For as much as I appreciate a week off from blogging, it’s hard to deny that those breaks really suck the momentum out of the show. Luckily, “Lost” makes it so easy to get sucked right back in – especially when the writers are having so much fun introducing characters from the present to former acquaintances in the past. Tonight’s episode featured several instances, and while they made a fairly big deal about Sayid meeting young Ben (probably because he’s going to try and stop him from poisoning the Dharma Initiative in a future episode), the brief mention of Ethan being Horrace and Michelle Dessler’s son was a far more exciting reveal from a fan’s point of view.
Then again, it also settles a fairly major debate regarding how Michelle was even able to have the baby in the first place. On the present day island, child birth was considered impossible until Claire had Aaron. Of course, that also didn’t happen until after Charlie killed Ethan. So what if baby Ethan was never supposed to be born, and as a result of Sawyer and Juliet saving Michelle’s life, they indirectly prevented any other child births from successfully taking place on the island until the mistake was reversed? It certainly makes a lot of sense, but I’m still not sure how it fits into the grand scheme of things.
Getting back to Sayid, the guy has run into some pretty shitty luck. While Jack, Kate and Hurley get to take the easy route as Dharma recruits (“What’s up with the jumpsuits?” “You didn’t tell them?”), Sayid has the unfortunate pleasure of being pigeonholed into the role of a hostile. Some trigger-happy nerd named Radzinsky wants to shoot him then and there, but Sawyer, who’s managed to rise among the ranks during his years as a company man, takes him to the barracks instead. What I don’t understand is why Sayid doesn’t just spin his story to make it seem like he’s running away from the hostiles? He’s already wearing handcuffs, so perhaps he could just explain that he was trying to escape. Then again, they’d probably think it was a trick and kill him anyway.
The whole recruitment subplot wasn’t as interesting as it could have been, but they’ve definitely set the stage for what looks to be a big showdown between the real Dharma workers and the survivors. The tension is already building, and between Jin talking about a nonexistent plane, Sawyer and Juliet sneaking around to cover up their tracks, and the arrival of Sayid, it’s only a matter of time before someone comes to the conclusion that they are all spies working undercover. For the time being, however, we did get a few cool details that should keep fans talking. Sawyer’s confirmation that Faraday isn’t with them any more has me worried that he might be one of the confirmed characters to be kicking the bucket before season’s end, while Marvin Candle’s introduction to Jack as Peter Cheng is just, well, confusing as hell.
The biggest question on my mind still has to do with those that didn’t make the jump through time. If all of the other previous visitors to the island have been transported back to 1977, then why did Sun, Ben and Lapidus crash along with the rest of the newbies in present day? It just doesn’t make any sense. Furthermore, when Sun knocked Ben out with the oar and took the boat with Lapidus over to the real island where they met Christian Shephard, why did he show her a picture of the recruitment ceremony from 1977? Sure, that may prove that Jack, Kate and Hurley are alive and fine, but it doesn’t mean a thing about Jin. Wouldn’t showing her a picture from 1974 (when Jin and the others were recruited) have been more beneficial? Perhaps I’m missing something, so if anyone has answers, feel free to speak up in the comments section below.
I think that Ben and Frank didn’t go back to 1977 because I think it was just supposed to be the Oceanic 6 that were supposed to go there. However, I don’t know why Sun arrived in the present then. That is a mystery. I wrote a list of my highlights of this episode at http://connectwithyourteens.blogspot.com/2009/03/lost-season-5-epis
ode-9-namaste.html if you want to see my observations. I didn’t think about what you said at the end about the 1974 picture vs. 1977. The only reason I can think of is this way he is showing her that she has to go to 1977.
A couple of observations from my end…
* Radzinsky was a cool reveal, his name had been dangled out there for so long it was nice to put a face to him finally. If you recall he was in the Swan hatch with Kelvin, before Dez got there. Radzinsky made the drawing on the blast door and also supposedly blew his own head off with a shotgun, per Kelvin.
* As far as Sun goes, I think she was supposed to fly back with Jin like she did originally. Without Jin her results would be “unpredictable” in the words of Ms Hawkings. Pure speculation on my part, but it is the best I can do with what we know.
* As for the photo of 77 recruits, I think Christian showed Sun that to help explain her friends are back in time. She flew with Jack, Hurley, Kate, etc… So seeing them all in Dharma back in 77 might help her understand where she needs to go. Christian told her she has a journey ahead of her, be interesting to see how she gets back to 1977.
* I am not sold on Daniel Faraday being dead just yet. I wonder if Sawyer was saying that from a mental stand point, that Faraday is no longer with them. Kind of thing the writers would do to keep us guessing. Kind of like when people say he is here physically but not mentally. I think Daniel is perceived to have lost his mind after losing Charlotte. Just a guess, could be wrong.
* Sun wacking the sheeet out of Ben was friggin awesome, simply incredible scene. I was wondering how Ben ended up with the wounded after he took off in the jungle. Then Sun cracked his arse with the oar and I busted out laughing. Great stuff.
Hm. Where is Locke in all of this…when/where…
We have an epi titled 316…and, John 3:16 in the bible reads:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
So, maybe Locke is representative of ‘good’ while Ben might be the 2nd hand man of ‘evil’ for this battle that they keep on mentioning. Ben mentions that the order for the ‘gassing’ has come from someone else.
(if you have any takes on this…feel free to email me…also…how can i subscribe to this blog?)
Hmm…does this make the island ‘Eden’?
Locke is in the present with Sun, Ben and Lapidus, though the only person he’s officially met is Ilena, the federal marshal escorting Sayid.
Faraday returned to England and some university, where he will help Desmond at some point in their future but not the present.
T-Bone, interesting thoughts on Faraday… I was wondering if maybe he took the sub back to the States in 1977 and began working on the Lamp Post.
It is possible Bo is right about Faraday being with the castaways physically, but not mentally. However, I have another theory. I think that Faraday might be working with Marvin Candle in some capacity and as a result of this must be separated from the other castaways. I think this fits because he was helping Candle make a home video in one of the videos we saw online (the video I’m talking about never actually aired on the show; I think I might have been at com-icon or something). Anyway, it also fits because we say Faraday at the very beginning of this season in the cave.
I hear u G, I have been wondering when that scene takes place. The scene with Faraday down in the dig site by the FDW. Did it happen somewhere between 1974-1977, before the O6 returned? Or is it about to happen in 1977 after the O6. Anything is possible right now, I am open to whatever.
My own thoughts are that it already took place before the O6 returned (just a guess). And that Daniel headed back to the US and will be the very great man Ms Hawkings was talking about, who built the lamp post. But until we know when that scene took place, all I can do is speculate. Good theory G.
In an episode from last season when Desmond and Sayid were being brought to the freighter, Sayid was having a time traveling episode seemingly in his mind jumping from being in the now, to being in the British Army, to finding Penny on Christmas Eve(I think). One of the flashbacks that happened in the mid 90’s I think brought Des to Faraday in some university. Oxford? Not sure. Faraday was experimenting on time travel with rats. I really think he took the sub off the island at some point.
I liked the comic relief after Sun whacked Ben by talling Lapidus “I lied”.
I did not pick up the show until the beginning of last season, and watched a compilation show prior to catch up. Could someone please tell me who Ethan was ( I will assume an “other” by that point), why Charlie killed him, and it’s importance? If it was in the comp show, I don;t recall it. Thanks.
I like Bo’s theory on why Sun is not with the rest of the O6. It makes sense.
TBone ; Ethan was an “other” posing as one of the oceanic survivors and doing testing on claire to see if she would survive her pregnancy. when they set a trap for him and charlie shot him to protect claire and also as revenge for being almost killed by him. thats a basic explanation for you.
Thanks dave for the update. It sounds vaguely familiar so was probably touched on in the comp episode.
Anyone else get a “12 Monkees” feel about this series? I think I have the name right about the Bruce Willis/Brad Pitt movie. I started to think about it a couple of weeks ago, as if these people are reliving their lives over and over…
Jason — I love your theory about Ethan’s death being the trigger to make it possible for women to give birth on the island again.
I’m sure that this is a dumb question — but who is Marcus Candle? When I google the name nothing really comes up (except this blog).
And where was Locke when the pilot announced what was going on with the radio? You’d think that Sun would stay close to him, unless she doesn’t know that he’s alive. The interesting thing is that Locke met the marshall when the guy (I forget his name) was searching the buildings, which was his suggestion in this episode (so Locke emerged sometime after the pilot’s speech).
That’s my bad actually. I meant to say MARVIN Candle. He’s the Dharma doc from all of the orientation videos. I’ve fixed it in the write-up.
What’s going on with the Locke statements here? We haven’t seen Locke since the flight. He is not with Sun and Lapidus.
I think he might be underground and Christian will bring Sun and perhaps Lapidus to Locke, and Locke will guide them through the underground back to 1977/1978. Locke will perhaps hen be as alive as all the others. One big question is “Will Ben go too?”.
What are you talking about? Locke was shown alive a few episodes ago AND on the smaller island with all of the other recent survivors.
Sun is the only O6 stuck in the present. Sun is also the only one of the O6 that Locke didn’t visit to try to convince to go back…