A strong episode, and one focused on a perennial favorite. While Jen has flashback fatigue for some of the original crew, she felt Sawyer’s story genuinely added more to his character. The question is, between the flashback and the island, did we see Sawyer con his way out of prison but get conned by Ben? Or perhaps we’ll later learn he was actually conned twice? And a few minutes are spared for the survivors on the beach, so we can get to know (and dislike?) Paulo better, and get further evidence of Desmond’s premonitions.
Okay, so maybe the fact that Sawyer was conning “Costanza” (I love that!) and was in cahoots with the warden was totally obvious. It was still paced and presented well, gave us another book reference (“Of Mice and Men,” wonderfully referenced again at the end of the episode), and gave us the tantalizing possibility that Sawyer could be a daddy. It would be just so trite and perfect that we simply bask in the reveal that he’s actually got a sense of honor in leaving some money to little Clementine. (Echoed on the island as Ben points out that his weak point is Kate, not self preservation.) But Cassidy’s conned him before, and it seems quite likely she conned him again. There’s definitely more of their story to tell.
On the island, Sawyer surpasses the bears in smarts in coming up with a plan to electrocute his captors, but finds out the hard way they’re being watched. Unlike the prison con, I thought Ben’s pacemaker bunny con was well done. (Given the way critters are exterminated on this show, I was starting to worry that “LOST” would end up on PETA’s hit list.) We get Kate’s utterance that she loves Sawyer… but she quickly recants. So does she, or doesn’t she? Jen doesn’t care, but forced to speculate by her husband, figures that Kate was indeed telling the truth. Me? Well, I’m no fan of Evangeline Lilly’s alleged acting ability, but something about the moment she tells Sawyer she didn’t mean it makes me believe her. Perhaps, indeed, there’s a little Jack love in her skinny little heart.
In fact, to be fair, there were some decent insights into Kate’s character tonight. Well, I thought so, anyway. From her dismay at Sawyer’s glee over Colleen’s injury, to her picking up on Sawyer’s silence and refusal to fight back — saying that his apparent need to lie is scarier than anything she’d expect from the Others.
Remember, Kate was “Born to Run.” What does it say that she didn’t?
Was Juliet’s decision to bring Jack in to save Colleen, ostensibly against Ben and Danny’s wishes, really spontaneous? Or part of a larger plan? Jen thinks it’s all on the level, and certainly the Others couldn’t have expected Colleen to be shot. It certainly adds weight to the sense that Juliet and Ben aren’t on the same page. Still, the spinal tumor X-ray makes it clear to Jack that he’s there to play spinal surgeon. And I got the feeling from Ben’s command to leave Jack to stew with Colleen’s body that he wanted to affect Jack’s psyche somehow. I think they wanted Jack to fail.
We also think that “malfunctioning” intercom is also part of the plot. He’s not overhearing anything they don’t want him to.
Key piece of dialogue tonight? Tom complaining to Ben (in that “hell in a handbasket” way) that the communications link (to the outside world?) has been down since the sky turned purple. Oh, yeah, and the mention of a submarine.
If you’re counting, “Every Man for Himself” marks the second episode out of four where Kate gets naked. “She was kinda orange, too,” Jen notes. It was gratuitous the first time, and now it’s just getting tired. (Fortunately, again, Sawyer defuses the moment, this time with a cold shower.) Anyone want to take bets on whether we’ll see Nekkid Kate a third time before the six-episode “pod” is over?
Speaking of episode titles, the explicit utterance of “Every Man for Himself” was awkward enough. To have Kate attempt to infuse the phrase “Live Together, Die Alone” with some kind of dramatic weight was downright cringeworthy.
Oddly enough, while Charlie’s snarky retorts were a fun touch in the mystical, voodoo Locke episode last week, they came across as flat and callous this week. With only a couple of lines, he was about as unlikable as golfing Paulo was. Seriously, what’s with the “new characters”? I wish they’d just Artz them and move on.
The existence of a second island was, of course, the biggest reveal. If it seemed implausible that the Others little suburban enclave could have gone undetected, a whole offshore land mass going unnoticed seems even more ridiculous. But. It’s clear we still have no idea how big the main island is. Nor do we know, frankly, if it even is an island. We only have some sketchy characters’ word that it is.
A separate island, and the prospect of a second group of Others, definitely creates some huge possibilities for the next two episodes. Yet already I’m dreading having to wait until Feb. 7, 2007 to pick up the story again.
- Love the “Pulp Fiction” call out with the giant needle, including the close up and the countdown.
- So, Juliet is a fertility doctor. Jen pointed out that Jack’s wife Sarah may have been trying to conceive. Perhaps Sarah was a patient? Perhaps Jack was picked for his spinal surgeon skills before ever getting on that plane?
- Jen also noticed one of the Others in the operating room was named Jason. That’s number three, after the guy Ana Lucia shot and the name of one of Kate’s accomplices in the bank robbery.
- Where is the Pala Ferry, or rather, where are the barracks? We heard it referenced in The Pearl orientation tape, but that was on the “main island,” along with the long pier. If you were a DHARMA worker on the main island and had to take a ferry to get home, does that imply the barracks are on another island? Possibly “Alcatraz”? Or was the Others’ quaint valley town the barracks? If so, how does the ferry figure into the daily commute at all?
- Locations: Halawa Prison, the same location used for Desmond’s flashback last season, and Makapu’u Point, the ridge above the Others’ fake camp.
Now were talking!
Sawyer did time in the joint….no surprise.
sawyer a daddy…thats a surprise.
Ben can be a whackjob! What is he about! And did sawyer take a couple of serious beatdowns!!!!But leaving his money to Clemantine is a piece of redemption.
I knew the pacemaker thing was bullshit. A couple kids with a needle who cant find the intercostal space cant put in a pacemaker…..takes a cardiac surgeon.
Best Sawyer episode.
So,
Can we assume then at the “Others” have at least 2 boats? We almost have too, how did Hurley get back to camp after they let him go, but now they are supposedly on another island..or just another con?
Ok. The big question isn’t about the episode, but about the preview for next week.
WTH was that thing on the video monitor in that hatch??
We lost the very end just after Henry asked Sawyer if he ever read. Was there anything significant?
Wow..that was another Grade A episode. I can’t wait to read what Ryan has to say about it.
I didn’t understand why it was significant that they showed Sawyer the island?
Obviously, he wasn’t back in America. I’ve assumed that we have been on the island the whole time. Why wouldn’t have Sawyer.
Jim,
They let Hurley go on the docks – before they left for what we now know is a different island.
Starting to believe more and more the theory that there are two sets of Others on the island. That pirate looking dude on the previews for next week look like the type of savage Ben and his crew were pretending to be last season.
Clematine never existed….she knew somehow that Sawyer was about to come into some money and made it up.
D-course,
you’re right, Clementine probably doesnt exist. It very well could be part of the Wardens way to get into that 10 million, using it as part of the con, using the woman against him.
Ben was showing the island to Sawyer and telling him that he was on another island like Alcatraz. Ben also told Sawyer that they were better at conning people. So I wonder if the island has a large inlet and Ben took Sawyer to a point that made it look like a separate island, or was it really another island, just not the island that Ben said it was. I am now suspicious of everything that ‘the others’ say.
Well first I’d like to question the quote from last season
“This is our island”
Now we find out that THAT isnt their island?
anyways
I read a book over the summer called Area 7 by Matthew Reilley
It involved the president having a bypass and these terrorists having an inside man put a pacemaker in him. Seemed a little familiar tonight! What do you think Ryan? Maybe some reading after you give in and read bad twin!
This was a great episode.
We find out that there are at least two islands. thats cool. I still think the others live on the huge island but are just keeping jack, kate, and sawyer on the smaller island where the hydra is.
Sawyer has a kid..maybe. thats cool.
Sawyer gets jacked. I havent seen a character take that kind of beating since i watched Boone get punched over and over in the first season.
This is or episode 2 have been the best so far this season.
Now we’re talking.
That thing in the preview for next week looked like a person with an eye patch. Like the guy in the training films?
I still like everyone’s ideas of two sets of others.
Why is it that no one has seen the other island before? Seems like we are going to find a 5 star resort over the hill next season.
I think that the two islands must be linked by some kind of tunnel…or underwater area. That’s probably where they are keeping Jack. It at least now makes sense of the comment from one of the previous shows about them “finding us” in the boat…someone caught on that it made no sense, since the other’s village was tucked away in a valley.
Desmond is definitely in a different time zone!
I loved last night’s episode. It was nice to see the Others in a more ominous light and to see our familiar Losties in a less objectively cruel flashback. Sure, Sawyer did some crappy things, but his motives were difficult to fault.
I’m of the school of thought that says there really are two islands. The Losties, remember, have barely seen the northern end of the island they’re on, and the island Sawyer is on is supposedly twice the size of Alcatraz (per Google maps, about 1/4 mile long). This is the Hydra substation, but not necessarily the place where the Others were in episode 1 when the plane went down. That place looked immaculate; this looks grungy.
From what I could tell of the creepy face in the hatch, it had an eyepatch and looked non-human… actually a little like that creepy animatronic head from Saw.
Looks from the previews like something happens to Eko next week?
Also… interesting that both Jack and Sawyer seem to be getting in the Others’ heads a bit. Sawyer last week (two weeks ago?) starting a fight to see how ready the Others were for it… Jack checking out the x-rays and breaking Juliet down a bit…
Finally — Juliet’s confession that she is a reproductive endocrinologist (a “fertility doctor”) is intriguing given that all of the kids on the island seem to disappear. I wonder if she didn’t wind up on the island later, like Desmond, and get recruited to the Others. This might explain her deference to/struggle with Benry. Jack seems to think that he was brought there because he’s a spine surgeon… I doubt that it’s why he’s on the island, but he certainly might be (and likely is) at the substation for that reason. Who is the tumor on? Benry seems to be the insinuation. But maybe Mr Friendly/Tom? Maybe — irony of ironies — Jack himself?
Dare I say it? I was a wee bit disappointed tonight. Can’t wait to see the official rehash.
Just a theory that I thought I’d throw out there–
Is it possible that prior to the hatch implosion there was “one” island — but it was really two islands somehow being held together by the electromagnetic force in the hatch? And then with the hatch implosion the two islands are now “drifting” apart? This would help explain a few things… like why the Losties never noticed the other island in their explorations — particularly when they climbed to the tallest point of the island to try to get a cell or radio signal in the first season. This would also help explain Zeke giving the Losties the “line in the sand” last season and telling them that it was their (the Others’) island. Perhaps that line was where the two islands were joined.
Great episode, I really enjoyed it!
They still have done nothing with Paolo and Nicki. In #4 we see him hitting golf balls into the ocean. Are we to believe that this is the first time in 67 days that he’s thought to play some golf? Otherwise, with this practice, he would have none left.
I’m totally upset at the introduction of these two really strong personality characters could have been unseen during all the events that have taken place in season 1 and 2.
As for Sawyer. I totally thought that Sawyer had the baby. Even in our podcast, I thought that. However, was the pacemaker the only con that was pulled on Sawyer in this episode?
The Other Island: Is the sub how they were able to get to Sun without being detected by Sayid and Jin?
Of Mice and Men.. Some clear ties and themes there. However, this is the case with all books showcased in the show.
Looking forward to see what Ryan & Jenn have to say.
There are at least two sets of “others”. This has been confirmed by Damon L. and Calton Cuse on the video podcast at the beginning of this season (you can get it free off itunes).
Sawyer episodes are always top notch, however, nothing new really happened last night overall. More questions now –
Who has the spinal tumor?
Is that the deal that ben is talking about with jack? Cure the tumor, ticket out?
Why is Des clairvoyant?
How do the others get back and forth from island 1 and island 2?
How come syaid, jin, sun and des have never seen island 2?
I’m still really having a hard to accepting the background losties coming on the show for this season (guy hitting golf clubs last night and that other chick that appears in the preview for next week). I’d wish they’d keep focus on the characters we know and I’m excited to learn about the new “other” characters too. But it really annoys me they just have two background people just appear out of nowhere.
I agree that the way the new castaways are being introduced is a little offputting. I guess if they want to bring in new characters, they have to find some way to do it, but it’s like suddenly these new people are just ‘there’ and part of the core group even though we’ve never seen them before … sucking up screen time from characters that I want to see!
CHARLEY, CLAIRE & DESMOND – LOVE TRIANGLE
Didn’t you just love the tension between Desmond and Charley. Desmond with his premonitions feels like he needs to repair Claire’s tent and Charley 1ups him with “Hey BROTHER! What’s going on?” I love it!
Rumors have been circulating of some competition for Claire, and here we go!
DESMOND’S LIGHTENING ROD
Nice one! Hurley had been wondering. Now the whole of the camp will be abuzz. I hope it’s not long before LOST focuses more on Desmond. They’ve just been teasing us.
“You play golf?” (Paulo)
“I’m from Scotland!” (Desmond)
Cheers Brother!
I still want to know what’s up with Dezmond…. how did he know that the lightening was going to hit Claire’s hut. I wonder what really happened in the hatch to them from the explosion? Or are they now a project of some other? Love this show always has me thinking
Huy Guys,
I really enjoyed this episode. I have to agree too that this has to be the James episode so far. It woul make sense that there are two islands. That way there would be more stations without Inman knowing about unless when Inman was about to leave on Desmond’s boat he lied and was really going to the second island.
Or it could be what everyone said: another con. But I like how James conned his way out of prison. Possibly James has a daughter?
Desmond can tell the future or at least see it.
I really said most of what I have to say.
Talk to you later.
P.S. Sorry for any mistakes.
Can someone confirm or deny whether the woman who met with the $10 Million dollar man in the prison guest room was Desmond’s girlfriend (Widmore)? She looked familiar and they showed her, albeit briefly, for a reason. Any thoughts?
Maybe the view on the “other” island was a reflection from the EMF. As for Kate and Sawyer, I still think Kate is trapping Sawyer to get herself off the island. She has fresh clothes, is never abused, and is allowed to exit the cage at will. I thought the cameras at the cages saw everything. Why would they just let her roam around….
I found it interesting that Jack did to Julliete in this episode what Henry/Ben was doing to Locke when they held him captive in the hatch last season. Not referring to the conversation Jack and Juliette had in the surgery room at the end, but earlier, in Jack’s cell, when we was tweaking her about basically being nothing more than a food service lady, essentially a waitress, who takes orders from Ben. Nice turn of the tables. She seemed to be reacting the same way Locke did (assuming that she’s not putting on some sort of act).
So far, this season is far, far superior to season 2. I would even say it marks a complete return to the quality and genius of season 1. Much of Season 2 felt too contrived. So far, season 3 doesn’t.
My only thought is that I’d like to see our Losties score a big win against the others. That’s why it was so cool to see Jack play some head-games with Juliette.
Echoing Ryan’s observation, I think the two largest reveals in this week’s episode are the fact that there are two islands (maybe?) and that the Other’s have access to a sub.
I need to re-watch the episode but when Ben and Sawyer are talking on top of the summit about the other island, does Ben tell Sawyer that the supposed other island they see in the distance is where the other Losties are? This sudden revelation is a bit jarring because it the season opener the Others were living in their secluded utopia on the island the plane crashed on. Did they retreat to this other island as a precaution?
I also agree with Ryan’s comments about Kate having a little love for Jack in her heart. This is not to say she doesn’t have feelings for Sawyer, but when the Other’s are transporting Jack to save Colleen and she sees him, her face lights up. Plus, her refusal to flee might have had something to do with her not knowing the status of Jack. Although cheesy, her utterance of “Live Together, Die Alone” I think underlines her connection to Jack.
I’m glad we didn’t see Jack cry this episode. He didn’t even get teary. I liked his definace when telling Juliette why he would care about the loss of Colleen. I have a feeling Jack is scheming and possibly developing his own con to get himself out of there. Try as they might, I don’t think the Other’s plan to break Jack down is working.
And I’m under the suspicion that the x-ray does not belong to Ben but someone else…the Head Cheese, the ominous “him”.
Other thoughts…the cave Locke finds Mr. Ecko in was eerie. Seems the polar bear(s) have a taste for humans. I have to say though for one of tv’s highest rated shows you would think they could put together better special effects. The polar bear sequence was laughable. And what was up with the jail warrden? Could they have cast a more creepy looking dude? Yowza! As for Desmond…and the beginning and ending scenes mimicking the pilot episode. I’m not sure what is being implied here? Has this happened all before? Thoughts?
Like everyone else, I don’t see the need to add more characters to the story. We’ve gone 3 seasons without these folks, why add them in now? If they are going to be fodder for the Others, so be it. Why not focus on the stories of the characters we know. God, I’d rather them go back to Rose, Bernard (who have been strangely absent this season) and even Danielle then introduce unnecessary characters. Maybe the writers will prove us wrong and these two new Losties will prove worth our time.
Next week’s episode looks like it’s going to be BIG as Saied, Jin and Sun return to camp, Ecko rejoins the living, and plans are made to save Jack, Kate and Sawyer. Ooo, and apparently one-eyed pirates! (joke)
The reason Benry showed Sawyer that they were on another island was to discourage him from trying any more escape attempts. Alcatraz prison was said to be inescapable even though it is tantilizingly so close to San Franciso…you know, “so close but yet so far”.
The Hydra island may be cloaked or shielded from view from the Lostie island. That may have changed with the implosion of the hatch.
I think Kate didn’t escape by herself because she is committed to keeping the three of them together come what may…”Live together, die alone”. I am not sure if this is intended to show growth on her part or what, but it makes me admire her just a little more that she wouldn’t abandon Sawyer to be left alone with the Others. And, conned by Cassidy or not, Sawyer has a depth of integrity that just keeps getting deeper and deeper. He may be a dirty con, but he does right by the ones he loves be they Kate, Jack or a baby girl he may never meet.
Ben says “we’re not killers” in this episode to Sawyer and it got me thinking… do we know definitively of anyone in this group that has killed? I don’t think the group that attacked the tailies and stole their children are affiliated with this group so I can’t recall any of this gang killing someone… (maybe the original hot air balloonist Henry Gale?), although Alex certainly felt that they absolutely WOULD have killed Claire once her baby was born in the medical hatch “the staff”.
Ethan killed one of the castaways in Season One in an attempt to get Claire back. Goodwin killed the guy the tailies had imprisoned in the whole. Goodwin implies that the guy he killed “wasn’t good”, so Ethan’s victim might be explained the same way. But the Others have killed survivors of the flight.
As for the castaways never seeing another island…consider this. It’s made clear in the 1st episode this season, the Island is much larger than originally known. It is never established that Sayid and his crew completely circumnavigated the island. It’s implied they traveled from somewhere on the west coast of the island to the far north. If the 2nd island is to the south, then it’s not impossible the castaways have never seen it. It doesn’t need to be “cloaked”.
” I don’t think the group that attacked the tailies and stole their children are affiliated with this group so I can’t recall any of this gang killing someone… ”
Ethan killed Scott/Steve and threated to kill a person every night until they gave him Clair. And he hung up Charlied to die. And Nathan killed Ana-Lucia’s suspected mole. Nathan took credit for killing the other Tallies because “They weren’t good people.” Ben ordered Michale to kill Ana-Lucia as revenge for her killing Nathan. The also blew up the raft without care if anyone died. Of course most villians think what they are doing is justified.
Kate sure looks like an Other after this apisode.
She seems to know Colleen and Alex already.
She also was adamant in getting on Michael’s boat in season one.
She also had to go with Claire to find the medical hatch.
At first I was a bit disappointed, but after watching it a second time I think it was a pretty good episode.
Some random notes:
* We now know why they want Jack (ironically, we discover it on a Sawyer episode). By the looks of the next episode preview they want Sawyer for some reason too. Why do they need him? I think the only reason why they keep Kate is to make Sawyer cooperate. The conversation where Benry tells Sawyer he does care for Kate more than he’s willing to admit definitely suggests it, and is backed by the other day’s Sayid comment about capturing two Others
* I think Juliet is starting to “like” Jack. It’s hard to identify his feelings at this point though. However, did you see the degree of control they have on him? He quietly went to the corner of the room when there was a knock on the door, no complains this time
* On a recent official podcast, I think there was a mention of a new love triangle. At first I thought it was going to be Charlie-Claire-Locke, but something tells me it’s going to be Charlie-Claire-Desmond instead. Wait and see
* Is there a connection between the submarine and the “Galaga” mentioned on the previous episode? I’d say they’re the same thing
* A small detail that might be irrelevant, but when Benry mentions Alcatraz he also says something about a tour of Alcatraz. The way he speaks, it’s like he’s done that tour, or at least has been to Alcatraz. However, he said he’s lived on the island his whole life. Was he lying?
* I think it’s kind of strange that the smaller island hadn’t been noticed before, either by the losties or by Rousseau, Desmond or anyone else. However, this could be the reason why the Others had such a big need to capture the boat, they were probably afraid that Sayid and the others would eventually find out about the island
* I find it ironic (and intriguing), that the Others still claim to be the good guys. When Tom says to Benry that Danny wants to kill Sawyer, he simply replies “Danny can wait”, which seems to indicate they don’t care much about at least Sawyer’s life once they get whatever they want from him
* I don’t like the new characters either and wonder why they chose to introduce them at this point on the show. Crazy theory of the day: one ofe them is an other Other and that’s why they’re being introduced
Hmmm. Desmond and Claire. I think I like it.
I still got a question… if the Hydra station where Sawyer, et al, are being held captive is on a separate island, and Sawyer is being kept in the cage that formerly held the (polar?) bears, then how did the bears end up on the big island?
Mike on Weber Point —
From Seaworld.com: Polar bears are strong swimmers; they swim across bays or wide leads without hesitation. They can swim for several hours at a time over long distances. They’ve been tracked swimming continuously for 100 km (62 mi.)
The polar bears may have been transported to the Lostie island by the Others, also…perhaps to take care of the Other-Others?
Is the larger island where Michael, Walt (and presumably Vincent) were sent to for “rescue” by Ben?
Another reference to Karl. Just before Juliet asked him to save Colleen, Jack heard this through the intercom (according to close-captioning):
“…Under control.” “Yeah? You know what he’s doing to Karl?” “You know what he’s doing?” “It was a mistake bringing those two here…”
Hmmm. I hadn’t thought about that whole “touring Alcatraz” thing. I’ve been on the tour twice myself. Yeah, how would Benry know that??? Good point.
I wondered if the lady was Widmore, too, but I don’t think she was. Alas, I have no screen-cap capabilities.
What if the x-rays are Locke’s? I am thinking that the tumor may have caused his paralysis and the crash/island healed the tumor… any thoughts?
The first scene of this season shows the others perspective of the plane crash. Ben orders Ethan and Goodwin to the crash sites. He says to Goodwin (i think) that the site couldn’t be more than one hour if he runs. No mention of taking a sub or crossing water. So, are we to assume that the nice “other” village is on island 1 and now that they have captives, they are on island 2?
Great point Aitor about the other’s claiming to be the good guys. I really didn’t think to much about that line by Ben. Also, I also can’t imagine the new losties are others. That would have to mean that Ben ordered other people to the crash sites. Or maybe they are from another Other group (a brother from another Other, shall we say) or aka the Other2 group? Anyway, I’m hpping there is a good reason, there usually is…
Still not liking this storyline. And I can’t believe Sawyer fell for the con about the pacemaker. It didn’t even make sense. Oh, James!
gotta say… if they can get a tape of the RedSox winning the world series… then they should be able to have paddles that work… just a thought… Ben is sinister… boy is he sinister…
Yeah, I agree Peejay, if they can access a dosier of Jack’s ENTIRE life then why don’t they have working paddles in the OR. Something’s funny there…and I agree tha the new characters are part of the OTHER other group. Their tactic was probably different from Benry’s group — they lay low and observe for quite a while…we’ll see
taken from the first episode
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a12/Master587/LOST/Lost_2_islands.jpg
there are two islands
OK, so they mentioned the submarine. Do they use that to get to the underwater hatch that has been talked about? Is that what they used to so quietly board the boat that Sun was waiting on? And what’s with the cages? Is that something that was used to house the polar bears?
Two islands? What would it matter in the big picture of things anyway. Whether there is one or two, the locations are far from any rescue or governoring body. One theory tossed around is the Home Island and Test Island. Home is the quite little village island inhabited by the survivors of the Darhma mishaps. The Test Island is one where it all began and had to abandoned after ‘something’ went to hell.
Another LOST (lost) point worthy of mention, what about the two scientist in the artic/anartic scene from the Finally of Season Two. It appeared the writers wanted us to believe that they had detected the Hatch Implosion and sent word to Desmond’s girlfriend – daughter of one of the Darhma’s conspirators. I expected, wrongly so as with all of the LOST expectations so far, Season 3 would have started out by touching on that scene – at least in some minute way.
As for this season, I see Jack performing surgeory soon.
Kate will be revealed as truly being the one person that is only out for herself on the entire island.
Sawyer will be revamped into a true-character-hero and save the day for more than one survivor.
Locke, well Locke will continue to give hope to the viewer’s adventure quest as he seeks out to bring the castaways back together.
The Iraqui? Well he will continue to lead the REST…all of the survivors, in an effort to support the actions of the Main 4.
Desmond, he will be the one with the solution to how to get back control – as soon as the LOST ones learn to exploit his new found gift and the Main 4 get back together.
The REST, well they will continue to provide fill in space while the Writers figure out what to do with the Main 4.
The OTHERS? I see coup d’eta. The next two seasons will be war of the OTHERS as they split into those with Freewill and those who cant see oppression when it is upon them. I believe that is why Ben/Henry is so terrified of the Survivors. He knows the power of Freewill. Which is exactly what Jack, Sawyer, Kate, and Locke – the Main 4 represent.
I think the aforementioned affirms the writing style and story line objectives of the entire series…that is even the Writers are scrambling to pull the shows plot out of their asses each week. No one can argue that since Episode 1 of Season 1, this has been the case. But, as for good TV, this is a tried and true – but fresh approach to curent writing.
Take M*A*S*H for instance, even though the entire show – when added up lasted longer than the Korean War, it was the splattering of individual micro stories – and sit com drama – that allowed the writers to continue as long as they did. I believe this is the case with LOST also. ABC, or the LOST producers, are trying to stretch viability and life as far as possible.
What will this achieve? Well, from the writers perspective – throw out as many possibilities as they can. Then, when ABC tells LOST producers to get FOUND or else get CANCLED, then they can pick a group of similar story lines and wrap things up – and have the Navy arrive to save the day – sort of like Giligans Island. OK, maybe not that cheezy.
What does this mean for LOST viewers? The Seasons of Life Clock is ticking down. LOST is sort of a Premium Show for creator J.J. Abrams. This is new territory for him. Lets remember ALIAS for a moment. Where as it was entertaining for 12 to 15 year old girls who were grounded and couldnt talk on their cell phones, LOST is an adult expansion of a similar concept. But, instead of cool stage props and a pretty girl, LOST incorporates real scenery and a facit of stratified characters that require close attention – something only bored adults can appreciate.
So how much longer? I predict all of this will be wrapped up in shortly after the next Presidential Election. Why? There are other forces at work inside the management of ABC that seem to live and die with the political direction of this country. Two seasons left – maybe Three if can pull a Magnum PI out of their old bag of tricks. Either way, I hope LOST gets FOUND before it gets TOSSED!
Hiya, I thought the most interesting point of the episode was a fleshing out of earlier insinuations: i.e., that the Others are out to “redeem” people in some deep transformative psychological way. I.e., they’re creating set-ups to “help” the Losties deal with their deepest character flaws. For instance, it seems they’re trying to break Sawyer in a way that isn’t just about breaking Sawyer, but about helping him FEEL that he really does need other people. Because Sawyer’s psychological issues are so deep — i.e., the stuff that makes him lie and cheat and feel no remorse about it– they use whatever means necessary to reach the core of that problem, even if it means brutally beating him or conning him in a way that feels life-threatening to him. I suspect that’s what they’re up to with everyone on the Island. The question is, though, do they know what they’re doing, or are they also imperfect in the way they set these things up? (Clearly it seems to be the latter, given the fractiousness within the group). It almost reminds me of tactics of the original est… Basically pushing people’s limits so people have a psychological breakdown that leads to realizations they couldn’t otherwise have. If my theory’s right, though, why are they doing this and who are they? It seems possible they’re ’60s idealists with a bit of a God complex who aren’t all sure they’re doing it the right way, and/or are at different stages of development. The guy who beat up Sawyer, for instance, seems awfully underdeveloped, while Juliet and Benry are pretty sophisticated customers. Also… why doesn’t anyone just try genuine straightforwardness and kindness with the Others? Everything’s a plot and a game… I wonder if straightforward sincerity, humility, and/or pleading would have any different effect.
One more thought. Maybe the Others were injecting Sawyer with something else when they got him with the needle (versus performing surgery).