![[a case of the blog]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdW6m_GKpkUaPi56fHU6TFDQPOe1Rd_Lu0S_T5NgEIvzR2rJYBvUU6yRIyH7xtuBt0hVMDAcuqSlLEu9ooq2iwOOnskdsfS9BMjPZJsFJMVIlMJopdnOVjxqeNRR9etLlOY9wUNdSpW6D/s1600/newblogheader19.gif)
As one might have expected, there was quite a lot of feedback and information to deal with following this extraordinary Desmond episode. So instead of the typical, “this person said this, and here’s my response” format, I’m going to divide the feedback into different categories. Hopefully this will assist with the general flow while maintaining some focus.
Let’s jump right in.
Continue reading "A Case of the.... Lost - Episode 6-11 Revisited"....
TURNING SIDEWAYS UPSIDE DOWN
For the first time this season, virtually the entire episode took place in this strange, new “sideways” universe. Up until this point we haven’t really known what this world is. Is it a “what if,” as I originally theorized, simply showing the viewer what would have happened had the island never existed? Or is it something more substantial? As in, this isn’t simply a world that exists for the benefit of the viewer – instead, it’s an actual alternate universe that exists due to the events of the Incident.
Following this episode, the latter most certainly seems to be the case. We can rather conclusively state that the world certainly exists, as Desmond seemingly transferred his consciousness from one reality to the next. And, in the sideways world, Daniel Faraday very strongly implied that an atomic bomb could very well give birth to a new, “not right” world. Here are some comments and theories provided regarding what we discovered about the sideways universe.
As for the episode, I thought it was amazing. There were so many subtleties like Eloise forgiving Desmond by saying what happened, happened. I am so intrigued by what her role is in all of this, how she came to have that role, and when she took on that role. If we hadn't seen her as a teenaged girl in the 50s and then again older in the 70s, i would think she is Jacob or MIB's mom or something. As interesting as that would be, it just doesnt pan out. – DaBoody, my blog
I completely agree. Much like with Widmore, I was beginning to worry that the dramatic shift in this year’s story was going to mean that, ultimately, characters like Eloise and Widmore wouldn’t play a part in the grand scheme of the things. I’m exceptionally pleased to see that my worries were all for naught. If anything, these two will seemingly play a rather significant role in the rest of the season.
Desmond freed himself from his seatbelt and swam to the surface, then took a deep breath and dived back down to rescue Charlie, á la his Looking Glass rescue mission in season 3. Desmond tried to open the door. It wouldn't budge. He kept trying. And that's when something weird happened. It was as if some supernatural force — angelic? demonic? Jacobesque? Smokeyesque? — took possession of Charlie's body or manipulated him like a puppet on a string and turned him in his chair and slapped his palm against the window. – EW.com review
There was something incredibly creepy about Charlie’s sudden resuscitation, followed by his slow, deliberate movement of turning towards Desmond and placing his hand on the window. Even as I watched the episode, it felt like he was being, well, possessed. I don’t want to say that his behavior was sinister, but there was definitely something eerie and unsettling about it. Was a supernatural force taking over his body? I think it’s possible. But if so, who was the puppet master? Smokey? Jacob? I’m inclined to say the former, since the latter prefers to take more of a “no interference” approach. Could this mean that Smokey wants the individuals in the sideways world to be aware of the alternate, “real” universe? If so, why? Then again, the sideways version of Charlie did seem to be a bit of an asshole, so who knows.
I was wondering how Desmond knows that this phenomenon that he experienced only applies to the Ocean 815 passengers and not just the whole world at large. I mean, Faraday (or Widmore) wasn't on the plane, but he experienced it. It seems strange that he would want the flight manifest completely out of the blue when he has no basis to think that those people are special. I guess he did see Charlie in his flash, but i dont know if that would be enough to make that jump to say that it must apply to everyone on the plane, especially when Farady wasnt on it. – DaBooty, my blog
DaBooty added this a little later on:
I now believe that Desmond wants the manifest because he has attained some sort of enhanced consciousness whereby he has knowledge of both realities at the same time. the look that Des has at the end of the episode when Sayid grabs him was very zen-like and i believe thats because his sideways counterpart and him have connected and share the same consciousness. Maybe they don't know everything the other knows, but they probably know enough where Des at least knows he needs the manifest. – DaBooty, my blog
I, too, wondered how Desmond knew that there was any sort of connection between Flight 815 and this other world where he found love with Penelope. As DaBooty notes, of the major players in this revelation – Charlie, Faraday, Eloise, and Penny – only one person was actually on the flight. But I’m willing to submit to this idea that Desmond may have acquired some insight from his island self, which at the very least enabled him to make the connection between the flight and alternate universe. Of course, I think we need to find out a little more before conclusively coming to that, well, conclusion.
Eloise definitely seemed to understand the origin, purpose, and more importantly the rules of the Sideways world. She also seemed to have knowledge or vision for what should be happening and when, and Desmond's search for Penny threatened the implicit order. She scolded him for wanting more than what he always wanted: Charles Widmore's approval. – EW.com review
The violation was the peek into the other timeline - sparked by Charlie's taking him for a dip in the brink. Desmond has taken a bite from the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge - Eloise fears that what he knows may spur a personal agenda that will interfere with his intended role – EW.com comments section
I think this is an accurate interpretation of what Eloise meant, but I’m not sure it gets to the crux of the issue. How does Eloise know of the alternate universe? Is she literally the same Eloise we all know? As in, they share a consciousness? And, perhaps most importantly, who set the rules that Desmond is violating? So this isn’t so much about what she meant, it’s more about what her comment means.
BACK ON THE ISLAND
While the island portion of last week’s episode took a backseat to the sideways stuff, it wasn’t without its fair share of thrills and mysteries.
In past seasons, Widmore's search for the Island has been about regaining power. This time, his intent appears to have something to do with some form of saving the world. What would account for his changed mission? By what means would he acquire information that would have this revised intent (could still want power)? Whatver happened to his telling Desmond to take Penny & go someplace where they couldn't be found? – EW.com comments section
This motivation shift actually really is curious. Looking back at the previous couple of seasons – and no, I haven’t rewatched them, I’m just going by my memory (how dangerous!) – there’s really nothing that indicates that his motives are altruistic. Or, rather, that it has anything to do with this struggle between Jacob and the Man in Black. Yes, he refers to a war, but there’s nothing about his overall behavior that leads me to believe the writers were sneakily referring to what has occurred this season. So I must wonder, what caused this change? And how did Widmore become aware of what had occurred? Did it have anything to do with the “altered” timeline because of what happened during the Incident? Was Widmore not on the island at that time?
Widmore sure painted himself out to be the Professor Snape of Lost — the secret savior disguised as a bad guy. Did you buy it? Also: I wasn't sure if Widmore's words and deeds indicated that he was aware of the Sideways world and testing for it, or if he's oblivious to the Sideways world and was merely testing Desmond's electro-magnetic fortitude. I'm thinking the latter. What did you think? – EW.com review
Unlike the scenario above, Widmore’s actions and behavior in last week’s episode leads me to believe he DOES know about the sideways world. Everything just seemed a little too deliberate and precise. And coupled with the fact that his other-world wife and son CLEARLY know something of the conflicting worlds all leads me to believe that Widmore is somehow, some way aware of the existence of the sideways universe. Everything worked out just a bit too well and specifically for it to be a convenient coincidence.
Regardless, I think the great work that lies ahead for Desmond will require sacrifice, as Widmore indicated, because Desmond has the most to lose. By choosing to help Widmore and his friends in whatever capacity that is required — fighting Smokey; shepherding souls — it will mean giving up the life he fought so hard to attain in the Island world. His one consolation will be that he's seemingly assured a second chance at the same happiness in the Sideways world. – EW.com review
There’s just one notion I don’t completely agree with here – in what way does Desmond have the “most to lose”? Sure, he could potentially lose the life he fought so hard to have, but isn’t that true for everybody? Consider the growth of characters like Jack, Jin, Sawyer, and countless others. Wouldn’t they also lose what they’ve fought for? One might argue that Desmond’s sacrifice is greater because he has a certain awareness that the others don’t yet have. But I do believe they will eventually achieve the same level of knowledge – so isn’t their sacrifice just as great?
In fact, one might argue that Desmond could conceivably get the best of both worlds – a happy life with Penny, as well as the affection and approval of Widmore. Actually, after this, he could potentially get that in both worlds.
First, it seems that trauma is capable of punching a hole between worlds. In the same way Desmond broke on through to the other side during the panic of his underwater crisis with Charlie, I think we can also conclude that Sideways Claire pulled Aaron's name from the memory of her mirror twin during her delivery scare in the hospital with Kate. – EW.com review
I brought up the possibility of “death” or “near death” being the bridge between worlds. It seems noteworthy that the characters that have alluded to the sideways worlds – Charlie, Faraday, and possibly Juliet – are all dead in one of the worlds. But the idea of a traumatic event triggering it is worth noting as well. Indeed, it was Charlie’s near death that brought him glimpses of the real world. Ditto for Desmond. And one might argue the same to be true with Claire. I suppose the real question will come should we ever get another Sun/Jin episode. After Sun was shot, there wasn’t any real indication that she was overcome with thoughts and emotions that came from her island existence.
PICK YOUR POISON
Finally, Desmond. I think his job is to pull a John Locke/Jeremy Bentham and offer each castaway a chance to cross over into the Sideways world. I do think that's the direction of movement — Island to Sideways. I think Desmond's ''talent'' is to help each castaways open up a psychic channel for the crossing to occur. That means that Sideways Desmond has to work his people and Island Desmond has to work his people. And I think both iterations of the individual has to agree to create the channel. If Sideways Jack doesn't want to merge with Island Jack, is isn't going to happen.
It was a clue, I think, to where we're headed with the interchange between Island and Sideways worlds. I don't think it'll be a matter of, say, Island Jack's consciousness displacing and replacing Sideways Jack's consciousness, but rather both minds blending to form a unique and stronger new persona. Desmond's job: get Charlie Pace out of jail; get him to the gala; make the willful wife and artsy-fartsy boy happy. Widmore joked that should Desmond fail to get Charlie to party, his wife would ''destroy'' him. That, too, played to me to like a clue — I wonder if the bitter rivalry between Eloise Hawking and Charles Widmore is not yet over. – EW.com review
I combined the two non-consecutive passages above because I think they compliment the idea the EW.com reviewer is professing. I personally hope the author is wrong, because I feel like it would be a bit disappointing for us to watch these characters grow and develop, only to ultimately end up virtually completely different people that we didn’t even know before this season. This view is accentuated by one of the posters from the EW.com review, shown here:
I really hope that the end of LOST isn't the combination of realities. That would be extremely dissatisfying to me because by definition they would be a completely new person with two different personalities merging. I think the real crux of Desmond's mission is to convince the Sideways-reality that even though their lives might be "better", that their Island lives have a PURPOSE. I think they will have to make some sort of sacrifice to make the Island reality the real one and defeat MIB. – EW.com comments section
I agree with the above comment. The EW.com reviewer seems to suggest that Desmond’s mission will take place on the island, with the end result being existence in the sideways world. I hope the opposite is true, that Desmond’s mission will be to track down the people in the sideways world and convince them that this universe is not “right,” and that they belong in the island world. Daniel seemed to plant this idea in his head, and his request for the manifest seemingly supports this.
I’m going to paraphrase one of my favorite lines from the first season of Heroes. Linderman says to Nathan, “Do you want a life of happiness, or a life of meaning?” That’s what I think the poster above is suggesting. Things in the sideways world might be “happier,” but they’re not quite right. As John Locke said when he was time traveling with Sawyer, without the experiences of the island, he wouldn’t be the person he is today. I think that’s the message Desmond will extend to his sideways brethren.
Another thing that I found interesting and I wonder if this will play out for the rest of the season is which world will they choose? It seems that Charlie, Desmond and Faraday are choosing the other world and may take steps to try to get there due to love, but what will motivate some of the other people. Darlton said early on in interviews that neither world is less real than the other, so are we supposed to be rooting for one of these worlds? If they really are separate and distinct then why can't they just go on how they were. Charlie should just find Claire and be with her in the sideways world, not try to bring himself to the other world (he does die there afterall). While i admit that i still dont know where all of this is going, I am just stating that i am perfectly ok with the worlds staying separate, even though that would be somewhat of a waste because we've watched it all season wondering what is going on. – DaBooty, my blog
Now, DaBooty brings up a good point. Will these two universes continue to co-exist, with each person having the option to “live” one of their two lives? Or will they have to collectively decide which world to live, and the other will vanish? This is an interesting question, because I think the former would be disappointing, and the latter has some significant repercussions. I mean, the whole purpose of Jack’s mission was to give life to those they’ve lost. So, sure, the island world is “right” and they have “purpose,” but does that make it okay to deprive guys like Charlie and Boone a second chance at life?
Or perhaps these departed characters are doomed. Guys like Keamy and Mikhail suffered fates that were similar to their island lives. Maybe those that have died in the island world are destined to die in the sideways world as well.
And why would the “mixed bag” option, where some characters choose sideways while others choose island, be a disappointment? To me, it would feel like a cop out. Not to drudge up an old argument, but clearly many, many fans out there feel very passionately about who Kate ends up with. Wouldn’t it feel cheap if she chooses Sawyer in the island world, and Jack in the sideways world?
THE REUNION
Regular readers of the EW.com review know that the author believes that all of the central characters will come together in the sideways world at Locke’s wedding. This seemed entirely possible, as it makes sense timeline wise (his wedding is set for, I believe, sometime in October – a month or so away from the current period) and there are conceivable reasons for why many of the characters could show up to the wedding. Perhaps a budding friendship with Jack. Or a new business relationship with Hurley. Or Sawyer hunting down Locke’s dad in his mission of vengeance. But, one of the posters at the EW.com review brought up another possibility for how these characters might come together:
So, Charlie and Claire are in the same hospital now, right? And Jack works there, and Sun is injured and being taken by Jin to...the hospital! And maybe Sawyer will need to take Kate to the hospital?! And Sayid will be checking on his brother... in the hospital! I got it! The island = a hospital where people go to get fixed, though the hospital fixes their broken bodies but the island fixes their broken hearts..... OK, maybe I took that one too far. :-) – EW.com comments section
I think there’s something to this observation. Yeah, I’m not sure I buy into the symbolism of the hospital (sometimes a cigar is just a cigar – it’s probably just a plot device), but I think it’s worth noting that virtually all of the “surprise” character interactions or path crossings have occurred at the hospital. And in many instances, the sideways portions of the episodes have concluded with a character perhaps going to a hospital. As mentioned above, Sun was shot. And Locke was contemplating an appointment with Jack. I don’t know, there might be something to this.
RELATIONSHIP STATUS
Against better judgment, I decided to make reference to the longing gaze sideways Kate gave sideways Jack, after more than a couple of characters made reference to an unexplainable but overwhelming feeling of love for somebody they don’t know, because of feelings they have for the person in the “real” world. I was worried about bringing up such an observation because of the rather nasty and mean spirited comments I have received in recent weeks regarding the Jack/Kate, Kate/Sawyer allegiances. But hey, it’s my column and I’ll talk about what I’ll talk about. But, thankfully, those people didn’t make their presence known. And my longtime readers – who are much more respectful – chimed in as well.
They can add me to the list of people to insult because I completely agree. If LOVE is somehow going to bridge the gap between the two worlds, Kate's longing look at Jack was probably because she felt that connection. I am willing to bet that we will see a similar connection between Sawyer and Juliet! People just need to calm down and get off your back. If the writers wanted Sawyer and Kate to end up together, they wouldn't have placed so much attention and heartache on the Sawyer and Juliet relationship. It would be unsettling for me and an insult to Sawyer and Juliet's relationship to have Sawyer end up with Kate. – DaBooty, my blog
Count me with you guys on the Kate/Jack side. Juliet's the one I'd rather see with Sawyer, in the alternate reality. Those two seemed to have something real. – Kyle, my blog
DaBooty and Kyle both touched upon one of my main points, which is that I really don’t have anything against Sawyer and Kate. And I feel like that has been overlooked in many of these arguments. I like Sawyer. A lot. I just think the writers have done a FAR better job with his relationship with Juliet. For me, Sawyer and Kate seemed more about lust and passionate. They both got off on the fact that there was something “wrong” about their relationship. But with Juliet and Sawyer, it genuinely felt like true love. And sure, many people will argue that we’re comparing five seasons with a handful of episodes, but I don’t think that matters. What happened in that handful of episodes, to me, was far more powerful than the flip-floppy, inconsistent romp we saw for the previous few years. So, to me, seeing Sawyer end up with somebody other than Juliet would simply be a disappointment. It would be a betrayal of the man we’ve seen Sawyer grow into.
And, as I’ve noted in the past, from a writing and character growth perspective, I think Jack and Kate ending up together is the stronger story and more satisfying conclusion. But let’s get down to my main point: Kate undeniable was taken off of her game when she set her sights on Jack while she was in the airport cab. This is the EXACT scenario that Faraday laid out when he saw Charlotte – a stranger in the sideways world, but his love in the island world. So there ya’ go.
MYSTERIES OF THE SMOKE MONSTER
And, of course, it wouldn’t be one of my columns if I didn’t discuss the Christian/Smokey mystery. It’s completely unrelated to anything that happened in last week’s episode, but it was an excellent point that I think is pretty hard to dispute.
If Ghost Christian=Smokey, How did "I can't fly over water" Smokey get to the freighter to be hanging out with Mikey before he got blowed up? – EW.com comments section
Of course, I suppose there’s the distinct possibility that the writers are just making up these Smokey rules as they go along. Like Miles, with this talking to the dead ability. One second he’s able to talk to a deceased person while in the person’s room, even though the body is nowhere to be seen – despite the fact that we would later learn he does in fact need to be near the body. We also discovered he can’t talk to people who were cremated. Even though he later talks to Jacob’s ashes. So who knows, really?
Alright, that’s it for me for now. I’ll be back following the new episode. Enjoy!
And here's the latest episode of Lost Untangled!
Let’s jump right in.
Continue reading "A Case of the.... Lost - Episode 6-11 Revisited"....
TURNING SIDEWAYS UPSIDE DOWN
For the first time this season, virtually the entire episode took place in this strange, new “sideways” universe. Up until this point we haven’t really known what this world is. Is it a “what if,” as I originally theorized, simply showing the viewer what would have happened had the island never existed? Or is it something more substantial? As in, this isn’t simply a world that exists for the benefit of the viewer – instead, it’s an actual alternate universe that exists due to the events of the Incident.
Following this episode, the latter most certainly seems to be the case. We can rather conclusively state that the world certainly exists, as Desmond seemingly transferred his consciousness from one reality to the next. And, in the sideways world, Daniel Faraday very strongly implied that an atomic bomb could very well give birth to a new, “not right” world. Here are some comments and theories provided regarding what we discovered about the sideways universe.
As for the episode, I thought it was amazing. There were so many subtleties like Eloise forgiving Desmond by saying what happened, happened. I am so intrigued by what her role is in all of this, how she came to have that role, and when she took on that role. If we hadn't seen her as a teenaged girl in the 50s and then again older in the 70s, i would think she is Jacob or MIB's mom or something. As interesting as that would be, it just doesnt pan out. – DaBoody, my blog
I completely agree. Much like with Widmore, I was beginning to worry that the dramatic shift in this year’s story was going to mean that, ultimately, characters like Eloise and Widmore wouldn’t play a part in the grand scheme of the things. I’m exceptionally pleased to see that my worries were all for naught. If anything, these two will seemingly play a rather significant role in the rest of the season.
Desmond freed himself from his seatbelt and swam to the surface, then took a deep breath and dived back down to rescue Charlie, á la his Looking Glass rescue mission in season 3. Desmond tried to open the door. It wouldn't budge. He kept trying. And that's when something weird happened. It was as if some supernatural force — angelic? demonic? Jacobesque? Smokeyesque? — took possession of Charlie's body or manipulated him like a puppet on a string and turned him in his chair and slapped his palm against the window. – EW.com review
There was something incredibly creepy about Charlie’s sudden resuscitation, followed by his slow, deliberate movement of turning towards Desmond and placing his hand on the window. Even as I watched the episode, it felt like he was being, well, possessed. I don’t want to say that his behavior was sinister, but there was definitely something eerie and unsettling about it. Was a supernatural force taking over his body? I think it’s possible. But if so, who was the puppet master? Smokey? Jacob? I’m inclined to say the former, since the latter prefers to take more of a “no interference” approach. Could this mean that Smokey wants the individuals in the sideways world to be aware of the alternate, “real” universe? If so, why? Then again, the sideways version of Charlie did seem to be a bit of an asshole, so who knows.
I was wondering how Desmond knows that this phenomenon that he experienced only applies to the Ocean 815 passengers and not just the whole world at large. I mean, Faraday (or Widmore) wasn't on the plane, but he experienced it. It seems strange that he would want the flight manifest completely out of the blue when he has no basis to think that those people are special. I guess he did see Charlie in his flash, but i dont know if that would be enough to make that jump to say that it must apply to everyone on the plane, especially when Farady wasnt on it. – DaBooty, my blog
DaBooty added this a little later on:
I now believe that Desmond wants the manifest because he has attained some sort of enhanced consciousness whereby he has knowledge of both realities at the same time. the look that Des has at the end of the episode when Sayid grabs him was very zen-like and i believe thats because his sideways counterpart and him have connected and share the same consciousness. Maybe they don't know everything the other knows, but they probably know enough where Des at least knows he needs the manifest. – DaBooty, my blog
I, too, wondered how Desmond knew that there was any sort of connection between Flight 815 and this other world where he found love with Penelope. As DaBooty notes, of the major players in this revelation – Charlie, Faraday, Eloise, and Penny – only one person was actually on the flight. But I’m willing to submit to this idea that Desmond may have acquired some insight from his island self, which at the very least enabled him to make the connection between the flight and alternate universe. Of course, I think we need to find out a little more before conclusively coming to that, well, conclusion.
Eloise definitely seemed to understand the origin, purpose, and more importantly the rules of the Sideways world. She also seemed to have knowledge or vision for what should be happening and when, and Desmond's search for Penny threatened the implicit order. She scolded him for wanting more than what he always wanted: Charles Widmore's approval. – EW.com review
The violation was the peek into the other timeline - sparked by Charlie's taking him for a dip in the brink. Desmond has taken a bite from the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge - Eloise fears that what he knows may spur a personal agenda that will interfere with his intended role – EW.com comments section
I think this is an accurate interpretation of what Eloise meant, but I’m not sure it gets to the crux of the issue. How does Eloise know of the alternate universe? Is she literally the same Eloise we all know? As in, they share a consciousness? And, perhaps most importantly, who set the rules that Desmond is violating? So this isn’t so much about what she meant, it’s more about what her comment means.
BACK ON THE ISLAND
While the island portion of last week’s episode took a backseat to the sideways stuff, it wasn’t without its fair share of thrills and mysteries.
In past seasons, Widmore's search for the Island has been about regaining power. This time, his intent appears to have something to do with some form of saving the world. What would account for his changed mission? By what means would he acquire information that would have this revised intent (could still want power)? Whatver happened to his telling Desmond to take Penny & go someplace where they couldn't be found? – EW.com comments section
This motivation shift actually really is curious. Looking back at the previous couple of seasons – and no, I haven’t rewatched them, I’m just going by my memory (how dangerous!) – there’s really nothing that indicates that his motives are altruistic. Or, rather, that it has anything to do with this struggle between Jacob and the Man in Black. Yes, he refers to a war, but there’s nothing about his overall behavior that leads me to believe the writers were sneakily referring to what has occurred this season. So I must wonder, what caused this change? And how did Widmore become aware of what had occurred? Did it have anything to do with the “altered” timeline because of what happened during the Incident? Was Widmore not on the island at that time?
Widmore sure painted himself out to be the Professor Snape of Lost — the secret savior disguised as a bad guy. Did you buy it? Also: I wasn't sure if Widmore's words and deeds indicated that he was aware of the Sideways world and testing for it, or if he's oblivious to the Sideways world and was merely testing Desmond's electro-magnetic fortitude. I'm thinking the latter. What did you think? – EW.com review
Unlike the scenario above, Widmore’s actions and behavior in last week’s episode leads me to believe he DOES know about the sideways world. Everything just seemed a little too deliberate and precise. And coupled with the fact that his other-world wife and son CLEARLY know something of the conflicting worlds all leads me to believe that Widmore is somehow, some way aware of the existence of the sideways universe. Everything worked out just a bit too well and specifically for it to be a convenient coincidence.
Regardless, I think the great work that lies ahead for Desmond will require sacrifice, as Widmore indicated, because Desmond has the most to lose. By choosing to help Widmore and his friends in whatever capacity that is required — fighting Smokey; shepherding souls — it will mean giving up the life he fought so hard to attain in the Island world. His one consolation will be that he's seemingly assured a second chance at the same happiness in the Sideways world. – EW.com review
There’s just one notion I don’t completely agree with here – in what way does Desmond have the “most to lose”? Sure, he could potentially lose the life he fought so hard to have, but isn’t that true for everybody? Consider the growth of characters like Jack, Jin, Sawyer, and countless others. Wouldn’t they also lose what they’ve fought for? One might argue that Desmond’s sacrifice is greater because he has a certain awareness that the others don’t yet have. But I do believe they will eventually achieve the same level of knowledge – so isn’t their sacrifice just as great?
In fact, one might argue that Desmond could conceivably get the best of both worlds – a happy life with Penny, as well as the affection and approval of Widmore. Actually, after this, he could potentially get that in both worlds.
First, it seems that trauma is capable of punching a hole between worlds. In the same way Desmond broke on through to the other side during the panic of his underwater crisis with Charlie, I think we can also conclude that Sideways Claire pulled Aaron's name from the memory of her mirror twin during her delivery scare in the hospital with Kate. – EW.com review
I brought up the possibility of “death” or “near death” being the bridge between worlds. It seems noteworthy that the characters that have alluded to the sideways worlds – Charlie, Faraday, and possibly Juliet – are all dead in one of the worlds. But the idea of a traumatic event triggering it is worth noting as well. Indeed, it was Charlie’s near death that brought him glimpses of the real world. Ditto for Desmond. And one might argue the same to be true with Claire. I suppose the real question will come should we ever get another Sun/Jin episode. After Sun was shot, there wasn’t any real indication that she was overcome with thoughts and emotions that came from her island existence.
PICK YOUR POISON
Finally, Desmond. I think his job is to pull a John Locke/Jeremy Bentham and offer each castaway a chance to cross over into the Sideways world. I do think that's the direction of movement — Island to Sideways. I think Desmond's ''talent'' is to help each castaways open up a psychic channel for the crossing to occur. That means that Sideways Desmond has to work his people and Island Desmond has to work his people. And I think both iterations of the individual has to agree to create the channel. If Sideways Jack doesn't want to merge with Island Jack, is isn't going to happen.
It was a clue, I think, to where we're headed with the interchange between Island and Sideways worlds. I don't think it'll be a matter of, say, Island Jack's consciousness displacing and replacing Sideways Jack's consciousness, but rather both minds blending to form a unique and stronger new persona. Desmond's job: get Charlie Pace out of jail; get him to the gala; make the willful wife and artsy-fartsy boy happy. Widmore joked that should Desmond fail to get Charlie to party, his wife would ''destroy'' him. That, too, played to me to like a clue — I wonder if the bitter rivalry between Eloise Hawking and Charles Widmore is not yet over. – EW.com review
I combined the two non-consecutive passages above because I think they compliment the idea the EW.com reviewer is professing. I personally hope the author is wrong, because I feel like it would be a bit disappointing for us to watch these characters grow and develop, only to ultimately end up virtually completely different people that we didn’t even know before this season. This view is accentuated by one of the posters from the EW.com review, shown here:
I really hope that the end of LOST isn't the combination of realities. That would be extremely dissatisfying to me because by definition they would be a completely new person with two different personalities merging. I think the real crux of Desmond's mission is to convince the Sideways-reality that even though their lives might be "better", that their Island lives have a PURPOSE. I think they will have to make some sort of sacrifice to make the Island reality the real one and defeat MIB. – EW.com comments section
I agree with the above comment. The EW.com reviewer seems to suggest that Desmond’s mission will take place on the island, with the end result being existence in the sideways world. I hope the opposite is true, that Desmond’s mission will be to track down the people in the sideways world and convince them that this universe is not “right,” and that they belong in the island world. Daniel seemed to plant this idea in his head, and his request for the manifest seemingly supports this.
I’m going to paraphrase one of my favorite lines from the first season of Heroes. Linderman says to Nathan, “Do you want a life of happiness, or a life of meaning?” That’s what I think the poster above is suggesting. Things in the sideways world might be “happier,” but they’re not quite right. As John Locke said when he was time traveling with Sawyer, without the experiences of the island, he wouldn’t be the person he is today. I think that’s the message Desmond will extend to his sideways brethren.
Another thing that I found interesting and I wonder if this will play out for the rest of the season is which world will they choose? It seems that Charlie, Desmond and Faraday are choosing the other world and may take steps to try to get there due to love, but what will motivate some of the other people. Darlton said early on in interviews that neither world is less real than the other, so are we supposed to be rooting for one of these worlds? If they really are separate and distinct then why can't they just go on how they were. Charlie should just find Claire and be with her in the sideways world, not try to bring himself to the other world (he does die there afterall). While i admit that i still dont know where all of this is going, I am just stating that i am perfectly ok with the worlds staying separate, even though that would be somewhat of a waste because we've watched it all season wondering what is going on. – DaBooty, my blog
Now, DaBooty brings up a good point. Will these two universes continue to co-exist, with each person having the option to “live” one of their two lives? Or will they have to collectively decide which world to live, and the other will vanish? This is an interesting question, because I think the former would be disappointing, and the latter has some significant repercussions. I mean, the whole purpose of Jack’s mission was to give life to those they’ve lost. So, sure, the island world is “right” and they have “purpose,” but does that make it okay to deprive guys like Charlie and Boone a second chance at life?
Or perhaps these departed characters are doomed. Guys like Keamy and Mikhail suffered fates that were similar to their island lives. Maybe those that have died in the island world are destined to die in the sideways world as well.
And why would the “mixed bag” option, where some characters choose sideways while others choose island, be a disappointment? To me, it would feel like a cop out. Not to drudge up an old argument, but clearly many, many fans out there feel very passionately about who Kate ends up with. Wouldn’t it feel cheap if she chooses Sawyer in the island world, and Jack in the sideways world?
THE REUNION
Regular readers of the EW.com review know that the author believes that all of the central characters will come together in the sideways world at Locke’s wedding. This seemed entirely possible, as it makes sense timeline wise (his wedding is set for, I believe, sometime in October – a month or so away from the current period) and there are conceivable reasons for why many of the characters could show up to the wedding. Perhaps a budding friendship with Jack. Or a new business relationship with Hurley. Or Sawyer hunting down Locke’s dad in his mission of vengeance. But, one of the posters at the EW.com review brought up another possibility for how these characters might come together:
So, Charlie and Claire are in the same hospital now, right? And Jack works there, and Sun is injured and being taken by Jin to...the hospital! And maybe Sawyer will need to take Kate to the hospital?! And Sayid will be checking on his brother... in the hospital! I got it! The island = a hospital where people go to get fixed, though the hospital fixes their broken bodies but the island fixes their broken hearts..... OK, maybe I took that one too far. :-) – EW.com comments section
I think there’s something to this observation. Yeah, I’m not sure I buy into the symbolism of the hospital (sometimes a cigar is just a cigar – it’s probably just a plot device), but I think it’s worth noting that virtually all of the “surprise” character interactions or path crossings have occurred at the hospital. And in many instances, the sideways portions of the episodes have concluded with a character perhaps going to a hospital. As mentioned above, Sun was shot. And Locke was contemplating an appointment with Jack. I don’t know, there might be something to this.
RELATIONSHIP STATUS
Against better judgment, I decided to make reference to the longing gaze sideways Kate gave sideways Jack, after more than a couple of characters made reference to an unexplainable but overwhelming feeling of love for somebody they don’t know, because of feelings they have for the person in the “real” world. I was worried about bringing up such an observation because of the rather nasty and mean spirited comments I have received in recent weeks regarding the Jack/Kate, Kate/Sawyer allegiances. But hey, it’s my column and I’ll talk about what I’ll talk about. But, thankfully, those people didn’t make their presence known. And my longtime readers – who are much more respectful – chimed in as well.
They can add me to the list of people to insult because I completely agree. If LOVE is somehow going to bridge the gap between the two worlds, Kate's longing look at Jack was probably because she felt that connection. I am willing to bet that we will see a similar connection between Sawyer and Juliet! People just need to calm down and get off your back. If the writers wanted Sawyer and Kate to end up together, they wouldn't have placed so much attention and heartache on the Sawyer and Juliet relationship. It would be unsettling for me and an insult to Sawyer and Juliet's relationship to have Sawyer end up with Kate. – DaBooty, my blog
Count me with you guys on the Kate/Jack side. Juliet's the one I'd rather see with Sawyer, in the alternate reality. Those two seemed to have something real. – Kyle, my blog
DaBooty and Kyle both touched upon one of my main points, which is that I really don’t have anything against Sawyer and Kate. And I feel like that has been overlooked in many of these arguments. I like Sawyer. A lot. I just think the writers have done a FAR better job with his relationship with Juliet. For me, Sawyer and Kate seemed more about lust and passionate. They both got off on the fact that there was something “wrong” about their relationship. But with Juliet and Sawyer, it genuinely felt like true love. And sure, many people will argue that we’re comparing five seasons with a handful of episodes, but I don’t think that matters. What happened in that handful of episodes, to me, was far more powerful than the flip-floppy, inconsistent romp we saw for the previous few years. So, to me, seeing Sawyer end up with somebody other than Juliet would simply be a disappointment. It would be a betrayal of the man we’ve seen Sawyer grow into.
And, as I’ve noted in the past, from a writing and character growth perspective, I think Jack and Kate ending up together is the stronger story and more satisfying conclusion. But let’s get down to my main point: Kate undeniable was taken off of her game when she set her sights on Jack while she was in the airport cab. This is the EXACT scenario that Faraday laid out when he saw Charlotte – a stranger in the sideways world, but his love in the island world. So there ya’ go.
MYSTERIES OF THE SMOKE MONSTER
And, of course, it wouldn’t be one of my columns if I didn’t discuss the Christian/Smokey mystery. It’s completely unrelated to anything that happened in last week’s episode, but it was an excellent point that I think is pretty hard to dispute.
If Ghost Christian=Smokey, How did "I can't fly over water" Smokey get to the freighter to be hanging out with Mikey before he got blowed up? – EW.com comments section
Of course, I suppose there’s the distinct possibility that the writers are just making up these Smokey rules as they go along. Like Miles, with this talking to the dead ability. One second he’s able to talk to a deceased person while in the person’s room, even though the body is nowhere to be seen – despite the fact that we would later learn he does in fact need to be near the body. We also discovered he can’t talk to people who were cremated. Even though he later talks to Jacob’s ashes. So who knows, really?
Alright, that’s it for me for now. I’ll be back following the new episode. Enjoy!
And here's the latest episode of Lost Untangled!
No comments:
Post a Comment