It would’ve been hard to top last week’s episode… and it almost feels as if “LOST” didn’t really try tonight. “Stranger in a Strange Land” had its moments — Jack and Juliet’s love connection, Sawyer’s manly moment with Karl, even our newest Other, Isabel the Sheriff (played by Diana Scarwid, not Fionnula Flanagan, thank you) was interesting enough. But even Jen, who liked tonight’s episode better than I did, conceded that Jack’s flashback was flat, and that Bai Ling isn’t much of an actress.
Okay, so getting “marked” was the theme of the night. Juliet’s punishment seemingly not much better than death, and Jack’s tattoo bringing trouble and conflicting meanings. Both now outsiders, an alienation that definitely seems to reference the episode’s namesake (Robert Heinlein’s novel of the same name). Achara sees into a person’s true nature, and finds Jack a “great man,” a lonely leader… a conclusion Ben came to in Season 2. So was Jack really kidnapped for his surgical skills? Or is there a larger plan? Methinks Jack is bad news for this Jacob.
We do get some additional context for the Others’ world. There are laws and a judiciary system of some sort. Alcatraz is a workplace and a dreadful one at that. And that, for whatever reason, they’re willing to vacate Alcatraz rather than risk an attack by or the return of survivors on the main island. What is going on? It sure would’ve been nice for Sawyer and Kate to ask Karl a few more questions before setting him free… but that would be too easy.
The Alex/Karl thing seems to be shaping up to be a major story arc, to be sure. Very “Romeo & Juliet,” I think, and maybe we’ll soon discover there’s a Montague clan to Ben’s Capulets. Jen suggests “Luke & Leia” as an alternate parallel… which would be another good reason for Ben’s objections.
And as I suspected, Kate’s “choice” last year, wasn’t, and now Sawyer knows it. Of course, Jack’s got a new girlfriend. Yet another love triangle. Or love trapezoid by the end of the season. But, says Jen, the Jack/Juliet thing may be more Stockholm Syndrome… or a ploy by Jack. I can see that.
Cindy returns, but isn’t particularly helpful. She seemed genuinely surprised at Jack’s hostility, but is it because all has been sweetness and light on Alcatraz, or because she (and the other captured survivors) have been thoroughly and forcibly brainwashed? I might be alone, by the way, but I liked the mention of Ana Lucia.
A couple of conversations left us confused, though. Jen wants to know — when Jack asks who she shot — why Juliet only says, cryptically, “It’s complicated.” Does she have a history with Ben and the late Pickett? And I’m curious about Alex’s question to Jack, about why Jack saved Ben after everything Ben had done. Is she disappointed? Or reluctantly impressed?
Notes and Notions:
- When Jack was lovingly applying aloe to Juliet’s “mark,” did she have a small bandage on her stomach? About where her sister got her shot in “Not In Portland”? Hmm.
- Ethan was a surgeon? Didn’t see that coming. Especially since he seemed to be deployed by Ben as a heavy more than anything. Spy, fighter, plumber and a doctor? Whataguy.
- It was good to see Emma and the little boy again. But could the “Teddy Bear” references be any less subtle?
- Cap’n Bunnykiller. Sally Slingshot. Bobby Brady. Sawyer was on a roll, as usual.
- The tattoo Achara’s brother saw is only half of the tattoo Jack has on the island. Does that mean we’ve got another tattoo flashback coming?
- LOST Locations: The picturesque beach where Jack was staying was Waimanalo Beach, a favorite spot for our family. It was strange to see Rabbit Island on the horizon… surrounded by dozens of other digitally-inserted islands. Achara’s brother’s restaurant and the tattoo parlor were Indigo Restaurant on Nuuanu Avenue. And the bustling Bangkok street was Fort Street Mall near Hawaii Pacific University and narrow Chapin Lane.
wow hello hello yeah first time wooooo first post b4 everyone else
anyhu wow cool wiked episode will be
Please don’t do that.
http://en.lostpedia.com/wiki/Main_Page the encyclopedie of LOST
🙁 this episode its not like ”flash before your eyes” we dont learn a lot .. just how Jack got his tatoo.. but just the Thai text.. they dont tell about the rest… but I think Isabel.. his Isabel HAWKING but.. younger… she look like her.. and she know Jack’s lying about Juliet.. so its look like with Desmond… what do you think about Isabel.. is she Ms Hawkings
15 minutes til showtime! Since LOST got moved to 11 what time does it air in Hawaii?
I am so disappointed 🙁
Biggest yawner of the year. we learned nothing! at least next week, a hurley episode and we are back on the beach!!!!!!
what did we learn from this episode? they said we would get the answers to three MAJOR questions. Ok fine we learned about jacks tattoos but in no way is that a major question. All we learned about the children was that they supposedly have better lives now which means nothing. I can’t think of anything exciting from this episode, and this is a major backstep from flashes before your eyes.
what do you all think?
Um, yeah. That was a waste of an episode. “Three major questions will be answered”? In the words of dr. evil “riiiiiiiiiiight” i’m starting to lose interest in this show.
Lee, Damon and Carlton also thought the “three answers” promos were over the top. It isn’t “LOST” overpromising, it’s ABC. Just ignore those promos. They’ll only lead to heartache.
Ryan is right… if you watch the show at CTV (canada) its start at 7oclock or 8oclock and we dont have any stupide and false promo…3 big answer they said.. hahahahah big joke !!
ugh…boring episode in a (mostly) boring season. At least next week we get the Dharma microbus, apparently.
For the first time I’m starting to feel what some of those who have stopped watching Lost feel. For a set of episodes that are supposed to answer questions, that episode answered nothing and raised a ton more.
My first reaction was basically, “heh?â€
I have no clue what I saw for most of the hour. Let’s start with Jack’s “flashback.†What was that all about? Who was the weird Thai woman and what does it mean that she sees who people are and then tatoos them? So she puts a tatoo on Jack that says he walks among us but he is not one of us. OK. Now why did her brother and those other thugs beat the sh.. out of Jack? What about that tatoo drove them nuts?
Speaking of tatoos, what the heck does marking Juliet mean? They basically branded some weird symbol on her back. Why? She’s a persona non-grata and as long as all of the Others know it, what’s the point? For being “the good guys†they’re pretty barbaric.
Then we have the whole Ben thing. He has a terribly infected wound that needed to be debrided etc. Does no one remember that it was Jack that operated on him? How did our superstar surgeon do such a lousy job? What makes anyone think that he can do better a second time fixing Ben?
Alex and Karl are clearly the Romeo and Juliet here. How clear can they stress the star-crossed lovers theme? I don’t see where that is going either.
Then we get to the flight attendant and the children. What the heck was that all about? “We’re here to watch.†Watch who or what and why? How come no one answers a question when asked. Speaking of which could Sawyer and Kate maybe have asked Karl a few more detailed questions such as “who the heck are you people and what are you doing on these islands etc.â€
Speaking of which, WHO THE HECK ARE ALL OF THESE PEOPLE AND WHAT ARE THEY DOING THERE??
Can’t we get at least one clear answer before the ratings tank so much that the show gets cancelled before it gets concluded?
Gees, I sound angry and I am. Too many questions upon questions all wrapped in an enigma. It’s worse than watching The Prisoner back in the ’60’s. I never figured that show out.
Gees, come on guys.
John
Yeah, and Jack got his a$$ handed to him on the Thailand beach…my guess is, that now he could at least make SOME attempt at self defense.
When do you think Jack developed his fighting skills, gun knowledge etc:?
Definitely a ho-hum episode … I thought that it was more of a set-up episode than anything else, and those are always a little dull; it got the Others off the island, it got Kate and Sawyer back to Lostieville, it got rid of Karl & the boat, and it got Jack working with the Others (I think). Ryan’s right, you really can’t blame the producers for the promos. So don’t take it too seriously that next week’s episode is ‘the one everyone will be talking about on Thursday!’
The flashback was a great big ‘What the heck?’ for me. Good god, Bai Ling is a terrible actress, I can’t believe that they couldn’t find someone better than her. So they’re not really tattoos? Why was the kid scared of him? Why did he have to take a beating? Does anyone really care? Does every single question have to have a mystery surrounding it?
I can understand the frustrations expressed here. I, myself, am starting to get really irritated by the poor communication skills of ALL the characters in the show; it is always the same issue: they do not ask the right questions, and other characters never answer the key questions clearly. As to the meeting with Cindy, Jack’s reaction does not match his personality; the real Jack we have come to love would have been nicer and more firnedly, would have asked differnt questions,a nd would have answered directly about what happened to Ana Lucia (I also liked they mentioned her).
Even worse, Jack’s flashbacks added nothing to move the show along. not only was the actress playing Achara a horrible actor, Jack’s personality was completely differnt from what we have seen both on and off the island. I guess the two people who wrote the script have not even watched the show. Shame on them.
For me, Jack should have demanded to know more from and about Isabel. I remember I saw a picture somewhere of a woman’s face sticking out a window during Ben’s surgery (I just can’t remember what website it was) and the caption from the one who posted it said something like “is this a cleaning lady? a production error?” Well, now I know for sure it was Isabel, but still we know nothing about her.
Karl did not understand the reference to the Brady Bunch. Does that simply imply he has never seen the show or does it mean that they do not watch TV at all in Otherville? That will contradicts what Ben said (and showed Jack) back in the Fall on a TV screen. We knew it was a “recorded” baseball game, that’s all.
The Others left Alcatraz on a boat. Why didn’t they use the sub? They could have put Jack to sleep, it could have been easier on Ben given his condition, and it would have been a lot faster. But the thing is, when they are loading Ben on the small canoe, we see a BIG ship on the background, it looked pretty far away and it as as big as a Cruise Ship. But later we see them all in a boat roughly bigger than the boat used to capture Walt. what happened? Besides, the ship looked so big and far away that I am sure Sawyer and Kate should have been able to see it from the other side. why didn’t they?
Hey, Jen, the Luke-Leia similarity cannot work out, I think: Alex is Rousseau’s only child. therefore, they could not possibly end up being sibblings.
My big worry here is time. It has obviously been THREE days since Locke and others got back to the beach, and we have no idea what they have been doing there. Why hasn’t he started his search for Jack, Sawyer and Kate? It will logically take Sawyer and Kate at least TWO more days to get to camp (given the size of the island and the side they are on, and given that it took Sayid, Jin and Sun one and a half day to get back from the Pala Ferry site), but it looks from the previews that they get there the next morning and it is only then when Locke decides to form a rescue party. Oh, well…
hahahahha take dat jen y u so pissed?
caause i made first post?
anhu wiked episode loved da cindy moment, apparently they all seemed well dressed, mabye they are being looked after?
No, I am “pissed” because “woohoo” posts are obnoxious and annoying and and neither Ryan nor I appreciate it.
I may be one of the , “few voices whispered in the jungle”.
but this was a “Good” episode, basically because ANY “Lost” satisfies my appetite, for Different TV entertainment.
No, it was not Three Surprizing Courses of Wild Rice, Mahi Mahi and McCutchin’s Scotch.
It was MicroWave EggRolls CornDogs and a Big Glass of Ice Tea.
Bai Ling Taste’s Salty……..Oh my heavens!…. that was one of the warmest/erotic/…a..ahemmm!!!! Moments in PrimeTime TV.
Warm..warmer…Warmest…..Sure Ms. Ling is not Helen Miren (Jen), But she added a Wait a minute pause that solidified her, Not only as the assassin/BountyHunter kicked out of StarWars[for a PlayBoy Spread], but as the DragonPrincess of Lost.
Bai Ling Has …”a Gift”, not just her raw sensuality, but she is a Vital player in this …LOST Story…..
She is a very attractive Woman…and EVEN if this episode was Not…Gone withthe Wind… She was at least a warm Tropical Breeze… as was the…. Stranger in a Strange Land…..
Does anyone else Get a , Jesus vib in the “Walks Umoung us But Not one of Us” verbage/Tatoo.
Karl/Alex while Romeo and Juliet-ish, may be a bit deeper, they can united at least TWO of our Tribes to achieve closure.
-Plane Losties
-Tailee Losties
-Others under Ben
-Other/Others in Charge of Village Commune(bookclub place)
-Everyone caught in the TIMELOOP
Terrible episode, I didn’t care at all about the tattoos, Bai Ling was horrid, and nothing about Jack’s flashback was interesting. Sawyer was the highlight of the episode, something I usually wouldn’t say.
Did anyone notice what Dharma sign was on the podium? It looked like a scorpion to me. Good catch on the bandage on Juliet, by the way.
Pointless. Unrealistic. Irrelevant. My vote for WORST episode. Kate and Sawyer would have drilled Karl for intel. Jack would have not wasted his time with flashbacks about his damn tatoo(s), but would have drilled Alex, Juliet and CINDY for intel. And Kate wants to “go back” for Jack… armed with what? It would be hard to pull off the captured Wookie bit twice. At the close when Alex and Karl were looking up at the stars like lovesick deer it reminded me of the song, “Somewhere Out There” sung by Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram / American Tail movie. “… it helps to think we’re sleeping underneath the same big sky”. I did laugh out loud at the Brady Bunch remark — “what the hell is the Brady Bunch?” EXACTLY, what the hell IS the Brady Bunch? I think the writers should now focus on Karl’s relentless search for the Brady Bunch and forget about answering 3 more questions about anything relevant.
Josh, I thought it looked like the Hydra to me… hence the Hydra station they were at.
The only interesting things that I found were:
– The Hydra is a work station for the Others, and they don’t like to go there
– Karl had no reference to the Brady Bunch, indicating they don’t watch much TV there perhaps
– There is a sense of ‘justice’ within the Others, which can be overridden by Ben to a point. (someone gets burned, thats it? instead of getting killed?)
– The children that were taken from the beaches were re-introduced and explained they would be given better lives
I think one of the most interesting parts was the preview for next week with the VW micro-bus and a generic Dharma symbol in place of the VW one.
Jen: I’m with you, don’t like it either!
Bill: had the exact same thought about “Somewhere Out There!”
I did not enjoy this episode and was so bored I had a hard time staying awake through it. Just more of the Jack/Kate/Sawyer show but the worst episode of it by far. I don’t like that Sawyer has evolved from a pretty cool character into a sap giving love advice to Karl. The last scene with Alex and Karl looking at the stars was just too sappy and day time soap operaish. The Jack flash back was a total waste of time.
Bring back our beloved Losties from the first season and their stories!!!!!
I am confused on the time loop. If desmond is the only one to “see the future” which is a misnomer for he actually has looped past the present present in a past loop–he just remembers what he as already seen in a previous loop—-is it the turning of the key that makes him different from everyone else–where they are maybe looping but are unaware? It seems paradoxical to me. Desmond always seems ahead of the curve.
I become dismayed when I hear so many negative comments because such general discontent feeds on itself and threatens to end this fine show before its time. That said, there are going to be some episodes that just aren’t that good, especially when following truly great ones like “Flashes…” But, one bad or slow episode is no reason to blast the whole series to blue blazes. Be patient and a little more forgiving. If they answered all the questions at once there would be no Lost, and you really wouldn’t like that either. I don’t watch Heroes, but one criticism I have heard voiced more than once is that they answer TOO MANY questions!
I thought this was a good episode for filling in a little more of the small holes: the Others live somewhere else and only work on Alcatraz; they don’t really like Alcatraz; they have a system of rules and punishments; they are very protective of each other if not Outsiders; they are being very coy about whether Ben really IS Alex’s father-it hasn’t been actually stated as such yet; Cindy’s group was brought there to watch Juliet’s “trial”, even the kids as an example of what happens when you don’t follow the rules; Ben is still a liar; Kate loves Jack and now Sawyer knows it and feels used.
John Fischer (and others): Jack got the sh** beat out of him as a consequence of receiving something (the tatoos and the “reading” that went with them) that Bai Ling and her “clan” hold in sacred high regard not offered to unworthy outsiders. I totally expected to see them go off on her after they beat Jack for giving him the tats, but perhaps her punishment will be more severe and long lasting…maybe she lost her gift or the privilege of exercizing it.
Don’t think that was a bandage on Juliet’s stomach. Was just her shirt under her hand while was holding it up so Jack could put the aloe on the branding.
Episode was blah. I think it may rank in my books as the worst of the series, or at the very least the worst this season thus far. Bai Ling was terrible (whoever cast her should be fired). ABC’s department that makes those “next episode” promos really need to get with the program and not oversell the show.
All I can say is I am so excited Lost is back, and I am so enjoying everying. This episode felt like an excellent Jack personality story. He’s finally using the leadership he’s born with. perhaps he’s about to take over the Others. With Ben being down, and him being who he is, perhaps we are seeing a changing of the guards. Juliette was amazingly beautiful. I think Tom is finally understanding how they (the Others) might be being perceived by Jack and company, and he was surprised by it.
I can’t really figure this show out, which is why I enjoy it so much.
All I do know for sure is I am tired of all the media and bloggers out there whining about not enough questions being answered in each episode. If they only answer one an episode and go 100 episodes, that should do it, right? I am in this for the journey, and I am enjoying every step.
Ryan, thanks for keeping us posted on all the Island gossip. I miss your podcast, but enjoy hearing you on Jay and Jack from time to time.
Well said Connie!!!
Too many times
Anglo- US /Canadian folks are:
so much of the “What -have-you-done-for-M E -lately, or remote Control Mentality/society.
That is why Divorce is Up, and have the attention span of hyperactive Squirrels in a Bulk food section of a grocery store…
We Glom onto (The Story of the Moment::::
((OJ, Ann Nicole, Brittany Shears/Camando, Scott Petersen,, Lost Kim Family in Oregon, Baby Jessica,Zsa Zsa Punching Cop, Bob Crane Murder, Shuttle Crashes,JFK Jr. Crash, NBA IndyBrawl, Scott Burtuzi Assault, Trump/Rosie Fued,Ellen is Gay,Clinton Pants Down,Idol/WhoWantsToBeAMillionair-WeakestLink-DealorNoDeal-Survivor-DanceWith$tars-StarViewFued/ Michael Jacko/Michael*Mel*Bigot*Blowoutectectect..BlaBlaQuick whatis new For Me to Glom onto ooooooAhhhh…lookat that oh wait lookat that)))
Bottom line Be Patient. enjoy the Moment breathe Deeply and Record more things and PATIENTLY take in the whole picture.
Don’t skip to the end of the book.
A gentle Warm Tropical Breeze is ……..relaxing.
Quality Stories, Series Run Aground and “Jump the Shark” because Plot developement a subtle Chapters are
Labled as Boring and Yuck-o
Not sure why everyone seems to dislike this season — I am really enjoying it. I think if this show angers you, then maybe people should just stop watching. All this negative commentary is really sad. No one is forcing you to watch. If you don’t like it, watch something else.
I agree with Connie from Alaska… be patient, or just set sail for another island.
Life’s too short, y’all.
Hey, I for one ain’t saying “LOST” has vaulted over any sea creatures. But if an episode somehow disappoints, I’m not going to pretend otherwise.
It was a long way to fall from “Flashes,” I agree. But “Stranger” still felt a little off to me. (I need to take another look at the episodes Kim and Sarnoff have written.) I agree with Jay of “Jay and Jack” that it almost felt like it was intended to be aired earlier. Hardly “Worst. Episode. Ever.” (I still have “Fire + Water” in that spot.) But… I’m certainly looking forward to next week.
Overall, Season 3 has been incredible. We’re bigger fans now than we were halfway through Season 2.
Connie from AL (& others)–
I don’t think that there’s any problem with calling out a subpar episode. Speaking only for myself, I tend to hold Lost up to higher standards than I do for other shows, and it’s disappointing when you get what you think is a clunker. It’s also frustrating when not much happens in an episode, and they seem to go out of their way to create more mysteries. Like the tattoos … does there really need to be some big mystery surrounding Jack’s tattoos? Yes, they told you why and where he got them, but do they really need to imply that they’re somehow more than tattoos, and have some mysterious meaning and function that they’ll get to later? It seems really gratuitous to me, like they’re creating a mystery just for the sake of creating a mystery, and not for the sake of great storytelling. Maybe they’ll tie it into something way cool eventually that has to do with the main story arc … I hope!
And when Cindy and the kids are there … “We’re here to watch.” Watch the trial? Maybe, but they don’t show that happening (seeing Juliet’s trial, that would have been interesting). Watch Jack? OK, that is what they’re doing, but why are they doing it? Again, it felt to me like they were being mysterious just for the sake of being mysterious. I don’t mind when the storytelling is slow and they gradually reveal the mysteries, or when they create new onew that tie into the overall arc of the series … but I got the feeling last night like they were almost thumbing their noses at us, telling us nothing just for the sake of telling us nothing.
Dear Connie From Alaska,
I am not completely disappointed with the show, just with last episode mainly. though I still think there are BIG communication issues in the series in general. I do think this has been the BEST season so far, but the show seemed to be more dynamic when the entire ensemble was in every episode. It is just getting old to just follow Jack, Sawyer and Kate. This is an ensemble show, and we would like to see more of the Losties.
But I mianly wanted to tell you that I do watch Heroes, and I do not think they answer TOO MANY questions. The main questions are still a mystery, but the writers have quenched the audience’s thirst by answering some questions while they present new ones. As in Lost, Heroes’ cast keeps growing and anyone can die at any moment. but again, you do not feel like there are so many questions that you cannot even keep track of them.
I will move on, though, since I do not want to be perceived as negative. I love the show, and I will not quit watching it this season (I even have already set up the money to buy the DVD’s when they come out in the Fall). I will learn to be patient, and wait for the answers to be revealed. I promise.
Het guys easy do not attack each other. I still enjoy Lost and Connie and all of the other “positive” thinkers are right be patient. The only reason Locke has not set up a search yet is because only a day or two passed by. If you remember from “Flashes…” in the beginning Locke and Syaid just got back from burying Mr. Eko. Locke has not got a chance to come up with a plan. I cannot wait for the next episodes. They seem awsome. I like looking at spoilers so I know what they are going to be about. I will not tell unless you want me to but spoilers do not ruin it for me but highten my antecipation. Thanks Ryan and Jen I like your summary a lot and once again this site is number 1 for me. Be commenting later.
Sorry for any errors the computer I am on is slow.
Hey, you stole my name!
That is my nickname. My real name is Francesco and I have always been going by that name.
Oh, so I stole YOUR name. Well, then.
🙂
Cindy and the kids were there to watch the trial.
Bai Ling doesn’t need to be a good actress, if you know what I mean.
jaimeroberto–
We’re assuming that they were there to watch the trial, but they never actually show you that. If that’s the case, why keep it a secret?
And there’s lots of beautiful Asian actresses with generous … uhhh, assets … that are actually able to act! Normally the show is so great in casting, not just the regulars but the guests too; it was jarring to see someone so awful…
Bai Ling,
English as 2nd Language/controversial Actress
who knows how schedule may have Not Produced ..Best Result..
…I was reminded of Iman in StarTrek V…
she had to Play it Campy as a “Guest” So little Time to impress.
Besides , that whole “Back Street Scene, had a Film Noir feel to it and To establish
“Deep Intrigue” With a Mystery Woman in 5-7 shots is …hard.
But she will be a Future MAJOR Factor Mark my words.
i don’t know if any anyone mentioned this before, but the tattoes don’t really say, “he walks amoungst us but he is not one of us” at all. look at the “Jack’s Tattoo’s” article at Lostpedia.com. Also, when Ben said that Ethan was a surgeon, i flashed back to when he was talking earlier this season to jack. He asked him if he believed in God and then said that his proof for believing was that a month or so after he was diegnosed with cancer a surgeon fell out of the sky. Well if he allready had Ethan, why does it matter? does this mean he was lying?
the above comment also aluded to the “god doesn’t know where we are” comment to loche back in season 2. just a random note…
The overselling promos didn’t help, Lost er, lost another million viewers this week! I was hoping last week’s drop was due to Valentine’s Day.
But Lost still doing better than what ABC had in that time slot before, so I think it’s safe if the numbers can stop going down. Tell everyone with a Nielsen box to watch next week! I only hope now that Nielsen is counting Tivo recordings it will push the numbers back up.
Ratings 8.5 million last week.
This week: “CBS took over the lead at 10 p.m. with “CSI: NY,” 9.3/15. “Lost” posted a 7.6/13, on par with last week’s episode. NBC’s “Medium” came in at 5.4/9.”
Tyler–
Don’t know what kind of surgeon Ethan was, but probably not a spinal surgeon like Jack. If he’s a general surgeon, he’s not the one you want cutting out your spinal tumor…
I posted earlier on this episode. My wife and I are new viewers this season and crammed to catch up with the help of the 2 DVD sets.
This program is great. The production, the acting, the characters, the direction, the scripts, the concept — hands down, the best on tv. And Michael Emerson is WAY over the top as Benry. It’s just disappointing when you see such an unfulfilling episode like last night’s. I understand the producers want to use 100 episodes to tell the story and I guess from time-to-time, they may have to serve Hamburger Helper.
I assumed Cindy & the kids were there to observe Jack in the cage, but it makes more sense they were there for the trial.
This site is wonderful. Thanks Jen & Ryan.
John — Jack’s surgery got infected because 1) he ain’t all that great of a surgeon (aside from Sarah everyone else has been a wreck), and 2) the OR was hardly sterile, and infections happen in an unsterile setting. Perfectly plausible in my humble opinion.
I thought it was a mediocre episode. I liked the insight into the Others and the mental games Jack is playing (similar to when Ben was locked up in the hatch). I like that we now know that the Others do live in the houses seen in episode 1 (maybe that was a secret?) and presumably have limited contact with the otuside world (which is how Ben knows about the World Series but Karl has never heard of the Brady Bunch — he keeps them ignorant to keep control). I like the joke about Jack having no idea what his tats say… but when did he go to Thailand exactly? Before Sarah? After? His backstories are very convoluted and I’m tired of FlashJacks. I liked the return of the Good People (though how can the little kid look THE SAME two and a half years later [in real time]?).
The sappy Karl and Alex melodrama is annoying… too much like in season 1 where they’d do a muscical fade with Shannon looking at the stars… BLAH. The fabricated Kate/Sawyer dialogue is irritating. And let’s get back to the beach for crying out loud… where are Jin/Sun/Sayid? Where is everyone else?
Also — what the heck kind of tattoo involves hammering a stamp into someone’s skin? Tattoos involve needles… and a dirty back alley in Thailand is NOT an idea place to get one. =) Hepatitis on the other hand… =)
The episode was ok, but it does feel like the writers are lost in the jungle. It feels like they are throwing new things into the soup and makes you wonder if it is adding to the flavor or messing it up. Especially the part where the flight attendant sees Jack locked in a cage — she acted as if she was in line to see him at his wedding reception.
The kinda of tattoo that Achara gave Jack is considered a tapping technique… I am not sure of the proper name. It’s done in a lot of Polynesian cultures, and is actually how the tattoo gets it’s name. “Tatau” comes from the tapping sound it makes. It’s not as common a technique anymore… and dates back throughout history. It used to be considered a sacred art or religious ritual and only certain people could apply the tattoo.
It involves the wooden hammer and what essentially looks like a little rake, where they apply the ink… and is what pierces the skin, creating the tattoo. A lot of times the tattoo artists will not ink anyone who is not considered worthy. I was actually privileged enough to witness the procedure the last time I was in Hawaii.
You can google “tapping tattoos” or use wikipedia if you want more information. I am by no means an expert, and given the history and meaning behind them, I don’t want to spread misinformation. You can find out a lot of the mysticism and rituals that are involved… especially in Taiwanese and Cambodian cultures.
It is not an uncommon mythological idea that the leader of a group would be marked by tattoos signifying they are something special. There is a NY Times best seller series, Wheel of Time, in which the leader that unites all the tribes and saves the world, gains tatoos through a series of tests. He doesn’t become this great leader until he has earned the tatoos, and is marked by them in a very mystical way.