, where Jack saw him at the hospital. This is when the smoke detector went off, prompting everyone (me included) to think we were looking at the smoke monster. Could this have been the man in black taking Christian's form? Not if we believe what the MIB tells us this episode. This leaves us with three possible scenarios:
a) The dark man takes a boat to Los Angeles, fucks with Jack's head, then takes a boat back to the island.
b) Jack Shephard never left the island at all, and the Oceanic timeline is pure bullshit.
c) Despite the smoke detector clue, Christian wasn't the smoke monster here.
You guys make the call, I think you already know my thoughts on this one.
No No No, You're Not Expendable! But on the Other Hand, if Something Were To "Happen" To Kate...
It's interesting how Flocke reaches out to touch Claire, just as she's questioning his motives. Maybe his "I need you" speech isn't enough - he needs to physically touch her in order to keep Claire on his team right now. It's a good thing Richard, Ben, Kate, and now Sun have all refused the dark man's hand when it was offered to them.
We pointedly learn here that Kate's name is not on the candidate wall, and I predict this information will hurt Flocke later on. Because of this he doesn't see her as a threat, but only as a tool needed to recruit his other three candidates. Once the dark man has Jack, Hurley, and Sun in his pocket, "whatever happens, happens". So in order to maintain her loyalty, he lets Claire envision shoving Kate out Ajira's emergency door once Lapidus flips off the seatbelt sign.
QUICK NOTE: Despite his self-proclaimed righteousness, these are not the actions of a "good" guy. Team Jacob is looking whiter and whiter each day.
Richard's Plan... Not Exactly A Bulletproof Masterpiece
Blowing up Ajira? Hurley drags Richard back from the brink of a soulless, evil existence, and this is the best he comes up with? It's no wonder Sun angrily balks at the idea. Now removed from both her daughter and her husband, Sun's understandably not on board with the whole destroy-the-plane agenda. Can't say I blame her either. Hopefully Richard comes up with something better than that... something more befitting of "He who would save us all".
BIG Answer #7: Widmore is Batting For Team Jacob
The Charles Widmore scenes told us a hell of a lot this episode. We learned that Widmore is indeed looking to stop the man in black, if not defeat him altogether. He's on some sort of timetable, and although seizing Jin seemed to be part of his overall plan, it was a part he wasn't yet ready for. He made the best of it though, and did a good job deflecting Jin's angry questions by leading off with photos of Ji-Yeon. Cool scene.
Widmore's confrontation with the man in black was eerie and cool. As a native of the island, Charles knows the MIB from "myth, ghost stories, and jungle noises in the night". Off-island however, it seems he's gained a more intimate knowledge of things. Specifically and perhaps most importantly, Widmore knows what will happen if they fail to stop the smoke monster from leaving the island.
Here's where alternative universes, parallel timelines, and even a little bit of science come into play. Widmore explains to Jin that unless they stop the MIB's army, "everyone we know and love would simply cease to be." I took this in the most basic and direct of ways; if the dark man were to succeed, a new universe would spawn in which everyone and everything would no longer be. It's impossible to say how or why this would happen, but judging from the way Widmore presents the issue it's not hard to believe him. He goes on to tell Jin that he came to "make sure that doesn't happen", and his primary weapon with which to fight the man in black? Desmond.
BIG Answer #8: The Island Isn't Finished With Desmond Yet - Not by a Longshot
Desmond is more than just a favorite character - he's perhaps the one person who's been thrust through LOST's loop fully and completely. Faraday's assertion that Desmond is uniquely and miraculously special seems to be finally coming to fruition: Widmore's gone to great lengths to bring him back to the island again. Whatever powers Desmond obtained when he turned the failsafe key may be the same powers needed to stop the MIB from leaving the island. How's that going to happen? Great question.
The Package was filled with all good stuff - a lot more than I thought we'd get. It gave us a glimpse into the future of LOST, and it handed us answers to some very big questions. In the end it even delivered a savior: Desmond Hume, a character responsible for some of the highest-rated episodes in all of LOST. As has been theorized by many people for many years, it's only fitting that he be the possible key to the end of the show.
Everything Changes: "The Package" - Recap by Robz888
So most of you didn't like it, eh? I actually really enjoyed this episode, and for more reasons than just the last ten seconds.
It's been so long since we've seen Jin and Sun together, and while I was really hoping for a Kwon reunion on the island, their Alternate Timeline (ATL) satisfied some of what I've been missing.
By the way, I have to admit that the Flocke-is-evil people went a long way toward winning me over in this episode. Now that it's clear Flocke has given Claire and Kate conflicting goals, I'm not so sure how much we can trust what he says. Also, Charles Widmore, despite doing plenty of kidnapping, doesn't seem to harbor evil intentions for the island or the survivors at this point, so the fact that he is ready to go to war with Flocke doesn't speak well for Flocke.
But who knows? With Desmond back in play, it's anybody's game.
It's been so long since we've seen Jin and Sun together, and while I was really hoping for a Kwon reunion on the island, their Alternate Timeline (ATL) satisfied some of what I've been missing.
By the way, I have to admit that the Flocke-is-evil people went a long way toward winning me over in this episode. Now that it's clear Flocke has given Claire and Kate conflicting goals, I'm not so sure how much we can trust what he says. Also, Charles Widmore, despite doing plenty of kidnapping, doesn't seem to harbor evil intentions for the island or the survivors at this point, so the fact that he is ready to go to war with Flocke doesn't speak well for Flocke.
But who knows? With Desmond back in play, it's anybody's game.
MR. KWON AND MS. PAIK
The ATL storyline begins right after the safe landing of Oceanic 815. Jin's problem with customs officials has led to the loss of the $25,000 that he was bringing to a meeting in a restaurant, which we already knows is with Martin Keamy. We soon learn that neither Jin nor Sun speak English, and they aren't actually married. Were any of you concerned that they wouldn't be in love at all? Thankfully, despite Jin's honest effort to keep up appearances by insisting on separate hotel rooms, the Koreans are still a couple, and spend a romantic evening in the hotel together.
But let's back up just a second. When checking into the hotel, Jin and Sun make sure to clear their respective last names with the front desk. Jin is a Kwon and Sun is a Paik. Of course, the last name issue is very critical to on-island Jin and Sun. Was this a hint that the candidate is Jin? I would have guessed Sun, since she's typically been the more "main" character of the two, but Jin's star has been rising for the last two seasons, so we'll see.
In the hotel room, Sun has a secret, but before we learn what it is (she's pregnant, obviously - saw that coming a mile away, didn't we?), Keamy and Omar barge in. He wants his watch and he wants his money. When Sun and Jin only have one of those things, they call "Danny's friend" (Pickett, right? Doubt we'll see him, though), Mikhail. The result is a really awkward scene at Sun's bank, where she learns she doesn't have the money to pay them.
Meanwhile, Keamy ties Jin up in his freezer dropping a bombshell on him that Jin doesn't understand: the $25,000 is Keamy's compensation for killing Jin. Keamy's speech is simultaneously threatening and almost touching - and while he's talking, he treats a bleeding wound on Jin's head. Anybody notice how prominently blood and the color red were featured in this episode? (In addition to the irritating red "V" at the bottom of the screen, announcing that show's return.)
Sayid frees Jin, or rather, allows Jin to free himself. It was very strange, but this Sayid seemed more emotionally distant than the ATL Sayid in the flashes of "Sundown". This could be because he had just shot three people, or it could be subconscious crossover from the Main Timeline (MTL). "I don't feel anything," Sayid told Flocke. This seemed very much like a Sayid who also didn't feel anything.
Oh, it turns out Keamy isn't completely dead yet. I wonder if he'll show up again? I hope so. Really a great character in both realities.
Mikhail arrives with Sun, and a fight ensues between him and Jin, which ends, awesomely, with Mikhail shot through his eye. Ah, destiny.
But in the process, Sun is accidentally shot, and as Jin carries her away, she reveals that she is pregnant. Sun, I believe, is the first main character in mortal peril in the ATL. Maybe things can only end happily in one reality and not the other? Maybe this bodes well for the on-island couple? Well, I expect Sun to pull through. A checkup with Dr. Jack Shephard should fix her, right?
But let's back up just a second. When checking into the hotel, Jin and Sun make sure to clear their respective last names with the front desk. Jin is a Kwon and Sun is a Paik. Of course, the last name issue is very critical to on-island Jin and Sun. Was this a hint that the candidate is Jin? I would have guessed Sun, since she's typically been the more "main" character of the two, but Jin's star has been rising for the last two seasons, so we'll see.
In the hotel room, Sun has a secret, but before we learn what it is (she's pregnant, obviously - saw that coming a mile away, didn't we?), Keamy and Omar barge in. He wants his watch and he wants his money. When Sun and Jin only have one of those things, they call "Danny's friend" (Pickett, right? Doubt we'll see him, though), Mikhail. The result is a really awkward scene at Sun's bank, where she learns she doesn't have the money to pay them.
Meanwhile, Keamy ties Jin up in his freezer dropping a bombshell on him that Jin doesn't understand: the $25,000 is Keamy's compensation for killing Jin. Keamy's speech is simultaneously threatening and almost touching - and while he's talking, he treats a bleeding wound on Jin's head. Anybody notice how prominently blood and the color red were featured in this episode? (In addition to the irritating red "V" at the bottom of the screen, announcing that show's return.)
Sayid frees Jin, or rather, allows Jin to free himself. It was very strange, but this Sayid seemed more emotionally distant than the ATL Sayid in the flashes of "Sundown". This could be because he had just shot three people, or it could be subconscious crossover from the Main Timeline (MTL). "I don't feel anything," Sayid told Flocke. This seemed very much like a Sayid who also didn't feel anything.
Oh, it turns out Keamy isn't completely dead yet. I wonder if he'll show up again? I hope so. Really a great character in both realities.
Mikhail arrives with Sun, and a fight ensues between him and Jin, which ends, awesomely, with Mikhail shot through his eye. Ah, destiny.
But in the process, Sun is accidentally shot, and as Jin carries her away, she reveals that she is pregnant. Sun, I believe, is the first main character in mortal peril in the ATL. Maybe things can only end happily in one reality and not the other? Maybe this bodes well for the on-island couple? Well, I expect Sun to pull through. A checkup with Dr. Jack Shephard should fix her, right?
NOT YOUR GARDEN VARIETY BUMP ON THE HEAD
At the Beach Camp, morale is low. Ilana, perhaps the last devout follower of Jacob, believes that Hurley will bring Richard back and Richard will explain what to do, which is pretty much exactly what does happen, but before it does, they doubt her. Sun is particularly frustrated with the lack of finding Jin, and stomps off to check out her garden. Jack follows her and tries to explain the importance of the lighthouse - there was a surprising amount of characters sharing information this episode - but she doesn't really care and tells him to leave.
Next, Flocke pays Sun a visit, explains that he found Jin and asks her to come back with him. He says that she has a choice, that he would never make anyone follow him against their will. Even if the Man in Black is evil, I genuinely think that Flocke's hatred of Jacob extends to their divergent operating philosophies. Again and again, we've seen Flocke give someone the choice to obey him. Richard said no in 1867, and the Man in Black left him alone for a century and a half. So at least some of the time, MIB does take no for an answer. Other times, it's obey or die - which is what happened to the Temple Others, ultimately making Sun uneasy about joining him and causing her to flee from him instead.
I also thought it was noteworthy that Sun cut herself just before Flock appeared.
Aside from just keeping with the "red" theme of this episode, I don't know how to interpret this. It was certainly very foreboding, though, for Flocke to appear at that moment. For some reason, I couldn't shake the idea that Flocke's very proximity to Sun caused it. Randall Flagg/Walter, the Stephen King archvillian to whom MIB is often compared, would inadvertently kill small animals and cause headaches in the young and the elderly (I think) just by being around them.
Flocke soon causes Sun a more serious injury. Admittedly, the effect was a little difficult to believe for just a bump on the head: she can't speak in English anymore, though she can still understand it. This has happened before - to John Locke in "Further Instructions", interestingly enough. In that instance, it was caused by John's proximity to the implosion of the Swan. Does this mean electromagnetism is involved in the loss of speech? Maybe the Man in Black is really just a walking, talking, pocket of electromagnetic black smoke, and encountering him can have such an effect.
We know that electromagnetism can cause consciousness teleportation. Perhaps Flocke was able to force her to channel herself in the other reality, where she doesn't know English. If Flocke has that power, we might have just seen our first glimpse of how the ATL could ultimately factor in to the MTL. Flocke might be the link between these two realities.
Maybe I'm reaching. It's also conceivable that Sun's weird loss of English was caused by a variety of other things. Maybe Flocke has that power because it happened to John Locke, and he can use aspects of John Locke's personality and memories. Maybe it was caused by a subconscious connection to her flash-sideways character (whose inability to understand English was placing her in mortal peril), and Flocke wasn't involved. Or hey, maybe it really is just a bump on the head.
There wasn't very much else interesting going on at the Beach Camp. Richard returns with Hurley, fired up about stopping Flocke by destroying the Hydra plan (with an atomic bomb! Nope, just kidding). They plan to head for Hydra Island, and Jack eventually convinces Sun to come, even though she's reluctant. Jack brings her a tomato from her garden - the only one that didn't die. Again, the color red.
It looks like a little heart, doesn't it? Keamy talks about the heart, too (in the "love" sense rather than the "organ" sense). Maybe this whole "red" thing - again, apart from being an annoying reminder that "V" was coming back - was supposed to make us think about love vs. violence, the color's two main interpretations. "The Package" certainly contained a fair share of both.
Finally, Sun chooses to go with Jack. Interestingly enough, he reaches his hand out to her just as Flocke did. Jack is also "talking destiny" just like his old enemy, John Locke. And the character inhabiting John Locke, is definitively anti-destiny.
Sun doesn't regain her ability to speak English, and settles for writing things down - again, very John-like from "Further Instructions". As Boone told John in that episode, "You'll speak when you have something worth saying."
Next, Flocke pays Sun a visit, explains that he found Jin and asks her to come back with him. He says that she has a choice, that he would never make anyone follow him against their will. Even if the Man in Black is evil, I genuinely think that Flocke's hatred of Jacob extends to their divergent operating philosophies. Again and again, we've seen Flocke give someone the choice to obey him. Richard said no in 1867, and the Man in Black left him alone for a century and a half. So at least some of the time, MIB does take no for an answer. Other times, it's obey or die - which is what happened to the Temple Others, ultimately making Sun uneasy about joining him and causing her to flee from him instead.
I also thought it was noteworthy that Sun cut herself just before Flock appeared.
Aside from just keeping with the "red" theme of this episode, I don't know how to interpret this. It was certainly very foreboding, though, for Flocke to appear at that moment. For some reason, I couldn't shake the idea that Flocke's very proximity to Sun caused it. Randall Flagg/Walter, the Stephen King archvillian to whom MIB is often compared, would inadvertently kill small animals and cause headaches in the young and the elderly (I think) just by being around them.
Flocke soon causes Sun a more serious injury. Admittedly, the effect was a little difficult to believe for just a bump on the head: she can't speak in English anymore, though she can still understand it. This has happened before - to John Locke in "Further Instructions", interestingly enough. In that instance, it was caused by John's proximity to the implosion of the Swan. Does this mean electromagnetism is involved in the loss of speech? Maybe the Man in Black is really just a walking, talking, pocket of electromagnetic black smoke, and encountering him can have such an effect.
We know that electromagnetism can cause consciousness teleportation. Perhaps Flocke was able to force her to channel herself in the other reality, where she doesn't know English. If Flocke has that power, we might have just seen our first glimpse of how the ATL could ultimately factor in to the MTL. Flocke might be the link between these two realities.
Maybe I'm reaching. It's also conceivable that Sun's weird loss of English was caused by a variety of other things. Maybe Flocke has that power because it happened to John Locke, and he can use aspects of John Locke's personality and memories. Maybe it was caused by a subconscious connection to her flash-sideways character (whose inability to understand English was placing her in mortal peril), and Flocke wasn't involved. Or hey, maybe it really is just a bump on the head.
There wasn't very much else interesting going on at the Beach Camp. Richard returns with Hurley, fired up about stopping Flocke by destroying the Hydra plan (with an atomic bomb! Nope, just kidding). They plan to head for Hydra Island, and Jack eventually convinces Sun to come, even though she's reluctant. Jack brings her a tomato from her garden - the only one that didn't die. Again, the color red.
It looks like a little heart, doesn't it? Keamy talks about the heart, too (in the "love" sense rather than the "organ" sense). Maybe this whole "red" thing - again, apart from being an annoying reminder that "V" was coming back - was supposed to make us think about love vs. violence, the color's two main interpretations. "The Package" certainly contained a fair share of both.
Finally, Sun chooses to go with Jack. Interestingly enough, he reaches his hand out to her just as Flocke did. Jack is also "talking destiny" just like his old enemy, John Locke. And the character inhabiting John Locke, is definitively anti-destiny.
Sun doesn't regain her ability to speak English, and settles for writing things down - again, very John-like from "Further Instructions". As Boone told John in that episode, "You'll speak when you have something worth saying."
PACKAGE DELIVERED
When Flocke leaves his camp to visit Sun, Widmore's team strikes, knocking everybody out with stun darts. The only person they want, though, is Jin. We later learn that it was Zoe who headed this operation. Good thing she's a geophysicist and not a mercenary. Keamy would have just killed everyone and grabbed Jin.
I think it is significant that Widmore didn't bring the usual crowd to the island this time. Ever since his conversation with Desmond in "Jughead", Charles has seemed to me like a sort of reformed bad guy who genuinely regretted the consequences of putting Keamy on the island. In many ways, Charles's plan seems to be a repeat of his Season Four plan - bring scientists to the island to investigate strange properties - but with less violence.
They put Jin in Room 23, but only to hold him, not brainwash him. What Zoe is really interested in is a map of energy pockets on the island that was signed by Jin back in his Dharma days.
Ben told John in season 4 that Widmore wanted control of the island in order to exploit its unique properties, which could explain Widmore's interest in the energy pockets. I doubt it, though, since I think Charles is mostly a good guy at this point. As I've said, I think the electromagnetic energy might correspond to Flocke, the other reality, or both, and I think that sort of explains Widmore's interest. Also, now that we know a certain Scotsman with a special connection to electromagnetism is back on the island, Jin's knowledge of the location of the pockets could be especially important.
I couldn't make heads or tails of that map, since it didn't at all resemble Rousseau's. But even if it did, there's enough discontinuity in island geography to make the formulation of a realistic island map pretty much impossible. I actually drew a map for a Lost-inspired Risk game board after season three and another one after season four, and I promise you that things aren't where they should be.
In any case, we know where some of the pockets are. The Swan is built on top of the seemingly most powerful one, and the Orchid is atop another.
Zoe takes Jin to Charles, who give him Sun's camera from the Ajira flight, complete with pictures of his daughter. Good for Jin. This guy deserves a break every once in awhile.
Charles explains that if Flocke leaves the island, everyone they know and love will "cease to be". His choice of words here was very interesting. He didn't say everyone would die or be killed, he said they would cease to be, as if Flocke leaving the island would cause a reset of its own.
Meanwhile, Flocke has come to Hydra Island for Jin. He can't cross the pylons (I bet they have ash in them, and I bet the old Dharma ones did, too), so he and Charles exchange words from opposite sides of this do-not-cross line. Charles reveals that he knows less about MIB than I would have guessed, a combination of "myth, ghost stories, and jungle noises in the night". I assume he gathered this limited amount of information during his reign as leader of the Others. Flocke demonstrates once again that he has access to John's memories by quoting Widmore's speech to John: "a war is coming."
It sounds like an important tool in that war will be "the package", which is soon hauled off the sub by Zoe and that dorky mercenary guy (watched from the ocean by soulless, swimming Sayid). DESMOND IS BACK!
I'm excited that Desmond has an important role to play in the endgame. As Daniel Faraday pointed out in season 5, Desmond is "uniquely special". "The rules don't apply" to him. And if the secret to Flocke's power does turn out to be electromagnetic pockets, Desmond is the man for the job of defeating him. No one has been zapped with more sheer island energy than the key-turning Scotsman. Maybe he'll be able to turn into a white smoke monster and the two of them can battle out.
Seriously though, ever since Desmond kept Charlie alive long enough to shut down the Looking Glass station, I've thought that Desmond and Desmond alone has the power to change things, to operate outside the "whatever happened, happened" framework. Remember in "Because You Left" when the Swan hatch version of himself was able to send a message to his post-island self? Only Desmond can do that. It will be interesting to see if such powers extend not only through time, but through reality itself.
I think it is significant that Widmore didn't bring the usual crowd to the island this time. Ever since his conversation with Desmond in "Jughead", Charles has seemed to me like a sort of reformed bad guy who genuinely regretted the consequences of putting Keamy on the island. In many ways, Charles's plan seems to be a repeat of his Season Four plan - bring scientists to the island to investigate strange properties - but with less violence.
They put Jin in Room 23, but only to hold him, not brainwash him. What Zoe is really interested in is a map of energy pockets on the island that was signed by Jin back in his Dharma days.
Ben told John in season 4 that Widmore wanted control of the island in order to exploit its unique properties, which could explain Widmore's interest in the energy pockets. I doubt it, though, since I think Charles is mostly a good guy at this point. As I've said, I think the electromagnetic energy might correspond to Flocke, the other reality, or both, and I think that sort of explains Widmore's interest. Also, now that we know a certain Scotsman with a special connection to electromagnetism is back on the island, Jin's knowledge of the location of the pockets could be especially important.
I couldn't make heads or tails of that map, since it didn't at all resemble Rousseau's. But even if it did, there's enough discontinuity in island geography to make the formulation of a realistic island map pretty much impossible. I actually drew a map for a Lost-inspired Risk game board after season three and another one after season four, and I promise you that things aren't where they should be.
In any case, we know where some of the pockets are. The Swan is built on top of the seemingly most powerful one, and the Orchid is atop another.
Zoe takes Jin to Charles, who give him Sun's camera from the Ajira flight, complete with pictures of his daughter. Good for Jin. This guy deserves a break every once in awhile.
Charles explains that if Flocke leaves the island, everyone they know and love will "cease to be". His choice of words here was very interesting. He didn't say everyone would die or be killed, he said they would cease to be, as if Flocke leaving the island would cause a reset of its own.
Meanwhile, Flocke has come to Hydra Island for Jin. He can't cross the pylons (I bet they have ash in them, and I bet the old Dharma ones did, too), so he and Charles exchange words from opposite sides of this do-not-cross line. Charles reveals that he knows less about MIB than I would have guessed, a combination of "myth, ghost stories, and jungle noises in the night". I assume he gathered this limited amount of information during his reign as leader of the Others. Flocke demonstrates once again that he has access to John's memories by quoting Widmore's speech to John: "a war is coming."
It sounds like an important tool in that war will be "the package", which is soon hauled off the sub by Zoe and that dorky mercenary guy (watched from the ocean by soulless, swimming Sayid). DESMOND IS BACK!
I'm excited that Desmond has an important role to play in the endgame. As Daniel Faraday pointed out in season 5, Desmond is "uniquely special". "The rules don't apply" to him. And if the secret to Flocke's power does turn out to be electromagnetic pockets, Desmond is the man for the job of defeating him. No one has been zapped with more sheer island energy than the key-turning Scotsman. Maybe he'll be able to turn into a white smoke monster and the two of them can battle out.
Seriously though, ever since Desmond kept Charlie alive long enough to shut down the Looking Glass station, I've thought that Desmond and Desmond alone has the power to change things, to operate outside the "whatever happened, happened" framework. Remember in "Because You Left" when the Swan hatch version of himself was able to send a message to his post-island self? Only Desmond can do that. It will be interesting to see if such powers extend not only through time, but through reality itself.
OTHER THOUGHTS
Whether it was Charles Widmore or Desmond specifically, Jacob wanted that sub to come to the island in "Lighthouse". I would be willing to bet that Jacob appeared to Widmore off-island and told him to get his act together and bring Desmond to the island.
Recall that 108, the number to which Hurley was supposed to turn the wheel in the lighthouse, bore the crossed out name, "Wallace". According to Lostpedia, the novel A Wrinkle in Time (which appears on Sawyer's dresser in "Recon") has a character named Charles Wallace. This Wallace is psychic, messes with time, and appears as an evil cloud called The Black Thing.
I alluded to it in my intro, but Flocke pitting Kate and Claire against each other makes me think he might be mostly bad, after all. He still represents philosophical opposition to Jacob/destiny, though. He borrowed the phrase of inescapable destiny, "whatever happens, happens", but in the context in which he said it, it meant "anything can happen", which is the opposite of what it usually means.
Also, he confirmed that Kate and Claire are not candidates. But Ilana said that there are six candidates left: Jack, Hurley, Sawyer, Sayid, Jin/Sun, and ...? Her information is outdated, though, and may have included John Locke, who wasn't crossed out until recently.
I'm very excited to see what Lost has in store for Desmond. Until next week,
- Robby "Robz888"
Recall that 108, the number to which Hurley was supposed to turn the wheel in the lighthouse, bore the crossed out name, "Wallace". According to Lostpedia, the novel A Wrinkle in Time (which appears on Sawyer's dresser in "Recon") has a character named Charles Wallace. This Wallace is psychic, messes with time, and appears as an evil cloud called The Black Thing.
I alluded to it in my intro, but Flocke pitting Kate and Claire against each other makes me think he might be mostly bad, after all. He still represents philosophical opposition to Jacob/destiny, though. He borrowed the phrase of inescapable destiny, "whatever happens, happens", but in the context in which he said it, it meant "anything can happen", which is the opposite of what it usually means.
Also, he confirmed that Kate and Claire are not candidates. But Ilana said that there are six candidates left: Jack, Hurley, Sawyer, Sayid, Jin/Sun, and ...? Her information is outdated, though, and may have included John Locke, who wasn't crossed out until recently.
I'm very excited to see what Lost has in store for Desmond. Until next week,
- Robby "Robz888"
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Sean's Random Thoughts - Lost Recap - "The Package"
Please welcome Sean Furfaro who will be doing some brief reviews/recaps of the episode right after they air. You can see his previous articles here: http://sfurfaro.blogspot.com
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When I saw last week's preview that this was a Sun/Jin episode, I wasn't really looking forward to it. As I've mentioned in some of my previous posts, Sun has become a useless character, and Jin has been irrelevant except as a reason to show gory leg wounds. On top of that, to follow up the absolute magic of "Ab Aeterno" last week (which upon further consideration, may actually be the best episode ever), with a Kwon episode seemed like a letdown.
I was confused by the night vision goggles scene to open the show, but then I realized that we were being told that Widmore's people were watching Flocke's camp. As we switched away from night vision, we saw Flocke talking to Jin, whose leg is healing miraculously well. Flocke came across as helpful, telling Jin about the name "Kwon" on the cave wall, but that he was unclear on whether it meant Jin or Sun.
He then went on to say that all of the people on that wall had to leave together if they were going to get off the Island. More rules? If it's not stabbing rules for the Magic Dagger, and that Ben and Charles can't kill each other's daughter...now we have more rules?
Back in the Flash Sideways (which I will refer to as "FS" for the rest of this post since I will be flipping back and forth often), Jin and Sun finally were released from customs, minus the $25,000 that Jin had in his bag. As soon as he mentioned that he had a meeting at "the restaurant", I knew we were going to see Keamy again.
(Note: While I attempted to shield my eyes once again from the guest stars, I wasn't fast enough, and saw Andrew Divoff, which told me that we would be seeing Patchy again. Damn...I love a surprise.)
At the hotel checkin counter, Sun made a point of using her maiden name, and then we learned that in this reality, Jin and Sun were NOT married. At this point, I made a conscious decision that the "Kwon" on Jacob's wall meant Jin. Period. It was a purposeful attempt by the writers to tell us this with this scene.
Back on the Island, as Sayid explained to Flocke that he could no longer feel anything, Flocke told him "Maybe that's best Sayid. It'll help you get through what's coming." It pains me to think of the Black Tank Top Of Death turning on his fellow Lostaways and becoming a killing machine for Flocke.
Immediately after this scene, Jin and Sawyer argued about the deal that Sawyer made with Flocke, and Jin yelled "It doesn't matter who you made a deal with!" I thought that Daniel Dae Kim did a great job of channelling The Rock in this scene.
And then we got the return of the darts. Oh how I've missed the darts. It's been so long since we've seen our Lostaways slap their neck as they are impaled with these tiny unconsciousness-inducing darts. THAT'S the answer I want from Damon and Carlton...what the hell is in those darts!?
Miles: "Unless Alpert's covered in bacon grease, I'm not sure Hurley can track anything." Ok...that was pretty funny.
Jack was explaining to Sun about the Lighthouse, but Sun wasn't hearing any of it. She cut Jack off and made a point of saying that she didn't believe (or care) that they were there for any sort of reason or purpose. Jack tried to explain more, which says to me that he apparently has looked out at the ocean long enough and is now ready to play his part. And with 6 episodes left, let me speak for all of us when I say IT'S ABOUT FRACKING TIME!
Flocke found Sun at her garden, and tempted her with the offer of a reunion with Jin. Sun questioned him on his actions at the Temple, and he launched into a very revealing explanation of how they were "confused." He then offered his hand to Sun (as he did to Kate a couple of episodes back) and Sun refused, as Kate did. There is clearly some sort of response/reaction to being touched by Flocke, just as there was with Jacob.
He then made a very clear point of saying to Sun, "I would never make you do anything against your will", explaining that she had a choice. There we are again with the Free Will subtext we've heard about so often. Does Flocke simply kill those who make the choice he doesn't agree with? Sun made her choice by running...into a tree.
In the FS World, Jin intoned that Sun was only accompanying him on this business trip for her father, as a way to work in a shopping trip. We then got a sultry unbuttoning scene from Sun and learned that while they were not married in this Sideways World, they were indeed engaging in a little Korean nookie. Which says to me that Sun just enjoys banging men that she's not married to! (Remember Jae Lee?)
But it's not just the hookup...Jin and Sun are in love (awwwwww), and just before Sun can reveal something to Jin that he "needs to know" (come on, a blind monkey can see this one coming), there is a knock at the door, and it's Keamy.
Keamy made his way into Sun's room in all of his creepy glory...and can I just say how uttery fantastic Kevin Durand has been in his revitalized role as Lost's ultimate bastard? If there were "Bad Guy Oscars", Durand would have one locked up. But I digress...
Back on the Island, Sun woke up from her George of the Jungle impression with a nice bruise on her head, and speaking Korean. I immediately thought that there has to be a connection between the two worlds when she started speaking in Korean, something I have been reluctant to consider until now. And it happened right after Sun looked in the mirror, which has happened to everyone in the FS World. What is the relevance/importance of the mirror? It's not an accident that we saw Jack smashing mirrors in the Lighthouse...mirrors that allowed Jacob to see them all.
Jin woke up to find himself in an enclosed room, which I recognized (hoped?) as Room 23 on Hydra Island. This was confirmed when we saw Jin pull a switch and see a preview trailer of the movie that Karl was being forced to watch. But then in walks Liz Lemon, oops, I mean Zoe, and the way she was presented to Jin--as a sympathetic doctor-type, smiling and holding a folder--it was an obvious parallel to the way that Jack met Juliet. Relevant? Probably not...but maybe...
The scene between Flocke and Claire-sseau was very interesting. Not for the fact that Flocke confirmed that Kate's name was not on the wall, or that he essentially gave Claire the green light to kill Kate once they got everyone together, but for the fact that he said that he still needed to gather 3 people. Ok, so who are the 3 people? Jack and Hugo are obvious, but who is the third? My guess is that it's Frank, to fly the plane.
Sawyer: "What do you need a boat for? Can't you just turn into smoke and fly your ass over the water?"
Flocke: "Do you think if I could do that, I would still be on this Island?"
I mentioned this exchange between Flocke to point out that it appears that Flocke is now locked...as Locke. (Oooh...I like that one. You heard it here first!) By that I mean that he is trapped in that form and can't act as the Smoke Monster as he used to? But what happened at the Temple, then? Ilana mentioned at one point that the longer he stays in that form, that there are effects. Or maybe it just means that he can't travel across water...which would make sense that an island is his "prison."
Ben: "Why won't you believe me?"
"Pack your bags. We're leaving", he told them.
And when Jin and Mikhail were about to face off, I was expecting some serious Jackie Chan-type shit to go down, but it just devolved into a shooting contest where Jin fired out Mikhail's eye (hence Patchy!), and also shot Sun in the process. As he carried a bleeding Sun out of the kitchen, she told him the worst-kept secret in this episode, that she was pregnant.
Next week: The Return of Desmond...Brutha!
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When I saw last week's preview that this was a Sun/Jin episode, I wasn't really looking forward to it. As I've mentioned in some of my previous posts, Sun has become a useless character, and Jin has been irrelevant except as a reason to show gory leg wounds. On top of that, to follow up the absolute magic of "Ab Aeterno" last week (which upon further consideration, may actually be the best episode ever), with a Kwon episode seemed like a letdown.I was confused by the night vision goggles scene to open the show, but then I realized that we were being told that Widmore's people were watching Flocke's camp. As we switched away from night vision, we saw Flocke talking to Jin, whose leg is healing miraculously well. Flocke came across as helpful, telling Jin about the name "Kwon" on the cave wall, but that he was unclear on whether it meant Jin or Sun.
He then went on to say that all of the people on that wall had to leave together if they were going to get off the Island. More rules? If it's not stabbing rules for the Magic Dagger, and that Ben and Charles can't kill each other's daughter...now we have more rules?
Back in the Flash Sideways (which I will refer to as "FS" for the rest of this post since I will be flipping back and forth often), Jin and Sun finally were released from customs, minus the $25,000 that Jin had in his bag. As soon as he mentioned that he had a meeting at "the restaurant", I knew we were going to see Keamy again.
(Note: While I attempted to shield my eyes once again from the guest stars, I wasn't fast enough, and saw Andrew Divoff, which told me that we would be seeing Patchy again. Damn...I love a surprise.)
At the hotel checkin counter, Sun made a point of using her maiden name, and then we learned that in this reality, Jin and Sun were NOT married. At this point, I made a conscious decision that the "Kwon" on Jacob's wall meant Jin. Period. It was a purposeful attempt by the writers to tell us this with this scene.
Back on the Island, as Sayid explained to Flocke that he could no longer feel anything, Flocke told him "Maybe that's best Sayid. It'll help you get through what's coming." It pains me to think of the Black Tank Top Of Death turning on his fellow Lostaways and becoming a killing machine for Flocke.
Immediately after this scene, Jin and Sawyer argued about the deal that Sawyer made with Flocke, and Jin yelled "It doesn't matter who you made a deal with!" I thought that Daniel Dae Kim did a great job of channelling The Rock in this scene.
And then we got the return of the darts. Oh how I've missed the darts. It's been so long since we've seen our Lostaways slap their neck as they are impaled with these tiny unconsciousness-inducing darts. THAT'S the answer I want from Damon and Carlton...what the hell is in those darts!?
Miles: "Unless Alpert's covered in bacon grease, I'm not sure Hurley can track anything." Ok...that was pretty funny.
Jack was explaining to Sun about the Lighthouse, but Sun wasn't hearing any of it. She cut Jack off and made a point of saying that she didn't believe (or care) that they were there for any sort of reason or purpose. Jack tried to explain more, which says to me that he apparently has looked out at the ocean long enough and is now ready to play his part. And with 6 episodes left, let me speak for all of us when I say IT'S ABOUT FRACKING TIME!
Flocke found Sun at her garden, and tempted her with the offer of a reunion with Jin. Sun questioned him on his actions at the Temple, and he launched into a very revealing explanation of how they were "confused." He then offered his hand to Sun (as he did to Kate a couple of episodes back) and Sun refused, as Kate did. There is clearly some sort of response/reaction to being touched by Flocke, just as there was with Jacob.
He then made a very clear point of saying to Sun, "I would never make you do anything against your will", explaining that she had a choice. There we are again with the Free Will subtext we've heard about so often. Does Flocke simply kill those who make the choice he doesn't agree with? Sun made her choice by running...into a tree.In the FS World, Jin intoned that Sun was only accompanying him on this business trip for her father, as a way to work in a shopping trip. We then got a sultry unbuttoning scene from Sun and learned that while they were not married in this Sideways World, they were indeed engaging in a little Korean nookie. Which says to me that Sun just enjoys banging men that she's not married to! (Remember Jae Lee?)
But it's not just the hookup...Jin and Sun are in love (awwwwww), and just before Sun can reveal something to Jin that he "needs to know" (come on, a blind monkey can see this one coming), there is a knock at the door, and it's Keamy.
Keamy made his way into Sun's room in all of his creepy glory...and can I just say how uttery fantastic Kevin Durand has been in his revitalized role as Lost's ultimate bastard? If there were "Bad Guy Oscars", Durand would have one locked up. But I digress...Back on the Island, Sun woke up from her George of the Jungle impression with a nice bruise on her head, and speaking Korean. I immediately thought that there has to be a connection between the two worlds when she started speaking in Korean, something I have been reluctant to consider until now. And it happened right after Sun looked in the mirror, which has happened to everyone in the FS World. What is the relevance/importance of the mirror? It's not an accident that we saw Jack smashing mirrors in the Lighthouse...mirrors that allowed Jacob to see them all.
Jin woke up to find himself in an enclosed room, which I recognized (hoped?) as Room 23 on Hydra Island. This was confirmed when we saw Jin pull a switch and see a preview trailer of the movie that Karl was being forced to watch. But then in walks Liz Lemon, oops, I mean Zoe, and the way she was presented to Jin--as a sympathetic doctor-type, smiling and holding a folder--it was an obvious parallel to the way that Jack met Juliet. Relevant? Probably not...but maybe...
The scene between Flocke and Claire-sseau was very interesting. Not for the fact that Flocke confirmed that Kate's name was not on the wall, or that he essentially gave Claire the green light to kill Kate once they got everyone together, but for the fact that he said that he still needed to gather 3 people. Ok, so who are the 3 people? Jack and Hugo are obvious, but who is the third? My guess is that it's Frank, to fly the plane.
Sawyer: "What do you need a boat for? Can't you just turn into smoke and fly your ass over the water?"Flocke: "Do you think if I could do that, I would still be on this Island?"
I mentioned this exchange between Flocke to point out that it appears that Flocke is now locked...as Locke. (Oooh...I like that one. You heard it here first!) By that I mean that he is trapped in that form and can't act as the Smoke Monster as he used to? But what happened at the Temple, then? Ilana mentioned at one point that the longer he stays in that form, that there are effects. Or maybe it just means that he can't travel across water...which would make sense that an island is his "prison."
Ben: "Why won't you believe me?"Ilana: "Because you're speaking."
Oh snap...Ilana just told him, didn't she? I have to admit, it was a pretty funny line.
Richard Alpert returned to camp, with Hurley in tow, and did you notice how the scene was lit as he walked back into the camp? With the sun shining prominently on his newly re-found cross, he appeared as the saviour to the Lostaways. And now he had a plan.
"Pack your bags. We're leaving", he told them.But apparently Sun wasn't interested in Richard's plan, as she gave an utterly useless speech on how she just wanted to find Jin and leave, and not save the world. I say it was useless because it made no sense for her to scoff off "saving the world" just so she could find her husband, AND the fact that she was ranting in Korean that NOBODY COULD UNDERSTAND! She tried to play her trump card, saying she was important because of the name Kwon on the wall, but like I said earlier, I am now convinced it is Jin.
The scene on the beach between Flocke and Widmore was tense, and remiscent of the scene between Ben and Widmore in the bedroom a couple of seasons ago. Widmore told Flocke that he knew he was a "combination of myth, ghost stories, and jungle noises in the night." I can't wait to see the climax of these two facing off. Am I really expected to root for one of them?
Flocke (to Widmore): "A wise man once said that war was coming to this Island. I think it just got here."
Flocke (to Widmore): "A wise man once said that war was coming to this Island. I think it just got here."This is a line that Charles spoke to Locke after Locke turned the Frozen Donkey Wheel and left the Island. So clearly, Flocke is accessing John Locke's memories, if he's quoting things that were said to John Locke.
Back in the FS, Sun travelled to the bank with Mikhail (welcome back!) to find that her father had closed her supposedly secret account. Flash to Keamy in the restaurant with Jin, and after he sends Omar to "go pick up the Arab guy" (how cool was it knowing how THAT was going to end?), we learned some very important information...
Apparently the $25,000 that Jin was carrying was payment for Keamy to kill Jin! How cold-hearted is that, for Mr. Paik to arrange a hit on the guy banging his daughter, and then send the guy himself to pay the hitman? Father of the year.
Keamy's delivery was golden as he explained it all in a tone of voice that gave Jin no idea how evil the plan was. So much so that Jin even said "thank you."
On Hydra Island, we learned that Zoe is a geophysicist, and that their goal all along was to get Jin. They weren't going to move on Flocke's camp yet, but since Jin and his gimpy leg were going to make a run for it, they had to grab him.
Then we heard Widmore say to Zoe, "I need you to get the package from the submarine and take it to the infirmary."
Goosebumps. Serious goosebumps.
Then Charles proceeded to give Jin a digital camera, and showed him pictures of Sun and Ji-Yeon, his daughter who he had never seen. This was a very emotional scene (damn you Michael Giacchino and your perfect musical scores!), but I kept asking myself how Jin, who had last seen the "regular" world in 2004, knew how to operate a digital camera so easily? But aside from this continuity error, Widmore then explained that if Flocke got off the Island, everything in the world as they know it, would "cease to be."
Widmore: "Come with me. I think it's time for you to see The Package."
Jin: "What package?"
Widmore: "It's not a what. It's a who."
Widmore: "It's not a what. It's a who."
At this point, I said (out loud), "I swear to God, if we don't see who it is on this episode, I am going to SNAP!"
Back to the FS, as Sayid finds Jin in the kitchen, I didn't think for a second that Sayid would kill him OR let him go, so I thought that the placement of th razor in his hands and a "good luck" was a nice way to resolve that.
And when Jin and Mikhail were about to face off, I was expecting some serious Jackie Chan-type shit to go down, but it just devolved into a shooting contest where Jin fired out Mikhail's eye (hence Patchy!), and also shot Sun in the process. As he carried a bleeding Sun out of the kitchen, she told him the worst-kept secret in this episode, that she was pregnant.
Jack figured out a good way to circumvent Sun's inability to speak English when he gave her a notebook and told her to write. (more on this in a minute) He then showed her a tomato that he had found in her garden, and told her "That's one stubborn tomato. I guess no one told it it was supposed to die." He's clearly not talking about the tomato.
And with that, Jack offered his hand to Sun, and she took it from him...as a sign of trust...the same gesture she was unable to do with Flocke.
In the final scene, as Sayid observed the sub unloading "the package", I had hoped for weeks that I was about to see Desmond come out of that room...and when I saw him, I let out a loud "YES!"
Damn, this just got awesome.
Two quick things:1) I'm not sure that I buy Sun's Korean speaking as a story device. Doesn't seem to make any sense to me unless they're telling us that there is a connection between the Flash Sideways and Island timelines.
2) I will be in Las Vegas for the next few days, so there will be no Survivor or Amazing Race posts this week. Next week's Lost post will still be done, but not until Wednesday night.
Next week: The Return of Desmond...Brutha!
What did you think of Episode 6.10 - The Package
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Discuss this episode in our Official Episode Discussion Thread.
Here is the updated League table after the first 4000 votes.
ODI LOSTcast 59 - Episode 6x09 Recap and Theories
Hey All,What a crazy and fun week! This week's Episode 6x09 Ab Aeterno was filled with all sorts of awesomeness!
Of course some of you know after last week's episode I had a moment to chat with Damon Lindelof and in that podcast I mentioned we had scheduled EW's Jeff Jensen again. However, because of some technical recording issues we had to reschedule and if all works out ok, he will join us later this week.
However, we were still able to get a guest to join us and it was fellow LOST blogger Jo from Jopionionated. Jo not only has her own blog, but also announced just today she is now officially writing for AOL TV! So congratulations to her!
Jo joined us for the first time and learned very quickly about some of the crazy thoughts and theories we have on the podcast. We did chat with her about her experiences writing about LOST, visiting the set of Fringe and V and of course we all recapped the wonderful moments in Ab Aeterno, such as Richard's crazy laugh, his love Isabella, the interaction of Richard with both the MiB and Jacob, the reveals of the Black Rock smashing into the 4-Toed Foot and much more!
We also seemed to really get stuck on the possibility that Jacob and MiB are one in the same person and perhaps have a split personality. Think we are crazy?? Well listen to the podcast to find out HOW crazy!
This podcast was posted to iTunes earlier, but below is a link to an audio player and download link for you all to enjoy!
http://the-odi.blogspot.com/2010/03/odi-lostcast-59-episode-6x09-recap-and.html
Episode 6x09 -- Don't Get Lost in Heaven (Ab Aeterno) -- By Anna
After a mini-hiatus, Anna is back with a recap for last week's episode 6x09 Ab Aeterno.
Enjoy!!
I do sincerely apologize to you all for my recent 3-episode hiatus. I suppose one could say that I’ve been saving my thoughts on the last few episodes and letting them age like…a fine wine. Yet even with so many current distractions (read: very important life-stuff) nothing gets me “stay-up-all-night-whacky-LOST-eyed-writing” again more than a major mythology episode.
INTRO: Rock It
So, did LOST not ROCK IT with episode nine or what?!
Nestor Carbonell finally got to show off his mad acting skillz is this long-overdue tale of Richard Alpert’s epic back-story, “Ab Aeterno” (which for those of you who don’t know already can be translated to “For Eternity”). And it really did have something for everyone. A dashing hero on horseback straight out of a period romance-novel. A damsel in distress. Bloody outbursts of violence. The battle between good and evil. Faustian bargains. Richard's hysterical laughter. Built-in suspenders! Corks!!
When compared to the rest of the series, it was as emotional as “The Constant”, as mythical as “Cabin Fever”, as shocking as “The Man Behind the Curtain”…and I could go on and on through all of the major game-changing episodes we have seen. Just through following the fan rumblings on Twitter I found that there are only a few who have NOT added this to their “top-episodes of all time” lists. I believe this is true especially because of the fact we had previously been given NOTHING about this character’s tale but little spurts and hints since his first appearance. This in turn made the fan buildup to this particular installment nothing short of phenomenal, dare I say even rabid. And I must concur; it met and surpassed my expectations as it seems to have done for most of the fan-base.
There’s some heady stuff going on in this one so let’s just get right to the recap!
Every Planet We Reach Is Dead
We basically began the story where we left off at the Island beach camp with Ilana and Co. sitting around discussing their current situation. An immediate flashback revealed a little bit more about her time in that hospital when she was severely bandaged and Jacob came to her (dressed in BLACK) to ask for her help. She was told there were only six candidates left that she must protect, and that she had been preparing for this very task. It is still unclear as to why Ilana was injured and if Jacob had anything to do with her healing. Jacob was wearing gloves, so I am assuming he did not actually touch her as he did the candidates as we have already seen. Finally, at some point later during this more fleshed-out flashback when Ilana was no longer bandaged, Jacob told her that after she brought the candidates to the Temple, “Ricardus” would know what to do next.
Of course Ricardus is Richard Alpert, who had been standing in the background as Ilana asked him that very question. With a shocked and insane giggle he denied knowing anything, and then proceeded to basically freak-out in true “game over” style reminiscent of Hudson from the film “Aliens”. He tells the group around the campfire that not only is Jacob a liar, but that they are all really dead and actually in Hell. Richard then made it more than clear that he would no longer be a part of Team Jacob and told the group it was time to begin listening to someone else. He then grabbed a torch and stormed off alone into the jungle.
It would seem the writers still want to taunt the audience with the Purgatory theory, which has already been argued and shot down repeatedly for years now. At the same time, this isn’t the first time a character has declared the Island to be “Hell”, and there have been countless “Underworld” references throughout the entire show. I wasn’t buying it at all though, and we would soon learn there was indeed a specific reason for Richard’s severe doom-and-gloom perspective. More on this in a bit…
Ghost Train
Meanwhile a few feet away from the group, Hurley was quietly speaking Spanish to someone who was not actually there. Freak-y! According to Lostpedia, the translation is, “Ok…What can you do?...Yes, I can help you…But, I don't know how to find him, if I don't where he went...” Jack heard him and assuming Hurley was speaking to Jacob, demanded to know what the Big J was saying. I loved how Hurley dismissively told Jack it was not Jacob and that it had nothing to do with him at all. Then he also turned around and headed towards the jungle.
El Manana
After a quick shot of Richard’s angry trek through the nighttime foliage, we were given a flashback “whoosh” sound and suddenly a very hairy Richard was seen riding a horse through the pastoral Island setting. But it wasn’t our Island at all; it was actually Tenerife, The Canary Islands, in 1867 to be exact. Blam! We now know that Ricardus is over 140 years old, and that he was once just a poor bearded farmer, living in the sticks with a very ill but very beloved wife, Isabella. Just like Isabella, Richard was a Man of Faith, as they had been studying an English Bible together in preparation to fulfill their dream to begin a family in the New World.
However, after seeing Isabella cough blood, he decided it was time to call a Man of Science to try and save his dying wife. He gathered their meager savings hoping it would be enough to pay the doctor, and then in a very touching scene Isabella added her gold cross necklace to the lot. Richard didn’t want to take her cross, knowing that it was not only a treasure but a symbol of her Faith, of their Faith. However she insisted then asked him to close his eyes, and with a kiss told him that they would always be together.
With the promise of saving Isabella, Ricardus rode half the night through a storm to the Doctor’s home, where he forced entry even after being told by a butler that he could not come in. We were quick to learn this doctor was a selfish man, a glutton who cared more for his floor getting wet than for Richard possibly catching cold after his ride.
In fact, is it just me or did that doctor look a lot like The Man in Black? The entire scene was shot in darkness and shadow. Not to mention, how many times have we seen bad things go down in a storm? The only light in the room came from a blazing (Hell) fire. The doctor even threw Isabella’s cross in front of this fireplace as he refused to accept it in exchange for the medicine she so desperately needed. That sent Richard into gimmee-grabby mode as a final act of despair. In a brief struggle between the men, it would seem the doc slipped on that darn water that had dripped from Richard’s drenched clothing, smacked his noggin on a table and died, Desmond vs. Kelvin-style.
Richard got the heck out of there but by the time he reached Isabella with the medicine, the life had already left her. Cue the authorities.
All Alone
Jailed and cuffed, Richard read his Bible as a priest stepped in to visit. Once again, we met a cruel-hearted man in Father Suarez, who insisted that Richard meant to murder the doctor and refused to grant him absolution from his sin. To add insult to injury he told Richard the only way to make up for it is with a life of penance, which he had no time for as a man condemned to die the next day. Then with Richard’s Bible in tow and a crooked grin he told Richard that the Devil awaited him in Hell.
Of course Father Suarez wasn’t going to absolve Richard of his sin, as we soon learned how valuable he was to the slave trading market. Now we understand a bit more about why Richard freaked out at the beach camp; this is his background, his belief system, and he had been manipulated specifically by a priest that told him he was scheduled for a trip on the ‘Down’ Escalator of the Afterlife. That twisted Father sold Richard off to one Officer Jonas Whitfield, who then proclaimed him property of Magnus Hanso, a name which we have heard before from the Island, linked to The Black Rock.
And the crowd goes wild! Well, at least those fans who have for years now held the belief that Richard came to the Island on that ship, and the Man in Black’s reference to Richard being in chains meant that Richard had also been one of the slaves brought there with it. Hizzah!
Highway (Under Construction)
But little did we know that we would spend nearly half of the episode on that ship itself, as we were first introduced to Richard’s trip to the New World during yet another storm. Oh yeah, the same kind of storm that Frank Lapidus accidentally flew into during season four’s helicopter trip from the Island to the freighter. I am pretty sure at this point that anyone coming to the Island who doesn’t use a specific bearing encounters those storms, almost as if the Island has its own type of event horizon.
It was also pretty cool to see the statue of Taweret in the night and in turn get to learn that the statue was still standing when the Black Rock reached the Island. Correction: the statue was still standing as the Black Rock approached the Island. One of the other slaves chained next to Richard saw the statue and immediately proclaimed “the Devil” was guarding the Island. Ah, if he only knew…
Then in a collision of questionable nature, a tsunami-sized wave heaved the giant ship right into Taweret’s face, breaking the statue into pieces and leaving the foot as we know it today. I have to admit I was a little bit underwhelmed by this explanation of both the statue’s fall and the reason why the Black Rock had been left in the middle of the jungle.
However, there is something interesting going on with this scene. For one thing, in season five’s “The Incident” we saw a similar ship approaching in calm daylight as Jacob and The Man in Black had that little talk on the beach, which many of us had assumed was the Black Rock. At this point I suppose it was just another group that Jacob brought to the Island prior to bringing Richard’s ship.
In addition, with all of the white and black stones on the show, and the fact that Jacob later even sends a white one to MIB, I cannot help but think with a name like the Black Rock, MIB may have somehow caused that ship to smack right into Jacob’s abode. MIB does tend to operate well in stormy situations as we have seen, and he obviously had already grown tired of Jacob bringing humans to the Island, what with all their corrupting and destroying and whatnot. If this is true, than that was indeed one heck of a statement Jacob’s old friend sent him that night in regards to their little black and white game.
Last Living Souls
From that point on it was just one awful trial to another for poor, chained, in-much-need-of-a-bath Richard who ended up being one of the few slaves left alive down below the conveniently in-tact ship. Officer Whitfield came down and went into survival mode execution-style, and skewered the bound slaves like some demon Errol Flynn. Raise your hand if you too had a feeling we would hear that familiar "ticka-ticka" sound just as he was about to take out Richard, who had been watching in horror and begging for his life.
Smokey to the rescue…er, sort of. We were treated to yet another great Smoke-Monster sequence, when at first we could not see what was happening above except through a small, grated opening in the ceiling to the deck above. Of course, we all knew exactly what was going on, and then it was just a blood-drip away from Whitfield’s violent introduction to the Island’s Cerberus. We then witnessed one of the Monster’s abilities that we haven’t seen since way back in season three’s “Left Behind”. With some quick flashy face-time the Monster scanned Richard, and then disappeared.
Broken
According to the recent Geronimo Jack’s Beard podcast (with guest Nestor!), Richard was chained in the belly of that ship for four weeks, taking role as the new Island Jonah. If you want to dig further into the Christian symbolism at work here, look no further than the nail which became a tool and metaphor for Richard’s salvation, i.e. his escape from the chains still holding him in place. The Black Rock really was almost like a Purgatory for him, as he is broken down by thirst (more, water except just out of reach), a flesh-hungry boar (believed by some to occasionally be the Smoke Monster taking the form in certain situations), and finally the loss of the nail he had been using to scrape and chip his way to freedom.
Demon Days
The Monster/Man in Black wore Richard to death’s door, and then pulled the final deception by appearing to him as his dearly departed, Isabella. Since MIB had read Richard’s mind, he knew exactly how to manipulate the situation, and so “Isabella” began to tell Richard that they were both dead and in Hell, that she was there to free him, and that she had already seen the Devil “eye to eye”. MIB could have won an Oscar for this role playing both good cop and bad cop as he enacted the scenario above deck that made Richard believe she too had been taken by the Black Smoke he also had seen “eye to eye”.
Apparently Jacob isn't the only one who will reach out and touch someone. How fooled were those of us who immediately thought from previous setup that the hand being placed on Richard's passed-out shoulder was Jacob instead of MIB? How weird would it be if Richard had actually died and MIB brought him back to life like we have heard hints he has done before? How can I even trust who is alive and who is dead on this show anymore?!?!
OK, OK I don’t really think Richard is dead, but it is easy to see now how Richard could believe such a thing, especially when MIB feeds into it by telling him that the Devil took his wife. MIB gave Richard some water and just happened to have the keys to his bonds as well. There was almost a hint of sincere care for Richard there in the Dark One, until he made sure Richard agreed to “help” him in return for freedom, just like a good little mobster thug.
Faust
Richard and The Man in Black then sat down over some roasted boar for a little discussion about killing the Devil as Richard’s only means of saving his wife and escaping Hell. I loved how MIB not only handed Richard the same dagger that Dogen gave Sayid back at the Temple, but how he also gave Richard the same instructions that were given in order to do the deed. How curious it is that one would need to use the same weapon, and the same approach to kill both Jacob and MIB. I would have never had thought that way back in season one when Locke first revealed his famous case of knives that The Blade would become such an important instrument on the show.
It was interesting that MIB immediately confessed to being the Black Smoke, yet he denied taking Isabella and told Richard he saw the Devil do it. The best lies always have a hint of truth in them, and I suppose he told Richard that he was the Monster in order to gain that extra bit of Richard’s trust. MIB then played victim, claiming that Ol’ Scratch had betrayed him and took his body along with his humanity.
This part I might actually believe. Just as MIB said, “you and I can talk all day long about what's right or wrong”, and just as MIB doesn’t always seem totally “evil” Jacob himself doesn’t always seem completely “good” in this story. Is it possible that Jacob somehow tricked MIB into his current state of what seems like servitude to the Island as its “security system”? After learning the way that Jacob bestows “gifts” onto people, is it possible that MIB asked for his abilities without fully realizing the consequences? This would paint Jacob into more of the role of a Genie of sorts who grants wishes to people, yet always with a twist that results in the wish-fulfilled not quite turning out as the grantee had hoped for.
Even as Richard tried to refuse by saying that murder was what got him into the whole mess in the first place, MIB continued his schpeel about saving Isabella. The Devil isn’t the only one who can be “persuasive”, and eventually Richard headed off towards the ruins of the statue to carry out MIB’s side of the bargain.
Left Hand Suzuki Method
But before Richard even reached the doorway at the four toed foot, Jacob got the drop on him with some serious kung-fu action. How curious once more that Jacob defended himself when Richard came to kill him, yet didn’t raise a finger to stop Ben when he decided to get all stabby. I am wondering now if this means Jacob had been expecting Ben’s move, and that in the end we will find his death was necessary to drive us towards the proper resolution to this ancient back-and-forth match between him and MIB.
Stop the Dams
After baptizing some sense into the beaten man, Jacob brought Richard a blanket (finally!) and some wine. We’ve seen Jacob fishing, and now we see him bringing wine instead of water as did MIB. The Christian symbolism could not be thicker surrounding this mysterious being.
He did however let us in on an interesting tidbit via his wine-bottle, and equated the Island as a cork which held the darkness and evil at bay. I felt the writing became a little too repetitive and expositional as Jacob explained to Richard that he had been bringing people to the Island throughout time in order to prove the inherent goodness of mankind to MIB. However, he did give us a couple of new tidbits.
First, when someone is brought to the Island by Jacob, their past does not matter and they are given the preverbal Tabula Rasa. This would explain how folks like Sawyer and Kate can be murderers off-Island yet still be candidates for taking over the Big J’s throne on the Island.
Second and more importantly he states that he does not like to interfere by telling a person the difference between good and evil. But even as Jacob claims he is pro-free-will, we have indeed seen him interfere with people’s lives and at the least give them a little push in the right direction. Is Jacob himself telling a bit of a white-lie here? Or is this just his own “progress” we are seeing? Did it take some time for him to realize that sometimes certain situations did actually require him to step in a bit and lend a hand, so to say?
Dracula
I mean, is it just me or is Jacob not a fool for failing to realize that the MIB was stepping in and interfering with the people he had brought there in his absence? Why did it take Richard to make him see that he could have his own intermediary? Either Jacob is a very flawed “god” on this Island, or he was also playing a con on Richard. I tend to think the latter, since he can well, time-travel and whatnot.
In the end, Richard accepted the job offer and after three choices (wishes) the two settled on compensation that didn’t involve bringing his wife back from the dead or getting him into heaven that Jacob actually could pony up. Jacob then gave Richard the mother of all cootie-touches, and from that day forth Richard was frozen in time, a man who would age no longer.
Man Research
Jacob and the Man in Black have been playing their little game with humanity for ages now, and although I have no idea whatsoever what the “time-line X” is all about, I would like to put in my two cents in regards to who or what these two really are. Over and over we have been teased on the show in regards to who is “good”, and who is “evil”. Most of the time the answer comes in the form of a little bit of both, and I have already said countless times this is one of the show’s lessons; people are inherently good but do have the capability to sin based on their situation. Perspective, perspective, perspective!
At this point so far it would seem however that Jacob is indeed playing the light side, and MIB really is the bad guy here. We have no reason so far to disbelieve a thing that Jacob has told anyone, and even though he can be manipulative, even smug at times, and could potentially be responsible for countless deaths, he seems to be telling the truth. On the other hand, we have seen MIB repeatedly lie, as he tells different people different things in order to get them on his side based upon what he knows they want to hear.
There are a lot of people out there who keep trying to equate Jacob and MIB to some specific Biblical parallel. But I do not at all believe that they are literally “God and Satan”, nor “Cain and Abel”, or even “Jacob and Esau”. I just do not buy that the creators of LOST would give us an answer that is so literal. Instead, I think the writers are simply playing with these stories and ideas in a metaphorical sense, using archetypes from just about every culture you can think of to create something new. LOST itself has become a collage of religions, philosophies, and symbolism of the human psyche spun into its own magnificent tapestry of sorts.
As Jacob visited MIB one morning, notice how the scene was exactly reversed from the beach scene we were given in “The Incident”. This time it was Jacob who approached MIB, and they were not on the shore but instead they were inland. Opposites and mirrors prevail. Once again we had a discussion where MIB asked to leave, then threatened to kill Jacob and anyone who replaced him. Jacob sounded ready for it, anytime, anyplace. As Jacob left MIB his bottle of wine, MIB smashed it, which I think is foreshadowing that all Hell is literally about to break loose.
White Light
After Richard was given his eternal gift by Jacob, he returned to MIB to pass along a white rock from the Big J and confess what had happened. MIB was understanding and kept his offer open, and then he gave Richard back Isabella’s gold cross necklace as one final reminder that item would be all that he would ever have left of her by taking Jacob’s side. Richard then buried the cross and with it I believe a part of his own humanity in the form of his love for his wife, and in return set off to be Jacob’s new right-hand man.
When we got back to current time, Richard dug up the necklace, and in a setting reminiscent of the Tree in the Garden of Eden, he yelled out to MIB that he was wrong and that he changed his mind. However, MIB was not there, and instead Hurley stepped out of the jungle to drop some wisdom from Richard’s dead wife.
The show had a bit of a “Ghost” moment as Hurley acted as the intermediary between Isabella’s spirit and Richard. However the acting and direction gave it enough emotional weight to put it up there with Desmond and Penny’s phone call in “The Constant”. I become a complete wreck now when I watch either one of these scenes, especially when she asks Richard to “close his eyes” again. I do believe Ricardus really felt her presence there for a moment. Once again we are told that even after death, our loved ones will always be with us, in our memories and in our hearts.
CONCLUSION: Spitting out the Demons
At that point, Richard was redeemed and Hurley basically once again saved the day. Score yet another white rock for Team Jacob, as it was soon revealed that Lockeness Monster was not far off in the distance and had almost caught up to them.
It is important to note this episode marked the midpoint of the series’ final season. If traditional storytelling in regards to LOST tells us anything, it should be a nice ride from here on out.
It is also fascinating to me how the fan-base has split into opposing factions. Life imitates art as people are either believing in Jacob, or trusting the Man in Black. There are the ones who seek a scientific conclusion, and those who want to see a more faith-based ending just as there are those who are rabid for answers, and those who are content to simply let the story play itself out no matter what happens.
If you know anything about the world of J.J. Abrams, he has always been a fan of ambiguity. A quick view of his speech at the 2008 T.E.D. conference gives us all the insight we need to understand his philosophy which I am pretty sure at this point LOST has adopted as well. The answers – the BIG ones at least – will more than likely never be able to top the ones that our own imaginations have been serving up to us at this point. Take for instance the bit of a letdown I described in the reveal of how the Black Rock made it into the jungle, and how the Taweret statue was destroyed. Am I the only one who had grander expectations for these explanations?
I don’t think I want to be told exactly what the Island is, or exactly who or what Jacob and MIB are. I too, enjoy the mystery, the guessing, and where my own musings on these themes takes me. As Team Answers keeps score for each new episode I am just going to sit back and nod along with them.
I for one am, and always will be on Team Mystery Box.
a.N
www.FourToedFoot.com
*I write about LOST because I love the challenge of deciphering the clues and adding the pieces together. My thoughts are based solely on the show, the LOST Experience, and random research, as I try to avoid spoilers, promos, and even future episode titles. I love to guess what is going on, but I also like to do so in a way that leaves some of the conclusions still up to you. I do not know the answers and am often wrong. Whatever the truth turns out to be, it has been the journey that has meant the most to me.*Posted By: The ODI
Enjoy!!
I do sincerely apologize to you all for my recent 3-episode hiatus. I suppose one could say that I’ve been saving my thoughts on the last few episodes and letting them age like…a fine wine. Yet even with so many current distractions (read: very important life-stuff) nothing gets me “stay-up-all-night-whacky-LOST-eyed-writing” again more than a major mythology episode.
INTRO: Rock It
So, did LOST not ROCK IT with episode nine or what?!
Nestor Carbonell finally got to show off his mad acting skillz is this long-overdue tale of Richard Alpert’s epic back-story, “Ab Aeterno” (which for those of you who don’t know already can be translated to “For Eternity”). And it really did have something for everyone. A dashing hero on horseback straight out of a period romance-novel. A damsel in distress. Bloody outbursts of violence. The battle between good and evil. Faustian bargains. Richard's hysterical laughter. Built-in suspenders! Corks!!
When compared to the rest of the series, it was as emotional as “The Constant”, as mythical as “Cabin Fever”, as shocking as “The Man Behind the Curtain”…and I could go on and on through all of the major game-changing episodes we have seen. Just through following the fan rumblings on Twitter I found that there are only a few who have NOT added this to their “top-episodes of all time” lists. I believe this is true especially because of the fact we had previously been given NOTHING about this character’s tale but little spurts and hints since his first appearance. This in turn made the fan buildup to this particular installment nothing short of phenomenal, dare I say even rabid. And I must concur; it met and surpassed my expectations as it seems to have done for most of the fan-base.
There’s some heady stuff going on in this one so let’s just get right to the recap!
Every Planet We Reach Is Dead
We basically began the story where we left off at the Island beach camp with Ilana and Co. sitting around discussing their current situation. An immediate flashback revealed a little bit more about her time in that hospital when she was severely bandaged and Jacob came to her (dressed in BLACK) to ask for her help. She was told there were only six candidates left that she must protect, and that she had been preparing for this very task. It is still unclear as to why Ilana was injured and if Jacob had anything to do with her healing. Jacob was wearing gloves, so I am assuming he did not actually touch her as he did the candidates as we have already seen. Finally, at some point later during this more fleshed-out flashback when Ilana was no longer bandaged, Jacob told her that after she brought the candidates to the Temple, “Ricardus” would know what to do next.
Of course Ricardus is Richard Alpert, who had been standing in the background as Ilana asked him that very question. With a shocked and insane giggle he denied knowing anything, and then proceeded to basically freak-out in true “game over” style reminiscent of Hudson from the film “Aliens”. He tells the group around the campfire that not only is Jacob a liar, but that they are all really dead and actually in Hell. Richard then made it more than clear that he would no longer be a part of Team Jacob and told the group it was time to begin listening to someone else. He then grabbed a torch and stormed off alone into the jungle.
It would seem the writers still want to taunt the audience with the Purgatory theory, which has already been argued and shot down repeatedly for years now. At the same time, this isn’t the first time a character has declared the Island to be “Hell”, and there have been countless “Underworld” references throughout the entire show. I wasn’t buying it at all though, and we would soon learn there was indeed a specific reason for Richard’s severe doom-and-gloom perspective. More on this in a bit…
Ghost Train
Meanwhile a few feet away from the group, Hurley was quietly speaking Spanish to someone who was not actually there. Freak-y! According to Lostpedia, the translation is, “Ok…What can you do?...Yes, I can help you…But, I don't know how to find him, if I don't where he went...” Jack heard him and assuming Hurley was speaking to Jacob, demanded to know what the Big J was saying. I loved how Hurley dismissively told Jack it was not Jacob and that it had nothing to do with him at all. Then he also turned around and headed towards the jungle.
El Manana
After a quick shot of Richard’s angry trek through the nighttime foliage, we were given a flashback “whoosh” sound and suddenly a very hairy Richard was seen riding a horse through the pastoral Island setting. But it wasn’t our Island at all; it was actually Tenerife, The Canary Islands, in 1867 to be exact. Blam! We now know that Ricardus is over 140 years old, and that he was once just a poor bearded farmer, living in the sticks with a very ill but very beloved wife, Isabella. Just like Isabella, Richard was a Man of Faith, as they had been studying an English Bible together in preparation to fulfill their dream to begin a family in the New World.
However, after seeing Isabella cough blood, he decided it was time to call a Man of Science to try and save his dying wife. He gathered their meager savings hoping it would be enough to pay the doctor, and then in a very touching scene Isabella added her gold cross necklace to the lot. Richard didn’t want to take her cross, knowing that it was not only a treasure but a symbol of her Faith, of their Faith. However she insisted then asked him to close his eyes, and with a kiss told him that they would always be together.
With the promise of saving Isabella, Ricardus rode half the night through a storm to the Doctor’s home, where he forced entry even after being told by a butler that he could not come in. We were quick to learn this doctor was a selfish man, a glutton who cared more for his floor getting wet than for Richard possibly catching cold after his ride.
In fact, is it just me or did that doctor look a lot like The Man in Black? The entire scene was shot in darkness and shadow. Not to mention, how many times have we seen bad things go down in a storm? The only light in the room came from a blazing (Hell) fire. The doctor even threw Isabella’s cross in front of this fireplace as he refused to accept it in exchange for the medicine she so desperately needed. That sent Richard into gimmee-grabby mode as a final act of despair. In a brief struggle between the men, it would seem the doc slipped on that darn water that had dripped from Richard’s drenched clothing, smacked his noggin on a table and died, Desmond vs. Kelvin-style.
Richard got the heck out of there but by the time he reached Isabella with the medicine, the life had already left her. Cue the authorities.
All Alone
Jailed and cuffed, Richard read his Bible as a priest stepped in to visit. Once again, we met a cruel-hearted man in Father Suarez, who insisted that Richard meant to murder the doctor and refused to grant him absolution from his sin. To add insult to injury he told Richard the only way to make up for it is with a life of penance, which he had no time for as a man condemned to die the next day. Then with Richard’s Bible in tow and a crooked grin he told Richard that the Devil awaited him in Hell.
Of course Father Suarez wasn’t going to absolve Richard of his sin, as we soon learned how valuable he was to the slave trading market. Now we understand a bit more about why Richard freaked out at the beach camp; this is his background, his belief system, and he had been manipulated specifically by a priest that told him he was scheduled for a trip on the ‘Down’ Escalator of the Afterlife. That twisted Father sold Richard off to one Officer Jonas Whitfield, who then proclaimed him property of Magnus Hanso, a name which we have heard before from the Island, linked to The Black Rock.
And the crowd goes wild! Well, at least those fans who have for years now held the belief that Richard came to the Island on that ship, and the Man in Black’s reference to Richard being in chains meant that Richard had also been one of the slaves brought there with it. Hizzah!
Highway (Under Construction)
But little did we know that we would spend nearly half of the episode on that ship itself, as we were first introduced to Richard’s trip to the New World during yet another storm. Oh yeah, the same kind of storm that Frank Lapidus accidentally flew into during season four’s helicopter trip from the Island to the freighter. I am pretty sure at this point that anyone coming to the Island who doesn’t use a specific bearing encounters those storms, almost as if the Island has its own type of event horizon.
It was also pretty cool to see the statue of Taweret in the night and in turn get to learn that the statue was still standing when the Black Rock reached the Island. Correction: the statue was still standing as the Black Rock approached the Island. One of the other slaves chained next to Richard saw the statue and immediately proclaimed “the Devil” was guarding the Island. Ah, if he only knew…
Then in a collision of questionable nature, a tsunami-sized wave heaved the giant ship right into Taweret’s face, breaking the statue into pieces and leaving the foot as we know it today. I have to admit I was a little bit underwhelmed by this explanation of both the statue’s fall and the reason why the Black Rock had been left in the middle of the jungle.
However, there is something interesting going on with this scene. For one thing, in season five’s “The Incident” we saw a similar ship approaching in calm daylight as Jacob and The Man in Black had that little talk on the beach, which many of us had assumed was the Black Rock. At this point I suppose it was just another group that Jacob brought to the Island prior to bringing Richard’s ship.
In addition, with all of the white and black stones on the show, and the fact that Jacob later even sends a white one to MIB, I cannot help but think with a name like the Black Rock, MIB may have somehow caused that ship to smack right into Jacob’s abode. MIB does tend to operate well in stormy situations as we have seen, and he obviously had already grown tired of Jacob bringing humans to the Island, what with all their corrupting and destroying and whatnot. If this is true, than that was indeed one heck of a statement Jacob’s old friend sent him that night in regards to their little black and white game.
Last Living Souls
From that point on it was just one awful trial to another for poor, chained, in-much-need-of-a-bath Richard who ended up being one of the few slaves left alive down below the conveniently in-tact ship. Officer Whitfield came down and went into survival mode execution-style, and skewered the bound slaves like some demon Errol Flynn. Raise your hand if you too had a feeling we would hear that familiar "ticka-ticka" sound just as he was about to take out Richard, who had been watching in horror and begging for his life.
Smokey to the rescue…er, sort of. We were treated to yet another great Smoke-Monster sequence, when at first we could not see what was happening above except through a small, grated opening in the ceiling to the deck above. Of course, we all knew exactly what was going on, and then it was just a blood-drip away from Whitfield’s violent introduction to the Island’s Cerberus. We then witnessed one of the Monster’s abilities that we haven’t seen since way back in season three’s “Left Behind”. With some quick flashy face-time the Monster scanned Richard, and then disappeared.
Broken
According to the recent Geronimo Jack’s Beard podcast (with guest Nestor!), Richard was chained in the belly of that ship for four weeks, taking role as the new Island Jonah. If you want to dig further into the Christian symbolism at work here, look no further than the nail which became a tool and metaphor for Richard’s salvation, i.e. his escape from the chains still holding him in place. The Black Rock really was almost like a Purgatory for him, as he is broken down by thirst (more, water except just out of reach), a flesh-hungry boar (believed by some to occasionally be the Smoke Monster taking the form in certain situations), and finally the loss of the nail he had been using to scrape and chip his way to freedom.
Demon Days
The Monster/Man in Black wore Richard to death’s door, and then pulled the final deception by appearing to him as his dearly departed, Isabella. Since MIB had read Richard’s mind, he knew exactly how to manipulate the situation, and so “Isabella” began to tell Richard that they were both dead and in Hell, that she was there to free him, and that she had already seen the Devil “eye to eye”. MIB could have won an Oscar for this role playing both good cop and bad cop as he enacted the scenario above deck that made Richard believe she too had been taken by the Black Smoke he also had seen “eye to eye”.
Apparently Jacob isn't the only one who will reach out and touch someone. How fooled were those of us who immediately thought from previous setup that the hand being placed on Richard's passed-out shoulder was Jacob instead of MIB? How weird would it be if Richard had actually died and MIB brought him back to life like we have heard hints he has done before? How can I even trust who is alive and who is dead on this show anymore?!?!
OK, OK I don’t really think Richard is dead, but it is easy to see now how Richard could believe such a thing, especially when MIB feeds into it by telling him that the Devil took his wife. MIB gave Richard some water and just happened to have the keys to his bonds as well. There was almost a hint of sincere care for Richard there in the Dark One, until he made sure Richard agreed to “help” him in return for freedom, just like a good little mobster thug.
Faust
Richard and The Man in Black then sat down over some roasted boar for a little discussion about killing the Devil as Richard’s only means of saving his wife and escaping Hell. I loved how MIB not only handed Richard the same dagger that Dogen gave Sayid back at the Temple, but how he also gave Richard the same instructions that were given in order to do the deed. How curious it is that one would need to use the same weapon, and the same approach to kill both Jacob and MIB. I would have never had thought that way back in season one when Locke first revealed his famous case of knives that The Blade would become such an important instrument on the show.
It was interesting that MIB immediately confessed to being the Black Smoke, yet he denied taking Isabella and told Richard he saw the Devil do it. The best lies always have a hint of truth in them, and I suppose he told Richard that he was the Monster in order to gain that extra bit of Richard’s trust. MIB then played victim, claiming that Ol’ Scratch had betrayed him and took his body along with his humanity.
This part I might actually believe. Just as MIB said, “you and I can talk all day long about what's right or wrong”, and just as MIB doesn’t always seem totally “evil” Jacob himself doesn’t always seem completely “good” in this story. Is it possible that Jacob somehow tricked MIB into his current state of what seems like servitude to the Island as its “security system”? After learning the way that Jacob bestows “gifts” onto people, is it possible that MIB asked for his abilities without fully realizing the consequences? This would paint Jacob into more of the role of a Genie of sorts who grants wishes to people, yet always with a twist that results in the wish-fulfilled not quite turning out as the grantee had hoped for.
Even as Richard tried to refuse by saying that murder was what got him into the whole mess in the first place, MIB continued his schpeel about saving Isabella. The Devil isn’t the only one who can be “persuasive”, and eventually Richard headed off towards the ruins of the statue to carry out MIB’s side of the bargain.
Left Hand Suzuki Method
But before Richard even reached the doorway at the four toed foot, Jacob got the drop on him with some serious kung-fu action. How curious once more that Jacob defended himself when Richard came to kill him, yet didn’t raise a finger to stop Ben when he decided to get all stabby. I am wondering now if this means Jacob had been expecting Ben’s move, and that in the end we will find his death was necessary to drive us towards the proper resolution to this ancient back-and-forth match between him and MIB.
Stop the Dams
After baptizing some sense into the beaten man, Jacob brought Richard a blanket (finally!) and some wine. We’ve seen Jacob fishing, and now we see him bringing wine instead of water as did MIB. The Christian symbolism could not be thicker surrounding this mysterious being.
He did however let us in on an interesting tidbit via his wine-bottle, and equated the Island as a cork which held the darkness and evil at bay. I felt the writing became a little too repetitive and expositional as Jacob explained to Richard that he had been bringing people to the Island throughout time in order to prove the inherent goodness of mankind to MIB. However, he did give us a couple of new tidbits.
First, when someone is brought to the Island by Jacob, their past does not matter and they are given the preverbal Tabula Rasa. This would explain how folks like Sawyer and Kate can be murderers off-Island yet still be candidates for taking over the Big J’s throne on the Island.
Second and more importantly he states that he does not like to interfere by telling a person the difference between good and evil. But even as Jacob claims he is pro-free-will, we have indeed seen him interfere with people’s lives and at the least give them a little push in the right direction. Is Jacob himself telling a bit of a white-lie here? Or is this just his own “progress” we are seeing? Did it take some time for him to realize that sometimes certain situations did actually require him to step in a bit and lend a hand, so to say?
Dracula
I mean, is it just me or is Jacob not a fool for failing to realize that the MIB was stepping in and interfering with the people he had brought there in his absence? Why did it take Richard to make him see that he could have his own intermediary? Either Jacob is a very flawed “god” on this Island, or he was also playing a con on Richard. I tend to think the latter, since he can well, time-travel and whatnot.
In the end, Richard accepted the job offer and after three choices (wishes) the two settled on compensation that didn’t involve bringing his wife back from the dead or getting him into heaven that Jacob actually could pony up. Jacob then gave Richard the mother of all cootie-touches, and from that day forth Richard was frozen in time, a man who would age no longer.
Man Research
Jacob and the Man in Black have been playing their little game with humanity for ages now, and although I have no idea whatsoever what the “time-line X” is all about, I would like to put in my two cents in regards to who or what these two really are. Over and over we have been teased on the show in regards to who is “good”, and who is “evil”. Most of the time the answer comes in the form of a little bit of both, and I have already said countless times this is one of the show’s lessons; people are inherently good but do have the capability to sin based on their situation. Perspective, perspective, perspective!
At this point so far it would seem however that Jacob is indeed playing the light side, and MIB really is the bad guy here. We have no reason so far to disbelieve a thing that Jacob has told anyone, and even though he can be manipulative, even smug at times, and could potentially be responsible for countless deaths, he seems to be telling the truth. On the other hand, we have seen MIB repeatedly lie, as he tells different people different things in order to get them on his side based upon what he knows they want to hear.
There are a lot of people out there who keep trying to equate Jacob and MIB to some specific Biblical parallel. But I do not at all believe that they are literally “God and Satan”, nor “Cain and Abel”, or even “Jacob and Esau”. I just do not buy that the creators of LOST would give us an answer that is so literal. Instead, I think the writers are simply playing with these stories and ideas in a metaphorical sense, using archetypes from just about every culture you can think of to create something new. LOST itself has become a collage of religions, philosophies, and symbolism of the human psyche spun into its own magnificent tapestry of sorts.
As Jacob visited MIB one morning, notice how the scene was exactly reversed from the beach scene we were given in “The Incident”. This time it was Jacob who approached MIB, and they were not on the shore but instead they were inland. Opposites and mirrors prevail. Once again we had a discussion where MIB asked to leave, then threatened to kill Jacob and anyone who replaced him. Jacob sounded ready for it, anytime, anyplace. As Jacob left MIB his bottle of wine, MIB smashed it, which I think is foreshadowing that all Hell is literally about to break loose.
White Light
After Richard was given his eternal gift by Jacob, he returned to MIB to pass along a white rock from the Big J and confess what had happened. MIB was understanding and kept his offer open, and then he gave Richard back Isabella’s gold cross necklace as one final reminder that item would be all that he would ever have left of her by taking Jacob’s side. Richard then buried the cross and with it I believe a part of his own humanity in the form of his love for his wife, and in return set off to be Jacob’s new right-hand man.
When we got back to current time, Richard dug up the necklace, and in a setting reminiscent of the Tree in the Garden of Eden, he yelled out to MIB that he was wrong and that he changed his mind. However, MIB was not there, and instead Hurley stepped out of the jungle to drop some wisdom from Richard’s dead wife.
The show had a bit of a “Ghost” moment as Hurley acted as the intermediary between Isabella’s spirit and Richard. However the acting and direction gave it enough emotional weight to put it up there with Desmond and Penny’s phone call in “The Constant”. I become a complete wreck now when I watch either one of these scenes, especially when she asks Richard to “close his eyes” again. I do believe Ricardus really felt her presence there for a moment. Once again we are told that even after death, our loved ones will always be with us, in our memories and in our hearts.
CONCLUSION: Spitting out the Demons
At that point, Richard was redeemed and Hurley basically once again saved the day. Score yet another white rock for Team Jacob, as it was soon revealed that Lockeness Monster was not far off in the distance and had almost caught up to them.
It is important to note this episode marked the midpoint of the series’ final season. If traditional storytelling in regards to LOST tells us anything, it should be a nice ride from here on out.
It is also fascinating to me how the fan-base has split into opposing factions. Life imitates art as people are either believing in Jacob, or trusting the Man in Black. There are the ones who seek a scientific conclusion, and those who want to see a more faith-based ending just as there are those who are rabid for answers, and those who are content to simply let the story play itself out no matter what happens.
If you know anything about the world of J.J. Abrams, he has always been a fan of ambiguity. A quick view of his speech at the 2008 T.E.D. conference gives us all the insight we need to understand his philosophy which I am pretty sure at this point LOST has adopted as well. The answers – the BIG ones at least – will more than likely never be able to top the ones that our own imaginations have been serving up to us at this point. Take for instance the bit of a letdown I described in the reveal of how the Black Rock made it into the jungle, and how the Taweret statue was destroyed. Am I the only one who had grander expectations for these explanations?
I don’t think I want to be told exactly what the Island is, or exactly who or what Jacob and MIB are. I too, enjoy the mystery, the guessing, and where my own musings on these themes takes me. As Team Answers keeps score for each new episode I am just going to sit back and nod along with them.
I for one am, and always will be on Team Mystery Box.
a.N
www.FourToedFoot.com
*I write about LOST because I love the challenge of deciphering the clues and adding the pieces together. My thoughts are based solely on the show, the LOST Experience, and random research, as I try to avoid spoilers, promos, and even future episode titles. I love to guess what is going on, but I also like to do so in a way that leaves some of the conclusions still up to you. I do not know the answers and am often wrong. Whatever the truth turns out to be, it has been the journey that has meant the most to me.*Posted By: The ODI
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