Destiny

Work To Do

Desmond Through Time

Just some madcap photoshop boobery...

The D-Gees

Desmond in the 25th Century

The Hatch Bandits

Episode 4x12 -- 50 Ways to Leave the Island

INTRODUCTION: HOMEWARD BOUND

A couple of weeks ago when I wrote about “Something Nice Back Home”, I likened it to the classic season-finale set-up episode. Well, little did I know that the first hour of the finale “There’s No Place Like Home” would be the actual set-up episode. So now I suppose the former would be the set-up to the set-up episode?

Honestly, I don’t think it was entirely necessary, especially during a season where due to the writer’s strike the storyline had to be condensed into a shorter length of time. The plot just seemed to eek itself forward in this installment, as about half of the time was spent off-island after the Oceanic 6 settle in. Nonetheless, this is LOST, and there is always some meaty pulp which can be strained from the juice.

MOTHER AND CHILD REUNION

As the airplane doors parted, for a brief second I saw the Swan Hatch opening, and wondered if we would see John Locke peering in with a lit torch. One begins to expect such things on a show such as LOST, but what I did not expect was to be reaching for the tissues so early in the episode.

The music and lack of dialogue made the reunion scene quite emotional, as Jack greeted his mother, Hurley greeted his parents, and Sun greeted her mother, while avoiding her father. As Sayid was then pulled aside by Hurley to also be welcomed by the folks, it got to me even more. But the final kick to the heart was when I saw Kate and Aaron all alone, looking around, wind-blown, both of them now without their true parents. It was a very poignant scene when we consider how the theme of parent issues permeates the show.

KEEP THE CUSTOMER SATISFIED

Although the Oceanic press conference was a bit unbelievable, it was also a bit revealing in the way that the O6 answered their questions. We all know they are given a large sum of money by Oceanic Airlines. We also know they are hiding something huge but still don’t know why. Was this their own idea, to fabricate a story to possibly protect the Island and their friends left behind? Did Oceanic actually bribe them to stay quiet with the settlements given out? Or did some representative of Widmore possibly orchestrate their rescue and subsequent cover-up? Who was that mysterious person on the plane that Karen Decker said hello to before she tells the O6 they are about to land?

I found it interesting that the name for the island the O6 first supposedly came to is named ‘Membata’. According to Lostpedia, it means ‘doubt’ in Indonesian, as in, “I doubt that’s what really happened!” In addition, I am wondering if they’re referencing the tsunami of December 2004 when Ms. Decker explains to the press that a typhoon had washed up a small Indonesian fishing boat to the island. It seems to me that we are close to the date in our timeline. I could be totally off with this, however, as time and dates on and off the Island are a bit difficult to pinpoint.

LOVES ME LIKE IRAQ

Sayid is an extremely passionate character, and to me his love story with Nadia is just as iconic as Desmond and Penny, or Sun and Jin. After searching for her for 7 years and returning from the Island, the two are finally reunited in another highly emotional scene.

One complaint that I have heard in my own circles is the frustration with knowing who gets off the Island and what happens in the flash-forwards, as some people believe that this has somewhat ruined the suspense for them. Sometimes I tend to agree, and sometimes, I disagree. I think what the writers are giving us is a very different way of telling a story that we are only beginning to learn the implications and complexity of.

For instance, if we did not know the events that lead up to Sayid being recruited by Ben, this scene would be just a very moving reunion of lovers. However, because we know that sometime not long in the future after they are married Nadia is murdered, another level is added to their meeting. Now the scene evokes emotions that are bittersweet and deeply heartbreaking, as we are already aware that their bliss will unfortunately be short-lived.


FATHER AND DAUGHTER

At this point, I can’t help but wonder if Sun happens to shop at ‘Black and White Maternity Dresses R Us’. But aside from her lack of color, she is certainly not for lack of fire.

Sun marches into her father’s office and does not hesitate to give him a verbal lashing that I doubt anyone saw coming. She defiantly accuses him of hating Jin and being one of the two people responsible for his “death”. In a final, grand act of revenge, she reveals that she used her Oceanic Airlines settlement to purchase a controlling stock in Paik Heavy Industries, her father’s own company.

I am not really concerned with the question of how she had enough money to buy such a large part of the company, even if there does seem to be a plot hole here. What does fascinate me is that the Island, and what happened when she left it, has really changed Sun. Having to part with her husband (whether alive or dead) has given her this edge that has allowed her to confront this hugely oppressive force in her life. It was honestly just plain fun to cheer Sun on and watch Mr. Paik squirm.

I also do not think this is the last we will be seeing of him, as if you remember from The Lost Experience his company is linked to Charles Widmore and most likely to the Island as well. Could this be another reason why Sun bought into Paik? It would be a nice turn of events if we later find out that Sun’s newly acquired resources do indeed come into play in the O6’s return back to the Island.


WHEN NUMBERS GET SERIOUS

I was very moved when Hurley’s father revealed to him the fully-restored Camaro that they had once worked on together when Hurley was just a boy. I almost cried again when Mr. Reyes told him that he felt as if Hurley was with him when he was restoring it. Unfortunately, however, the white rabbit’s foot on his keychain was of no service. As soon as Hurley gets into the car he immediately discovers the NUMBERS on his speedometer and subsequently freaks out. Heck, it even freaked me out, so I give my kudos to the writers for another great ‘whoa’ moment. It would seem that the Island wasted no time in its assault on Hurley’s heart and mind, as he is the first of the O6 to become terribly affected after leaving.

THAT WAS YOUR MOTHER

Although the funeral service for Christian Shepherd seemed a bit forced and untimely, it did serve the purpose of bringing Carole Littleton, Claire’s mother, into the storyline again. Apparently, Ms. Littleton had awakened from the comatose state that Claire had left her in before crashing on the Island. In a very “Star Wars” moment where I could almost hear Emperor Palpatine’s voice speaking over her, Carole reveals to Jack that he has a sister.

Finally, we now know for sure that Jack is aware that Aaron is his nephew. However this now makes his aversion to Aaron even stranger, as there must be some reason that Jack does not want to see this child later on in the future timeline. Even if it is somehow tied to his own manufactured guilt from his failed plan to get everyone off the Island, it seems harsh to me that he would not want to see his own nephew, or provide him with love in memory of the mother who cannot be with him.

There are many cases of character connection on the show, but rarely do the characters themselves actually find out. In a final moment of irony, Carole walks over to Kate and Aaron. She is not at all aware Aaron is actually Claire’s child, and she looks at him admiringly for a moment before telling Kate that he is beautiful. There must be some very big reason the O6 are keeping to their story if they cannot even allow a grieving grandmother to know her only grandson.


ONE TRICK PONY

Poor Jack. He really hasn’t been making the best decisions lately. Make that all season. His heart is in the right place, but his mind is still stuck in hero mode. So it is only fitting that he decides to go traipsing off into the jungle after helicopter pilot extraordinaire Frank Lapidus and the Agents of Doom he doesn’t know are flying with him. Perhaps if Juliette had done a better job of stitching him up, maybe we wouldn’t need to worry about his guts falling out. Kate doesn’t seem overly concerned, though. I think she takes any opportunity she can get to spend some alone time with the Doc, even if he is bleeding profusely from an open flesh wound. That’s just love juice, baby.

Enter one overly casual Miles and one overly distressed Sawyer with child. I give this scene entirely to Josh Holloway, as once again my heartstrings were totally tugged upon. He did a brilliant job of expressing extreme exhaustion, disbelief, sadness, and fear all within a few seconds and all without saying a word.

However, it doesn’t take long for him and Jack to begin arguing about their previous decisions and about what to do next. In a classic Sawyer and Jack game of verbal table-tennis, Sawyer calls Jack out on how he constantly feels like he has to get everyone off the Island saying, “You’re like a damn broken record!” Jack then spins right round and decides to continue the trek alone to Kate’s dismay. I can’t tell if the look of shock on her face is for fear of Jack’s life, or for fear of sudden motherhood.

Nonetheless, the scene is closed with another classic line as Sawyer begrudgingly stomps off after Jack yelling, “Hold up! You don’t get to die alone!” Sawyer is now in hero mode as well, and the two of them disappear into the greenery to more than likely join the party that’s about to go down at the Orchid Station.


SAVE THE LIFE OF MY CHILD

Meanwhile, back at the beach, Sayid arrives with the zodiac boat he borrowed from the freighter to further separate the survivors and make us have to speculate even harder about how the O6 actually get back together and escape the Island. Kate also returns and plays hot-potato with Aaron, passing him off to Sun with a quickness so that she can run back into the jungle after Jack.

And who would have thought that Daniel Faraday, the lying, time-traveling physicist with memory issues, would step up and actually participate in trying to save the Islanders? Somebody mentioned the Orchid and that freaked Danny boy the heck out. As Sayid and Kate run off into the jungle after Sawyer and Jack, Dan starts the first ferry of 6 back to the freighter. This first batch includes Jin, Sun, Aaron, and some redshirts to mix it up and make it seem more natural. When Dan starts to pull away, he turns back to Charlotte who is watching from the shoreline and gives her a look that I could only interpret as, “I sure hope I don’t die!” Charlotte also gives him a look in return that I interpreted as, “I’m sure glad Jin isn’t going to break your fingers now!”


THE BOXER

Well it didn’t take long for Ben to be back to his old, cryptic self. I wonder if his moping around in “Cabin Fever” was indeed just an act in order to manipulate Locke. Once they learned they needed to move the Island, Ben seems to have sprung back into his ‘game-master’ role, and even makes a pit stop to uncover a conveniently placed BOX of supplies hidden under a rock. Even more convenient is the person perched on the mountainside already prepared to send messages to Ben via a signaling mirror. Who was Ben communicating with and what was he saying that he had to keep secret from Locke? Was he telling the Others, who had sought refuge at a place called the Temple, to now meet them at the Orchid? What does he know that made it so easy for him to turn himself over to Keamy and Co.? And why do I have that feeling again that somehow Ben has experienced all of these events before?

OLD FRIENDS

I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see the Others, and when Kate first mentions the tracks she found had doubled back behind them, I just knew we were going to have another reference to “The Hunting Party”. When Kate and Sayid wouldn’t put down the guns they had aimed at Richard, another “Light ‘em up” moment occurs and the sounds of guns being aimed at our two O6’ers can be heard as the Others pop out of the jungle from all directions.

After realizing they are totally surrounded, Kate and Sayid surrender and are marched along with the shabby-clothed company towards some unknown destination. If my previous thought that Ben was communicating with them earlier via the mirror is indeed correct, I have a feeling they may indeed also be heading to the Orchid.


THE BIG BRIGHT GREEN PLEASURE MACHINE

The Orchid Station has been one of my biggest curiosities and source for theories about the show since it was first shown to us in the form of an orientation film released last summer. In this film, Dr. Halliwax briefly mentions the purpose of the research being done there saying, “The unique properties of this Island created a kind of Casimir effect”, which is an actual force in quantum physics involving electromagnetic fields.

Exotic matter with negative energy density is required to stabilize a wormhole. Morris, Thorne and Yurtsever pointed out that the quantum mechanics of the Casimir effect can be used to produce a locally mass-negative region of space-time, and suggested that negative effect could be used to stabilize a wormhole to allow faster than light travel.

-- from Wikipedia









He also describes their studies as “highly volatile and potentially dangerous”. This seems to correlate with what Ben tells Hurley about moving the Island, as he says, “doing it is both dangerous and unpredictable. It's a measure of last resort.”

With everything that we have learned so far, I have a hunch that moving the island is going to involve creating another kind of purple-sky event like we witnessed during the Swan Hatch implosion. The best I can describe what I believe will happen is that entire “snow globe” around the island is going to be manipulated along with its naturally-occurring electromagnetic forces to basically create a wormhole around the entire Island, allowing it to slip slide away…


CONCLUSION: EVERYTHING PUT TOGETHER FALLS APART

Yet another level of duality can be discerned in this installment, as we have now seen both reunions and separations. As soon as I thought everyone was going to be meeting up in one place, the writers throw us a curveball of chaos, and our O6 become scattered even further apart than before. At least in the previous episode they were all on the Island. However, now we have some of our cast still on the beach and some of them at the Orchid. In addition, Kate and Sayid have now been captured by the Others, though I believe they too are headed to the former greenhouse station. Finally, we even have some of our O6 seeking refuge on the freighter which seems doomed to explode at any moment via that truckload of C4 that’s somehow connected to the device strapped around Martin Keamy’s arm.

The beginning of this episode is also the end product of the events that are about to take place. Sun didn’t even need to tell Jack that they were in shock, it was obvious. One can only guess that the group left in a hurry and under extremely extenuating circumstances. Whatever we are about to see the Orchid do, it is going to quite possibly make true a small, two-word mantra we first learned from that creepy brainwashing video in the notorious Room 23.

Everything changes.


a.N



*I write about LOST because I love the challenge of deciphering the clues and adding the pieces together. My thoughts are based solely on the show, the LOST Experience, and random research, as I try to avoid spoilers, promos, and even future episode titles. I love to guess what is going on, but I also like to do so in a way that leaves some of the conclusions still up to you. I do not know the answers and am often wrong. Whatever the truth turns out to be, it has been the journey that has meant the most to me.*

Click Here to Rate this Recap at DarkUFO

Episode 4x11 -- We Don't Need Another Hero

INTRO: "MY NAME IS JOHN LOCKE, AND I’M RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WELL-BEING OF THIS ISLAND.”

It’s been a long time since we had an episode which centered on John Locke, who in my opinion is LOST’s most intriguing and deeply-developed character alongside Jack Shephard. We were given so many levels to think about in this episode it was difficult to not want to discuss every detail. I have done my best to keep this from becoming a book but I have to say, from his most pathetic moments to his most heroic moments, I do love my Locke.

John has been a major figure in the show’s mythology since that first moment in season one when we learned he had been in a wheelchair prior to the crash. It makes sense then, that “Cabin Fever” follows an episode centering on Jack who not only serves as the Science to Locke’s Faith, but who is also notorious for his own little Hero Complex.

“JOHN’S A VERY SPECIAL GUY.”

John Locke was the first character to mention outright the concept of duality in the show; the dark and the light. He also reminds us that everything is based on our perception. Like a shaman he was the first to have visions and dreams that demonstrated a unique connection with the Island. Locke discovered the Swan Hatch and saved Desmond’s life, and then later the Pearl Station with Eko, where he began to question his destiny. After causing the Swan implosion, he went on a vision quest, received further instructions, cleaned up his mess, and his connection to the Island was restored.

This is the timeless cycle of the Hero’s journey. The Hero is typically born under some sort of rare or otherworldly circumstances, and often with some type of parental dysfunction. At some point he begins to understand that he was meant for something larger, and ventures out into the world on a kind of soul-searching adventure. This is his Rite of Passage, or what is referred to as a “walkabout” by Australian Aboriginal culture. From there he must be tested, he must be put through trials that push his talents to the edge, he must be asked to make sacrifice, and he must be tempted to the point where he wants to relinquish all faith. If he is destined for greatness, he will only return even stronger. The Hero ventures into the deep, dark places the rest of us are afraid to explore, and rescues us by bringing light to that which we do not understand.

Locke’s back-story has definitely not been without its trials and sacrifice, as we have seen him allow himself to be easily manipulated and rejected throughout his life. There have been countless times he has also been dishonest, or has made decisions with what seemed like a total disregard for the lives of others. However, I don’t think we have the complete picture, and in relation to the overall scheme of things perhaps some of John’s blind faith and poor choices will turn out to have been the right ones after all. If he is indeed a classic Hero, then what he has done cannot be judged as it will have been done for the Greater Good. As Aristotle said long ago:

Such an one may truly be deemed a God among men....and that for men of pre-eminent virtue there is no law- they are themselves a law.

-- from Politics









“THIS IS DESTINY, THIS IS DESTINY, THIS IS MY DESTINY...”

We have also seen Locke be a strong survivor with an odd sort of metaphysical wisdom, and a long-held conviction that it is his destiny to be on the Island. For a while now the question has been whether or not he really was being favored by the Island, or if he was being led by his belief and this was serving as a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy. Locke has been told, and he believes, that he is special in some way. Ben certainly fed into that conviction and it has allowed him to continue to manipulate Locke since they first met in the Hatch. But is it really true? Is John Locke really special?

If special means surviving countless health problems after being born three months early to an unwed mother whose labor was induced after being hit by a car, then I suppose that might fit the definition. I would think being conned out of a kidney by your own father is pretty unique as well. Joining a commune and then inadvertently getting them busted is certainly different. And having your kidney-stealing father then later throw you from an 8-story window definitely counts as something, although special isn’t really the word that first comes to mind.

All his life John wanted to be the warrior, the general, the explorer, the hunter. But some wanted to tell him that he couldn’t be any of those things. They tried to tell him what he couldn’t do. They tried to put Locke in a box.

It’s not until we’re given this glimpse into Locke’s early life, from his birth forward, that the question of his connection to the Island can finally been put to rest. Locke has more than likely been protected and kept alive by the Island since his mom was forced to give birth to him. As early as age 5, the mysterious paradise was reaching out to John through his subconscious. It just took him a little bit of time to answer.

And destiny can be a fickle bitch when you do not abide to its calling.

“ARE YOU HIM?”

Ageless uber-other Richard Alpert seemed to understand something about Locke’s destiny, as he beamed like a proud parent upon seeing little John’s drawing of what had to be the smoke monster. He then proceeded to test the young backgammon-lover by placing a series of six objects in front of him and asking which of the objects were Locke’s...already. If certain Buddhist practices and beliefs come to mind, well you are not far off since this is the same method used to find a newly reincarnated Dalai Lama. However, I was initially reminded of the stories I have heard of very young children who seem to remember themselves in a previous life, and often speak explicitly of experiences no child their age could possibly know.

There is a ton of speculation as to what each of the objects Richard brought represent, and an entire article could be written on this subject alone. I am more concerned, however, with the reason for the test in the first place. The best I can figure at this point is that we might have some type of prophecy on the Island that involves a male child being born three months early to a woman named Emily, who also has a last name starting with the letter L. Have the Others been expecting some type of savior-figure? Was Richard trying to discern whether or not Locke was the reincarnation of the person they have been waiting for? Or, could Alpert have been looking to see if Locke would recognize something he was destined to own in the future?

Much to audiences’ dismay, he chose poorly. Richard left in a huff and would not attempt to recruit John Locke again until he reached his teenage years.


“DON’T MISTAKE COINCIDENCE FOR FATE.”

When you think of car crashes, think Richard Alpert. Well, at least in the LOST universe he seems to always be around when someone gets smacked by a unit of transportation. For instance, while trying to decide whether or not to take Richard's offer of employment, Juliette's husband was conveniently hit by a bus. Locke’s dad Cooper was in a sudden collision before he woke up on the Island. To me it’s all just a little too coincidental that Locke’s mom was also in a car accident, and we see Richard not long after watching over the newly born babe.

I am even more curious now about who or what Richard really is, because he appears not to age whatsoever, and even Ben made a sarcastic remark to him about remembering birthdays. Has he been time-travelling from the present to Locke’s past? Or was Richard actually in some period in the past before Locke was even born, and then travelled to the different moments in his life? Could the Mittelos Company in all of its various incarnations actually predate the DHARMA Initiative?

As mentioned before, I believe ancient civilizations have been drawn to the island for thousands of years. The original group deemed the "Hostiles" by DHARMA could be a summation of these people who have landed on the island over time. What if they somehow discovered its secrets, learned how to use them, and continued over all of these years to be the Caretakers? It would also then make sense that the Hostiles/Others would follow a blend of various belief systems. Though mostly Eastern in influence, we have also seen Egyptian, Greek, African, and Christian references as well.

For some time now I have wondered if Richard is not a descendant of those who were shipwrecked from the Black Rock. Actually, I think Richard may have been on the Black Rock, and some property of the Island that has yet to be revealed to us has kept him from aging further. The DHARMA Initiative was certainly interested in life extension experiments, and I may be way off base here, but I think that this is somehow related to Alpert’s apparent eternal youth over the past six decades.


“MR. LOCKE SAID A MIRACLE HAPPENED TO HIM.”

Matthew Abaddon is one of the more mysterious characters brought onto the show this season. It is easy to assume that he has some connection to the Island, too. We see him harass Hurley in the mental hospital for information as to whether or not “they” are alive, most likely referring to the survivors left on the Island. This is odd since before the freighter was even sent on its mission, he had a private meeting with Naomi and repeatedly told her, “There were no survivors of Oceanic 815.”

Abaddon also succeeded where Richard Alpert failed in getting Locke to the Island. Alpert had been trying to appeal to Locke’s natural aptitude for the sciences, but we all know that Locke is a self-proclaimed Man of Faith. Matthew instead first reminds Locke that he is special, a true miracle. He then introduces our crippled friend to the concept of the walkabout, and convinces John this is what he needs to truly find himself. And boy does he.

I am still on the fence in regards to whose side Abaddon is really on. However, there is something quite ominous about the way Abaddon told Locke that when they meet again, Locke would “owe him one”. I am very interested in seeing their next encounter.


SYMBOL WATCH – AN OCEAN OF WISDOM

In a previous article on episode 8, I discussed the possible symbolic meanings for the constant use of water or rain in the show. It has been used to reference the purifying of one’s soul, such as with Michael’s sins, or the concept that surrounds Locke of “cleaning up one’s mess”. Rain has been shown as a way of denoting a connection to the Island as well. We have witnessed Locke often predict weather events as they were about to begin or end.

Underwater is another symbolic “underworld” where the archetypes of humankind are brought forth to be incorporated into individual lives. It also represents the power of transformative thought, as in, we make our own reality, otherwise known as, “don’t tell me what I can’t do.” Water is an ancient metaphor for the unconscious, and all that has yet to be brought to the surface.

In the episode “?”, Charlotte Malkin, the daughter of the psychic that Claire consulted in “Raised by Another”, experienced the “in-between” first-hand when she appeared to have died by drowning in a river. She later gives Eko a message from his dead brother, Yemi, suggesting that when she was unconscious she had some contact with the world of the dead.

Even more fascinating is what happened when she first awoke, immediately before an autopsy was about to be performed on her body. As evidenced by the transcript from the doctor’s tape, Charlotte actually calls out John Locke’s name!

Dr: This is a clear case of drowning. I'll begin with a thoracic...
Charlotte: John!
(screaming)
Assistant: Oh my God!
Dr: Valerie!
Assistant: She's Alive!
Dr: I think she's trying...
Charlotte: Let John Locke go (on)!
Dr: Try and calm down
(Assistant screaming)
Dr: Valerie get... she's crying, don't just stand there do something!

I also believe that water is being used in some way to denote occurrences of time travel. There were several references in “The Constant” and “Meet Kevin Johnson” that I’ve already discussed. In “Cabin Fever”, we see Richard Alpert show up at Locke’s foster home during a downpour. Emily Locke’s car accident also took place in a rain storm, furthering the idea that someone may have traveled to that time to try and manipulate events by running her over.

One final tidbit of interest: Dalai Lama means “Ocean of Wisdom”.


"IT’S NOT REAL, NONE OF IT IS REAL.”

Near the end of the episode, Frank Lapidus throws a pack from the helicopter as he is flying over the beach, and it lands directly on Claire’s tent, destroying it completely. From what I can tell at this point, she probably won’t be needing it anymore, anyway.

That would be because it is looking more and more like Claire has entered some otherworldly state, as we find her sitting back in one of Jacob’s chairs as if she had not a worry on earth. She is not at all concerned about Aaron, as Locke is told that he is “exactly where he needs to be”, which is currently with Sawyer. I still think she is probably no longer living, and either passed away into that “dead but here” state during the explosion, or as a result of it during the night.

Of course the main attraction in Jacob’s fun-house would be Christian Shephard, who claims to be speaking on the Big J’s behalf. Again, an entire article could probably be written about that little bit of time that John spent in the cabin and what it all could possibly mean.

One of LOST’s biggest mysteries right now is who or what is Jacob? My best guess so far is that he is some type of entity stuck in-between places; in between life and death, time and space, existence and nothingness. Was this condition the result of some accident or could this be the “incident” that has been referred to that resulted in DHARMA being shut down? I also wonder if Jacob has not instead been imprisoned and is being kept in this state against his will. Whatever the cause of his current situation, there must be some reason why he throws temper tantrums around technology and asks John Locke for help.

This time however, John asks Jacob for help. And Jacob wants John to move the Island.


“I’M NOT A BIG BELIEVER IN MAGIC. BUT THIS PLACE IS DIFFERENT. IT’S SPECIAL.”

If I were going to move an Island, I would use its naturally-occurring electromagnetic properties and Casimir effect to create wormhole and slip the whole thing from one point in space-time to another.

But that’s just me.

We are going to have to wait and see how Jacob suggests it be done. I also have a feeling Ben knows what to do as well. Mr. Linus seemed a bit detached so it was a good thing that Locke was there to receive instructions. In fact, Ben was depressed through most of the episode, telling Locke how his “destiny” on the Island led him to a tumor and the death of his daughter.

Did Ben lose favor with the Island and Jacob? As Richard told Locke, Ben had become too distracted with fertility issues and the Others were searching for someone to remind them what they are there for. Perhaps the Island demands total attention from its Caretaker. Ben also took a child, Alex, as his own. Maybe the Island doesn’t like its Chosen One to have anything of his own, and actually allowed Alex to die. Ben’s obsession with Alex possibly becoming pregnant also may have led him to make decisions the Island or Jacob may not have sanctioned.

I believe Jacob may have stopped talking to Ben some time ago, and that he may have had an idea he was on his way out when he first became ill with the tumor. It is possible that Ben has been giving orders that were not Jacob’s so that he could “keep up the appearances”. This is also why he could have been so angry when Jacob did speak to Locke, as it was just another confirmation that the Island was indeed replacing him.

I would not be too worried, however, as we see Ben gets his game back at some point in the future with Sayid as his right-hand hit-man.

I am also becoming increasingly concerned that things may not be as we think they are on this Island. Sometimes I wonder if the Island is not at all the benign place that the castaways believe that it is. What if the Others have been helping some force with some ultimately dark agenda, and now our castaways are unwillingly being drawn into it as well? There are just too many strange, unpleasant aspects of the place that do not make sense to me. For one thing, why won’t it just let the survivors leave if they want to? What is the meaning of so many references to the Underworld? And why does the Island “demand” sacrifices?

So many questions...but we did get another very juicy answer. Finally, we learned that Charles Widmore is indeed connected to DHARMA. The logo on the protocol booklet on the freighter that Martin Keamy references is the same as the logo that is on Ben’s parka when he arrived in the Sahara. The general consensus is that this is the logo for the Orchid Station which we have yet to see, and that is used for time travel and/or teleportation.

CONCLUSION: “ALL RIGHT DETECTIVES, THAT’S ENOUGH. MR. LOCKE HAS WORK TO DO TODAY.”

As we head full-force into the first part of the finale, I wanted to briefly review some of the core beliefs I hold in regards to the show for those of you who do not already know me from the various forums. I apologize in advance if for one last time here I am sounding like a broken record.

1. The Island’s relation to time can be described as a wheel. It exists at the center, the spokes are the various time differentials or bearings, and it might be spinning or looping in some way.

2. The submarine was just for show and not actually used for transportation to and from the Island. Another method has been used we have yet to see. I speculate this to be the Orchid Station from the 2007 Comic Con video. However, the natural properties of the Island may have allowed this ability before DHARMA was even there, who probably arrived later with intentions of controlling it.

3. The Island is similar to the Overlook Hotel in the Shining – it always needs a Caretaker. Locke is meant to be the Caretaker and will eventually become the Hero of the overall mythology.

4. For some reason, small details have been changing through the show and are intentional (the Swan Hatch furniture, Ben’s fridge contents, the picture frames in the stairway of the old lady’s home that Miles “ghostbusted”…). This might be related to time looping and/or past events being changed by someone in some way.

5. The show itself is running the Long Con on us. Nothing is as it seems.

Kind of like Wonderland.
Or OZ.


a.N



Special thanks to Lost Media for the screencaps I was unable to grab myself.


*I write about LOST because I love the challenge of deciphering the clues and adding the pieces together. My thoughts are based solely on the show, the LOST Experience, and random research, as I try to avoid spoilers, promos, and even future episode titles. I love to guess what is going on, but I also like to do so in a way that leaves some of the conclusions still up to you. I do not know the answers and am often wrong. Whatever the truth turns out to be, it has been the journey that has meant the most to me.*

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Episode 4x10 -- Go Back, Jack, and Do it Again

INTRO: TIME OUT OF MIND

`Dear, dear! How queer everything is to-day! And yesterday things went on just as usual. I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think: was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is, Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle!'

-- Alice, from “Alice’s Adventure’s in Wonderland”

Every episode this season so far has contained a flash-forward glimpse into the lives of the Oceanic 6 once they leave the Island. In addition, it appears that each one has been bringing us forward in time towards that airport scene from the season 3 finale “Through the Looking Glass” where Jack desperately screams to Kate, “We have to go back!”

“Something Nice Back Home” returns to Jack’s future at a point in time after Kate’s trial, yet before his ultimate breakdown and suicide attempt. Specifically, we get to witness the catalyst that actually triggers his dark spiral downwards.


CHARLIE FREAK

That catalyst that starts Jack’s decent into the mouth of madness would be Hurley, or actually, Dead but Here Charlie via Hurley. The greatly missed one-hit-wonder has been visiting our friend Hugo quite often, but when Jack visits him in this episode he is no longer the watercolor-painting, taco-loving, hoop-shooting patient we are familiar with. Hurley’s mind is no longer where it was, and he sits alone in his room just staring with his eyes glazed over. In fact he’s downright creepy, as if at any moment I expect him to pull out a static-filled TV set and proclaim, “They’re heeeeeeeere”.

We know that Hurley had previously spent time in a mental hospital for his propensity towards visions and hallucinations. But his new imaginary friend is not so imaginary. The Island appears to somehow have continued influence over his mind, and it has grown stronger. Hurley now exists on the flip-side, and can no longer seem to distinguish what is real or what is unreal, or who is alive and who is dead.

When Hurley then departs a message to Jack from Charlie, we all know he no longer just dismisses this as lack of medication. If a dead guy from a past I was trying to desperately put behind me told me that I was not supposed to be raising my “adopted” child, I would be freaked out a tad. Once Hurley adds that Charlie mentioned Jack would also be getting a visit, the doctor becomes even more spooked. Jack pretends he isn’t buying into it, and before getting the heck out of there, orders Hurley to take his meds again.

Jack certainly does not want to believe that what Hurley said is true - that they were not supposed to leave the Island. But we then see him begin to realize that he has no choice but to believe, as later he stalks the bench that Charlie frequents outside the mental hospital.

And that right there, my friends, is the beginning of the end.


RAZOR BOY

By now I think it is safe to say that Jack is an extremely controlling personality type. Who else would be so adamant about watching and directing his own appendectomy? Jack is also a very “surface” sort of guy, not really the kind to let himself go, and not one to accept what cannot be quantified. He even seems terrified to go unconscious during his operation, and begs repeatedly to be allowed to remain awake.

One could say that it has to do with his scientific background, but it also seems to have to do with his father, Christian. The flashback of Jack’s childhood from season one’s “White Rabbit” introduced us to his want to take control and help people at a very early age. However, when he failed to do so and became hurt in the process, Christian tried to warn his boy of the consequences when making such decisions, telling him, “You don't want to be a hero; you don't try and save everyone because when you fail… you just don't have what it takes.”

That moment has stayed with Jack throughout his life. He has allowed it to even define him to a degree, as ever since he has been in a constant struggle to prove his father wrong. Jack’s obsessive need to try and save people has played out on and off the Island over and over again. He has not always made the best decisions, and whenever he has failed, it has disturbed him deeply, basically proving his father to have been right all along.

I might have to agree with Rose that there is something odd about the fact that Jack would suddenly become so ill. I think Jack still has work to do. He has failed to take the opportunity to redeem himself by giving up this need to control everything and fix everyone. The Island allowed him to worsen instead of healing him because he has not learned the lesson it has been trying to teach him.

The lesson, I believe, is exactly parallel to the “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” references that surround him. The reason for Jack’s constant repetition of his own destructive cycle is his reluctance to follow the white rabbit, which represents the thing that has been holding him back (his relationship with his father), down the rabbit hole, or into his unconscious self where who he really is can be fully reconciled. The journey is not always pleasant, as Alice is met with all types of strange creatures (un-assimilated parts of herself) during this time spent within her psyche, and she encounters many confusing, cyclical situations that center on her identity.

I love the mirroring in this episode, which I will discuss more in a bit. Notice that the moment Jack is sent to dreamtime on the beach coincides with the flash-forward of when he encounters his father at the hospital. This is the first time that we have seen “dead” Christian also speak to Jack. Suddenly it does not seem so odd that the future crazed and depressed Jack would go around acting as if his dad were still alive, as it seems he had indeed been seeing him around.

The sight of his dead father also makes Jack shrink just like Alice. And just like her, he needs a drink to feel big again. The Island has now reached Jack, and he too witnesses the line blur between what is real and unreal. Jack joins Hurley in this waking dream, and thinks he can combat its effects by washing down anti-anxiety medication with alcohol, but we all know better.

It is noteworthy to bring attention to the SMOKE alarm, which Jack attended to the moment his father appeared. Is this yet another clue as to the origin of the dead we have seen traipse around on and off the Island? Another item to mention is when Dr. Stevenson said to Jack, “Thank you for keeping us safe”, when he removed the batteries. Not only is this a little tip to his personality complex, but somewhat ironic since removing the batteries totally disables the alarm which normally would save them.


HOME AT LAST

It is definitely time to wonder why everyone else is going bananas for the Island except Kate. The resident marathon woman is the only one of the Oceanic 6 who does not seem to be affected by the Island’s pull, and ultimately seems to be quite well-adjusted to her new life being a mommy. Do we add a “yet” to this summation? Is there something about Aaron that has helped to stabilize this woman who from what we have seen has not been able to stay in one place for long at all? With so many hints to there being some greater importance to Aaron, I wonder if the Island is not protecting him in some way by protecting Kate, his mainland mother.

I actually feel sympathetic towards future-Kate. She finally gets her man, and then finds out he is still plagued by the same issues that destroyed his first marriage. Control freaks do not have it in them to trust very easily. But then again, Kate is not the easiest person to invest that kind of blind faith in. Perhaps this is a bit of Karma coming back around on her, as she has not been the model girlfriend or wife in her past, either. At any rate we learn Jack seems to feel some kind of “entitlement” to Kate because according to him, he saved her. Once again there is irony here, as all this time Kate has been running, it appears she may have ran right into a cage by marrying future-Jack.

We all know Kate doesn’t do well with cages.


MY RIVAL

I have always held a love-hate fascination with Juliette, as her character is constantly riding the boundary between being trustworthy and having some secondary agenda. Remember just a few episodes ago she was still willing to take Ben’s orders and even kill for him. I became quite nervous as she assumed the role of chief surgeon for Jack. In fact, my initial thought was that the Others had placed into Jack the same type of device they placed into Claire in order to make her ill on cue.

When Jacked asked for Kate to be present, I started to feel a more optimistic, as Kate would more than likely have no problem calling Juliette out if she thought there was something fishy going on. Juliette goes to ask Kate to help out during the procedure, except she makes it sound as if it was her own idea and does not at all mention to Kate that Jack had specifically requested her and ONLY her. Why does Juliette have to be so damn conniving?

But then, Juliette returns to her flip-side. What seemed like yet another catty move on her part turns into a “passing of the torch” move. Juliette knew she could not be the other woman and stand in the way of these two people who obviously love each other deeply. She redeems herself to audiences and to Kate by stepping aside and outing Jack’s love for Kate. In this way Juliette was being honest with both of them as well as herself. My respect for her character went up several notches with this scene.


DON’T TAKE ME ALIVE

There is something unsettling about the explosion of Claire’s house from the last episode, and how she miraculously survived with just the smallest scratch. There are subtle hints, such as the way her feet stuck out from under the rubble just like the witch from the "Wizard of Oz". There are also some that are not as subtle. In the same episode when Claire is asked if she is OK and responds, “Yeah, a bit wobbly, but, uh, I'll live”, Miles immediately responds, “Well, I wouldn't be too sure about that.” Does he know something we don’t?

Miles continues to take an interest in Claire throughout this episode. He stares at her. He asks to carry the baby. He presses her for what she saw when she refers to “seeing things” after the explosion. Sawyer even takes notice of his strange attraction and calls him out on it.

We all know that Miles has a very special ability; he can hear and speak to the dead. It also appears that he can see the dead, or at least he saw Christian Sheppard before he and Claire went on their nature hike.

I am basically thinking, like some others already have mentioned, that Claire is no longer alive in the traditional sense of the term. She might just be Dead but Here just like Charlie. There is also the possibility that she survived that explosion because the Island is keeping her alive for some unknown reason as it did with Michael.

So why did she walk off into the jungle? It must have been important for her to just leave Aaron alone in the woods. When you add that she ran off with her dead dad, it is almost as if she had been taken. Is the Island telling her that she “has work to do”? Has Claire been summoned into action because of her relationship to Jack? Does the Island now look to the sister for help because the brother has failed to accomplish what the Island asked of him?


SYMBOL WATCH – DO IT AGAIN

This installment might just have more references to mirroring, duality, and wheels turning round and round than have ever been jammed packed into an episode yet. The entire time is spent showing us the other side of things or duplicating situations that have already played out before, but in slightly different ways. Here is just a sampling, as I am sure there are some I have missed:

* Jack is the one being operated on when it has usually been he who does the operating
* Kate plays nurse for Jack again
* Sun returns to the medical station again
* Claire disappears into the jungle again
* Jack is shown an x-ray of a tumor on the L4 vertebrae, same location where Ben’s tumor was
* Kate holds a mirror during his surgery
* Jack stands in front of double mirrors.

* Hurley and Jack take the same medication, Clonazepam
* Juliette makes a list
* Jin is on the opposite side of translation deception, as he recognizes that Charlotte can understand Korean
* The beeping alarm is reminiscent of the Swan Hatch timer beeping
* The decorations on Kate’s fridge are the same ones on the wall at Hurley’s mental hospital
* Sawyer mirrors Jack as leader
* Sawyer is asked if he is Claire’s big brother, which mirrors Jack as her step-brother

* Aaron carries a stuffed black and white whale


DADDY DON’T LIVE IN THAT NEW YORK CITY NO MORE

“You’re not supposed to raise him, Jack”, was dead Charlie’s message. Many may see this as directly echoing the season one episode “Raised by Another” where Claire is told by the psychic Richard Malkin that danger surrounded her child she herself must raise him alone. From that point there has been this intrigue surrounding Aaron and the general idea that he is of some importance to the Island, or important to the greater scheme of things.

In this our second glimpse of him off the Island and a couple of years older, there are more subtle hints surrounding him. Above his head in the bed is a mobile made of planets and stars, 6 of each, connected to a Bagua-shaped base, the same Buddhist symbol that the Dharma logo originates from. During the same scene we hear Jack reading the passage from “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”. I have often thought that something much larger than just this “earthly reality” is coming into play here in this show, but now I see it somehow involving this child as well.

The Others were sure interested in children, but we have yet to learn the exact reason why. Were they perhaps looking for someone…special? Could they have been searching for certain qualities that will later be revealed to be embodied by Aaron?

In addition, if the psychic was indeed imparting the truth to Claire, why is it so important that Aaron not be raised by anyone but her? Does it really have to do with Claire, or more to do with the Island? Part of me wonders if the psychic was responding to her desire to give the baby up for adoption at the time, and that what is more important is that he is raised on the Island. Now that he is on the mainland, will he somehow be susceptible to being manipulated towards some purpose that could lead to something detrimental to our characters, or even the entire world? We are only starting to get glimpses into how Aaron fits into the puzzle.

The final scene where we see the baby left in the forest was extremely unsettling. I honestly don’t believe Aaron was supposed to leave the Island at all, actually. It was almost as if he had been left there purposely for Sawyer to find, a replacement for the child he never got to even meet. Is it possible that Sawyer was supposed to raise Aaron instead?

CONCLUSION: PRETZEL LOGIC

Overall, for being an episode that focused mainly on Jack and some of the “smaller” questions, I found it to be very well done and still had its surprises. In the land of TV shows, when a season is nearing its end, there is always that episode that is about 2-3 away from the finale that almost seems out of place in its pacing. These installments are basically there to tie up loose ends and then set us up for all of the hell that’s about to break loose. This was an exceptional version of a set-up episode.

I for one am thoroughly enjoying where the story seems to be headed and am on the edge of my seat waiting to see the rest play out.


a.N


Special thanks to Nigel for inspiring this week's episode title with his LOST video "Do it Again"...

*I write about LOST because I love the challenge of deciphering the clues and adding the pieces together. My thoughts are based solely on the show, the LOST Experience, and random research, as I try to avoid spoilers, promos, and even future episode titles. I love to guess what is going on, but I also like to do so in a way that leaves some of the conclusions still up to you. I do not know the answers and am often wrong. Whatever the truth turns out to be, it has been the journey that has meant the most to me.*