I've found it harder to theorize this year because of the large number of answers that the show is giving. This is no loss for the world at large, as I've never been right about much of anything, but it does take the luster off of having a blog devoted to the show. I'm having more fun this season just taking things as they come and enjoying the story on its on merits, rather than what I project it might be.
The off week gives an opportunity to stew about "The Last Recruit" for a while longer before posting any additional thoughts on it. Instead, I'll use this week to plan out the end of the show. Which episodes to watch to prepare for the finale?
Starting Wednesday after 6x16 airs, I plan to watch all five season finales. LOST finales as a group have been spectacular, and I believe that in every case except Season One they represent the finest episode of their respective seasons. The finales will serve as a good ramp-up for whatever kind of craziness will be going down in 6x17 (AKA in my household as the LOST Super Bowl).
The last thing I watch prior to the series finale, however, will be the series premiere. "Pilot" is still one of the show's greatest episodes, and for a show that plays as fast and loose with time as LOST does, I think it is very appropriate to watch the first episode just before the last episode. We've come along way, but the show has remained true to the seeds it planted in "Pilot", and after six seasons that's quite an achievement.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
6x13: The Last Recruit
It's a solid B-level episode as our Lostaways come together in both timelines. Unfortunately, what was a semi-happy reunion in 2007 comes apart at the end, with a disturbing implication (although one that I don't believe will come to fruition).
2004X:
Ben plays the role of concerned friend (despite not knowing anything about him) of Locke as he's ferried away in the ambulance. He's wheeled into the hospital right next to Sun, who in her moment of distress apparently recognizes him and is terrified.
Sawyer flirts with criminal Kate, marveling at the coincidence that they were each on Oceanic 815, as if someone is trying to bring them together. Kate maintains her innocence, and posits that he let her go at LAX because he didn't want anyone to know they were in Australia. Their mating dance is interrupted by Miles, who alerts Sawyer to a restaurant shooting and the suspect that was caught on tape.
Desmond stalks Claire to an office building; she's headed to the adoption agency on the fifteenth floor and he nosily tags along, urging her to have legal representation with her. Luckily, he knows a lawyer who owes him a favor, and she's on the fifteenth floor too. It turns out to be Ilana, and as it would happen she's been looking for Claire.
Sayid and Nadia have a brief conversation in which nothing but everything is said. Miles knocks on the door, and Sayid attempts to go out the back, but Sawyer trips him with the garden hose and arrests him.
Jack and David arrive at the same office complex, on their way up to Ilana's office for the reading of Christian's will. Their relationship is a lot chummier, and so it looks as if the brief time between "Lighthouse" and this episode has not seen their newfound bond broken. Ilana asks Jack if he believes in fate, then introduces him to the sister he never knew he had. The awkward family reunion is broken up by an emergency call from the hospital.
In the hospital, all is well for Sun, as both she and the baby are fine. Meanwhile, Jack goes into surgery, and looks into one of the mirrors, seeing both himself and Locke, who he recognizes, which throws him just a bit.
On Island
The tense meeting of the Jacobians and Locke's Flocke is still in progress. MiB asks to speak to Jack alone; Jack obliges after getting permission from Hurley. He says that he doesn't know what Locke is, to which Locke asserts that he does. Jack asks about why he took Locke's form (since he was dead and you brought him back in a wooden box is the snarky response), dancing around the real issue which MiB knows he's asking about. So he gets Jack to ask about Christian, and MiB admits that he was the apparition of the elder Shephard. Why? Because they needed water, and all he's ever done is try to help them get off the Island (sure, that's why he killed the pilot way back in "Pilot"). Now that Jacob is dead, they are free to go, but it has to be together. We also get some more Locke putdowns coupled with a subtle jab at Jack ("he wasn't a believer, he was a sucker...he believed this place could help him [definitely paraphrasing there]").
Someone has been following them--it's Claire, happy to see her brother. It's a cute scene with an undertone of Claire craziness; she talks about how MiB was impersonating their father, and since she didn't have much in the way of family she's glad that he's coming with them. Jack replies that he hasn't made up his mind on that front yet, but Claire says he did decide--he decided the moment he let MiB talk to him, and now he's one of them just like the rest.
Sawyer lets Hurley in on the sub hijacking plan, as Kate does the same for Claire, but lets him know that Sayid is not invited because he's on the dark side. He tells Hurley not to tell, and I am surprised that he didn't let it slip at some point--you remember Arzt and the Black Rock dynamite plan in "Exodus", right?
Jack returns from his meeting with MiB and talks to Kate; Kate says "[Sayid's] different now" and Jack replies "I guess we all are". Just then, Zoe strolls into camp, accusing MiB of taking something that belongs to them (but never stating what it is; of course, as the audience we know, but the Lostaways sans Sayid do not). They have until nightfall to return it, or it's war, and some sort of explosion (I didn't see a missile, although I heard something) shows this isn't just an idle threat. She leaves a walkie for MiB to call on, but he uses the stick he crafted last episode to smash it, saying "Here we go".
MiB addresses his troops, playing dumb on the supposed theft he committed and admitting that his plan is being up. They are going to head for Hydra Island and the Ajira plan, with Sawyer dispatched to get the sailboat, to meet them at a rendezvous point. He takes Kate with her, quickly giving Jack instructions to double back and meet them when he gets the chance, bringing only Frank, Hurley, and Sun (Sayid is evil and Claire lost her ticket when she tried to kill Kate).
MiB simultaneously dispatches Sayid to kill Desmond, threatening to take away the carrot of Nadia if he doesn't follow through. Sayid goes to the well, which is not nearly as deep as I expected it to be. Desmond asks him what he was offered, and when he finds out what it was, he has two follow-up questions. Sayid bats the first one (Why do you believe he can bring back the dead?) with ease; it happened to him. But the second cuts deep into his soul--what will you tell her you did to bring her back? It's essentially the same logic that Ben used on Michael in "Live Together, Die Alone" when Michael asked how Ben could be sure that he wouldn't tell anyone about the Island.
As Sawyer and Kate arrive at the beach (and the Elizabeth, last seen in "The Glass Ballerina" I believe), he fills her in on the plan. Kate doesn't want to leave Claire, though.
Jack asks Claire why she trusts MiB, and her answer is that because he was the only one that didn't abandon her. MiB frets about Sayid's tardiness, asking Sun if he's seen him; when she doesn't answer, he scoffs about the silent treatment, to which Sun writes "you did this to me". He denies this and tromps off himself, giving Jack his opening. He takes the chosen group, leaving Claire (did her profession of trust in MiB scare him off?), but she glares at them as they leave.
MiB catches up with Sayid, interrogating him about what happened, but Sayid maintains that he killed Desmond and just needed a moment to process shooting an unarmed man. He invites MiB to check himself, but he seems to be placated.
Everyone is getting on the Elizabeth, but Claire crashes the party with rifle in tow. Kate tries to reason with her, over Sawyer's objections, apologizing for Aaron, explaining that she was the reason she came back to the Island, etc. It finally works, and Claire hands over her rifle, but she warns that "If he finds out we're gone, he's going to be angry".
As they sail towards Hydra Island, Sawyer explains the plan to Frank, who gives it his hearty approval. Jack sits alone by himself, staring out at the water. Sawyer goes to talk to him, and Jack says that leaving the Island doesn't feel right--it's not done with them yet. He remembers what it felt like the last time he left (Sawyer says, perhaps not even knowing how ironic it is, "they have pills for that"). If MiB wants them to leave so badly, perhaps it's because he's afraid of what will happen if they stay. Sawyer says that Jack can either button up the crazy talk or get off the boat. Jack apologizes again for Juliet's death and jumps off.
Kate is furious with this turn of events, saying that they have to go back for Jack. But Sawyer says "we're done going back".
MiB is waiting for jack on the beach, and he knows Saywer took the boat. The rest of the Elizabetheans arrive at Hydra Island, greeted to Zoe and some other Widmore guntoters. We get the Jin and Sun reunion, which corresponds with Sun regaining her ability to speak. But the happiness is soon broken up by Zoe getting new instructions from her boss over the walkie, declaring that the deal is off. They are forced at gunpoint to their knees and the weapon is fired at MiB on the beach. The explosion knocks everyone back, including Jack who MiB carries away. He sits him down at a tree and says "It's okay, you're with me now."
I suppose it's possible that Jack was quickly resurrected Sayid-style, but I have a hard time believing that Jack will now be a soldier of the dark. We saw both Sayid and Claire soften their attitudes tonight (if not flat out return to the side of the good), and Jack was certainly not trusting of MiB (his comments to Sawyer on the Elizabeth were the most pointed and important). I still think Jack winds up as the hero, although all of us Jack fans will have a couple weeks and then maybe a couple of episodes to fret about his fate.
Of course, the more likely explanation is that MiB interprets Jack's return as a sign that he's chosen his side, not knowing as we know that Jack believes he has a destiny to stop MiB. Thus, "The Last Recruit" is from MiB's perspective--everyone else (probably even Sayid) has abandoned him, and Jack's all he has--which really leaves him with nothing.
2004X:
Ben plays the role of concerned friend (despite not knowing anything about him) of Locke as he's ferried away in the ambulance. He's wheeled into the hospital right next to Sun, who in her moment of distress apparently recognizes him and is terrified.
Sawyer flirts with criminal Kate, marveling at the coincidence that they were each on Oceanic 815, as if someone is trying to bring them together. Kate maintains her innocence, and posits that he let her go at LAX because he didn't want anyone to know they were in Australia. Their mating dance is interrupted by Miles, who alerts Sawyer to a restaurant shooting and the suspect that was caught on tape.
Desmond stalks Claire to an office building; she's headed to the adoption agency on the fifteenth floor and he nosily tags along, urging her to have legal representation with her. Luckily, he knows a lawyer who owes him a favor, and she's on the fifteenth floor too. It turns out to be Ilana, and as it would happen she's been looking for Claire.
Sayid and Nadia have a brief conversation in which nothing but everything is said. Miles knocks on the door, and Sayid attempts to go out the back, but Sawyer trips him with the garden hose and arrests him.
Jack and David arrive at the same office complex, on their way up to Ilana's office for the reading of Christian's will. Their relationship is a lot chummier, and so it looks as if the brief time between "Lighthouse" and this episode has not seen their newfound bond broken. Ilana asks Jack if he believes in fate, then introduces him to the sister he never knew he had. The awkward family reunion is broken up by an emergency call from the hospital.
In the hospital, all is well for Sun, as both she and the baby are fine. Meanwhile, Jack goes into surgery, and looks into one of the mirrors, seeing both himself and Locke, who he recognizes, which throws him just a bit.
On Island
The tense meeting of the Jacobians and Locke's Flocke is still in progress. MiB asks to speak to Jack alone; Jack obliges after getting permission from Hurley. He says that he doesn't know what Locke is, to which Locke asserts that he does. Jack asks about why he took Locke's form (since he was dead and you brought him back in a wooden box is the snarky response), dancing around the real issue which MiB knows he's asking about. So he gets Jack to ask about Christian, and MiB admits that he was the apparition of the elder Shephard. Why? Because they needed water, and all he's ever done is try to help them get off the Island (sure, that's why he killed the pilot way back in "Pilot"). Now that Jacob is dead, they are free to go, but it has to be together. We also get some more Locke putdowns coupled with a subtle jab at Jack ("he wasn't a believer, he was a sucker...he believed this place could help him [definitely paraphrasing there]").
Someone has been following them--it's Claire, happy to see her brother. It's a cute scene with an undertone of Claire craziness; she talks about how MiB was impersonating their father, and since she didn't have much in the way of family she's glad that he's coming with them. Jack replies that he hasn't made up his mind on that front yet, but Claire says he did decide--he decided the moment he let MiB talk to him, and now he's one of them just like the rest.
Sawyer lets Hurley in on the sub hijacking plan, as Kate does the same for Claire, but lets him know that Sayid is not invited because he's on the dark side. He tells Hurley not to tell, and I am surprised that he didn't let it slip at some point--you remember Arzt and the Black Rock dynamite plan in "Exodus", right?
Jack returns from his meeting with MiB and talks to Kate; Kate says "[Sayid's] different now" and Jack replies "I guess we all are". Just then, Zoe strolls into camp, accusing MiB of taking something that belongs to them (but never stating what it is; of course, as the audience we know, but the Lostaways sans Sayid do not). They have until nightfall to return it, or it's war, and some sort of explosion (I didn't see a missile, although I heard something) shows this isn't just an idle threat. She leaves a walkie for MiB to call on, but he uses the stick he crafted last episode to smash it, saying "Here we go".
MiB addresses his troops, playing dumb on the supposed theft he committed and admitting that his plan is being up. They are going to head for Hydra Island and the Ajira plan, with Sawyer dispatched to get the sailboat, to meet them at a rendezvous point. He takes Kate with her, quickly giving Jack instructions to double back and meet them when he gets the chance, bringing only Frank, Hurley, and Sun (Sayid is evil and Claire lost her ticket when she tried to kill Kate).
MiB simultaneously dispatches Sayid to kill Desmond, threatening to take away the carrot of Nadia if he doesn't follow through. Sayid goes to the well, which is not nearly as deep as I expected it to be. Desmond asks him what he was offered, and when he finds out what it was, he has two follow-up questions. Sayid bats the first one (Why do you believe he can bring back the dead?) with ease; it happened to him. But the second cuts deep into his soul--what will you tell her you did to bring her back? It's essentially the same logic that Ben used on Michael in "Live Together, Die Alone" when Michael asked how Ben could be sure that he wouldn't tell anyone about the Island.
As Sawyer and Kate arrive at the beach (and the Elizabeth, last seen in "The Glass Ballerina" I believe), he fills her in on the plan. Kate doesn't want to leave Claire, though.
Jack asks Claire why she trusts MiB, and her answer is that because he was the only one that didn't abandon her. MiB frets about Sayid's tardiness, asking Sun if he's seen him; when she doesn't answer, he scoffs about the silent treatment, to which Sun writes "you did this to me". He denies this and tromps off himself, giving Jack his opening. He takes the chosen group, leaving Claire (did her profession of trust in MiB scare him off?), but she glares at them as they leave.
MiB catches up with Sayid, interrogating him about what happened, but Sayid maintains that he killed Desmond and just needed a moment to process shooting an unarmed man. He invites MiB to check himself, but he seems to be placated.
Everyone is getting on the Elizabeth, but Claire crashes the party with rifle in tow. Kate tries to reason with her, over Sawyer's objections, apologizing for Aaron, explaining that she was the reason she came back to the Island, etc. It finally works, and Claire hands over her rifle, but she warns that "If he finds out we're gone, he's going to be angry".
As they sail towards Hydra Island, Sawyer explains the plan to Frank, who gives it his hearty approval. Jack sits alone by himself, staring out at the water. Sawyer goes to talk to him, and Jack says that leaving the Island doesn't feel right--it's not done with them yet. He remembers what it felt like the last time he left (Sawyer says, perhaps not even knowing how ironic it is, "they have pills for that"). If MiB wants them to leave so badly, perhaps it's because he's afraid of what will happen if they stay. Sawyer says that Jack can either button up the crazy talk or get off the boat. Jack apologizes again for Juliet's death and jumps off.
Kate is furious with this turn of events, saying that they have to go back for Jack. But Sawyer says "we're done going back".
MiB is waiting for jack on the beach, and he knows Saywer took the boat. The rest of the Elizabetheans arrive at Hydra Island, greeted to Zoe and some other Widmore guntoters. We get the Jin and Sun reunion, which corresponds with Sun regaining her ability to speak. But the happiness is soon broken up by Zoe getting new instructions from her boss over the walkie, declaring that the deal is off. They are forced at gunpoint to their knees and the weapon is fired at MiB on the beach. The explosion knocks everyone back, including Jack who MiB carries away. He sits him down at a tree and says "It's okay, you're with me now."
I suppose it's possible that Jack was quickly resurrected Sayid-style, but I have a hard time believing that Jack will now be a soldier of the dark. We saw both Sayid and Claire soften their attitudes tonight (if not flat out return to the side of the good), and Jack was certainly not trusting of MiB (his comments to Sawyer on the Elizabeth were the most pointed and important). I still think Jack winds up as the hero, although all of us Jack fans will have a couple weeks and then maybe a couple of episodes to fret about his fate.
Of course, the more likely explanation is that MiB interprets Jack's return as a sign that he's chosen his side, not knowing as we know that Jack believes he has a destiny to stop MiB. Thus, "The Last Recruit" is from MiB's perspective--everyone else (probably even Sayid) has abandoned him, and Jack's all he has--which really leaves him with nothing.
6x13 Pre-Thoughts
* A lot of what follows is based on other observations on the web. I'm not going to point out each and every case, but to be safe you can assume that all the good ideas originate from some other source. Except the desired finale title.
* It certainly seems as if the Island dead are the ones who are capable of opening people's eyes in 2004X...Charlie, Faraday, Libby. Once that spark has been passed, then others can run with it, as we've seen Desmond do, and hopefully we'll see a big fella with lots of resources take that path as well. But so far, the initial revelations have come courtesy of someone who died on the Island. Of course, we've also seen dead characters who've yet to demonstrate any knowledge (like Charlotte), and it's quite possible that this theory will be blown to bits by Locke's near-death experience.
* I completely whiffed on this one--the pouch that Hurley lifted from Ilana's gear was the one that contained Jacob's ashes.
* People have been saying that since the Whispers are the people who can't move on, the purgatory theory of the Island is back in play. I can't agree. Does the explanation of the Whispers imply a purgatory for some lost souls, like Michael? Absolutely. But that's a far cry from the original purgatory theory, which is that the crash survivors had died in the crash and now were trapped in purgatory.
* But was Michael working for the Man in Black, or Jacob, or just out of the goodness of his trapped heart, independent of godly masters? The argument for MiB is strong circumstantially--after all, there the Monster was, whittling his stick and waiting for the other candidates to matriculate him. Michael goes out and offers advice to Hurley, and voila, candidates!
We've seen that desire to escape bondage is a powerful motivator on the Island, for no less a person than MiB himself (at least to the extent that he is to be believed).
* Finally, I realize that the finale title has already been released, but I try to avoid episode titles beyond the next week's. So it's a little silly to propose episode titles, but nonetheless, if my long-standing desire for a finale called "Our Mutual Friend" cannot be fulfilled, I think a great title would be "Once Upon a Time".
Given the way LOST loves to play with our inherent temporal assumptions, what better way to end the story than with the first phrase in so many other stories? "Once upon a time" is most often uttered in fanciful tales, fairy tales, a genre which LOST can arguably be included as a modern version. Time itself is a major theme on the show, and it would be referenced (this is why I suggested a Desmond episode called "Time Out of Mind", in homage to Dylan). Speaking of Desmond, we already had "Happily Ever After".
"Once" is also a key word-as Jacob says, "it only ends once". There was a Season Six promo featuring narration from the actor that plays Widmore which started "Once upon a time, there was an Island".
* It certainly seems as if the Island dead are the ones who are capable of opening people's eyes in 2004X...Charlie, Faraday, Libby. Once that spark has been passed, then others can run with it, as we've seen Desmond do, and hopefully we'll see a big fella with lots of resources take that path as well. But so far, the initial revelations have come courtesy of someone who died on the Island. Of course, we've also seen dead characters who've yet to demonstrate any knowledge (like Charlotte), and it's quite possible that this theory will be blown to bits by Locke's near-death experience.
* I completely whiffed on this one--the pouch that Hurley lifted from Ilana's gear was the one that contained Jacob's ashes.
* People have been saying that since the Whispers are the people who can't move on, the purgatory theory of the Island is back in play. I can't agree. Does the explanation of the Whispers imply a purgatory for some lost souls, like Michael? Absolutely. But that's a far cry from the original purgatory theory, which is that the crash survivors had died in the crash and now were trapped in purgatory.
* But was Michael working for the Man in Black, or Jacob, or just out of the goodness of his trapped heart, independent of godly masters? The argument for MiB is strong circumstantially--after all, there the Monster was, whittling his stick and waiting for the other candidates to matriculate him. Michael goes out and offers advice to Hurley, and voila, candidates!
We've seen that desire to escape bondage is a powerful motivator on the Island, for no less a person than MiB himself (at least to the extent that he is to be believed).
* Finally, I realize that the finale title has already been released, but I try to avoid episode titles beyond the next week's. So it's a little silly to propose episode titles, but nonetheless, if my long-standing desire for a finale called "Our Mutual Friend" cannot be fulfilled, I think a great title would be "Once Upon a Time".
Given the way LOST loves to play with our inherent temporal assumptions, what better way to end the story than with the first phrase in so many other stories? "Once upon a time" is most often uttered in fanciful tales, fairy tales, a genre which LOST can arguably be included as a modern version. Time itself is a major theme on the show, and it would be referenced (this is why I suggested a Desmond episode called "Time Out of Mind", in homage to Dylan). Speaking of Desmond, we already had "Happily Ever After".
"Once" is also a key word-as Jacob says, "it only ends once". There was a Season Six promo featuring narration from the actor that plays Widmore which started "Once upon a time, there was an Island".
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
6x12: Everybody Loves Hugo
This was an episode that showed why the epic television drama is potentially the most powerful cinematic device out there. There is no other medium that can deliver the kind of long-term set-ups that result in as stirring an episode as we watched tonight. From the payoff of a mystery that dates to episode 1x9 (what are the whispers?) to the multiple callbacks to episodes past (so many that I doubt I'll do better than scratching the surface in covering them all), you just can't do that in 120 minutes, even with a big screen and a budget in the millions.
2004X
Did you recognize the voice right away? How nice to see Dr. Candle again, as a presenter of his museum's man of the year award to generous benefactor Hugo Reyes. One of the shots in the montage sure looked to me like the same tree from the cemetery where Jin was "buried" in Korea. He gets an awesome dinosaur statue, although unfortunately we don't get a Charlotte, Faraday, or Miles cameo. Unfortunately, Mrs. Reyes has plans for her son--fixing him up with a woman, a blind date no less.
Hurley waits for Rosalita at Spanish Johnny's (are the creators Springsteen fans? "Spanish Johnny drove in from the underworld last night"--"Incident on 57th Street"), and Libby approaches him. He thinks she is his date and is instantly smitten. She is disappointed that he does not remember her, from a different live, giving a similar love at first sight/soulmates spiel to the one we heard from Charlie and Faraday last week (were any of these relationships even consummated? Perhaps LOST is actually the world's most drawn out abstinence PSA). Then Dr. Brooks from Santa Rosa comes to take her away, leaving Hurley confused.
Hurley sits at a Mr. Cluck's, in a surly mood and eating an entire family bucket. Desmond is there and invites himself to sit down at Hurley's table. He probes about Libby and finds out that Hurley believed her when she said she knew him. Desmond encourages him to seek her out and find out where she knows him from, then collects his order from the counter (#42). Of course, on Island it was Hurley who tried to figure out where he knew Libby from.
Hurley sits in Dr. Brooks' office, just like in "Dave" (complete with Island picture on wall) and, after initially being rebuffed in his attempt to speak to Libby, bribes him with a $100,000 donation to spruce up the rec room. He goes there to meet Libby, while someone (not Lenny, as a man walking around looked more like him) plays Connect Four. Libby describes memories of "another life", triggered by seeing one of Hurley's commercials on TV. She remembers a plane crash, an island, and the two liking each other. She also remembers that she had been at Santa Rosa in that world too, and so was Hurley. Hurley still doesn't remember, cracking about a "bizarro, alternate universe", but he asks her out on a date anyway.
The two lay out a blanket for a beach picnic, and Libby says it's off as she remembers the date they never had ("Two For the Road"). They kiss, and Hurley flashes his Island memories just like Desmond did last week, and tells Libby the one thing he's always wanted to hear--"you're not crazy". Desmond sits in his car, watching--like Jeremy Bentham, only successful.
Desmond sits in his car at a school. Ben (er, Dr. Linus) approaches, apparently thinking him some kind of pervert. But Desmond's just waiting for John Locke, who he creams, hit-and-run style. I'm guessing he wants to facilitate a meetup between Locke and Jack.
The Jacobians
Hurley sits at Libby's grave, wondering aloud why she never talks to him unlike many other dead people. Instead, he gets the whispers and Michael, to add insult to injury. Michael urges him not to go along with Ilana's plan, which will get everyone killed, and it will be Hurley's fault. Hurley wonders why he should believe him now. Michael points out that people listen to Hurley now, and so as a leader he will share in the responsibility.
Ilana's plan is to go the Black rock to get dynamite with which to blow up the Ajira plane. After she retrieves it, she elaborates that she wants to take the outriggers, of course...they keep teasing us with "The Little Prince" from the other perspective. She also talks about how her only aim is to protect the candidates, how everyone will be dead if "that thing" leaves the Island, and then pulls an Arzt.
Hurley looks through Ilana's sack (apparently seeing something that springs him into action). He jumps into the argument going on between Jack and Richard--Richard wants to go back and get more dynamite, Jack wants to think it over. A lot of Jack's reticence is based on the fact that he promised Sun he'd get her and Jin off the Island, but Hurley agrees that it's their only choice.
As they hike to the Black Rock, Ben expresses his cynicism about Ilana's death right after she'd fulfilled her purpose (informing the candidates of their importance), and wonders aloud what will happen to the rest of them. They arrive at the ship, with Richard instructing that he will be the only one to handle the dynamite, but they realize they've lost Hurley. He makes his presence known, running and yelling at them to do the same as the Black Rock blows up.
Yes, they really did blow up the Black Rock. Richard laments that "we're all dead", and Hurley confesses to Miles that Michael told him to do it. Miles is incredulous, but Hurley retorts that "dead people are more reliable than alive people."
Alpert hasn't deviated from his explosive plan; now he wants to go to the Barracks and get grenades. Hurley objects, saying that Jacob (who he claims is standing right there) told him to go talk to Locke. Richard calls his bluff by asking Hurley to ask Jacob what the Island is, and he also cites the fact that Jacob never told them what to do. Hurley replies that he doesn't need to justify himself to Richard, and the camp splits, harkening back to "The Beginning of the End". Once again, a camp of friends (or at least semi-friends) splits over a disagreement in course of action, but this time rather than Hurley spurning Jack, it's Jack following Hurley. Richard, Ben, and Miles go off together, leaving Hurley, Jack, Sun, and Lapidus. Richard disdainfully says "Don't get in our way".
It's now night, and they walk with lit torches in a shot that looks straight out of "Exodus". Sun writes to ask Frank if they made a mistake, and he says "probably" (and I should note that their friendship, forged in the aftermath of the Ajira crash, is a lot of fun too). Meanwhile, Hurley confesses to Jack that he didn't talk to Jacob, but Jack already knew that. Jack wants to fix "getting Juliet killed", but he can't--it's hard for him tot take orders, but he was supposed to let go. Hurley doubts himself, but Jack reiterates his trust right before the group is startled by the Whispers.
Hurley thinks he knows what they are though, and he goes of alone to find Michael. And sure enough, there he is, confirming for Hurley and the audience that the whispers are the voices of he and others who are stuck on the Island because of what they've done. Hurley asks how he can help, and Michael says "don't get yourself killed", and asks Hurley to apologize for him to Libby.
Locke's Flocke
MiB sharpens some sort of stick (a divining stick maybe?); Sawyer snarks about it the dark man explains that it will tell him what to do when it is time. Sawyer asks why they're not doing anything about Jin being taken, and MiB says that there is a difference between doing nothing and waiting--he's waiting for the other candidates to come, using the precedent of Ajira 316 to explain the importance of group action.
Sayid returns. He didn't kill Widmore's people, as he didn't see any point to doing so when he got what he went for--Desmond, who he has tied to a tree. MiB goes to talk to him, and Desmond is very calm as he says that he thinks he's John Locke. MiB offers his hand, and Desmond takes it.
As they walk through the jungle, Desmond opines that the Island has it for all of them (it certainly seems as if he's just telling MiB what he wants to hear). A kid appears again, probably the same one although perhaps a little older with darker hair, and now displaying a sort of derisive laugh. This again flusters MiB, who won't tell Desmond (who can see him too) anything about him.
They arrive at a well, maybe the same one from "This Place is Death" near the Orchid station, but possibly not. He says that Desmond must be wondering how deep it is and Desmond replies that he just read his mind (a nice reference to Monster scanning). MiB explains that the well is very old and was hand-dug by people searching for answers--answers to what made their compass dials spin. They didn't find those answers, though. MiB says that Widmore is not interested in answers either, just the power that these spots (and there are others) contain.
MiB asks Desmond why he is not afraid at being alone with him, deep in the jungle with no one in the world knowing where Desmond is. Desmond asks "What's the point in being afraid", and the Monster tosses him into the well.
He returns to camp, telling Sayid "we don't need to worry about [Desmond] anymore". Hurley emerges from the jungle, appealing to MiB to have a peaceful conversation with his people. MiB gives him is knife as a symbol, and the rest of the group emerges. Jack and Kate look particularly happy to see each other, but when Locke smugly says "Hello Jack", Jack looks a little confused and off his game. Hopefully he won't fall for the Monster shenanigans that are sure to follow.
Random thought:
* I likened Desmond's role in 2004X to that of Jeremy Bentham, only successful. Why is he successful? Well, he seems to operate on Jacob's rule of a little push, whereas Locke went for the hard sell, kind of like the Man in Black does. At least until he runs over Locke.
2004X
Did you recognize the voice right away? How nice to see Dr. Candle again, as a presenter of his museum's man of the year award to generous benefactor Hugo Reyes. One of the shots in the montage sure looked to me like the same tree from the cemetery where Jin was "buried" in Korea. He gets an awesome dinosaur statue, although unfortunately we don't get a Charlotte, Faraday, or Miles cameo. Unfortunately, Mrs. Reyes has plans for her son--fixing him up with a woman, a blind date no less.
Hurley waits for Rosalita at Spanish Johnny's (are the creators Springsteen fans? "Spanish Johnny drove in from the underworld last night"--"Incident on 57th Street"), and Libby approaches him. He thinks she is his date and is instantly smitten. She is disappointed that he does not remember her, from a different live, giving a similar love at first sight/soulmates spiel to the one we heard from Charlie and Faraday last week (were any of these relationships even consummated? Perhaps LOST is actually the world's most drawn out abstinence PSA). Then Dr. Brooks from Santa Rosa comes to take her away, leaving Hurley confused.
Hurley sits at a Mr. Cluck's, in a surly mood and eating an entire family bucket. Desmond is there and invites himself to sit down at Hurley's table. He probes about Libby and finds out that Hurley believed her when she said she knew him. Desmond encourages him to seek her out and find out where she knows him from, then collects his order from the counter (#42). Of course, on Island it was Hurley who tried to figure out where he knew Libby from.
Hurley sits in Dr. Brooks' office, just like in "Dave" (complete with Island picture on wall) and, after initially being rebuffed in his attempt to speak to Libby, bribes him with a $100,000 donation to spruce up the rec room. He goes there to meet Libby, while someone (not Lenny, as a man walking around looked more like him) plays Connect Four. Libby describes memories of "another life", triggered by seeing one of Hurley's commercials on TV. She remembers a plane crash, an island, and the two liking each other. She also remembers that she had been at Santa Rosa in that world too, and so was Hurley. Hurley still doesn't remember, cracking about a "bizarro, alternate universe", but he asks her out on a date anyway.
The two lay out a blanket for a beach picnic, and Libby says it's off as she remembers the date they never had ("Two For the Road"). They kiss, and Hurley flashes his Island memories just like Desmond did last week, and tells Libby the one thing he's always wanted to hear--"you're not crazy". Desmond sits in his car, watching--like Jeremy Bentham, only successful.
Desmond sits in his car at a school. Ben (er, Dr. Linus) approaches, apparently thinking him some kind of pervert. But Desmond's just waiting for John Locke, who he creams, hit-and-run style. I'm guessing he wants to facilitate a meetup between Locke and Jack.
The Jacobians
Hurley sits at Libby's grave, wondering aloud why she never talks to him unlike many other dead people. Instead, he gets the whispers and Michael, to add insult to injury. Michael urges him not to go along with Ilana's plan, which will get everyone killed, and it will be Hurley's fault. Hurley wonders why he should believe him now. Michael points out that people listen to Hurley now, and so as a leader he will share in the responsibility.
Ilana's plan is to go the Black rock to get dynamite with which to blow up the Ajira plane. After she retrieves it, she elaborates that she wants to take the outriggers, of course...they keep teasing us with "The Little Prince" from the other perspective. She also talks about how her only aim is to protect the candidates, how everyone will be dead if "that thing" leaves the Island, and then pulls an Arzt.
Hurley looks through Ilana's sack (apparently seeing something that springs him into action). He jumps into the argument going on between Jack and Richard--Richard wants to go back and get more dynamite, Jack wants to think it over. A lot of Jack's reticence is based on the fact that he promised Sun he'd get her and Jin off the Island, but Hurley agrees that it's their only choice.
As they hike to the Black Rock, Ben expresses his cynicism about Ilana's death right after she'd fulfilled her purpose (informing the candidates of their importance), and wonders aloud what will happen to the rest of them. They arrive at the ship, with Richard instructing that he will be the only one to handle the dynamite, but they realize they've lost Hurley. He makes his presence known, running and yelling at them to do the same as the Black Rock blows up.
Yes, they really did blow up the Black Rock. Richard laments that "we're all dead", and Hurley confesses to Miles that Michael told him to do it. Miles is incredulous, but Hurley retorts that "dead people are more reliable than alive people."
Alpert hasn't deviated from his explosive plan; now he wants to go to the Barracks and get grenades. Hurley objects, saying that Jacob (who he claims is standing right there) told him to go talk to Locke. Richard calls his bluff by asking Hurley to ask Jacob what the Island is, and he also cites the fact that Jacob never told them what to do. Hurley replies that he doesn't need to justify himself to Richard, and the camp splits, harkening back to "The Beginning of the End". Once again, a camp of friends (or at least semi-friends) splits over a disagreement in course of action, but this time rather than Hurley spurning Jack, it's Jack following Hurley. Richard, Ben, and Miles go off together, leaving Hurley, Jack, Sun, and Lapidus. Richard disdainfully says "Don't get in our way".
It's now night, and they walk with lit torches in a shot that looks straight out of "Exodus". Sun writes to ask Frank if they made a mistake, and he says "probably" (and I should note that their friendship, forged in the aftermath of the Ajira crash, is a lot of fun too). Meanwhile, Hurley confesses to Jack that he didn't talk to Jacob, but Jack already knew that. Jack wants to fix "getting Juliet killed", but he can't--it's hard for him tot take orders, but he was supposed to let go. Hurley doubts himself, but Jack reiterates his trust right before the group is startled by the Whispers.
Hurley thinks he knows what they are though, and he goes of alone to find Michael. And sure enough, there he is, confirming for Hurley and the audience that the whispers are the voices of he and others who are stuck on the Island because of what they've done. Hurley asks how he can help, and Michael says "don't get yourself killed", and asks Hurley to apologize for him to Libby.
Locke's Flocke
MiB sharpens some sort of stick (a divining stick maybe?); Sawyer snarks about it the dark man explains that it will tell him what to do when it is time. Sawyer asks why they're not doing anything about Jin being taken, and MiB says that there is a difference between doing nothing and waiting--he's waiting for the other candidates to come, using the precedent of Ajira 316 to explain the importance of group action.
Sayid returns. He didn't kill Widmore's people, as he didn't see any point to doing so when he got what he went for--Desmond, who he has tied to a tree. MiB goes to talk to him, and Desmond is very calm as he says that he thinks he's John Locke. MiB offers his hand, and Desmond takes it.
As they walk through the jungle, Desmond opines that the Island has it for all of them (it certainly seems as if he's just telling MiB what he wants to hear). A kid appears again, probably the same one although perhaps a little older with darker hair, and now displaying a sort of derisive laugh. This again flusters MiB, who won't tell Desmond (who can see him too) anything about him.
They arrive at a well, maybe the same one from "This Place is Death" near the Orchid station, but possibly not. He says that Desmond must be wondering how deep it is and Desmond replies that he just read his mind (a nice reference to Monster scanning). MiB explains that the well is very old and was hand-dug by people searching for answers--answers to what made their compass dials spin. They didn't find those answers, though. MiB says that Widmore is not interested in answers either, just the power that these spots (and there are others) contain.
MiB asks Desmond why he is not afraid at being alone with him, deep in the jungle with no one in the world knowing where Desmond is. Desmond asks "What's the point in being afraid", and the Monster tosses him into the well.
He returns to camp, telling Sayid "we don't need to worry about [Desmond] anymore". Hurley emerges from the jungle, appealing to MiB to have a peaceful conversation with his people. MiB gives him is knife as a symbol, and the rest of the group emerges. Jack and Kate look particularly happy to see each other, but when Locke smugly says "Hello Jack", Jack looks a little confused and off his game. Hopefully he won't fall for the Monster shenanigans that are sure to follow.
Random thought:
* I likened Desmond's role in 2004X to that of Jeremy Bentham, only successful. Why is he successful? Well, he seems to operate on Jacob's rule of a little push, whereas Locke went for the hard sell, kind of like the Man in Black does. At least until he runs over Locke.
Monday, April 12, 2010
6x12 Pre-Thoughts
* The best theory I've seen about 2004X is that Eloise is working with MiB (wittingly or unwitiingly) to create that reality. Why would she do such a thing? Faraday, of course. Eloise has already gone to extraordinary lengths to direct events to enable the current situation to be created. MiB could have promised her a life with Daniel, just as he has promised everyone else the one thing they want the most. People have always believed that she may have spoken to someone just before going in to tell Daniel that he would have to stop playing piano and focus on science in "The Variable"; if such a conversation did occur, it could have been with MiB.
This would explain why Eloise is determined to keep Desmond away from Penny in 2004X. She cannot risk this facade crumbling--she must keep everyone happy and content in their 2004X lives and not seeking the truth. Of course, the irony in this is that her own son had the experience of seeing Charlotte, causing him to seek that reality for himself.
* "Happily Ever After" was a great episode, the kind that usually would lead me to have all sorts of thoughts, incorrect theories, and the like. But it's odd--I really don't have much to write about this week, and I can't place my finger on why. Maybe it's being busy at work, or the start of the baseball season, but for heaven's sakes, this is crunch time for LOST, a time when everything about the show should be bubbling up to the top of our minds at all times, to savor the final weeks of this journey.
So instead of theorizing, I'll just have to take a mundane angle. My ratings of the season so far (all grades are relative to other LOST episodes; with the possible exception of "Fire + Water" (I kid, I kid), every episode of LOST has been a much better investment of time than even the most compelling episodes of most other shows:
A+
(1) 6x9 "Ab Aeterno"--The best regular episode of LOST ever. Epic in scope, it gives us the satisfying backstory of the show's most mysterious character, while also giving us the most complete view of the Jacob/MiB conflict and giving the most cogent explanation of what the Island is.
(2) 6x11 "Happily Ever After"--The final act in the best flash trilogy in the show's run (along with "Flashes Before Your Eyes" and "The Constant"), it made an entire season of flashes relevant to the Island story (not that I ever thought they would be irrelevant) and brought LOST's second most fascinating main character back into the fold.
(3) 6x1/2 "LA X"--As action-packed and story-advancing as any LOST premiere outside "Pilot", this episode brought us into the Temple, revealed a mythological whopper (MiB = Monster), and delivered one of the most heart-warming scenes in show history (Jack and Locke at lost luggage).
A
(4) 6x4 "The Substitute"--What is all that "candidate" business about anyway? Who is they mystery kid that haunts MiB? The Numbers!
(5) 6x7 "Dr. Linus"--Ben does the right thing for once, even if it's in 2004X--but then he does the right thing in 2007 too. Jack demonstrates that he's now some sort of believer as he and Richard play chicken with dyn-O-mite. An old friend drops by at the end, setting a lot into motion.
A-
(6) 6x10 "The Package"--An episode that will get overlooked forever due to its placement between two unbelievably good outings, I love this one thanks to the Jack/Sun friendship coming back to the forefront and the meeting between Widmore and Locke.
(7) 6x6 "Sundown"--The creepiest episode of the season by far, it was a necessary conclusion to the Temple portion of the season. "Catch a Falling Star" will never sound the same.
(8) 6x5 "Lighthouse"--Jack's 2004X story is the best so far, just from a sheer character perspective. The Lighthouse itself seems a little out of thin air, but we can roll with it. Squirrel baby and the full extent of Claire's craziness don't hurt either.
B
(9) 6x8 "Recon"--My initial reaction rated this one much higher, but upon reflection I realized it lacked some of Sawyer's character essence (namely, his wit), and just wasn't mythologically strong enough to justify such a high ranking. It's still a good episode, with Sawyer's flash as the highlight.
C
(10) 6x3 "What Kate Does"--What Kate does on the Island is accomplish very little. What Kate does in 2004X is sweet, and draws Claire back into the LOST family. But there's just not enough to pull it out of mediocrity.
This would explain why Eloise is determined to keep Desmond away from Penny in 2004X. She cannot risk this facade crumbling--she must keep everyone happy and content in their 2004X lives and not seeking the truth. Of course, the irony in this is that her own son had the experience of seeing Charlotte, causing him to seek that reality for himself.
* "Happily Ever After" was a great episode, the kind that usually would lead me to have all sorts of thoughts, incorrect theories, and the like. But it's odd--I really don't have much to write about this week, and I can't place my finger on why. Maybe it's being busy at work, or the start of the baseball season, but for heaven's sakes, this is crunch time for LOST, a time when everything about the show should be bubbling up to the top of our minds at all times, to savor the final weeks of this journey.
So instead of theorizing, I'll just have to take a mundane angle. My ratings of the season so far (all grades are relative to other LOST episodes; with the possible exception of "Fire + Water" (I kid, I kid), every episode of LOST has been a much better investment of time than even the most compelling episodes of most other shows:
A+
(1) 6x9 "Ab Aeterno"--The best regular episode of LOST ever. Epic in scope, it gives us the satisfying backstory of the show's most mysterious character, while also giving us the most complete view of the Jacob/MiB conflict and giving the most cogent explanation of what the Island is.
(2) 6x11 "Happily Ever After"--The final act in the best flash trilogy in the show's run (along with "Flashes Before Your Eyes" and "The Constant"), it made an entire season of flashes relevant to the Island story (not that I ever thought they would be irrelevant) and brought LOST's second most fascinating main character back into the fold.
(3) 6x1/2 "LA X"--As action-packed and story-advancing as any LOST premiere outside "Pilot", this episode brought us into the Temple, revealed a mythological whopper (MiB = Monster), and delivered one of the most heart-warming scenes in show history (Jack and Locke at lost luggage).
A
(4) 6x4 "The Substitute"--What is all that "candidate" business about anyway? Who is they mystery kid that haunts MiB? The Numbers!
(5) 6x7 "Dr. Linus"--Ben does the right thing for once, even if it's in 2004X--but then he does the right thing in 2007 too. Jack demonstrates that he's now some sort of believer as he and Richard play chicken with dyn-O-mite. An old friend drops by at the end, setting a lot into motion.
A-
(6) 6x10 "The Package"--An episode that will get overlooked forever due to its placement between two unbelievably good outings, I love this one thanks to the Jack/Sun friendship coming back to the forefront and the meeting between Widmore and Locke.
(7) 6x6 "Sundown"--The creepiest episode of the season by far, it was a necessary conclusion to the Temple portion of the season. "Catch a Falling Star" will never sound the same.
(8) 6x5 "Lighthouse"--Jack's 2004X story is the best so far, just from a sheer character perspective. The Lighthouse itself seems a little out of thin air, but we can roll with it. Squirrel baby and the full extent of Claire's craziness don't hurt either.
B
(9) 6x8 "Recon"--My initial reaction rated this one much higher, but upon reflection I realized it lacked some of Sawyer's character essence (namely, his wit), and just wasn't mythologically strong enough to justify such a high ranking. It's still a good episode, with Sawyer's flash as the highlight.
C
(10) 6x3 "What Kate Does"--What Kate does on the Island is accomplish very little. What Kate does in 2004X is sweet, and draws Claire back into the LOST family. But there's just not enough to pull it out of mediocrity.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
6x11: Happily Ever After
"Happily Ever After" can best be viewed as the conclusion of Desmond's time-tripping trilogy, following on the heels of "Flashes Before Your Eyes" and "The Constant". It was a great episode, second this season only to "Ab Aeterno", one that made it much more clear what 2004X is and why we should care about it.
It's fruitless to divide this episode between the Island and 2004X, because the two stories moved together. Desmond wakes up after three days out; he was snatched directly from the hospital. Widmore assures him that Penny and Charlie are okay, and tries a sympathetic approach by saying "I can't imagine how you're feeling". When he tells Des he's back on the Island, our favorite Scot snaps and beats the crap out of Widmore. Widmore insists, as Eloise did, that the Island is not yet done with Desmond.
Widmore tells Zoe to get the test ready; it's an electromagnetic test, being housed in a setting that looks like Jacob's cabin, and for a moment I wonder if Desmond is not the crazy eye that Hurley saw peering out the window in "The Beginning of the End". Widmore is moving up the timing of the test, and people scurry about, but the poor sap who's standing near the generator gets electrocuted. Angstrom the bunny is apparently the intended test subject.
Desmond is brought against his will into the cabin where Widmore tells Desmond he needs him to make a sacrifice to save everyone. Desmond sneers that Widmore knows nothing about sacrifice; Widmore cites Faraday's death, the fact that Penny hates him, and that he's never met Charlie Hume. Not particularly compelling, I have to agree with Desmond.
As they prepare the test, Widmore is convinced that Desmond will not be hurt, as he's the only person he knows of who survived a catastrophic electromagnetic event (and it's nice that "Live Together, Die Alone" still reverberates). Desmond experiences some electromagnetic fluctuations, and then a flash of white light like we've seen before. And he's standing at LA X, where Hurley helpfully informs him where their baggage is.
Desmond makes his way to the carousel, where he helps Claire get her bag and walks the line between flirting and friendship as the two did to earn Charlie's ire during Season Three. He thinks (knows?) that her baby is a boy. Desmond offers her a ride, as he has a car waiting for him, driven by Minkowski. Minkowski offers him the hookup to restaurant reservations and hookers, but Des is all business. He goes to meet the boss--Widmore of course.
In his office, Widmore has a painting of scales (a theme we've heard from Dogen and Jacob's cave). Desmond is a trusted right-hand man, Widmore's fixer. Apparently Widmore's son Daniel is a classical musician, and he and his mother have decided to throw a benefit which will involve combining classical with rock, and of course, Drive Shaft. So Widmore needs Desmond to bail Charlie out of jail and baby-sit him. He tells Desmond how indispensable he is and shares some of his MacCutcheon with him.
As he approaches the courthouse, Desmond is reflected in the window. Charlie is unrepentant as he's released, blithely jaywalking across traffic to a bar. Over a drink, he tells Desmond that he saw a blonde woman on the plane (obviously Claire), and he felt true love, like he'd always been in love, but then unfortunately some "sodding idiot" (Jack, if I remember my "LA X" correctly) had to save him. This is the first of three times that love deja vu plays prominently in the episode.
Desmond is unimpressed and tells him it's not real, offering him a choice between seeing his musical career die and coming with him. Charlie says that doesn't sound like much of a choice, but Desmond says "There's always a choice". As they drive, Charlie keeps chiding Desmond about his status as Widmore's fixer, that he has never felt true love, that he's not happy, etc. Charlie decides to demonstrate this more effectively by commandeering the steering wheel and plunging the car into the marina that played so prominently in Season Five (and also recalls the background of the iconic photo of Desmond and Penny).
Desmond scrambles first to free himself and then to save Charlie, but Charlie is perfectly content with drowning (we've seen that before). Desmond goes to the surface for air, then dives back down. Charlie puts his hand up to the window, and finally what a lot of smart people have been expecting for some time happens--someone sees something through the looking glass. Desmond sees "Not Penny's Boat" on Charlie's hands and a quick montage of his life with Penny. He manages to free Charlie from the car and they both surface.
In the hospital, Desmond's eyes are checked as they were in "The Constant" (by a nurse who looks a lot like the young Emily Locke, although that's surely just my imagination). He's sent to the MRI, where he's given a panic button to push. When he sees more flashes, he does just that. It turns out he's at St. Sebastian, and he recognizes Jack. Jack remembers him from the plane, and actually seems interested when Desmond says there's another passenger from the plane at the hospital.
Charlie bursts through like a banshee at that point, frantically running through the hospital. Desmond catches up with him, and wants to see Charlie's hands, asking who Penny is. Charlie realizes that Desmond saw something too, and says "none of this matters". Desmond should stop worrying about him, and start trying to find Penny.
Widmore is pissed at Desmond for losing Charlie, telling he that he'll need to tell Mrs. Widmore about this and incur her wrath. Desmond's never met her, but of course it's Eloise. She says "it's about time we met", and could not be more gracious about the DriveShaft snafu, saying "what happened, happened". But when Desmond overhears some people talking about a soloist named Penny Milton and wants to see the list, she flips the heck out. Lurking in a black shadow in the background is Daniel Faraday.
Chewing him out in private, she says that it would be a violation (of rules?) to see such a list, and it is obvious that she knows much more than she lets on, such as the fact that in this iteration of things, Desmond has what he always sought--Widmore's approval. Desmond is not ready to know about what he inquires. Desmond leaves, drinking in the limo, but before the car gets rolling Faraday knocks on the window (black shadow again) and says "We need to talk".
The scene that follows is the best thing that 2004X has offered yet. Daniel explains that he saw Charlotte eating a chocolate bar as we walked through a museum, and he felt the same sensation of lifelong love that Charlie did, a love at first site. He pulls out his iconic journal, in which he'd written down some quantum mechanics equations that he couldn't have possibly done--only someone who'd studied physics their entire lives could comprehend it.
Desmond asks what those equations mean, and Daniel says that something catastrophic is about to happen, and the only way to stop it is to release a massive amount of energy, live blowing up a hydrogen bomb. He tells Desmond that this (2004X) is not the life they were supposed to have, that they changed things and messed up what was supposed to be. Desmond questions-scoffs if Faraday wants to set off a nuke, and Faraday says no--he thinks he already did. And thus, as far as he can be relied upon as a narrator, 2004X is in fact the result of Jughead's detonation.
He senses that Desmond felt this other life too, but Desmond insists that the woman he saw is just "an idea". Daniel says, "No, she's my half-sister", and tells Desmond when and where he can meet her.
The where is the stadium ("Man of Science, Man of Faith"), where Penny channels Jack by running the tour de stade. Desmond approaches her and shakes her hand, which causes him to wake up on-Island.
He was only unconscious for a few seconds, but Desmond insists to Widmore that he's okay and that he now understands his mission, asking "when do we start". Zoe and another of Widmore's men take him away, moving towards the shore when Sayid shoots the one goon and tells Zoe to run. Desmond willingly goes off with Sayid.
Back in 2004X, Desmond passed out immediately after shaking Penny's hand. She flirts that she must have some effect on, and Desmond agrees that she does. He asks her out for coffee, and she accepts. Desmond returns to his car grinning, and tells Minkowski he wants the manifest for Oceanic 815. When asked why, Desmond replies "I need to show them something".
Random notes:
* So, yes, 2004X and the on-Island world are connected, and there is knowledge and/or consciousness flowing back and forth, or at least in the Island to 2004X direction.
* Desmond going off with Sayid is certainly a scary prospect, since his importance appears to be tantamount. Does he know what he's doing (the look on his face is confident), or is he getting himself stuck with the wrong crowd accidentally as Kate did?
* Faraday's silhouette in black was also unsettling, but it seems as if 2004X is the only world in which MiB would be able to payoff on his promises. Eliminating that world would be the ultimate way to defeat MiB, by making his promises inert and meaningless (not that I believe he really intends to pay them off in any event).
It's fruitless to divide this episode between the Island and 2004X, because the two stories moved together. Desmond wakes up after three days out; he was snatched directly from the hospital. Widmore assures him that Penny and Charlie are okay, and tries a sympathetic approach by saying "I can't imagine how you're feeling". When he tells Des he's back on the Island, our favorite Scot snaps and beats the crap out of Widmore. Widmore insists, as Eloise did, that the Island is not yet done with Desmond.
Widmore tells Zoe to get the test ready; it's an electromagnetic test, being housed in a setting that looks like Jacob's cabin, and for a moment I wonder if Desmond is not the crazy eye that Hurley saw peering out the window in "The Beginning of the End". Widmore is moving up the timing of the test, and people scurry about, but the poor sap who's standing near the generator gets electrocuted. Angstrom the bunny is apparently the intended test subject.
Desmond is brought against his will into the cabin where Widmore tells Desmond he needs him to make a sacrifice to save everyone. Desmond sneers that Widmore knows nothing about sacrifice; Widmore cites Faraday's death, the fact that Penny hates him, and that he's never met Charlie Hume. Not particularly compelling, I have to agree with Desmond.
As they prepare the test, Widmore is convinced that Desmond will not be hurt, as he's the only person he knows of who survived a catastrophic electromagnetic event (and it's nice that "Live Together, Die Alone" still reverberates). Desmond experiences some electromagnetic fluctuations, and then a flash of white light like we've seen before. And he's standing at LA X, where Hurley helpfully informs him where their baggage is.
Desmond makes his way to the carousel, where he helps Claire get her bag and walks the line between flirting and friendship as the two did to earn Charlie's ire during Season Three. He thinks (knows?) that her baby is a boy. Desmond offers her a ride, as he has a car waiting for him, driven by Minkowski. Minkowski offers him the hookup to restaurant reservations and hookers, but Des is all business. He goes to meet the boss--Widmore of course.
In his office, Widmore has a painting of scales (a theme we've heard from Dogen and Jacob's cave). Desmond is a trusted right-hand man, Widmore's fixer. Apparently Widmore's son Daniel is a classical musician, and he and his mother have decided to throw a benefit which will involve combining classical with rock, and of course, Drive Shaft. So Widmore needs Desmond to bail Charlie out of jail and baby-sit him. He tells Desmond how indispensable he is and shares some of his MacCutcheon with him.
As he approaches the courthouse, Desmond is reflected in the window. Charlie is unrepentant as he's released, blithely jaywalking across traffic to a bar. Over a drink, he tells Desmond that he saw a blonde woman on the plane (obviously Claire), and he felt true love, like he'd always been in love, but then unfortunately some "sodding idiot" (Jack, if I remember my "LA X" correctly) had to save him. This is the first of three times that love deja vu plays prominently in the episode.
Desmond is unimpressed and tells him it's not real, offering him a choice between seeing his musical career die and coming with him. Charlie says that doesn't sound like much of a choice, but Desmond says "There's always a choice". As they drive, Charlie keeps chiding Desmond about his status as Widmore's fixer, that he has never felt true love, that he's not happy, etc. Charlie decides to demonstrate this more effectively by commandeering the steering wheel and plunging the car into the marina that played so prominently in Season Five (and also recalls the background of the iconic photo of Desmond and Penny).
Desmond scrambles first to free himself and then to save Charlie, but Charlie is perfectly content with drowning (we've seen that before). Desmond goes to the surface for air, then dives back down. Charlie puts his hand up to the window, and finally what a lot of smart people have been expecting for some time happens--someone sees something through the looking glass. Desmond sees "Not Penny's Boat" on Charlie's hands and a quick montage of his life with Penny. He manages to free Charlie from the car and they both surface.
In the hospital, Desmond's eyes are checked as they were in "The Constant" (by a nurse who looks a lot like the young Emily Locke, although that's surely just my imagination). He's sent to the MRI, where he's given a panic button to push. When he sees more flashes, he does just that. It turns out he's at St. Sebastian, and he recognizes Jack. Jack remembers him from the plane, and actually seems interested when Desmond says there's another passenger from the plane at the hospital.
Charlie bursts through like a banshee at that point, frantically running through the hospital. Desmond catches up with him, and wants to see Charlie's hands, asking who Penny is. Charlie realizes that Desmond saw something too, and says "none of this matters". Desmond should stop worrying about him, and start trying to find Penny.
Widmore is pissed at Desmond for losing Charlie, telling he that he'll need to tell Mrs. Widmore about this and incur her wrath. Desmond's never met her, but of course it's Eloise. She says "it's about time we met", and could not be more gracious about the DriveShaft snafu, saying "what happened, happened". But when Desmond overhears some people talking about a soloist named Penny Milton and wants to see the list, she flips the heck out. Lurking in a black shadow in the background is Daniel Faraday.
Chewing him out in private, she says that it would be a violation (of rules?) to see such a list, and it is obvious that she knows much more than she lets on, such as the fact that in this iteration of things, Desmond has what he always sought--Widmore's approval. Desmond is not ready to know about what he inquires. Desmond leaves, drinking in the limo, but before the car gets rolling Faraday knocks on the window (black shadow again) and says "We need to talk".
The scene that follows is the best thing that 2004X has offered yet. Daniel explains that he saw Charlotte eating a chocolate bar as we walked through a museum, and he felt the same sensation of lifelong love that Charlie did, a love at first site. He pulls out his iconic journal, in which he'd written down some quantum mechanics equations that he couldn't have possibly done--only someone who'd studied physics their entire lives could comprehend it.
Desmond asks what those equations mean, and Daniel says that something catastrophic is about to happen, and the only way to stop it is to release a massive amount of energy, live blowing up a hydrogen bomb. He tells Desmond that this (2004X) is not the life they were supposed to have, that they changed things and messed up what was supposed to be. Desmond questions-scoffs if Faraday wants to set off a nuke, and Faraday says no--he thinks he already did. And thus, as far as he can be relied upon as a narrator, 2004X is in fact the result of Jughead's detonation.
He senses that Desmond felt this other life too, but Desmond insists that the woman he saw is just "an idea". Daniel says, "No, she's my half-sister", and tells Desmond when and where he can meet her.
The where is the stadium ("Man of Science, Man of Faith"), where Penny channels Jack by running the tour de stade. Desmond approaches her and shakes her hand, which causes him to wake up on-Island.
He was only unconscious for a few seconds, but Desmond insists to Widmore that he's okay and that he now understands his mission, asking "when do we start". Zoe and another of Widmore's men take him away, moving towards the shore when Sayid shoots the one goon and tells Zoe to run. Desmond willingly goes off with Sayid.
Back in 2004X, Desmond passed out immediately after shaking Penny's hand. She flirts that she must have some effect on, and Desmond agrees that she does. He asks her out for coffee, and she accepts. Desmond returns to his car grinning, and tells Minkowski he wants the manifest for Oceanic 815. When asked why, Desmond replies "I need to show them something".
Random notes:
* So, yes, 2004X and the on-Island world are connected, and there is knowledge and/or consciousness flowing back and forth, or at least in the Island to 2004X direction.
* Desmond going off with Sayid is certainly a scary prospect, since his importance appears to be tantamount. Does he know what he's doing (the look on his face is confident), or is he getting himself stuck with the wrong crowd accidentally as Kate did?
* Faraday's silhouette in black was also unsettling, but it seems as if 2004X is the only world in which MiB would be able to payoff on his promises. Eliminating that world would be the ultimate way to defeat MiB, by making his promises inert and meaningless (not that I believe he really intends to pay them off in any event).
6x11 Pre-Thoughts
* Zoe being a geophysicist seems to give some clue as to what Widmore is up to, and I believe it's that he's still angling for some sort of economic/industrial control of the Island's properties, as Ben insinuated to Locke in Season 4. Defeating MiB may be a necessary step in that plan, but to paraphrase Faraday, I don't believe for a second that it's his primary objective. I'm ready to chalk it up as selfish or short-sighted rather than evil, but we'll see.
* I did not mention Sun cutting herself in the garden; some believe that having the open wound left her vulnerable to infection, and that she may have woken up as a different person. I don't buy it, though--if anyone with a tiny cut was open to infection, Season 1 would have been the zombie season. I think it was a red herring, kind of like when Sawyer stepped on something in the flaming arrow escape in "The Lie", and people immediately began speculating that he'd lose the toe and have a statue built in his honor. Despite what some theories would have us believe, EVERYTHING does not happen for a reason.
* Where are people getting Keamy said "In case you figure out what's about to happen to the Island" from? It seemed pretty clear that he said "you" from where I sit, and it makes the most sense. And then to build elaborate theories based on your stretched interpretation of a line reading...well, knock yourself out.
* So what is 2004X? The world if Jughead erased the Island from that point on? The world that will exist if MiB's plan succeeds? The afterlife for all of the Island departed? I've avoided making a guess, because it almost certainly will be wrong, but the episodes are dwindling and it's time to take a stab at it. I believe that 2004X is a timeline that is gradually bleeding over into the 2007 Island timeline. The most notable example yet was Sun staring in the mirror right after bumping her head on the Island, then waking up unable to speak English. Some element of her 2004X nature was transferred to her 2007 nature. Not all of it, certainly--she doesn't remember 2004X, or her relationship with Jin in that universe. She can still understand English, which she couldn't in 2004X, from everything we've seen.
Eventually, there will be some moment of convergence, in which the knowledge of 2004X truly manifests itself in 2007. What will trigger this? I have no idea, but it will be a seminal moment and one that launches the Lostaways towards fulfilling their true purpose on the Island.
* One thing that does make sense to me (even if it too will be wrong): why MiB needs all the candidates to leave the Island together. As long as there is at least one candidate still in place, there is still the potential that they'll accept Jacob's role and do their part to contain MiB. But once they are all gone, coupled with Jacob's death, there will be nobody left that can possibly fulfill the mission, which means MiB wins once and for all.
* Getting back to 2004X, I like the idea of the guys at Zap2It that the timeline was just created as the Lostaways were aboard Oceanic 815. They have memories of the past, but they did not truly experience it. That means that someone (say, Desmond?) could easily convince these people that something is off. This would help to explain Jack not remembering what happened to his appendix in "Lighthouse"--he never truly experienced it himself.
* I did not mention Sun cutting herself in the garden; some believe that having the open wound left her vulnerable to infection, and that she may have woken up as a different person. I don't buy it, though--if anyone with a tiny cut was open to infection, Season 1 would have been the zombie season. I think it was a red herring, kind of like when Sawyer stepped on something in the flaming arrow escape in "The Lie", and people immediately began speculating that he'd lose the toe and have a statue built in his honor. Despite what some theories would have us believe, EVERYTHING does not happen for a reason.
* Where are people getting Keamy said "In case you figure out what's about to happen to the Island" from? It seemed pretty clear that he said "you" from where I sit, and it makes the most sense. And then to build elaborate theories based on your stretched interpretation of a line reading...well, knock yourself out.
* So what is 2004X? The world if Jughead erased the Island from that point on? The world that will exist if MiB's plan succeeds? The afterlife for all of the Island departed? I've avoided making a guess, because it almost certainly will be wrong, but the episodes are dwindling and it's time to take a stab at it. I believe that 2004X is a timeline that is gradually bleeding over into the 2007 Island timeline. The most notable example yet was Sun staring in the mirror right after bumping her head on the Island, then waking up unable to speak English. Some element of her 2004X nature was transferred to her 2007 nature. Not all of it, certainly--she doesn't remember 2004X, or her relationship with Jin in that universe. She can still understand English, which she couldn't in 2004X, from everything we've seen.
Eventually, there will be some moment of convergence, in which the knowledge of 2004X truly manifests itself in 2007. What will trigger this? I have no idea, but it will be a seminal moment and one that launches the Lostaways towards fulfilling their true purpose on the Island.
* One thing that does make sense to me (even if it too will be wrong): why MiB needs all the candidates to leave the Island together. As long as there is at least one candidate still in place, there is still the potential that they'll accept Jacob's role and do their part to contain MiB. But once they are all gone, coupled with Jacob's death, there will be nobody left that can possibly fulfill the mission, which means MiB wins once and for all.
* Getting back to 2004X, I like the idea of the guys at Zap2It that the timeline was just created as the Lostaways were aboard Oceanic 815. They have memories of the past, but they did not truly experience it. That means that someone (say, Desmond?) could easily convince these people that something is off. This would help to explain Jack not remembering what happened to his appendix in "Lighthouse"--he never truly experienced it himself.
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