Wow…this was quite an episode. Might go down as the most talked about in the series history. So, I might as well talk about it here too. 🙂
( If you want to hear more thoughts, stop by the Lost Revisited Now podcast Episode 107 for the Initial Reaction show for ” Across the Sea”. )
Two Babies, Two Sides: Mother seemed to want to hold the BIB. Claudia only asked for “him” , first born Jacob , not “them”. “Are you ‘him’?” = Desmond’s question to who he thought was to be his “replacement”, John Locke. Mother looking for a “replacement”. It turned out to be Jacob. Jacob is looking for his “replacement” in the candidate. Or (as Wray suggested in “comments” last week) could the candidate be for something else entirely?
What’s in a Name?: In some traditions, like Judaism, there is a spiritual connotation to naming a child- that it would be telling of who they are , “their essence”, and would grow to be by the significance of the names chosen for them. In Hopi legend, it is several years and many names given to a child until what seems to best suit who he/she is , personality-wise, that a final name is selected. In Rome, where Claudia was most likely from, the father, not the mother, would decide the name, about eight days later after birth…and that’s if he decided the child would live or not! Where in ancient Egypt, of where we have seen a lot of reference to that culture on the show, the parents would waste not time in naming the baby after their birth, often siting a physical characteristic of the infant. But here…we have no name still for Man in Black. Is he the powerful but not forgiving Henry Gale’s boss “Him”, much like the pure evil figure from The PowerPuff Girls? Will a name be insufficient, at this point? At this point, I don’t mind it remaining a mystery.
Bad Twin! Baaaad! : There are so many stories of twin sagas gone wrong: Jacob and Esau of the Old Testament, Osiris and Set from Egyptian lore, Apollo and Artemis from Greek mythology, Romulus and Remus from Roman mythology ( who’s mother was a princess and father the god of war, Mars, who were raised by a she wolf and only one of them could be king, ending in Romulus killing Remus) .So, what’s one more! 😉
One set of twin from where we get the Gemini constellation, are Castor and Pollux, of Greek/Roman mythology. According to Wiki…
“In the myth the twins shared the same mother but had different fathers which meant that Pollux was immortal and Castor was mortal. When Castor died, Pollux asked Zeus to let him share his own immortality with his twin to keep them together and they were transformed into the Gemini constellation. The pair were regarded as the patrons of sailors, to whom they appeared as St. Elmo’s fire.”
(Well, there have been a few vessels that tend to drop by…or on, the Island.)
Is this what happens with Mother/Jacob, Jacob/Richard MIB/Locke and Sayid, exchanges…even possibly what happens, to some extent, when you become an Other, like Ben- the sharing of immortality? But the “rules” may somehow make immortality…flexible?
Oh, Grow Up!: It’s curious that MIB “saw” his birth mother ( or was it the image “Mother” wanted him to see?) when he was 13 years old. According to Jewish tradition, this is the age of Bar Mitzvah, when a boy becomes a man and becomes responsible for his own understanding of the law, tradition, as well as becoming accountable to morals and ethics. Among the Aborigines of Australia… they send them on … a Walkabout. In some Native American tradition, the rite of passage called Smudge that involves… a sweat lodge. No wonder John Locke was a “custom fit” for the MIB.
Bring Out Your Dead!: So, MIB could see “Claudia”? Hurley can see the deceased too. And apparently Sawyer…and Desmond, at least as far as mini Jacob is concerned. Is this tied into being “Special”? Mother said that Jacob couldn’t lie and that MIB could because he was “special”… or at least, inferred as such. Hurley is a horrible liar. Sawyer excels at it and is one of the reasons MIB wanted him on his side. So, just because Mother said Jacob couldn’t “see” Claudia” because she was dead…doesn’t mean it was true. Jacob just happened not to be there.
I Wanna Big Wheel, Mom!: We get to at least see the starting of the Donkey Wheel’s presence on the Island. Even if MIB actually got it to work, would he have been able to have left? Would it have shifted time, like it did before? And maybe this is why the Egyptian statue and hieroglyphics show up “later” in the show? MIB taking it for a test run?
Wake Up , Sleepyhead!: Mother disturbs Jacob’s slumber to tell him ” It’s time.” This is where she takes him to the cave, has him drink the wine as the initiation of becoming ” Protector” of the whatever is emanating from it. “You and I are the same now”. Will we see something very similar between Desmond and Ms. Hawking/Mrs.Widmore or even Charles, when he finally “ready” ?
Now You See Me… Now You Don’t: MIB has been looking for that cavern of light for 30 years. Mother can show her “sons” at a moment’s notice. Is it like Jack finally seeing the Lighthouse? It might be that you need to have a certain level of “faith”? And interestingly, in the same way, how was Hurley the only one to find Jacob’s Cabin, despite it moving locations… and he wasn’t looking for it at all?
Tunnel Vision: Looking at that glowing cave, I had to figure there were some kind of references to caves in literary and other “sources”. There are many. I found a fantastic compilation of them here at the studyworld.com site It was quite an interesting and enlightening read …and, for me, made the reveal more “accessible”.
See-ms Like Old Times: The way that MIB was left at the end of the river was very reminiscent of Boone’s vision of Shannon’s death by Smokey in the Season One Episode “Hearts and Minds” . In this episode, there is also a talk between Locke and Jack that is similar to Jacob and MIB in Season Five finale ” The Incident”. MIB ‘s body was entangled in the tree, like how we saw the pilot in The Pilot, after the Smoke Monster actually killed him. Also, his body was tossed aside by the black smoke but we’ve seen Brother since then, just like John Locke is now. In “Hearts and Minds” Locke said to Boone ” What did it make you see?”. Is it the Island? The Smokey Monster? The wacky paste John put on Boone’s head? We still don’t know! Is seeing here like the concept of seeing/showing that Charlie and now Desmond have been utilizing? And is seeing going to be what bridges the gap between what’s real, what’s an illusion and both of Lost’s “worlds?
” You Haven’t Aged a Bit!” : Now, I figure that we are just supposed to chalk up Jack thinking Adam and Eve were only there 40 to 50 years, instead of a couple millennium, because he’s not exactly an expert ( as I know that I talk about stuff I don’t know about all the time…so I can empathize..lol) . But what came to mind was the story of Moses and the Israelites wandering the desert for 40 years and God preserving their clothes so they never fell apart.
Hey, Locke said the Island was a place where miracles happened…so it could work?! 🙂
And lastly, I think I may have solved a major mystery. The cave that contains life, death, rebirth… Mother called ” The Heart of the Island” . The MIB , as far as we know, is a man without a name. In the southernmost part of the United States in Boerne TX, there is a National Park that features The Cave Without a Name. So, does this mean ” The stars at night are big and bright *clap clap clap clap* DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS!
Sorry… I couldn’t resist. 🙂
Now, time to set sail across the sea… to land on Episode 16.
ab aeterno (from the eternal) : Literally, “from the everlasting” or “from eternity”. Thus, “from time immemorial”, “since the beginning of time” or “from an infinitely remote time in the past”. In theology, often indicates something, such as the universe, that was created outside of time. *
Since this week’s title was in Latin, I thought I ‘d look up some other “abs” to discuss a few extra thoughts I had about this Ricardo-centric episode.
( If you would like to hear more, you can go to The LOST Revisited Now page and find “Ab Aeterno” , Episode 94) 🙂
ab absurdo (from the absurd): The statue being knocked over by The Black Rock and carried in so far inland… is this possible? Here is a link to an article by Popular Mechanics that let’s us know (of course, it being a “place where miracles happen!”, notwithstanding) 😉
ab antiquo (from the ancient) : It was finally confirmed that Richard was on the Island for a long time=since 1867. But thanks to the delightful Bonnie Covel over at about.com LOST blog, I have been alerted of date discrepancies. In the episode ” The Constant”, Widmore was bidding on the journal of from The Black Rock.
Here is the quote from the auctioneer about the details of the journal and its history:
“The Black Rock set sail from Portsmouth, England March 22, 1845 on a trading mission when she was tragically lost at sea. The only known artifact of this journey is the journal of the ship’s first mate, discovered among the artifacts of pirates seven years later. The contents of this journal have never been made public nor are known to anyone outside the family of the seller, Tovard Hanso. We open the bidding on lot 2342 at 150,000 pounds.”
But this week, the year of the crash on the Island was 1867, over two decades later than what is purported by the auctioneer.
So, is this a time travel issue (especially considering the episode it was featured in) ? A writing/continuity error? Was Widmore actually purchasing a fake ( yet another “con” on this show)? Love to hear what you think on the subject. 8)
ab urbe condita (a.u.c.) ( from the city having been founded) Speaking of Portsmouth, England, it was the hometown of Charles Dickens. The more I watch LOST, the more I feel like it would have been something that he would have written… or at least, very happy to read. 😉
ab epistulis (from the letters) : The portion of the Bible that Ricardo was reading while he was in prison, was Luke Chapter 4. In it, there is the account of Jesus’ temptation by the Devil. His rejection in his own hometown, saying things like “Isn’t he Joseph’s son?” as to belittle him and his ministry . Also in this chapter, Jesus says he is the fulfillment of prophetic scripture and then expels of a devil from a possess man (much to the chagrin of the Pharisees in the synagogue). And lastly, it tells of the healing of disciple Peter’s mother-in-law and the exorcism of another man who was demon possessed.
There are two things, from this chapter, that stand out to me that parallel the episode. The first is in regard to Jesus being tempted ,by Satan, 3 times with 3 different things( to which, Jesus rejects them all) . In Ab Aeterno, we witness the temptation of Richardo, by MIB, where he’s offered a reunion with his deceased wife. Like the devil did to Jesus, MIB waves the prize in front of Ricardo. Ricardo declines the offer.
But later, it is Richard that asked Jacob for 3 different things and is told what Jacob can and cannot do. Is this telling us that Jacob is good or are we just seeing a temptation in a reverse order? Either way, Ricardo agrees.
The other is how, like the citizens of Jesus’ homestead, Ben tries to lessen Richard’s importance to the Island by saying things like he knows nothing and that Ben has known Richard since he was a twelve. So, is Ben right? Is Richard not really anyone of consequence? From what we saw these past couple weeks, I think Mr. … Sorry… Dr. Linus might be wrong in his assessment.
ab utili (from utility) : On the Blast Door Map from the Swan Hatch( thank you, Lostpedia) it mentions, written as a side thought, “Known last resting place of Magnus Hanso/Black Rock”. Well done, Kelvin and Radzinski! And as we saw, it was. But not exactly “restful” when you get pulled through a wooden cheese grater of a door by a Smoke Monster. There was also a note about “Save yourself from Hell”. Very appropriate, considering all the referencing to both save/saving and Hell this week. But this raises the question : Is it literal or figurative? I’m thinking the later… but you never can be to sure with this show. 😉
ab irato (from an angry man) : As Dogen referred to him, will we see how that angry man, the MIB, will circumvent the island and break free? Will it involve our Losties? Does he need them to go “home” ? Or does he just need to keep them separated so the protector of the “cork” can never be realized?
ab incunabulis (from the cradle ie “from infancy”) : No Squirrel Baby this week… bummer!
Oh, well ! There’s always Episode 10… coming soon. 8)
This one’s going all the way back to when Ben wasn’t even Ben.
I’M HENRY GALE I AM
I’m Henry Gale, I Am
Henry Gale, I am, I am
Jennifer died, so a widower I be
So, please don’t sick Sayid on me
From Minnesota, I’m Henry ( Henry!)
Crashed in my balloon, so here I am ( Ka-blam!)
I am not an Other, I’m Henry
Henry Gale, I am
( Second verse…same as the first!)
I’m Henry Gale, I Am
Henry Gale, I am, I am
Jennifer died, so a widower I be
So, please don’t sick Sayid on me
From Minnesota, I’m Henry ( Henry!)
Crashed in my balloon, so here I am ( Ka-blam!)
I am not an Other, I’m Henry
Henry Gale, I am
So, Henry Gale, you are
Henry Gale, you are, you are
Followed your map right to the balloon
But Henry’s grave sang a different tune
This license proves you ain’t Henry ( Henry!)
Danielle caught an Other in her trap ( Oh, snap!)
No more milk for you, fake Henry
Henry Gale’s a sham
H-E-N-R-Y
Henry ( Henry! ) Henry (Henry!)
Henry Gale, I am, I am
Henry Gale, I am
I’m Henry Gale I Am
(Parody of the song “Henry the Eighth, I Am” by Herman’s Hermits {Murray/Weston, 1910, Revised by Herman’s Hermits, 1965 } New lyrics by Wendy Lincoln, 2007)
(If you would like to listen to more LOST parodies, click here). 🙂
For starters, (IMO) one of the tensest episodes to date.
And you just knew someone wasn’t going to make it out of it alive.
It just happened to be Ben this time… or should I say IN this time?
I am going to attempt to categorize this episode in “Bill and Ted” speak… The 80’s meets The 70’s….Whoa!
Grody! Sayid kills a chicken with his bare hands…but he lures his prey first. Much like Nathan/Goodwin in Season Two. Similar scenario to Mr. Eko killing for his younger brother, Yemi and Sawyer killing Cooper for Locke. Born killers or circumstantial? Also, another broken neck on the show. What’s the deal with all the broken necks?
Psyche! Ben made Sayid believe that he had some kind of noble purpose in his life. Fooled ya! So sorry about that. Turns out Ben was just using someone for personal gain. ( Imagine that !) In this case, to kill the majority of Widmore’s flunkies, who may or may not truly be responsible for Nadia’s death. Which still doesn’t answer the question of who is The Economist. And seeing that Widmore gave Locke a beyond current telephone to contact him with ( Just dial the # 23) , I’m guessing Charles is A-OK with technology. But Jacob isn’t. Were these people Ben had Sayid kill Jacob’s people and not Widmore’s? I’m thinking that Sayid ” I believe what I can see” Jarrah is not going to be as quickly convinced about seeking vengeance on ” The Invisible Man”.
Schweet! Hurley’s working in the kitchen making Dharma Ham Flavored Waffles with dipping sauce… informing Kate and Jack of the obvious… Sawliet or Jawyer… I’m not sure what term we’re using yet. Is it just me, or was that Locke’s almost tour guide from the ” Walkabout” episode walking over, then sitting down, at a table diagonal from them? Hey, who knows…it’s LOST! 😉
Harsh!
Good ol’ Roger Workman… what a sweetheart, huh? So, we get a longer glimpse into Ben’s sad past. Roger was not only an alcoholic, neglectful and verbally destructive, the elder Linus likes to throw in a beating, if the mood strikes him ( Please, Mood…you have my permission to strike him 🙂 ) And it clearly affects Sayid…but it does not dissuade him from what he believes is his “purpose”.
Pegged!
A lot of physicality in the episode… Sawyer urging Sayid to punch him…and vice versa… but that was to keep Sayid safe.
Sayid getting tasered….I’m gonna say, in the gut. Yeah, I’m sticking with that answer… 🙂
Sayid takes a boot to the face by Ilana. I think that move in is the hitman/spy equivalent to the ” Ol’ Wookie Prisoner Gag” … that was so effectively used against Aldo in Season Three’s ” Not in Portland”.
Yikes!
Sayid walked right into the arms of Ilana… only to be escorted onto a flight to Guam to avenge the death of Mr. Avileno. Sayid doesn’t want to get on board , once he gets a load of who are his traveling companions. Ilana offers the idea of getting a rabbit’s foot to ward off Sayid’s sudden “superstition”. It’s About Bunnies!
8)
Wiggin’ Out!
Sayid is taken by LeFleur, Horace, Phil and Radzinsky ( aka Stu) to see Larry…I’m sorry…Oldham, the Dharma’s “Medicine Man” , of sorts. His pharmacy is strictly of the “bathtub” variety. Sayid is given a sugar cube with “truth telling serum” on it. It worked…but they didn’t know what he was talking about…thankfully for Sawyer and the rest of our Losties.
Watching this scene made me think if the stuff that Sayid was detailing actually gave them “ideas”about what to build in the future. 🙂
Warped!
Town Counsel Meeting about what to do with the ” Hostile”. Stu wants to “stew” him. Amy at first looks concerned, then quickly changes her tune and says ” Kill him. What about the children.” I am now in the camp of theorist that Amy is short for Amelia, the older woman at Juliet’s book club. ( Tale of Two Cities, Season 3) . Add almost 30 years to her…. it fits. This would make her…an Other. The question is…has she been one all along, not just since ” The Purge” to come?
As If!
Ben is the one to get Sayid to leave his life of house building to do his bidding again! And of course, Ben wasn’t sure what happened to Locke, but he thinks it was murder! You don’t say!! Interestingly, the usually well pressed, dapper Ben, is seen wearing a wrinkled old blue striped shirt under a beige blazer… a shirt just like….Christian Shepard. “You’re a killer, Sayid”…very reminiscent of ” You’re the killer, Ana Lucia” in Season Two. Fate vs Choice? Also, on the wall behind Sayid are two handsaws , facing opposite directions. One has a light handle, one has a dark handle.
No Way!
Flaming microbus, started by ..little Ben? Much like Walt burning the raft ( Ben was also sporting a stripped shirt just like Walt used to wear) Fire was also used in diversion by Charlie when he took Aaron ( Fire + Water, Season Two) and smoke by Danielle ( to also take Aaron , Exodus , Season One) and by the Losties ( Live Together, Die Alone, Season Two) Ben wants to join the Hostiles, with Sayid’s help. Sayid tells him that his father was a hard man too. Ben replies ” I hated him” . To quote Hurley ” Um…what?” *Unless I heard it wrong, Ben speaks of Roger in past tense. Why? Let the theories begin! 🙂 *UPDATE I did hear it wrong. It was “I hate it here” … Thanks to rewatch on better tv and confirmation from Capcom. I’ve GOT to get a DVR or something! Tube tv & VHS… you’re lettin’ me down! 😉
Heinous!
Sayid, like that chicken , lures little Ben to his death. And there is no question of whether he was shot. The question remains, ” Will Ben survive?” And from that inquiry, other questions emerge…
Will the Island heal Ben?
Will Jack operate on Ben again?
If he is dead, how does this affect the story?
If he is not dead, how will this affect the story?
And in the end…maybe ” He’s Our You” really isn’t about the commonalities between Sayid and Dr. Sugar Cubes… but the ” He” is really Ben.
In 1954, Richard is wearing his dark blue , button down shirt and dark pants.
In 1956, Richard is decked out in dapper suit to witness Locke’s birth.
In 1961, Richard is in a similar apparel, dark business suit, when testing 5 year old John.
In late 70’s/early 80’s, Richard is wearing rather antiquated, even “piratey” type wardrobe
In 1992 ( approx) Richard stayed in handmade garments during The Purge
IN 2004-5, back to the dark blue, button down shirt and dress pants… but changed back to the to when Locke was to become “leader” of The Others at the end of Season 4 finale.
The the Island moves…
Post flash…Richard is back , helping Locke remove the bullet from his leg, in his dark blue button shirt again.
Why does this matter? Where/when did these styles of clothing originate? Did he get the more modern apparel in the future? In the 1950’s when the army landed on the Island? Did he go shopping during some “down time” doing one of Ben’s “errands” ?
I know, it may seem silly and inconsequential…but maybe not. Maybe it’s just telling us that when given the opportunity, Mr. Alpert likes to be a real snappy dresser? 🙂 Or maybe it is the key to telling us how long Richard’s been there… and how old he really is?
This is the other half of the notes I took from the LOST premiere. They may not be thorough but they were penned with great enthusiasm. 🙂
THE LIE
Starts out on The Searcher (Penny’s boat) with the Oceanic 6, Frank, Desmond and Penny crafting ” The Lie”. Hurley is the only hold out. He’s hoping Sayid won’t follow the rest of them.
Sayid joins in. Hurley tells him that if he ever needs help later in life, Sayid can pretty much forget it.
Sayid and Hurley on the run. Sayid is in a coma. Cops are chasing them ( Or are they?)
Hurley’s pulled over …by ANA LUCIA!!
” Ana” asked Hurley ” What if I were real?” Tells him “he has work to do” . Oh, and that Libby says “Hi!” (Ana spoke a lot like ‘ Dave”… who spoke a lot like Hurley.)
Hugo turns around… no police cars. ( Did that even happen?) Back on the Island … Daniel = Dr. Wizard. Miles corrects James ” That’s Mr. Wizard” . To which, Sawyer tells him to Shut up!” ( Sawyer is as equally confused about time travel as I am. Keep remembering that ” It’s About Bunnies” and you’ll be fine. 🙂 ) Off Island again...
Hurley enters convenience store, buys ” I heart My Shih tzu” t-shirt.
Cheap Trick’s “Dream Police” is playing in the background.
Girl behind counter recognizes Hurley as the lottery winner/plane crash guy, despite the “murder suspect” news report playing on the television behind her.
Unconscious Sayid and Hurley pull out of the parking lot. Kate and Aaron drive in.
Kate on the run again. Aaron wants to go home.
Kate calls Jack for help …well, almost.
Instead, Kate’s phone rings. ” I can’t believe it’s you!” Jack and Benat a hotel. Jack is clean and sobering up.
Ben has a plaid “treasure chest” stashed away in a vent in the room. Does Ben always have a plan or WHAT?! 🙂
Ben, who just flushed Jack’s pills down the commode, answering Dr. Shephard who claims he was just about to do that too ” Yeah, I figured you were.” 😉
Ben to Jack ” Take whatever you want from this world because you’re never coming back”. Sobering thought.
David Reyes watching Expose ( Someone on the show mentions ” The Dragon Lady of Van Nyes” {?} )
Hurley with a near dead Sayid on his back ” Hey Dad. How’s it goin’?”
Cops show up at the house. Hurley hides with Sayid.
Kate goes to hotel with Aaron.
Cut to Ben at a butcher shop. Takes ticket # 342
The female butcher knows him. Her name is Jill. She chopping meat with a cleaver. (Reminded me of Charlie’s dream of his butcher dad lopping off dolls’ heads, telling Charlie that he was going to be a butcher too. [Fire+Water, Season Two} )
Ben asks her to ” keep John safe” there. Locke is in a carpet van. (Note to self : When reflooring, laminate might be better choice 🙂 )
Ben’s “people” : Jill, Gabriel and Jeffery
Ben to Jill : If Locke isn’t kept safe ” Everything we’re about to do won’t matter at all”. Cut to Island
Bernard tries to start a fire Charlotte has a headache and was having trouble remembering her mother’s maiden name ( I’m guessing it’s one we’ve heard before)
Miles bags a boar. He’s carrying it on his back (like Hurley was just carrying Sayid) He knew it was dead for 3 hours (?) Can he “talk” to the animals too? Miles = Dr. Dolittle (?) 🙂
Frogurt complains… then gets shot with a flaming arrow in the chest.
Neil and other fellow red shirts are killed. Rest run for cover. Three years later, back in the “real world”
Hurley tells his parents he isn’t crazy. He has a good reason for his actions.
Carmen Reyes ” Why is there a dead Pakistani on my couch?”
Kate and Aaron at mystery caller’s hotel room. It’s… Sun!
Sun and Kate exchange pictures and pleasantries. ” It would be nice to see Aaron and Ji Yeon playing together.” (foreshadowing?)
Sun wants Kate to “take care of ” those who are “responsible” for their situation. Kate says no.
Sun tells Kate she doesn’t blame her for Jin’s death. Implying who she does blame when her next question is ” How is Jack?” Brrrrrr.
Hurley cracks about The Lie to his mom. Carmen doesn’t understand him but she believes him. Island time…
Sawyer steps on something with his bare feet (stepped on a dart back in Season Three, ” Stranger in a Strange Land”) His shoes are “Somewhere in Time” with his shirt.
Men with guns and military uniforms grab Sawyer and Juliet. Outfits look dated. ( Are these the same soldiers that left the army knife that Ana and Goodwin were using in ” The Other 48 Days”, Season Two?) Back to the future
Hurley and David go see Jack for help with reviving Sayid at the hospital.
Sayid wakes and starts fighting the last people he was fighting with. Unfortunately for Jack, Sayid thinks he’s one of them. Quickly remedied, though.
Ben shows up at Hurley’s house.
(IMO) Funniest scene of the night : Hurley whipping a Hot Pocket near Ben’s head.
Ben to Hurley : ” We want the same thing…to go back to the Island.” There, he’d never have to lie again.
Hurley says ” Never” and runs out into the street, willingly getting arrested for “murder”. ( Loved Jorge’s expressions during this whole scene. ) On Island
Locke saves James and Juliet . Man, does he know his was around a blade! Back to ” The Mainland”
Ms. Hawking and a giant pendulum making the floor with chalk , in the monastery ( Most likely, the one time residence of Desmond , as well as Brother Campbell. )
Ben makes another mysterious appearance. ( Can he “walk through walls”? Can Ben be in places that he’s not supposed to be in and/or two places at once , much like what Walt might be able to do? { “Special” , Season One, “Three Minutes”, Season Two} )
Ms. Hawking tells Ben he has only 70 hours to get all of them back to the Island. And if he can’t then…
” God help us all!”
Remembering a bit (and I mean, a very little bit 😉 ) about The Lost Experience, sandwiched between Seasons 2 & 3, there was a “secret” film that was obtained by the ARG hostess, Rachel Blake (i.e. Alvar Hanso’s daughter) . In it, Dr. Thomas Mittlewerk, a fairly high level person in the Hanso Foundation, was giving a clandestined lecture about the “necessity” of about 30% of the world population needed to be eliminated to keep what was composed within the Valenzetti Equation (4,8,15,16,23,42) from destroying the entire planet. According to the mythology, it is believed that if you could alter the sequence somehow, it would stave off “the end of all things”. I’m assuming that Mittlewerk was convinced that the “solution” was through population “downsizing”. Part of his plan was to give tainted vaccines to people in remote portions in Africa. The “logic” being that the mass poisoning would probably go unnoticed by the rest of the “civilized world” (Think Mr. Eko’s flashbacks….possibly more sinister that even he knew).
Then I started to think about another “method” that might have been employed as well…The button.
Back in the early 1960, a psychologist from Yale University name Stanley Milgram was conducting experiments to see how the average person could be manipulated to do unspeakable acts merely through feeling obligated to submit to authority. He was intriged by the Nazi trials that were still taking place after World War II and wondered how something like that could happen. He decided to do a study on this phenomena. It was called the Milgram experiment.
In the Milgram experiment, the subject is placed in a room with a glass partition with another person on the other side. They are told that the person in the other room is hooked up to wires and will be asked a series of questions. If they get the answer incorrect, the subject must push a button which will subsequentially shock the person behind the glass. They are told that the voltage will increase with each incorrect response. Oh, by the way, the subject is told that the person being “Jeopardized” in the other room, has a heart condition, which could prove fatal. If the subject protests, they are ask to continue politely. With each refusal, the “instructor” will be more urgent in that the subject “must do it for the experiment to work”.
Now, you hope that at some point, the sooner the better, that the subject would refrain, despite the immediate social disaproval from the “instructor”. Some, surprisingly more than Milgram expected, didn’t stop. They just keep pushin’ that button.
So, it got me thinking. What if they were told the opposite? What if someone was told that by pushing a button, they were the sole gatekeeper in the “Saving the World” club ? What would that do to them? To think that what they are doing is so “important” to the survival of the rest of us? Would they be as ready as Jack to “Let’s just SEE what gonna happen!” and stop pushing it? Or would they, even at the suggestion, feel obligated to it? What if they were told it was the only great thing they would ever do? Quite a more accessible and appealing motivation…positive reenforcement.
But what if pushing that button wasn’t savin’ the world? In fact, what if, unknown to them…that they were slowly killing it? What if by pushing that ( Execute ) button, they were actually causing people to perish? That Mittlewerk’s ..well…”work”…was being carried out through them every 108 minutes? Could it possibly be through The Tempest releasing gas, not on the island, but throughout the world in small doses? (With the Purge being a reverse, killing the island inhabitants of the Dharma Initiatives by ” The Hostiles” ) In his mind, and possibly many others in the Hanso Foundation, were “saving the world” by doing what they thought would be for “the greater good”. That man could hold back Armeggedon, and yet ,ironically at the same time, ushering it in with their murderous actions.
And if this is what is happening, could it mean that Ben just might be one of the “good guys” after all ?
Ben telling the truth? That might be an even more mind-blowing prospect than the whole “button pushing” thing! 😉
Here is a terrific video about the D.I. (Made by campetin for youtube)
In the episode ” Not in Portland” (Season Three), Juliet is looking at scans of a woman’s reproductive system that she believes is barren & in her 70’s. According to Richard, she is 26 years old and that this is part of why they need Juliet to be a part of what Mittlelos Labs is doing.
So, is this a random woman? Is it an Other? Or is this someone we are familiar with? Who was flying with a pregancy test? Does it have nothing to do with actual “barrenness” but with time travel? Or is it with the Island’s magnetic qualities? Why can the mother/child survive no later than the 2nd trimester?
Could the lady in question be….Kate? And if so, has she somehow been on the Island and/or contact with “The Others” before (knowingly or unknowingly)?
She has had some moments of “infertility” that we have witnessed. Once with Kevin (her husband), another with Sawyer. Are these just for storyline expediancy or are these clues? She seemed rather “guilty” when asking Sun ” Who flies with a pregnancy test? ” Edward Mars asks Jack if he “fell for her too” in Tabula Rasa (Season One). Did he mean romantically? Was the test Kate’s for EM’s baby? If that is true….no baby in that case either.
* I will be discussing Fringe episodes at this point. Just letting you know if you haven’t seen them and don’t want to get spoiled. 😉
To bring up another JJ Abrams’ show, “Fringe”, in last week’s episode, there was a man that was given an experimental means of communication through his blood that involved heavy metalic content. This person was able to being privy to secret conversations that made him believe that he was “hearing voices” . Are these similar to, or another form of, “The Whispers”? Michael, Sawyer, Jack and Kate (and most likely Walt and tailies as well) all had there blood extracted by the Others. Are they looking to see if they were part of an earlier Dharma experiment much like the one on Fringe?
In Fringe, when they put the man in an MRI, he almost was shredded apart. Is this what is happening with the pregnant women on the Island because of its magnetic properties but in a less concentrated scale? As the womb grows, so does the amount of blood that is encased in it. Has where the Island been “moved” to closer to a polar region, hightening the magnetic “pull” , causing the women and babies on the Island to die?
Or is it the time issue? Is the woman like Richard Alpert seems to be : Young on the outside, older on the inside (much like walking through a used car lot 😉 ) ? Is what is on the inside (i.e. baby ) aging as rapidly as the “home” they are growing in? (Again, much like another Fringe episode a couple weeks ago where a woman is immediately pregnant, baby comes to full term, she delivers then dies …then the “baby” becomes a full grown adult size then dies….4 hours later. )
And is what is in those Dharma shots Claire , Aaron and Desmond were given/taking designed to counteract either the rapid aging and/or polarization factor, so it would help Claire “save” Aaron and Desmond “save the world”?
Then again, they may just be Dharma’s version of Carnation Really Instant Breakfast 🙂 .
I’ve been contemplating, from fairly early in the series , how Vincent and Smokey haven’t been seen sniffing around the same Dharma food drop together. Why is that? Is this because they are one in the same? Or of similar “make up” but from different sides?
Locke spent the episode “Tabula Rasa” (Season One) fashioning what turns out to be a dog whistle to summon a “lost” Vincent. Whistles of this kind are known for emitting a pitch that is heard by a dog but not humans. In contrast, a loud whistle blares, much like one that is heard at a factory, alerting the Losties of the “monster” when it makes its first appearance in the Pilot episode. (Rose said later that it sounded familiar and that she was from the Bronx, NY). Is a person/thing “calling” the smoke monster?
Who/what is doing that?
Some have claimed that when you look in the pupil of Jack’s eye in the beginning of the Pilot episode, you can see a reflection of Smokey. Now if this is true, who do we see that is supposed to wake up Jack “because he’s got work to do” according to Christian? It’s Vincent. In that line of thinking, does Smokey appear first, then Vincent later? Or is Vincent in “monster” form first, then back to a dog, when he approaches Jack?
Then there’s, as Locke calls it, “a sonic weapons fence”. Smokey seems to be adverse to whatever is coursing between the pylons. Is this like one of those invisible pet fences meant to keep the dog/cat from roaming to and from the yard? Does the Island just have a “Super Size Me” one? However,was Patchy’s zapfest just an Others theatrical production? Fake beards..why not fake blood (and with a “Thank You” no less) Was this much like Ben knowing that Locke would inevitably blow up the sub? (But there is always the option that the fence is lethal and Patchy was “on the clock” for the Island, considering the harpoon to the chest/grenade in TTLG, Season Three finale. Oh, LOST….how you taunt us so. *hug*)
And then there is Danielle’s term of Smokey being the ” Island’s security system”. I bet if you hunt around long enough…. you’ll probably find a “Beware of Dog” sign nailed to a coconut tree that got torched during the hatch implosion. 😉
What did Locke see the first time he met up with “what is knocking down the trees” ? Something beautiful. The second time? Horrifying. But he still wanted to go with it. Makes me wonder about that story he told about his sister Jeannie that “turned” into a dog. A yellow dog. ( Outlaws, Season One) It was a “sign”, or representation, of the afterlife (at least his foster mother thought so). He said ” Well, that would be silly” when asked if he thought the dog was his sister. But he was with, assumably, less receptive listeners (Kate and Sawyer) to his brand of “belief”. Did he just pretend to not believe ? Was the finding of Vincent a two fold task: Get in good with Michael and his “special” son, Walt and reinforce his now energized “faith” in his understanding of the supernatural? Or did John “find” Vincent because he wanted to “keep his enemies closer”? Does the Blast Door map just solidify this?
That’s right…happy, cute puppy = Cerubus. Or is Vincent the anti-Devil Dog, i.e. the Island’s Twinkie? And as we know…Twinkies…live …forever. 8)
I have been hearing/reading about the dismay over certain characters’ “attitudes”, whether it be the grieving process is too quick or “I used to like them, now they are a jerky control freak” 😉 . And I see those things myself. But it got me thinking about why.
Sayid was pretty much inconsolable over Shannon’s death for several episodes. It even drove some of the plot, i.e. Henry’s interrogation and exposer as a fraud. However, that was Season Two and the “endgame” was still unknown. Now, is it just that it takes too long to write about the grief when there is so much more story to tell and not as much time to tell it?
That certainly is a very good possiblity. But here is another one of maybe why Claire seems to be “over” Charlie’s death so quickly? Location…location…location.
On the Season Two Extra’s Disc 7, there is a section called ” Secrets of the Hatch”. In it, Damon Lindelof describes why peoples attitudes and drives have “amped up”. Lindelof talks about how the hatch has a “Jeckle and Hyde” quality. They designed it so ” You are one person outside of the hatch and once you get inside of it you become another person. It forces other aspects of your personality to manifest, just by virtue of what you have to do there.”He talks about how the hatch affects Jack, when Sayid is beating up Henry Gale, in how far is he willing to go just to test his own inner struggle with “faith” and “reason”.
“The hatch brings out the worst in you. The hatch in many ways represented ‘The devil has arrived on the island and is going to give you exactly what you want.” “It is a Faustian sort of deal because when you make a deal with the devil, (Ex: Locke wanting a purpose) it’s doesn’t turn out how you’d thought it would be. And now you’ve got to deal with it. ”
So, this led me to considering that New Otherton might have a different “quality” to it as well. Claire was grieving , as was everyone else before they reached Ben’s Bungalows . Claire was the obvious choice to focus attention on because of her and Charlie’s budding relationship. But if you look a little closer, it seems like everyone pretty much “forgot” about Charlie. They’re all drinking coffee on the porch, watching Xanadu and playing Risk.
Oh, the Losties are still on guard. But I think that it might be an instance of “ignorance is domestic bliss”. I mean, who can ever forget Jack’s famous football spike in Season 3. ( I know it was for “diversionary tactics”. But “when in Rome” … 😉 )
It almost has a sedative quality, like their own “field of poppies” perhaps? It’s as if something has to “snap you out of it”. Be it a emotional “slap” , like between Kate and Sawyer . Or if you need something more “caffeinated”,like a band of mercinaries knocking on your pastel painted door with a rocket launcher. 🙂 (Now that the Hatch and New Otherton are “gone” , wonder where the next “adjustment” will come from?)
Then there is always the concept that Shannon was taken so tragically and without warning, driven by fear and confusion. Charlie, on the other hand, knowingly gave his life to make sure that his friends were rescued. And maybe that being the case, helped them all “cope” a little bit easier.
But then again, this is LOST . You’ll probably be hearing me saying ” I was wrong” well before this series is through. 😉
Woo Hoo! LOST has racked up 7 Emmy nominations this year. They are as follows….
1.) Best Series, Dramatic : LOST
2.) Best Supporting Actor in a Dramatic Series : Michael Emerson as Ben
3.) Outstanding Cinematography for a One Hour Series: Lost * ” The Constant” * ABC *ABC Studios, John Bartley A.S.C. C. S.C., Director of Photography
4.) Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Dramatic Series: LOST, ” There’s No Place Like Home (Parts 2 & 3), ABC * ABC Studios
Henk Van Eeghan , Editor
Robert Fiorio, Editor
Mark J. Goldman, Editor
Stephen Semel, Editor
5.) Outstanding Music Composition For a Series (Original Dramatic Score) Lost * The Constant* ABC* ABC Studios, Michael Giacchino, Music By
6.) Outstanding Sound Editing For a Series : Lost * The Shape of Things to Come* ABC * ABC Studios
Thomas deGroter, M.P.S.E , Supervising Sound Editor
Paul Fairfield, M.P.S.E., Sound Editor
Carla Murray, M.P.S.E. ,Sound Editor
Maciek Malish, M.P.S.E , Sound Editor
Lloyd Jay Keiser, Sound Editor
Joseph Schultz, Sound Editor
Jim Bailey, Foley Artist
Cynthia Merrill, Foley Artist
Alex Levy, Music Editor
7.) Outstanding Sound Mixing For a Comedy or Drama Series: Lost * Meet Kevin Johnson* ABC * ABC Studios
Robert Anderson, Production Mixer
Frank Morrone, Re-Recording Mixer
Scott Weber, Re-Recording Mixer
Update: Listening to Ryan and Jen of The Transmission podcast ( and I believe they also mentioned it on LOST Unlocked podcast) that LOST Mobisodes were nominated for an Emmy in a new catagory specifically for this new media. I didn’t see it on the official Emmys list when I was typing it up. But I must have missed it. So, congratulations on another nomination! 🙂
This is one of the first LOST parody songs that I wrote. It is about the devious yet congenial Benjamin Linus. It is a parody of “Betty Davis Eyes” , a number one eighties jam by the smoky throated Kim Carnes. (Most of my parodies are retro, for I am of a certain age).
I would like to stress that I think Michael Emerson has been a crazy awesome addition to LOST. And the ONLY reason that I felt free to write a song like this is that “Bug Eye” is part of the canon of the show (And …it is kinda funny, in a “Sawyer” sort of way).
(If you’d like to hear more LOST Parodies, click the link or find them under “LOST Parodies” under “Catergories” in the Blogroll)
BUGGY WUGGY EYES
His hair is neatly combed
His lips tell truthful lies
He likes his chicken cold
He’s got buggy wuggy eyes
He’ll turn his manners on you
You might mistake as nice
His bunny’s white as snow
He’s got buggy wuggy eyes
And he’ll banter about hamsters
And his island life is pampered
He’s malicious
But he knows how to make a beach brunch that’s delicious
He’s got Steve Buscemi’s ocular size
He’s got buggy wuggy eyes
He says you can go home
If that’s what will suffice
Oh no! The submarine’s blown
He’s got buggy wuggy eyes
He’ll stick a needle in you
With a pacemaker device
Oops! Sorry, that’s not true
He’s got buggy wuggy eyes
He’s a liar, pants on fire
Hangin’ from a telephone wire
He’s atrocious
And I’ll bet he is the one who took Claire’s hairbrush
Sayid said that he was a spy
He’s got buggy wuggy eyes
And he’ll banter about hamsters
And his island life is pampered
He’s malicious
But he knows how to make a beach brunch that’s delicious
He’s got Steve Buscemi’s ocular size
He’s got buggy wuggy eyes
And he’ll banter about hamsters
He’s pampered
He’s got buggy wuggy eyes
He’s a liar
Pants on fire
Telephone wire
He’s got buggy wuggy eyes
John Locke. Mother looking for a “replacement”. It turned out to be Jacob. Jacob is looking for his “replacement” in the candidate. Or (as Wray suggested in “comments” last week) could the candidate be for something else entirely? 
Henry Gale’s boss “Him”, much like the pure evil figure from The PowerPuff Girls? Will a name be insufficient, at this point? At this point, I don’t mind it remaining a mystery. 
Richard MIB/Locke and Sayid
, exchanges…even possibly what happens, to some extent, when you become an Other, like Ben- the sharing of immortality? But the “rules” may somehow make immortality…flexible? 
Hurley can see the deceased too. And apparently Sawyer…and 
Desmond, at least as far as mini Jacob is concerned. Is this tied into being “Special”? Mother said that Jacob couldn’t lie and that MIB could because he was “special”… or at least, inferred as such. Hurley is a horrible liar. 
Sawyer excels at it and is one of the reasons MIB wanted him on his side. So, just because Mother said Jacob couldn’t “see” Claudia” because she was dead…doesn’t mean it was true. Jacob just happened not to be there. 
Boone’s vision of 
Shannon’s death by Smokey in the Season One Episode “Hearts and Minds” . In this episode, there is also a talk between Locke and Jack that is similar to Jacob and MIB in Season Five finale ” The Incident”. MIB ‘s body was entangled in the tree, like how we saw the pilot in The Pilot, after the Smoke Monster actually killed him. Also, his body was tossed aside by the black smoke but we’ve seen Brother since then, just like John Locke is now. In “Hearts and Minds” Locke said to Boone ” What did it make you see?”. Is it the Island? The Smokey Monster? The wacky paste John put on Boone’s head? We still don’t know! Is seeing here like the concept of seeing/showing that 
Charlie and now Desmond have been utilizing? And is seeing going to be what bridges the gap between what’s real, what’s an illusion and both of Lost’s “worlds? 
Jack thinking Adam and Eve were only there 40 to 50 years, instead of a couple millennium, because he’s not exactly an expert ( as I know that I talk about stuff I don’t know about all the time…so I can empathize..lol) . But what came to mind was the story of Moses and the Israelites wandering the desert for 40 years and God preserving their clothes so they never fell apart.
Going all the way back to 1972 with this pop classic , highlighting the hubris of Mr. Benjamin Linus. Dig it! 
Sayid kills a chicken with his bare hands…but he lures his prey first. Much like Nathan/Goodwin in Season Two. Similar scenario to 
Mr. Eko killing for his younger brother, Yemi and 
Sawyer killing Cooper for 
Locke. Born killers or circumstantial? Also, another broken neck on the show. What’s the deal with all the broken necks?
Ben made Sayid believe that he had some kind of noble purpose in his life. Fooled ya! So sorry about that. Turns out Ben was just using someone for personal gain. ( Imagine that !) In this case, to kill the majority of Widmore’s flunkies, who may or may not truly be responsible for Nadia’s death. Which still doesn’t answer the question of who is The Economist. And seeing that Widmore gave Locke a beyond current telephone to contact him with ( Just dial the # 23) , I’m guessing Charles is A-OK with technology. But Jacob isn’t. Were these people Ben had Sayid kill Jacob’s people and not Widmore’s? I’m thinking that Sayid ” I believe what I can see” Jarrah is not going to be as quickly convinced about seeking vengeance on ” The Invisible Man”. 
Hurley’s working in the kitchen making Dharma Ham Flavored Waffles with dipping sauce… informing 
Kate and 
Jack of the obvious… Sawliet or Jawyer… I’m not sure what term we’re using yet. Is it just me, or was that Locke’s almost tour guide from the ” Walkabout” episode walking over, then sitting down, at a table diagonal from them? Hey, who knows…it’s LOST! 😉 
Christian Shepard. “You’re a killer, Sayid”…very reminiscent of ” You’re the killer, Ana Lucia” in Season Two. Fate vs Choice? Also, on the wall behind Sayid are two handsaws , facing opposite directions. One has a light handle, one has a dark handle. 
Walt burning the raft ( Ben was also sporting a stripped shirt just like Walt used to wear) Fire was also used in diversion by 
Charlie when he took Aaron ( Fire + Water, Season Two) and smoke by 
Oh, that Ben! He always has a plan. Now, what it entails is really none of our concern, is it? 😉 
Frank, 
Desmond and Penny crafting ” The Lie”.
Daniel = Dr. Wizard. 
Miles corrects James ” That’s Mr. Wizard” . To which, 
Charlotte has a headache and was having trouble remembering her mother’s maiden name ( I’m guessing it’s one we’ve heard before)
Sun!
Jin’s death. Implying who she does blame when her next question is ” How is Jack?” Brrrrrr.
Juliet. Outfits look dated. ( Are these the same soldiers that left the army knife that Ana and Goodwin were using in ” The Other 48 Days”, Season Two?)
It's About Bunnies! 
