Random Thoughts on LOST Season 3
by
Anthony D. Paular
SMASHWORDS EDITION
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PUBLISHED BY:
Anthony D. Paular on Smashwords
Random Thoughts on LOST Season 3
Copyright © 2010 by Anthony D. Paular
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This work is a collection of thoughts and opinions on the ABC television program LOST. All opinions expressed are solely those of the author. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Cover design and photograph: Anthony D. Paular
All photomontages by Anthony D. Paular. See images for photographer credit.
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There are a few people I’d like to thank.
My fellow LOST fans at Corwin, who encourage me every week to write something, with the hope that it might actually make sense (Allison, Cathy, Pam, Karine, Cindy, David, Mark G., and the rest). Co-workers Allyson, Mr. Chao, and Rose, for the encouragement to do creative work outside of work (even though it means watching TV!). Junko, for getting into the story, and allowing me to serve up my theories every week. Candice, for responding to my rambling thoughts, and making me feel as though they mean something.
My parents, Rebecca and Paul: After all, how could I thank anyone without thanking my mom (and dad)?
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Introduction
A very wise person once referred to me as a “serious student of television.” Thank God. I thought I was merely obsessed with trivial details of popular TV series.
My commentaries started off as “morning after” emails with a few random thoughts about what I watched the night before. These thoughts were shared in an email to a few co-workers. Within a few months, I started to record my thoughts as I watched my favorite shows.
The commentaries in this collection are stream-of-consciousness thoughts typed out as the episodes were playing. Sometimes I asked questions, and then responded as soon as an answer was evident. Since this is LOST, answers weren’t always forthcoming. Whenever possible, I made connections to Star Trek whether or not they were there.
For more LOST commentaries, as well as commentaries on other shows, please visit www.anthonypaular.net.
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Photo credits: tankbmb (iStockPhoto), zoomstudio (iStockPhoto)
A Tale of Two Cities
Here we go with the first six episodes of Season 3—sort of a mini-series to start.
It’s neat how a close-up of an EYE opens the season again, as it did with Jack’s eye in Season 1, and Desmond’s eye in Season 2.
Note how the woman’s opening a CD repeats how Desmond’s record player opened Season 2. OK, so I thought she was Penelope (Desmond’s girlfriend).
Just as we left the second season, the 3rd Season opens OFF the island. (Or NOT). These are the Others! So, they had been living a “normal” life before the crash. If they truly are the “good guys,” then what are they all about? The Dharma Initiative gone wrong from some sort of utopian mess-up?
I never thought of Jack as a stalker, but seeing him “observe” his ex-wife from afar is interesting. At halfway through the show, we haven’t really seen too much about Jack’s past to give insight into his current situation, other than Juliet’s observation that he’s very stubborn.
Jack’s father is quite rational in this episode.
Note that we have a lot of new regulars this season, including the guys who play Henry Gale/Ben and Desmond.
Looking at the clothes that the Mr. Friendly left for Kate makes me think that the Others are trying to build some sort of Stepford society. So, are Kate and “Henry” supposed to be on some sort of date? It’s as if this is all some big test for Kate, Sawyer, and Jack.
If Henry is willing to let Juliet die, how can he truly be one of the “good” guys? Slimebucket.
The background music during Sawyer’s escape is reminiscent of the chase music from Planet of the Apes (the Charlton Heston/Roddy McDowall version). I do like Sawyer’s Dharma dog food.
This season is supposed to be about the Others, so it will be interesting to see how things pan out with their story. Regarding the Dharma Initiative and Hurley’s numbers, the following was posted on SciFi.com:
Fans of ABC's hit SF series Lost who played this summer's alternate-reality game The Lost Experience got a big payoff if they stuck with it: the secret to Hurley's numbers (4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42) and revelations about the Dharma Initiative and the Hanso Foundation. The answers, which were reported by TV Guide, can be found in a video detailing the elaborate backstory to the show, which has been posted in its entirety on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PPCCcXarkc.
The numbers represent the Valenzetti Equation, a mathematical formula having to do with the timetable for humanity's extinction. The show's sinister Dharma Initiative was an effort by the mysterious Hanso Foundation to ward off that inevitability. When Dharma failed, Hanso's nefarious acting leader, Thomas Mittelwerk, set in motion a plan to release a virus that would kill 30 percent of the world's population.
Well, we get to see more of the castaways next week!
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Photo credits: ejs9 (iStockPhoto), ericsphotography (iStockPhoto)
The Glass Ballerina
When we last saw Jin and Sun, they were rediscovering their love for each other. Seeing Jin act stubborn again makes me pause and wonder what the motivation of the writers are. It looks like he’s becoming the thug again. Is it just that he’s traditional, or is he paranoid?
(I know that the writers want to continually shake things up, but making Jin a jerk, then a hero, then a jerk...)
The reasoning that Sun’s father used on Jin would have worked for a Klingon.
If Sun’s father knew about her affair with Jae, did Jin know? Not from what we’ve seen so far.
I’m also wondering how the Others missed Desmond’s boat. After all, they were a part of the Dharma Initiative, so they must have known about Kelvin (remember the monitoring station?) and Desmond. They would have been able to follow Kelvin each day as he went to repair the boat.
So, Jin knows that Sun betrayed him (in the plot with Sun), but not with Jae? I suppose that’s why he thought that her pregnancy (announced last season) was a miracle. It seems that they love each other, but their trust in each other is tenuous, at best.
The assault on the boat seems pretty obvious. Wouldn’t a trained military man (Sayid) have figured that out?
So, who killed Jae? Was it Sun’s father, or was it suicide?
So, what is the “Glass Ballerina” that Sun shattered in this episode? Is it her relationship with Jin (again)? After thinking about it, it must be the lies that Sun has built her life upon.
The little man in charge of forced labor seems like the kid who used to get picked on that now has some “power” over other people. He’s loving it, and it’s annoying.
I laughed out loud when Kate caught Sawyer staring at her back side. The Sawyer/Kate B story was pretty good, if only to see Sawyer get himself beat up so he can evaluate the Others.
I was wondering what would happen with Jack’s story. I’m wondering why in the world it’s so important for “Ben” to persuade Jack of the “truth.” He seems to want to be validated by Jack somehow.
Regarding the Sun/Jin flashback stories, this one wasn’t my favorite. I just didn’t find it as engaging as those that came before. The one that touched me the most was the story of how Sun and Jin first met. In that flashback, Sun first met Jae through an arranged meeting, while Jin went to work at the hotel that Jae’s family owned. Jin quit the job because his boss despised him, and wound up meeting Sun entirely by accident. I suppose I found that episode engaging because in the “present,” Jin and Sun realized how much they missed each other.
We only have four more episodes in this first part of the season. I’d love to see something build to a head before the 13-week hiatus.
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Photo credit: Anthony D. Paular
Further Instructions
Last season, John Locke lost his faith in the island (pushing the button in the hatch). Finally, we get to see what happened after the electromagnetic pulse and system failure happened.
After the first two episodes of the third season, I feel like we’ve been teased with the slow unfolding of the season’s plot line. It’s good in that we got to see a little more of Jack, Sawyer, Kate, Sun and Jin, and Sayid, but I’ve been very curious about the hatch.
I really love that we get a little glimpse of the opening sequence again, as as we see a close up of Locke’s eye (As in the first episode with Jack’s eye. See my commentary for A Tale of Two Cities).
How much time has passed since Desmond turned the key (Charlie indicated it was a day). We just saw Desmond running through the jungle like one of the humans in Planet of the Apes.
Poor Charlie is acting like a real jerk. I know he felt betrayed by Locke, so I guess it stands to reason that he’s enjoying John’s predicament. Cool how Charlie sarcastically asks John if he’s taking drugs now (The island version of peyote, perhaps?).
It’s amazing how Hawaii can look like Northern California. Perhaps Locke’s hitchhiker is the one who made him a paraplegic.
Hey—Boone makes an appearance! The hallucinogenic scenes are a nice departure from the typical flashback.
Charlie and Locke make a good pair—I like how they play counterpoint to each other. The interplay between Locke and Eko is good, too, but I really like Charlie’s cynicism in contrast to Locke’s sense of purpose. Perhaps now, though, Locke and Eko will become allies in the search to protect Jack, Sawyer, and Kate.
No more hatch—no more showers or records for the castaways. “No lights, no boats, no motorcars... not a single luxury!” Maybe they are on Gilligan’s Island now.
Dude! Did Hurley leave the Others with a canteen at the end of Season 2?
Perhaps the community/family that Locke was a part of was a terrorist group (OK, they’re marijuana growers). The whole secret fertilizer in the greenhouse thing has something to do with survivalists. Is the kid Eddie an FBI mole, or a genuine lunatic (Neither—a Sheriff’s Deputy)?
Knowing that the polar bear is a puppet and computer graphics (I saw the 1st Season DVD extras), I didn’t really feel much fear for Locke and Eko in the cave.
What does Desmond know about Locke that Hurley doesn’t? I don’t recall Locke giving a speech about saving Jack, Sawyer and Kate? Does Desmond somehow know how to see the future (and wasn’t that one of the things the Others thought Walt could do)?
If Locke heard Eko speak, then maybe the drugs are still working.
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Photo credit: Anthony D. Paular
Every Man for Himself
Only three episodes left in the Season 3 “mini-season!”
So...what’s really up with Desmond’s ability to see the future? Doesn’t he belong on Heroes?
Some friends of mine, Marty and Doris Lew, have speculated that the Others are sterile. This would explain why they have been stealing children (including Rousseau’s daughter, Alex), and were so interested in Claire’s baby. Given that Juliet is a fertility doctor, it seems that this theory has merit.
Is Jack still under the affect of the drug the Others gave him? And what is it with the old school VCR that Jack’s been watching cartoons on?
I do like it that Jack and Sawyer have been able to get under the skin of Juliet and some of the other Others (Is Ben/Henry really in charge?). Their little Stepford community is in serious arrears. It’s not quite so perfect if they behave worse than those they have separated themselves from.
The title of the episode accurately reflects Sawyer’s attitude towards Jack (who knows if he’s still alive?). I know that the writers don’t want the viewers to like Sawyer too much, thus his salty behavior. Still, I can’t help but feel for him as he gets himself into bad situations (He’s obviously not as smart as he thinks he is).
For being the “good guys,” the Others are some serious bad apples. Sure, they’re “not killers,” as Ben/Henry said, but they’re pretty sadistic. Putting the pacemaker in Sawyer is cruel.
I think the pacemaker is a hoax. The Others just cut him up and gave him the story to keep him in line. The con man was conned. Wouldn’t he feel it?
If I were Sawyer, I’d drench myself with a bucket of cold water, too.
This new guy that Desmond got the golf club from is interesting. We know that he’s more interested in swinging at dirt clods than keeping the rest of the group safe. Any other reasons we wasted time with him? The only thing we learned about Desmond from their little exchange is that he’s Scottish (but we already knew that, right?).
Desmond’s golf club lightning rod is kind of cool. He knows about the future, and thus that Claire’s tent might get struck without it. Does that mean that one can alter the future?
I’m not sure what I think about Sawyer’s flashback story. I know that it’s supposed to shed light on the present situation, but seeing him in jail, and learning that he’s a father hasn’t really helped me understand him very much. I already know he’s a con man. I suppose that finding out that he lied and cheated his way out of prison, and then find a way to provide for his daughter, is a good thing.
The Others are pretty naive, in their own way, thinking that attaching the survivors wouldn’t yield some casualties. Did they honestly think that kidnapping Walt, killing Ana Lucia and Libby (through Michael), and attacking the boat with Sun onboard would keep them safe?
OK, so we know that the Others brought Jack to their compound to perform spinal surgery on one of their own--a 45 year old male.
We learned something tonight—there is another island where the Others come from. That explains how they were able to bypass Jin and Sayid during their theft of the boat.
Only two episodes left in the mini-season. I really need to see the group come back together. It looks like we’ll see more (previously unseen) castaways join Locke’s rescue party next week.
Until then...
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Photo credit: pastorscott (iStockPhoto)
The Cost of Living
Mr. Eko is a wonderful and complex character. I love following his story. Is his story truly an adventure of redemption, or is it something else?
I like that Eko’s story parallels Locke’s in a way. Both Locke and Eko have seen someone in their dreams that ask them to confess their sins/faults (Locke = Boone, Eko = his brother Yemi, the priest). I’d like to think that these two men of faith have their fates somehow intertwined (I guess I’m wrong).
Ben, the leader of the Others, is a self-absorbed goon. The way he treats his people (even though they’re all “equals”), the cult-like clothes, the Gilligan’s Island torches, the funeral pyre for the dead woman. He must think that what he’s doing as the leader of this group is the “right thing,” but it seems to me that he’s just out for what’s best for him.
Things we’ve found out about the Others in this episode:
• For someone who has spent his entire life on the island, Ben knows an awful lot about American society (doctor/patient confidentiality).
• It’s a “coincidence” that Juliet looks a lot like Jack’s ex-wife. Of course, she was already on the island before Oceanic Flight 815 crashed.
• Juliet can make a burger and fries (I doubt she really killed the cow and rendered the animal fat to make oil)
• There is dissension amongst the Others. Juliet wants Jack to kill Ben on the operating table. But will a change of leadership in the Others be any better?
• Jack really can’t trust any of them, but will he take a chance on Juliet?
• We still haven’t seen Ms. Clue (Klugh?) from last season.
So, when Eko replaced his brother in the church in Nigeria, didn’t anybody recognize him as the “bad brother?”
The golf-playing dude from last week seems to have a greater role today. Will he last the season, or will he be a Star Trek-like “red shirt?” He’s kind of annoying, so I hope so.
Will Desmond know the outcome of the events at the Pearl station (A big no—He didn’t know about the other stations, nor about Eko)?
The behavior of the Black Smoke is confusing to me. Did the black smoke retreat because Eko wasn’t afraid, or because Locke and crew were coming? It’s not retreated before. Now, when Eko encountered the Black Smoke before, it didn’t attack him. Tonight, it killed him. Was it because the smoke knew he wasn’t “pure?” Also, did Eko “confess” to the smoke (and does that mean that it can assume human form)?
We still have no idea what this thing is. Perhaps it’s one of the failed experiments of the Dharma Initiative. According to this video, they were trying to some way to prevent the destruction of the human race, but discovered that it was “inevitable.” One of the members of Dharma decided to unleash a virus that would kill up to 30% of the world’s population (thus the inoculations that Kelvin had Desmond take). Does the Black Smoke have something to do with it?
Mr. Eko was my favorite character of the tail-section survivors. I’m sorry to see him go. Like Boone, Shannon, and Ana Lucia, he came to terms with his identity before he died. I don’t feel like he’s been redeemed, so much as that he’s accepted his place in life.
It would have been great to see him go up against the Others. Now only Bernard is left, and we haven’t seen him yet this season. Better watch out, Bernard.
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Photo credit: cbabbitt (iStockPhoto)
I Do
Tonight is the last of the six-episode “mini-season” to start off Season 3. I hope it’s a good one.
According to the “Official LOST Podcast,” Executive Producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse speculated that viewers would be very upset at the end of this. Could it be because they wrote the episode? Please don’t kill Sawyer. He’s too interesting!
Hey! Captain Mal Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) from Firefly is Kate’s fiancé/husband in her flashbacks! This must be a way to draw a parallel between a man from Kate’s past and her current love for Sawyer. From what we’ve seen so far, she hasn’t had much luck with men (Her high school sweetheart died when he tried to help her). Of course, lying about your identity (in the flashback, she’s “Monica”) isn’t exactly the way to endear yourself to people.
I’m guessing the Feds will crash “Monica’s” wedding (Guess not. Her fear of being caught will cause her to run again).
I love it how Jack told Ben how he is going to die, then refused to do the operation. “I didn’t say I was going to do it. I just wanted you to understand how you’re gonna die.” This is the only way that Jack has any leverage against this group of Others. Too bad he folded.
You know, according to his flashbacks, Jack hasn’t had much luck with patients living through surgeries. Does this mean that Ben will die?
The Others certainly are masters of manipulation. Threatening Sawyer’s life is a great way to get Kate to plead with Jack to operate on our friend Ben.
If Ben dies anyway, what good what killing Sawyer do?
The Federal Marshal that pursued Kate must have killed “Monica’s” husband.
Interesting that since Flight 815 crashed, the Others have gone from living in a suburban Stepford community to living like the old west. Did they forget how to wash their clothes? They still have running water, right?
By the way, if the Others were living in Stepford land, how did they get so good at lurking around?
It’s good to see Rousseau’s daughter, Alex. It took lots of guts to attack the work crew Others with a slingshot.
We need to see Rousseau again. Maybe she can get her daughter back, and kick some Others tail in the process.
I’m still hoping that the “red shirts,” Paolo and the girl, get the chance to do something interesting before they die.
Sawyer and Kate: Nice that they can get together. For the Others and their video surveillance, it’s like dinner and a show.
Just who is this “Jacob,” and what is his list of?
AHHH! Great cliffhanger! Jack’s got guts, Kate doesn’t want to run, Sawyer’s still alive, and Locke has a sign from Eko’s “Jesus stick” to go look north.
• What we still don’t know:
• Where are the kids and the tail section survivor, Cindy?
• Where is Miss Klugh (Clue) and her friends?
• Why do the Others really want kids?
• Why don’t the Others go back to Stepford land?
• What really happened to the Dharma Initiative people?
• Why can’t we see the small island?
• What has Hurley had for dinner?
The commercials for mid-season show Daybreak look kind of cool. Taye Diggs has come a long way since he helped Stella get her groove back. I guess I’ll have something to watch as I wait for LOST to come back.
In 13 weeks.
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Photo credit: Dutchy (iStockPhoto)
Not in Portland
Here we go again. I’ve really missed LOST. 13 weeks off has given me too much time on my hands!
According to the LOST recap, Jack decided to do the surgery on Ben in order to save the lives of Kate and Sawyer, who have become a couple. Yes, yes, I know. Love triangles are never very neat, and this is no different.
So, tonight is a Juliet flashback episode. As I sit here in my rented room watching on an old 13-inch TV with rabbit ears, I can’t tell what she was looking at, but it’s obvious that she’s on at one of the Dharma stations, because Ethan just walked by (Ah, they were in Miami, not a Dharma station). Ah, she has a medical kit, and she’s going to give her sister a shot. So, was she a hospice nurse, or something like that (That’s right, she was a fertility doctor, and apparently she had a claim to fame of successfully impregnating a male mouse)?
Good to see Sawyer fighting for his own life. It’s an even nicer touch that he uses the bear cage to give electro shock to Danny, the bozo who beat him up.
Kate and Sawyer didn’t run very far with their head start. I thought they were in better shape than that. Sawyer’s not a very good shot, either. Good thing that Rousseau’s daughter, Alex, is.
Ben’s awake? I guess Juliet isn’t a very good anesthesiologist, either.
It’s hard to tell what Juliet’s motivation is, other than she’s mad at her ex-husband, and she’s probably mad at Ben. I don’t blame her for being mad at the ex, since he’s hired his young lovely as a research “assistant.” Maybe that’s what drove her to the Dharma Initiative.
Umm, I’m not broken up over the death of Juliet’s ex-husband in her flashback, but didn’t the bus driver see a person standing in the road? That scene was also very X-Files like. Did the Dharma people set it up (as Juliet thinks her “Interviewer” may have done)? Quite a recruitment tool.
I’m not sure how I feel about Mr. Friendly having a name (Tom). All of a sudden, because Jack can save Ben’s life, it’s OK to be on first name basis? Right.
Trust no one. Didn’t Jack ever watch The X-Files?
It sounds like Alex’s father is someone on the island. Ben, perhaps? Didn’t Rousseau claim to have killed her husband? Of course, maybe her husband wasn’t Alex’s father.
Alex’s boyfriend is going through some sort of re-education (Everything Changes). Looks like something out of Orwell’s 1984 or Huxley’s Brave New World. In some cases, the pink light-up glasses might be cool. OK, maybe not, even in the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Ah, Tom was about to explain why the Others didn’t get off the island in order to save Ben’s life. “When the sky turned purple...” he started. Did the sky turn purple more than once, or just the time when Desmond destroyed the castaway’s hatch?
Nice timing that Jack saved Ben’s life at the exact moment that Kate retold the story from the first day on the beach.
I’m confused: Juliet changed asked Jack to save Ben because Ben claimed he would “let her go home?” If he died, wouldn’t she be out of his grasp? Perhaps by letting Ben live, it would somehow make up for the death of her ex-husband.
We need to see Locke, Sun, Jin, Hurley, Charlie, Claire, and all our friends next week.
Rabbit ears on a small TV don’t cut it. I need to be able to watch in HD again.
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Photo credit: Anthony D. Paular
Flashes Before Your Eyes
It’s good to see our friends on the beach again, even if only briefly. I thought that they were “lost.”
(OK, so that was a bad pun, but it’s late, and I’m tired.)
Hurley has the best lines. “That guy...sees the future, dude.”
Desmond can sure put it away, eh? One thing, though. If the guys are singing drunk by the fire, why doesn’t Charlie play the guitar? It’s not like he has far to go.
Tonight’s flashback is unusual...not like the typical LOST flashback. I like that Desmond lived (relived?) an entire part of his life immediately after turning the key.
In typical LOST fashion, I know that all the tiny details in the flashback have some significance: The crystal tumblers that Penelope’s father poured the MacCutcheon whiskey into, the appearance of the number 108 (minutes between button pushes), and the song that was playing on the jukebox in the pub (the same song that Desmond played when we first saw him in the hatch in Season 2).
So, did Desmond truly travel through time, or did he imagine this whole thing? One thing I found intriguing during the flashback/time travel/whatever is that he had bits of memory from the island. It also seems that this period in his life is what set him off on his quest to prove that he was worthy of Penelope’s love.
Penelope’s father is an arrogant, self-important (insert expletive here). Ugh.
I also love the fact that the lady jeweler has the same ability to see the future (did he acquire that ability from her during the time travel trip?). I applaud Desmond for trying to actually do something about it, even though he knows that things are inevitable. Perhaps he feels that pushing the button in the hatch doesn’t have to be the only great thing he’ll do in his life.
Please Desmond, keep trying to make a difference. Please Charlie, don’t die.
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Photo credit: digi_guru (iStockPhoto)
Stranger in a Strange Land
Question: How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Roll pop?
Answer: As many episodes as it will take Kate, Sawyer, and Karl to get back to the main island from the Hydra station “Alcatraz.” (Alright, so they arrive in this episode, but we still don’t get to see our friends on the beach)
So, as we start off tonight, Mr. Friendly (Tom) seems to still be interested in proving to Jack how “civilized” the Others are. He must have forgotten that in LOST time, he was wearing a fake beard and ratty clothes (and threatening to kill the castaways) not more than a week ago. In a bizarre way, it reminds me of the Old Spice commercials that Charles Barkley did in the early 1990’s, “Anything else would be uncivilized.”
In Jack’s flashback, where is this strange place that just so happens to look like Oahu on the road to the Polynesian Cultural Center? At what point in his life is this taking place? I don’t remember if we ever saw Jack’s tattoos when he was married.
Karl sure is a confused young fellow. It seems that the Others kidnap children in order to give them “a better life” than the castaways, huh? I guess that means that they can lie outside in the backyard at night and look up at the stars while the adults conduct fertility experiments on unwitting “participants” like Claire.
Sheriff Isabel looks like a mean woman. She seems to know the story behind Jack’s tattoos. It doesn’t match what Jack thinks they mean.
I find it odd that a society of intentional outcasts like the Others feels it necessary to have a law enforcement arm. Do they truly believe they need to keep “order” amongst themselves when they obviously don’t believe in treating outsiders with any sort of respect.
Bai Ling, the actress who plays Jack’s Chinese love interest in his flashbacks, has a Star Wars connection. She played a Senator (Bana Breemu) in Star Wars Episode III. If it doesn’t already exist, I’m sure that there’s a Star Wars action figure of her coming out soon.
OK, so I’m confused again. Cindy and the kids who were kidnapped from the tail section survivors look awfully domestic for people who were forcefully taken by the Others. Why do they find it so normal to watch Jack in his cage?
Will Jack ever connect Alex and Rousseau? Is there a connection between the two? We’ve been led to believe so, particularly in Claire’s flashback from Season Two.
Ben claims that Ethan was the Others’ surgeon. He was “great.” Too bad that Ethan was a murdering slimebag himself. Oh yes, the Others don’t care about what happens to anyone outside of their “utopian” group.
I was wondering what the point of Jack’s flashback was. Here we find out the origin of his tattoos (as though the tattoos are a Marvel comics superhero). According to the Chinese woman, Jack is a leader, a great man. Being so makes him lonely and angry. That’s the meaning of his tattoos (or so he thinks).
“He walks amongst us, but he is not one of us.”
Being marked has a cost. And just why was Jack beat up? Because he insisted that he get the tattoos? Kind of confusing. The woman said that it was against the custom of her people to mark outsiders. Still, when the thugs lifted up his sleeve, only part of his tattoos were shown. I guess there’s another story yet to be told.
Juliet is branded. I don’t know what the mark means.
Is Sawyer right? Did Kate have sex with him because she thought he was going to die? Does this leave open the possibility of a Kate/Sawyer/Jack love triangle? Does it now become a quadarangle (square) with Juliet now a part of the equation?
I really need to see Locke in action again. Please?
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Photo credits: rcyoung (iStockPhoto), pastorscott (iStockPhoto)
Tricia Tanaka is Dead
Cheech! I love it that Cheech Marin plays Hurley’s Father. Of course, in the flashback, Hurley is a young skinny pup, and Cheech is a big dude.
Now, Hurley is able to find solace in talking to Libby’s grave marker. I wonder if he’s going to start seeing an imaginary Libby on the island now. Why not? Jack has seen his dad before.
I had forgotten about Vincent the dog. Since Michael and Walt are currently incognito, I figured that Vincent would have stayed in the background with all the red shirts.
Ouch! Speaking of being a red shirt, I guess fluff newscaster Tricia Tanaka should have listened to Hurley! After all, who would have thought that caution tape would save you from a meteor (or an asteroid).
Poor Kate, she wants to love Sawyer, and he’s got nothing to give back to her except one-liners.
Didn’t take Sawyer long to become crotchety, did it? “I want my stuff!”
So, Hurley went to Australia because he believes that is where the numbers came from, and that he would be able to rid himself of his “curse” there.
I never thought of any of the Dharma Initiative people as folks who would have fun. I guess even some of them needed to make a beer run. Did Roger “Work Man” lose control of his vehicle because...umm... there was no road (planning on building one doesn’t count).
Just what every dude wants to hear...that after 17 years, his mom has “needs.”
The scene of Hurley sitting in the front seat of the VW van, scrunching his face up and saying “I have hope...” reminds me of Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back.
(“Judge me by my size, do you, hmm?... And well you should not! The Force is my ally.”)
OK, so does the tarot lady exorcise bad luck by scrambling eggs with clothes?
Does Sawyer really make a good English teacher for Jin? I don’t think that Sun has ever worn anything that made her look fat.
With a VW van full of beer, the guys are on the road to Shambala, and Hurley has found hope.
I thought that Sawyer might have actually shared his case of beer. I guess I was wrong.
I was wondering when we were going to see Rousseau again. The Alex connection finally gets to play itself out.
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Photo credits: drxy (iStockPhoto), klosfoto (iStockPhoto)
Enter 7-7
At long last, the connections between Rousseau and the Others are starting to be revealed. However, in LOST fashion, I’m sure that the truths that are revealed will be tiny little nuggets.
Poor Sawyer. The dude is completely and totally lost without Kate in his life. Nobody but for Hurley really accepts him.
It’s good to see Locke and Sayid again. They are two compelling characters that haven’t had enough screen time this season.
Question: Wouldn’t Rousseau have SMELLED a horse and a cow after all her years on the island?
I love Sawyer’s “B” question for the girl red-shirt: “Who the hell are you?” I would bet that Hurley will be the one to beat Sawyer at the little game of ping pong (I was right!). The terms of the bet were pretty cool, too. Sawyer can’t call anybody by a nickname (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Pillsbury, Zorro...) for a week. That won’t last long.
So, at what point in his life was Sayid going by the name, “Najeev?” His stint as a chef is much different than his job as torturer.
That grey cat is creepy. I like how it ties into the Sayid flashback.
The Dharma patch man (Mikhail) claimed that he had an agreement to stay at the house (don’t cross the line). As the last remaining member of the Dharma Initiative (never mind that shipments of food still get dropped), was his agreement with Ben and the Others? Was the agreement simply to not bother each other?
It looks like Dharma patch man’s job at the Flame station was to communicate with the outside world (but not really, since he wasn’t really a Dharma dude).
Hey some answers: The Dharma people all died in a war with the “Hostiles/Others.” Dharma patch man survived because he didn’t fight in the war. Also, the Others were on the island long before the Dharma folks. (Sayid doesn’t believe the stories, and thinks that Dharma patch man is an Other. Smart man.)
I really didn’t need to see Sayid’s wound being sutured up.
The Dharma computer is a little more “modern” than the one from the hatch (Amiga vs. Apple 2). The video of the Dharma instruction video guy reminds me of old computer games such as Myst.
As with other recent flashbacks, I’m struggling to figure out the significance of Sayid’s flashback. He’s obviously been set up. Is it because the wife of his new “boss” knows of his past as a torturer? Perhaps she has lost somebody to Sayid’s work. Ah, she claims she was tortured by Sayid. He, on the other hand, claims to remember the face of every person he interrogated. It must serve to torture him.
Perhaps the significance of Sayid’s flashback is that he is struggling to find the truth in a world where lies abound (Can’t you hear that being recited by a game show host? “In a world where lies abound, Sayid struggles to find the TRUTH.”). He has been held accountable for the horrible things he did in his past life. The woman has somehow found it in her heart to forgive him.
Okay, so the point of Sayid’s flashback was to show us a time when he was shown mercy and forgiven for torturing somebody. In return, he was able to show mercy to someone who would have just as easily killed him.
Um, would Locke REALLY play computer chess when he’s supposed to be watching a prisoner? Never mind that he’s been able to manually override the computer.
So, Ms. Klugh makes a reappearance, if only for a moment. Why would Dharma patch man and Ms. Klugh be willing to die, rather than talk any further to Sayid, Locke, and Kate? Perhaps something happened between Ben and Ms. Klugh in the time between seasons 2 and 3.
Rousseau didn’t spend much time with the group. Too bad. She can be an interesting character, even though the story was not about her.
Enter 7-7 and blow up the joint.
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Photo credits: zinchik (iStockPhoto), Anthony D. Paular
Par Avion
Last week, I was really hoping that Rousseau would be more involved in the adventures of Kate, Locke, and Sayid. Tonight, we get a Claire episode. Oh joy.
I like the idea that there was some sort of tragedy in Claire’s life that has helped to shape her. Maybe now there can be some room in her heart for Charlie (perhaps before he dies?).
Dharma Patch Man had a map to the Others’ compound. If he’s so willing to let them find the compound, shouldn’t they be the least bit suspicious?
If I were Charlie, I would be skittish every time I saw Desmond. I guess I would be thinking, “What is Des trying to ‘save’ me from this time?” To Charlie, Desmond must be like the harbinger of death.
Here’s another “if.” If Charlie wanted to get close to Claire, shouldn’t he share his fears about Desmond with her? I would think that she would listen to him, given all that has happened on the island. Instead, he criticized her plan to attach a note on the tag of one of the migratory birds because he’s afraid of what might happen to him. I guess I’d be scared too, but I hope I wouldn’t act like such a baby about it.
To her credit, Claire believed Desmond’s tale of his premonitions of Charlie’s death.
Dharma Patch Man has mentioned the Others’ infamous “list.” Ben has also mentioned it, as did Goodwin when he was with the tail section survivors. If I remember correctly, only “good” people were on the list. Locke was supposedly on the list.
Nice to see Jin is starting to learn to speak English.
I get the feeling that Claire intentionally got into that car accident. Sounds like she and her mother were arguing at the time, and Claire wasn’t paying attention when the collision occurred.
The hospital expenses for Claire’s mom were taken care of by an anonymous donor. Was that somehow Dharma initiated?
Locke’s solution for finding out what the pylons are for is a great one. The Others don’t play games. It was hard for me to figure out if Dharma Patch Man was trying to fool Kate et. al. into walking into the trap, or truly wanted to be killed by the sonic weapon fence.
Locke was being devious! I love it that he hid the fact that he stole some C-4.
Jack’s dad was the new “doctor” for Claire’s mom. Judging from the history of “the other Dr. Sheppard,” my guess is that he’s also Claire’s father (Yes! I was right!). Good thing that Claire and Jack never fell for each other.
Kate’s smarter than Dharma Patch Man gave her credit for. She figured out the way to get around the pylons (over them).
I never figured Claire for a tattoo artist. Her rejection of Jack’s father must be the thing that sent him over the edge and into the drinking binge that led to his death.