So my biggest problem with last night’s ep? Stupid Kate. While I have never been a fan, her reaction to seeing Locke and denying affection for any of the Left Behinders really angered me. I truly hope that she is not the Eve of the Adam and Eve skeletons, because she deserves to die sad and alone, with people spitting on her grave.
It’s hard to come up with any concrete theories after last night’s ep, because Liar 1 and Liar 2 are liars and I can’t trust anything that either one says. So I’ll start with some observations and questions:
- It seems like Caesar and Ilana have been on the Island before – he seemed familiar with the room he is in (which we find out is the Hydra station). And they found the Hydra station awfully quick, so maybe they knew it was there all along.
- Good ol’ Frank came through and landed the plane. I couldn’t tell if it was actually on a runway or not, but it was definitely on Hydra island where the runway was being built.
- My reaction to the opening scene: Well, that was quick! I expected Locke’s resurrection to come at the end of the episode, right before the LOST (whoomp!)
- Just like Jack’s return to the Island mirrored his first time there, so to did Locke’s – he was very serene, contemplative, staring into the distance – and eating a fruit.
- Part of my confusion with everyone’s motivations: Based on episodes past, Jacob (ostensibly) wanted Locke gone, and tonight, we found out that Widmore wants him on the Island. But it seems like Ben wanted him there too, so I just don’t know.
- Episode reminded me of “Meet Kevin Johnson”
- Abaddon being shot shocked the shit out of me – I did not see that coming at all. A bit disappointing, because I really did like him, but from that moment on, the ep really moved into high gear. (I’m also glad they didn’t leave his murderer a mystery.)
- Seeing Abaddon again showed me even more how Lance Reddick’s talents are wasted on Fringe.
- The car accident was really well-staged.
- I was a little disappointed in Locke’s meeting with Walt, but I think they can effectively close the book on Walt’s future appearances now if they want to. I wanted Walt to have more to do, but if the show doesn’t have a future with him, I’m glad the door is closed now so we don’t have his “ghost” hanging over the show. And I do understand Locke’s point of view on this – just 4 months ago or whatever, Walt was a kid he played backgammon with and now he visits him to see he is a seemingly well-adjusted teenager, so not wanting to rip him out of his stable life is ok with me.
- However, if they eventually want to explain Walt’s time in the Others’ captivity (which I think they should) the show can do it without Malcolm David Kelley.
- Jack’s facial hair was done very effectively.
- Helen died on April 8, 2006 (4/8)
- So Sun left with Frank on one of the boats and that’s how one of them gets to the Island for the future encounter with Sawyer and company. I guess a group follows them later to get the other boat there, and maybe that group is the one that shoots at Sawyer, etc.
- Where’s Sayid?
- Quotes of the night: Widmore: “Because that’s the exit.” and Locke: “The timing would just confuse you.”
So there were two great, great scenes toward end of episode really saved it. Not that I disliked what happened before, but it turned an ok episode into a very good one.
It started with Abaddon’s death and the car chase and then Locke arrived in the hospital – then Terry O’Quinn and Matthew Fox shared their greatest scene ever. Matthew Fox really was off the charts fantastic. I’m a bit of a Jack hater, but the last few weeks, I have felt more sympathy toward him. And tonight it was the ultimate showdown between the man of science and the man of faith, with each trying desperately to hang onto their beliefs and convince the other to listen. Just really fantastic.
Then we move to John’s dirty apartment and you could feel his desperation and depression through the TV screen. Terry O’Quinn is always great, not matter what my opinion on Locke is, but tonight was a truly a showcase for him. I did think that he was going to do it, that he was ready to kill himself, but then Ben shows up and what follows is a scene even better than the Jack and Locke scene.
Michael Emerson has some great reaction shots – you can see him thinking, the wheels turning in his head. Starting when he mentions Jin and then when he says Eloise Hawking. As soon as Locke mentioned Hawking, I knew what Ben was going to do, but it still was powerful and painful. But why? If Ben didn’t want him to go to Hawking, why did Ben go to Hawking? Is he playing her? I just can’t keep it all straight and it makes my head hurt.
Could Ben’s actions be as simple as Locke had to be murdered if he was to return – was that his destiny? Would it not work if he made the choice to kill himself? And when Ben said that he would miss John, does that mean that resurrected John Locke is not the same as the John Locke we have known for so long? (Or does Ben somehow not realize that Locke will be reborn?)
This episode did seem to be about creating (more) confusion and misunderstanding. And it does get frustrating, but perhaps it has to be. Maybe it’s a flimsy excuse, but maybe Ben/Widmore have to be intentionally mysterious because they are not allowed to outright interfere with destiny. Of course, this explanation is a bit of a cop-out, but the show is lately concerned with destiny and what has to happen, but it also has often emphasized that you have to WANT to take part in your destiny.
Maybe what we’re talking about isn’t truly written – it’s not exactly destiny – things can change, like Desmond choosing to propose to Penny would have changed his path, but with catastrophic consequences for the world. (According to Hawking, who is perhaps a liar like Ben/Widmore, but I digress…) So maybe there is a path that is already laid out, and it can be changed, but it SHOULDN’T be changed.
I also wonder if this ties into characters’ desires. Like Jack had to want to save Ben in season 3 – his destiny was to save Ben, but only if he truly wanted to do it. I also wonder if this might explain what happened to those on Flight 316. Could it have to do with their desire to go back to the Island? Maybe those caught in the flash to the 1970s were being manipulated to go back and those who landed truly wanted to go back. Jack, Kate and Hurley were eventually convinced that they had to go back, but maybe they truly did not want to. Ben, Locke and Sun all truly wanted to go back and all the other passengers were just unwitting pawns. We don’t know about Caesar and Ilana yet, but they didn’t seem to upset to be there and we don’t know where Sayid is. Or maybe it’s all just dumb luck and I’m overthinking things as I tend to do.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Long-standing Lost mystery from Season 1 finally solved!
So we finally know why Christian was wearing white tennis shoes when he appeared to Jack. I liked the way that this was handled – not in the mythology of the Island or the character of Christian, but in the emotional and characteristic issues of Jack. It felt like the right resolution to a question that originally freaked me out (the first time ghostChristian appeared it scared the bejesus out of me – largely due to the shoes) and beguiled me because I though that there had to be a reason for it. Now I know there was.
Doc Jensen at EW originally wrote about this yesterday, but I feel it’s worth noting again. I assume that Flight 316 was to make us think of John 3:16. (“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”) Incidentally, I think that “John 3:16” was carved into Eko’s Jesus stick.
Onto Benjamin Linus…I always find it interesting when he doesn’t know something. He seemed surprised about the Lamp Post and last week, he seemed surprised about Hawking being Faraday’s mom. Could he really just be a pawn too? Obviously, Widmore could not have known about the Lamp Post because then he wouldn’t have needed all the research he did on the Black Rock and the Kahana and stuff, so I think it’s definitely safe to say that he and Hawking are not on the same team. But it is (obviously) clear that he and Ben are not on the same team. But if Hawking is keeping information from Ben, I don’t think we can assume that she wants the same things that Ben wants. So are there three separate teams?
Despite Ben’s actions in the past, I still think he has the Island’s best interests in mind. I think he wants to protect the Island, and that his motivations share a commonality with Richard’s. What that means for Hawking, I do not know. Maybe her motivations are akin to Widmore’s but she wants the Island for herself and not for Widmore. Maybe that is why they were both banished – if she is in fact Ellie.
Back to Ben though…What was that errand that he had to go take care of? I originally thought it had to do with Aaron, but after the episode, I was horrified to realize that he probably went to kill Penny. As much as I love Ben Linus, if he succeeded, I don’t know if I can like him anymore. Penny and Des are the heart of the show for me and if the show doesn’t ultimately end with them together, I will be distraught.
However, maybe I am jumping to conclusions. Maybe Ben went after Sayid and Sayid bloodied him up and that’s why Sayid was arrested. Maybe someone doesn’t want Ben to go back to the Island and was trying to stop him. (Perhaps the people Ben thinks are helping him? I don’t trust Jill the butcher in the same was I don’t trust Ms. Hawking)
Also, does someone not want Aaron to go back? Was leaving him Kate’s decision? (Could Claire have appeared to her again?) Or was he taken from her?
Another mystery – though one not as long-standing – was solved last night: Locke’s reason for dying. It seems that he had to die to serve as (one of the many) talismans on Flight 316 to get everyone back to the Island. The question that pops into my mind is: does that mean that Christian was serving the same purpose for someone else aboard 815? And if so, was Christian aware of his role, or was everything fate/destiny? Which makes Locke’s note to Jack even more painful, because if Jack had believed him and if he had had more faith, this second flight never would have had to have happened – which is why I believe even more that to save the Island Jack and Locke have to work together.
In regard to those other talismans/recreations of history (it’s like the Island has to approve their re-entry): Standing in for 815Kate: Sayid, in cuffs, being held by law enforcement/Standing in for 815Jack: Jack, again bringing aboard a body/Standing in for 815Christian: Locke, wearing his shoes (metaphorically too, as Angela pointed out last night)/Standing in for 815Hurley: Ben, almost missing the flight/Standing in for 815Pilot: Frank, who was originally supposed to fly 815/Standing in for Charlie: Hurley, arriving with a guitar.
These ideas of symmetry and “all this has happened before and will happen again” reminded me of Battlestar Galactica (Also the information dump and all the exposition and explanation in the opening sequence was very much this past week’s Battlestar Galactica.)
So could the passengers of Flight 316 have arrived on the Island in different times? Jack, Kate and Hurley are obviously in the middle of 1970s Dharma occupation of the Island, but who knows where the rest are – maybe they are the people that Sawyer and company shot at two weeks ago – the one that left the boat with the Ajira water bottle in it. Or maybe they are all scattered through different times in the Island’s history. Or maybe they are all just scattered through the Island during the time of the DI and we haven’t found them yet.
Another thought (this is an offshoot one of my long-standing Lost theories – so it’s always on mind) Perhaps the runway that Sawyer and Kate helped build during the much-maligned season three opening pod of episodes was built so that Ben and company (everyone but Jack/Kate/Hurley) had somewhere to land when they came back – perhaps Ben was told by Jacob that this had to be built for a future event that would happen. Jack, Kate and Hurley were just unlucky enough to be zapped back in time while the other people on the plane landed safely in 2008 (or whatever year they are currently in).
All in all, this episode seemed like a set-up episode for the rest of the season, maybe the rest of the series. It was like a new pilot episode – especially with the identical Jack opening – though this time it was more like he was rejuvenated than distraught and disoriented in the actual pilot ep. Now that they are back on the Island, we will have flashbacks to how they got to where they are. And not just flashbacks for the people on 316, we’ll get flashbacks to how Jin and crew ostensibly became part of the Dharma Initiative, and how Faraday ends up in the Orchid station.
More random thoughts:
- Maybe Adam and Eve are really Jack and Kate – maybe they sacrifice themselves for the good of everyone else – perhaps paving a way for a Jin/Sun reunion. (I hope!)
- I’m guessing that ghostCharlie appeared to Hurley to tell him to show up for that flight with a guitar.
- Looking back, Frank as pilot seemed such an obvious move, but I did not see it coming until I heard his voice. (And I even noticed Jeff Fahey’s name in the credits!)
- Ajira 316 to Guam was referenced in the most recent alternate reality game.
- Loved that Hurley was reading Y: The Last Man at the airport. Brian K. Vaughan is a producer and writer on Lost.
- Could Desmond’s role be to bring Aaron to the Island? (Or maybe Penny’s dead body?)
- Based on the military picture in the Lamp Post, I guess that the Dharma Initiative started looking for the Island in the 50s, after the U.S. Military accidentally discovered it.
- I was amused that Hurley bought 78 seats on Flight 316. Good for him, saving all those lives.
Quotes of the night:
After Jack asks him about all the other people on the plane, Ben replies: “Who cares?”
As Jack is getting more fidgety and excited, he asks Ben: “How can you read?” Ben replies: “My mother taught me.” (An amusing interchange, but a lie, since Ben’s mother died in childbirth.)
But the line of the night is with out a doubt from Lapidus: “We’re not going to Guam, are we?”
Doc Jensen at EW originally wrote about this yesterday, but I feel it’s worth noting again. I assume that Flight 316 was to make us think of John 3:16. (“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”) Incidentally, I think that “John 3:16” was carved into Eko’s Jesus stick.
Onto Benjamin Linus…I always find it interesting when he doesn’t know something. He seemed surprised about the Lamp Post and last week, he seemed surprised about Hawking being Faraday’s mom. Could he really just be a pawn too? Obviously, Widmore could not have known about the Lamp Post because then he wouldn’t have needed all the research he did on the Black Rock and the Kahana and stuff, so I think it’s definitely safe to say that he and Hawking are not on the same team. But it is (obviously) clear that he and Ben are not on the same team. But if Hawking is keeping information from Ben, I don’t think we can assume that she wants the same things that Ben wants. So are there three separate teams?
Despite Ben’s actions in the past, I still think he has the Island’s best interests in mind. I think he wants to protect the Island, and that his motivations share a commonality with Richard’s. What that means for Hawking, I do not know. Maybe her motivations are akin to Widmore’s but she wants the Island for herself and not for Widmore. Maybe that is why they were both banished – if she is in fact Ellie.
Back to Ben though…What was that errand that he had to go take care of? I originally thought it had to do with Aaron, but after the episode, I was horrified to realize that he probably went to kill Penny. As much as I love Ben Linus, if he succeeded, I don’t know if I can like him anymore. Penny and Des are the heart of the show for me and if the show doesn’t ultimately end with them together, I will be distraught.
However, maybe I am jumping to conclusions. Maybe Ben went after Sayid and Sayid bloodied him up and that’s why Sayid was arrested. Maybe someone doesn’t want Ben to go back to the Island and was trying to stop him. (Perhaps the people Ben thinks are helping him? I don’t trust Jill the butcher in the same was I don’t trust Ms. Hawking)
Also, does someone not want Aaron to go back? Was leaving him Kate’s decision? (Could Claire have appeared to her again?) Or was he taken from her?
Another mystery – though one not as long-standing – was solved last night: Locke’s reason for dying. It seems that he had to die to serve as (one of the many) talismans on Flight 316 to get everyone back to the Island. The question that pops into my mind is: does that mean that Christian was serving the same purpose for someone else aboard 815? And if so, was Christian aware of his role, or was everything fate/destiny? Which makes Locke’s note to Jack even more painful, because if Jack had believed him and if he had had more faith, this second flight never would have had to have happened – which is why I believe even more that to save the Island Jack and Locke have to work together.
In regard to those other talismans/recreations of history (it’s like the Island has to approve their re-entry): Standing in for 815Kate: Sayid, in cuffs, being held by law enforcement/Standing in for 815Jack: Jack, again bringing aboard a body/Standing in for 815Christian: Locke, wearing his shoes (metaphorically too, as Angela pointed out last night)/Standing in for 815Hurley: Ben, almost missing the flight/Standing in for 815Pilot: Frank, who was originally supposed to fly 815/Standing in for Charlie: Hurley, arriving with a guitar.
These ideas of symmetry and “all this has happened before and will happen again” reminded me of Battlestar Galactica (Also the information dump and all the exposition and explanation in the opening sequence was very much this past week’s Battlestar Galactica.)
So could the passengers of Flight 316 have arrived on the Island in different times? Jack, Kate and Hurley are obviously in the middle of 1970s Dharma occupation of the Island, but who knows where the rest are – maybe they are the people that Sawyer and company shot at two weeks ago – the one that left the boat with the Ajira water bottle in it. Or maybe they are all scattered through different times in the Island’s history. Or maybe they are all just scattered through the Island during the time of the DI and we haven’t found them yet.
Another thought (this is an offshoot one of my long-standing Lost theories – so it’s always on mind) Perhaps the runway that Sawyer and Kate helped build during the much-maligned season three opening pod of episodes was built so that Ben and company (everyone but Jack/Kate/Hurley) had somewhere to land when they came back – perhaps Ben was told by Jacob that this had to be built for a future event that would happen. Jack, Kate and Hurley were just unlucky enough to be zapped back in time while the other people on the plane landed safely in 2008 (or whatever year they are currently in).
All in all, this episode seemed like a set-up episode for the rest of the season, maybe the rest of the series. It was like a new pilot episode – especially with the identical Jack opening – though this time it was more like he was rejuvenated than distraught and disoriented in the actual pilot ep. Now that they are back on the Island, we will have flashbacks to how they got to where they are. And not just flashbacks for the people on 316, we’ll get flashbacks to how Jin and crew ostensibly became part of the Dharma Initiative, and how Faraday ends up in the Orchid station.
More random thoughts:
- Maybe Adam and Eve are really Jack and Kate – maybe they sacrifice themselves for the good of everyone else – perhaps paving a way for a Jin/Sun reunion. (I hope!)
- I’m guessing that ghostCharlie appeared to Hurley to tell him to show up for that flight with a guitar.
- Looking back, Frank as pilot seemed such an obvious move, but I did not see it coming until I heard his voice. (And I even noticed Jeff Fahey’s name in the credits!)
- Ajira 316 to Guam was referenced in the most recent alternate reality game.
- Loved that Hurley was reading Y: The Last Man at the airport. Brian K. Vaughan is a producer and writer on Lost.
- Could Desmond’s role be to bring Aaron to the Island? (Or maybe Penny’s dead body?)
- Based on the military picture in the Lamp Post, I guess that the Dharma Initiative started looking for the Island in the 50s, after the U.S. Military accidentally discovered it.
- I was amused that Hurley bought 78 seats on Flight 316. Good for him, saving all those lives.
Quotes of the night:
After Jack asks him about all the other people on the plane, Ben replies: “Who cares?”
As Jack is getting more fidgety and excited, he asks Ben: “How can you read?” Ben replies: “My mother taught me.” (An amusing interchange, but a lie, since Ben’s mother died in childbirth.)
But the line of the night is with out a doubt from Lapidus: “We’re not going to Guam, are we?”
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Who’s playing who?
Another fantastic episode of Lost, featuring death, love and tons of confusion.
First, I’ll tackle the French people…
So I really missed Daniel Dae Kim and he really had a great bunch of scenes last night. It started in his opening scenes with the Frenchies, and continued throughout the episode.
I know we really didn’t see much of Rousseau and crew, but between old, crazy Rousseau’s stories that we heard in the past and when we saw, I think we have a pretty complete idea of her experience on the Island. It’s was very impressive that they managed to compress so much of her story into a few short, but dynamic scenes that make it really clear how Rousseau became the Rousseau that Sayid meets in season one.
Montand is (was) quite the ass. But the sequence with him being attacked by Smokey and then losing his arm was awesome! Really heart-pounding, crazy, gross, powerful. I still haven’t gotten the sound of his arm being ripped off out of my head.
I wonder how much time passed between Jin’s first two jumps – the arm was obviously decomposing, but still there – so maybe a few days?
Seems Robert really was “infected” – was he possessed by Smokey/the Island? No matter how crazy he thought Rousseau was, I don’t think anyone in their right mind would kill the woman carrying their child. But maybe because Rousseau never went into the Temple (thanks Jin!) that is why everyone else saw her as a threat?
So this is the Temple where Ben sent the Others and then tried to send Alex, Karl and Rousseau. Why is it a safe place for the Others? Does Smokey not view them as a threat for some reason? According to Robert, "It's not a monster; it's a security system guarding the temple." If he is possessed by Smokey, then I think we can pretty much accept this as fact. (Interesting, this is how Rousseau originally described Smokey in season one – those crafty writers…)
So, onto the regrettable death of the week…
I was honestly rather surprised they killed Charlotte. I know that they were warning us of this all season, and they really gave us a lot of information on her as she was dying, but for poor Faraday’s sake, I was hoping she would survive. And her last words (“I’m not supposed to have chocolate before dinner.”) I found rather haunting.
But regardless, her death did bring about many answers. I found her babbling to be rather interesting, and look forward to rewatching it later. I was intrigued by her knowledge of the well, amused by her Geronimo Jackson reference and look forward to inevitably seeing her as a child and playing out some of those repeated lines when they actually happen. I also really look forward to seeing Dan sending Charlotte off the Island. I wonder if his work in the Orchid (as seen in the opening scene of the premiere) is related to his desire to save Charlotte. I also wonder if his efforts are what ultimately cause “The Incident.” That would be a really interesting development.
Charlotte’s death scene was wonderfully played both by Jeremy Davies and Rebecca Mader. You could see the pain in his eyes and knowledge that you truly cannot change what is fated to happen.
Other highlights:
- Yunjin Kim on phone with Ji Yeon made me believe that she was a mother, but one just too obsessed with revenge. I guess I jumped the gun with my assumption that something happened to Ji Yeon, or I was just overanalyzing, as usual.
- The reunion between Jin and Sawyer was really nicely done. Josh Holloway continues his amazing work – his reaction shots are particularly impressive.
- When Jin got upset and started babbling in Korean, I love that Sawyer assumed that Jin was asking Miles to translate: “He speaks Korean – I’m from Encino.”
- I mentioned before how great Daniel Dae Kim was in this ep, but I think I should mention it again because of his wonderful speech to Locke about how he should tell Sun that he is dead. Just a really great character moment (another one of those!) and perfectly played by both parties.
- I hope Jin isn’t too upset with Locke if and when he and Sun return to the Island. He definitely kept his promise to Jin and did not say anything to Sun, so it will be entirely Ben’s fault if Sun comes back.
- The shot of Sawyer holding the rope stuck into the ground was fantastic.
- This episode featured two really viscerally painful moments. The first I mentioned already – Montand losing his arm. The second was seeing Locke’s broken leg at the bottom of the well. It still hurts just thinking about that.
- Speaking of Locke in the well, Terry O’Quinn was fantastic in that scene.
- I was surprised to see Desmond, but I am glad that he (seemingly) left Penny on the boat.
- I thought that the final seen with the Ms. Hawking reveal was a bit over-dramatic, since we all knew who it was going to be anyway.
- Loved seeing John Terry again, but where do his loyalties lie? (More on this in a sec.)
- Also loved Christian’s “Say hello to my son.”
- Favorite line of the night is Ben’s (of course). In response to Jack saying that Ben told Jack that Locke did not come to see Ben: "That's true, Jack. I went to see him." (Oh Ben Linus, master of semantics.)
- By the way, Ben really seems to be losing it.
- If Sun does go back to the Island, will she ever see Ji Yeon again?
So, my final discussion topic: Who’s playing who? And where do loyalties lie?
Mrs. Hawking: Ben obviously didn’t know that Hawking is Dan’ mom – it seems strange that she wouldn’t share this information with him. If she’s hiding this, could she be hiding more? For all his Machiavellian machinations, Ben does seem to have the Island’s best interest in mind. I think everything he has done has been for the good of the Island (As opposed to Widmore, who I think is pursuing the Island for more selfish reasons.) If Mrs. Hawking is Dan’s mother and Widmore financed Dan’s research, could Widmore and Hawking be allies? Could she be using Ben to get to her endgame? However, is she is the Ellie from the Island (and being that her first name was confirmed as Eloise last night – interesting also the name of Faraday’s time traveling mouse) she and Widmore did seem to have a confrontational relationship on the Island, so maybe they truly are enemies. Maybe the show is just purposely trying to confuse us.
Christian: The Christian we saw last night was Cabin Christian, who told Locke that he had to move the Island last season. Based on his discussions with Locke last night, it seems like he always needed Locke to turn the wheel. (An on/off switch like I said!) So does that mean that he always wanted Locke off the Island? Does he have the Island’s best interests in mind? Is Cabin Christian the same as Blue Suit Christian? If so, why the change of clothes? Blue Suit Christian has interacted with Jack and influenced his on-Island activities. Cabin Christian has taken Claire, appeared to Michael before he died and spoke to Locke in Jacob’s Cabin. (This is off the top of my head, so there may be more that I do not recall.) Taking Claire, in effect, leads to Aaron leaving the Island. Appearing to Michael could suggest that Cabin Christian wanted the 6 to leave the Island. But then, last night Christian tells Locke to go to Hawking to get the 6 to return, so I just don’t know. Unless, of course, Hawking does not want them to go back, and this is exactly what Widmore wants.
I guess I’ll just have to wait for the show to tell us, because this theorizing hurts.
One final question: Did Locke truly fix the time jumps?
Dan, at least, gets back to the time of the DI. We see that in the premiere. Is that where they will all be stuck at next week? If that is true and at some point and if the 6 return, will they arrive at an Island where their friends are already dead? Will they actually ever meet up with their friends again? I need to see Sun and Jin reunite. I need to.
I know eventually, there will be a subpar week. It happens every year at one time or another. The show has just really been popping out some great entertainment recently though and I can’t help but hope that it continues. We’re five eps in and haven’t had a clunker yet. I suppose they will eventually focus on Kate or Jack or Hurley too much for my liking and I’ll be disappointed, but right now, I could not be happier and more thrilled with Lost this season.
First, I’ll tackle the French people…
So I really missed Daniel Dae Kim and he really had a great bunch of scenes last night. It started in his opening scenes with the Frenchies, and continued throughout the episode.
I know we really didn’t see much of Rousseau and crew, but between old, crazy Rousseau’s stories that we heard in the past and when we saw, I think we have a pretty complete idea of her experience on the Island. It’s was very impressive that they managed to compress so much of her story into a few short, but dynamic scenes that make it really clear how Rousseau became the Rousseau that Sayid meets in season one.
Montand is (was) quite the ass. But the sequence with him being attacked by Smokey and then losing his arm was awesome! Really heart-pounding, crazy, gross, powerful. I still haven’t gotten the sound of his arm being ripped off out of my head.
I wonder how much time passed between Jin’s first two jumps – the arm was obviously decomposing, but still there – so maybe a few days?
Seems Robert really was “infected” – was he possessed by Smokey/the Island? No matter how crazy he thought Rousseau was, I don’t think anyone in their right mind would kill the woman carrying their child. But maybe because Rousseau never went into the Temple (thanks Jin!) that is why everyone else saw her as a threat?
So this is the Temple where Ben sent the Others and then tried to send Alex, Karl and Rousseau. Why is it a safe place for the Others? Does Smokey not view them as a threat for some reason? According to Robert, "It's not a monster; it's a security system guarding the temple." If he is possessed by Smokey, then I think we can pretty much accept this as fact. (Interesting, this is how Rousseau originally described Smokey in season one – those crafty writers…)
So, onto the regrettable death of the week…
I was honestly rather surprised they killed Charlotte. I know that they were warning us of this all season, and they really gave us a lot of information on her as she was dying, but for poor Faraday’s sake, I was hoping she would survive. And her last words (“I’m not supposed to have chocolate before dinner.”) I found rather haunting.
But regardless, her death did bring about many answers. I found her babbling to be rather interesting, and look forward to rewatching it later. I was intrigued by her knowledge of the well, amused by her Geronimo Jackson reference and look forward to inevitably seeing her as a child and playing out some of those repeated lines when they actually happen. I also really look forward to seeing Dan sending Charlotte off the Island. I wonder if his work in the Orchid (as seen in the opening scene of the premiere) is related to his desire to save Charlotte. I also wonder if his efforts are what ultimately cause “The Incident.” That would be a really interesting development.
Charlotte’s death scene was wonderfully played both by Jeremy Davies and Rebecca Mader. You could see the pain in his eyes and knowledge that you truly cannot change what is fated to happen.
Other highlights:
- Yunjin Kim on phone with Ji Yeon made me believe that she was a mother, but one just too obsessed with revenge. I guess I jumped the gun with my assumption that something happened to Ji Yeon, or I was just overanalyzing, as usual.
- The reunion between Jin and Sawyer was really nicely done. Josh Holloway continues his amazing work – his reaction shots are particularly impressive.
- When Jin got upset and started babbling in Korean, I love that Sawyer assumed that Jin was asking Miles to translate: “He speaks Korean – I’m from Encino.”
- I mentioned before how great Daniel Dae Kim was in this ep, but I think I should mention it again because of his wonderful speech to Locke about how he should tell Sun that he is dead. Just a really great character moment (another one of those!) and perfectly played by both parties.
- I hope Jin isn’t too upset with Locke if and when he and Sun return to the Island. He definitely kept his promise to Jin and did not say anything to Sun, so it will be entirely Ben’s fault if Sun comes back.
- The shot of Sawyer holding the rope stuck into the ground was fantastic.
- This episode featured two really viscerally painful moments. The first I mentioned already – Montand losing his arm. The second was seeing Locke’s broken leg at the bottom of the well. It still hurts just thinking about that.
- Speaking of Locke in the well, Terry O’Quinn was fantastic in that scene.
- I was surprised to see Desmond, but I am glad that he (seemingly) left Penny on the boat.
- I thought that the final seen with the Ms. Hawking reveal was a bit over-dramatic, since we all knew who it was going to be anyway.
- Loved seeing John Terry again, but where do his loyalties lie? (More on this in a sec.)
- Also loved Christian’s “Say hello to my son.”
- Favorite line of the night is Ben’s (of course). In response to Jack saying that Ben told Jack that Locke did not come to see Ben: "That's true, Jack. I went to see him." (Oh Ben Linus, master of semantics.)
- By the way, Ben really seems to be losing it.
- If Sun does go back to the Island, will she ever see Ji Yeon again?
So, my final discussion topic: Who’s playing who? And where do loyalties lie?
Mrs. Hawking: Ben obviously didn’t know that Hawking is Dan’ mom – it seems strange that she wouldn’t share this information with him. If she’s hiding this, could she be hiding more? For all his Machiavellian machinations, Ben does seem to have the Island’s best interest in mind. I think everything he has done has been for the good of the Island (As opposed to Widmore, who I think is pursuing the Island for more selfish reasons.) If Mrs. Hawking is Dan’s mother and Widmore financed Dan’s research, could Widmore and Hawking be allies? Could she be using Ben to get to her endgame? However, is she is the Ellie from the Island (and being that her first name was confirmed as Eloise last night – interesting also the name of Faraday’s time traveling mouse) she and Widmore did seem to have a confrontational relationship on the Island, so maybe they truly are enemies. Maybe the show is just purposely trying to confuse us.
Christian: The Christian we saw last night was Cabin Christian, who told Locke that he had to move the Island last season. Based on his discussions with Locke last night, it seems like he always needed Locke to turn the wheel. (An on/off switch like I said!) So does that mean that he always wanted Locke off the Island? Does he have the Island’s best interests in mind? Is Cabin Christian the same as Blue Suit Christian? If so, why the change of clothes? Blue Suit Christian has interacted with Jack and influenced his on-Island activities. Cabin Christian has taken Claire, appeared to Michael before he died and spoke to Locke in Jacob’s Cabin. (This is off the top of my head, so there may be more that I do not recall.) Taking Claire, in effect, leads to Aaron leaving the Island. Appearing to Michael could suggest that Cabin Christian wanted the 6 to leave the Island. But then, last night Christian tells Locke to go to Hawking to get the 6 to return, so I just don’t know. Unless, of course, Hawking does not want them to go back, and this is exactly what Widmore wants.
I guess I’ll just have to wait for the show to tell us, because this theorizing hurts.
One final question: Did Locke truly fix the time jumps?
Dan, at least, gets back to the time of the DI. We see that in the premiere. Is that where they will all be stuck at next week? If that is true and at some point and if the 6 return, will they arrive at an Island where their friends are already dead? Will they actually ever meet up with their friends again? I need to see Sun and Jin reunite. I need to.
I know eventually, there will be a subpar week. It happens every year at one time or another. The show has just really been popping out some great entertainment recently though and I can’t help but hope that it continues. We’re five eps in and haven’t had a clunker yet. I suppose they will eventually focus on Kate or Jack or Hurley too much for my liking and I’ll be disappointed, but right now, I could not be happier and more thrilled with Lost this season.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Generalissimo!
Some of my favorite quotes from yesterday’s fantastic 30 Rock:
Tracy: "I'm getting too old for this ship!"
Liz, about her upstairs neighbor Dr. Baird: "He looks like a cartoon pilot"
Jack: “Elisa and I have enough obstacles: our work schedules, our cultures, her adorably broken English.”
Elisa: “MetroCards are a real thing, Jack. You use them on the subway.”
“I want to go to there” (Tina Fey could say this every week and every week, I would laugh uncontrollably)
Jenna on Dr. Baird: “He’s a pediatrician, so you know he likes kids. Or feet. No, no, kids. He has a bill from a divorce lawyer so you know he’s single. And he has a golf magazine so you know he’s not gay or poor. (opens his Netflix rentals) Muppets Take Manhattan, Caddyshack, and a documentary about how pies are made!”
Jack, after giving Elisa and her grandmother a tour of NBC: “Wasn’t that a treat? Only the special tours get to see Conan without a wig.”
Tracy: “You shouldn’t end a sentence with a preposition at. Yeah, I’m in.”
Tracy: "You know what happens to a comedian when he gets old and loses his audience? He starts getting offered serious roles. Do you really want to see me play Arthur Ashe?"
Kenneth: "No -- that's terrible. You leave him alone."
Tracy: "Exactly."
Liz: “Well, Buster is probably dead. Do you want to go to the wine bar around the corner, deal with these emotions, get some dinner?”
Hector Moreda, in his commercial for Sabor de Soledad: "Ahora con mas semen del toro"
Liz: “And then I’ll put my mouth on his mouth!”
"Wow. I'm super gay, and I would totally switch for her." Hector Moreda (after seeing a picture of Elisa)
The Generalissimo: “I look forward to your wonderful cooking. Later, I will fulfill my dream of making love to an older Puerto Rican woman. But first, let me compliment pictures of your grandchildren. After you scratch off these lottery tickets, can we go to McDonald’s and only order coffee?”
Tracy: "I'm getting too old for this ship!"
Liz, about her upstairs neighbor Dr. Baird: "He looks like a cartoon pilot"
Jack: “Elisa and I have enough obstacles: our work schedules, our cultures, her adorably broken English.”
Elisa: “MetroCards are a real thing, Jack. You use them on the subway.”
“I want to go to there” (Tina Fey could say this every week and every week, I would laugh uncontrollably)
Jenna on Dr. Baird: “He’s a pediatrician, so you know he likes kids. Or feet. No, no, kids. He has a bill from a divorce lawyer so you know he’s single. And he has a golf magazine so you know he’s not gay or poor. (opens his Netflix rentals) Muppets Take Manhattan, Caddyshack, and a documentary about how pies are made!”
Jack, after giving Elisa and her grandmother a tour of NBC: “Wasn’t that a treat? Only the special tours get to see Conan without a wig.”
Tracy: “You shouldn’t end a sentence with a preposition at. Yeah, I’m in.”
Tracy: "You know what happens to a comedian when he gets old and loses his audience? He starts getting offered serious roles. Do you really want to see me play Arthur Ashe?"
Kenneth: "No -- that's terrible. You leave him alone."
Tracy: "Exactly."
Liz: “Well, Buster is probably dead. Do you want to go to the wine bar around the corner, deal with these emotions, get some dinner?”
Hector Moreda, in his commercial for Sabor de Soledad: "Ahora con mas semen del toro"
Liz: “And then I’ll put my mouth on his mouth!”
"Wow. I'm super gay, and I would totally switch for her." Hector Moreda (after seeing a picture of Elisa)
The Generalissimo: “I look forward to your wonderful cooking. Later, I will fulfill my dream of making love to an older Puerto Rican woman. But first, let me compliment pictures of your grandchildren. After you scratch off these lottery tickets, can we go to McDonald’s and only order coffee?”
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Oh, Jin, how I’ve missed you
To be honest, I was a bit worried going into this week’s Lost because the episode description from Cablevision seemed very Kate-centric, and much like Kate, I feel like running when the show decides to delve into her issues. However, while not quite the masterpiece that was last week’s “Jughead,” “The Little Prince” was still another solid hour of Lost with some really nice character moments.
Like I said last week, what really makes Lost a great show is the depth of the characters. That shone through once again this week and it’s nice that the show is allowing time to develop the characters even more while still moving the story along, i.e. no wheel-spinning like the beginning of season three (which I will still defend, but I can see how complaints could be made).
The biggest moment of the ep for me, was the return of Jin (and Rousseau too!). When I saw his body floating on that piece of wood, I knew it was him and I still got goosebumps at the reveal. I am really interested in this storyline, if not only to see how and when Jin hooks up with the rest of Sawyer and his merry men and women, but to (hopefully) see Rousseau’s story. (The look on Daniel Dae Kim’s face when Rousseau said her name was perfect.) I hope that Jin sticks with them for a little while at least, because this is a wonderful opportunity to bring some depth and development to Rousseau, a character who we really only know as a crazy French lady.
Sawyer had some really nice character moments in this ep too. The scene where he watches Claire giving birth was wonderfully played by Josh Holloway. Honestly, it was just so fantastic; you could just see exactly what he was thinking. I know I say it a lot here, but non-verbal acting is what really sells an actor for me and he was incredible here, as well as in the scene with Juliet where he told her about seeing Kate.
I have always liked Sawyer as a character. I originally liked him because he was such an intentional asshole in the earlier seasons, but now the writers have really developed him into a three-dimensional asshole with a heart of gold that really makes me feel for him. He also had two amusing quotes last night: “Thank you Lord!” (as they were flashing away from their attackers in the boat) and “I take that back!” (when they flash into a monsoon). The season of Sawyer continues.
It was nice to see Claire, even if only in flashback (and in her mom’s picture frame). Seeing the birth scene again was a nice bit of nostalgia and also a clever way to remind us of Kate’s ties to Aaron. I had actually forgotten about that scene.
And in a bit of character trait reinforcement (as opposed to actual growth), of course Jack can always fix everything, as he notes to Kate when he goes to talk to Claire’s mother. I guess he really didn’t do any harm, but I thought that it had ‘bad idea’ written all over it.
I found it interesting that many of the questions I wrote down early in the ep were actually answered by the end. I started with “Dart people after Sayid also after Kate (had her address)? So it’s not Ben then?” only told be proven wrong. To me, Ben’s reveal that he is behind the lawyer going to Kate means that there is another group also coming for Kate/Aaron and Ben just beat them to it. Could this be the team of Widmore and bad-ass Sun? Is Sun now going to attempt to assassinate Ben to get revenge for Jin? Could Ben know that Jin is alive (from Locke) and that is what will stop Sun’s attempt? Perhaps that is how he convinces Sun to go back?
Another question I wrote early in the episode: “Is Claire’s Mom behind the lawyers?” Which I was actually annoyed at the show for because when that was revealed I was thinking that it would have been more of a surprise if she wasn’t in the ‘previouslys’ before the ep. However, the show proved me wrong and I was thinking exactly what they wanted me to think. Good job, Lost writers. (One of which tonight was Brain K. Vaughan, who wrote the non-Lost-related, but definitely excellent ‘Y: The Last Man’ and a few great eps of Lost last season.)
Also, and this was a pretty obvious question, but when Sawyer, et al. came across the wreckage on the shore and noticed it was in French, I immediately wrote gasped and made some sort of yelping sound, then wrote: “Rousseau’s people?” and was answered pretty quickly with a ‘Yes!” Not too shocking, but not dragged out liked some previous mysteries (Claire and Jack being related, for instance).
Other highlights/questions from “The Little Prince:”
- Was Dan telling the truth to Juliet about all that he knows? If not, why not? If it’s about general secrecy for the show’s purposes, I will be annoyed. If he has a really good reason for being a stinking liar, I want to know soon.
- I love watching Sayid and his well-choreographed, yet very messy fights.
- Sun is rather scary. From her line about the candy in the mini bar to 100 channels on TV, I guess that’s why she only has a baby picture of Ji Yeon – she acts like no mother I’ve ever seen. So consumed by revenge that she doesn’t even seem to care about Aaron, and by extension her own child? Yikes. I mean she’s acting like a woman with truly nothing left to lose. Unless Ji Yeon is no longer around…but Ben wouldn’t go that far, right? He wouldn’t kill a child to get what he wants. Not a true innocent. I love Ben, but that would be too far, even for me. (Of course, Widmore could be playing Sun to get her to go after Ben.)
- The light in the air really caught me by surprise at first. Once I saw Kate/Claire, I understood, but at first I thought we were way in the past or way in the future. However, that whole scene was really nicely played by Terry O’Quinn, since Locke clearly know when they were.
- So is Miles Pierre Chang’s son? (Based on Dan asking him if he was sure that he had never been to the Island before.)
- If they are going to die in the order of the longevity of time that they’ve been on the Island, I guess Sawyer/Rose/Bernard/Vincent/etc. are next to get nosebleeds, but hopefully not for a while, because Juliet’s been on the Island for 3+ years and Sawyer, etc. just a few months.
- It’s a good thing Jin learned his English over the past two months or so.
- Young Rousseau is actually pretty cute and has already smiled more that old Rousseau ever did.
- So the French people finding Jin was a flashback to before Sawyer, et al. were marooned – but how long before?
- Rousseau refers to one of her people as Montand…I know he’s been referenced before, but I can’t place him.
- The numbers were being broadcast over the Frenchies’ radio. Nothing special, just noteworthy and cool. All of the stuff reinforces Rousseau’s story, so it’s nice to see that she wasn’t all crazy.
- Finding the boat with Ajira water had to be a flashforward. Could this be how the Oceanic 6 return to the Island? They take an Ajira plane, then use a canoe at some point? (Maybe they land on the runway that the Others were building on the second island at the beginning of season 3?) After the 6 arrive at camp and find Rose, Bernard, Vincent (that dog best still be alive Darlton!) and they all leave to try to find the rest of the crew. That is, unless the rest were already there at that point and…oi, head hurts, nose bleeding, must find my constant…
- If the Ajira flash was in the future could the other boat (the one shooting at them) have been Jack, Kate and everyone else?
- Please don’t kill Juliet, please don’t kill Juliet, please don’t kill Juliet.
- I wonder if the flashes on the Island are somehow purposeful and leading Sawyer’s crew to their destinies, while also preventing paradoxes from happening. Because it does seem that we are flashing to rather important times in the Island’s history.
- Didn’t figure this one out myself, but the name on the side of Ben’s van is “Canton-Rainier” which can be rearranged to “reincarnation.” (Much in the way that the name of Locke’s funeral home could be rearranged to “flash-forward.”) Clue or red herring?
- Locke might actually be right about going to the Orchid. Maybe if he goes to the frozen donkey wheel, he can stop the flashes from happening, while at the same time being zipped off the Island to become Jeremy Bentham and die. Maybe when he does this, the Island is stopped in a certain crucial time period. (Ben turned the flashes on, Locke turns them off?)
- Favorite quotes of the night: “I think they want their boat back” (Miles) and “No Jack, she’s right – it was me.” (Ben) Perfectly delivered, as always by Michael Emerson. Ben is so awesome.
Now, how do I tie the title of this episode to the novella where it got its name (“The Little Prince”)? Before watching this ep, I thought that we were meant to think of Aaron because so much seems to be centered on him, and maybe he is the Little Prince. However, yesterday afternoon, I read the novella in preparation for this episode and what I found most interesting about it was that at the end of the story, the Little Prince has to die to get back home to the rose that he loves. That seems like good ol’ John Locke to me (just replace rose with Island) and would also tie in with the above mentioned anagram.
Also, there is an extensive discussion in ‘The Little Prince’ about becoming responsible to that which you tame. ‘Tame’ in the story is defined as “to establish ties.” And haven’t all these characters been tamed by each other and more so haven’t they all been tamed to/by the Island?
Like I said last week, what really makes Lost a great show is the depth of the characters. That shone through once again this week and it’s nice that the show is allowing time to develop the characters even more while still moving the story along, i.e. no wheel-spinning like the beginning of season three (which I will still defend, but I can see how complaints could be made).
The biggest moment of the ep for me, was the return of Jin (and Rousseau too!). When I saw his body floating on that piece of wood, I knew it was him and I still got goosebumps at the reveal. I am really interested in this storyline, if not only to see how and when Jin hooks up with the rest of Sawyer and his merry men and women, but to (hopefully) see Rousseau’s story. (The look on Daniel Dae Kim’s face when Rousseau said her name was perfect.) I hope that Jin sticks with them for a little while at least, because this is a wonderful opportunity to bring some depth and development to Rousseau, a character who we really only know as a crazy French lady.
Sawyer had some really nice character moments in this ep too. The scene where he watches Claire giving birth was wonderfully played by Josh Holloway. Honestly, it was just so fantastic; you could just see exactly what he was thinking. I know I say it a lot here, but non-verbal acting is what really sells an actor for me and he was incredible here, as well as in the scene with Juliet where he told her about seeing Kate.
I have always liked Sawyer as a character. I originally liked him because he was such an intentional asshole in the earlier seasons, but now the writers have really developed him into a three-dimensional asshole with a heart of gold that really makes me feel for him. He also had two amusing quotes last night: “Thank you Lord!” (as they were flashing away from their attackers in the boat) and “I take that back!” (when they flash into a monsoon). The season of Sawyer continues.
It was nice to see Claire, even if only in flashback (and in her mom’s picture frame). Seeing the birth scene again was a nice bit of nostalgia and also a clever way to remind us of Kate’s ties to Aaron. I had actually forgotten about that scene.
And in a bit of character trait reinforcement (as opposed to actual growth), of course Jack can always fix everything, as he notes to Kate when he goes to talk to Claire’s mother. I guess he really didn’t do any harm, but I thought that it had ‘bad idea’ written all over it.
I found it interesting that many of the questions I wrote down early in the ep were actually answered by the end. I started with “Dart people after Sayid also after Kate (had her address)? So it’s not Ben then?” only told be proven wrong. To me, Ben’s reveal that he is behind the lawyer going to Kate means that there is another group also coming for Kate/Aaron and Ben just beat them to it. Could this be the team of Widmore and bad-ass Sun? Is Sun now going to attempt to assassinate Ben to get revenge for Jin? Could Ben know that Jin is alive (from Locke) and that is what will stop Sun’s attempt? Perhaps that is how he convinces Sun to go back?
Another question I wrote early in the episode: “Is Claire’s Mom behind the lawyers?” Which I was actually annoyed at the show for because when that was revealed I was thinking that it would have been more of a surprise if she wasn’t in the ‘previouslys’ before the ep. However, the show proved me wrong and I was thinking exactly what they wanted me to think. Good job, Lost writers. (One of which tonight was Brain K. Vaughan, who wrote the non-Lost-related, but definitely excellent ‘Y: The Last Man’ and a few great eps of Lost last season.)
Also, and this was a pretty obvious question, but when Sawyer, et al. came across the wreckage on the shore and noticed it was in French, I immediately wrote gasped and made some sort of yelping sound, then wrote: “Rousseau’s people?” and was answered pretty quickly with a ‘Yes!” Not too shocking, but not dragged out liked some previous mysteries (Claire and Jack being related, for instance).
Other highlights/questions from “The Little Prince:”
- Was Dan telling the truth to Juliet about all that he knows? If not, why not? If it’s about general secrecy for the show’s purposes, I will be annoyed. If he has a really good reason for being a stinking liar, I want to know soon.
- I love watching Sayid and his well-choreographed, yet very messy fights.
- Sun is rather scary. From her line about the candy in the mini bar to 100 channels on TV, I guess that’s why she only has a baby picture of Ji Yeon – she acts like no mother I’ve ever seen. So consumed by revenge that she doesn’t even seem to care about Aaron, and by extension her own child? Yikes. I mean she’s acting like a woman with truly nothing left to lose. Unless Ji Yeon is no longer around…but Ben wouldn’t go that far, right? He wouldn’t kill a child to get what he wants. Not a true innocent. I love Ben, but that would be too far, even for me. (Of course, Widmore could be playing Sun to get her to go after Ben.)
- The light in the air really caught me by surprise at first. Once I saw Kate/Claire, I understood, but at first I thought we were way in the past or way in the future. However, that whole scene was really nicely played by Terry O’Quinn, since Locke clearly know when they were.
- So is Miles Pierre Chang’s son? (Based on Dan asking him if he was sure that he had never been to the Island before.)
- If they are going to die in the order of the longevity of time that they’ve been on the Island, I guess Sawyer/Rose/Bernard/Vincent/etc. are next to get nosebleeds, but hopefully not for a while, because Juliet’s been on the Island for 3+ years and Sawyer, etc. just a few months.
- It’s a good thing Jin learned his English over the past two months or so.
- Young Rousseau is actually pretty cute and has already smiled more that old Rousseau ever did.
- So the French people finding Jin was a flashback to before Sawyer, et al. were marooned – but how long before?
- Rousseau refers to one of her people as Montand…I know he’s been referenced before, but I can’t place him.
- The numbers were being broadcast over the Frenchies’ radio. Nothing special, just noteworthy and cool. All of the stuff reinforces Rousseau’s story, so it’s nice to see that she wasn’t all crazy.
- Finding the boat with Ajira water had to be a flashforward. Could this be how the Oceanic 6 return to the Island? They take an Ajira plane, then use a canoe at some point? (Maybe they land on the runway that the Others were building on the second island at the beginning of season 3?) After the 6 arrive at camp and find Rose, Bernard, Vincent (that dog best still be alive Darlton!) and they all leave to try to find the rest of the crew. That is, unless the rest were already there at that point and…oi, head hurts, nose bleeding, must find my constant…
- If the Ajira flash was in the future could the other boat (the one shooting at them) have been Jack, Kate and everyone else?
- Please don’t kill Juliet, please don’t kill Juliet, please don’t kill Juliet.
- I wonder if the flashes on the Island are somehow purposeful and leading Sawyer’s crew to their destinies, while also preventing paradoxes from happening. Because it does seem that we are flashing to rather important times in the Island’s history.
- Didn’t figure this one out myself, but the name on the side of Ben’s van is “Canton-Rainier” which can be rearranged to “reincarnation.” (Much in the way that the name of Locke’s funeral home could be rearranged to “flash-forward.”) Clue or red herring?
- Locke might actually be right about going to the Orchid. Maybe if he goes to the frozen donkey wheel, he can stop the flashes from happening, while at the same time being zipped off the Island to become Jeremy Bentham and die. Maybe when he does this, the Island is stopped in a certain crucial time period. (Ben turned the flashes on, Locke turns them off?)
- Favorite quotes of the night: “I think they want their boat back” (Miles) and “No Jack, she’s right – it was me.” (Ben) Perfectly delivered, as always by Michael Emerson. Ben is so awesome.
Now, how do I tie the title of this episode to the novella where it got its name (“The Little Prince”)? Before watching this ep, I thought that we were meant to think of Aaron because so much seems to be centered on him, and maybe he is the Little Prince. However, yesterday afternoon, I read the novella in preparation for this episode and what I found most interesting about it was that at the end of the story, the Little Prince has to die to get back home to the rose that he loves. That seems like good ol’ John Locke to me (just replace rose with Island) and would also tie in with the above mentioned anagram.
Also, there is an extensive discussion in ‘The Little Prince’ about becoming responsible to that which you tame. ‘Tame’ in the story is defined as “to establish ties.” And haven’t all these characters been tamed by each other and more so haven’t they all been tamed to/by the Island?
Monday, February 2, 2009
It’s gonna be a long week…
This past Friday’s episode of Battlestar Galactica was probably the best of the whole of season four (including the first half, that is). It was certainly the most intense episode in a long while (probably since season three and New Caprica) and really had me on the edge of my seat with my heart-pounding the whole 40 minutes or so.
It is interesting how this new conflict is set up. As an audience member, I (for the most part) am onboard with Adama’s plan to use Cylon technology on their ships. However, any old Joe Six-pack on the fleet doesn’t see the inner workings of the higher-ups that the audience does, so I would imagine if they did a fleet-wide survey, the majority would come out against the use of the technology. So as much as I despise what Gaeta is doing, I do understand his motivations. (I especially understand them after the “Face of the Enemy” webisodes.)
That is what makes this such a compelling conflict to me. When looked at logically, I think both sides really have equally good points, so I am tempted to side more with Gaeta and his ilk because they aren’t even being told the whole story, they are just being told to deal with it. I’m not saying I’d go to the lengths that he now has, but I can definitely see why he would do what he has done. It’s his execution is what angers me, but it’s all in a good way. It’s not anger at Gaeta’s point of view, but anger at “How could he do this to Adama?”
Other highlights from “The Oath”:
- Tigh’s reaction to seeing Roslin in her robe while at Adama’s quarters was great. Michael Hogan is the greatest only one eyed actor I’ve ever seen!
- It’s easy to forget that Zarek was once a prisoner – the wrench attack made me yelp. His lack of remorse after was quite unsettling. (As was his obvious disappointment that Adama was still alive later in the ep.)
- I love bat shit-crazy, bad-ass Starbuck. (I think Katee Sackhoff loves her too.)
- Adama’s speech to Gaeta gave me chills.
- I love bad-ass Adama.
- EVERYTHING with Baltar and Roslin was fantastic, especially the following quotes from Baltar: “Have you come to pray?” (when he first sees her) and “Your faith in your oratorical skills is impressive.” (before she makes her plea to the fleet)
- Will this be the last time that Roslin and Adama see each other? That certainly gives deeper significance to the consummation of their relationship in the last episode, and makes me glad that they actually did show us that they were together.
It is interesting how this new conflict is set up. As an audience member, I (for the most part) am onboard with Adama’s plan to use Cylon technology on their ships. However, any old Joe Six-pack on the fleet doesn’t see the inner workings of the higher-ups that the audience does, so I would imagine if they did a fleet-wide survey, the majority would come out against the use of the technology. So as much as I despise what Gaeta is doing, I do understand his motivations. (I especially understand them after the “Face of the Enemy” webisodes.)
That is what makes this such a compelling conflict to me. When looked at logically, I think both sides really have equally good points, so I am tempted to side more with Gaeta and his ilk because they aren’t even being told the whole story, they are just being told to deal with it. I’m not saying I’d go to the lengths that he now has, but I can definitely see why he would do what he has done. It’s his execution is what angers me, but it’s all in a good way. It’s not anger at Gaeta’s point of view, but anger at “How could he do this to Adama?”
Other highlights from “The Oath”:
- Tigh’s reaction to seeing Roslin in her robe while at Adama’s quarters was great. Michael Hogan is the greatest only one eyed actor I’ve ever seen!
- It’s easy to forget that Zarek was once a prisoner – the wrench attack made me yelp. His lack of remorse after was quite unsettling. (As was his obvious disappointment that Adama was still alive later in the ep.)
- I love bat shit-crazy, bad-ass Starbuck. (I think Katee Sackhoff loves her too.)
- Adama’s speech to Gaeta gave me chills.
- I love bad-ass Adama.
- EVERYTHING with Baltar and Roslin was fantastic, especially the following quotes from Baltar: “Have you come to pray?” (when he first sees her) and “Your faith in your oratorical skills is impressive.” (before she makes her plea to the fleet)
- Will this be the last time that Roslin and Adama see each other? That certainly gives deeper significance to the consummation of their relationship in the last episode, and makes me glad that they actually did show us that they were together.
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