A Case of the.... Lost - Episodes 6-1 & 6-2 Revisited

''I'm sorry you had to see me like that'' = greatest Lost line ever? – EW.com Lost review.

While I failed to mention this great quote in my initial review, I didn’t fail to notice it. Not only was it a great line, but it was delivered to perfection.

By the way, the latest unique Lost method of storytelling is officially dubbed “flash-sideways.” Expect that to be the title of a struggling ABC drama next season.

Moving onto the premiere. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the response to the first two episodes of the final season has been overwhelmingly positive. I figured a lot of impatient fans would complain about the confusing new method of storytelling and would bellyache about there not being many big answers or revelations. In my experience, that hasn’t been the case. And that makes me glad.

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Now, in my initial review, I pondered whether these two worlds represented a “real” universe and a “what could have been” alternate reality – however, the overwhelming prognosis seems to be that these two worlds are both real, just separate. I’m willing to buy into that. In fact, this is perhaps alluded to in the book Desmond was reading on the plane, Haroun And The Sea of Stories. According to those who have done more research than me, there’s a famous quote in the book that states: ''What's the use of stories that aren't even true?'' Could this be our subtle indication that both universes are indeed “true”?

Speaking of Desmond, in my review I noted that there were some slight discrepancies between the original Flight 815 and the retconned flight. Most notably Desmond’s presence and Shannon’s absence, Hurley suddenly being lucky, and the missing luggage (Locke’s knives and Jack’s father). I find it interesting that these two particular items were lost, as they’re arguably the items on the plane that most defined them on the island. Odd how once the island is out of the equation, so is the baggage (literal and perhaps metaphorical as well).

In the comments section of my column, Aron referred to the meeting between Jack and Locke “kind of lame” and “a bit too cute.” I have to respectfully disagree, for two notable reasons. The first is that this brief interaction made me notice a huge connection between these characters that somehow, some way, I managed to miss all for these years. You have Locke, who’s paralyzed, and Jack, who’s a renowned spinal surgeon. In that regard, these two are very intimately connected. And, if circumstances were different, they really could have had a beneficial relationship.

The other thing I found interesting was how Locke has always been dubbed “the man of faith” while Jack was “the man of science.” Yet, following their interaction, it was Jack who found solace in faith, while Locke received hope with science. Again, had circumstances been less hostile, they could have helped each other.

Some additional differences brought to my attention by my readers as well as some other columns I read:

In their interaction on the plane, Rose was calm while Jack was stressed – opposite of their memorable “original” talk (thanks Andy, for pointing that out). Along with that, Jack only received one bottle of vodka, while he received two in the pilot. I find it interesting that, so far, Jack seems to be the only one who senses that something’s not right, or that he might have experienced something like this before. Significance? I guess we’ll see.

Now, let’s discuss some of the other people on the flight, starting with Sawyer. A few people have noted that Sawyer was noticeably less conflicted on the flight from Sydney. That’s a fair point. If you recall, he had murdered somebody in cold blood, incorrectly believing that this person was responsible for his parents’ deaths, and then he got in some trouble with the law and was unceremoniously ejected from the entire continent, I presume. When we saw him on the original Flight 815, he had that classic scowl that he was so infamous for in the early years.

In this reality, though, he was significantly lighter. Here’s a passage from the EW.com review:

In fact, I like to think that this not-a-care-in-the-world Sawyer isn't some scheming con man at all, but rather owes his lightness to being a well-adjusted, law-abiding young man with a serious girlfriend in Miami. In some possible world, this surely must be true. Why not this one? But time will tell.

While I’m not sure Sawyer is the ruined man he was in the original reality, I can’t say I agree with this assessment. First off, did you see the way his face lit up when he heard that Hurley was a millionaire? Along with that, I just don’t see your average law-abiding citizen helping somebody in handcuffs escape security, no matter how hot or seemingly nice she may be. I buy that he’s better adjusted, but based on what I saw, the guy is most certainly the rogue we were introduced to in season one. Just take note of his close proximity to Hurley when they departed the plane.

Speaking of the EW.com review, I’d like to touch upon an idea I quite liked, regarding Jin and Sun:

Jin got hauled off, and Sun got pressed: Did she know English? Did she have an explanation for the undeclared cash? Cliffhanger. Theory? Jin brought the money to finance his new life with Sun in the United States.

I quite like the idea that Jin, despite his fall from grace, was actually planning to escape with Sun once they arrived in the US. While the concept of the crash saving their relationship is romantic, I think it would be an interesting twist to learn that Jin actually had seen the err of his ways and set out for a fresh start by his own accord.

Moving onto the island reality, as a viewer I find it interesting that Sawyer blames Jack for Juliet's death. I say "as a viewer," because we're privy to certain knowledge that the characters may not have, and we also don't share the same emotional bonds. But, after thinking about it, I realized that it's not Jack's fault at all that Juliet died. If it's anybody's fault, it's Kate's. Follow me here. Juliet died after she was pulled into the hole by the electromagnetic activity. Except the electromagnetic activity had nothing to do with Jack's big plan. That happened because of the Dharma Initiative's construction, and would have happened whether or not Jack intervened. So, basically, Juliet was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

But why were they there?

If you recall, Sawyer and Juliet were on a submarine, set to finally get off of the island. They would have been free or clear, had it not been for Kate, who convinced them that they should return to the island to stop Jack. Of course, once they actually got there, Kate pulled an about-face and decided to assist her former fiance with his grand mission.

Just some food for thought. Also, regarding Juliet’s dying words that, “it worked.” I’m going to go with the popular opinion, which is that, when she died, her consciousness “merged” with the alternate timeline, and her comment about getting coffee and going dutch is some “code word” for them in that other life. The good news is, this might mean that Sawyer and Juliet find happiness together in this other timeline.

We also finally got to see the inside of the Temple, with more than a few people bringing up the curious point that the Others are evidently attempting to keep the Monster out of the Temple, yet he also seems to live beneath it. How odd… Also, for what it’s worth, the Asian man is named Dogen, and his translator is named Lennon. I’m curious how they fit into the island hierarchy, compared to Jacob and Ben.

Another great observation from the EW.com review: One of my favorite developments in the episode was the emergence of Hurley as castaway leader in the wake of Jack's crisis of self-confidence and Sawyer's ''Don't call me boss no more'' meltdown. And, as the article also points out, Hurley became the show’s newest “Man of Faith” when he followed Jacob’s orders to take Sayid to the Temple. The scene with Dogen and the Uber Others also reminded me of the methods the Others took in the earlier seasons. While we have come to learn that they may actually be the relative “good guys,” they’re still not above killing innocent people who might threaten their way of life.

Anyway, there are some people out there claiming that Sayid is Jacob resurrected. I don’t agree. I just believe that the healing resurrection worked – just not as fluidly as it would have if the water was “clear.” Oh, and while we did learn how the island heals people, I’m still a little confused. Even if we’re to believe that the water (in the general sense) has healing properties, Locke was cured before he ever set foot in the water. What’s up with that?

I am curious, though: What dire matter did Lennon need to talk to Jack about? Could it have anything to do with his dead father running around the island causing all sorts of hijinx? Speaking of which, is Christian Smokey? If so, that means Smokey CAN leave the island, as we saw him at Jack’s hospital (remember the smoke alarm?) That seems to contradict this belief that Smokey is being held captive on the island.

Oh, another thing a lot of commenters were talking about: Was Fake Locke’s comment to Alpert about being free of his chains a physical thing (as in, he was a slave on the Black Rock) or a symbolic thing (as in, he’s no longer being oppressed by Jacob)? Honestly, I suspect the former. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

I think we can all agree, though: Terry O’Quinn absolutely nailed this episode. His facial expressions were absolutely amazing. I’m in awe of how comforting he comes off in his interaction with Jack at the airport, and how chilling he could be while talking with Ben in the foot of the statue. Inredible stuff. I was a bit surprised, though, how harsh Fake Locke’s assessment was of real Locke. I had always imagined a certain kinship between Locke and the Smoke Monster, almost as if Smokey respected him and felt he was special. Instead it just seems like Smokey, just like everybody else, was manipulating the poor guy.

In a column-related matter, I’m thinking of posting my Revisited columns on Sunday nights, instead of Mondays. With 24 and Heroes (for now, anyway) both airing on Monday nights, I thought it would be a bit overwhelming for both you and me for me to post a 24, Heroes, and two Lost columns in the span of two nights. But I also know that Sunday nights might not have the same Internet activities as Mondays. So my question – if I posted these on Sunday nights, would that have an impact on your viewing habits? Sound off below!

And, just like last year, please enjoy the first installment this season of Lost Untangled! Although I love the muppet, under this new format, not a whole lot gets untangled. Oh well...