Anyhoo, on with the discussion.
First off, continual big ups to actor Michael Emmerson. His work as multilayered Ben - dastardly Ben, deceiving Ben, powerful Ben, powerless Ben, sad victim Ben, scurrying through the jungle in desperation Ben - never ceases to be top notch.The evidence is increasingly strong that our flashes to Earth 2 are also to Fantasy Island, where our island folk get that one thing they want most in life (Sayid - Nadia is alive, Jack - over his father issues, Ben - choosing to help Alex over his power trip). Are we heading to a conclusion where this life is the reward to our Losties?
In the same vein, applause to the writers who have given us the evolution of Jack. Remember the Jack who was so certain Locke was wasting his time punching in the numbers that there blowups about it? Remember the Jack who was so certain by setting of a nuke everything would be all right that he actually made that happen? Now we've got Jack so certain that he's part of some great Manipulation in the Sky. If the series is, at least in part, a mediation on issues of rationality and belief in destiny, he's charted an interesting course.
More and more, I'm thinking the show is heading to a scenario where we get some indication that the conflicts and roles here have been going on forever. Jack maybe is the new Jacob? Locke as Man in Black? And Kate - who came to the island a captive - is the new Richard (who also seemingly came to the island in chains, perhaps as a slave or prisoner aboard the Black Rock). And why is it that Locke is telling different island stories to different folks (to Sawyer: "Man, this place sucks and there ain't nothing here to protect, let's jet." to Ben: "I need to leave someone in charge of the island. You."
And speaking of Richard, does Jacob's touch automatically confer some kind of quasi immortality? Are our Losties also like Richard in that regard, since we've seen Jacob had physical contact with them at some point in their past? (One hiccup to that - how'd Sawyer age from little kid to adult?) Or perhaps there are different gifts to different Losties.
Some random thoughts:
- OK, a nuclear bomb went off on the island, sinking it, right? So why would Ben's dad suggest their lives would've been better off staying there. Curiouser and curiouser. I think we'll find at some point that something is going on with the island other than it just being a submerged wreck like the season opener indicated.
- Please, can we do something with Illana? Either kill her off or give her some fleshing out? Right now she's like Ben or Richard in earlier seasons - seemingly knowing lotsa stuff but never divulging - but without the fun or dimensions.
- Ditto Sun. I miss the off-island Sun who was going to be all Charles Bronson on Ben for, she thought, killing Jin. But instead since last season she's been this housefrau running around the island with one line of dialogue - "I have to find my husband." The only thing worse likely will be when they in fact reunite and then Sun doesn't even have that to do.
- So why does Fake Locke need followers to come with him? Is the Widmore sub going to rendezvous with Locke and his crew? Or is Locke wanting them to take it from the seamen?
- Lovin' the Nicki and Paolo shout out.
5 comments:
Am I the only one who finds the alternate reality LOST universe to be more interesting? The stories are more confined. They make more sense AND they don’t leave me perched on the end of my couch, leaning into the TV yelling, “What the hell?!?!?!?! Submarines!?!?!?!” I’m telling you – this show is video crack. It’s bad for me, but I just can’t turn away.
There is a story attributed to Ernest Hemingway, and whether or not it’s true, it’s still a good tale. He was challenged to come up with a compelling and complete story using only 6 words. Any English major will tell you that a good story has to have a beginning, a middle, and an end, but six words? They will also tell you how to make a decent cappuccino at Starbucks or fold a T-shirt at GAP because what else can you do with an English degree? Anyway, Ernie thought for a second, grabbed a napkin and wrote the classic, “Baby Shoes.” Here it is:
For sale. Baby shoes, never worn.
That’s it. It’s sad, compelling, thought provoking and complete. It also has the 3 elements of a good story all in one neat package.
And then there’s LOST. There was as compelling beginning – the plane crash. The middle sort of meandered all over the place and the end – well, we’ll find out how that goes. I’m hoping like crazy that it’s not going to be a mad rush to make this something other than a trippy fugue state. Don’t give me another Bobby Ewing in the shower or Tommy staring at a snow globe. Bring it on home, Abrams because there are a ton of us chomping at the bit for the DVD box set.
I think the show is 'meh' this season because they've already given us everything we need to know to prepare us for the 'ending.' It's just filler this year. What we're seeing is pretty much two sides lining up for a final conflict. It's like the second Lord of the Rings film.
In the past it was our curiosity about the strange occurrences on the island and in the flashbacks which brought us back week after week. Now, they're trying to maintain that same level of suspense in a much more artificial way - by having characters hold back information for no good reason - other than to get us to tune in the following week. It feels like a soap opera in that regard.
Of course - this doesn't mean I'm not going to be in front of the tube for each and every episode until the last.
I hate your theory that Jack = Jacob and Locke = MIB. Locke is not a bad guy. Also - Locke is dead, right? Your argument about Kate/Richard is compelling though.
I gotta second that sentiment. While I love the mystery/mythology aspect of the show and all the trippy references from Lewis Carroll to Egyptian mythology, the thing I enjoy the most about the show is just the characterizations. Ben, Locke, Jack, Sawyer (at least until he bought the farm), all fascinating. The looming Claire/Kate clash, can't get enough. While you can't really separate the characters from the Island - I mean, Ben's motivations for much of what he has done in life is his religious like fervor toward this island - a show with weird things going on and boring or stereotypical characters would taste like old Dharma beer after awhile.
do we know for sure that the bomb sank the island? i thought the reason for sinking was still an (important) mystery.
One thing that bugs me this season is that the knowing nudges from the writers have gotten more cloying. It's like they're trying to hit us over the head sometimes with all the "we know you're crying for answers" stuff.
If there was a weak spot for this week's episode, I think that was it. Otherwise as you said Matt, Emerson was just awesome in the episode.
Post a Comment