For the gears of “LOST” to turn, you need some nuts and bolts — not sexy, but necessary. Tonight’s episode polished off the inevitable reunification with Jack, Kate, Hurley and Sayid in 1977, and laid out how things went with the Ajira Airlines survivors in the distant future. Basically, everyone was plotted neatly on a map to make clear the movements and machinations to come. “Namaste” offered few surprises, then, but was still meaty and enjoyable.
Jen’s favorite moment? In her words, “It was good to see Sawyer take that sanctimonious jackass down a peg or two.” Definitely a great back and forth between Sawyer and Jack. It would be very much like Sawyer to have rehearsed that little speech, mind you, but it paid off. It’s a pity that there’s no way in hell Jack will be able to resist forcing himself into the thick of things. I wager he’ll go off script as soon as next week, simply to spite Sawyer, and send things spiraling out of control.
I loved Frank and Sun’s eerie visit to the main island, from the smoke monster-ish rustling on the dock to Christian Shephard’s tour of the dilapidated processing center. The door blowing open with a cloud of smoke was a nice touch. I like how Sun learned that over 30 years separate her from her husband, as well as Christian’s suggestion that reunification may still lie ahead. The elder Shephard does seem to have a fondness for abandoned and decaying spaces, and I’m enjoying pondering what he’s been up to on the island since Locke turned the frozen donkey wheel.
We finally meet Radzinski, a guy who Jen says reminded her of “Comic Book Guy” on The Simpsons. We see now that he was instrumental in constructing The Swan, the station in which he’ll ultimately end up going mad and killing himself. I’d love to learn the story of how he ends up inside, quarantined. I also love that he must have been ultimately successful in hiding The Swan from the “Others,” affirming that its existence was indeed a mystery to Ben and friends when we first found it in Season One.
Having Juliet meet baby Ethan was great, knowing as she does where his path ultimately leads. And Sayid meeting little Ben was fantastic. First, it demonstrates that little Ben has indeed been within the Dharma Initiative concurrent with our integrated Losties (suggesting that Sawyer and friends must’ve really kept their distance). Secondly, it’ll be interesting to see how Sayid interacts with a boy who grows up into a man that Sayid deeply despises.
Notes and Notions:
- The runway raises all sorts of questions. Did Ben and the Others anticipate the arrival of Ajira 316? So soon or even before the arrival of Oceanic 815? Radzinski suggests that the arrival of an airplane is unlikely, but not impossible, in 1977.
- Why is Sun in the future, and not with Jack, Kate, Hurley, and Sayid in 1977? I previously thought it may have something to do with “the list” that Michael used in Season 2, but Sayid wasn’t on it.
- A leading fertility doctor ends up working as an automotive mechanic, and it’s cool and almost sexy. A spinal surgeon ends up a janitor, and it’s simply hilarious.
- Hurley’s reunion with Sawyer was great. “Kong. I actually missed that.” He also raises the spectre of “The Purge,” although I’m convinced that’s over a decade away. It’s “The Incident” that I’d be worried about.
- I was dismayed that Sun was apparently throwing her lot in with Ben… and stoked when she clobbered him. She delivered the line, “I lied,” with Ben-like perfection.
What did you think? Please comment below, e-mail us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or call the LostLine at (808) 356-0127.
Doug. You are the person that has explained the Time Travel perfectly to me. Thank you.
Wait, there’s more to the photo than Hurley not facing the camera. In the photo shown by Christian, there are 16 new recruits. In the photo-taking scene, there are only 15 new recruits. The man standing third from the right in Christian’s photo is not in the scene when they take the photo. Everyone else is in the same place with exactly the same pose (except Hurley of course) but this man, who should be standing behind a woman with long brown hair, is not there at all. I don’t recognise him though. He appears to have a shaved head and might be about 30-40 years old. Note too that 15 and 16 are two of Hurley’s numbers.
Pete: Wow, great theory on The Incident. I love how you tied in the Time Traveling LOSTIES, creating the Incident, and this Ben must PURGE the Dharma folk to ensure the 815’ers arrival to the island. I must say, you might have figured it out.
I agree the Incident must have something to do with the Orchid, after all, season 5 opens with what Chang says “God help us all”
truly and inspiring epic!
xxxWEST-SAYIDxxx
Just had this idea about Richard sometimes knowing what would happen and sometimes not (like when he healed Locke and knew Locke would disappear and the next time Locke would see him Richard would’nt recognize him).
What if the incident was similar to the explosion of the hatch in some way?
And what if Richard would be exposed the same way Desmond was with the Hatch. He could then experience the same “side effects” and see the future.
It could be wrong, but i thought with what we know for the moment it could make sense.
So I just called in and let Ryan and Jen know, but for everyone else:
I was playing Lexulous (Which is like an online scrabble game) and everytime you log into the Lexulous main menu it greets you with a different greeting from another country.
Today when I logged on I almost went nuts when I saw it said Namaste.
I was like woah thats kind of cool they even incorperate made up greetings.
I clicked on it to see what they said about it and was surprised when I saw it said:
“Namaste
A popular form of greeting in India usually said with folded palms and fingers pointing upwards. Pronounced as “Nam-a-stay”.”
So I’m not certain what the fact that it is a popular Indian greeting has to do with the show, if anything at all, but I thought I’d post here to see what y’all thought.
episode just aired here in Ireland Sunday night, but podcast isn’t downloading… is everything alright?? I hope so, we always look forward to listening on our way to work Monday morning. Great job! thanks
Why does the universe necessarily “have” to course correct? Don’t we only have Mrs. Hawking’s word on this?
And didn’t she say this at at a time when she was desperately trying to convince Desmond to accept a destiny that that he did in fact have the power to change?
Great catch Steve (assuming it’s correct.) As to Doug and the problem of perspective: the timeline could be changing around our characters all the time, but they never realize it because their perspective shifts just as objects and events spontaneously change.
Only we, the viewers, from our external, omniscient perspective can see the telltale signs of these shifts. Such as the discrepancy with the class of 77 photo mentioned above.
Well I personally believe Mrs Hawking, as far as the Universe having to course correct itself. After all, that was proven with Charlie (dying)
Eko was meant to go to the island one way or the other and he did.
Things like that, yknow.
Its the writters using MRs Hawking as a story constant to put over their Course Correcting Ratonale, that a complicated yet rewarding show deserves/needs.
I really am beginning to believe along the lines of what Brenda was saying above that maybe that Ethan was always to be born, but not necessarily with the same parents. Had Sawyer and friends not interfered, maybe Amy would have been taken and assimilated into ‘Others’ status. And then maybe Ethan would have been born an Other. That would make sense in the future because in 2004 he IS an Other. Since they interfered though, she ended up with Horace and had Ethan as part of the DI. So, whatever happened did happen– Ethan was born, but with the variation that now he is born into the DI family, not Other family.
Otherwise, I’m not sure how he would have avoided the purge, unless he was not on the island at the time. I guess that is possible if he was off island training to be a doctor? Would he have been old enough for that when the purge happened?
Pingback: LOST Podcast: The Transmission » Blog Archive » Trans 2009-03-22: “Namaste”
Knives: couldn’t Charlie have again avoided that particular fate? He chose to go down to that place. What of Desmond’s comment that his interventions “changed the picture on the box.” I think this principle of actions being capable of altering the picture on the box (the fabric of reality) might be more generally applicable than most have argued.
No. He couldn’t. The universe was trying to kill him, Final Destination style.
Sure charlie went in through his own free will, that changes nothing.
I agree that Sun didn’t make the jump because she wasn’t pregnant this time, but not because of failing to recreate flight 815.
Its because as part of the Oceanic 6, she was pregnant. I think she will have to leave the island, find Ji Yeon, and when she returns again she will make the jump to 1977. Maybe she’ll have to bring Aaron too?
Digby: Sun wasnt pregnant on flight 815. she got knocked up (pardon my vernacular) on the island.
Does anyone know what Sawyer was reading? They always make a point about showing us, right?
Hmmm, interesting. I think someone mentioned it above, but I noticed that Dharmaville certainly looked like it had been abandoned as Dharmaville, and had not undergone the transformation to Otherville. THe Dharma logo on the door, the pictures, etc. So… something must now have happened in the past that prevented the others from taking over – possibly someone (like Sawyer) stopped the purge from happening? I wouldn’t put it past him to be able to do that, what with the foreknowlege and all. But it seems Dharma is gone anyway, possibly they were all killed some other way – i.e. course correction.
Ow… I just experienced a flash and now my nose is bleeding… …
What if the island, because of it’s special ‘unstuck from time’ properties is a sort of thorn in the side of the normal universe, and because somehow, long ago something happened on the island, another ‘incident’ maybe, that buggered up the normal space-time continuum, maybe now the universe is trying to correct itself by bringing those conditions together again to recreate the event, and in such a way that things become corrected again. The Valenzetti numbers predict the end of the world yes? They remain unchanged and therefore indicate that the disturbance created by the island will eventually lead to the end of the end of the world. A change in those numbers would indicate that the disturbance had been corrected. I postulate that the original disturbance may have happened a long long time ago, i.e. during Egyptian times (statue!), The fight between the ‘gods’ Horus and Set maybe. The wrong side won, and things are screwed up, island unstuck in time, causing all sorts of paradoxes and sh*t. Now, periodically in order to attempt to correct itself, the universe pulls together those same players again and again, the reincarnations of those original players must re-fight the battle, until the right side wins, and the universe is corrected, the valenzetti parameters changed, and the island returns to being a normal island. Our Losties are some of those players, however they are unwittingly so. Some of the ‘others’ are other players in that battle, maybe the ones that won the first time, but wrongly so?
Or maybe I have had WAY too much coffee today.
Or, wait… maybe the ‘incident’ is what caused the unstuckness in the first place. Maybe it sent Faraday back in time, or he was so obsessed with going back in time because of Charlotte, that he was sent back to egyptian times, sparking this whole thing in the first place. Recall the promo photo of Faraday with the missing foot, and the picture of the statue behind him? I guess if you are talking time travel, the ‘incident’ could be the trigger to set off the ‘wrinkle in time’ (let us call it that – another good book btw, maybe that is what Sawyer was reading). Phew, my brain hurts.
Got back from hawaii last nite, long flight from Australia but reaqlly worth it. Was lucky enough to have a good look around some old filming locations. Couple little funny stories……
My wife and i went swimming and sun baking at waikki beach, on our first couple of days there . i didnt take my camera or money or any thing coz every one warns you that theft is a big problem. So any way we finished up and started walking back to our hotel. The honolulu festival was on that day and a massive parade was going down the main stretch, blocking the street. So my wife and i had to stand and wait for a gap in the parade before we could cross the road. We quicky ran across the street and as we did we ran past a little sushi place that had no one inside except for one man sitting all by himself. My wife has good eyes and pulls me to a halt and says , hey isnt that whats his name from lost? I had seen him and thought the same thing but it didnt click till she said it.
My wife was like what should, we do. but i had already grabbed her by the hand and practically ran into the sushi bar. Every one in the shop like stopped and watched us coz we were in our bathers, still wet. I walked over with a big smile on my face. It was Michael Emmerson, Mr Benjimin Linus himself. I quickly apologised for disturbing him, and told him we had to say hello. Told him i loved his work. And after some small talk apologised for bothering him again and then we left. I was sort of spewing coz it was like the only time we didnt have our camera. But he was a super nice guy, and we were gratefull he made time for us to say hello.
The next funny story , i decided i had to rent this beautiful corvette i had seen in waikki, it was bright yellow convertable with shiny rims. Hard on material. It was a dream of mine to drive around the island in a bit of american muscle. So we cruised up heading to the north shore. The day before we had been on a hummer tour in the kuola ranch and we spotted some filming taking place just off the main road. they told us that was were the cock pit was stored and i had spotted a blue dharma van. Any way we come accross the filming, and my wife says just pull in. There was no where to park and i was hesitant at first. The words of the car hire man was sticking in my head. This car is in perfect condition, becarefull because its super low , off road is a no no and dont scratch those rims!!! But i gulped hard and drove in super slow. Now it was quite well protected by security. The actors trailers all grouped together and people every where. So we are sitting there in this corvette, top down, and no body comes to the car so i keep driving. We got almost entirely inside before a guy in a blue shirt wanders over. Can i help you guys?
The only thing i could think of was: Are you guys filming here today.
then the security guy looks at us, then the car and finally says, Yes but we dont let public inside.
Then i was like bugger we got caught. Let me tell you, doing a 3 point turn on a jungle road in a corvette was so worth the risk. From there we cruised up to police beach. Looked like they had filmed there recently. was awesome to see.
I cant recommend going to Hawaii enough. The place is amazing. Even if your not a lost fan. All three of you. The hummer tours are awesome as well get out there and do it.
@ Knives Monroe:
I think that making the jump to 1977 has more to do with getting off the island than being a passenger of 815. Locke was a passenger of 815, but he didn’t make the jump.
Sun /was/ one of the Oceanic 6, but at that time she was pregnant.
So the journey that Christian was talking about will involve getting off the island again and returning with Ji Yeon, which would allow her to make the time-jump.
@ Knives again:
I can’t come up with a good reason that Lapidus wouldn’t have made the jump, but I think the pregnancy can explain Sun. Maybe he just wasn’t on the island long enough, or maybe its because he wasn’t there when Desmond turned the failsafe key?
If the freighter had passed through the island’s perimeter, would Michael have jumped in time too?
And Locke and Ben not making the jump must have something to do with their turning the wheel… If Ben said that turning the wheel meant they could never return, does that mean that the island in 2007 is less meaningful significant somehow, less powerful? Still, it resurrected Locke…
I feel like what Hawking said about replicating the first flight was a lie, and that she knew who could jump and how… and she was somehow using the “recreate815” story as an excuse to get the 6minusAaron all on the same plane … but why wouldn’t she have told the truth?
(sorry for the multiple posts, but not are really connected)
I’m getting more convinced that the series finale will result in preventing Flight 815 from ever crashing on the Island (maybe in the Island never having existed at all?). I’m picturing the show turning out to have some kind of DonnieDarko-esque ending that will completely change the lives of everyone involved. And so anyone who dies in this timeline is not actually dead because they will never have been killed.
Thats why everyone shows up as ghosts, because they will be alive again in the altered timeline? Walt is harder to explain, because he never really died.
Maybe Miles being born on the Island (if he was) is the reason that he can talk to ghosts? Maybe Ethan and Aaron have that power too?
(This is a stretch) Christian appearing to Michael is the result of the freighter crossing the perimeter, and Michael DID move into the island’s past… which could explain Michael being unable to die… and maybe Walt’s powers? Or maybe Walt comes back to the island to look for his dad, meaning that he goes back in time too.
The Island cures most of the Castaways of some deep personality flaw… present long before the crash… but all of them have some history with the Island… if the Island is the source of those problems, and if it never existed then they would have been fine from the beginning?
greetings from the bayous!
1st time poster and only a recent listener (my son just got me hooked on the podcasts).
i didn’t scroll all of the comments, but I have three observations:
1) “Namaste” is an anagram of “Eats Man”.
Recall that Richard Alpert was quite anxious to retrieve the three fresh kills in last week’s episode to bring back to his people. Recall that Alpert was anxious to retieve the body of Ben’s murdered father, but was rebuffed by Ben.
Note that, in the time of RA (Richard Alpert), the first pharoh, ancient egyptians were cannibals.
http://www.thekeep.org/~kunoichi/kunoichi/themestream/egypt_humansacrifice.html
it adds up to a potentially grusome development in the series.
2) whoever decided to put jack to work as a janotor was a brilliant move. as a faceless laborer, he can simply hide in plain sight as he sweeps, collects trash, etc. while doing his menial janitorial duties. he can go virtually anywhere in the compound with a broom and a trashcan to snoop around without arousing undue suspicion. if caught, he can play dumb and the worst consequence is getting chased off.
3) Locke is the key to getting Sun or Ben back to 1977. Recall Charlotte’s observation that objects held or touched by time travelers (like the zodiac inflatable boat) also pass through time with the people. Locke holds the compass. He is “special”. He will be able to go back to 1977. All he has to do is physically hold onto Sun and he will bring her with him.
Aaron from Perth-Wow, great story! Brough back memories from our trip to Oahu in 2001, but of course that was pre-Lost. Would love to go back on a Lost tour before the series wraps up for good next year. Thanks!
@ tigerline
welcome to the best lost podcast out there. i think your cannibal theory is refreshingly brilliant.
connie-
Oahu is a beautiful place, being there with the addition of seeing where my favourite show is filmed was like winning the lotto. Cant wait to go back. Definately if you go back do the hummer tour , they have a 5 hour tour that was awesome. Covered a lot of lost groud, highly reccommended.
i am watching the last 2 episodes i missed, then i can contribute more to the site. : )
Don’t you think Christian Shephard is more corporeal in 2007, since Jack brought “something of his” back on Agira 316–his shoes? I was looking to see if he was wearing the white tennis shoes, but didn’t notice.
Rich– I agree that that the only person’s word we have re course correction is Mrs. Hawkings– and who’s to say she has the word on the truth, esp. given her pessimistic read on Desmond?
And Aaron, thank you for the wonderful Michael Emerson story. Time out of mind!!
I think it would be amazingly cool to have a Lost Podcast reunion before or after the finale…. Would anyone be game? 🙂
Not sure if anyone has brought this up, but it seems to me that the Dharma Initiative guy who showed Jack where Sawyer lived, also saw Jack hugging Juliet. So I’m gathering that the shit is not too far from hitting the fan in terms of the O6 jig being up. Thoughts?