Hello fellow Losties. This week's episode was titled, "Sundown," and I couldn't have been more wrong in thinking it was going to be a Sun and Jin episode. Oh no. Not even close. What we did get was a kick-ass Sayid episode, and one that may have been the darkest in the series' run. Cook yourself some eggs (where is that poacher), and let's dive into "Sundown."
*Man, they completely fooled me. I thought Sayid was going to be with Nadia in the Sideways timeline. I should have known something was off when we saw Sayid's reflection in the door glass. There has been a theme running so far this season in the Sideways timelines where the character has looked at their reflection, contemplating some bit of "memory" from the 2007 timeline. These contemplations seemed to reflect (no pun intended) the character's subconscious realization that while things aren't perfect, they are better than they could be. In essence, they have learned something from their 2007 life. (More on this below.) Anyway, Sayid was not looking at his reflection; his view was skewed. He couldn't see himself. Specifically, he couldn't see what he learned in the 2007 timeline. This should have been a clue that Sayid has not been redeemed in the Sideways world (as much as any of the characters have), at least not yet.
*As far as the rest of the Sideways story went, I thought it was great. Sayid hasn't changed. He's still a killer, and he's still pursuing Nadia, perhaps to his detriment. I loved seeing Keamy again. Kevin Durand is pretty excellent, and the chance to see him do his thing was awesome. Sayid's whole life on the Island can be summed up in two lines of dialogue when Sayid has Keamy at gun point. KEAMY: "The debt is forgiven. Relax, forget about it." SAYID: "I can't." Exactly. Sayid, can't forget about it, with "it" being the atrocities he has committed against others. He can never be redeemed as long as he can't come to terms with what he has done. Oh, and what the heck was with Jin in the freezer? I mean, I assume the money that was confiscated from Jin at the airport was supposed to go to Keamy, but why bother throwing this in to this episode. I guess it did serve as a reminder that Jin is being held captive by Claire.
*Speaking of Claire, how much fun is Emile de Ravin having? To me, it looks like a whole lot. She seems to be relishing the opportunity to play evil, feral Claire the way she dug into her scene with Dogen and her death-stare at Kate when Kate told her she raised Aaron. I think she is playing a perfect blend of totally nut-bar crazy, with a hint of understanding that maybe she is being played by Smokey. Her hesitation in entering the Temple ("Why not get Jin or Sawyer to do it?") spoke volumes to me. And her creepy singing of "Catch a Falling Star?" Holy schinkies!! I haven't been that creeped out in a while. I think in the end, however, she will be "saved" and pulled back from the dark side. Perhaps it's wishful thinking, but she has to be "good" before she can get Aaron back, right?
*On the flip side, I think we may have lost Sayid forever. Unlike Claire, who was desperately crazy to find/protect Aaron, or Sawyer who was grief-stricken and drunk, when they were approached by Smokey to follow him, Sayid made a clear choice to follow the evil guy. Yes, Sayid is sad that Nadia is dead, but at the moment he chose his path, he was clear-headed ("darkness" growing inside him , notwithstanding). He has now come to grips with who he is and always has been: a killer, and more importantly, a tool. Think about it. Sayid has never done anything of his own volition. He killed the chicken to protect his brother when they were children. He was a torturer for the Republican Guard. He was used by the CIA to infiltrate the terrorist cell. He was manipulated by Ben to kill Widmore's associates. Sayid is nothing more than a machine to be used for other people's nefarious designs. It seems that he has (finally) come to understand this, and has fallen in line with perhaps the greatest manipulator of all.
*Oh, Dogen. We hardly knew ye. You tried to use Sayid as a tool for his own demise, but met your end. To be honest, I'm going to miss Dogen. He became an intriguing character, especially from what we heard about how he ended up on the Island. After this story, I began to really question Jacob's motives; he may not be as good as we are supposed to believe. It appears that Dogen, after mortally wounding his son in a drunk driving accident, was trapped on the Island in exchange for Jacob saving his son's life. If Jacob is benevolent, why trap Dogen? Why not at least bring his son to the Island too? Moreover, what power was bestowed on to Dogen so that he was what was actually keeping Smokey out of the Temple? I hope this gets explained, although it will have to be in a flashback of some sort, as Sayid brutally drowned the Temple-master. I'm sad to see him go. Lennon? Not so much. I mean, I love John Hawkes, but his character was grating, so good riddance, hippie!
*The other interesting thing about Dogen's demise, was his exchange with Sayid about Jacob driving a hard bargain, and Smokey making Sayid a similarly hard bargain. It furthers the idea that the mysterious puppet-masters have similar powers/abilities. When Smokey offered Sayid whatever Sayid wanted in exchange for killing Dogen (there's Sayid being a tool again), it got me thinking that perhaps Smokey is some kind of...malevolent is the wrong word...let's say, twisted genie. Each character wants something for their off-Island life, and Smokey (or Jacob, I guess) can grant that wish. The results are the Sideways stories. I call Smokey a "twisted" genie, because the fulfilled wishes have catches. Kate wants to reunite Claire and Aaron, but she's still a fugitive. Locke wants to know love (from Helen, his father, and the world), but he's still paralyzed. Jack wants to know that he "has what it takes," but his father is still dead and they can't reconcile. Sayid wants Nadia to be alive, but she's married to his brother. These all seem to fall into the category of not being able to have your cake and eat it too. I am forever the optimist, however, so I am assuming that the end result for these characters' lives will actually put them in places better than what we have seen in the Sideways flashes.
Quick Hits:
*How great was that fight scene between Dogen and Sayid. I actually can't remember the last time the show had such a long, technical, even-handed fight. Hopefully on the DVD's there will be a behind-the-scenes piece on it. I'd love to know how much was the actors and how much stuntmen.
*Some great direction from Bobby Roth, who also directed "Whatever Happened, Happened" and "There's No Place Like Home." The aforementioned fight scene, the slo-mo, creepy closing scene with "Catch a Falling Star" playing over it, and Sayid's meeting with Smokey in the jungle were all beautifully shot. The tone of the episode and the performances were pitch-perfect, as well. Good work.
*Ahhhh, the Smokey rampage. How awesome was that? I love me a good smoke monster rampage. Poor red shirts. You should have chosen to leave!
*Did you catch Smokey's look upon seeing Kate emerge from the Temple? He is at first surprised to see her, but then quickly sizes her up, wary of the fact that she may not be true to the cause. Wonderful work, as usual, by Terry O'Quinn. And why did Kate join Smokey? Self-preservation (it's better than being smashed against a stone wall), or just to protect Claire?
*Smokey seems to have a pretty big army. Who does Jacob have? Ilana, Lapidus, Sun, Ben, Miles, Jack, and Hurley. Doesn't seem like much, does it?
*Speaking of looks, I loved Ben's expression to Sayid 's retort that there is no more time for him. It said, "OK, you crazy! Even crazier than me!" Then he just slowly backed out. Great stuff.
*Yunjin! She got two lines of dialogue! WOO-HOO!!
Alright, that's what I've got for "Sundown." This may have been the best episode of the season, so far, with great acting from Naveen Andrews, and fantastic pacing and action provided by Bobby Roth. The next episode is titled "Dr. Linus." I think I can predict who this one will focus on. I'll be back tomorrow morning with some thoughts on what I expect to see in the episode.
Namaste.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Lost - "Sundown"
Hey folks. Sorry this preview post is so late, but work conspired against me this week. Anyway, as we discussed at the end of last week's recap for "Lighthouse," tonight's episode, "Sundown," should be a Sun/Jin episode, if the pattern stays true to Season 1. I honestly have no idea if it will be or not, but I am sure hoping so. It has been two years since the couple has been together, so I would love to see them reunited. Moreover, my love of Yunjin Kim's acting is well-documented here, so the chance to see her actually do something would be welcomed.
I also mentioned last week that team Darlton said the season was divided into three six-hour blocks. Tonight is hour six, so the first block is coming to an end. This should be the last bit of set-up we need to get through (endure?) before the thrust of the season's action begins. I don't really have any predictions for anything other than I bet this will be a pretty great episode with the Island factions coming together (Temple, Claire, Beach, Smokey). Or, at least I hope it will.
Again, sorry for the late post, but sometimes, the people who pay you just get in the way. I'll be back later this week with a recap of "Sundown." Until then...
Enjoy.
I also mentioned last week that team Darlton said the season was divided into three six-hour blocks. Tonight is hour six, so the first block is coming to an end. This should be the last bit of set-up we need to get through (endure?) before the thrust of the season's action begins. I don't really have any predictions for anything other than I bet this will be a pretty great episode with the Island factions coming together (Temple, Claire, Beach, Smokey). Or, at least I hope it will.
Again, sorry for the late post, but sometimes, the people who pay you just get in the way. I'll be back later this week with a recap of "Sundown." Until then...
Enjoy.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Lost - "Lighthouse," Ctd
The consensus of Lost watchers has been that the first four hours of this final season have been a roller coaster ride, from great heights ("The Substitute"), to quite low lows ("What Kate Does"). This week's installment, "Lighthouse," was like the part of the roller coaster where it corkscrews around and around horizontal to the ground. It's definitely fun, but you're a little dizzy and disoriented afterwords, headed for a huge incline that will eventually send you screaming towards the ground. There was a lot to like in "Lighthouse," but I don't think it got to the heights of "The Substitute." However, I see it putting all the characters (and the audience) in the proper place for an ascent that will lead us to the final, breathtaking descent. Darlton have said that this 18-hour season has been structured in three 6-hour blocks, with the first six hours getting all of the pieces in their proper places. "Lighthouse" was hour number five so we have just about completed the set-up portion of the season. In the opinions of many Lost watchers, this section of the season can't end soon enough, but I'm willing to give them the time they need. I've trusted the Lost Powers That Be until this point, it would be folly to stop doing so now. On that note, let's take a look at "Lighthouse":
*I really enjoyed Sideways Jack's story. From the gasp that Jack has a son(!), to his heartfelt confession that David could never fail in his father's eyes was some great dramatic television, especially in light of what we know about the other Jack. For a man who, admittedly, obsessed over his father's critique of him (and never got over it in the "real" timeline), it was poignant to see Sideways Jack confront, and be at peace with, his limitations as a man and father. Further, he received from David, what he never gave his father: acceptance. It will be interesting to see how 2007 Jack comes to these same realizations and be finally redeemed on the Island.
*We saw that 2007 Jack hasn't had these realizations yet during his trek with Hurley. He states that he wasn't cut out for having a family and that he would be a terrible father, assumingly because he fears he'd turn into his father. The question is whether Jack has now come to the same conclusions Sideways Jack has after his tantrum in the Lighthouse. When Jack saw the image of his childhood home in the lighthouse mirror, and demanded form Hurley, "What does he want from me?!?" I don't think he meant Jacob. After his visit to the caves and his father's coffin, and subsequent sight of his home, Jack has reached the breaking point with his inner demons regarding his father. "What does he want from me?" succinctly sums up Jack's lifelong attitude towards his father. Perhaps smashing the mirror (and representative image of his old self) and staring out at the ocean will allow this Jack to come to the same conclusions as Sideways Jack. It's clear Jacob wants Jack to lead his troops against Smokey, but only a self-activated Jack. It has to be Jack's choice. When Jacob said that (or at least implied it), I released a large sigh of relief because, as I have complained about before, I was put off by the idea that they are all just pawns with no active choices. Instead, Jack must choose to be the leader, must choose to prove he "has what it takes." My fears are assuaged. At least for now.
*It was great to see crazy Claire, and I thought she was wonderfully played by Emile de Ravin. The question I was left with (and I think Jin as well) is whether she's crazy because she's been out on her own for three years and missing Aaron, or because of whatever sickness she may be infected with. Undoubtedly, it's a little bit of both. Probably the most intriguing thing I took away from Claire's story in "Lighthouse" was the fact that she was told Aaron was taken by the Others by both her father and her "friend." The implication is that Christian and her "friend" (wonderfully revealed to be Smokey, "That's not John. That's my friend!") are two different entities. Now, maybe Smokey has the ability to be in two places at once, but I'm going to assume that Chsitian is not Smokey. I think this is backed up by the scene in Season 5's "Namaste" when Sun and Lapidus are shown the 1977 Dharma photo of Kate, Jack and Hurley by Christian. Yet, at the same time, Smokey (as Locke) was back on the beach at the Ajira crash site. Who Christian could be then, I have no idea. Any thoughts? Lastly, I think Claire will eventually be converted back to the "good" side at some point. With all the torture (both literal and figurative) Claire has gone through in this series, I imagine she will turn out OK in the end.
*Hurley and Jack's trek was certainly fun for it's being "old school," as Hurley described it. Although, it did kind of remind me of some of the worst parts of Lost, namely what Hurley said, them walking around in the jungle to do something they don't quite understand. I could understand Hurley's anger with Jacob that it would be preferable if they were just told what to do, but as Jacob explained, different people need different types of pushes to reach their self-activation points. Further, Jacob had the purpose of getting the two of the them away from the Temple and keep them safe from Smokey's impending attack. What does that mean for Sayid and Miles? I'm not sure, but I can't wait to find out.
Quick Hits:
*Mirrors, mirrors everywhere. Is there significance so that we'll care (about the Sideways timeline)?
*Loved that Hurley continues to be the voice of the audience. His take on the Adam & Eve skeletons was spot on. I now believe they are not any of the Lostaways, but actually two people associated with Smokey. Perhaps the woman Smokey "lost" and the man she actually loved? I don't know. I assume Rose & Bernard are out there in the jungle in 2007 like the rest of them, so I just can't see how Adma & Eve are anyone we know already.
*Did you catch the sign at the conservatory auditions? "Welcome all candidates." Hehehe.
*Sideways Dogen's line, "It is hard to watch and be unable to help," stuck out to me. Does that mean Dogen is some kind of consigliere like Richard and can't take an active role in whatever game Jacob and Smokey are playing? Something to watch.
*How the hell did Claire escape the Temple? If they were that concerned about her potential evil, how did they let her escape? Did Jacob or Smokey have some hand in her release? Is there a double agent in the Temple?
*The name at 108 on the Lighthouse dial was someone named Wallace, and was crossed out. I know there is speculation that this Wallace will have some significance, but I don't think so. I think Jacob knew that as the dial passed 108, it would reveal the images Jacob wanted Jack to see. Incidentally, those images were, to my eye, were that of the place where Jin and Sun were married, and Oxford or the abbey where Desmond was a brother. Significance of these places? I don't think any other than they are pretty easy to recognize, making sure the audience realized the mirrors were showing places of importance.
*What poison has been fed Claire to make her that upset that she'd kill Kate for taking care of Aaron? I mean, Claire literally abandoned Aaron in the jungle. Shouldn't she be thankful someone took care of Turnip Head?
*There has also been a lot of speculation over who is David's mother. A lot of people are assuming it is Juliet, as David has blue eyes. I was starting to lean that way too, but why couldn't it just be Sarah? Then again, David appeared to be about 14, meaning Jack probably had him in his mid-twenties, before he would have met Sarah. I don't know, but there's a good possibility there will be no significance to this at all.
As far as my predictions on what we'd see in this episode, I was so far off, it's embarrassing to even mention them. So, we'll just move on. Nothing to see here!!
OK, that's what I've got. I know there is still some major consternation over the seemingly unimportance of the Sideways timeline, but I tell those people, have faith. There is no way they are leading us down a path of meaninglessness. Yes, I would like more clues to the Sideways' meaning then Jack wondering about his appendix scar for a minute, but we just have to take that timeline for what it's worth: an insight into how the 2007 characters might be redeemed. What have they found in the Sideways that they are still seeking in 2007? Make sure you check the usual places for more detailed recaps (DocArzt, Doc Jensen, Jay and Jack, Erika). Please take a look at TVOvermind for all of your TV news and recap needs. I'm writing recaps of Chuck, Modern Family, Survivor, and FlashForward over there, and would appreciate you checking it out. I'll be back early next week with a preview of "Sundown," which I can only imagine is the parallel of Season 1's "House of the Rising Sun." Until then, Namaste. I'm off to hide a key under a rabbit.
*I really enjoyed Sideways Jack's story. From the gasp that Jack has a son(!), to his heartfelt confession that David could never fail in his father's eyes was some great dramatic television, especially in light of what we know about the other Jack. For a man who, admittedly, obsessed over his father's critique of him (and never got over it in the "real" timeline), it was poignant to see Sideways Jack confront, and be at peace with, his limitations as a man and father. Further, he received from David, what he never gave his father: acceptance. It will be interesting to see how 2007 Jack comes to these same realizations and be finally redeemed on the Island.
*We saw that 2007 Jack hasn't had these realizations yet during his trek with Hurley. He states that he wasn't cut out for having a family and that he would be a terrible father, assumingly because he fears he'd turn into his father. The question is whether Jack has now come to the same conclusions Sideways Jack has after his tantrum in the Lighthouse. When Jack saw the image of his childhood home in the lighthouse mirror, and demanded form Hurley, "What does he want from me?!?" I don't think he meant Jacob. After his visit to the caves and his father's coffin, and subsequent sight of his home, Jack has reached the breaking point with his inner demons regarding his father. "What does he want from me?" succinctly sums up Jack's lifelong attitude towards his father. Perhaps smashing the mirror (and representative image of his old self) and staring out at the ocean will allow this Jack to come to the same conclusions as Sideways Jack. It's clear Jacob wants Jack to lead his troops against Smokey, but only a self-activated Jack. It has to be Jack's choice. When Jacob said that (or at least implied it), I released a large sigh of relief because, as I have complained about before, I was put off by the idea that they are all just pawns with no active choices. Instead, Jack must choose to be the leader, must choose to prove he "has what it takes." My fears are assuaged. At least for now.
*It was great to see crazy Claire, and I thought she was wonderfully played by Emile de Ravin. The question I was left with (and I think Jin as well) is whether she's crazy because she's been out on her own for three years and missing Aaron, or because of whatever sickness she may be infected with. Undoubtedly, it's a little bit of both. Probably the most intriguing thing I took away from Claire's story in "Lighthouse" was the fact that she was told Aaron was taken by the Others by both her father and her "friend." The implication is that Christian and her "friend" (wonderfully revealed to be Smokey, "That's not John. That's my friend!") are two different entities. Now, maybe Smokey has the ability to be in two places at once, but I'm going to assume that Chsitian is not Smokey. I think this is backed up by the scene in Season 5's "Namaste" when Sun and Lapidus are shown the 1977 Dharma photo of Kate, Jack and Hurley by Christian. Yet, at the same time, Smokey (as Locke) was back on the beach at the Ajira crash site. Who Christian could be then, I have no idea. Any thoughts? Lastly, I think Claire will eventually be converted back to the "good" side at some point. With all the torture (both literal and figurative) Claire has gone through in this series, I imagine she will turn out OK in the end.
*Hurley and Jack's trek was certainly fun for it's being "old school," as Hurley described it. Although, it did kind of remind me of some of the worst parts of Lost, namely what Hurley said, them walking around in the jungle to do something they don't quite understand. I could understand Hurley's anger with Jacob that it would be preferable if they were just told what to do, but as Jacob explained, different people need different types of pushes to reach their self-activation points. Further, Jacob had the purpose of getting the two of the them away from the Temple and keep them safe from Smokey's impending attack. What does that mean for Sayid and Miles? I'm not sure, but I can't wait to find out.
Quick Hits:
*Mirrors, mirrors everywhere. Is there significance so that we'll care (about the Sideways timeline)?
*Loved that Hurley continues to be the voice of the audience. His take on the Adam & Eve skeletons was spot on. I now believe they are not any of the Lostaways, but actually two people associated with Smokey. Perhaps the woman Smokey "lost" and the man she actually loved? I don't know. I assume Rose & Bernard are out there in the jungle in 2007 like the rest of them, so I just can't see how Adma & Eve are anyone we know already.
*Did you catch the sign at the conservatory auditions? "Welcome all candidates." Hehehe.
*Sideways Dogen's line, "It is hard to watch and be unable to help," stuck out to me. Does that mean Dogen is some kind of consigliere like Richard and can't take an active role in whatever game Jacob and Smokey are playing? Something to watch.
*How the hell did Claire escape the Temple? If they were that concerned about her potential evil, how did they let her escape? Did Jacob or Smokey have some hand in her release? Is there a double agent in the Temple?
*The name at 108 on the Lighthouse dial was someone named Wallace, and was crossed out. I know there is speculation that this Wallace will have some significance, but I don't think so. I think Jacob knew that as the dial passed 108, it would reveal the images Jacob wanted Jack to see. Incidentally, those images were, to my eye, were that of the place where Jin and Sun were married, and Oxford or the abbey where Desmond was a brother. Significance of these places? I don't think any other than they are pretty easy to recognize, making sure the audience realized the mirrors were showing places of importance.
*What poison has been fed Claire to make her that upset that she'd kill Kate for taking care of Aaron? I mean, Claire literally abandoned Aaron in the jungle. Shouldn't she be thankful someone took care of Turnip Head?
*There has also been a lot of speculation over who is David's mother. A lot of people are assuming it is Juliet, as David has blue eyes. I was starting to lean that way too, but why couldn't it just be Sarah? Then again, David appeared to be about 14, meaning Jack probably had him in his mid-twenties, before he would have met Sarah. I don't know, but there's a good possibility there will be no significance to this at all.
As far as my predictions on what we'd see in this episode, I was so far off, it's embarrassing to even mention them. So, we'll just move on. Nothing to see here!!
OK, that's what I've got. I know there is still some major consternation over the seemingly unimportance of the Sideways timeline, but I tell those people, have faith. There is no way they are leading us down a path of meaninglessness. Yes, I would like more clues to the Sideways' meaning then Jack wondering about his appendix scar for a minute, but we just have to take that timeline for what it's worth: an insight into how the 2007 characters might be redeemed. What have they found in the Sideways that they are still seeking in 2007? Make sure you check the usual places for more detailed recaps (DocArzt, Doc Jensen, Jay and Jack, Erika). Please take a look at TVOvermind for all of your TV news and recap needs. I'm writing recaps of Chuck, Modern Family, Survivor, and FlashForward over there, and would appreciate you checking it out. I'll be back early next week with a preview of "Sundown," which I can only imagine is the parallel of Season 1's "House of the Rising Sun." Until then, Namaste. I'm off to hide a key under a rabbit.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Lost - "Lighthouse"
Tonight's episode of Lost is entitled, "Lighthouse." I can only assume that this refers to an actual lighthouse somewhere on the Island. How come we haven't seen it yet? I mean, the Lostaways have been all over the Island and to Hydra Island -- surely someone would have seen a lighthouse, right? Then again, no one saw the Temple until this season, so I guess it's feasible no one saw the Lighthouse. Anyway, what the significance of the lighthouse is will surely be the centerpiece of the episode. Beyond the literal lighthouse, we all know that lighthouses are placed along shorelines to warn incoming boats that they are getting close to punishing rocks. Lighthouses aren't just warnings, however, they are guides too. For sailors returning from long sea voyages, they safely show the way home. As this is a Jack episode, mirroring Season 1's "White Rabbit," will Jack reassume his leadership role and begin the trek to guide his friends safely home? Will Sideways Jack, the character we've seen have the most "rememberances" of the other reality so far, begin to guide the Sideways timeline towards its merge with the "real" timeline? And what significance does whatever actual lighthouse on the Island have? Is it what sets the coordinates for safe entrance and exit to the Island? Is it a Dharma station of some sort? Does it safely guide would-be Islanders (not these Islanders) to the Island, or is it warning them to stay away? Very intriguing questions from the episode title alone. Here's what else I'm looking for:
*They have to give us something more about Smokey, Sawyer and the cave, right? They really can't leave us just wondering whether Smokey is lying, whether Sawyer is playing his last and best long con, and why Kate isn't on the wall. They have to continue that story. If not, it may be television serial malpractice. If we do see more of this, I'll be looking for an explanation of Smokey's plan to leave the Island and perhaps another appearance by the blonde boy with the bloody hands.
*Dogen will explain to Jack more about Sayid's "darkness" and what, if anything, can be done to reverse it. Perhaps this initiates Jack's trek to the Lighthouse, if he does go? (Please remember, I haven't watched the "next time on Lost preview at the end of the last episode, so maybe this is obvious.) Hopefully, Dogen will also explain to Jack and the rest of the Lostaways at the Temple what the nature of the conflict is between Smokey and Jacob. That would be nice. Or maybe even an explanation of what was supposed to happen in the dirty hot tub they dipped Sayid into. That would be nice, too.
*We have to see Claire tonight. They teased us with her two episodes ago, and then didn't show hide nor straggly hair of her last week, so we need to get some info on what happened to her the last three (Island) years and how "infected" she is. Maybe we'll get an explanation of where she got that nice flannel shirt, too.
*Something tells me Ben, Sun, Frank and Ilana will be waylaid on their trip to the Temple and will get there in the last minutes of the episode, if at all. In Season 1, the episode after "White Rabbit," was the Sun-centric "House of the Rising Sun." I am predicting that Sun and Jin will finally be reunited in the dying moments of tonight's episode, so we can focus on the two of them in a Kwon-centric episode next week (again, I have no idea if next week's episode centers on the Kwons or not. Spoiler-free!!). I am deperately hoping this prediction comes to fruition. Yunjin Kim has been given practically nothing to do since Season 5's "This Place is Death," and really since the Season 4 finale, "There's No Place Like Home." Yunjin is too good of an actress to continue wasting like this (so is Daniel Dae Kim, of course). Fans are eagerly anticipating the reunion of the Kwons as it will be a highly emotional moment, and I know these actors will knock it out of the park. Please Lost, let's get this done tonight.
OK, that's what I've got for tonight. I'm not expecting much Kate or Hurley this evening, mostly just in Temple group scenes. Although, if Jack does trek to the Lighthouse, I wouldn't be surprised to see Kate want to come along. Then again, when we last saw her, she was just randomly standing in New Otherton. Not...really...doing......anything. So, who knows where she'll be. Anyway, with the gauntlet thrown down on Season 6 last week with the great "The Substitute," I feel tonight's episode will be just as fantastic. We're on the roller coaster now, folks. Hang on tight. I'll see you this weekend with my thoughts on "Lighthouse." Until then...
Enjoy.
*They have to give us something more about Smokey, Sawyer and the cave, right? They really can't leave us just wondering whether Smokey is lying, whether Sawyer is playing his last and best long con, and why Kate isn't on the wall. They have to continue that story. If not, it may be television serial malpractice. If we do see more of this, I'll be looking for an explanation of Smokey's plan to leave the Island and perhaps another appearance by the blonde boy with the bloody hands.
*Dogen will explain to Jack more about Sayid's "darkness" and what, if anything, can be done to reverse it. Perhaps this initiates Jack's trek to the Lighthouse, if he does go? (Please remember, I haven't watched the "next time on Lost preview at the end of the last episode, so maybe this is obvious.) Hopefully, Dogen will also explain to Jack and the rest of the Lostaways at the Temple what the nature of the conflict is between Smokey and Jacob. That would be nice. Or maybe even an explanation of what was supposed to happen in the dirty hot tub they dipped Sayid into. That would be nice, too.
*We have to see Claire tonight. They teased us with her two episodes ago, and then didn't show hide nor straggly hair of her last week, so we need to get some info on what happened to her the last three (Island) years and how "infected" she is. Maybe we'll get an explanation of where she got that nice flannel shirt, too.
*Something tells me Ben, Sun, Frank and Ilana will be waylaid on their trip to the Temple and will get there in the last minutes of the episode, if at all. In Season 1, the episode after "White Rabbit," was the Sun-centric "House of the Rising Sun." I am predicting that Sun and Jin will finally be reunited in the dying moments of tonight's episode, so we can focus on the two of them in a Kwon-centric episode next week (again, I have no idea if next week's episode centers on the Kwons or not. Spoiler-free!!). I am deperately hoping this prediction comes to fruition. Yunjin Kim has been given practically nothing to do since Season 5's "This Place is Death," and really since the Season 4 finale, "There's No Place Like Home." Yunjin is too good of an actress to continue wasting like this (so is Daniel Dae Kim, of course). Fans are eagerly anticipating the reunion of the Kwons as it will be a highly emotional moment, and I know these actors will knock it out of the park. Please Lost, let's get this done tonight.
OK, that's what I've got for tonight. I'm not expecting much Kate or Hurley this evening, mostly just in Temple group scenes. Although, if Jack does trek to the Lighthouse, I wouldn't be surprised to see Kate want to come along. Then again, when we last saw her, she was just randomly standing in New Otherton. Not...really...doing......anything. So, who knows where she'll be. Anyway, with the gauntlet thrown down on Season 6 last week with the great "The Substitute," I feel tonight's episode will be just as fantastic. We're on the roller coaster now, folks. Hang on tight. I'll see you this weekend with my thoughts on "Lighthouse." Until then...
Enjoy.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Lost - "The Substitute," Ctd
OK, now that was more like it! After last week's a bit disappointing "What Kate Does," Lost was clicking on all cylinders with this Locke-centric episode. True, we did only get one half of the characters in the episode (no Temple folks, or Jin and Claire), but what we did receive was a heaping helping of answers to big questions. Well, perhaps the answers are not to be believed, but they were answers nonetheless. I think we were supposed to be left with two main questions after the episode: 1) Is Smokey telling the truth about the nature of the Island and Jacob's attempts to "protect" it?; and 2) Why isn't Kate's name on the wall? Intriguing stuff. Here are my thoughts on "The Substitute":
*Wow, was that weird seeing a happy Locke in the Sideways timeline? Despite his paralysis and getting fired from his job, Locke was a rather content individual. Yes, he did get angry when his wheelchair lift didn't work, or when Hurley's car was parked too close to his, but these seemed to be passing aggravations, not the bitter hatred of the world orginal 2004 Locke experienced. Look no further than his laughter when, face down on the lawn, the sprinklers turned on. He did experience mounting anger about his situation (should he see Dr. Shephard about his paralysis?), but I felt this was more for Helen's sake. He wanted to be perfect for her; however, with a little help from Rose and Helen's kind words, Locke realized that he has challenges, but is comfortable in who he is. He is not a cosmic joke.
*This stands in stark contrast to Smokey's declaration that Jacob's recruiting of people to replace him as protector of the Island is a joke. When he siad this, I immediately thought about Locke: Original Recipe's conversion from faithful button-pusher to button-denier in Season 2. Then, too, Locke ended up believing the button was pointless -- nothing more than a joke being played by the Dharma folks who were observing them like rats in a maze. This all plays into the ideas of fate and free will, but I couldn't help make the connection between the Swan station, Smokey's explanation of Jacob's machinations and Sideways Locke's happiness.
*As usual for this season already, there was some really strong work being done by Josh Holloway and Terry O'Quinn. I was right in thinking Smokey was going to approach Sawyer to follow him, but I may have been wrong in choosing a reason. I don't think Smokey wanted to play on Sawyer's despair, because he seemed genuinely surprised to see Sawyer in such a state. I think, rather, Smokey just wants to grab whomever hasn't been crossed out on Jacob's wall. As Smokey doesn't know which Kwon was targeted by Jacob, the easiest person to get to is Sawyer. I enjoyed the repurposing of Of Mice and Men here, as once again Sawyer was being led to an unknown destination by someone he didn't trust. These echoes to previous points in the series provide a nice reflection on why we enjoyed the series so much. Lastly on Sawyer, do you really think he is "ready to go home?" I think, at this point, sure; Sawyer has aligned himself with Smokey, but something will change. I just can't fathom a situation where Sawyer doesn't end up sacrificing himself for his friends. As he detailed to Smokey earlier in the episode, there have been a number of times he was supposed to get off the Island, but was ultimately prevented from leaving (raft blown up, submarine exploded, jumped off the helicopter, etc.). Unfortunately for Mr. Ford, I think something will prevent his leaving again.
*Jacob's cave. Well, I think we're going to need more information before we can make any kind of definitive statements on what the names and numbers really mean. Does Jacob really "have a thing for numbers" or do the Numbers have a more significant meaning? Why wasn't Kate's name on the wall, or is she number 108 and we just didn't see it? Was Jacob really trying to find a replacement for himself or is there something more to it? How does one of the candidates get the job? I mean, people have been crossed off the list for various reasons: Locke was murdered by Ben, Charlie sacrificed himself for his friends, and poor Gary Troup was sucked into the plane's engine when the plane first crashed. Does the winning candidate just have to outlive everybody else? Seems a rather random way to select a successor to such an important job. Regardless, my interest was mightily piqued, so I look forward to more on this in the coming weeks.
*I guess I need to talk about the blonde boy with bloody hands that appeared to Smokey in the jungle. To be honest, I have no idea who or what that was. I thought it was maybe a vision of Smokey as a young kid or something, but then I got a different thought. I know it's been floating around the internet for the last couple days, but you'll have to believe me that at the time, I thought that maybe the kid is some time-travelling version of Aaron. I'm not sure how or why, but that's the vibe I was getting. How that fits into the bloody hands? No idea. Why Sawyer can see him? Not a clue. I assume this kid's existence and why he knows the rules will be explained soon. Further, I expect the creation of the rules and what they are will be explained soon too (at least, I hope so!). To me, the most important thing about the whole blonde boy encounter though, was Smokey's use of "Don't tell me what I can't do!" I am very intrigued by the idea that Locke is still in there somewhere. Locke may be resurrected, but that may be a road too far. However, as Helen said, "There are miracles, John."
Quick Hits:
*Biggest change for Sideways Locke? He is friendly with his father. Between Helen wanting to invite Locke's dad to their elopement, and the picture of Locke and Cooper in Locke's cubicle, it is clear Locke's father didn't cause Locke's paralysis. I wonder how that happen, and whether we'll see it.
*I loved seeing Richard scared. It was fantastic to see the guy who's usually completely in charge, literally running for his life. I was wondering why Smokey didn't just kill Richard when Richard refused to go with him. Perhaps it's against the rules -- you can't kill the consigliarie?
*How come Smokey didn't turn into the smoke when he chased after the blonde boy? Were his shape-shifting powers dampened somehow?
*Back to Richard. How come he didn't know about Jacob looking for candidates? How come Ilana does? Why and when did Richard side with Jacob in the first place?
*Ben's eulogy was perfect. Real emotion at seeing the death of his, perhaps, greatest adversary, but the continued archness in admitting his part in the murder.
*Speaking of Ben, of course he bitches about the coffee! Ben is a nerdy European History teacher? Awesome.
*I expect Boone to help Locke and Helen with their wedding.
*Did you catch Helen's t-shirt? "Peace & Karma." Nice.
That's it, folks. Again, I thought this was a very strong episode, and really has the season moving forward at a fast clip. Yes, more questions were asked, but they accompanied big reveals about major mysteries. I expect, as we move forward from here, the hits will keep on coming. Please leave any thoughts, theories or comments below. Remember to check out the other fabulous reviewers for more info on "The Substitute" (Doc Arzt, Doc Jensen, Jay and Jack, Erika Olson). I'll be back Tuesday morning with a preview of this week's episode, the Jack-centric "Lighthouse." I'm off to put on some pants and make a gentleman's drink.
*Wow, was that weird seeing a happy Locke in the Sideways timeline? Despite his paralysis and getting fired from his job, Locke was a rather content individual. Yes, he did get angry when his wheelchair lift didn't work, or when Hurley's car was parked too close to his, but these seemed to be passing aggravations, not the bitter hatred of the world orginal 2004 Locke experienced. Look no further than his laughter when, face down on the lawn, the sprinklers turned on. He did experience mounting anger about his situation (should he see Dr. Shephard about his paralysis?), but I felt this was more for Helen's sake. He wanted to be perfect for her; however, with a little help from Rose and Helen's kind words, Locke realized that he has challenges, but is comfortable in who he is. He is not a cosmic joke.
*This stands in stark contrast to Smokey's declaration that Jacob's recruiting of people to replace him as protector of the Island is a joke. When he siad this, I immediately thought about Locke: Original Recipe's conversion from faithful button-pusher to button-denier in Season 2. Then, too, Locke ended up believing the button was pointless -- nothing more than a joke being played by the Dharma folks who were observing them like rats in a maze. This all plays into the ideas of fate and free will, but I couldn't help make the connection between the Swan station, Smokey's explanation of Jacob's machinations and Sideways Locke's happiness.
*As usual for this season already, there was some really strong work being done by Josh Holloway and Terry O'Quinn. I was right in thinking Smokey was going to approach Sawyer to follow him, but I may have been wrong in choosing a reason. I don't think Smokey wanted to play on Sawyer's despair, because he seemed genuinely surprised to see Sawyer in such a state. I think, rather, Smokey just wants to grab whomever hasn't been crossed out on Jacob's wall. As Smokey doesn't know which Kwon was targeted by Jacob, the easiest person to get to is Sawyer. I enjoyed the repurposing of Of Mice and Men here, as once again Sawyer was being led to an unknown destination by someone he didn't trust. These echoes to previous points in the series provide a nice reflection on why we enjoyed the series so much. Lastly on Sawyer, do you really think he is "ready to go home?" I think, at this point, sure; Sawyer has aligned himself with Smokey, but something will change. I just can't fathom a situation where Sawyer doesn't end up sacrificing himself for his friends. As he detailed to Smokey earlier in the episode, there have been a number of times he was supposed to get off the Island, but was ultimately prevented from leaving (raft blown up, submarine exploded, jumped off the helicopter, etc.). Unfortunately for Mr. Ford, I think something will prevent his leaving again.
*Jacob's cave. Well, I think we're going to need more information before we can make any kind of definitive statements on what the names and numbers really mean. Does Jacob really "have a thing for numbers" or do the Numbers have a more significant meaning? Why wasn't Kate's name on the wall, or is she number 108 and we just didn't see it? Was Jacob really trying to find a replacement for himself or is there something more to it? How does one of the candidates get the job? I mean, people have been crossed off the list for various reasons: Locke was murdered by Ben, Charlie sacrificed himself for his friends, and poor Gary Troup was sucked into the plane's engine when the plane first crashed. Does the winning candidate just have to outlive everybody else? Seems a rather random way to select a successor to such an important job. Regardless, my interest was mightily piqued, so I look forward to more on this in the coming weeks.
*I guess I need to talk about the blonde boy with bloody hands that appeared to Smokey in the jungle. To be honest, I have no idea who or what that was. I thought it was maybe a vision of Smokey as a young kid or something, but then I got a different thought. I know it's been floating around the internet for the last couple days, but you'll have to believe me that at the time, I thought that maybe the kid is some time-travelling version of Aaron. I'm not sure how or why, but that's the vibe I was getting. How that fits into the bloody hands? No idea. Why Sawyer can see him? Not a clue. I assume this kid's existence and why he knows the rules will be explained soon. Further, I expect the creation of the rules and what they are will be explained soon too (at least, I hope so!). To me, the most important thing about the whole blonde boy encounter though, was Smokey's use of "Don't tell me what I can't do!" I am very intrigued by the idea that Locke is still in there somewhere. Locke may be resurrected, but that may be a road too far. However, as Helen said, "There are miracles, John."
Quick Hits:
*Biggest change for Sideways Locke? He is friendly with his father. Between Helen wanting to invite Locke's dad to their elopement, and the picture of Locke and Cooper in Locke's cubicle, it is clear Locke's father didn't cause Locke's paralysis. I wonder how that happen, and whether we'll see it.
*I loved seeing Richard scared. It was fantastic to see the guy who's usually completely in charge, literally running for his life. I was wondering why Smokey didn't just kill Richard when Richard refused to go with him. Perhaps it's against the rules -- you can't kill the consigliarie?
*How come Smokey didn't turn into the smoke when he chased after the blonde boy? Were his shape-shifting powers dampened somehow?
*Back to Richard. How come he didn't know about Jacob looking for candidates? How come Ilana does? Why and when did Richard side with Jacob in the first place?
*Ben's eulogy was perfect. Real emotion at seeing the death of his, perhaps, greatest adversary, but the continued archness in admitting his part in the murder.
*Speaking of Ben, of course he bitches about the coffee! Ben is a nerdy European History teacher? Awesome.
*I expect Boone to help Locke and Helen with their wedding.
*Did you catch Helen's t-shirt? "Peace & Karma." Nice.
That's it, folks. Again, I thought this was a very strong episode, and really has the season moving forward at a fast clip. Yes, more questions were asked, but they accompanied big reveals about major mysteries. I expect, as we move forward from here, the hits will keep on coming. Please leave any thoughts, theories or comments below. Remember to check out the other fabulous reviewers for more info on "The Substitute" (Doc Arzt, Doc Jensen, Jay and Jack, Erika Olson). I'll be back Tuesday morning with a preview of this week's episode, the Jack-centric "Lighthouse." I'm off to put on some pants and make a gentleman's drink.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Lost - "The Substitute"
Tonight's episode of Lost is titled, "The Substitute." The title has a couple potential meanings. First, you have the mathematical connotation, lining it up with "The Constant" (still, my favorite non-Pilot episode) and "The Variable." Will there be some time-travel plot point explained in this episode? The other meaning ties into the fact that this will be a Locke-centric episode. Taken literally, the "substitute" can be simply defined as Esau/Man in Black using Locke as a substitute form on the Island. Will we finally get an explanation of how the loophole worked? Perhaps.
A commenter to my thoughts on "What Kate Does" asked about the possible parallels between Season 1 and Season 6. It has been discussed in different places around the web, and even alluded to by Darlton in various interviews. What they have said is that Season 6 could be like a distorted fun-house mirror version of Season 1. And so it has played out so far. After a bombastic season premiere introducing us to the characters' situation and somewhat focusing on Jack, the next two episodes, like Season 1, feature Kate and Locke. Whether or not "The Substitute" has the same emotional heft and kick-ass-ness of "Walkabout" remains to be seen, but undoubtedly the thematic elements of that seminal Season 1 outing will be reflected in "The Substitute." Here's what else I am looking for:
*Before I was able to turn off the preview for "The Substitute" at the end of "What Kate Does" (I'm trying to stay that spoler-free), I did see that 2007 Locke/Smokey will approach Sawyer. I expect Locke will play on Sawyer's despair to get the forlorn con man to join his side. Will he be successful? I think he will. I predict Sawyer will, once again, fight against Jack's side, but eventually make the ultimate sacrifice for Kate, Jack and the rest of his friends.
*Since this is a Locke episode, I'd be surprised if we didn't see 2004 Locke back at the box factory. Heck, I even predict we'll see Randy again. What will Sideways Locke experience though? Did he actually go on the walkabout and become a better person because of it? Will we see flashes of the motivated Locke from the Island, or will he still be the scared, depressed, mentally-crippled man he was pre-Island?
*We better get some explanation of how Claire became Rousseau 2.0. How did she acquire the "darkness" that has claimed Sayid? Was that darkenss the result of a run-in with Smokey? Was she shot or fatally wounded in some other way, taken to the Temple and bathed in the dirty hot tub of doom? But more importantly, to me, is whether Claire can be reclaimed by the forces of good. Can Jack, Jacob (through Hurley) or someone else do something to bring the old Claire back? I hope we get more downloaded on this tonight.
*What will happen to Sayid, and what will Jack do about his sickness? Now that Jack knows what is happening to Sayid (after having bonded with Dogen over baseball and poison ingestion), what will the Great Fixer do to save his friend?
*I hope we do get a good dose of the folks over at the Temple, Kate/Sawyer, and Jin/Claire, but I'm afraid we might get a sole focus on the people at the beach. Last week we only saw action at the Temple, and personally, I missed the goings on with Locke, Richard, Sun (please do something with her! Yunjin Kim is being wasted!) and the Others. Let's see both groups, OK?
That's it. As always, we have a lot of questions that will hopefully receive answers tonight. As this will be a Locke episode, I expect a fantastic outing like the others in the series. Hopefully, I will be right. Please be sure to check the usual places for coverage of last week's episode, and hone in on Doc Jensen's preview and Totally Lost vidcast in preparation for tonight. If you're a fan of other television shows (I know you are!), please check out TVOvermind.com. It is an extensive television site, full of recaps, promos and other TV news started by Jon Lachonis -- DocArzt himself. I've been writing on there the past few months, mainly covering Chuck, Modern Family and FlashForward, but some other TV news as well. The site is still relatively new, so I'd be grateful if you'd take a gander and give me your feedback. I'll be back later this week with some thoughts on "The Substitute." Until then...
Enjoy.
A commenter to my thoughts on "What Kate Does" asked about the possible parallels between Season 1 and Season 6. It has been discussed in different places around the web, and even alluded to by Darlton in various interviews. What they have said is that Season 6 could be like a distorted fun-house mirror version of Season 1. And so it has played out so far. After a bombastic season premiere introducing us to the characters' situation and somewhat focusing on Jack, the next two episodes, like Season 1, feature Kate and Locke. Whether or not "The Substitute" has the same emotional heft and kick-ass-ness of "Walkabout" remains to be seen, but undoubtedly the thematic elements of that seminal Season 1 outing will be reflected in "The Substitute." Here's what else I am looking for:
*Before I was able to turn off the preview for "The Substitute" at the end of "What Kate Does" (I'm trying to stay that spoler-free), I did see that 2007 Locke/Smokey will approach Sawyer. I expect Locke will play on Sawyer's despair to get the forlorn con man to join his side. Will he be successful? I think he will. I predict Sawyer will, once again, fight against Jack's side, but eventually make the ultimate sacrifice for Kate, Jack and the rest of his friends.
*Since this is a Locke episode, I'd be surprised if we didn't see 2004 Locke back at the box factory. Heck, I even predict we'll see Randy again. What will Sideways Locke experience though? Did he actually go on the walkabout and become a better person because of it? Will we see flashes of the motivated Locke from the Island, or will he still be the scared, depressed, mentally-crippled man he was pre-Island?
*We better get some explanation of how Claire became Rousseau 2.0. How did she acquire the "darkness" that has claimed Sayid? Was that darkenss the result of a run-in with Smokey? Was she shot or fatally wounded in some other way, taken to the Temple and bathed in the dirty hot tub of doom? But more importantly, to me, is whether Claire can be reclaimed by the forces of good. Can Jack, Jacob (through Hurley) or someone else do something to bring the old Claire back? I hope we get more downloaded on this tonight.
*What will happen to Sayid, and what will Jack do about his sickness? Now that Jack knows what is happening to Sayid (after having bonded with Dogen over baseball and poison ingestion), what will the Great Fixer do to save his friend?
*I hope we do get a good dose of the folks over at the Temple, Kate/Sawyer, and Jin/Claire, but I'm afraid we might get a sole focus on the people at the beach. Last week we only saw action at the Temple, and personally, I missed the goings on with Locke, Richard, Sun (please do something with her! Yunjin Kim is being wasted!) and the Others. Let's see both groups, OK?
That's it. As always, we have a lot of questions that will hopefully receive answers tonight. As this will be a Locke episode, I expect a fantastic outing like the others in the series. Hopefully, I will be right. Please be sure to check the usual places for coverage of last week's episode, and hone in on Doc Jensen's preview and Totally Lost vidcast in preparation for tonight. If you're a fan of other television shows (I know you are!), please check out TVOvermind.com. It is an extensive television site, full of recaps, promos and other TV news started by Jon Lachonis -- DocArzt himself. I've been writing on there the past few months, mainly covering Chuck, Modern Family and FlashForward, but some other TV news as well. The site is still relatively new, so I'd be grateful if you'd take a gander and give me your feedback. I'll be back later this week with some thoughts on "The Substitute." Until then...
Enjoy.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Lost - "What Kate Does"
I, like many other Losties, went into this past week's episode of Lost, "What Kate Does," expecting answers about the nature of the flash-sideways and its relation to the "real" timeline. Moreover, knowing the title of the episode, I was expecting some great revelation of what both Kates do to further their respective plots. I was disappointed on both accounts. Now, I wasn't ready to throw Molotov cocktails into the windows of the Lost writers' room like many across the net (a coworker called this "the worst episode ever" of Lost), but I did think, initially, that this was not a strong effort. Upon reflection, a second viewing, and some commentary from the inimitable Doc Jensen, I realized that while this was a set-up episode, it was a well-executed and important episode as well. Here are my thoughts on What Kate Does":
*So what does Kate do? Nothing we didn't know before -- she runs. In 2007, she runs after Sawyer to escape the Temple Others, and to see if he will assist her search for Claire. In 2004 (oddly, October 2004 according to Claire's sonogram, instead of September 2004), Kate is running from Marshall Mars, again. I really thought there would be something more to what Kate does, but there just wasn't. In fact, the last we saw of 2007 Kate was her filling up her canteen and watching Sawyer go back into his New Otherton house. That was it. So weird. I think this lack of progress for Kate is what caused so many people to be disenchanted with the episode.
*Speaking of Sawyer, how great was Josh Holloway in this episode? Yes, ever since "LaFleur," Holloway has been on absolute fire. However, his seething nihilistic pain, just an absolute hatred of what his life has become, was palpable. From his disgust at the cosmic joke that an "Iraqi torturer who shoots kids" gets a second chance, to the resigned despair with which he admitted his guilt over Juliet's death were dead on. I don't know how anyone will be able to defeat Terry O'Quinn in the Emmys this year, but Holloway's agents should definitely submit this episode because this may have been his best work in the series to date. One other note: how far as Sawyer's personality developed over the series? Well, he was going to propose to Juliet! The conman settling down? Unbelievable during Season 1.
*Sayid is in some trouble, methinks. When he was tortured before (by Rousseau), he was more defiant, more willing to play the game he knows too well. This time, though, he seemed to be willing to give up anything he would have been asked. Is this because of all he has gone through over the past five seasons, or because of his dip in the dirty hot tub of doom? I hope we receive more information on this "test" soon, because it certainly was interesting. I first thought Dogen was testing Sayid to see if he had been taken over by Smokey, hence the blowing of ash across Sayid's body (presumably, Sayid would have reacted to the ash if he was indeed Smokey). But then it was revealed that Sayid had failed the test. If Sayid has not been reanimated by Jacob or Smokey, then what brought him back to life? How did he become infected? Who "claimed" Sayid? What is the process by which the "darkness" is growing inside Sayid? And if Claire had been consumed by the darkness as well, does that mean that she died too? So many questions. I thought we were supposed to be getting answers!
*The thing that stood out for me about Jack was his humility. Between his admission to Sayid that he didn't save the Iraqi and his lack of knowledge about the contents of the pill Dogen wants Jack to feed Sayid, the good doctor seems to have made a lasting change. He no longer believes he has the answer to everything. He is willing to doubt, to ask questions, to listen to others. This doesn't mean he has abdicated his leadership position, as is evidenced by his ingestion of the poison pill to protect Sayid. Rather, he understands his limitations now. He is no longer the complete man of science we saw in Seasons 1-4, nor the ineffectual and passive man of faith from Season 5. Perhaps Jack has finally learned to find the happy medium and will be the effective leader the Lostaways need. All that said, I imagine this new version of Jack will end up working very well with Dogen against Smokey, as Dogen seemed to recognize jack's commitment to his friends when he swallowed the pill and subsequent conversation about a leader maintaining his distance from the people under his charge.
*Probably the most important development of the episode, of course, was the return of Claire, looking very much like the new Rousseau. It appears she set the traps Kate, Jin, Justin and Aldo discovered/tripped, and she was sporting quite the disheveled, living-in-the-woods-for-three-years look last found on the crazy French woman. As we were told by Dogen, the same "darkness" that infected Sayid first claimed Claire. I asked above whether that means Claire died at some point as well. What does it mean if she did? I don't know To me, she didn't look like she had died. Not that I should be guessing at anything. Just writing about this is getting me all angry again that more questions are being asked at this point in the series. I need to remember that they have to set up the big reveals about the show, and that was what this episode was doing. As far as Sideways 2004 Claire, it was interesting to see that even if the original Oceanic 815 had landed, she still was going to have to raise Aaron. Some on the 'net have posited that Mrs. Baskem is going to have some further significance. I don't think so; I think she was there just to show Claire would raise Aaron herself, and to provide an inciting event for Claire to go into labor.
Quick Hits:
*It was nice to see Jin and Kate have interactions together. I can't think of a time it has ever been just those two.
*Sometimes a baseball is just a baseball, but how long has Dogen been on the Island? If he knows about baseball, he must have come relatively recently, right? I mean, he wasn't born on the Island.
*Having Ethan Goodspeed (not Ethan Rom?) be Claire's doctor in L.A. was a stroke of brilliance. Plus, his lines about not wanting to stick Claire with needles if he doesn't have to, and that Aaron will be a handful were just fantastic.
*Will Claire's credit card come back into play later in the season? I would imagine it would as there would be no reason to show the scene if it had no significance.
*LOVED when Hurley asked Sayid if he was a zombie. Listeners to Damon & Carlton's Official Lost Podcast know that they have joked that the final season would be the zombie season. So, having this line was a nice shout-out to the audience.
*I really kind of missed what was going on at the beach. I figure we'll be concentrating on them next week.
*We had a couple more instances of people in the 2004 Sideways timeline recognizing something from the 2007 timeline. When Kate saw Jack at the airport, found the stuffed whale in Claire's bag, and heard Aaron's name, you could see flashes of recognition cross her face.
I know this post seems to have rambled and lacked coherence, but that's kind of the way I feel about the episode. I strongly disliked it the first time through because I felt it didn't do enough to advance the story quickly vis a vis the number of hours left in the series. Further, it didn't bring us closer to an answer to the question of whether the Sideways timeline will have significance to the 2007 timeline. This is the problem I think most people have with the season right now: people don't want to be led down a path that eventually is a dead end. I certainly felt that way, at first. However, upon second viewing, I realized that the set-up the episode accomplished (Claire/Rousseau, Sayid infected, Sawyer despondent, Jack on track, Kate...uh...I still don't know) was necessary to really move the final season forward. The pump has now been primed, and is ready to deliver the goods. Next week's episode, "The Substitute," is, allegedly, a Locke episode, so you know the show will be hitting the afterburners.
OK, that's it. Please be sure to check out the usual places for more coverage of "What Kate Does." I'll get up some thoughts on "The Substitute," on Monday night or Tuesday morning. I hope you all have a Happy Valentine's Day and are enjoying the Olympics. See you on Tuesday. Until then, I'm off to the food court.
*So what does Kate do? Nothing we didn't know before -- she runs. In 2007, she runs after Sawyer to escape the Temple Others, and to see if he will assist her search for Claire. In 2004 (oddly, October 2004 according to Claire's sonogram, instead of September 2004), Kate is running from Marshall Mars, again. I really thought there would be something more to what Kate does, but there just wasn't. In fact, the last we saw of 2007 Kate was her filling up her canteen and watching Sawyer go back into his New Otherton house. That was it. So weird. I think this lack of progress for Kate is what caused so many people to be disenchanted with the episode.
*Speaking of Sawyer, how great was Josh Holloway in this episode? Yes, ever since "LaFleur," Holloway has been on absolute fire. However, his seething nihilistic pain, just an absolute hatred of what his life has become, was palpable. From his disgust at the cosmic joke that an "Iraqi torturer who shoots kids" gets a second chance, to the resigned despair with which he admitted his guilt over Juliet's death were dead on. I don't know how anyone will be able to defeat Terry O'Quinn in the Emmys this year, but Holloway's agents should definitely submit this episode because this may have been his best work in the series to date. One other note: how far as Sawyer's personality developed over the series? Well, he was going to propose to Juliet! The conman settling down? Unbelievable during Season 1.
*Sayid is in some trouble, methinks. When he was tortured before (by Rousseau), he was more defiant, more willing to play the game he knows too well. This time, though, he seemed to be willing to give up anything he would have been asked. Is this because of all he has gone through over the past five seasons, or because of his dip in the dirty hot tub of doom? I hope we receive more information on this "test" soon, because it certainly was interesting. I first thought Dogen was testing Sayid to see if he had been taken over by Smokey, hence the blowing of ash across Sayid's body (presumably, Sayid would have reacted to the ash if he was indeed Smokey). But then it was revealed that Sayid had failed the test. If Sayid has not been reanimated by Jacob or Smokey, then what brought him back to life? How did he become infected? Who "claimed" Sayid? What is the process by which the "darkness" is growing inside Sayid? And if Claire had been consumed by the darkness as well, does that mean that she died too? So many questions. I thought we were supposed to be getting answers!
*The thing that stood out for me about Jack was his humility. Between his admission to Sayid that he didn't save the Iraqi and his lack of knowledge about the contents of the pill Dogen wants Jack to feed Sayid, the good doctor seems to have made a lasting change. He no longer believes he has the answer to everything. He is willing to doubt, to ask questions, to listen to others. This doesn't mean he has abdicated his leadership position, as is evidenced by his ingestion of the poison pill to protect Sayid. Rather, he understands his limitations now. He is no longer the complete man of science we saw in Seasons 1-4, nor the ineffectual and passive man of faith from Season 5. Perhaps Jack has finally learned to find the happy medium and will be the effective leader the Lostaways need. All that said, I imagine this new version of Jack will end up working very well with Dogen against Smokey, as Dogen seemed to recognize jack's commitment to his friends when he swallowed the pill and subsequent conversation about a leader maintaining his distance from the people under his charge.
*Probably the most important development of the episode, of course, was the return of Claire, looking very much like the new Rousseau. It appears she set the traps Kate, Jin, Justin and Aldo discovered/tripped, and she was sporting quite the disheveled, living-in-the-woods-for-three-years look last found on the crazy French woman. As we were told by Dogen, the same "darkness" that infected Sayid first claimed Claire. I asked above whether that means Claire died at some point as well. What does it mean if she did? I don't know To me, she didn't look like she had died. Not that I should be guessing at anything. Just writing about this is getting me all angry again that more questions are being asked at this point in the series. I need to remember that they have to set up the big reveals about the show, and that was what this episode was doing. As far as Sideways 2004 Claire, it was interesting to see that even if the original Oceanic 815 had landed, she still was going to have to raise Aaron. Some on the 'net have posited that Mrs. Baskem is going to have some further significance. I don't think so; I think she was there just to show Claire would raise Aaron herself, and to provide an inciting event for Claire to go into labor.
Quick Hits:
*It was nice to see Jin and Kate have interactions together. I can't think of a time it has ever been just those two.
*Sometimes a baseball is just a baseball, but how long has Dogen been on the Island? If he knows about baseball, he must have come relatively recently, right? I mean, he wasn't born on the Island.
*Having Ethan Goodspeed (not Ethan Rom?) be Claire's doctor in L.A. was a stroke of brilliance. Plus, his lines about not wanting to stick Claire with needles if he doesn't have to, and that Aaron will be a handful were just fantastic.
*Will Claire's credit card come back into play later in the season? I would imagine it would as there would be no reason to show the scene if it had no significance.
*LOVED when Hurley asked Sayid if he was a zombie. Listeners to Damon & Carlton's Official Lost Podcast know that they have joked that the final season would be the zombie season. So, having this line was a nice shout-out to the audience.
*I really kind of missed what was going on at the beach. I figure we'll be concentrating on them next week.
*We had a couple more instances of people in the 2004 Sideways timeline recognizing something from the 2007 timeline. When Kate saw Jack at the airport, found the stuffed whale in Claire's bag, and heard Aaron's name, you could see flashes of recognition cross her face.
I know this post seems to have rambled and lacked coherence, but that's kind of the way I feel about the episode. I strongly disliked it the first time through because I felt it didn't do enough to advance the story quickly vis a vis the number of hours left in the series. Further, it didn't bring us closer to an answer to the question of whether the Sideways timeline will have significance to the 2007 timeline. This is the problem I think most people have with the season right now: people don't want to be led down a path that eventually is a dead end. I certainly felt that way, at first. However, upon second viewing, I realized that the set-up the episode accomplished (Claire/Rousseau, Sayid infected, Sawyer despondent, Jack on track, Kate...uh...I still don't know) was necessary to really move the final season forward. The pump has now been primed, and is ready to deliver the goods. Next week's episode, "The Substitute," is, allegedly, a Locke episode, so you know the show will be hitting the afterburners.
OK, that's it. Please be sure to check out the usual places for more coverage of "What Kate Does." I'll get up some thoughts on "The Substitute," on Monday night or Tuesday morning. I hope you all have a Happy Valentine's Day and are enjoying the Olympics. See you on Tuesday. Until then, I'm off to the food court.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Lost - "LA X," Ctd, Ctd
If you missed my initial thoughts on Lost's Season 6 premiere, "LA X," please click here. I'll try not to repeat my first post, but may need to in order to fully illustrate some other thoughts. It's funny, I intended to write a full review like I did for previous episodes, but I realized that even though the premiere was two hours long, not all that much actually happened. I mean, stuff happened, but that "stuff" was mostly the asking of more questions. So, I don't have all that much more to add to my first post. Therefore, we will just go with some Quick Hits (usually the second half of my posts), and get back to a "normal" posting scheme for this week's episode. Away we go:
*Although the 2004 storyline was interesting and fun to see, nothing much of note occurred. I imagine the "flash-sideways" (as Damon and Carlton are calling it) will illuminate some great character developments in the upcoming episodes. Perhaps we'll see that if the Lostaways never crash on the Island, their lives will plummet (no pun intended) quickly into a deeper despair than we initially saw. Regardless, I'm willing to trust Team Lost and be patient with this "reality."
*Additional thoughts on the 2004 storyline: What, if anything, does Jack "remember" about crashing on the Island? I'm going to go out on a limb (like Kate: Climber Extraordinaire) and say he doesn't remember anything, until he sees Desmond again. At what point after 1977 did the flash-sideways split off form the "real" timeline? We know that some of the 2004 Lostaways' lives are different (e.g. Hurley is lucky; Shannon didn't come home; Locke maybe went on the walkabout), but when did they change? Was Claire pregnant when Kate jumped in the cab with her? Was Claire even on the plane, or was she already in L.A.?
*I did love the Jack/Locke scene in the luggage claim area. It was short and sweet, and reminded me how much I loved the original Locke, and how much I missed him. Locke's words of consolation ("They just lost his body. They don't know where he is."), I think, really effected Jack. Further, Jack's offer of a free consult on Locke's paralysis, to me, came from a genuine desire to help, especially after Locke's kind words. Ye,s we know that Jack loves to try to fix people, but I think that was the old Jack. This new 2004 version of him just wants to help someone. I greatly look forward to how these two interact in the 2004 future.
*Did you all hear Greg Grunberg's voice as the pliot of Oceanic 815? Maybe he can join the last few episodes of Lost now that Heroes is over (hopefully for good).
*I thought the direction of the episode was, as usual, great and very effective. "LA X," like all big Lost episodes, was directed by Jack Bender. The sound effect upon Kate's waking in the tree was fantastic. Great stuff having Kate in the tree to begin with, and her tackling of Miles when he showed up. These were two bits (Kate climbing; Kate on top of men) that have run throught the series; I liked seeing this little shoutout to the long-time fans. Other pieces of direction I enjoyed: the water shot of Sayid's "Drowning," Kate bashing the marshall's head (he ALWAYS gets hit in the head), Sun's "No....English" line reading, etc. Bender is a genius, and he'll, thankfully, be directing the finale.
*Upon a second viewing, I found Jacob's appearance to Hurley even more interesting. He contemplated Sayid for a long time. Was he thinking, "Wow, that looks like a great vessel for my essence!" or more like, "Oh darn...can't let the leader of the resistance to die."? I'm not sure, and Sayid's revival at the end of the episode really doesn't answer either way. Also, Jacob's line, "I was killed by an old friend who grew tired of my company," was intriguing. Yes, we know he and Esau have been on the Island for a long time, but we don't know much about their relationship. The easiest reading (and the one I subscribe to) is that Jacob was using "friend" sarcastically. However, maybe they really were friends. If so, what caused their rift? As I said in my last post, I'm not too down with the idea of Sayid and Locke being used as puppets for Jacob and Esau, however, I do want to find out a whole heck of a lot more about them.
*Despite her death, I expect Juliet to return at some point, most likely in the 2004 flash-sideways timeline. What she said during her death scene leads me to believe that her consciousness was slipping between the two time periods/realities. Remember, Desmond was at the epicenter of the Swan hatch's explosion and coinciding electromagnetism release, and was able to have his consciousness jump in time. Juliet, similarly was at the epicenter of the Incident. Did her consciousness start travelling as well? I think so.
*Quickly repeated from first post: Not sure I like Dogen ("I don't like the way English tastes." Whatever.) and Lennon (my character name/costuming is a little too on the nose), and really don't like the Temple Others with their fancy costumes. I'm now thinking Sayid is NOT Jacob because: 1) Sayid's body sat up (as opposed to Locke's) and 2) Miles couldn't hear Sayid's thoughts when Sayid was "dead." The scene cut to Miles staring at Sayid's body as if there was something wrong. HUrley asked him what was up, and Miles quickly said, "Nothing." What I got from that was that Miles couldn't hear Sayid's thoughts, so Sayid must not be dead.
*Locke/Esau (and we'll just refer to him as 2007 Locke from now on until the Main in Black/Esau is finally named) had maybe the best line of the series. After taking out Bram and his team as Smokey. Locke reappears to Ben and says, "I'm sorry you had to see me like that." Best. Line. Ever. Quickly followed in awesomeness with his retort to Ben calling him "the Monster": "Now, let's not resort to name calling." Awesome.
*When Sayid said, "What happened?" at the end of the episode, did he have a different accent? Or was it just something weird with the sound? Guess we'll find out on Tuesday. Also, did you notice that Sayid was in the water for one minute and eight seconds. In other words, 1:08? Sweet directing/editing job.
*Last, but not least, I freaked out. I mean, really freaked out when I saw what Hurley was wearing under his Dharma jumpsuit: a RED t-shirt. Now, most people know about the theory of red-shirted characters (if not, click here), and that they usually die in sci-fi shows. In fact, last season, both Frogurt and Juliet blatantly wore bright red shirts while everyone else around them did not. So here was Hurley with a bright red shirt on when everyone else was in khaki, green, blue, whatever. I became very concerned that the Numbers were finally going to get him. However, when we were shown the Temple Others, they were ALL in red. This assuaged my fears, and leads me to believe Hurley will become a leader of the Temple Others of some sort. Whatever the shirt's significance (or not), I just want the big lug to survive the series.
OK, that's about it for "LA X." It's Monday, so I won't write a preview episode for tomorrow night's installment, "What Kate Does" (I love that title, by the way). Suffice it to say, I expect a major download on what's going on with the Temple Others, what they privately wanted to say to Jack, what's going on with Sayid, and how Kate escapes the law in the flash-sideways. It should be some really great stuff.
As always, please leave any comments, thoughts or theories below. Be sure to check out all of the Lost goodies provided by Jay and Jack, Erika Olson, Doc Jensen at Entertainment Weekly, and the granddaddy of them all, Doc Arzt. I am also writing TV recaps for Chuck, Modern Family, and FlashForward and other TV news at a great site, TVOvermind. Please be sure to check it out for all of your TV needs. For the next episode, I'll get back on the schedule I established last season for these posts. Until then...
Enjoy.
*Although the 2004 storyline was interesting and fun to see, nothing much of note occurred. I imagine the "flash-sideways" (as Damon and Carlton are calling it) will illuminate some great character developments in the upcoming episodes. Perhaps we'll see that if the Lostaways never crash on the Island, their lives will plummet (no pun intended) quickly into a deeper despair than we initially saw. Regardless, I'm willing to trust Team Lost and be patient with this "reality."
*Additional thoughts on the 2004 storyline: What, if anything, does Jack "remember" about crashing on the Island? I'm going to go out on a limb (like Kate: Climber Extraordinaire) and say he doesn't remember anything, until he sees Desmond again. At what point after 1977 did the flash-sideways split off form the "real" timeline? We know that some of the 2004 Lostaways' lives are different (e.g. Hurley is lucky; Shannon didn't come home; Locke maybe went on the walkabout), but when did they change? Was Claire pregnant when Kate jumped in the cab with her? Was Claire even on the plane, or was she already in L.A.?
*I did love the Jack/Locke scene in the luggage claim area. It was short and sweet, and reminded me how much I loved the original Locke, and how much I missed him. Locke's words of consolation ("They just lost his body. They don't know where he is."), I think, really effected Jack. Further, Jack's offer of a free consult on Locke's paralysis, to me, came from a genuine desire to help, especially after Locke's kind words. Ye,s we know that Jack loves to try to fix people, but I think that was the old Jack. This new 2004 version of him just wants to help someone. I greatly look forward to how these two interact in the 2004 future.
*Did you all hear Greg Grunberg's voice as the pliot of Oceanic 815? Maybe he can join the last few episodes of Lost now that Heroes is over (hopefully for good).
*I thought the direction of the episode was, as usual, great and very effective. "LA X," like all big Lost episodes, was directed by Jack Bender. The sound effect upon Kate's waking in the tree was fantastic. Great stuff having Kate in the tree to begin with, and her tackling of Miles when he showed up. These were two bits (Kate climbing; Kate on top of men) that have run throught the series; I liked seeing this little shoutout to the long-time fans. Other pieces of direction I enjoyed: the water shot of Sayid's "Drowning," Kate bashing the marshall's head (he ALWAYS gets hit in the head), Sun's "No....English" line reading, etc. Bender is a genius, and he'll, thankfully, be directing the finale.
*Upon a second viewing, I found Jacob's appearance to Hurley even more interesting. He contemplated Sayid for a long time. Was he thinking, "Wow, that looks like a great vessel for my essence!" or more like, "Oh darn...can't let the leader of the resistance to die."? I'm not sure, and Sayid's revival at the end of the episode really doesn't answer either way. Also, Jacob's line, "I was killed by an old friend who grew tired of my company," was intriguing. Yes, we know he and Esau have been on the Island for a long time, but we don't know much about their relationship. The easiest reading (and the one I subscribe to) is that Jacob was using "friend" sarcastically. However, maybe they really were friends. If so, what caused their rift? As I said in my last post, I'm not too down with the idea of Sayid and Locke being used as puppets for Jacob and Esau, however, I do want to find out a whole heck of a lot more about them.
*Despite her death, I expect Juliet to return at some point, most likely in the 2004 flash-sideways timeline. What she said during her death scene leads me to believe that her consciousness was slipping between the two time periods/realities. Remember, Desmond was at the epicenter of the Swan hatch's explosion and coinciding electromagnetism release, and was able to have his consciousness jump in time. Juliet, similarly was at the epicenter of the Incident. Did her consciousness start travelling as well? I think so.
*Quickly repeated from first post: Not sure I like Dogen ("I don't like the way English tastes." Whatever.) and Lennon (my character name/costuming is a little too on the nose), and really don't like the Temple Others with their fancy costumes. I'm now thinking Sayid is NOT Jacob because: 1) Sayid's body sat up (as opposed to Locke's) and 2) Miles couldn't hear Sayid's thoughts when Sayid was "dead." The scene cut to Miles staring at Sayid's body as if there was something wrong. HUrley asked him what was up, and Miles quickly said, "Nothing." What I got from that was that Miles couldn't hear Sayid's thoughts, so Sayid must not be dead.
*Locke/Esau (and we'll just refer to him as 2007 Locke from now on until the Main in Black/Esau is finally named) had maybe the best line of the series. After taking out Bram and his team as Smokey. Locke reappears to Ben and says, "I'm sorry you had to see me like that." Best. Line. Ever. Quickly followed in awesomeness with his retort to Ben calling him "the Monster": "Now, let's not resort to name calling." Awesome.
*When Sayid said, "What happened?" at the end of the episode, did he have a different accent? Or was it just something weird with the sound? Guess we'll find out on Tuesday. Also, did you notice that Sayid was in the water for one minute and eight seconds. In other words, 1:08? Sweet directing/editing job.
*Last, but not least, I freaked out. I mean, really freaked out when I saw what Hurley was wearing under his Dharma jumpsuit: a RED t-shirt. Now, most people know about the theory of red-shirted characters (if not, click here), and that they usually die in sci-fi shows. In fact, last season, both Frogurt and Juliet blatantly wore bright red shirts while everyone else around them did not. So here was Hurley with a bright red shirt on when everyone else was in khaki, green, blue, whatever. I became very concerned that the Numbers were finally going to get him. However, when we were shown the Temple Others, they were ALL in red. This assuaged my fears, and leads me to believe Hurley will become a leader of the Temple Others of some sort. Whatever the shirt's significance (or not), I just want the big lug to survive the series.
OK, that's about it for "LA X." It's Monday, so I won't write a preview episode for tomorrow night's installment, "What Kate Does" (I love that title, by the way). Suffice it to say, I expect a major download on what's going on with the Temple Others, what they privately wanted to say to Jack, what's going on with Sayid, and how Kate escapes the law in the flash-sideways. It should be some really great stuff.
As always, please leave any comments, thoughts or theories below. Be sure to check out all of the Lost goodies provided by Jay and Jack, Erika Olson, Doc Jensen at Entertainment Weekly, and the granddaddy of them all, Doc Arzt. I am also writing TV recaps for Chuck, Modern Family, and FlashForward and other TV news at a great site, TVOvermind. Please be sure to check it out for all of your TV needs. For the next episode, I'll get back on the schedule I established last season for these posts. Until then...
Enjoy.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Lost - "LA X," Ctd
Hello all. I wanted to get some quick thoughts up on last night's season premiere of Lost, "LA X," before I read the deluge of commentary that I know is floating around the interwebs right now. As you know, I was very, very excited for Lost's return, and after getting myself rather amped up for the premiere, I have to admit, I awoke this morning a bit underwhelmed. Listen, Team Darlton has built up a lot of good will with me, and I trust them implicitly that the series will end in a rather satisfying fashion. However, while I enjoyed many things about last night's episode, I have to say, a couple things fell flat with me. I'm going to do a complete analysis when I have a chance to watch the entire episode again, but that likely won't be until Friday night at the earliest, so for now, here are a few thoughts:
*The 2004 timeline where Oceanic 815 lands safely in L.A. doesn't need much discussion, as nothing seemingly of consequence happened. I liked picking out the inconsistencies (with the original Oceanic 815 sequence in Season 1), like Jack only receiving one liquor bottle from Cindy instead of two, but other than Christian's coffin not making it on the plane, what really happened? One question though, did anyone notice if Claire was pregnant or in her dress form the "Pilot" when she was in the cab with Kate? It was great to see Locke: Original Recipe again. Juxtaposing 2004 Locke against Fake Locke/Esau really brought into relief how much I missed scared, trusting, fallible Locke.
*Oh my God! When Juliet was still alive, I totally thought the whole V layoff was subterfuge by ABC so Elizabeth Mitchell could play a much larger role in Lost's final season. My heart was wrenched out of my body (again) when she "died" a second time.
*I don't think I like the idea that Smokey is also the Man in Black/Esau. Why did he kill Eko then? Why did he NOT kill Ben over the years? Especially since Ben was always serving Jacob, why would Smokey/Esau allow himself to be called by Ben?!? Meh.
*Really not digging the Mr. Miyagi-like, bonsai tree snipping leader of the Temple Others. English doesn't taste right on his tongue? He's got mad kung fu skills? Please. And all of a sudden the Others have ornate uniforms? Huh?!? I think this could be a Nikki/Paolo-size whiff here. The Temple itself was pretty cool though, and nice to see the Tailie kids again.
*Kind of hating the Sayid is now Jacob thing. Or at least that's what I got from Sayid's awakening at the end of the episode. The idea that two of our Lostaways are now just meat puppets for the ancient dueling duo is a poor plot device in my opinion. This was what really stuck with me this morning, but as I was mulling this over, I realized something. Unless Jacob's body-snatching ability works differently than Easu's, Sayid is NOT Jacob. It was very clear that Esau did not take over Locke's body, as Locke's corpse is lying on the beach. Rather, Easu is just taking the form of Locke. Sayid actually sat up awake and alive. He didn't walk in from another room in the Temple. So, if the process works similarly for Jacob and Esau, Sayid is not Jacob, but has just been ressucitated. I really hope this is the case.
Anyway, all in all, I did like the premiere. Like I said above, Darlton has a lot of leeway with me so I'm willing to trust that now with the story-telling device in place, they'll be able to move forward in a more satisfying fashion. I don't know, maybe I'm the only one who felt this way. I'm going to rewatch "LA X" this weekend and get a full post up then. What did you think about the first two hours of the final season of Lost? Please leave your thoughts, comments and theories below. See you this weekend.
*The 2004 timeline where Oceanic 815 lands safely in L.A. doesn't need much discussion, as nothing seemingly of consequence happened. I liked picking out the inconsistencies (with the original Oceanic 815 sequence in Season 1), like Jack only receiving one liquor bottle from Cindy instead of two, but other than Christian's coffin not making it on the plane, what really happened? One question though, did anyone notice if Claire was pregnant or in her dress form the "Pilot" when she was in the cab with Kate? It was great to see Locke: Original Recipe again. Juxtaposing 2004 Locke against Fake Locke/Esau really brought into relief how much I missed scared, trusting, fallible Locke.
*Oh my God! When Juliet was still alive, I totally thought the whole V layoff was subterfuge by ABC so Elizabeth Mitchell could play a much larger role in Lost's final season. My heart was wrenched out of my body (again) when she "died" a second time.
*I don't think I like the idea that Smokey is also the Man in Black/Esau. Why did he kill Eko then? Why did he NOT kill Ben over the years? Especially since Ben was always serving Jacob, why would Smokey/Esau allow himself to be called by Ben?!? Meh.
*Really not digging the Mr. Miyagi-like, bonsai tree snipping leader of the Temple Others. English doesn't taste right on his tongue? He's got mad kung fu skills? Please. And all of a sudden the Others have ornate uniforms? Huh?!? I think this could be a Nikki/Paolo-size whiff here. The Temple itself was pretty cool though, and nice to see the Tailie kids again.
*Kind of hating the Sayid is now Jacob thing. Or at least that's what I got from Sayid's awakening at the end of the episode. The idea that two of our Lostaways are now just meat puppets for the ancient dueling duo is a poor plot device in my opinion. This was what really stuck with me this morning, but as I was mulling this over, I realized something. Unless Jacob's body-snatching ability works differently than Easu's, Sayid is NOT Jacob. It was very clear that Esau did not take over Locke's body, as Locke's corpse is lying on the beach. Rather, Easu is just taking the form of Locke. Sayid actually sat up awake and alive. He didn't walk in from another room in the Temple. So, if the process works similarly for Jacob and Esau, Sayid is not Jacob, but has just been ressucitated. I really hope this is the case.
Anyway, all in all, I did like the premiere. Like I said above, Darlton has a lot of leeway with me so I'm willing to trust that now with the story-telling device in place, they'll be able to move forward in a more satisfying fashion. I don't know, maybe I'm the only one who felt this way. I'm going to rewatch "LA X" this weekend and get a full post up then. What did you think about the first two hours of the final season of Lost? Please leave your thoughts, comments and theories below. See you this weekend.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Lost, "LA X"
Believe it or not, but the fateful day has arrived. Tomorrow is February 2, 2010. The beginning of the end. The day we finally discover what the future will be. That's right. Tomorrow is....Groundhog Day!! Wait....what? Tomorrow is.....huh....OOOOHHHHH!! Riiiiiiight. Let's start this over.
Believe it or not, but the fateful day has arrived. Tomorrow is February 2, 2010. The beginning of the end. The day that destiny will finally be found. That's right. Tomorrow is the season premiere for the final season of Lost!
I can't begin to express to you how excited I am about this. I am taking this so seriously that I have remained as spoiler-free as possible. I haven't even been reading the site I have been writing for (check out TVOvermind.com for all of your TV needs!), as we have a couple sneak peeks and promos with slightly spoilery material on there (but check out the site! Any spoilery stuff is clearly marked). Bottom line is, I want to have my mind blown as thoroughly as possible when I watch the show tomorrow night.
To further prepare myself for the premiere, I embarked on a full series rewatch. I got through Season 1, and half of Season 2, and realized I was going to run out of time. So, I jumped to Season 5 with the intent of watching the whole season, save "The Incident." I was then going to watch the Season 5 finale at 7:30 Tuesday night so it would end right at 9:00pm, premiere time (Each hour of television without commercials is approximately 45 minutes. The "two hour" Season 5 finale is actually 90 minutes). Again, outside forces (the Island?!?) conspired against my plan. I did get through the season, but watched "The Incident" this past Saturday, as I have a follow-up dentist appointment Tuesday night.
It was so great to watch it all again as it afforded me the opportunity to think about all of the questions left to be answered again, and in light of the Jacob/Easu plot. Other folks have done very exhaustive lists of questions they want answered, so I thought I would just post some thoughts I had while rewatching Season 5, and what we might see in Lost's final season. Away we go:
*In "The Lie," Ben tells Jack, as they prepared to return to the Island, "If there's anything you want from this life, get it, because you're not coming back." At the time, this seemed simply like a statement about the fact that they were going back to the Island, and may not be returning (it was so hard to get off it in the first place). However, in light of the Jughead plan to blow them into an alternate reality (or at least a reality where Oceanic 815 doesn't crash), I was left wondering whether Ben knew about the events to come. Did Ben know that the Jughead plan was going to work somehow, even though it hadn't been formualted yet? His sheer wonderment upon discovery that Kate, Jack, Hurley and Sayid were no longer in 2007 belies any possible knowledge that he had, but as we have seen many times before, Ben never quite lets on what he does or doesn't know.
*"The Little Prince" gave us this quote from Kate, "I have always been with you [Jack]." Ms Austen has certainly seen her affections shift between Jack and Sawyer, but there was something so genuine in her saying this to the hero doc that I make the Prediction that Kate will end up with (or at least die! loving) Jack. I'd say this is backed up by the fact Kate saw how much Sawyer loved Juliet as he tried to hold on to her in the season finale.
*What exactly happened to Ben in The Temple? In "What Happened, Happened," to heal Young Ben, Richard takes him into the Temple and tells Kate and Sawyer that Ben will never be the same, that "his innocence will be gone." What did that mean? Was he marked somehow, at that point, to be the future leader of The Others? Is that what turned him into a homicidal manipulator? I would like some more info on this.
*In both "Dead is Dead" and "Follow the Leader," Locke/Esau tells Sun that he has ideas on how to get our people back. Of course, he later says in "The Incident" that he has no intenion of bringing the Lostaways back to present time. So which is it? Is Locke/Esau just trying to "manage" Sun so she won't interfere with his plan to kill Jacob, or is there some intent to bring the Oceanic folks back to the present? The whole Locke/Esau thing was interesting duirng my rewatch because of the dichotomy being displayed in the Locke/Esau character. I was struck by the number of times the character didn't really seem to know what was going on, or how he came to be back on the Island. Terry O'Quinn has said that he didn't know he wasn't the true Locke until he read the script for the season finale. Could he just have been playing his own real sense of bewilderment at how his supposedly murdered alter ego was walking around Hydra Island quite confidently and empowered? Or did Esau not really anticipate how the "loophole" would work? Personally, I can't wait to see how this storyline works out. Of course, one of the main questions heading into Season 6 is whether the real Locke will come back at some point. I think, unfortunately, the answer came in Season 5, "Dead is dead."
There are a million other questions we all have going into Season 6, and a million ways we want the series to end. I am really only hoping for the same great entertainment we've received for the last five years. On my FlashForward posts, I like to make predictions for the series. I haven't done that for Lost at all, but since every other Lost pundit has done so, I figured I'd give it a shot. These are broad, wild-eyed, not knowing jack squat, predictions for what will happen by the end of the series finale:
*Oceanic 815 will land in L.A. in September 2004, but those touched by Jacob will remember everything that has happened to them in the "past."
*At the same time, on an alternate plane of reality (no "plane" pun intended), the 2007 events on the Island will continue to unfold.
*The 2004 Lostaways, led by Jack and Locke, will venture to the Lamp Post and Mrs. Hawking to try to merge the timelines in 2007. Desmond will be the link used to unite the two time periods. (I never said any of this makes sense!)
*Jack and crew will defeat Esau and the Others on behalf of Jacob.
*Jack will try to make the ultimate sacrifice to save Kate, but will be saved by Sawyer.
*Sawyer will die, on behalf of his friends.
*Jacke, Kate, Sayid, Hurley, Sun, Jin, Claire and Aaron will live. Sawyer and Locke will die.
*Ben, having made some unslefish act, will become the new Jacob.
*Rose and Bernard will be Adam and Eve.
*None of the previosuly dead Oceanic passengers (Charlie, Michael, Libby, Ana Lucia, Eko, Boone, Shannon) will be reborn and alive by the end.
*We will be very, very confused for a good portion of the final season!
I know, not the boldest predictions in the world, but that's what I've got. I will continue to provide my thoughts on the season's episodes as they are shown to us. It's actually good that the show got moved to Tuesday because it doesn't interfere with my responsibilities over at TVOvermind. At TVO, I'm writing recaps and thoughts on Chuck, Modern Family, and FlashForward when it returns. Please do me a solid and check out TVO -- we've got breaking TV news, recaps, previews, promos and feature articles on everything television. The site was started by none other than DocArzt himself, and I truly believe it is a great source for all of your TV needs. Thanks to any regular readers of this blog for putting up with my lack of posting the last couple months. I could say that I was really busy during the holidays and such, but that would just be an excuse. So, thanks for sticking with me. Please leave any thoughts, questions or comments below. HAve a great time watching the final season premiere of Lost! Until then...
Enjoy.
Believe it or not, but the fateful day has arrived. Tomorrow is February 2, 2010. The beginning of the end. The day that destiny will finally be found. That's right. Tomorrow is the season premiere for the final season of Lost!
I can't begin to express to you how excited I am about this. I am taking this so seriously that I have remained as spoiler-free as possible. I haven't even been reading the site I have been writing for (check out TVOvermind.com for all of your TV needs!), as we have a couple sneak peeks and promos with slightly spoilery material on there (but check out the site! Any spoilery stuff is clearly marked). Bottom line is, I want to have my mind blown as thoroughly as possible when I watch the show tomorrow night.
To further prepare myself for the premiere, I embarked on a full series rewatch. I got through Season 1, and half of Season 2, and realized I was going to run out of time. So, I jumped to Season 5 with the intent of watching the whole season, save "The Incident." I was then going to watch the Season 5 finale at 7:30 Tuesday night so it would end right at 9:00pm, premiere time (Each hour of television without commercials is approximately 45 minutes. The "two hour" Season 5 finale is actually 90 minutes). Again, outside forces (the Island?!?) conspired against my plan. I did get through the season, but watched "The Incident" this past Saturday, as I have a follow-up dentist appointment Tuesday night.
It was so great to watch it all again as it afforded me the opportunity to think about all of the questions left to be answered again, and in light of the Jacob/Easu plot. Other folks have done very exhaustive lists of questions they want answered, so I thought I would just post some thoughts I had while rewatching Season 5, and what we might see in Lost's final season. Away we go:
*In "The Lie," Ben tells Jack, as they prepared to return to the Island, "If there's anything you want from this life, get it, because you're not coming back." At the time, this seemed simply like a statement about the fact that they were going back to the Island, and may not be returning (it was so hard to get off it in the first place). However, in light of the Jughead plan to blow them into an alternate reality (or at least a reality where Oceanic 815 doesn't crash), I was left wondering whether Ben knew about the events to come. Did Ben know that the Jughead plan was going to work somehow, even though it hadn't been formualted yet? His sheer wonderment upon discovery that Kate, Jack, Hurley and Sayid were no longer in 2007 belies any possible knowledge that he had, but as we have seen many times before, Ben never quite lets on what he does or doesn't know.
*"The Little Prince" gave us this quote from Kate, "I have always been with you [Jack]." Ms Austen has certainly seen her affections shift between Jack and Sawyer, but there was something so genuine in her saying this to the hero doc that I make the Prediction that Kate will end up with (or at least die! loving) Jack. I'd say this is backed up by the fact Kate saw how much Sawyer loved Juliet as he tried to hold on to her in the season finale.
*What exactly happened to Ben in The Temple? In "What Happened, Happened," to heal Young Ben, Richard takes him into the Temple and tells Kate and Sawyer that Ben will never be the same, that "his innocence will be gone." What did that mean? Was he marked somehow, at that point, to be the future leader of The Others? Is that what turned him into a homicidal manipulator? I would like some more info on this.
*In both "Dead is Dead" and "Follow the Leader," Locke/Esau tells Sun that he has ideas on how to get our people back. Of course, he later says in "The Incident" that he has no intenion of bringing the Lostaways back to present time. So which is it? Is Locke/Esau just trying to "manage" Sun so she won't interfere with his plan to kill Jacob, or is there some intent to bring the Oceanic folks back to the present? The whole Locke/Esau thing was interesting duirng my rewatch because of the dichotomy being displayed in the Locke/Esau character. I was struck by the number of times the character didn't really seem to know what was going on, or how he came to be back on the Island. Terry O'Quinn has said that he didn't know he wasn't the true Locke until he read the script for the season finale. Could he just have been playing his own real sense of bewilderment at how his supposedly murdered alter ego was walking around Hydra Island quite confidently and empowered? Or did Esau not really anticipate how the "loophole" would work? Personally, I can't wait to see how this storyline works out. Of course, one of the main questions heading into Season 6 is whether the real Locke will come back at some point. I think, unfortunately, the answer came in Season 5, "Dead is dead."
There are a million other questions we all have going into Season 6, and a million ways we want the series to end. I am really only hoping for the same great entertainment we've received for the last five years. On my FlashForward posts, I like to make predictions for the series. I haven't done that for Lost at all, but since every other Lost pundit has done so, I figured I'd give it a shot. These are broad, wild-eyed, not knowing jack squat, predictions for what will happen by the end of the series finale:
*Oceanic 815 will land in L.A. in September 2004, but those touched by Jacob will remember everything that has happened to them in the "past."
*At the same time, on an alternate plane of reality (no "plane" pun intended), the 2007 events on the Island will continue to unfold.
*The 2004 Lostaways, led by Jack and Locke, will venture to the Lamp Post and Mrs. Hawking to try to merge the timelines in 2007. Desmond will be the link used to unite the two time periods. (I never said any of this makes sense!)
*Jack and crew will defeat Esau and the Others on behalf of Jacob.
*Jack will try to make the ultimate sacrifice to save Kate, but will be saved by Sawyer.
*Sawyer will die, on behalf of his friends.
*Jacke, Kate, Sayid, Hurley, Sun, Jin, Claire and Aaron will live. Sawyer and Locke will die.
*Ben, having made some unslefish act, will become the new Jacob.
*Rose and Bernard will be Adam and Eve.
*None of the previosuly dead Oceanic passengers (Charlie, Michael, Libby, Ana Lucia, Eko, Boone, Shannon) will be reborn and alive by the end.
*We will be very, very confused for a good portion of the final season!
I know, not the boldest predictions in the world, but that's what I've got. I will continue to provide my thoughts on the season's episodes as they are shown to us. It's actually good that the show got moved to Tuesday because it doesn't interfere with my responsibilities over at TVOvermind. At TVO, I'm writing recaps and thoughts on Chuck, Modern Family, and FlashForward when it returns. Please do me a solid and check out TVO -- we've got breaking TV news, recaps, previews, promos and feature articles on everything television. The site was started by none other than DocArzt himself, and I truly believe it is a great source for all of your TV needs. Thanks to any regular readers of this blog for putting up with my lack of posting the last couple months. I could say that I was really busy during the holidays and such, but that would just be an excuse. So, thanks for sticking with me. Please leave any thoughts, questions or comments below. HAve a great time watching the final season premiere of Lost! Until then...
Enjoy.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
FlashForward - 2010 Preview
Yes, beleive it or not, you are actually reading my long-promised thoughts on the 2010 mega-preview that appeared at the end of the FlashForward fall finale, "A561984." I know, I know, you could barely enjoy your Christmakwanzukkah gifts because you were beset with anguish over what I thought about the preview. Well, your worries can be cast away, because here they are:
*Up front, I believe the preview consisted of scenes from a number of already shot future episodes, and not just the March 4 return episode. However, I don't think the show has too many future episodes in the can yet, so what we see must occur within the first few episodes back.
*We were told that our characters' destinies are "not set in stone," and are then later asked, "How far will they go?" It seems (as we have suspected for a long, long time) that what someone saw in his or her flash can be changed, but to do so, proactive, and perhaps extraordinary, measures must be taken. What this signals to me is that unlike the ancient debate between whether our futures are products of Fate (see Greek mythology) or Free Will (see Western philosophy), FF is operating under the premise that our lives are determined by a combination of the two. To steal an analogy from Lost, throwing a pebble in a river will have no effect, but if you throw a boulder into a river, the river's path will change. Likewise, our lives may be predetermined, but if you throw a large enough boulder in the way, the path of our lives will change. Fate is the river, and free will is the boulder. It is an interesting concept that plays nicely with the Schrodinger's Cat theory that the observer determines the outcome of given possibilities.
*We saw Janis, Demetri and an African-American man running, guns pulled, through a scene. The last guy wasn't wearing glasses, so I assume it wasn't Wedeck. I hope it is the CIA agent, Marshall Vogel played by Michael Ealy. As I mentioned in the "A561984" recap, I enjoyed his character and hope he appears again. He's a nice counterpoint to Mark and Demetri, and who knows, he may need to help Demetri if...
*...Mark switches sides. That seems to be the way we're supposed to be thinking. As was revealed in "A561984," Demetri is to be shot by someone using Mark's gun (the episode title referring to the serial number on said gun), and, presumably, by Mark. Plus, we have in the preview Mark throwing Demetri up against a wall saying, "I should've killed you." Does Mark really turn on his partner and the FBI? Is this scene just a show for the "bad guys?" Does Demetri turn on Mark? There are obviously many possibilities. We also saw Mark getting shot up with something. Does whatever is in the shot "brainwash" Mark (he was LOADED, OK?)? I am actually going to place my bets on Demetri avoiding his March 15th date with death, which causes some terrible change to Mark's future. Just as plausible as anything else, right?
*The preview also tells us, rather dramatically, that "vows will be broken." This is coupled with a shot of Olivia kissing Lloyd. I think we all saw this coming -- Olivia's flash has to come true, doesn't it? The question is: does Mark's drinking push Olivia to Lloyd, or does her daliance cause Mark's drinking? I'm thinking the latter. With Olivia and Lloyd's banter about Harvard in the last episode, plus Lloyd's kidnapping and Olivia now charged with protecting Dylan, there is obviously a lot of emotional drama that has and will be created between the two of them. If Keanu Reeves taught us anything, love and desire can be born out of intense situations.
*Quickly, Janis gets pregnant, and Bryce and Nicole kiss! On the former, I figure someone we already have met will be the sperm donor for Janis' baby. My bet is on Bryce. His suggestion of a sperm bank, good genes (except the cancer thing, I guess), and he's unattached. At least until he and Nicole get together. So much for Keiko, huh? They've been building to a Bryce-Nicole pairing with her helping him find Keiko and her working at the hospital, but I don't really see where this is going. I mean, an entire episode was devoted to Bryce finding his love from Japan, and on April 29th he's going to meet her, so where could this go? I guess we'll have to wait and find out.
*Last, but certainly not least, is Mark's declaration that "there is going to be another blackout." Now, you'll have to trust me, but about two-thirds of the way through "A561984" I actually wrote down in my notes "I think there will be another blackout." That was going ot be my Prediction for my post. Then, of course, we get the mega-preview and Mark says that there's going to be another blackout! Curses! I initially figured the second blackout would occur in the season finale, so this seems like a really big reveal for ABC to give away at this point. This must mean that there will be an even bigger whopper come season finale time. What that could be, I have no idea. As far as this reveal is concerned though, I guess the mystery lies in when it will happen, who will cause it to happen, and for what purpose? Does the FBI gain control of the blackout device (whatever it may be) and purposefully cause a blackout to disrpt the original blackout perpetrators? Do Gibbons and Nhadra cause the second blackout? Ricky Jay and the Three-Star guys? So many questions to answer! I guess that makes it a great drama.
OK, that's the preview. Again, sorry it was so delayed. As I explained here, the holidays, work and a new endeavor came together in a perfect storm of procrastination and made me put off this post. I'll try not to let it happen again. The endeavor, however, should be a lot of fun. Over at DocArzt's site, TVOvermind, I will be writing recaps for Chuck, Modern Family, and recapettes for FlashForward. I will continue to write my long FF and Lost posts here as well, so please continue to check out this blog as well as the stuff over at TVOvermind. As always, take a listen to the FlashForwardCast by Jay and Jack, and check out FF recaps by the always entertaining Jeff Jensen at EW.com. I hope you all have a happy and healthy New Year, and hope you're looking forward to what will surely be an amazing year of television in 2010! Until then...
Enjoy.
*Up front, I believe the preview consisted of scenes from a number of already shot future episodes, and not just the March 4 return episode. However, I don't think the show has too many future episodes in the can yet, so what we see must occur within the first few episodes back.
*We were told that our characters' destinies are "not set in stone," and are then later asked, "How far will they go?" It seems (as we have suspected for a long, long time) that what someone saw in his or her flash can be changed, but to do so, proactive, and perhaps extraordinary, measures must be taken. What this signals to me is that unlike the ancient debate between whether our futures are products of Fate (see Greek mythology) or Free Will (see Western philosophy), FF is operating under the premise that our lives are determined by a combination of the two. To steal an analogy from Lost, throwing a pebble in a river will have no effect, but if you throw a boulder into a river, the river's path will change. Likewise, our lives may be predetermined, but if you throw a large enough boulder in the way, the path of our lives will change. Fate is the river, and free will is the boulder. It is an interesting concept that plays nicely with the Schrodinger's Cat theory that the observer determines the outcome of given possibilities.
*We saw Janis, Demetri and an African-American man running, guns pulled, through a scene. The last guy wasn't wearing glasses, so I assume it wasn't Wedeck. I hope it is the CIA agent, Marshall Vogel played by Michael Ealy. As I mentioned in the "A561984" recap, I enjoyed his character and hope he appears again. He's a nice counterpoint to Mark and Demetri, and who knows, he may need to help Demetri if...
*...Mark switches sides. That seems to be the way we're supposed to be thinking. As was revealed in "A561984," Demetri is to be shot by someone using Mark's gun (the episode title referring to the serial number on said gun), and, presumably, by Mark. Plus, we have in the preview Mark throwing Demetri up against a wall saying, "I should've killed you." Does Mark really turn on his partner and the FBI? Is this scene just a show for the "bad guys?" Does Demetri turn on Mark? There are obviously many possibilities. We also saw Mark getting shot up with something. Does whatever is in the shot "brainwash" Mark (he was LOADED, OK?)? I am actually going to place my bets on Demetri avoiding his March 15th date with death, which causes some terrible change to Mark's future. Just as plausible as anything else, right?
*The preview also tells us, rather dramatically, that "vows will be broken." This is coupled with a shot of Olivia kissing Lloyd. I think we all saw this coming -- Olivia's flash has to come true, doesn't it? The question is: does Mark's drinking push Olivia to Lloyd, or does her daliance cause Mark's drinking? I'm thinking the latter. With Olivia and Lloyd's banter about Harvard in the last episode, plus Lloyd's kidnapping and Olivia now charged with protecting Dylan, there is obviously a lot of emotional drama that has and will be created between the two of them. If Keanu Reeves taught us anything, love and desire can be born out of intense situations.
*Quickly, Janis gets pregnant, and Bryce and Nicole kiss! On the former, I figure someone we already have met will be the sperm donor for Janis' baby. My bet is on Bryce. His suggestion of a sperm bank, good genes (except the cancer thing, I guess), and he's unattached. At least until he and Nicole get together. So much for Keiko, huh? They've been building to a Bryce-Nicole pairing with her helping him find Keiko and her working at the hospital, but I don't really see where this is going. I mean, an entire episode was devoted to Bryce finding his love from Japan, and on April 29th he's going to meet her, so where could this go? I guess we'll have to wait and find out.
*Last, but certainly not least, is Mark's declaration that "there is going to be another blackout." Now, you'll have to trust me, but about two-thirds of the way through "A561984" I actually wrote down in my notes "I think there will be another blackout." That was going ot be my Prediction for my post. Then, of course, we get the mega-preview and Mark says that there's going to be another blackout! Curses! I initially figured the second blackout would occur in the season finale, so this seems like a really big reveal for ABC to give away at this point. This must mean that there will be an even bigger whopper come season finale time. What that could be, I have no idea. As far as this reveal is concerned though, I guess the mystery lies in when it will happen, who will cause it to happen, and for what purpose? Does the FBI gain control of the blackout device (whatever it may be) and purposefully cause a blackout to disrpt the original blackout perpetrators? Do Gibbons and Nhadra cause the second blackout? Ricky Jay and the Three-Star guys? So many questions to answer! I guess that makes it a great drama.
OK, that's the preview. Again, sorry it was so delayed. As I explained here, the holidays, work and a new endeavor came together in a perfect storm of procrastination and made me put off this post. I'll try not to let it happen again. The endeavor, however, should be a lot of fun. Over at DocArzt's site, TVOvermind, I will be writing recaps for Chuck, Modern Family, and recapettes for FlashForward. I will continue to write my long FF and Lost posts here as well, so please continue to check out this blog as well as the stuff over at TVOvermind. As always, take a listen to the FlashForwardCast by Jay and Jack, and check out FF recaps by the always entertaining Jeff Jensen at EW.com. I hope you all have a happy and healthy New Year, and hope you're looking forward to what will surely be an amazing year of television in 2010! Until then...
Enjoy.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Seasons Greetings, an Apology, and an Announcement!
Seasons Greetings, dear readers! It's that time of year again, when the world is in love, and TV takes a hiatus because people are too busy running around to sit and watch anything, including me. I know that I promised some thoughts on the FlashForward mega-preview, but work and the Holiday Season have colluded in preventing me from getting those thoughts up. I actually have half the day off today, and the whole day off tomorrow, so hopefully I can get something up in the next 24 hours, but I am truly sorry for the delay.
Another reason for the delay, however, is that I have been in contact with Jon Lachonis, aka DocArzt of Lost blogging fame, about his TV wesbsite, TVOvermind. I can announce that I have joined the site as a TV recapper and reviewer, and will be penning (typing?) my thoughts on Chuck, Modern Family, and FlashForward (Lost gets left to the Doc himself). I am very excited about this endeavor, as it will be an opportunity for me to further engage with the programming I love and improve my critical writing as well. I will, of course, continue to offer my thoughts on FF, Lost, V, and other topics here at Entertaining Thoughts. I have defined duties over at TVO (play-by-play recaps of Chuck and Modern Family, and mini reviews for FF), but I have room to expound and ramble here at my blog, so I will keep at it.
Anyway, I hope you will be on the lookout for my posts over at TVOvermind, and will continue to visit this blog for deeper thoughts and conversations on the stuff we love. As soon as I get my thoughts on the FF mega-preview up, you'll be the first to know. Have yourself a very safe and happy holidays.
I leave you with a clip that I believe truly symbolizes the spirit of the holidays -- overblown stunts done to impress people!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
FlashForward - "A561984," Ctd, Ctd
Sorry for the delay on the recap, but as I said, it was a busy day at work yesterday. Anyway, here I am on a miserable day here overlooking midtown Manhattan, reflecting on a great episode of FlashForward, "A561984," the fall season finale. As we found out yesterday, FF will not return with new episodes until March 4, after the Winter Olympics. With such a long layoff, there will be no reruns once the show returns, which is a good thing. However, that means three months have to pass before casual viewers can see the show again, which is a bad thing. The show's numbers have been dripping downwards since its premiere, and reached their lowest levels during this past episode. Will casual viewers wait three months to see the show again? One would think, then, that the fall finale would include a major cliffhanger to pique the audience's interest for those three months. Do I think the actual episode did? No. Did the three-minute preview for the back half of the season? Oh yeah. I'll talk about that preview next week where I normally write a post about the upcoming episode, but first things first. Here are my thoughts on "A561984":
*The title credits picture was the words "Help Us" written in what seemed to be blood, on a cheesesteak menu or sign. Now, I will fully admit that I was watching the show at midnight after working all day and until 11:45p, but I don't remember seeing "Help Us" anywhere during the episode. Usually the placement of the title picture is rather obvious during the episode itself, but I didn't see it. Did anyone? What is its meaning, both to the story and on a meta level? Should we as the audience be clued into something by the fact that the picture wasn't in the episode? I'll have to watch the episode again.
*The title refers to the serial number on Mark's gun: the gun that, according to Nhadra Udaya (the woman who warned Demetri about his impending murder, played by Shohreh Aghdashloo) is used to kill Demetri on March 15. This obviously, seems highly unlikely because why would Mark kill his partner? Mark even asked this very question, but was given no answer. She said that she feared too much information might bring about unwanted circumstances, but what are the circumstances? Doe she want Demetri to die, so that something else will still occur, or vice versa? What is the "incident" she seems so worried about? Could it be THIS ONE?!? Likely not, but what game is Nhadra playing?
*Chess, it looks like. We saw her later with The Chess Player, aka D. Gibbons. The file the FBI had on Gibbons referred to him as "Deacon," but didn't vocally reference him as such. Production error, or is that Gibbons' name? Regardless, we do now know that D. Gibbons and The Chess Player are one and the same. We saw in Nhadra's office that she and Gibbons were building their own version of Mark's bulletin board. Back in my recap for "White to Play," I scoffed at one of the characters' suggestion that D. Gibbons was seeking an explanation for the blackout. Now though, as he is clearly aligned with Nhadra, perhaps he is. It got me thinking that while the FBI is investigating the cause of the blackout, perhaps Gibbons and Nhadra are investigating a result of the blackout. In other words, perhaps they saw something that will occur on April 29th that seems impossible, and they are trying to discover the circumstances that lead to that event, otherwise known as "the incident."
*Speaking of the blackout, we actually had the follow-through of Lloyd's poker victory. Surprisingly, Simon allowed Lloyd to announce to the world that their experiment was the cause of the blackout, even though Simon wasn't so certain. As scientists at the National Linear Accelerator Project (the origin of the nlap.us.com e-mail address), Simon and Lloyd were trying to recreate the Big Bang using a particle collidor, a copy of the experiment currently being conducted by CERN (for more info on the experiment, read here). An unintended consequence, as Lloyd explained it, was the blackout and coinciding flashes. Well, obviously, people were a little upset about that, to the point that one woman stole a security guard's gun and shot at Lloyd.
(Can I pause here to say, there is no way in hell that wooden podium was going to stop a bullet. Lloyd was directly behind where the shot hit. Why can't a crazy woman grabbing a gun and shooting wildly just miss? That would be way more believable than the podium stopping the bullet. OK, rant over. Thank you for your time.)
*Whether it was the audience's reaction, the gun shot, or just his desire to escape liability, Simon was adamant that NLAP's experiments were not responsible for the blackout, declaring to Lloyd that it was now "war between us" (which reminds me of Raoul's similar declaration to the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera (sorry, my wife has been in the show for a combined five years and will be returning to it in the New Year)), and he was going to prove it so. He went to the FBI to assist in finding the true cause of the blackout. We learned that the towers built in Somalia in 1991 are actually super-lasers used to amplify radio waves. Problem was, Simon created the towers...in 1992! Uh, what the what?! The only explanation I can come up with involves the Many-Worlds Theory Lloyd told Olivia about later in the episode (illustrated with the idea that Olivia was supposed to live in the building Lloyd's eventual wife did at Harvard). As far as I can understand, Many-Worlds Theory states that every possible outcome of every possible situation co-exists simultaneously in an infinite number of universes. Possibly, someone involved in the blackout conspiracy found a way to see into one of the other universes, and bring the laser technology back into this world. Heady stuff, I know, but do you have a better theory?
*I guess I should mention the Olivia/Lloyd situation. After his announcement, Lloyd was persona non grata around L.A. As a result, he thought Dylan wouldn't be safe, and wanted to move him to another hospital. Olivia agreed to help him and called in a favor at a children's hospital. As soon as I saw the EMT's who were there to transport Dylan, I just KNEW they were bad guys. I'm sure I wasn't the only one, but one question: if the EMT was so blase about killing a security guard, why not Olivia? He just hit her (don't you harm Sonya Walger!). Why leave witnesses? Bad bad guys!
Quick Hits:
*Why did Mark keep protecting Demetri? He took all the heat from Wedeck, put himself in danger with Nhadra, and took on the CIA agent in Hong Kong, which led to his being fired (and Wedeck's great line about "pooch screwing"). It was almost as if he was trying to get fired. Does he think that if he no longer works for the FBI he can't be in his office on April 29th? Something to keep an eye on.
*Wow. Janis has got baby fever! She wants that kid and wants it now. Liked her line about being "super gay." Nice moment of levity.
*Either Simon or Lloyd stated that they could not be charged with a crime because they were just conducting a science experiment. I'm not saying it's definite, but I'm pretty sure they could be charged with criminal negligence. They did kill 20 million people (as we keep hearing about).
*I thought the whole Zoey/Mrs. Noh storyline was filler. Yes, Zoey did finally realize what we've suspected for a long time: namely, that her flash did not show her at her wedding with Demetri, but rather his funeral. There was a touching moment where Mrs. Noh admitted that she was staying away from Zoey because she had the same flash of Demetri's funeral, but otherwise, I didn't feel it moved anything forward, as opposed to the rest of the storylines.
*I dug Hong Kong CIA agent Marshall Vogel, played by Michael Ealy. He, interestingly, said that he has "nothing to lose." What that means, I have no idea. But I liked his attitude so I hope he shows up in future episodes. I thought I saw him in the extended preview for the second half of the season, so it appears we may be seeing more of him.
*Thought the opening scene of Mark watching A Christmas Carol, specifically the scene where Scrooge is pleading with the Ghost of Christmas Future. Nice metaphor for Mark's deep desire to change the future he has seen.
From my preview for "A561984," I was way off on the meaning of the title (it wasn't a date, obviously); the show did accelerate the action in creating some momentum to get us through the next three FF-free months; the public did not take kindly to Lloyd's admission at all; and I nailed the fact that Olivia was going ot help Lloyd with Dylan (as if I was out on a limb there!); and we did get a huge reveal concerning Nhadra -- she's working with D. Gibbons!
Prediction: Nhadra and Gibbons will cause a second blackout to avert "the incident."
So there you have it folks. No more FlashForward until March. The story moved apace, and although I may not have been overly effusive above, I really enjoyed both how the plots developed and the speed at which we are moving now. I can't say I'm eagerly awaiting the answer to a cliffhanger (like, say, where/when the hell are the Lostaways), but the overarching mystery has been pretty perfectly pitched so I am jazzed for the return the show this spring. I just hope others are coming along for the ride. Doc Jensen of EW.com, he of the famous Lost recaps, has begun recapping FF. His first theory-filled recap can be found here. I'm eager to read it myself. Remember to check out Jay and Jack's FlashForwardCast as well. Lastly, if you are Twitter-inclined, I can be found at twitter.com/MikeNJD. If you have any thoughts, theories or questions, please post them in the Comments sections below. As I said above, I will post some thoughts on the mega-preview that appeared at the end of the episode next week. During the hiatus, should any FF news appear, I will post on that as well. Of course, there is plenty of TV and other entertainments (and sports, and politics, and other stuff) to talk about, so make sure you check the blog regularly for more Entertaining Thoughts. Thank you for reading.
I'm off to purchase a lucky Chinese cat.
*The title credits picture was the words "Help Us" written in what seemed to be blood, on a cheesesteak menu or sign. Now, I will fully admit that I was watching the show at midnight after working all day and until 11:45p, but I don't remember seeing "Help Us" anywhere during the episode. Usually the placement of the title picture is rather obvious during the episode itself, but I didn't see it. Did anyone? What is its meaning, both to the story and on a meta level? Should we as the audience be clued into something by the fact that the picture wasn't in the episode? I'll have to watch the episode again.
*The title refers to the serial number on Mark's gun: the gun that, according to Nhadra Udaya (the woman who warned Demetri about his impending murder, played by Shohreh Aghdashloo) is used to kill Demetri on March 15. This obviously, seems highly unlikely because why would Mark kill his partner? Mark even asked this very question, but was given no answer. She said that she feared too much information might bring about unwanted circumstances, but what are the circumstances? Doe she want Demetri to die, so that something else will still occur, or vice versa? What is the "incident" she seems so worried about? Could it be THIS ONE?!? Likely not, but what game is Nhadra playing?
*Chess, it looks like. We saw her later with The Chess Player, aka D. Gibbons. The file the FBI had on Gibbons referred to him as "Deacon," but didn't vocally reference him as such. Production error, or is that Gibbons' name? Regardless, we do now know that D. Gibbons and The Chess Player are one and the same. We saw in Nhadra's office that she and Gibbons were building their own version of Mark's bulletin board. Back in my recap for "White to Play," I scoffed at one of the characters' suggestion that D. Gibbons was seeking an explanation for the blackout. Now though, as he is clearly aligned with Nhadra, perhaps he is. It got me thinking that while the FBI is investigating the cause of the blackout, perhaps Gibbons and Nhadra are investigating a result of the blackout. In other words, perhaps they saw something that will occur on April 29th that seems impossible, and they are trying to discover the circumstances that lead to that event, otherwise known as "the incident."
*Speaking of the blackout, we actually had the follow-through of Lloyd's poker victory. Surprisingly, Simon allowed Lloyd to announce to the world that their experiment was the cause of the blackout, even though Simon wasn't so certain. As scientists at the National Linear Accelerator Project (the origin of the nlap.us.com e-mail address), Simon and Lloyd were trying to recreate the Big Bang using a particle collidor, a copy of the experiment currently being conducted by CERN (for more info on the experiment, read here). An unintended consequence, as Lloyd explained it, was the blackout and coinciding flashes. Well, obviously, people were a little upset about that, to the point that one woman stole a security guard's gun and shot at Lloyd.
(Can I pause here to say, there is no way in hell that wooden podium was going to stop a bullet. Lloyd was directly behind where the shot hit. Why can't a crazy woman grabbing a gun and shooting wildly just miss? That would be way more believable than the podium stopping the bullet. OK, rant over. Thank you for your time.)
*Whether it was the audience's reaction, the gun shot, or just his desire to escape liability, Simon was adamant that NLAP's experiments were not responsible for the blackout, declaring to Lloyd that it was now "war between us" (which reminds me of Raoul's similar declaration to the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera (sorry, my wife has been in the show for a combined five years and will be returning to it in the New Year)), and he was going to prove it so. He went to the FBI to assist in finding the true cause of the blackout. We learned that the towers built in Somalia in 1991 are actually super-lasers used to amplify radio waves. Problem was, Simon created the towers...in 1992! Uh, what the what?! The only explanation I can come up with involves the Many-Worlds Theory Lloyd told Olivia about later in the episode (illustrated with the idea that Olivia was supposed to live in the building Lloyd's eventual wife did at Harvard). As far as I can understand, Many-Worlds Theory states that every possible outcome of every possible situation co-exists simultaneously in an infinite number of universes. Possibly, someone involved in the blackout conspiracy found a way to see into one of the other universes, and bring the laser technology back into this world. Heady stuff, I know, but do you have a better theory?
*I guess I should mention the Olivia/Lloyd situation. After his announcement, Lloyd was persona non grata around L.A. As a result, he thought Dylan wouldn't be safe, and wanted to move him to another hospital. Olivia agreed to help him and called in a favor at a children's hospital. As soon as I saw the EMT's who were there to transport Dylan, I just KNEW they were bad guys. I'm sure I wasn't the only one, but one question: if the EMT was so blase about killing a security guard, why not Olivia? He just hit her (don't you harm Sonya Walger!). Why leave witnesses? Bad bad guys!
Quick Hits:
*Why did Mark keep protecting Demetri? He took all the heat from Wedeck, put himself in danger with Nhadra, and took on the CIA agent in Hong Kong, which led to his being fired (and Wedeck's great line about "pooch screwing"). It was almost as if he was trying to get fired. Does he think that if he no longer works for the FBI he can't be in his office on April 29th? Something to keep an eye on.
*Wow. Janis has got baby fever! She wants that kid and wants it now. Liked her line about being "super gay." Nice moment of levity.
*Either Simon or Lloyd stated that they could not be charged with a crime because they were just conducting a science experiment. I'm not saying it's definite, but I'm pretty sure they could be charged with criminal negligence. They did kill 20 million people (as we keep hearing about).
*I thought the whole Zoey/Mrs. Noh storyline was filler. Yes, Zoey did finally realize what we've suspected for a long time: namely, that her flash did not show her at her wedding with Demetri, but rather his funeral. There was a touching moment where Mrs. Noh admitted that she was staying away from Zoey because she had the same flash of Demetri's funeral, but otherwise, I didn't feel it moved anything forward, as opposed to the rest of the storylines.
*I dug Hong Kong CIA agent Marshall Vogel, played by Michael Ealy. He, interestingly, said that he has "nothing to lose." What that means, I have no idea. But I liked his attitude so I hope he shows up in future episodes. I thought I saw him in the extended preview for the second half of the season, so it appears we may be seeing more of him.
*Thought the opening scene of Mark watching A Christmas Carol, specifically the scene where Scrooge is pleading with the Ghost of Christmas Future. Nice metaphor for Mark's deep desire to change the future he has seen.
From my preview for "A561984," I was way off on the meaning of the title (it wasn't a date, obviously); the show did accelerate the action in creating some momentum to get us through the next three FF-free months; the public did not take kindly to Lloyd's admission at all; and I nailed the fact that Olivia was going ot help Lloyd with Dylan (as if I was out on a limb there!); and we did get a huge reveal concerning Nhadra -- she's working with D. Gibbons!
Prediction: Nhadra and Gibbons will cause a second blackout to avert "the incident."
So there you have it folks. No more FlashForward until March. The story moved apace, and although I may not have been overly effusive above, I really enjoyed both how the plots developed and the speed at which we are moving now. I can't say I'm eagerly awaiting the answer to a cliffhanger (like, say, where/when the hell are the Lostaways), but the overarching mystery has been pretty perfectly pitched so I am jazzed for the return the show this spring. I just hope others are coming along for the ride. Doc Jensen of EW.com, he of the famous Lost recaps, has begun recapping FF. His first theory-filled recap can be found here. I'm eager to read it myself. Remember to check out Jay and Jack's FlashForwardCast as well. Lastly, if you are Twitter-inclined, I can be found at twitter.com/MikeNJD. If you have any thoughts, theories or questions, please post them in the Comments sections below. As I said above, I will post some thoughts on the mega-preview that appeared at the end of the episode next week. During the hiatus, should any FF news appear, I will post on that as well. Of course, there is plenty of TV and other entertainments (and sports, and politics, and other stuff) to talk about, so make sure you check the blog regularly for more Entertaining Thoughts. Thank you for reading.
I'm off to purchase a lucky Chinese cat.
Friday, December 4, 2009
FlashForward - "A561984," Ctd
Hello all. I know I have been really good about getting my recap up on Fridays, but the provberial stuff hit the fan at work last night and today, so I will be unable to post anything today. Tomorrow, however, I should have my full thoughts up on what I thought was maybe the best episode of the season. While you're on pins and needles waiting for my thoughts tomorrow, chew on this news about FF's spring return. Incidentally, V, will be returning on Tuesday nights at 10p after Lost. That's a whole lot of sci-fi/mystery goodness. OK, back to work. See you tomorrow.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
FlashForward - "A561984"
Hello all. I hope my American compatriots had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, and that my international readers had a great....Thursday or jueves or jeudi or اليوم or whatever last week. I can tell that I am really enjoying FF as it seems like it has been way longer than two weeks since our last installment, "Believe." I am pretty sure that tomorrow night's episode, "A561984" is the last one for 2009, so I'm expecting a blowout episode with a nice cliffhanger to get us through the holidays. From the preview at the end of "Believe," it seems we'll be getting just that. Here's what I'm looking for tomorrow night:
*What does "A561984" mean? The easy answer is that it is a case file number, like in The West Wing's "7A WF 83429" which was the file number given to Zoey Bartlet's kidnapping (just rewatched the four episode kidnapping sequence -- such awesome stuff. I loved that show! Check it out!). However, the title is screaming for the "1984" to be taken as a year. If you do, and take "56" to be May 6 (in America) or 5 June (pretty much everywhere else), then we're looking at a date of some unknown significance. Is it a charcter's birthday? If so, that person would be 25 years old. Anyone of significance on the show about 25? Tracy or Nicole, I suppose, but the episode doesn't seem to focus on them. Perhaps its the date the blackout technology was created or initially tested? If so, Simon (and probably Lloyd) would have been way too young to be involved then. If I had to bet, I'd say it's just a file number, but I hope I'm wrong and it's something extra-special cool.
*After a nice respite at a rest stop along the highway of the future-seeing mystery that is FlashForward, by all accounts, "A561984" will ramp up the Mosaic investigation by giving us a lot of info on the cause of the blackout. From the preview, we see Lloyd actually following through with his public declaration of responsibility for the blackout. I am still holding tight to my original prediction that Lloyd and Simon's technology is responsible for the blackout, but they were not the ones who caused the blackout to occur. Something tells me that even if Lloyd lays out this point explicitly, the public is not going to take to kindly to it.
*Simon seems, from the preview, to be working with the L.A. FBI and revealing his and Lloyd's part in the blackout. Now, most people tend to believe Simon is a "bad guy," so what is his angle in helping the FBI? Is he trying to cast attention elsewhere in order to protect himself and his group's true intentions? We will hear Simon tell the FBI, "I'll find him." Who is "him?" Suspect Zero? D. Gibbons? The Chess Player (the guy who blew up the doll factory in "White to Play")? I think we did see a flash of someone handling chess pieces in the preview, so maybe the Chess Player is who Simon will be seeking, but why? What cards does Simon have up his sleeve (pun, sadly, intended)?
*Olivia tells Lloyd she will help him, with something. With Dylan? Does Lloyd confide in her that he is "responsible" for the blackout before he tells the public? I think it's more likely the former because why would she want to assist the man responsible for the greatest catastrophy known to man? Oh, and how quickly will Mark run to Olivia to say "I told you so!' once Lloyd goes public? Thirty seconds? A minute?
*We will also see the return of Shohreh Agdashloo tomorrow night. If you remember, she was the one who told Demetri he would be murdered on March 15. The preview had us believe that she will tell Demetri that the one who will murder him is sitting at their table, apparently in Hong Kong. Methinks this will not go down as expected. I didn't see who was also in the restaurant with them besides Mark (Vreede, you there?), and although we do know there is likely a traitor in the FBI, I just think there will be a bigger reveal than the one telegraphed by the preview. But we do get a table flipped over and gunshots in an Asian restuarant, which always reminds me that anything goes (couldn't find the exact clip that didn't have offensive blackface in it, but you know what comes after the song and dance).
I'm preparing myself to be hit with a big, and welcome, download of information tomorrow night regarding the mechanical cause of the blackout (will I also score on my satellite prediciton?). However, the continuing mystery will be why the blackout occurred and who perpetrated it. I would like to see some more Janis tomorrow night, as I thought they were building her character nicely, all to, literally, leave her for dead a few episodes ago and not give her much screen time since. Maybe she'll go to Hong Kong with the boys. I don't expect more than a passing glance of Bryce or Aaron after the last episode; I think we'll be Mosaic-heavy tomorrow night. This, I believe, is a good thing because it is the overarching mystery that will give us the great cliffhangers necessary to steel ourselves for the cold and barren winter.
If you need a refresher on any of FF's episodes, all of my recaps are here. Plus, always rememebr to check out the crackpot theories over at FlashForwardCast with Jay and Jack. If you have any thoughts or theories about tomorrow night's episode, please drop them in the Comments section below. I'll be back this weekend with my thoughts on tomorrow night's episode. Until then...
Enjoy.
*What does "A561984" mean? The easy answer is that it is a case file number, like in The West Wing's "7A WF 83429" which was the file number given to Zoey Bartlet's kidnapping (just rewatched the four episode kidnapping sequence -- such awesome stuff. I loved that show! Check it out!). However, the title is screaming for the "1984" to be taken as a year. If you do, and take "56" to be May 6 (in America) or 5 June (pretty much everywhere else), then we're looking at a date of some unknown significance. Is it a charcter's birthday? If so, that person would be 25 years old. Anyone of significance on the show about 25? Tracy or Nicole, I suppose, but the episode doesn't seem to focus on them. Perhaps its the date the blackout technology was created or initially tested? If so, Simon (and probably Lloyd) would have been way too young to be involved then. If I had to bet, I'd say it's just a file number, but I hope I'm wrong and it's something extra-special cool.
*After a nice respite at a rest stop along the highway of the future-seeing mystery that is FlashForward, by all accounts, "A561984" will ramp up the Mosaic investigation by giving us a lot of info on the cause of the blackout. From the preview, we see Lloyd actually following through with his public declaration of responsibility for the blackout. I am still holding tight to my original prediction that Lloyd and Simon's technology is responsible for the blackout, but they were not the ones who caused the blackout to occur. Something tells me that even if Lloyd lays out this point explicitly, the public is not going to take to kindly to it.
*Simon seems, from the preview, to be working with the L.A. FBI and revealing his and Lloyd's part in the blackout. Now, most people tend to believe Simon is a "bad guy," so what is his angle in helping the FBI? Is he trying to cast attention elsewhere in order to protect himself and his group's true intentions? We will hear Simon tell the FBI, "I'll find him." Who is "him?" Suspect Zero? D. Gibbons? The Chess Player (the guy who blew up the doll factory in "White to Play")? I think we did see a flash of someone handling chess pieces in the preview, so maybe the Chess Player is who Simon will be seeking, but why? What cards does Simon have up his sleeve (pun, sadly, intended)?
*Olivia tells Lloyd she will help him, with something. With Dylan? Does Lloyd confide in her that he is "responsible" for the blackout before he tells the public? I think it's more likely the former because why would she want to assist the man responsible for the greatest catastrophy known to man? Oh, and how quickly will Mark run to Olivia to say "I told you so!' once Lloyd goes public? Thirty seconds? A minute?
*We will also see the return of Shohreh Agdashloo tomorrow night. If you remember, she was the one who told Demetri he would be murdered on March 15. The preview had us believe that she will tell Demetri that the one who will murder him is sitting at their table, apparently in Hong Kong. Methinks this will not go down as expected. I didn't see who was also in the restaurant with them besides Mark (Vreede, you there?), and although we do know there is likely a traitor in the FBI, I just think there will be a bigger reveal than the one telegraphed by the preview. But we do get a table flipped over and gunshots in an Asian restuarant, which always reminds me that anything goes (couldn't find the exact clip that didn't have offensive blackface in it, but you know what comes after the song and dance).
I'm preparing myself to be hit with a big, and welcome, download of information tomorrow night regarding the mechanical cause of the blackout (will I also score on my satellite prediciton?). However, the continuing mystery will be why the blackout occurred and who perpetrated it. I would like to see some more Janis tomorrow night, as I thought they were building her character nicely, all to, literally, leave her for dead a few episodes ago and not give her much screen time since. Maybe she'll go to Hong Kong with the boys. I don't expect more than a passing glance of Bryce or Aaron after the last episode; I think we'll be Mosaic-heavy tomorrow night. This, I believe, is a good thing because it is the overarching mystery that will give us the great cliffhangers necessary to steel ourselves for the cold and barren winter.
If you need a refresher on any of FF's episodes, all of my recaps are here. Plus, always rememebr to check out the crackpot theories over at FlashForwardCast with Jay and Jack. If you have any thoughts or theories about tomorrow night's episode, please drop them in the Comments section below. I'll be back this weekend with my thoughts on tomorrow night's episode. Until then...
Enjoy.
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