cine + octo = boo

“What the ‘eff just happened here?”

The final episode has come and gone, and as expected it’s cracked the LOST fanbase right in half. The great polarization has impacted many, and even within the halls of Fanboy Planet the lines have already been drawn. I’m curious to get Lon’s take on the series and the final episode, although I believe the final outcome will be moot in the end. We’ll see.

I’m going to forego a detailed recap, but we did learn a few things. The sideways was nirvana, or the afterlife depending on where you stand spiritually. The whole series centered on Jack, his trials involved in accepting his role in a very important sequence of events, and his trouble letting go of things after the fact. It was the story of a group of people who came together to prevent the end of humanity, and how they met up after they died to reminisce and let go of the most import period of time in their existence.

Where the great divide is formed lies in one’s need for answers. The producers have long said that they would answer what needed to be answered, nothing more and nothing less. This doesn’t sit well with many folks, but what happened happened. Right?

The concept of the show is pretty interesting. It’s sort of like what would happen if Luke, Leia, Han, Obi Wan, Chewy, R2, and C3PO met up in the afterlife, helped each other remember those times they stopped the Empire from destroying the galaxy, and then ultimately help each other let go of the things that bind them to their mortality, preventing them from becoming one with the force. This is a beautiful thing to contemplate, especially considering our own lack of understanding around our own individual existence, mortality, and what exists in the great beyond…unless you’re too busy asking questions like, “Why does the force exist?,” “Lightsabers, how do they work?,” or “Why are some people eligible to be Jedi while others aren’t?”

The dreaded midichlorian scenes in the prequel trilogy were written for those folks, and thankfully LOST never went there.

“What are the rules, exactly?”

Do we really need to know? There is enough evidence within the series to surmise what these rules are, how they were formed, and why they were formed. But do we need a numbered list of the rules? No.

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The one episode I’ve been looking forward to since we began this whole adventure, and I manage to forego the liveblogging. Disappointed? Sure. But in some ways this may be better. While the episode aired, I wasn’t sure what to make of each development, but the details completely engrossed me every step of the way. Looking back, it would’ve been nice to capture my immediate reactions to each twist, but it feels like this episode deserves a deeper look at things. So here we go, let’s dive in.

His name is Jacob.

We knew this, but what we didn’t know is that he didn’t arrive on the island alone. Across the Sea begins with Jacob’s mother landing on the island post-shipwreck. We witness her give birth to twin sons with the assistance of an unknown woman living on the island. She names one of the boys Jacob, and then subsequently meets her demise at the hands of her would-be protector. Jacob and the unnamed twin (dare I suggest, the Bad Twin?) are both raised by their mother’s murderer, and from that point on we come to know her only as “Mother.”

Is it any surprise that the tale of LOST begin with matricide? Considering the strong thematic loops of children with mommy complexes and daddy issues woven through each season? Let’s speak of weaving. The yarn that has been used to weave this tale all generates from the events that take place within the space of Across the Sea’s runtime.

Birth. Death. Faith. Science. The rules. Betrayal. The con. The guardian. Children with special powers. The candidates. The game.

All of these things, and many more, begin here. Did you miss them? Let’s run through some of the more subtle aspects of the episode.

The game.

One of the most damning complaints I read about this show is the supposed changing of rules “on a whim” from season to season. I hear this more often than I care to admit, and quite frankly the more I dive into why people feel this way, the more it becomes clear. They weren’t paying close enough attention.

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LOST
ep.0504 – The Little Prince

There was a time when Sawyer did little but sit around on the beach reading books that he’d pillaged from wreckage, or discovered elsewhere on the island. These interludes provided tiny clues into the subtext of the larger story at play, and frankly, I was beginning to miss the infusion of literary influence on LOST.

Then those sneaky writers go and pop in a title like The Little Prince. Sure, there’s plenty to discuss in regards to the story fitting in with tales from the island, but before we dive too deep in the obscure, let’s get one thing out of the way.

Jin! Alive! Jumping right ahead to the closing seconds feels, somehow, appropriate. After all, this was one hefty dangling thread from last season. Many suspected this arc would head in this direction, but toying with expectations is exactly what makes the LOST writers so successful at pulling the rug out from under us.

But more on that later.

The opening flashback is of particular interest, as we find ourselves back on Penny Widmore’s boat with Kate and Jack on the eve of telling the rest of the losties Jack’s intent to lie to the world. Kate share’s an additional request, the desire to present Aaron as her own.

What intrigues me about these flashbacks to Widmore’s rescue boat is that we seem to be moving backwards through time in this flashback space. The first time we were introduced to this period in time this season was Jack’s plea to lie in the season opener. Now we are given a glimpse at Jack pulling the strings with Kate the night before — seems perhaps he and Benjamin Linus are more alike? Or Ben has perhaps rubbed off on the good doctor?

Kate’s story introduces us to yet another player in the game, a lawyer named Dan Norton. What interests me in Norton is not that he turns out to be under Ben’s employ, but what he represents on a grander scale. Sure, we’ve long suspected that Ben has pulled strings and manipulated events, but how far does his reach actually extend? Norton’s execution of manipulating Kate suggests he may have more pull than anyone has really imagined.

And if said manipulation was intended to steer Jack and Kate in the direction of Claire’s mom, then what was the purpose? For what gain? Norton was also clearly involved in her settlement with Oceanic Airlines, but to what degree? Curious.

Back on the island, Charlotte awakens from her nosebleed collapse and the group (Faraday, Miles, Locke, Sawyer, Juliet, and Charlotte) head toward the Orchid in an attempt to realize Locke’s plan to leave the island. Here’s where things get spookily brilliant. During their trek, the group experiences another time jump, after which Locke sees a beam of light shoot out of the jungle and straight into the night sky. Later, Sawyer stumbles upon Claire giving birth to Aaron with Kate’s assistance. The significance of this night is resounding, because it’s actually the intersection of several key events from the first season — Boone’s death, Aaron’s birth, and Locke’s spiritual rebirth after pounding on the hatch in frustration.

From now on, let’s call the evening of November 1st, 2004 the nexus of the LOST trilogy. Exactly how it all fits together is elusive, but watching the events transpire in Season 1, it was impossible to deny that this night was of great importance. Revisiting it here in Season 5 just reinforces the scale of the scheme, as laid out by the writers.

Another thought, now that the island losties are jumping around time, could we presume that they might, in fact, be the sources of the voices that haunted previous seasons? That’s not the only question raised in The Little Prince. After all, who was shooting at the group while paddling on the canoe? And what does the titular French novel have anything to do with this episode in particular?

I’m lost when it comes to the former, but the latter seems to hold weight when taken in context of the entire show. To touch on just a little bit of thise, consider some of the key themes running through Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s novel. I’ve drawn up some LOST parallels with some of these themes below:

“It is the time you have spent with your rose that makes your rose so important.”

Is this reflected in Sun’s absence from Ji Yeon? Or Jin’s absence from both Sun and Ji Yeon? Or consider the meta implications: the numerous daddy issue story lines permeating the series.

“You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.”

I immediately think of Locke’s sense of ownership over the island and the Others, but this could easily be extended to Jack and the losties, or better yet Alpert, or Jacob for that matter.

“One cannot see well except with the heart. The essential is invisible to the eyes.”

Some context, in The Little Prince the narrator is stranded in the Sahara when they meet the titular Prince (hello! stranded?) In the first 8 days (ahem, numbers?) of being stranded in the Sahara, the Prince demands a drawing of a sheep from the narrator. After many failed attempts, the narrator draws a box and explains that the sheep is inside the box. Since the Prince can see through the box, he exclaims that the drawing is perfect.

Need I mention the constant scrutiny Locke is placed under? He’s somehow special, and the island recognizes this, but why? Because he sees with his heart — he believes. He is a “Man of Faith” remember? That, and I recall Ben mentioning something about a box in a previous season (removing tongue from cheek).

Bullet round:

+ The Prince focuses on caring for his planet…planet = island? Jacob? Locke?

+ The King can move the stars, etc. King = Jacob?

I digress. The brilliance behind literary infusion on LOST is that it can provide rabbit holes for us to get…ahem, lost in.

So yes, Jin returns, but even that isn’t enough to knock the wind out of any dedicated lostite, so the writers toss us the prelude to another long requested answer in the form of a very young (and pregnant) Danielle Rousseau and her research team, led by Montand. What happened to her in the early days on the island? Something tells me we are about to learn a bit more about our rifle wielding friend.

LOST
ep.0503 – Jughead

Something occurred to me during the opening of Jughead. Time has always been at the focal point of the series, but there is an important distinction to make — playing with “time” as a conceit is not limited to “time travel” as a device.

Case in point, in the early minutes of Jughead Desmond frantically searches for a doctor in the Philippines to assist Penny, who is in the throes of labor. Their son is born, and we learn that the couple has chosen the name Charlie. The implication here is that time is cyclical — Desmond’s time on the island resulted in his meeting Charlie, who then died while re-uniting him with Penny, which then influenced the couples’ name selection. In a way, the legacy of Charlie lives on.

Another interesting tidbit to keep tucked away for later is that we’ve seen three births thus far: Claire’s son Aaron, Sun’s daughter Ji-Yeon, and now Penny’s son Charlie. Although there isn’t much to make of this yet, it is important to note. After all, both birth and rebirth seem to be emerging themes this season.

Let’s dig into some of the meat of Jughead, most of which pertains to Faraday. Desmond follows Faraday’s direction, and travels to London, more specifically Oxford University, in search of Daniel’s mother. What he finds instead is far more creepy. While rooting through Daniel’s now-defunct lab, a janitor confuses Desmond for a run-of-the-mill gossip seeker. Apparently Faraday’s work has become somewhat of a university-wide legacy, and the janitor explains its allure, “after what he did to that girl?”

The girl in question, it turns out, is living in a vegetative state. She suffers from similar symptoms that Desmond experienced while on the freighter. As if that wasn’t enough, Desmond learns that Widmore is footing her hospital bills, and he even was the primary financial investor in Faraday’s research.

The question you are asking yourself is, “Why?”

More on that in a bit. Back on the time-displaced island, it appears The Others have far more secrets to reveal. After being attacked by a pair of uniformed grunts, Juliet, Locke, and Sawyer try to get them to talk. The pair are tightlipped until one asks the other a question…in Latin.

What’s more? Juliet responds. She’s certain they are Others, because they speak Latin. Meanwhile, Faraday, Miles, and Charlotte (don’t you just love the balanced pairing?) are subdued by another band of Others led by a woman named Ellie, whose significance I’m sure will factor in eventually. They are taken to a camp where they bump into Richard Alpert, and Faraday deduces that they are in the 1950s and that the Others believe that the US military is on the island — seeking to use it for nuclear testing.

Faraday convinces Alpert to let him have access to the bomb on the island, and assures him that he does not have intentions of detonation because “I’m in love with the woman sitting next to me and would never do anything to cause her harm.” He is, of course, referring to Charlotte.

After escaping from Locke, Sawyer, and Juliet, one of the two grunts returns to camp to report in with Alpert. Locke had a chance to shoot him as he fled, but decided not to stating, “He’s one of my people.” Later, we learn that the grunts name is Charlie Widmore.

Ellie escorts Faraday to Jughead, which is a hydrogen bomb left on the island. He tries to explain time travel to Ellie and instructs her to “bury it in the ground.” Sawyer and Juliet turn up in time to disarm her, and a flash in time occurs.

Historic tidbit: Jughead was the name given to a test device prepared in case the tests at Castle Bravo failed. They didn’t, so Jughead was cancelled and all EC-16s produced were disarmed and dismantled.

Before the jump, Locke meets with Alpert and because this meeting takes place before the two of them have ever met, Locke uses the compass to gain some level of trust. He also informs Richard that he is their leader, but Alpert is not entirely convinced. When the Others pick a leader, rigorous testing is done and it begins at an early age. Remember that meeting between young Locke and Alpert? During the visit Richard had asked, “Which of these items belongs to you?” The young Locke selects a vial of sand, the compass, and a knife — which seemingly angers Alpert.

Recall what I mentioned about time?

As if all of this wasn’t enough, following the time skip Charlotte suffers a nosebleed and collapses to the ground just as the already packed episode draws to a close. I’m sure we’ll be learning more about this from Faraday

So, thoughts on the birth/rebirth baby connection? Or do you want to expound on Widmore’s “Otherness?” The comments are wide open.

LOST
ep.0502 – The Lie

If the wizards behind Lost have made one thing apparently clear, it’s that they are certainly attentive to pacing. OK, I’m sure that many of you out there will disagree with that statement, but hear me out.

Damon and Carlton didn’t set out to stretch the Lost story arc into a thinly strained line that tests the limits of sustainability. Truth be told, they did their best to keep the arc on track while juggling the trials and tribulations of network jockeying. Sometimes this resulted in an ebb and flow that frustrated many viewers — tell the story that satisfies, then tell the story that lays the groundwork.

It’s understandable that many took umbrage with the amount of time spent in “foundation laying” mode, but these episodes have typically paid off in the long run. Getting back on course, Damon and Carlton’s attentiveness to pacing was proven in their successful pitch to ABC to set Lost story arc firmly upon a fixed timeline. By doing so, we now have an end date, and I like to picture the sigh of relief that filled the writer’s room upon hearing the news. Finally, we can plot this thing out and tell the story accordingly.

So far, so good. Last season certainly knocked it out of the park with it’s concluding run, and Season 5 shows promise with the season premiere. The fan base was given a spoonful of the good stuff with Because You Left, and the team set squarely to work on foundation building with the Hurley-spun yarn, The Lie.

Truth be told, had The Lie not aired as the second half of the premiere, disappointment would have certainly won over. Don’t get me wrong, there’s an important story here. While he was certainly not the only one with difficulty coping, Hurley is the one fragile link in the group of “survivors” with potential of breaking loose. In fact, The Lie suggests that Hugo’s institutional stint may have actually been influenced by his desire to tell the truth.

The lie in question refers to the “survivors’” story, post-island. Essentially, Jack urges the group to tell a different tale, one that involves more deaths in the actual crash, and less “survivors” on the island itself. The reasoning here is to protect those still on the island, but the underlying truth is that no one truly thinks that anyone would believe the real story. Hurley, the sole voice of reason, stands firm against the group. More specifically, he pleads that if they all support the same story that people would be forced to believe them. Betrayed by all, Hugo finds himself in a mental hospital once again.

The brilliance behind this episode is really in testing the limits of Hurley’s dedication to truth. He endures a lot, and even after telling Sayid that he will never forgive his betrayal (or help him again), Hurley goes against his own word and saves Sayid from peril at the hands of some would-be attackers. In a funny cameo, we see the return of Ana Lucia to the show, in the form of a ghostly apparition who advises Hurley along the way.

This episode stresses importance in Hurley’s ability to believe. When advised by Sayid to never trust Ben, Hurley takes heed. After delivering Sayid to Jack, Hurley hides at his parents’ home. When Ben shows up to fetch Hugo and return him to Jack and Sayid, Hurley trusts his Sayid’s word despite his betrayal and turns himself into the police.

While not the strongest episode, the truth in The Lie will be told in Hurley’s seasonal arc. There’s a reason for dedicating this level of detail to the big guy, and I’m certain the implications will play out in time.

LOST
ep. 0501: Because You Left

LOST certainly has one thing going for it. Security. This comes in several forms, the most significant being a diehard fanbase and a secured run with an agreed upon end date. This sense of security brings an unprecedented amount of creative freedom, and the first episode of season 5 exemplifies this to perfection.

Flying off the rails, “Because You Left” dives deep into the mythology of LOST right from the onset. We get a glimpse into Dr. Marvin Candle’s work on the island, chiefly his attempt to film an orientation video for The Arrow station, someone referring to him as “Dr. Chang,” and some details about the “seemingly unlimited power” that will help the Dharma initiative control time.

Furthermore, we get answers to several questions. How does Faraday know so much about the island, and has he ever stepped foot on the island before? Moreover, how will the time convention be turned on it’s ear for a fifth season? We all know that the LOST creators have played with the flashback/flashforward conceit of the show over the past few seasons, and season 5 takes things to a new level of mindbending confusion.

We learn that Ben’s season finale “island move” has had further repercussions. Namely, either the losties or the island itself may have become dislodged from time. Things shift frequently, accompanied by flashes of white light. One minute, Sawyer and company are standing on an abandoned beach where their camp used to stand, the next they are standing next to the blast site formerly known as the hatch.

Locke is also set adrift, one minute watching as Eko’s brother’s plane crashes into the trees, the next being saved by Richard Alpert who gives him some unsettling news, “You’re going to need to convince them to come back, and to do that John, you’re going to have to die.”

Faraday remains at the forefront for this episode, and we get a sense that he’s going to continue to play an integral role in the fate of our dear survivors. After all, he understands more about the time conundrum they are all trapped in than anyone else, and he also possesses knowledge about the rules at play. When Sawyer flips out about the loss of his friends, it’s Faraday who informs him that he cannot change what has already happened. This is evident in Sawyer’s attempts to roust Desmond. Faraday explains that because Sawyer has already met Desmond, he will never answer the hatch door no matter how hard he pounds. But Faraday also knows that Desmond is special, and the rules do not necessarily apply to him in the same way that they do to the others. It will be interesting to see how much of Faraday’s knowledge gets parsed out over the course of the new season.

As for the first episode in, it’s a rollercoaster ride (and a welcomed one at that). For fans of the show, “Because You Left” is chock full of the very same labyrinthine frustrations that make the show so compelling. The nice thing is, fans of the show can sit back and enjoy the risky storytelling without fears of cancellation.

The power of fandom strikes again.