Good morning, friends.
I want to start by saying that I am a reader. There is little in which I find more joy than a good book – one that has twists and turns, one with interesting and well-developed characters, one with a great message; a book for which you are willing to stay up into the wee hours of the night because you just can’t put it down, but of which you might save the last 20 pages because you just don’t want it to end. A book that sticks with you for weeks even months or years (Blindness, A Prayer for Owen Meany, The Book Thief, The Bluest Eye all come to mind). This is what Lost was for me; another great story. A story I did not want to end. A story that kept me up at night (especially last night) trying to decipher.
I absolutely loved the finale. I know there are some who are disappointed with the lack of answers, but in my insomnia last night, I think I realized that a lot of answers were there all along, or they just didn’t matter. Yes, there are some that I would have liked answered, but wouldn’t it have been lame if it had been an hour of answers? I thought the resolution to Alternaworld was remarkably moving and the overall message of the series was beautiful.
I decided not to take notes while watching last night, but as I said, I tossed and turned all night thinking it through. Here are some finale thoughts:
I watched the pilot on Saturday night, and it was cool to recognize some of the references that were made this season. A few things I noticed:
a. Locke told Walt about his paralysis. Other than Walt, I think Rose was the only other person who knew (until Alternaworld, anyway).
b. Locke and Walt played Backgammon, which Locke stated was the oldest game (Mesopotamia). The whole game started right then . . .
c. Jin told Sun to “button up,” just like he did in LA X.
Sun and Jin:
· I think they were both candidates. I think they had to be together no matter what after all Jacob witnessed them going through to find one another.
· The fact that they remembered during the ultrasound was a way of saying that Ji Yeon is ok. That she was ok in her alternapregnancy seems to tell me that she is ok in real life. Sob.
Sawyer and Juliet
· Interesting that Juliet was Jack’s ex-wife, but it totally makes sense, as they were momentarily together on the island.
· I’m guessing Sawyer’s post-island life was about personal redemption. In his own way, he probably seeking justice – like the detective he became in alternaworld.
· I was so pissed when they first ran into each and didn’t recognize one another. But when they touched, it was all I could do not to completely melt down. “We’ll go dutch.” Oh my goodness!
Claire
· Remember how the psychic kept telling her that she had to raise Aaron? Now I don’t think it was an ominous warning about the future of the world. It was a warning for Claire herself. Aaron was her constant; he was how she would not be alone in the world. In the end, the psychic’s words were about her getting on that plane in the end. She had to go find her constant; she had to be with Aaron; she had to have her family (which I think included Kate).
Kate
· I can’t believe it, but I didn’t hate Kate in the end. She saved Claire and you know she helped her raise Aaron. And she did love Jack . . . after all.
· Thought it was hilarious when she said, “Christian Shephard? Really?”
Rose and Bernard (and Vincent, too)
· They knew all along who and where they were. Remember Rose told Jack on the flight, “You can let go now.” And Bernard didn’t seem surprised at all when Jack came to see him. They always were attuned with each other and their surroundings. I wonder how they finally died . . .
· Vincent . . . what can I say? Best dog ever!
Sayid
· In rewatching the pilot, I came to realize that Sayid’s character was such a huge play on our perceptions of people. In the pilot, Sawyer accuses him of being a terrorist, and Sayid played against type so many times. In the end, when he ran out of the submarine was such a great subversion of the suicide bomber.
· Why Shannon? Well, I think that though he loved Nadia, she was always too good for him; she could never really admit or accept his flaws, I don’t think. Shannon could because she was flawed also. By the way, how do you think Boone remembered?
Hurley and Ben
· Loved, loved, loved this development. Hurley has struck me all season as the perfect replacement, because as Ben said, he takes care of people. I would love to see how the rules changed under his leadership . . .
· Speaking of rules, I thought it was interesting (though questionably too easy) that all the crazy rules were seemingly arbitrary under Jacob. “That dude’s worse than Yoda.”
· Ben CHOSE to do good in the end, and he was rewarded with a true connection to the island. He also chose not to go into the church in the end. I think he wanted to wait for Alex to be ready; Danielle, too.
Desmond
· He must have made it home; he had to have made it home. Hurley helped him.
Locke
· I was not all that satisfied with the end of Flocke. It seemed almost too easy – I kept waiting for Locke to make an appearance in his own body. He did have the line of the night, though: “You’re kind of the obvious choice, don’t you think?”
· The great gift Jack gave him? Knowing that he’d mattered in his life. What more could someone ask for?
Those Who Were Not There
· The biggest question is probably Walt and Michael. Well, we know Michael was trapped on the island. I wonder if there is any way for him to move on? Walt? Well, remember when Locke went to see Walt in season 4? He realized that Walt had moved on, that Walt had a new life, and Locke decided that he could not ask him to return. He was only 10 when he was on the island; I would hope that he made more meaningful connections in his adult life.
· Daniel and Charlotte – Eloise knew the situation all along and was trying to stop Desmond from taking her son. She wanted to give him the life she’d denied him. Daniel and Charlotte seemed to recognize each other, but neither was really connected to Jack, so there was no reason for them to be there. They will find their own meeting place – maybe with Lapidus and Miles.
· Mr Eko – well, the actor wanted no part of the finale, but it also makes sense because he always followed his own path. However, I wonder if he isn’t trapped on the island, too, since he refused to repent for his sins (he had a point since he did it all to save his brother).
Lingering Mysteries
· Why couldn’t the Others have babies? Good question – everyone before and after them were able to. Was it self-fulfilling? Was Jacob punishing them?
· Others you’d like to discuss? I probably thought about it while I couldn’t sleep last night and might have a theory.
Jack
· Why was it so hard for him to let go/to move on? He seemed to fight it all the way. Was this because he was afraid he would lose everyone again, like he did on the island by sacrificing himself?
· I think that David was a projection of himself, and Jack a projection of his father. He needed to prove that he could have a loving familial relationship.
· When Christian asked him, “how are you here?” I almost fell off my chair, and immediately started crying. So many people online didn’t get it, so let me just reiterate what Christian said – the island was real, everything that happened there was real; alternaworld was a world they created for after they died.
· Watching him die; what a parallel to the beginning. The plane over head, Vincent by his side, eyes closing. Priceless.
I feel like crying now. I’m sad it’s over. It’s been a great journey, and I’ve enjoyed getting my geek on with you each week.
Closing the book is never easy, especially one as great as Lost.
Namaste,
LLL
Monday, May 24, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
What They Died For
This is the end, beautiful friend, the end! My only friend, the end! -- Doors shout out to Rob (worst band ever!)
PUT IT ON YOUR CALENDAR – Sunday is LOST marathon – there’s a retrospective that starts at 6:00 pm; then the episode begins at 8:00pm and ends at 10:30. It is a damn good thing that the school year is almost over – otherwise, I might feel guilty for the waste of space I am destined to be on Monday.
Anyway, sadly, we are almost at the end. I’m guessing some of you are feeling discontent with the few answers we’ve gotten, but I have to tell you that I think I am ok with some ambiguity at the end. And I do think we’re going to get a good number of answers by the end of the evening Sunday. Even if we don’t, this has been the best show ever . . . and I think I may suffer psychological damage without it to obsess over.
My observations and analysis:
Alternaworld:
1. Cut on Jack’s neck is bleeding again as he looks in the mirror. The island is calling him.
2. David’s big blue eyes are a giveaway – Juliet has got to be his mother.
3. One big happy family – there’s got to be something to the fact that Claire and Jack are together in alternaworld. Somehow they’ve got to get together on the island. Maybe she will be his companion . . . or maybe she has to go back and raise Aaron so that Kate can stay and be his companion.
4. Oceanic calls. They found the coffin. But it’s not Oceanic . . . Des on the prowl again!
5. Des claims his acitons against Locke are about “Trying to get him to let go . . .” Ben is remembering . . . getting punched in the face will jar your memory. And he’s getting his snarky attitude back.
6. Concert at the museum . . . the one where David will be performing.
7. Des turns himself in . . . to get to Kate? How does he know how to find everyone?
8. Alex tells Ben, “You look like Napoleon.” Meets Danielle (I thought she wasn’t going to be on the show this season! Yay! And she looks good . . . no mom pants). Alex’s father died when she was two, so apparently they were NOT on the island. Are Ben and Danielle going to get it on?
9. Locke returns to Jack’s office. “Maybe this happened for a reason” “Mistaking coincidence for Fate” Asks Jack to fix him. CHOICE!
10. Vomit worthy moment#1: Kate expects Sawyer to let her go. Man, does stomach vile burn!
11. Des makes them promise to do something when he sets them free. Ana Lucia!!! Hurley (he remembers Ana Lucia; apparently, he remembers everything) “She’s not coming with us?” “She’s not ready yet?” Does that mean that someday she will be?
It’s Lostapalooza – they’re all going to a concert Sunday! Do you suppose Geronimo Jones will make a guest appearance?
Islandland:
1. Flashback: Jack’s stitching Kate, just like she did for him in the premiere.
2. Shout out to Ji Yeon by Kate. Poor baby.
3. Vomit worthy moment #2: Kate all touchy with Sawyer on the island, too. And just after Jack saved her ass. WTF.
4. Ben, Miles, and Richard are back. Going back for C4 (is this before or after the sub incident?) It appears that no one knows the plane is already a goner.
5. Richard buried Alex. Miles senses her. This sets Ben off, though I think it should have made him a little more beholden to Richard. But, maybe, Ben is not as he appears (more on this . . . )
6. “It’s where I was told I could summon the monster. That was before I realized it was summoning me.” This tells me that Ben is not just giving in to the dark side; I think he has a plan . . .
7. The plumbing still works in Dharmaville. How bout that!
8. Widmore tells Zoe to sink the freighter. Widmore claims that he had the plane rigged with C4 before. Claims to have been visited by Jacob. Do you believe him?
9. James asks a good question: “If [F]Locke wants Desmond dead, why doesn’t he just kill him himself?”
10. Hurley sees little Jacob. Lil Jacob wants the ashes back. Why? “When the fire burns out, you’ll never see me again . . . We’re very close to the end, Hugo.”
11. Ben decides to wait and face down Flocke. Richard thinks all Flocke wants is him . . . wishful thinking, I say. But upon further reflection, now I’m thinking that perhaps Ben believes he is the candidate to replace Flocke!!!
12. Did he just hurl Richard to death? That was way too easy. That can’t possibly be how they are ending Richard. If it were, wouldn’t Smokey have done it a long time ago?
13. WTF Moment #1: Flocke offers Ben the island in return for killing people. Ben gives him up so easily . . . or is this part of his master plan?
14. HOLY CRAP: Flocke slices Zoe’s neck. “You told her not to talk to me and that made her useless.” Interesting . . .
15. Flocke threatens Penny. CW claims he brought Des back because of his immunity to electromagnetism. “It was a last resort.”
16. WTF Moment #2: Ben kills CW. His reason: “He doesn’t get to save his daughter.”
17. All Things Jacob:
-- How can everyone see Jacob?
--“Come and sit down and I’ll tell you what they died for. I’ll tell you why I chose them, and why I chose you.”
--Jacob admits his mistake – I’m responsible for the monster. “I made him that way.” ---- James asks, “Why do I got to be punished for your mistake?” Jacob says they are not being punished:
-- “Chose you because you were like me – you were all alone. You needed this place as much as you needed one another”
--Crossed Kate off because she became a mother. “The job is yours if you want it; it’s just chalk”
--CHOICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jacob believes man has Free Will, even though he never really had one.
-- Honestly, I’m still not sure exactly what they died for . . .
18. “I thought that guy had a God-complex before.” Why does Jack volunteer? Does he really feel it is his destiny or does he just figure he has nothing else to live for? How will the Alternaworld play into this decision? How will cute little David play a role?
19. TWIBS: What’s with the water? Communion? Something changes in Jack after he drinks it. “Now you’re like me.”
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Matthew 26:26-28 (NIV)
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many." Mark 14:22-24 (NIV)
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." Luke 22:19-20 (NIV)
Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 (NIV)
And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 1 Corinthians 11:24-26 (NIV)
Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:53-54 (NIV)
20. I still think there is humanity somewhere in Flocke: “Why do you bother walking?” “It reminds me that I was human.” Somewhere, deep down inside, he still wants to be human. Is that Locke speaking? If Locke in Alternaworld lets go, will he also be getting rid of Smokey on the island? Could Locke still somehow end up the guardian of the island?
21. Where did Des go? I thought everyone had forgotten him . . .Desmond was a failsafe. Locke wants to use him to destroy the island. I’ve got a feeling (woohoo) that Des is going to be making some HUGE sacrifices . . .
Until Sunday . . .
PUT IT ON YOUR CALENDAR – Sunday is LOST marathon – there’s a retrospective that starts at 6:00 pm; then the episode begins at 8:00pm and ends at 10:30. It is a damn good thing that the school year is almost over – otherwise, I might feel guilty for the waste of space I am destined to be on Monday.
Anyway, sadly, we are almost at the end. I’m guessing some of you are feeling discontent with the few answers we’ve gotten, but I have to tell you that I think I am ok with some ambiguity at the end. And I do think we’re going to get a good number of answers by the end of the evening Sunday. Even if we don’t, this has been the best show ever . . . and I think I may suffer psychological damage without it to obsess over.
My observations and analysis:
Alternaworld:
1. Cut on Jack’s neck is bleeding again as he looks in the mirror. The island is calling him.
2. David’s big blue eyes are a giveaway – Juliet has got to be his mother.
3. One big happy family – there’s got to be something to the fact that Claire and Jack are together in alternaworld. Somehow they’ve got to get together on the island. Maybe she will be his companion . . . or maybe she has to go back and raise Aaron so that Kate can stay and be his companion.
4. Oceanic calls. They found the coffin. But it’s not Oceanic . . . Des on the prowl again!
5. Des claims his acitons against Locke are about “Trying to get him to let go . . .” Ben is remembering . . . getting punched in the face will jar your memory. And he’s getting his snarky attitude back.
6. Concert at the museum . . . the one where David will be performing.
7. Des turns himself in . . . to get to Kate? How does he know how to find everyone?
8. Alex tells Ben, “You look like Napoleon.” Meets Danielle (I thought she wasn’t going to be on the show this season! Yay! And she looks good . . . no mom pants). Alex’s father died when she was two, so apparently they were NOT on the island. Are Ben and Danielle going to get it on?
9. Locke returns to Jack’s office. “Maybe this happened for a reason” “Mistaking coincidence for Fate” Asks Jack to fix him. CHOICE!
10. Vomit worthy moment#1: Kate expects Sawyer to let her go. Man, does stomach vile burn!
11. Des makes them promise to do something when he sets them free. Ana Lucia!!! Hurley (he remembers Ana Lucia; apparently, he remembers everything) “She’s not coming with us?” “She’s not ready yet?” Does that mean that someday she will be?
It’s Lostapalooza – they’re all going to a concert Sunday! Do you suppose Geronimo Jones will make a guest appearance?
Islandland:
1. Flashback: Jack’s stitching Kate, just like she did for him in the premiere.
2. Shout out to Ji Yeon by Kate. Poor baby.
3. Vomit worthy moment #2: Kate all touchy with Sawyer on the island, too. And just after Jack saved her ass. WTF.
4. Ben, Miles, and Richard are back. Going back for C4 (is this before or after the sub incident?) It appears that no one knows the plane is already a goner.
5. Richard buried Alex. Miles senses her. This sets Ben off, though I think it should have made him a little more beholden to Richard. But, maybe, Ben is not as he appears (more on this . . . )
6. “It’s where I was told I could summon the monster. That was before I realized it was summoning me.” This tells me that Ben is not just giving in to the dark side; I think he has a plan . . .
7. The plumbing still works in Dharmaville. How bout that!
8. Widmore tells Zoe to sink the freighter. Widmore claims that he had the plane rigged with C4 before. Claims to have been visited by Jacob. Do you believe him?
9. James asks a good question: “If [F]Locke wants Desmond dead, why doesn’t he just kill him himself?”
10. Hurley sees little Jacob. Lil Jacob wants the ashes back. Why? “When the fire burns out, you’ll never see me again . . . We’re very close to the end, Hugo.”
11. Ben decides to wait and face down Flocke. Richard thinks all Flocke wants is him . . . wishful thinking, I say. But upon further reflection, now I’m thinking that perhaps Ben believes he is the candidate to replace Flocke!!!
12. Did he just hurl Richard to death? That was way too easy. That can’t possibly be how they are ending Richard. If it were, wouldn’t Smokey have done it a long time ago?
13. WTF Moment #1: Flocke offers Ben the island in return for killing people. Ben gives him up so easily . . . or is this part of his master plan?
14. HOLY CRAP: Flocke slices Zoe’s neck. “You told her not to talk to me and that made her useless.” Interesting . . .
15. Flocke threatens Penny. CW claims he brought Des back because of his immunity to electromagnetism. “It was a last resort.”
16. WTF Moment #2: Ben kills CW. His reason: “He doesn’t get to save his daughter.”
17. All Things Jacob:
-- How can everyone see Jacob?
--“Come and sit down and I’ll tell you what they died for. I’ll tell you why I chose them, and why I chose you.”
--Jacob admits his mistake – I’m responsible for the monster. “I made him that way.” ---- James asks, “Why do I got to be punished for your mistake?” Jacob says they are not being punished:
-- “Chose you because you were like me – you were all alone. You needed this place as much as you needed one another”
--Crossed Kate off because she became a mother. “The job is yours if you want it; it’s just chalk”
--CHOICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jacob believes man has Free Will, even though he never really had one.
-- Honestly, I’m still not sure exactly what they died for . . .
18. “I thought that guy had a God-complex before.” Why does Jack volunteer? Does he really feel it is his destiny or does he just figure he has nothing else to live for? How will the Alternaworld play into this decision? How will cute little David play a role?
19. TWIBS: What’s with the water? Communion? Something changes in Jack after he drinks it. “Now you’re like me.”
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Matthew 26:26-28 (NIV)
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many." Mark 14:22-24 (NIV)
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." Luke 22:19-20 (NIV)
Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 (NIV)
And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 1 Corinthians 11:24-26 (NIV)
Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:53-54 (NIV)
20. I still think there is humanity somewhere in Flocke: “Why do you bother walking?” “It reminds me that I was human.” Somewhere, deep down inside, he still wants to be human. Is that Locke speaking? If Locke in Alternaworld lets go, will he also be getting rid of Smokey on the island? Could Locke still somehow end up the guardian of the island?
21. Where did Des go? I thought everyone had forgotten him . . .Desmond was a failsafe. Locke wants to use him to destroy the island. I’ve got a feeling (woohoo) that Des is going to be making some HUGE sacrifices . . .
Until Sunday . . .
Namaste,
LLL
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Across the Sea
Well, well, well, we’re almost at the end of this crazy journey we call Lost. This particular episode gave me nightmares – I’m not kidding; I had the most detailed dream about how this show was gonna end – except that I woke up just before the conclusion. And woke up scared that Smokey was ticking above my bed.
I can’t describe how I felt about this episode except that I think that there were a lot of answers (ok, clues to answers) but that it is going to take the final three episodes to understand this one. The live Twitter reaction was very mixed – I assume the same is true of this group. Can’t wait to hear your reactions.
1. What language were they speaking? I read that it was Swedish or a Nordic language. My first thought was that it was Latin, and that makes more sense to me. Remember, the Others spoke Latin . . .
2. Allison Janney! That was surprise casting as crazy momma!
3. I thought Momma said it well: "Every question you ask will just lead to another question . . ." just like this show!!!
4. The real mother of MIB and Jacob is named Claudia. Some sources say the name means “lame” while others state it means “perservering.” I’m going with “Lame” as she was easily taken down, seen by Momma as too weak and prone to evil to raise her babies, particularly BIB (Baby/Boy in Black). Why didn't she want Claudia to see the second baby? Still no name. What the dealio?
5. BIB initiates the game. He tells him that someday Jacob can make up his own game and rules (bringing the Losties to the island a game with his rules?) Jacob a snitch? "Jacob doesn't know how to lie." "He's not like you. You're . . . special."
6. Lies their mother told them:
--"There is nowhere else. It's all there is"
--"Dead. Something you will never have to worry about."
7. Maybe lies their Mother told them:
--Mother says the same thing of the men that Smokey later said of men -- basically that they are inherently evil.
--Momma claims she's made it so they can never hurt each other.
8. What is the light? Why should noone ever find it? "A little bit of this light is inside every man." "If the light goes out here, it goes out everywhere." The cave is what everyone is looking for – the source of life? Existence of God? Existence of the Devil? Going into the light is worse than dying.
9. THIS WEEK IN BIBLE STUDIES: Refresh yourself on twins Jacob and Esau, although the birth order is a bit off and it is the favor of the mother, not the father . . . http://lostloserramblings.blogspot.com/2009/05/incident.html
Interestingly, Jacob asks, "Why do you love him more than me?"
10. Jacob can't see Claudia. Why not?
11. .As they grow older, they stay connected. Smokey comes to believe she was right about "his people," “They are greedy, manipulative, and selfish.” Jacob does not believe they are bad, but he only knows this through his observations; he has had no interactions. However, it seems to me that Jacob makes this his mission.
MIB uses the people he despises because they are a means to an end – he wants to leave the island and prove Momma wrong. He built the donkeywheel that Locke and Ben later turned . . . he did find a way off the island, but Momma prevented him from ever using it himself.
12. Did anyone else think Jacob was like a child even as a grown man? Do you think Momma was trying to prove through him that there can be pure goodness/innocence? Is that why she tried so hard to keep him from others? In the end, I think Jacob realized that while his mother was right that men may be prone to evil, as proven through his actions against his brother, they can CHOOSE to be good. I think that is his end game – if he can prove that most men will choose good, he wins the game.
13. Words that make you go hmmmm: "It was always supposed to be you, Jacob." "Now you and I are the same."
14. Was Momma a protector of the island? How did she get there?
15. HOLY CRAP MOMENT: Jacob unleashed Smokey (or created him, but I’m going with unleashed) by sending his brother into the light. It was as if it was a human sacrifice that unleashed the beast. I don’t really think Jacob’s brother is Smokey; I think his brother is dead. I think Smokey took MIB’s form to F*** with Jacob. However, I believe that when Jacob laid his mother and brother to rest, he made a decision to contain the beast and to save mankind.
16. ANSWERED: Adam and Eve are Smokey and his momma
I think that as I ponder this episode, more may become clear. I’ll post comments if anything comes to mind.
What I would like to know from you all is what questions do you feel HAVE to be answered before the series ends. It seems like there are so many out there still, they can’t possibly answer them all. Tops on my list: Why was Walt special? Why can’t women have babies? Why did everyone want Aaron/what makes him special?
Namaste,
LLL
I can’t describe how I felt about this episode except that I think that there were a lot of answers (ok, clues to answers) but that it is going to take the final three episodes to understand this one. The live Twitter reaction was very mixed – I assume the same is true of this group. Can’t wait to hear your reactions.
1. What language were they speaking? I read that it was Swedish or a Nordic language. My first thought was that it was Latin, and that makes more sense to me. Remember, the Others spoke Latin . . .
2. Allison Janney! That was surprise casting as crazy momma!
3. I thought Momma said it well: "Every question you ask will just lead to another question . . ." just like this show!!!
4. The real mother of MIB and Jacob is named Claudia. Some sources say the name means “lame” while others state it means “perservering.” I’m going with “Lame” as she was easily taken down, seen by Momma as too weak and prone to evil to raise her babies, particularly BIB (Baby/Boy in Black). Why didn't she want Claudia to see the second baby? Still no name. What the dealio?
5. BIB initiates the game. He tells him that someday Jacob can make up his own game and rules (bringing the Losties to the island a game with his rules?) Jacob a snitch? "Jacob doesn't know how to lie." "He's not like you. You're . . . special."
6. Lies their mother told them:
--"There is nowhere else. It's all there is"
--"Dead. Something you will never have to worry about."
7. Maybe lies their Mother told them:
--Mother says the same thing of the men that Smokey later said of men -- basically that they are inherently evil.
--Momma claims she's made it so they can never hurt each other.
8. What is the light? Why should noone ever find it? "A little bit of this light is inside every man." "If the light goes out here, it goes out everywhere." The cave is what everyone is looking for – the source of life? Existence of God? Existence of the Devil? Going into the light is worse than dying.
9. THIS WEEK IN BIBLE STUDIES: Refresh yourself on twins Jacob and Esau, although the birth order is a bit off and it is the favor of the mother, not the father . . . http://lostloserramblings.blogspot.com/2009/05/incident.html
Interestingly, Jacob asks, "Why do you love him more than me?"
10. Jacob can't see Claudia. Why not?
11. .As they grow older, they stay connected. Smokey comes to believe she was right about "his people," “They are greedy, manipulative, and selfish.” Jacob does not believe they are bad, but he only knows this through his observations; he has had no interactions. However, it seems to me that Jacob makes this his mission.
MIB uses the people he despises because they are a means to an end – he wants to leave the island and prove Momma wrong. He built the donkeywheel that Locke and Ben later turned . . . he did find a way off the island, but Momma prevented him from ever using it himself.
12. Did anyone else think Jacob was like a child even as a grown man? Do you think Momma was trying to prove through him that there can be pure goodness/innocence? Is that why she tried so hard to keep him from others? In the end, I think Jacob realized that while his mother was right that men may be prone to evil, as proven through his actions against his brother, they can CHOOSE to be good. I think that is his end game – if he can prove that most men will choose good, he wins the game.
13. Words that make you go hmmmm: "It was always supposed to be you, Jacob." "Now you and I are the same."
14. Was Momma a protector of the island? How did she get there?
15. HOLY CRAP MOMENT: Jacob unleashed Smokey (or created him, but I’m going with unleashed) by sending his brother into the light. It was as if it was a human sacrifice that unleashed the beast. I don’t really think Jacob’s brother is Smokey; I think his brother is dead. I think Smokey took MIB’s form to F*** with Jacob. However, I believe that when Jacob laid his mother and brother to rest, he made a decision to contain the beast and to save mankind.
16. ANSWERED: Adam and Eve are Smokey and his momma
I think that as I ponder this episode, more may become clear. I’ll post comments if anything comes to mind.
What I would like to know from you all is what questions do you feel HAVE to be answered before the series ends. It seems like there are so many out there still, they can’t possibly answer them all. Tops on my list: Why was Walt special? Why can’t women have babies? Why did everyone want Aaron/what makes him special?
Namaste,
LLL
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
The Candidate
The Candidate
This episode was in the top five episodes of Lost ever! Others I include in my list? The Constant, Through the Looking Glass, and a couple from seasons one and two (the premiere and the second season finale).
Alternaworld:
1. Locke’s initial injury caused by . . . a plane accident he was in with his father, Anthony Cooper. He caused it; destroyed his father. Helen says he loved his father more than anything . . . there we go again with those fathers and sons!
2. Yay! Bernard! Locke’s dentist. How about that!
3. AlternaJack is showing signs of his old ways . . . can’t let go of things.
4. Alternalocke mutters in his sleep, “Push the button” “I wish you had believed me”
5. Apollobar from machine . . . just like when Jacob touched Jack. Foreshadowing here? Jack tries to touch Claire, but she refuses. She isn’t “with” them on the island anymore.
6. Claire never met her father in Alternaworld
7. Mirrorbox . . . Claire and Jack in the same reflection. What do you think it means?
8. “What happened happened. You can let it go . . .” “I can help you, John. I wish you believed me.” Sound familiar? Is this saying that the island really did happen?
Islandland
1. When they put them in the cage, my first thought was “Please tell me this is not going to be a repeat of the last time they were in the cage. I might not ever watch again . . .”
2. I don’t think Flocke actually can kill them, just as Jack stated (Wrote this before he said it).
3. Shooting at smoke seems pretty pointless to me.
4. Flocke’s giving out honest trifles again . . .
5. Come on, Sawyer. You can’t be that dumb. Oh, good, you’re not.
6. Jack’s hair is really getting gray on the island. Do you suppose that is significant?
7. Favorite Line of the Night: “John Locke told me to stay!”
8. OMG! They shot Kate!
9. OMG! They abandoned Claire again!
10. Where’s Richard?
11. SAYID CHOOSES HUMANITY! Awesome ending for him!! You CAN always choose not to go to the dark side. Doesn't this action alone prove Jacob right and MIB wrong? Before he goes, he tells Jack about Desmond in the well and says, "Because it is going to be you." Hmmmm . . .
12. The sub was underwater in the underwater island image from the first episode.
13. Nobody cares that Lapidus died . . . poor guy.
14. Sun and Jin: They’re gonna die together. I am going to cry. Second saddest Lost moment, next to Charlie dying; slightly more weepy than Juliet dying. I guess in the end, it didn't matter which one was a candidate, because they were going to choose to be together no matter what. Maybe they were one candidate together.
15. Kate still loves Jack.
Is it possible that Alternalocke can somehow return to the island? He’s "the candidate" in alternaworld, after all. But more likely in my mind is the idea that Jack is becoming one with Locke (same name, I say again) and is therefore now suited to protect the island. In some ways, Realocke will live on . . .
Or (after a night of tossing and turning I'm leaning this way), will Alternalocke somehow go to the island to take his true place as the candidate so that the rest can live their alternalives? I'm starting to root for the idea that somehow they are going to get their alternalives, and that those lives are imperfect, and that's ok. After all, Jack has a son in alternaworld, Jin and Sun are together and waiting for Jeo Yin to arrive, Hurley is with Libby, Sawyer is going to meet Juliet, mother of David, ex of Jack, any day now (I just know it). Plus, if somehow Alternalocke can be the candidate, his life will have meaning, which is all he's ever wished for.
Next week looks kickass! It's all about Jacob and MIB.
This episode was in the top five episodes of Lost ever! Others I include in my list? The Constant, Through the Looking Glass, and a couple from seasons one and two (the premiere and the second season finale).
Alternaworld:
1. Locke’s initial injury caused by . . . a plane accident he was in with his father, Anthony Cooper. He caused it; destroyed his father. Helen says he loved his father more than anything . . . there we go again with those fathers and sons!
2. Yay! Bernard! Locke’s dentist. How about that!
3. AlternaJack is showing signs of his old ways . . . can’t let go of things.
4. Alternalocke mutters in his sleep, “Push the button” “I wish you had believed me”
5. Apollobar from machine . . . just like when Jacob touched Jack. Foreshadowing here? Jack tries to touch Claire, but she refuses. She isn’t “with” them on the island anymore.
6. Claire never met her father in Alternaworld
7. Mirrorbox . . . Claire and Jack in the same reflection. What do you think it means?
8. “What happened happened. You can let it go . . .” “I can help you, John. I wish you believed me.” Sound familiar? Is this saying that the island really did happen?
Islandland
1. When they put them in the cage, my first thought was “Please tell me this is not going to be a repeat of the last time they were in the cage. I might not ever watch again . . .”
2. I don’t think Flocke actually can kill them, just as Jack stated (Wrote this before he said it).
3. Shooting at smoke seems pretty pointless to me.
4. Flocke’s giving out honest trifles again . . .
5. Come on, Sawyer. You can’t be that dumb. Oh, good, you’re not.
6. Jack’s hair is really getting gray on the island. Do you suppose that is significant?
7. Favorite Line of the Night: “John Locke told me to stay!”
8. OMG! They shot Kate!
9. OMG! They abandoned Claire again!
10. Where’s Richard?
11. SAYID CHOOSES HUMANITY! Awesome ending for him!! You CAN always choose not to go to the dark side. Doesn't this action alone prove Jacob right and MIB wrong? Before he goes, he tells Jack about Desmond in the well and says, "Because it is going to be you." Hmmmm . . .
12. The sub was underwater in the underwater island image from the first episode.
13. Nobody cares that Lapidus died . . . poor guy.
14. Sun and Jin: They’re gonna die together. I am going to cry. Second saddest Lost moment, next to Charlie dying; slightly more weepy than Juliet dying. I guess in the end, it didn't matter which one was a candidate, because they were going to choose to be together no matter what. Maybe they were one candidate together.
15. Kate still loves Jack.
Is it possible that Alternalocke can somehow return to the island? He’s "the candidate" in alternaworld, after all. But more likely in my mind is the idea that Jack is becoming one with Locke (same name, I say again) and is therefore now suited to protect the island. In some ways, Realocke will live on . . .
Or (after a night of tossing and turning I'm leaning this way), will Alternalocke somehow go to the island to take his true place as the candidate so that the rest can live their alternalives? I'm starting to root for the idea that somehow they are going to get their alternalives, and that those lives are imperfect, and that's ok. After all, Jack has a son in alternaworld, Jin and Sun are together and waiting for Jeo Yin to arrive, Hurley is with Libby, Sawyer is going to meet Juliet, mother of David, ex of Jack, any day now (I just know it). Plus, if somehow Alternalocke can be the candidate, his life will have meaning, which is all he's ever wished for.
Next week looks kickass! It's all about Jacob and MIB.
In the end, it's all about the choices we make. Sayid certainly proved that. Sun and Jin (sob) certainly proved that. Jack is proving it weekly (whoda thunk I would spend most of the final season LIKING Jack? Still hate Kate, though).
That was sad. And beautiful. And a great episode.
Namaste,
LLL
p.s. This post was done without time to reflect, as I will be without internet tomorrow. Who runs a workshop in a place with no internet? Oh, people who actually want you to focus on what is going on. Jerks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
