Something to tide you over....

To all of my loyal and patient blog visitors, I want to assure you that a Lost Revisited column IS on the way. And it's going to be long. And thorough. As this is likely going to be my last OFFICIAL Lost column, I want to make sure to touch all bases. Expect it to be posted early next week, hopefully Tuesday.

But, to tide you over for the time being, enjoy this Youtube video, which chronicles all of the sideways "awakenings" -- with the exclusion of a couple -- most of which appeared in the emotional finale. Hope everybody has a great holiday weekend!



Also, be sure to vote on the poll to the right, asking which series finale was better -- Lost or 24!

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A Case of the.... 24 - Episodes 8-23 & 8-24

Following the final episode of 24, I decided to peruse some message boards to see what people were saying (this was a first, as I typically avoid any message boards or fan pages of any show I don’t want to know spoilers for), and one poster eloquently noted that the planned 24 movie deprived us of a proper finale. And I think that’s absolutely true. The final two hours of season eight truly felt more like a typical season’s finale than a definitive series finale – and it’s because they have a movie on their mind.

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2010/05/27/24-episodes-8-23-8-24-review/

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Lost may be done with, but there's still reason to visit!

Alright, so with Lost now finished, I wanted to assure you visitors that there's still plenty of reasons to continue visiting the blog. I'm taking a day or so to just relax and take it easy, but before the weekend you can expect a LONNNNNNNNG Revisited column. Also, my recap of the series finale of 24. And within the next week or so, with emotions still fresh, I'd like to do another Top Ten Cases ranking my 10 favorite scenes from the Lost finale. So there ya' go -- keep visiting!

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A Case of the.... Lost - Episodes 6-17 & 6-18

With about an hour left of this episode, I came to the realization that this finale wasn’t going to be about answering questions as much as it was going to be about concluding their story. And in a really, really strange and unexpected way, I found myself not really minding.

At the beginning of this season, when it became apparent that only one of the two universes we’ve been watching unfold would survive, a lot of people (myself included) were a little skeptical. We were worried that the sideways world was the end game, and that all of the years we invested in these characters on this island would be discarded in favor of a “fake” reality. But yet as this episode played out, I found myself actively rooting for the sideways world to persevere.

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This feeling really kicked into high gear within the first half hour, during Jin and Sun’s hospital scene. The idea of these two getting a second, less tragic shot was downright touching. In a crazy way, I found myself more engaged in the sideways world than the island one. Never would have predicted that.

And you know what I really loved? That this finale focused more on love than death. We had been taught that island enlightenment is either triggered by a near death experience or connecting with your soul mate. For the most part, every single character who became enlightened in this two-parter did so when they set their eyes on somebody they love. Sayid and Shannon. Charlie and Claire. Charlotte and Daniel. Sawyer and Juliet. As I mentioned countless times in my top episodes rankings, this show is truly about characters and relationships. I felt that here.

I also loved the way Aaron’s sideways birth was almost identical to his island birth. And while I do wish that Jack was the one who knocked Kate to her island senses (I’m a sucker for them), it was probably more appropriate that it happened with Aaron’s birth. Aaron has, after all, been her motivation over the past couple of seasons.

Speaking of Jack and Kate, I did love their scenes together. I actually found myself wanting to scream at the television at times, because it seemed like every single time they teased a heart to heart, something interrupted it. First Kate was staring at Jack moments after his christening as the new island protector, only for Sawyer to step in and start asking Jack questions. Then Kate was telling Jack that nothing was reversible – clearly referring to their past problems – before Hurley cut the moment short. Then after Kate rescued Jack and held him in his arms, Sawyer, Hurley, and Ben burst into the scene. Similarly, in the sideways world, Jack kept getting held up at the hospital and Kate had pesky Claire giving birth, delaying their confrontation in that world.

But their two climatic scenes were well worth the wait. I loved their island good bye, as Jack couldn’t bring himself to lie to her about his safe return. And I was thrilled that they finally just pulled the trigger and had them confess their feelings for each other. I recall being so frustrated that they pussyfooted around it in last year’s finale, so I was worried they’d do it again here. But they didn’t. They finally told one another that they love each other, and they shared a passionate kiss. It made me not even mind that she essentially ended her island experience with Sawyer.

And in the sideways world, they had a much briefer discussion, as Jack wasn’t yet enlightened. But Kate’s comment about how much she’s missed him really hit me after the big reveal at the end of the episode.

Oh, and for those of you keeping score, Sawyer met Kate in the airport elevator, chased her down in an alley, interrogated her at the police station, and talked to her when she was in her jail cell. The result? No island enlightenment. He runs into Juliet at a vending machine (those Apollo bars must be defective) and he’s knocked off his rocker.

So when Jack came to the conclusion that he had died, I couldn’t help but chuckle and say, “Heh, I guess it was purgatory after all.” But I’m glad that’s not how it played out. Instead, the sideways world just turned out to be a place all of them created so that they could find each other again. All of these people are real, and everything that happened on the island really did occur. They really did spend three months there, then three years in the real world, and then another hellacious week there. Many of them died on the island, but some of them managed to escape and died years later – likely after a long and fulfilling life.

And I really liked that final act, with all the characters now fully aware of their life on the island. Characters like Ben had the opportunity to genuinely apologize for what he had done to Locke. And through Hurley’s appreciation, we could tell that Ben truly was a changed man in whatever happened following the events of the finale. Jack could extend his appreciation to Locke, something he wanted to do following the latter’s death. And you could tell how happy everybody was to be reunited with the person they love. And the final visual – in a clear allusion to the moment the Pilot picked up – the last thing Jack would see is his plot work. In his dying act, he helped his friends get off of the island.

So no, we never quite found out exactly what the island is and what that bright light does. We still don’t quite understand what it is about the island that cured Locke’s paralysis and Rose’s cancer. And we never discovered if there was anything special about Walt. And we still don’t know what Widmore’s nightmares were all about. But you know what? Instead of giving us the final installment of the Matrix, where a character sat in a chair and literally explained every facet of the mystery, Lost opted to tell a beautiful character-driven conclusion to their story. And in a way, I think they were almost making a point, reminding us that this series wasn’t ultimately about the strangeness or unexplained mysteries. It was about characters and relationships. And in the end, I felt exceptionally satisfied with where the characters ended up. Everybody was reunited with the person they loved, and Jack got closure on the one thing in his life that he couldn’t let go of.

And Target, I applaud you and your brilliant commercials.

So I will be doing one final Revisited column, taking a look back at this two and a half hour finale. So be sure to chime in with your thoughts. I’m sure some of you are disappointed with the finale, particularly because they didn’t answer every single question, and while I encourage you to voice your opinions, please don’t try to be overly and unnecessarily negative. I really enjoyed this conclusion and I’d rather not be bombarded with negativity, which could tarnish my overall experience. Again, feel completely free to share your disappointments, just try to be needlessly negative.

I can’t help but feel like there’s something else I need to say. Oh, right, now I remember. SUCK IT SKATERS!

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A Case of the.... Lost - Episode 6-16 Revisited

Wow, so it’s finally upon us. In just a few hours this show that we’ve all become so invested in is coming to an end. If we’re going to get the answers we want, it’ll happen by the end of the night. And if we don’t find out then, we’ll never know. It’s kinda surreal, actually.

So I’m going to do my best to have my initial Lost finale thoughts up in a timely fashion tonight, but I have a feeling I may need a bit of time to really comprehend all we had just seen. I mean, on top of being a super long episode, it’s likely to be chock full of mythological and revelatory tidbits. As it happens, I’m so incredibly worried about a spoiler popping up on one of my various feeds (I’m looking at you, Inside Pulse) that after posting this column I’m “going dark.” Which means no Internet until the episode starts.

Before revisiting last week’s episode, my complete list of the top ten episodes of Lost have now been revealed! I know what you’re all thinking: Where’s “The Constant”? Somehow I knew that would be the omission that would make everybody scratch their heads. I actually have my reasons, which I’ll probably explain in a column to supplement my rankings. But I do encourage everybody to check out the list is you haven’t already. A LOT of thought went into it, and while you may not agree with my inclusions or the specific rankings, it was a labor of love and my own personal way of commemorating this fun, innovative series.

Alright, let’s revisit the penultimate (there’s that word again!) episode of Lost!

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JACOB & THE CANDIDATES
While I was working on my Top Ten Lost episodes list, I started thinking about how each episode would be remembered in the grand scheme of things. At the moment, I believe that “What They Died For” will be revered as the episode in which the remaining four candidates came face to face with the island deity, where he explained his purpose and the role he has played in their lives on and before they arrived on the island. Let’s take a look back at some observations regarding that scene.

Young Jacob's spirit showed up and demanded that Hurley fork over Ilana's leather sack containing his ashes. Hurley obliged, Jacob swiped and scrammed, and I had questions. Why did Ghost Jacob appear to Hurley in his 13-year-old kid form instead of his ageless 43-year-old adult form? (I don't know.) Do spectral entities on The Island have the ability to interact with the physical environment, or just their mortal remains? (I say: The latter.) Has Jacob always had the option to make himself visible to all the castaways, or did he require the ceremonial burning of his ashes to be so illuminated? Again, I say the latter. – EW.com review

I’m going to tackle this one by one. I, too, found it strange that Jacob appeared to Hurley as a 13 year old boy, when he had previously appeared as his adult self. But the question of whether these spectral entities can interact with the physical environment is a tough one to question, mostly because there hasn’t been much consistency. For example, Ghost Dad Christian Shephard seemed to indicate to Locke that he couldn’t help him get to his feet to turn the donkey wheel. Yet he held Aaron. And he grabbed the photo of Jin and the rest of the crew with the Dharma Initiative. This bears the question of why Jacob would need any representative (in this season’s case, Hurley) if he has the ability to appear in a ghostly form AND physically interact with the world around him. So I think their abilities go beyond their mortal remains, but I honestly don’t know what extent they reach to. However, I can buy into the theory that he needed his remains to be burning in order to be seen by everybody (which would explain why Ilana collected them to begin with). Then again, Sawyer and a couple of others did see him in his 13 year old ghostly form, so know knows?

One other thing, I was kind of wondering why Hurley made a point to say that he didn't want the job. He has done so much to help Jacob, it would seem to me like he would be a good choice. I just found it odd that they went out of their way to have him say that. – DaBooty, my blog

I think DaBooty’s choice of words here are great – they had him go “out of their way to have him say that.” The line really did stick out like a sore thumb, and I’m curious as to why they did that. And DaBooty is right, Hurley did do a great deal to help Jacob – I’d actually say he’s done more than any other character this season. So why wouldn’t he want the job? But I guess it could also be pretty fair to say that unlike Locke in the past and Jack in the present, Hurley never seemed too keen on staying on the island. When presented with the option of going home, he tends to take it.

THE NEW ISLAND PROTECTOR
As many people expected, Jack ended up taking the mantle of the new island protector. Throughout the season, and particularly over the past few episodes, Jack has been rechristened, combining his scientific, logical thinking with John Locke’s island faith. The result has been a calm, concise, clear headed leader – the seemingly perfect person to inherit such a responsibility.
The Candidates forged into the jungle. Destination: Desmond's well. If Fake Locke wanted Des dead, then Des must be important. En route, Sawyer nearly buckled from guilt and grief. ''I killed them, didn't I?'' Jack squared up on him and told him the truth. ''No. He killed them.'' In their few scenes together this season, Sawyer has done nothing but heap physical and emotional abuse upon Jack for his Juliet-destroying Jughead recklessness. Yet with the tables turned, Jack gave him grace as well as the gift of perspective. Hopefully Sawyer will use it to see a way out of his crippling despair and toward the heroism that will be needed of him in the final act. I've always hoped that the end of Lost would offer some understanding/reconciliation between Jack and Sawyer. My favorite moments with the pair have nothing to do with them fighting. (Of course, they're probably my fave moments because they're so different from their usual dynamic.) Sawyer telling Jack about meeting his father in season 1. Sawyer and Jack in The Hatch and talking about Ana Lucia at the end of season 2. Jack teaming with Sawyer to free Frank Lapidus at the end of season 4. Perhaps the finale will see them resign their animosity once and for all and bind them permanently as allies in survival and partners in redemption. – EW.com review

I was actually going to bring up the difference between Jack and Sawyer’s response to this season’s major deaths in my original column, but I didn’t want to come off as too pro-Jack or anti-Sawyer (a character I quite like). But the EW.com reviewer hit the nail right on the head here. Jack very easily could have carried a grudge over Sawyer’s harsh reaction to Juliet’s death, but he didn’t. In fact, he did the complete opposite, alleviating Sawyer’s guilty conscience. Yes, Sawyer has since admitted that Jack isn’t responsible for Juliet’s demise, but he’s never told that to the doctor himself. For all Jack knows, Sawyer still blames him for what happened.

But I do have to note that Sawyer attempted to con both Widmore and the Smoke Monster….and both of them ended up completely playing him. Brush up on your skills, buddy.

And I COMPLETELY agree with the assessment that Jack and Sawyer have had incredible “friendly” scenes together. In fact, I could probably do a top ten list of such scenes (and nobody would agree with that one, either). In addition to the conversation they had about when Sawyer met Jack’s father, other favorites include their playful ping pong match (in which Sawyer coyly said, “Finally, something I can beat you in”) and their heart to heart in last year’s “The Incident.” How interesting was it seeing Jack confess to Sawyer – his one-time competitor – about his love for Kate? And for Sawyer, who was happily in love with Juliet, to fully support him? These two truly are gold together, and I really do want them to have some sort of reconciliation in the finale.

Regardless, I am not convinced Jack will still have this job by series' end. I'm wondering if Jack might come to some radically different conclusions about how The Island should be managed — perhaps the conclusion I came to in Point Number 1. Stepping off that obsession, I wonder if Super-Jack will need to sacrifice his life in order to stop Fake Locke from extinguishing The Source forever and turning reality into a burnt-out husk of meaninglessness. Maybe he should work up his own list of candidate replacements, just in case. – EW.com review

I can’t quite put my finger on why, but I just don’t see Jack as the island protector in the long-term, either. I just don’t see the series ending with Jack living the rest of his natural life alone on the island. Will he sacrifice his life in a heroic manner? Will he vanquish Smokey, making the job moot? Will somebody else take over the job for him? I don’t know. I’m just not sure it’s a full time thing. Hence why they took the time to have Jack ask how long he’d be doing it for.

I loved the episode. Just a few comments. I think Jack should have been a little more interested in what he was signing up for, it is a rather big commitment. Also, I thought the fact that Kate's name was crossed off because she is a mother confirms that Jin was the candidate. Jacob does not really have much love/respect for father figures anyway. – DaBooty, my blog

I actually didn’t mind Jack’s lack of interest or questions too much, because it seemed somewhat consistent with his newfound belief system. Jack hasn’t been asking too many questions the past few episodes. He’s just been going with the flow and doing what feels right. So I wasn’t particularly bothered that he didn’t seem entirely concerned with what he was signing up for.

I’m inclined to believe that Jin was the candidate as well. Until I hear different, at the moment I’m basically going with the idea that the candidates were the ones who time traveled. It’s always bothered me that some of the characters on the Ajira flight didn’t travel back to the 70’s, and there hasn’t been any explanation for why. So I’m basically assuming that candidates traveled, and non-candidates didn’t.

And isn’t it interesting that the OTHER character on the show who has an odd respect for mother’s is….Ben!

THE SMOKE MONSTER & BEN
“What They Died For” also hinted at the possibility that Ben has reunited with his dark side. It seemed like the one-time leader of the Others had turned over a new leaf and was attempting to redeem himself for all the bad things he had done. Did he turn his back on that new mentality, or is he merely using the Locke Ness Monster in an attempt to gain precious information?

The reviewer at EW.com presents one possibility:

Ben is conning Fake Locke. Recall that Ben had broken ranks with the castaways over Hurley's plan to try and hug it out with Smokey. That didn't work so well — for either side. Ben, himself something of an evil mastermind, must have realized that; he must have realized that Smokey only needed him because something had gone wrong. Smokey was coming to him out of weakness, not strength. Smokey radiated intimidation — but I'm betting Ben saw through the tough-guy veneer. Smokey is vulnerable. And he's scared. And Ben knows it. His plan: Stick by his side, figure out what can kill this man-thing, take him down. Ben is on the side of the castaway angels. He must be! (Then again, if Island Ben does go totally dark, it does set up the dramatically delicious moment when his more morally principled Sideways doppelganger becomes fully ''Island Enlightened'' and remembers all his past life crimes. There goes that happily ever after with Rousseau and Alex.) – EW.com review

Honestly, I don’t see the writers taking the time to write Ben’s redemption, only to have him disappear for several episodes and have him revert back to his dark self. I’m inclined to believe that, yes, he’s merely using the Smoke Monster to figure out a way to defeat him. This idea is supported by the following observation:

Also, Ben has to turn out to be good. If he didn't have a trick up his sleeve than why bother with the walkie talkie with Miles. – EW.com comments section

Excellent point. Why would Ben tell Miles to take the walkie talkie if he didn’t plan to reunite with him at some point? Yes, I’m definitely thinking that Ben is conning Smokey. Or, at least, he’s trying to.

If Ben has always been wrong about being Jacob's chosen one for a period of time, then that means his tenure as the leader of the Others was fraudulent and invalid — which means that Charles Widmore was probably quite sincere in his persecution of Ben. Megabucks Chuck never wanted to get back to The Island to exploit it. He wanted to get back to The Island to save it from Ben's corrupt administration. Still, I'd like to think that through it all, Jacob was always in control and will remain in control until his ashes evaporate in the campfire. I cling to my theory that Lost will end with Ben installed Island guardian, and that in fact, his Island story has been about preparing him for the job and to be worthy of the job. – EW.com review

Granted, we still don’t know a whole lot about Jacob – relatively speaking, anyway. But I have a hard time believing that he would let some faux leader take control of the island, especially if he’s being corrupted by his nemesis. And I also have trouble believing that Widmore was some altruistic hero. That being said, I do like the idea that Ben is growing into the leader he was always intended to be. Unlike Jack, I COULD see Ben happily living on the island as its new protector, and viewing it as a happy ending for that particular character.

THE SIDEWAY S WORLD
Things are really beginning to come together in the sideways world. More and more characters are meeting and interacting with each other, and several of them have been enlightened, having glimpses of their island lives. There are a few ideas I want to discuss that won’t be touched upon in the below comments, so let me get this out of the way now. A few people have told me that they believe Jack will kill Locke in his surgery, so that the Smoke Monster can’t take over his body. This is not the first time I’ve heard this idea, and it STILL makes no sense to me. Keep in mind that the only way that the Smoke Monster can manifest itself into somebody’s body is if that person dies. So if Jack kills Locke, he’s really only assisting the Smoke Monster. Further, the Locke Ness Monster is NOT John Locke. So the Smoke Monster doesn’t need anything to happen to Locke in order to take over that world. Locke is just one of many bodies that it has manifested itself as.

Secondly, Desmond grabbed a dress for Kate and told her that they’re going to a concert. My initial thought was that he was taking her to the Daniel Faraday/Charlie Pace rock-off. And then I realized that Jack’s son is having a recital as well. It’s been noted before, but Jack seems to have the most to give up in the sideways world. He’s got a son, with whom he’s developed a loving and healthy relationship with. He’s also building a relationship with his half sister Claire, who is carrying his nephew. And it seems like he’s come to terms with the way his father had treated him. It would take a whole lot to convince him to give all of that up. Perhaps his love for Kate is the only thing that could turn him around. And thus far Kate’s still unaware of her island life as well, so maybe seeing Jack will trigger some memories for her as well (and this isn’t coming from a person who wants them to end up together – recall that Kate was staring longingly – almost familiarly – at Jack outside the airport as she got into the cab in hopes of escaping.

This concert could actually end up being the metaphoric Locke wedding that everybody figured the characters would meet each other at. Desmond and Kate end up there to meet Jack. Everybody thinks Jack’s wife will end up being Juliet. And perhaps Sawyer comes once he hears that Kate escapes (and he sets eyes on Juliet). Maybe David’s new aunt Claire comes as well. And perhaps this is ALSO the concert being held by Faraday and Charlie Pace. So Charlie and Claire meet as well. And this might also be the event Miles is going to, which Charlotte will be at. So Daniel sees Charlotte too. You get the point.

Anyway, here are some other observations.

The story also tried to suggest the possibility of a love connection between Dr. Linus and Alex's mother, and all of this, I think, was in service to this idea: Perhaps not everyone in the Sideways world would be better off with Island Enlightenment. Let's say this really is Reincarnation Land. Don't these souls deserve to live out the new existence they've been given by the cosmic Wheel of Life? Should Sideways Ben be robbed of happiness in this life by being saddled with the memories and consciousness of his damaged and damned Island-word self? Should Rousseau and Alex be victimized anew by being made to meld with the fate-screwed people they once were? Can they decline getting hit with the Enlightenment whammy stick? Do the Sideways world peeps have any control over the process that Desmond seems determined to unleash? – EW.com review

This is an excellent, excellent point. Somebody like Ben has so much to lose and nothing really to gain from being enlightened. And I’m sure there are many other characters that fit in the same category. I mean, even Jacob admitted that he was pulling these people from crappy lives. But in the sideways world, not all of their lives are all that crappy.

As to which world the series will end in, I have to think it will be the island world. The sideways people are having visions of their island life, not the other way around. Those visions are making them realize that their existence might not be "real" or what it is "supposed to be." Desmond is trying to enlighten them because ultimately I think the island world is where everyone ends up. Then again, I think Darlton are about to throw us a curveball and I dont think it will end how any of us think. – DaBooty, my blog

Good observation and I think that’s a fair point. However, considering that the sideways world is in 2004, and these characters are having visions of things that happened in 2008 (like Desmond beating on Ben), I’m beginning to think that the sideways world could be the end game. As in, the crash survivors are successful in killing the Smoke Monster, and this is their “reward.” They live in a world where the island never existed, where people who died are still alive, but they all retained their memories of what happened.

MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS
Here’s some stuff that just didn’t fit in any other category, but I thought were still worth mentioning.

Did you see Kate slump against Sawyer? Was that Lost's way of telling us that Kate had ''made her choice''? A nation of Skaters would like to think so. But was Sawyer choosing her? A nation of Suliets would say, ''That matter was settled 30 years ago.'' (Go ahead, Skaters. Flame me with your hate. It tastes so delicious.) – EW.com review

Well I’m just relieved that the Skaters aren’t just attacking me, then. Man, those are some vicious, bitter, angry people, huh? I did catch that head slump, but I didn’t read into it all that much. As one of the posters on the EW.com review noted, Kate tearfully telling Jack that she couldn’t find “him” (not “them,” since Sawyer was right there) was far more telling. For that matter, so was Kate grabbing onto him when he stitched her up. But speaking of Kate and Jack…
Something that has been replaying itself in my head was....why did Kate throw herself at Jack the night before they took the Ajira flight back to the island?! It didn't make sense...it wasn't like she appeared to do it out of love.
Jacob said that Kate's name had been crossed out when she became a mother. Instead of mother to Aaron, maybe she is pregnant?! – EW.com comments section

I definitely buy into this idea (and that’s another reason why I don’t see Jack spending the rest of his life on the island). Actually, back when the idea of needing a proxy on the Ajira flight was introduced, I had assumed that Kate was pregnant and that she was representing Claire. I think the key to this will be if they even bother mentioning the night they spent together in the two hour retrospective or the “Previously on Lost” segment. If they do, expect something like this to play out.

Rest In Peace, Charles Widmore. The quick-tempered billionaire enemy of DesPen love — a pharmaceutical magnate with a penchant for prog-rock-inspired construction projects — joins a long list of Lost characters who get offed from the show with pitiless dispatch and leave behind a mess of unresolved questions. This season alone: Dogen, Lennon, Ilana. Before them: Faraday, Charlotte, Patchy. This is too much of a trend to not wonder if there's a point being made here. Death comes suddenly. We all leave the world unresolved to various degrees. It's all deep and meaningful... and yet even I felt a touch unsatisfied. I wanted to know more of Widmore. Remember back in season 4, when he bitched to Ben about being plagued with ''nightmares'' — what was that about? Who was Penelope's mother? And did he dump Eloise Hawking before or after she turned into the hammy shock-haired horror from The Others? Regardless, I thought for certain we'd get a scene that offered a more substantial explanation for his return to The Island, one that gave Alan Dale the chance to chew some scenery with a meaty oration about Charles Widmore's CharlesWidmoreness. Nope. But we move on. – EW.com review

This is an interesting observation/rant. I had forgotten about the nightmares, but now I’m intrigued again. Then again, certain items are insignificant. In the grand scheme of things, does it really matter who Penny’s mother is? But I like the point about how death comes suddenly, and sometimes it happens without the opportunity to neatly tie everything up.

I really hope that was not the end of Richard and that he is just up in a tree somewhere. The guy lives for hundreds of years and then gets wiped out in a flash. I guess that is how Lost does things, but man...that sucks. – DaBooty, my blog

Yeah, I don’t think he’s dead. That’s not to say he won’t die, but I just feel like they’ll do it in a more conclusive manner. When it comes to death and survival, I don’t think they’re going to leave much to the imagination with the show coming to an end.

Okay, so between this column and the 11-part Top Lost episodes list I did, it feels like my hands are going to fall off. I’ll get my initial thoughts on tonight’s episode posted ASAP. But enjoy the show! And try your best to enjoy it for what it is, and not what you expect it to be. Otherwise, you’ll likely only end up disappointed.

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Top Ten Cases: All Time Top Ten Episodes of Lost - #1

Number 1: Episodes 3x22 & 3x23 – “Through the Looking Glass”

Featured Character: Jack
Major Events & Revelations: Certain characters eventually leave the island
Major Death: Charlie

“Through the Looking Glass” is frequently regarded as a “game changer” – and rightfully so – but I might take it one step further and say that this episode saved Lost from suffering the same fate that befell Heroes.

While Lost was still an extraordinarily clever and entertaining show, leading up to the season three finale, they desperately needed to tweak or completely abandon the flashback formula that it had become known for. I mean, by that point, the character histories were becoming incredibly redundant. How many times could we watch Locke being taken advantage of? Or Jack destroying a relationship because of his trust issues? Or Michael attempting to become a part of Walt’s life but coming up short? Or Kate trying to live a normal, happy life before her past catches up on her? I honestly don’t know if Lost would have lasted this long if it had continued down that path.

The episode cut between scenes of Jack leading the rest of the Oceanic crash survivors to apparent salvation, and Jack in Los Angeles depressed to the point of contemplating suicide, and drunk to the extent that he can barely function. We’re left to wonder if he had once fallen down the same path as his father, or if he was a hypocrite due to his judgments of others who have faced such demons. We had wondered what made him hit rock bottom, and marveled at how he could rise above to the point that he would be compared to Moses. But the big twist at the end – the proverbial rattlesnake in a mailbox – was that we were actually looking at Jack’s future, instead of his past. Somehow, at some point in the near future, Jack gets off the island. And Kate is off the island too, and the two of them seem to have a tense and uncomfortable relationship – a far cry from their tender scene on the island, where Jack confidently confessed his love for her. And another, then-unrevealed Oceanic survivor, had recently died. And unexpectedly, for some reason, Jack – the man who was so desperate and determined to get off of the island – is now demanding that they go back.

“Through the Looking Glass” was also the culmination of the season-long Desmond/Charlie story arc, which saw Desmond having visions of Charlie’s death. Throughout the season Desmond was saving Charlie from his unfortunate fate, however by this point Charlie had accepted his destiny, believing that his death would somehow lead to Claire’s rescue (oh, if he only knew what lied ahead for her….) And through the duration of the two part episode, there were numerous teases that Charlie might actually survive this latest life threatening situation. But in the end, Charlie chose to sacrifice himself for the welfare of his friends, and as a result we witnessed what was arguably the most touching and impactful death scene in modern television history. And how often does this occur between two characters that aren’t in a relationship with each other? The fact that they didn’t go the easy route by involving Claire in Charlie’s death, yet it was still so emotionally powerful, says a whole lot about the scene.

And finally, this episode featured the climax of the castaways’ war with the Others. Following this episode, the Others spent a season hiding out in the Temple, only to re-emerge in that year’s finale to assist the Losties in defeating Kearny and the Freighter crew. And this season they were essentially disbanded, initially protecting the crew from Smokey before being massacred by the monster. So “Through the Looking Glass” was really when this three year rivalry came to a head. Sadly, it came at the expense of Tom’s life.

However, this episode wasn’t all doom and gloom. “Through the Looking Glass” featured the return of Taller Ghost Walt. We also saw the first hint of the future Sawyer/Juliet romance, as the two traded playful jabs as they made their way to the beach to rescue Sayid, Jin, and Bernard. And then we also saw Hurley emerge as an unlikely hero by incapacitating/distracting the Others with the Dharma van, suddenly making the events of “Tricia Tanaka is Dead” seem a little less like filler.

So, yes, the season three finale was a game changer. But it was also much more than that.

Click here for my original review of the episode

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Top Ten Cases: All Time Top Ten Episodes of Lost - #2

Number 2: Episode 3x08 – “Flashes Before Your Eyes”

Featured Character: Desmond
Major Events & Revelations: Desmond’s consciousness is sent back to his 1996 body; Desmond is having visions of Charlie’s death; introduction of Eloise Hawking

While Lost has obviously always had a mystical feel to it, I think one could make a strong argument that Desmond’s apparent ability to see into the future was the first time the show tackled something that was so explicitly in the Sci-Fi realm. And there were a lot of fans who were skeptical – or downright angry – that Lost was beginning to flirt with the idea of becoming a science fiction series. So, much like with the show’s pilot, there was a tremendous burden that this episode “works” in order to ensure that the viewers stick around for the ride.

“Flashes Before Your Eyes,” the first episode to focus on time travel, more than accomplished what it set out to do. Not only did this episode succeed in getting cynical fans to accept the notion of time travel, it actually allowed them to become emotionally invested in the idea. Don’t sell this achievement short – fans likely would not have been so patient with and accepting of the zaniness that occurred during the early episodes of season five if this episode had not been done so well.

This was also the first episode to depart from the standard Lost storytelling formula, where the action would alternate between what was happening in the island and what was happening in the past. Sure, there were episodes with Claire and Michael that tinkered with the formula a bit, with the flashbacks devoted to events that occurred earlier on the island, but this was the first time that the action occurred almost exclusively in the flashback, with present day island happenings merely bookending the action at the beginning and end of the episode. And while it may have been a risk putting such a potentially significant episode on the shoulders of a relatively new character that viewers didn’t know a whole lot about, I think that might be why this worked so well. Would this episode have been so enjoyable had it focused on Jack, Locke, or Sawyer – characters we had already learned so much about? I honestly don’t thinks so.

But even when you remove the burden and long-term significance, “Flashes Before Your Eyes” is able to stand on its own two feet as a highly enjoyable episode. One that presents new stories, establishes rules, and firmly sets up Desmond as a romantic that is motivated by love (it was almost tragic watching him desperately try to avoid fate so he can stay with Penny, but knowing that he would fail). Much of this occurred in the highly entertaining scene between Desmond and Eloise Hawking. She was introduced to the audience with little explanation and fanfare (in fact, she wouldn’t be seen again for another two or so seasons), but she somehow knew about the island, time travel, and the “rules” involved. Season five was about “whatever happened, happened.” This episode similarly stated “whatever will happen, will happen.” No matter what Desmond does – no matter how hard he tries to avoid it – he is destined to end up on the island one way or another.

On a personal level, one of the things that made this episode so fun was the self-awareness. Lost viewers have been trained to keep their eyes out for certain things. Any time we see a number in the background, we have to check to see if it’s one of “The Numbers.” When we see something on the television, we’re sure to check if another character is on the screen. Throughout this episode, Desmond was fully conscious of these strange coincidences. He was unsettled when he looked at the clock and noticed it was 1:08 (the amount of minutes he’d have to type in the numbers). He was knocked off guard when Penny casually used the phrase “the end of the world.” He was inclined to check the microwave when it was beeping in the same manner as the hatch computer. His curiosity was piqued when a delivery came for 815. And he completely lost it when he saw Charlie singing on the street. It’s almost as if Desmond was in on the joke.

And the twist at the end of the episode was icing on the cake. Since the beginning of the season, Desmond has been rescuing Claire from potentially life threatening situations, leading everybody to believe he was having visions of her death. Yet at the conclusion of “Flashes Before Your Eyes,” we’d learn that Desmond was actually envisioning the end of Charlie’s life. It seems that Charlie would die trying to save Claire, so by proactively rescuing her, Desmond was actually sparing Charlie’s life. This led to something rather unprecedented – the foreshadowing of an extremely popular original character’s death 14 episodes in advance (and also hinted at earlier in the episode, when Charlie sang – with Desmond standing there – “Wonderwall” by Oasis, which features the line “Maybe you’re gonna be the one who saves me”). And they actually followed through with what remains, in my opinion, one of the best death scenes in modern television history. And for that matter, the unique budding friendship between Desmond and Charlie ended up being an unexpected highlight of Lost’s very strong third season.

For me, “Flashes Before Your Eyes” is still the measuring stick for any Lost episode that is structured in a manner outside of the typical cuts between the island and the real world (whether it be flash forward, flashback, or flash sideways).

Click here for my original review of the episode

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Top Ten Cases: All Time Top Ten Episodes of Lost - #3

Number 3: Episode 1x04 – “Walkabout”

Featured Character: Locke
Major Events & Revelations: Locke was paralyzed before crashing onto the island

Years from now, when we look back at Lost, I do believe one of its primary legacies will be its unique manner of storytelling. As I noted in my “Pilot” column, the series kicked off right in the midst of the action and with all of our characters already on the island. And it would be through character-centric flashbacks where we would learn all about everybody’s lives before that fateful flight. And I credit “Walkabout” with being the first major and legitimate revelation of the series. I believe this episode enlightened and prepared viewers for the shocking and unexpected discoveries we would learn about these characters’ pre-island lives.

As we watched John Locke unload his suitcase full of hunting knives, it seemed that he was tailor made for this sort of wilderness survival. He threw weapons with such precision and he seemed to understand the nuances of his prey. Jack may have emerged as the leader-by-default, but it was becoming increasingly apparent that Locke might be the one born for that role. But by the conclusion of the episode, when we learned that before the crash that would forever change his life, Locke was confined to a wheelchair (a twist nobody could have seen coming), we realized that he wasn’t made for this. Part of him is living out his dream. Another part is simply rebelling against a reality that forced upon him limitations and restrictions.

And this episode further accentuated the shroud of mystery surrounding the island itself, echoing Charlie’s memorable premiere-concluding line of, “where are we?” We couldn’t help but wonder what role this mystical island played in Locke’s miraculous recovery.

But “Walkabout” revealed a whole lot more about John Locke than the mere fact that he was paralyzed prior to his island arrival. For the first couple episodes, he was portrayed as this rugged survivalist, an apparently real man’s man. However this episode would show us that behind that facade Locke is actually a sad man living a pathetic life. Before the crash, he was working in a cubicle at a box factory, where he was verbally bullied by his office manager – a little man half his age. He would call phone sex hotlines pretending that the woman on the other end was a caring companion, where he would lie about standing up for himself with his office superiors.

“Walkabout” introduced the theme of Locke being a cautionary tale about a man who wasn’t able to comprehend or accept his limitations. A man who was so incredibly desperate to escape from his past life that he was willing to do anything to prevent them from leaving the island, no matter who it impacted. And that behind the mask of this confident would-be leader was a man who was easily manipulated and constantly used. The juxtaposition between Locke’s island fantasy and his pre-island reality was just so incredible that he instantly became the series’ most intriguing character.

Oh, and this episode also featured the first island appearance of everybody’s favorite tennis-shoe wearing Ghost Dad, Dr. Christian Shephard. That alone warrants it a spot in the top three!

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A Case of the.... 24 - Episode 8-22

Since 24 is two hours next week, does this count as the penultimate episode? I don’t know, maybe I’m just looking for an excuse to use the world “penultimate.” Whatever you want to call it, we’re now just two hours away before this roller coaster series comes to an end.

Do you remember a few hours ago when Dana said she wanted to deal with Jack because he’s the only one who doesn’t have his head up his ass? Well, I think the same can now be said for Cole. It seems like everyone in CTU and within the government are making these reckless decisions motivated by either covering their lies or protecting their bloodthirsty friend. Cole seems to be the only person who just wants to do the right thing – period.

http://tv.insidepulse.com/2010/05/20/24-episode-8-22-review/

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Top Ten Cases: All Time Top Ten Episodes of Lost - #4

Number 4: Episodes 1x01 & 1x02 – “Pilot”

Featured Character: Jack, Kate, Charlie
Major Events & Revelations: Oceanic Flight 815 crashes onto the island

How could I compile a list of Lost’s best and most significant episodes and not include where it all started? And to be honest, this isn’t an obligatory inclusion, where hindsight affords us the ability to realize how important the episode truly was. While this gamble worked out better than I believe anybody could have possibly imagined, Lost was a tremendous risk. And there was a remarkable burden on the premiere to succeed. But instead of playing it safe, this episode made viewers perfectly aware of what they were getting themselves into. For some unknown reason, there’s a polar bear on a tropical island. And a message from a French woman that has been playing nonstop for 16 years. Oh, yeah, there’s a mysterious monster too! And perhaps most unique of all, the episode kicked off moments AFTER the climatic crash, and everything we learned about the characters (and the crash) would be told through flashbacks.

And in two hours time, we met our surprisingly large cast, learning just enough about them that we become emotionally engaged, but not quite enough so that we remain mentally intrigued. There’s Jack Shephard, our hero; Kate Austen, the seemingly sweet girl next door who is actually a fugitive; Sawyer, the hot headed redneck; John Locke, the mysterious survivalist; Michael Dawson, the struggling father; Walt Lloyd, the confused son; Sayid Jarrah, the peaceful soldier; Shannon Rutherford, the spoiled brat who would rather sunbath than help; Boone Carlyle, the well meaning protective brother; Hurley Reyes, the lovable nice guy; Claire Littleton, the frightened pregnant woman; Jin Kwon, the domineering husband; Sun Kwon, the doting wife; and Charlie Pace, the drug addict rock star.

And at its core, Lost is a series built on characters and relationships. Through time, we’d learn that Jack, our hero, is actually significantly flawed and has severe trust issues. Kate is self destructive in the sense that she doesn’t recognize that her actions have consequences. Despite many of his social flaws, Sawyer is ultimately a loyal and selfless guy. Against our assumptions, it turns out that Michael and Walt barely knew each other before crashing onto the island. While he attempts to deny such, Sayid very much so still has a mean streak. Locke is actually exceptionally vulnerable and easy to manipulate. Hurley is a psychopath. Claire was going to give her baby up for adoption. Jin sold his soul to the devil and Sun was going to leave him. And Boone and Shannon….well, let’s just say their twisted relationship laughs at a mere kiss between Luke and Leia.

The pilot was the make it or break it moment for Lost. The viewing television audience can be very quick to judge and unforgiving when a series takes them out of their comfort zone, and once they make their decision on a show, it’s sometimes an impossible task turning them around (not to mention it was also reportedly the most expensive pilot in the network’s history, meaning ABC could have been equally unforgiving if the reception was the slightest bit unfavorable). So I commend Lost for unapologetically serving viewers a show that would feature the strange and unexplainable. The two hour premiere very easily could have ended with the audience saying, “This crap is drivel.” Instead, when Charlie Pace uttered that now famous line “Guys, where are we?” at the conclusion of the episode, fans answered with, “I want to know!”

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Top Ten Cases: All Time Top Ten Episodes of Lost - #5

Number 5: Episode 6x14 – “The Candidate”

Featured Character: Jack
Major Events & Revelations: Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Jin, Sun, Sayid, and Lapidus attempt to leave the island; the Locke Ness Monster’s motives become apparent, revealing him as the villain in this conflict
Major Deaths: Sayid, Jin, Sun

While number six looked at the series’ first death, number five focuses on the episode that featured Lost’s greatest death toll. It would be easy to argue that the perception that this episode is significant lies in the fact that it’s still so fresh, but I honestly believe that when viewers look back at this series from a fresh, big picture perspective, season six’s “The Candidate” will be regarded as one of the most legitimately thrilling, shocking, and emotional episodes of the entire series.

Even though his grand leap occurred in “The Last Candidate,” it was in “The Candidate” that Jack truly emerged as a new hero – the leader he always needed to be. The anger, bitterness, judgment, and stubbornness was gone, now replaced by a man who knew what needed to be done and was determined to make it happen. And he did so in a calm, rational, well thought out manner. Instead of arguing, he explained. Instead of yelling, he spoke evenly. And yet, he didn’t allow himself to become blinded by his renewed sense of faith – which is something that John Locke was never able to do. Compare Jack’s actions in “The Candidate” to Locke’s in “The Man from Tallahassee.” Despite knowing that they shouldn’t leave the island, Jack willingly helped his friends leave, since that’s what they desired. In fact, he put himself in a legitimately dangerous situation, fending off Widmore’s men and physically assaulting the Locke Ness Monster. On the other hand, Locke quite selfishly and recklessly blew up the submarine when Jack and Juliet were scheduled to depart, which would likely have led to the rescue of our castaways.

And while this episode was highlighted by the climax of a spiritual reawakening and clear cut battle lines, I believe it will ultimately always be remembered for what we lost, and that’s three major characters that have been with us since the beginning. And rightfully so, as this episode showed us what Lost possibly does best: Play with our emotions and comfort level by taking away somebody we’ve grown to care for. It’s quite fitting, and likely no mistake, that the two death scenes were polar opposites of each other. Sayid’s death was abrupt and with little build up. In a matter of seconds his character tied up any loose ends (revealing the destination of Desmond) and achieved redemption before he was suddenly blown to smithereens. It was reminiscent of the far less significant (but nearly as shocking) blink-and-you’ll-miss-it deaths of Ilana and Artz. Sayid’s death rattled us, and made us realize that at any point, in any way, one of these main characters could die.

Conversely, you had the drawn out, tender hearted moment with Jin and Sun. Unlike with Sayid scene, this felt like an entire act. There was the discovery that Sun was pinned behind some debris, there was the attempted escape, the evacuation of the rest of the key characters, and then the flash of acceptance where both realized she wouldn’t break free, and Jin chose to stay with her. I would go as far as to say that it was, next to Charlie’s memorable demise, the best scripted, most beautiful death scene ever featured on this show. It far surpassed the point of being “tragic” or “unexpected.” It was legitimately sad – so much so that the characters actually broke down and wept.

And in a compliment to his spiritual awakening in the real world, Jack seems to be the only character in the sideways world that is able to piece together the oddities and strange coincidences of their reality without Desmond’s intervention.

This episode also gave a tragic alternative to Locke’s unfortunate relationship with his father. In the real world, Locke’s father hustled him in order to manipulate him into giving him his kidney. After he got what he wanted, he cut ties with Locke. Circumstances repeatedly brought them back together, which would first cost Locke the love of his life. Later on, it nearly cost him his life, as dear old dad threw him out of a hotel window, paralyzing him from the waist down. These events left Locke a severely damaged, ultimately vulnerable man.

In the sideways world, things played out differently. One can safely assume that Anthony Cooper still planned on conning his son into donating his kidney, except a plane crash (ironically enough) prevented this from happening. Racked with guilt, Locke viewed his wheelchair as a prison – a metaphoric cell that incarcerates him for the irreparable mistake he had made. In a sad way, this is an even more unfortunate fate for our Man of Faith, as the viewers know the dastardly motives behind their reunion.

And finally, the sideways interaction between Jack and Locke was a fun twist on their island rivalry. In the hospital, it was Jack asking Locke to put his faith in him, with Locke stubbornly refusing. And as Jack has discovered on the island, sideways Locke won’t truly evolve until he’s able to embrace the beliefs of the man who’s challenging his thought process.

If “The Last Recruit” set in motion the events of the series finale, “The Candidate” sprinted there with a rush of adrenaline.

Click here for my original review of the episode

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A Case of the.... Lost - Episode 6-16

“And I thought this guy had a God complex before….”

I’m sure many people agree with you, Mr. Ford.

So here we are, the penultimate episode of Lost. Hard to believe that in one week’s time, this crazy, mindful….mind altering series will be a thing of the past. Since we have less time than usual between episodes, I request that everybody submit their comments by Friday, so that I can work on Revisited over the weekend, before the big finale on Sunday.

And by the way, have you all been following my ranking of the top ten all time episodes of Lost? We’re down to the top five! Your comments and feedback are encouraged, although I suspect some of you may be waiting to see the complete list before sounding off. Click here to follow the list – I’m updating it every day, with #1 being revealed on the day of the big event.

So for those of you keeping score, Sunday will comprise of the #1 all time episode of Lost, a two hour retrospective of the series, a two and a half hour finale, and the cast on Jimmy Kimmel. Am I even going to have the opportunity to leave my house that day?

Oh, right, back to the episode…

Continue reading "A Case of the.... Lost - Episode 6-16"....

We things off with sideways Jack opening his eye in typical Lost fashion. To be honest, I kinda thought this is how they would begin the final episode, to REALLY bring the series full circle. But nonetheless, much like the season premiere, Jack looked in the mirror and saw a nick on his neck. Except now it’s looking particularly gnarly. I mean, really. That cut was about an inch away from looking like Zoe.

Is this increased severity significant? Does it signify that the sideways world is falling apart? I have to admit, following the Locke Ness Monster’s discussion with Widmore, I can’t tell if Widmore hopes that Desmond can convince these people to abandon or embrace their sideways lives. In terms of this plan, is the end game the island world or the sideways world? I had assumed the former, but now may be leaning towards the latter.

And honestly, I’m not completely sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, we’ve invested so much in the lives of these characters that it feels somewhat cheap for them to just hit the proverbial reset button. On the other hand, these people do seem much happier and better adjusted in the sideways world. Hurley isn’t cursed. Instead of being some diabolical fiend obsessed with power, Ben is a relatively selfless man who has a caring, healthy relationship with his island daughter (and potentially a romance with her mother). Jack has faced the demons of his father/son relationship, and now enjoys a really fulfilling relationship with his son. Kate isn’t guilty of a crime. Sawyer isn’t a criminal. Miles grew up with a father. Locke is with Helen. Jin, Sun, Boone, Locke, Daniel, Charlotte, and countless others are still alive. Things aren’t perfect, but they’re nice. And I wonder if it’ll come off as cruel depriving them of this life. As a viewer, I struggle with the decision if a happy, fake life is more fulfilling than an imperfect one that we have committed six years to.

Speaking of Widmore, he and his right hand lady met a rather abrupt and arguably anticlimactic end. Nonetheless, it was rather fitting. Ben might have seen the light (no, not THAT light), but he still doesn’t like Widmore, and he still hasn’t forgiven him for his role in Alex’s death. And that’s why I sorta appreciated the fact that he let Widmore spill his beans, and then shot him, coldly saying, “He doesn’t get to save his daughter.”

Side note, but did you believe him when he said he was visited by Jacob? And do you think Ben is actually working with Smokey, or do you think he’s trying to get information with the intent on sacrificing himself later on? Oh, and is Richard dead? I certainly hope not! But I’m glad Ben asked the question most everybody has been wondering: If he can turn to smoke any time, why does he bother walking? Oh, and he confirmed that he can indeed summon the monster.

And while we’re on the topic of Ben, he’s totally the type of person who would say, “It’s doctor, actually.” This seems as good a segue as any to discuss the sideways world. It seems that Desmond is putting his efforts into overdrive now, doesn’t it? Although I suppose it helped that Kate, Sayid, Sawyer, and Miles were all in one place. I was initially intrigued by the fact that Desmond ignited island memories to Ben, since he wasn’t an actual Flight 815 survivor, but then I remembered that Daniel had visions too. So maybe it didn’t mean anything.

And is it me, or did Hurley seem ESPECIALLY enlightened? We still haven’t completely gathered how aware Desmond is of the island world. Yet Hurley seemed to completely recollect his island life, to the extent that he was speaking to Ana Lucia as if they were old friends.

So, as most of us suspected, Jack took over Jacob’s responsibility of protecting the island. I was really pleased with how this entire set of scenes played out. It was completely fulfilling for all of these characters – the candidates – to come face to face with the man who hand selected them. And they established a reason why Jacob wouldn’t be roaming around the island forever as a ghost (although I couldn’t help but wonder if they could just continue to add wood to the fire, to prolong Jacob disappearing forever). My question now is, did Jack inherit all of the island knowledge when the power transferred from Jacob to him? If so, will he do a solid and just fill his buddies in? Or is being vague and cryptic a requirement when it comes to these island deities?

One curious thought, though. Jacob claimed that he didn’t pull these characters from happy little existences, which is true. However the sideways world is, presumably, what the world would have been like if there was no island. And, one must assume, if there was no Jacob to “interfere” in their lives. And as you can see, these characters seem a lot happier and emotionally healthier. So did merely existing set their lives on a more unfortunate course? Maybe Sawyer wasn’t too off the mark.

That being said, I did enjoy the way Jacob set out the options. He didn’t force the job upon anybody, instead opting to give them the choice. And I also enjoyed his rather simplistic explanation behind Kate’s name being crossed out. One quibble: I kinda wish at least one of the characters had tried to talk Jack out of taking the job. I mean, this is supposed to be somebody you like, and he is kinda sacrificing his life to protect an island. Oh, another nitpicking matter. When Kate mentioned Sun and Jin’s name on the wall, did anyone else wish he’d just say, “Actually, Jin’s was” or vice versa, just to get that minor answer out of the way (not that it matters)?

So this Sunday is the finale, and to be perfectly honest I haven’t a clue what to expect. As in, I can’t even speculate for the conclusion of this column. So I’m going to leave it up to you readers to leave me some great feedback, as you always do, and I’ll post my Revisited column over the weekend.

Until then, keep up with my list of the 10 best Lost episodes of all time!

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Top Ten Cases: All Time Top Ten Episodes of Lost - #6

Number 6: Episode 1x20 – “Do No Harm”

Featured Character: Jack
Major Events & Revelations: Aaron is born
Major Death: Boone


As with many things in life, the first is oftentimes the most memorable. Such is the case with “Do No Harm,” which featured the first significant death for a series that never hesitates to kill off its main characters. Some might even argue that this episode even introduced the concept of the island no longer needing somebody, and without that shield of protection, they lost their life. Consider that Boone survived relatively unscathed following a severe plane crash, yet he perished due to injuries sustained from a plane falling out of a tree. On a thematic level, this episode is also highly significant because it’s the moment that the relationship between Jack and Locke truly became adversarial.

But what truly made this episode work was the fact that Boone’s death wasn’t some obligatory event for the sake of shock value or to establish that they are indeed willing to write off central characters. On the contrary, I might go as far to say that Boone’s avoidable demise had more emotional impact than arguably any other fatality on this show. Seasons after the event, Locke was still rattled by the significant role he played in Boone’s death. And between the flashbacks and his attempts at saving Boone at any cost, I would say that “Do No Harm” truly brought to light how obsessive and controlling Jack can become in a seemingly unwinnable situation (example: Jack drawing blood from himself to transfuse into Boone in the midst of trying to save him, while also giving Jin instructions on how to deliver a baby). This trait has played a major part in explaining his actions and behaviors, and letting go of this tendency has been critical throughout his rebirth.

And to me, one of the most memorable parts of the episode was the fact that Boone died in the middle of his sentence. How often do we see a character moments from death, only to say something poignant or passionate in his dying breath? It just doesn’t ring true. Instead, Boone simply said, “Tell Shannon I….” and then died. And while it would have been easy to unintentionally fall into that territory, it wasn’t done in a comical fashion, either. He was there one second, but was just gone before he could finish speaking.

So in many ways, this episode will always be important because it signifies the first time we lost a main character. And If you question the importance of Boone’s death, simply consider the fact that the graveyard in which all of the deceased characters are buried is referred to as “Boone Hill” by not only fans, but the show’s creators as well.

And, fittingly since “balance” has been an ongoing theme on Lost, this episode was also highlighted by the birth of a new life, with Kate helping Claire deliver baby Aaron (in a moment that could be an excellent example of foresight, as (a) Jack conveniently got to avoid a front row seat to his half sister giving birth and (b) it added some real substance to the prospect of Kate raising Aaron as her own son seasons later). We also got a pleasant glimpse of “nice guy Jin” when he expressed his unrestrained happiness to Charlie after Claire had given birth.

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A Case of the.... Lost - Episode 6-15 Revisited

I thought it was a collection of Grade A ideas in a Grade B package. – EW.com review

And that about perfectly sums up my thoughts on the episode. But nonetheless, isn’t it always the case that these episodes that seemingly don’t meet expectations get a lot of feedback, when episodes like “The Candidate” – which far surpassed any expectations – came up a bit short in the Revisited material. Not that I mind. Truth be told, there were a lot of nuggets I either forgot to mention or didn’t even notice in my initial column and viewing. So let’s take another look at last week’s episode, “Across the Sea.”

But FIRST! I encourage everybody to visit my blog to follow my ranking of the Top Ten Lost episodes of all time! It’s been quite an arduous task, and surely many people will disagree with my list, but I do hope everybody takes a moment to read them. I’m posting one a day until the big finale on May 23rd. Click here to follow the list!

Alright, now let’s jump in!

Continue reading "A Case of the.... Lost - Episode 6-15 Revisited"....

MOTHER KNOWS BEST
Perhaps the most discussed aspect of last week’s episode was the introduction of Jacob and Smokey’s “mother.” A great deal of emphasis was put on her, yet we learned very little about her. Sure, they mentioned that she arrived on the island “by accident,” but where did she come from? How long has she been there? And how did she earn the title of island protector? It is a bit perplexing that the show would introduce us to a seemingly significant character, just a few episodes before the end, without providing much – or any, really – backstory. But perhaps that was purposeful. Perhaps the message they were sending is that we don’t really need to know about these island protectors, just that they’re one in a long line of them. Nonetheless, let’s take a look at this enigmatic character.

What did she get out of the deal? Companionship. Motherhood. And perhaps… an ending to an eternal obligation? The Stork had dropped twin bundles on her dirty doorstep — but what may have dazzled her more was the prospect of a golden parachute offering an exit from an endless dead-end job. With her dying breath, she thanked the son she loved the most, the one that was most like her, the “special” one with the angry spirit – the dreamer, the gamer, the liar, the cynic — for stabbing her in the back and through the heart. Were the boys nothing but an escape plan for her? Did she raise one to take her job and the other to take her life? Is this the way The Island works? – EW.com review

This was an interesting observation, as the mother did seem less enthusiastic about her responsibilities than what we’ve seen from Jacob. The way her face lit up when Jacob was born, it really did seem like she had found an “out,” so to speak. And her utter disappointment when she discovered there was a second baby, it just seemed like her plot had hit a major complication. That she would now have to groom two potential successors, which could potentially delay her essential resignation.

I also like the idea of her raising one son to replace her, and the other one to kill her. I’m not necessarily sure I buy into that, but it’s an interesting concept. Why don’t I think it’s the case, then? Well, because I think a strong argument could be made that the mother raised both of her sons to replace her. Consider this:

Then, in a sequence not shown to us, the Man In Black's frail and aging mother apparently threw her strapping adult son over her shoulder, carried him up a ladder, killed all the Roman Others, then filled in the donkey wheel well with rocks. Now, just how the hell did she accomplish that trick? Maybe super-strength is part of the Island guardian package. But is it possible Mother was something of a smoke monster, too? – EW.com review

I did notice the fact that we didn’t see the carnage of the mother killing all of the villagers, and to me it initially seemed a little lazy. Like, “hey, we don’t want to be bothered with explaining it, so let’s just show it after the fact.” I mean, how does a semi-elderly lady take out an entire army of people, many of which are skilled hunters? But I think there might be a reason why we didn’t see it. Perhaps they didn’t WANT us to see it. If you look at the carnage of the village, it reminded me of Sawyer’s discovery of the rest of the Ajira passengers. And who was likely responsible for that massacre? Locke, AKA the Smoke Monster. So maybe the mother was both the island protector and the island monster. And she raised each son to take one of her jobs. To me, she just seemed too knowing and aware of what would happen if you go into the light.

Another site I came across, titled Cultural Learnings, offered this perspective on the lack of backstory on the mother and how she came to be on the island:

However, I’m fine with the decision because it is another reminder that it doesn’t particularly matter what started this process, or what it is which lies at the heart of the island: the show isn’t about the island itself but rather the people who are drawn to it as part of this massive game of sorts, so it makes sense that the show would focus on how the island changed Jacob and Esau’s relationship rather than how this entire situation came to be. – Cultural Learnings

BROTHER’S KEEPER
I suppose the major revelation of this episode was that Jacob and the Smoke Monster are fraternal twins. Let’s take a look at this complicated relationship.

Liked the parallels between the child and adult struggles of Jacob and Esau, with Jacob attacking him in much the same way as an adult as he did when he was a child. It was a nice parallel, and interestingly depicts Jacob as the aggressor (when we’ve clearly, to this point, associated Esau with that role). – Cultural Learnings

Another interesting observation. Yes, up until this point it has seemed like the Smoke Monster has been the aggressive antagonist – killing islanders, looking for loopholes to kill Jacob, seeking means of escape – while Jacob has been the passive responder, merely acting in ways to prevent Smokey from taking these actions. Yet in this episode, the two times these two came into physical contact with each other, in almost identical scenes Jacob was the attacker.

Immediately after watching Tuesday's show, I was so upset with Jacob, and felt so awful for MIB. I had invested so much in Jacob being all good; How could Jacob be so naive and trusting with Mother? I must admit, I was furious at the writer's. ( wasn't he just a wee bit angry at Mother, for killing his real one? )
I have looked at the comments, (not all, b/c they just keep on coming. lol ) sat back and had more time to think about this last episode.
I just have to keep in mind, that MIB is dead. ( I liked his role in this episode...just a curious guy, angry at Mother for killing his real mother. He loved his brother Jacob. And he just wanted off the darn Island. )
I wish the writer's had given MIB a woman to care for, or just a casual fling...he spent 30 yrs. at that camp. ( come on, he's a guy, for crying out loud.)
Jacob was protrayed as a jealous, goody two shoes. (that... I really didn't like.) Then, the nice Jacob, has a hissy fit, and even tho he didn't actually kill his brother...he did something much worse; had a big hand in making him the Smoke Monster..
I'm sure Jacob had centuries, to regret what he did to his brother. I just wish they wouldn't make him so smug.
I have plenty more to mull over, but as long as I can keep telling myself...MIB is dead, and I am looking/listening to Smokey...I'll be fine.
Sorry for being so long winded. – EW.com comments section

To be honest, for the most part, I don’t agree with this assessment. I find that the poster is overly harsh with his critique of Jacob, while glossing over anything that the Man in Black might have done. I mean, Smokey is loyal for wanting to stick with his brother, but Jacob is naïve for wanting to do the same with his mother? And I wouldn’t say that Jacob was jealous as much as he was vulnerable. He realized he was the silver medal, yet he still stuck by the woman and he still took the job.

Perhaps the writers didn’t get these themes across as successfully as they had hoped – and, again, assuming these are the messages they wanted to send. In a way, it almost felt like Jacob had the attitude of doing what’s best for the world/island, while his brother was more concerned with doing what’s best for him.

SEEING THE LIGHT
We learned that The Island sits on a whirlpool of ethereal life-giving energy — a wellspring of eternal life, a wormhole into the afterlife, a weird-ass well of holy moley whatchamacallit. We learned that if you get tossed into this warm and fuzzy mystic maelstrom, your immortal soul gets severed from your mortal body. – EW.com review

“Your immortal soul gets severed from your mortal body.” I think that sums up what happened quite well. At least, that’s the way many people interpret it. But what if the Man in Black isn’t actually the Smoke Monster? What if the MIB is merely one of the many manifestations of the Smoke Monster, simply used to torture and manipulate Jacob? Here’s another interpretation:

Smokey, the light on Golden Pond, and the electromagnetic energy are all one and the same. The real entity trying to escape from the island is the electromagnetic energy that is "bottled up" under The Swan. Smokey and the pretty golden stream are merely manifestations of the true being lying trapped under the island - whatever that is. This is how all of the Lost mythology will be brought together in the end. Quantum physics, time travel, constants and variables, frozen donkey wheels, button-pushing Dharma experiments, and now Widmore's search for pockets of the energy and his use of Desmond for a final sacrifice, are all attempts to either contain or release this energy. Jacob and MIB's tragic struggle, seemingly disconnected from all this, has actually been all about manipulating the many players in this game to either help contain or help release the energy. – EW.com comments section

Part of me really likes this idea – that Jacob is getting manipulated just like everybody else – but another part of me doesn’t. My biggest problem with this theory is that we seemingly just received the backstory of the Smoke Monster’s origins. This concept seemingly negates that whole thing, and we’re now back to square one.

THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
I think a lot of people held out hope that this episode would answer a few questions about these “rules” that have been mentioned since the end of last season. And I think this is one area in which the episode fell short. Are these rules all powerful restrictions, or are they self made and able to be broken?

I got a feeling that when it comes to "The Rules", they will ultimately be arbitrary in the grand scheme of things(i.e. the brothers beating on each other). – Ninja Raiden, my blog

I sorta felt this way as well. I was a little disappointed when nothing seemed to have happened when Jacob attacked his brother. And their mother’s declaration that she “made it” so that they can’t harm each other was frustratingly vague and unsubstantiated. She mentioned it more than once, and yet on more than one occasion Jacob attacked his brother and didn’t seem to face any repercussions. He didn’t even get grounded.

Still, I think ''Across The Sea'' offered a revelation about ''the rules'' that's just as important if not more so than the rules themselves: they are entirely subjective. I think many fans have assumed that ''the rules'' exist as external truths that regulate all life on The Island, mortal or immortal, human or god-like. And maybe some of them are. I think fans have assumed that The Island possesses an orderly if complex internal logic that can be puzzled out. And to some degree, maybe it does. But I think Lost was telling us something when they had Jacob and Boy In Black arguing over the proper way to play Senet. BIB said: ''One day, you can make up your own game and everyone else will have to follow your rules.'' – EW.com review

Yeah, what he said.

She said ''that's what people do'' — they hurt each other. The Boy In Black — the more inquisitive of the two kids — asked: ''We're people. Does that mean we can hurt each other?'' Mother grabbed her kids and looked them in the eye replied, ''I've made it so you can never hurt each other.'' This little line holds a lot of significance, I think. Besides explaining why the Man In Black had to use a proxy to slay Jacob, Mother's line said something about the power that an Island guardian wields — including the ability to make ''the rules.'' This might be the most important power of all. I know that Lost fans have been talking a lot about ''the rules'' over the past week in the wake of the submarine bloodbath. Why can't the Man In Black leave The Island? Can he or can't he kill the candidates? Can or can't the candidates kill each other? What's the difference between the gift of agelessness that Jacob gave Richard and the protections (if any) he bestowed upon the castaways he touched? – EW.com review

So this leads to a question, are the rules something created by the island, or the island protector? Jacob has been portrayed as an all powerful entity, yet characters such as Ben will repeatedly say things like, “The island was done with them.” So when it comes to the rules, who’s the “power that be”? I had previously assumed the island. The reviewer at EW.com interpreted this episode as saying that it’s the island protector.

After conferring her guardian powers upon Jacob, Mother went back to camp. She found it trashed. She silently surveyed the scene and found something peculiar — MIB's Senet box. She opened it up and took out the black stone. She looked at it — and then MIB stabbed her in the back and through the chest. She fell to the ground and whispered a word: ''Nothing.'' She told her son that she couldn't let him leave because she loved him, and then she thanked him for killing her and died. Three things: 1. Notice I used the word ''silently.'' 2. Notice that Mother said ''Nothing.'' 3. Notice that MIB used the same knife to kill his mother that Dogen gave Sayid to kill MIB/Fake Locke. Remember Dogen's instructions? Sayid had to plunge the knife into The Monster's chest before The Monster said a word. Sayid failed to execute the execution before Fake Locke said, ''Hello,'' and in the aftermath, Sayid seemed to suffer from some kind of soul sleep, a state of emotional nothingness. Perhaps I'm not adding all of this up properly, but I find the link here irresistible. I go back to where I began — that there was something about the Mother/Jacob/MIB drama that cursed The Island and created a mythic template for future dramas to follow. (Unless, of course, their drama followed and reaffirmed an existing template.) Why did Sayid have to use that knife? Why did he have to do the stabbing before Fake Locke said a word? Why did he feel ''nothing'' afterward? It's not about rules. It's not about internal logic. It's about a story. And that's just the way the story goes. But can the story be changed? TBD. – EW.com review

It was interesting to see one of the characters succeed in killing an island deity in this ritualistic manner. What I’m wondering is, did this specific manner of murder occur before or after Smokey plunged the sword into his mother back? Was the murder successful because he did it in this way, or was this the birth of this particular custom?

But great observation, with her not speaking before the deed, and with Smokey using the knife that Dogen bestowed upon Sayid. Perhaps this adds to the speculation that the mother was Smokey as well?

THE VICIOUS CYCLE
Over the past few weeks I’ve discussed how I am hopeful that the series doesn’t end with Jack or another character taking Jacob’s role. As I and others have noted, it would take a bit away from the series to learn that this entire time, our characters were just a handful of many, many people that have come to the island. They weren’t anything special, just the next line of pawns in a game between two seemingly omniscient entities.

And this episode seemed to add a little credibility to the idea that this is nothing more than a vicious cycle. We came to learn that Jacob wasn’t the first island protector, he was just the latest one.

Did the Mother/Jacob/Man In Black drama curse this world like the Biblical fall of man? Did this tragic trio doom future Island visitors to suffer through adaptations of their same sad story? So many shared elements. Shipwrecked castaways. A deadly first encounter with a supernatural Island entity. ''Special'' children and child abduction. Ghosts. Suspicion and conflict with Others. Mystery boxes and games. The war between faith and reason. Betrayal and murder. Does the current iteration of this repeating myth involving Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and the rest of the surviving Oceanic 815 lot represent one more manifestation of the cycle that will continue forever and ever, Amen? Or is the great twist of the entire Lost saga is that everyone, friend or foe — from the castaways to Fake Locke to Dead Jacob — are actually striving toward the same end from different angles: reversing the curse; breaking the chain; cleaning the slate; reboot. – EW.com review

And this is what my hope is for the series – that it culminates with the conclusion of the cycle, not the next turn of it. If nothing else, this episode showed that the assignment of island protector can be a heavy cross to bear. The mother didn’t particularly seem to enjoy it. The only time the entire episode she seemed to show happiness was the elation when she realized that there would be an heir to take over for her. She otherwise seemed distant and dejected. She even thanked her murderer, possibly for releasing her of her duty. And Jacob didn’t seem particularly thrilled to get the job either. He more did it out of a sense of commitment and obligation. That’s why I have trouble seeing Jack alone on the island as the newest guardian and thinking to myself, this is a nice, happy, satisfying ending.

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