LOSTBLOG -- "Because You Left" / "The Lie"
I'll be blogging after every "Lost" episode this season. Spoiler warning, naturally.
"Lost" has picked up right where it left off last summer: The best modern example of science fiction, the most exciting show on TV, a production of feature-film quality, an enjoyable headtrip, and a mosaic of lovable, indelible characters.
The first hour of the season premiere was like a giant love letter to the hardcores. The opening scene managed to pay homage to Desmond's introduction at the bottom of the Swan Station, show us our first glimpse of Dr. Marvin Candle away from an orientation film, and proved that Faraday has been on the island before.
But it didn't stop there. We got Yemi's plane, Charlie's heroin statues, the "return" of Ethan Rom, a peek at Desmond in the past, Richard Alpert giving Locke the compass ... it was pure geek bliss. There is no way to fully appreciate this premiere without having seen every episode of the show, and that's just fine -- Damon and Carlton are doing right by us, rewarding us.
We are also rewarded with a lack of narrative ambiguity. No, we don't yet know why the island does what it does, and why the world will (apparently) end if Benjamin doesn't succeed in bringing the Oceanic Six back to it, and who the hell Jacob is. But these are all, more or less, really cool and complicated MacGuffins. Now, five years in, we at last know what everyone's motivations are -- or at least what they appear to be. There are no more "Others" to worry about, no more uncertainty over the intentions of the Freighties, no more wondering why there are polar bears on the island.
The end is definitely in sight, and the fun now is watching how all the pieces fall into place. I don't think any of us believes that Ben won't succeed in bringing everyone back to the island, and we know Locke succeeds in dying, as Richard told him he must do. We are now looking forward to emotional climaxes and not the answers -- but there are still plenty of answers to come, I'm sure.
The new wrinkle in the show's time forcing the Losties to travel back and forth all but assures us we'll finally see Danielle Rousseau's story, and the story of the Black Rock. It allows Darlton to plausibly bring anyone, from Boone and Shannon to Mr. Eko and Libby, back into the story.
I am incredibly excited. Next Wednesday can't come soon enough.
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Best scene: Sayid creatively uses a dishwasher as a weapon.
Biggest shocker: Richard tells Locke that he has to die.
Best performance: Jorge Garcia as Hugo, who had to confess the truth to his mother and outsmart Benjamin Linus.
That could explain a lot, as well.
That Faraday may have traveled back to Dharma's past in his/the show's future. I don't necessarily think he was there "before"... remember, he's "unstuck" in time himself and needs Desmond as his constant.
this is partly supported by the fact that you can hear his voice at the end of the Pierre Chang Comicon video, where Chang accurately tells of the hatch blowing up, Bush as president and the Internet coming. Who might have told him? Faraday from the future? Hmmm.
Also, a lot of people think that Chang might be Miles' father -- e.g. the baby at the beginning of the ep was Miles. I dunno about that one yet.
Great blog Sean! I'm glad bad robot is back in my life and I heart shit zus.
I must say that while Faraday was attempting to explain what is happening to Sawyer, Juliette, etc., I was really frustrated that he didn't just ask if any of them had read "Slaughter-house Five." Perhaps it was enough Vonnegut when he simply mentioned that "Eloise had come unstuck in time."
We did see something really important with Faraday warning Desmond, even though they hadn't met, in the past and he remembers it in the present. I'm confused as to whether this means Faraday is wrong and that you can alter the past, whether you can only alter the past if it involves your constant, or whether you can only make a seemingly insignificant change in the past that doesn't affect actions in the past, but effects future actions. He didn't create an alternate string at that past event, but he did potentially create an alternate string for the present.
If they're completely unstuck in time and they can go into the future as well (which they haven't done so far as we know yet), any of their actions would be rendered completely pointless as it would eliminate all free will because they'd be unable to alter the "future," but would rather just go back and forth on an infinite string. If they are traveling to the future, as well, then Faraday is wrong or only partially wrong. Perhaps only some travelers, such as Locke, have free will.
I know we haven't heard about Jacob yet this season, but I'm beginning to speculate as to his identity. We'll probably all laugh at my naivete later in the season, but I think Jacob may be Locke.
I only caught the last 40 minutes of hour 2, as I decided to watch the Hawks up til the end of the first period. That's what iTunes and abc.com are for!
A funny thought just occurred to me. Recaling the scene with Claire and her father in the cabin at the end of last season— where it seemed she'd chosen to be with him—is it at all possible that ultimately, at the end of the series, the characters might have some ability to choose what point in time they occupy on the island— eg., Sun with Jin, pre-freighter. Dunno. Just a crazy thought.
I like the idea of the Losties being able to manipulate time quite a bit. That theory could support why Richard Alpert never appears to age, or why Dan Faraday looks the same now as he did in what were apparently the late 1970s as shown in the opening scene of "Because You Left."
I also think Elizabeth is onto something when she says Locke IS Jacob. If you freeze-frame the one small glimpse we got of Jacob in "The Man Behind The Curtain" in Season 3, it does kinda look like Locke with long, gray hair.
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Also freeze frame when Hurley looks into the cabin (not sure if it was that same episode, but right around then) and the eye peers out at him. Looks a lot like Locke.
Richard is one of my favorite characters.
The only problem with time manipulation for me is it means the possible return of the con-man/con-woman characters (Nikki and her boyfriend) who were buried alive a couple of seasons ago. I despised them.
Also, I would love to see Eko (that name takes on more and more significance all the time!) come back. Another great character.
Oh no, not Nikki and Paulo! It's bad enough that Frogurt showed up last night ... but at least they prompty killed him.
I like Richard in that he's the one "Other" who never seemed to pose a threat or to have bad intentions. It's almost as if he's the personification of The Island. Could it be possible that Richard is the Smoke Monster? Hmmm....
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