Lost Reviews and News
Key Points from "The Cost of Living"
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Season 3, Episode 5 Episode Air Date: 11/01/06 |
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Point 1
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NOW we're talking!
For the last five episodes I've been a bit concerned about "Lost." The season opened with that tremendous DharmaWorld scene, but since then the show has fumbled through extended incarcerations, random Other hints, and (I still can't believe they did this) polar bear attacks. The story meandered ... or so I believed. See, I thought the meandering was a writing error, but with this latest episode I realize the languid pace was actually table-setting for something far more intriguing. It appears that the "Lost" crew has been building a slow and steady foundation for a dramatic paradigm shift -- and that shift is almost upon us. I'll discuss this shift in the closing section (thereby letting you completely ignore it if you so choose). In the meantime, let's recap this sucker! "The Cost of Living" is one of those mildly literary titles writers love to use (especially since hindsight gives it double meaning), but a more fitting title for this episode would be: "Eko's Very Bad Day." When last we encountered the big man, he had just been freed from the clutches of an evil Dharma polar bear and then dragged back to camp by Locke and Charlie. This episode picks up a couple days after the polar bear incident, but the extended recovery hasn't served Eko well. Jack's absence appears to have created a medical vacuum among the castaways, which is evidenced by the random torso bandage Eko sports throughout this episode (What's that thing protecting? His gut?) In the episode's early moments, Eko lays unconscious in a beachside hut. Hurley, Charlie and the just-arrived Sayid are inside the hut, discussing Eko's condition and the day's itinerary (volleyball at noon, tea at four, karaoke at dusk, backwards-talking Walt sightings at 2 a.m.). Hurley, feeling expository, notes that Locke will be anxious to debrief Sayid on his recent Other encounter ("The Glass Ballerina"), so the trio scampers out of the hut and zips off to find Obi-Locke. Within the hut, Eko's eyes roll beneath his lids as his subconscious mind retraces the tragic events leading to his brother Yemi's death. In a series first, we revisit scenes from a previous backstory (all of the memory flashes Eko experiences are from "The 23rd Psalm"): We watch as Eko forces his brother to make him a priest so he can safely fly drugs out of Nigeria; the plan then goes awry and Yemi is shot on the tarmac; Eko tosses Yemi into a Beechcraft airplane, but Eko's criminal comrade blocks Eko from also boarding the plane; the aircraft takes off and heavily-armed military men rush in around Eko; the soldiers mistake Eko for a real priest and thus, Eko's priestly life is born. Initially I thought the recycling of old backstory footage was a bush league move, but it turns out these scenes lead directly into this episode's backstory. Speaking of which ... CUE BACKSTORY SWOOSH This week's backstory is delicately entwined within the episode's island events, so we need to discuss it right up front. Here goes:
Returning to island events ... Inside the beachside hut, Eko wakes to see his dead brother Yemi standing in the corner. Yemi flips a lighter and kneels beside Eko. He has a dire warning for his big brother: the time for Eko's judgement has come and Eko must visit the island's Sacred Yemi Place to receive said judgement. Eko's eyes are wide (seeing your dead priest brother is always disconcerting), but things are about to get much worse. Yemi snaps the lighter shut, but in the background we hear the sound of flames crackling. Uh oh ... Outside, Hurley, Charlie and Sayid see that Eko's hut is engulfed in flames. They rush in and haul Eko out. Charlie and Hurley place him under a nearby tree and move to help douse the fire, but before they leave, Eko snares Charlie's wrist and mumbles "my brother ... my brother." Charlie, chalking it up to a hallucination, disentangles himself from Eko and he and Hurley return to the now-charred hut. The fire attracts Locke's attention and, being the de facto camp leader/fire captain, he rushes in to oversee matters. He asks Charlie about Eko and Charlie turns and points down the beach to Eko's resting place. But there's a problem ... Eko is gone! The next morning, Locke caucuses with Desmond and Sayid on the beach. Locke's agenda includes two action items:
Let's pause a moment to discuss Action Item #2. Desmond tells Locke that the hatch computer (God rest its motherboard) could be used to communicate with other Dharma stations. Locke, flimsily concluding that communication is the key to rescue, decides to travel to the Pearl station to fire up the Pearl's Commodore 64 and reach out to the Others. Now, I'm a fan of Locke and I'm happier than anyone to see him return to his Obi-Locke ways, but I don't get this plan at all. Why would Locke think that reaching out to the Others would make a difference? He doesn't have any leverage. He doesn't have anything to trade (unless you count Dharma Ranch Dressing as a valuable commodity), so what's the point of holding a computer-based pow-wow with the Other adversaries? Am I missing something? Anyway ... as Locke, Desmond and Sayid talk, Hurley and Charlie stroll up to report that Eko is nowhere to be seen. Locke asks Charlie if Eko said anything before he disappeared. "He just kept mumblin' ... 'my brother' ... 'my brother'," Charlie says. Locke jumps to his feet. He knows where Eko is going! Longtime viewers might want to skip this next bit ... If you're wondering how Locke could possibly know where Eko is headed, the answer lies in the season two episode "?." That episode's primary storyline followed Eko and Locke as they searched for a mysterious island location. Each experienced dreams that helped them unravel the mystery. The interesting thing is that Yemi appeared in both men's dreams, which was unique for Locke since he never met Yemi. Moreover, Locke's Yemi dream came moments before he and Eko discovered the entrance to the Pearl hatch, which was hidden beneath the wreckage of the Beechcraft airplane (the same plane Yemi died in). So, when Charlie tells Locke that Eko was mumbling "my brother, my brother," Locke correctly assumes that Eko is traveling to the Beechcraft/Pearl hatch location. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle. Moving on ... In a marked shift from previous Island Administrations, Locke goes out of his way to invite other castaways on his Pearl Hatch journey. Hurley is stunned by the invitation: Jack never would have sent out eVites. "I'm not Jack," Locke says with a twinkle in his eye. Ultimately, Locke's invitation attracts Sayid, Desmond, and Nikki/Paulo (I will refer to them as one character until they earn a proper separation). As the group prepares to head out, Desmond quietly sidles up to Locke and asks for a little clarification: are they going after Eko or are they going off to "poke at a computer"? Locke tells Desmond that Eko is heading for the same place they are, and Desmond notes that this is quite a coincidence. Locke stands and slings his bag over his shoulder ... he's been waiting a long time for this next line. "Don't mistake coincidence for fate," he says. OBI-LOCKE HAS ENTERED THE BUILDING. We'll return to Locke and his merry band of searchers in a moment. For now, we need to catch up with Eko ... Following his Houdini act on the beach, Eko scampered into the heavy foliage to begin the long, arduous journey to the Beechcraft/Pearl location. The trip is tough under the best of circumstances, but you'll recall that Eko is very, very far from 100 percent. His chest and legs are marked with deep polar bear gashes and he's running on fumes. Nonetheless, her perseveres (but he's going to wish he hadn't). Eko's trek through the jungle is marked by two things:
Despite hallucinations and smoke monsters, Eko continues his journey. He eventually stops at a stream and, as he slurps water, he notices a smokey apparition taking shape in the reflection. Eko spins and the smoke monster pulls back and puffs up to an enormous size (it has to be at least 20 feet high and 10 feet wide). Eko takes a step forward and the monster pulls back and puffs away. At that exact moment, Locke and his cronies suddenly appear on the other side of the stream! Locke is shocked -- he didn't expect it would be that easy to find Eko. Sidenote: It initially seems that the smoke monster darts away like a big wussie when Eko spins and confronts it, but if you listen carefully, you can hear the oncoming footsteps of Locke and the rescue crew. The monster actually retreats when the rescuers draw near. I'm not sure what this means, but I thought it was noteworthy. Since Eko and Locke are headed to the same place, Eko joins up with Locke's expedition and the group travel to the Pearl station. You'd think it would be smooth sailing from this point on, but Eko's fragile mental state leads to an ugly incident along the way. Locke, looking to confirm his conclusion about Eko's journey, asks Eko about his brother. "Is that what you're doing out here? Looking for Yemi?" Locke asks. Eko explodes. He shoves Locke against a nearby tree and places a long blade against Locke's throat. "Do not speak my brother's name again," Eko growls. But Eko doesn't realize who he's dealing with! This isn't John Locke, Regional Box Manager! This is OBI-LOCKE, Master of his Domain, Leader of the Castaways, Chief Shaman and Supreme Executive Island Sage! Locke doesn't blink. "What are you so afraid of, Eko?" Locke asks calmly. Eko backs down. He sees he's in the presence of a baaaaaad man! With the Alpha Male hierarchy sorted out, the group continues their journey to the Pearl hatch. Upon arriving, Locke instructs Sayid to take Desmond and Nikki/Paulo down into the Pearl. Sayid complies, and as the group scampers away, Locke helps Eko shift rocks away from the Beechcraft wreckage. "What, exactly, did you see back there?" Locke asks, referring to the moment when Locke and the group happened upon Eko by the stream. Eko doesn't answer, but Locke is feeling chatty so he tells Eko that he, too, once saw "it." (Locke's monster encounter happened way back in the season one episode "Walkabout"). "What did you see?" Eko asks. "I saw a very bright light," Locke says. "It was beautiful." Eko looks up. "That is not what I saw," Eko says, ending the conversation. With the rocks out of the way, Eko peers into the burned-out wreckage of the Beechcraft and, to his surprise, discovers that Yemi's remains have vanished. Eko is confused -- could Yemi be alive? -- but Locke notes that Eko did burn the plane and, even if Yemi's remains weren't vaporized by fire, perhaps his remnants were hauled off by animals (like, say, a polar bear). Locke tries to change the subject. He invites Eko down into the Pearl station, but Eko declines. Locke turns to leave but suddenly remembers something; he reaches into his pocket and hands Eko the cross he found when he was tracking the polar bear in "Further Instructions." Eko silently clutches the cross. Locke darts into the Pearl station. I'll deal with the events within the Pearl station in Point 2. For now, we need to keep the focus on Eko because something very, very bad is about to happen. With Locke and the other Pearl investigators down in the hatch, Eko sits alone on a fallen tree, staring at the cross Locke gave him moments before. Suddenly, Yemi appears nearby. Eko is stunned; his brother appears to have pulled a Lazarus. But before Eko can inquire about Yemi's rebirth, Yemi retreats into the brush. Eko rushes after him. He darts into a nearby field lined with manicured flower bushes (the bushes appear to be equidistant, which suggests they've been planted and maintained by humans). Eko's frustration wells. He calls out to the unseen Yemi. "You say you want to hear my confession! Why? Why now? Where are you?!" Eko shouts. Yemi appears amidst the flower bushes. "Are you ready, Eko?" Yemi asks. "Yes," Eko says as he extends the cross toward Yemi. And this is when Eko throws a curveball. "I ask for no forgiveness, father, for I have not sinned," Eko says. "I have only done what I needed to do to survive. A small boy once asked me if I was a bad man. If I could answer him now, I would tell him that when I was a young boy I killed a man to save my brother's life. I am not sorry for this. I am proud of this." Yemi's eyes grow cold. Anger pulses through his jaw. Eko drops to his knees. "I did not ask for the life I was given," Eko says, "but it was given nonetheless. And with it, I did my best." What Eko doesn't realize is that Yemi can also throw a nasty curveball. "You speak to me as if I am your brother," Yemi says, his eyes chewing into Eko's soul. Yemi turns and walks off. Eko leaps to his feet. "Who are you?!" he roars. Eko rushes into the woods and stands amidst the trunks of massive trees. In the distance, the smoke monster darts through the brush and the calculator noise grows louder. Eko turns ... and what he sees is not good. Smokey rises and grows, achieving an enormous size. Eko begins to recite the 23rd Psalm. "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want ..." That's as far as he gets. Smokey lashes out and grabs Eko around the waist! Eko is lifted high into the air! Smokey's huge arm slams Eko against a tree, then slams him against another tree! Eko grunts in pain. Smokey arcs high, high, high into the trees. The arm curls and, with tremendous force, drops Eko toward the ground. DOWN HE GOES! Smokey lets out its battle cry (that weird horn noise -- aaaaaOOOOOOOOOOOOO!)! Eko plummets! WHAAAAAM! The earth shakes as Smokey drives Eko into the soil. Inside the Pearl hatch, the other castaways hear the monster's horn-roar. They scamper up a ladder and rush toward Eko, but when they arrive the monster is gone. All that's left is Eko, lying motionless in a crater. Locke turns Eko over and Eko gasps for air. Locke can see that Eko's time is short -- his chest is a giant hematoma. Locke leans in near Eko as Eko tries to speak. Eko's words are inaudible to us, but Locke is able to understand. His face drops as Eko's message gets through. Locke pulls back and looks down at Eko. Pain washes away from Eko's face. Mr. Eko is dead. Locke closes Eko's eyes as Sayid, Desmond, and Nikki/Paulo look on. "What did he say, John?" Sayid asks. Locke looks up. "He said ... we're next." AND THEN IT ENDS! | |
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Point 2
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The events inside the Pearl hatch warrant their own Key Point.
After discussing their shared "monster" experiences, Locke leaves Eko and joins Sayid, Desmond and Nikki/Paulo in the Pearl. Inside, Nikki lounges in one of the observation chairs and watches the Pearl Orientation video. Sayid, Desmond and Locke turn their attention to the Pearl's computer. Paulo makes himself useful by testing out the Pearl's toilet. Sayid determines that the Pearl's equipment is a closed system, which means there's no way to use the Pearl's hardware to contact the Others. But, just as the group wonders why they've wasted their time, Nikki finally does something noteworthy. The Pearl Orientation video -- a video we all watched, at length, in "?" -- explains that the Pearl station is used to monitor Dharma projects (plural) and, since there are six televisions in the Pearl, Nikki concludes that the TVs are used monitor each of the six stations. "Well, I'm suddenly feeling very stupid," Locke says with a grin. Sayid, armed with Nikki's analysis, turns his attention to patching in feeds from other hatches. Donning his Comcast hat, Sayid fiddles with coax connections. One of the screens blinks to life. The group gathers around the TV and stares at the image. Through the static, they can see a computer sitting on a table. The wall behind the computer is lined with Dharma equipment: old mainframes and a reel-to-reel machine. It's another hatch! Suddenly, a man's face appears on the screen! The man is positioned inches from the camera, so we clearly see that he's wearing an eye patch (Steve Johnson, is that you?). He's also wearing a Dharma jumpsuit. The man stares at the camera for a few seconds then places his palm over the lens. The camera dies. Static fills the screen. "I guess he'll be expecting us," Locke quips. That's the extent of what we see in the Pearl station, but this scene yields a boatload of questions:
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Point 3
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Jack's resurgence continues this week. You'll recall that in "Every Man for Himself" Jack finally stopped whining and yelling and
acting like a colossal ass. His attitude took a noticeable turn for the better when he spotted those
spinal x-rays in the hatch medical center.
In addition to making Jack likable again, the x-rays have also spurred a week of heavy conjecture: Who's spine is in the picture? Who is the 40-year-old man with the tumor? In a dramatic shift, the "Lost" crew offers definitive answers to those questions within the first 10 minutes of this episode. As many guessed, the spine and tumor belong to Ben. The spine revelation is made in an opening scene in which Ben enters Jack's aquarium cell and invites him out for a walk (Ben just loves taking prisoners on walks). Ben is dressed in a white linen shirt that was plucked from the "Kung Fu" set. Being a gracious guy, he's brought a Kung Fu shirt for Jack, too. But Jack isn't in the mood for sartorial shifts. "Does it hurt?" Jack asks. Ben turns, confused by Jack's random question. Jack has him right where he wants him. "Does it hurt -- your neck?" Jack continues, assuming his "doctor" tone. "Any numbness in your fingers and toes, like pins and needles when your foot falls asleep -- but permanent?" Ben's brow furrows. He asks Jack why he's asking these questions. Jack pounces. "Because, Ben, you have a tumor on your spine, an aggressive tumor, that's going to kill you," Jack says with thinly veiled glee. "I don't know when those x-rays were taken that I saw, but unless they were very recent, you're not gonna be taking walks much longer." Ben pauses, then guffaws. He claims to have no idea what Jack is talking about. Jack slides into his Kung Fu shirt and stands upright. "Okay, my mistake," Jack says. "I'm ready whenever you are." Point, Jack! With the spinal consultation out of the way, Jack accompanies Ben to the beach. Night has fallen and the Others are gathering for Colleen's funeral service (hence the weird linen shirts). Jack is instructed to stand back from the rest of the group. Ben walks toward the beach and stands in with his Other comrades. Colleen's body has been placed on a wooden raft lined with flowers. As Jack watches from afar, Juliet appears and pauses next to her future love interest (these two are so hot for each other it's absurd). The pair exchange a few pleasantries and then Juliet abruptly walks away because she doesn't want her Other friends to catch wind of her secret love. Moments later, the Others float Colleen out on the ocean and set the raft on fire, Viking style. And this is when we get confirmation that Ben is the proud owner of a spinal tumor. With Colleen cooking in the background, Ben quietly asks Juliet why she showed Jack his x-rays. "I didn't tell him they were yours," Juliet says. "But I guess you did." If that's not confirmation, I don't know what is. Later in the episode, Jack and Juliet take their flirting to a whole new level. Juliet comes into Jack's aquarium cell carrying a tray of food. I can't be sure, but she seems to be wearing make-up ("Ohhhh, here she comes! Watch out boy she'll chew you up!"). She uncovers the food and reveals ... a big juicy cheeseburger and a plate of fries. Jack's impressed and Juliet is very, very happy that he's impressed. "You have no idea what I went through to make this for you," Juliet says, hopping up on the table in the middle of the aquarium cell. "I killed the cow, processed the meat, baked the bun. And the fries ... try rendering the animal fat." Jack smirks. "No ketchup?" Juliet smiles. They're about two seconds from going at it. Alas, the romantic interlude is cut short by Ben's appearance in the doorway. He asks Juliet to leave so he can have a "doctor-patient" meeting with Jack. Juliet is clearly pissed. She had big plans for dessert. If you'll indulge me a moment of psycho-analysis ... For the last few episodes there have been hints that Ben's calm exterior hides a raging temper. He's shown flashes of violence and he does not stand for insubordination. But, in this next bit, we're about to find out that his temper is actually mixed with a dash of insanity. With Juliet out of the room, Ben takes this opportunity to let Jack in on his evil little plan. He tells Jack that the Others had whipped up an intricate scheme to wear him down to the point where he actually sided with the Others. Jack responds by biting the cheeseburger. The key, Ben says, was to get Jack "invested." Jack stops chewing. "Invested in what?" he asks. INSANITY ALERT! "Has it not occurred to you that Juliet bears a striking resemblance to your ex-wife?" Ben asks. Jack's jaw drops. He looks away, then turns and asks the obvious question. "Why are you telling me this?" Jack asks. And this is when Ben coughs up the goods. "I'm telling you this because my wonderful plan got shot to sunshine when you saw my damned x-rays and figured out I was dying," Ben admits. Anger wells in Jack, and this time, he's got a point. "You want me to save your life," Jack says through clenched teeth. COMPLETE AND UTTER INSANITY ALERT! "No," Ben snaps. "I want you to want to save my life," he says. "But we're beyond that now. So, all I can ask is that you think about it." Ben turns to leave, but before he does he stops and delivers one of this patented Henry Gale Random Questions. He asks Jack if he believes in God. Jack fires back by asking Ben if he believes in God, and, given Ben's quick response, he appears to have thought this question through in advance. He tells Jack that two days after he was diagnosed with the tumor, a "spinal surgeon fell out of the sky." "If that's not proof of God, I don't know what is," Ben says. With that, Ben leaves. Sidenote: On the surface this exchange between Jack and Ben might not seem all that insane, but let's look a little deeper, shall we? As we know, Jack is a doctor who has a borderline-psychotic need to "fix" people. Ben, oddly enough, is someone in desperate need of repair. Yet, instead of striding into the castaways' camp and calmly introducing himself, Ben concocts an elaborate scheme to make Jack want to fix him. For the love of God, why didn't Ben just ASK?! Ben's wacky plan sounds like something Doctor Evil would whip up. It makes NO sense. To paraphrase Ben: "If that's not proof of insanity, I don't know what is." And now we come to this episode's juiciest scene ... At the very end of the episode, Jack and Juliet have a scene that, if it can be believed, dramatically alters the course of the series. Juliet enters the room adjacent to the aquarium cell and tells Jack she's brought in a movie for him to watch (she claims it's "To Kill a Mockingbird"). Jack throws a fit and says he doesn't want to watch a movie, but Juliet is adamant. "You NEED ... TO WATCH ... THIS MOVIE," she says while winking. She flips on the TV. Jack looks down and immediately sees that Juliet's version of "To Kill a Mockingbird" is much different than the Oscar-winning classic. The TV screen shows Juliet standing in her home, holding large sheets of posterboard. A message is written on the first sheet. "Ignore everything I'm saying," reads the first posterboard. Jack looks up at Juliet. She proceeds to tell Jack that she's sorry for what they've done to him and his friends. "Ben," Juliet says. "He's a great man." Jack looks back at the screen. The second card reads: "Ben is a liar." On the screen, Juliet flips to the third card. "And he is very dangerous," it reads. Jack looks back at Juliet. "You probably feel like you don't have a choice," Juliet says, choosing her words carefully. "But you do, Jack. Free will is all we've really got." Jack looks at the screen. "Some of us want a change," the card reads. On the video, Juliet flips to the next sheet: "But it has to look like an accident." HOLY MOSES ON TOAST! Jack looks knowingly at Juliet. "Anyway," she says, "I just wanted to put in my two cents." Jack shifts his gaze to the screen. The next card reads: "It has to look like we tried to save him." The card flips. "And that's up to you, Jack." Jack looks up. "I told you before you can trust me," Juliet says. "I want you to trust me now that doing the surgery is absolutely the right thing for you to do." Jack looks down at the next card on the screen. "It's a complicated surgery. No one would ever know," it reads. The card flips. "And I would protect you." Jack looks up. Juliet stares at him. He looks back down. On the screen, Juliet is holding another card: "Now tell me to turn off the movie," it reads. Jack squints. He sees small type at the bottom of the final piece of posterboard: "Will you go out with me? Yes. No. Maybe" (Sorry. Couldn't resist). Jack looks up. "Turn the movie off," he says. Juliet flips off the screen and grabs the tape. She walks toward the door, but pauses in the far corner (she seems to be taking a position that's out of view of the cameras). Jack looks at her. "Think about what I said," Juliet says. "Please." Jack immediately nods his head. And then it ends. Oh my God, it ends. |
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Point 4
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As usual, I'll close with a few thoughts and questions:
That's it for now. Be sure to drop by our "Lost" Forum for stimulating conversation and conjecture. |
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Next Episode:
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"I Do" -- Jack is presented with an offer that's hard to refuse and
Locke discovers a hidden message with big implications. In backstory
world, Kate forges a union with a man who loves brown coats. Airs:
Wednesday, November 8, 9 p.m.,
ABC. |
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Review by Mac Slocum. All photos and episode descriptions © ABC Inc. |
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Posted by Mac on November 2, 2006 1:35 PM | Email This
Am I the first this week?
→ 2. Posted by: ydnewc1 at November 2, 2006 1:38 PMOk, what's up with the smoke! Could it be Vincent? Is it able to take a form, or does it just play with people's mind?
→ 3. Posted by: Dudelost at November 2, 2006 1:39 PMWoohoo! Mac, you're early! Nice.
→ 4. Posted by: Amy at November 2, 2006 1:39 PMThere are two reasons that I'm upset that they killed Eko.
1) I really liked his character. I still think that could have had him around a much longer and shared more background on him. For example, why was he is Australia? Why was a flying to LA? etc.
2) Since Bernard is the last known survivor from the tail-end of the plane, this pretty much confirms that half of the last 30 episodes have been filler. What I mean is, Season 2 introduced the tail end survivors and all of them have been killed (note: the flight attendant and the kids may still be alive). Anyway, what was the point of having them? Just milking the story? Probably.
Anyway, I complain, but still love the show. See you next week Lost.
Marty.
→ 5. Posted by: Marty at November 2, 2006 1:41 PMIt's tough to post first here. I miss Eko already. He is B.A.
→ 6. Posted by: Batteries Included at November 2, 2006 1:44 PMGAFRAM mac.
What? Is this turning into a see who can post first blog? What does it matter?
I heard somewhere where Elizabeth Mitchell's mother-in-law is Ann Margaret. Can anyone say if that is true?
When my time comes, I hope I can go "peacefully" like Eko did.
@ GatorGal - I can still hear your echo, "Eko is passing to the great beyond this week."
Hmmm, maybe Benry is just a big bluff and his name is really Cliff.
@ Batteries Icluded
He WAS B.A.
→ 8. Posted by: ButchM at November 2, 2006 1:53 PMAll those Day Break commercials are really driving me nuts. It seems basically like Groundhog Day, in TV series form. They should just advertise it as that, and not act like they’re fooling anyone.
Also, I definitely think Ben is lying to Jack in their second interaction. Ben has already said he was lying to Jack when they had him prisoner in the hatch, but justified it by saying it was to save his own life. There’s no reason to believe he wouldn’t lie again, if his life was at stake, which it is with the tumor.
→ 9. Posted by: wolf at November 2, 2006 1:56 PMMac,
> How quickly can Paulo be killed?
> To date, his most significant
> accomplishment is dropping a
> deuce in the Pearl toilet.
That may be your best line of all time. I actually had to stop reading and compose myself before moving on.
Great job once again.
Marty.
→ 10. Posted by: Marty at November 2, 2006 1:56 PMGreat work as usual, thanks!
→ 11. Posted by: Chris Meisenzahl at November 2, 2006 1:57 PM"Well, I'm suddenly feeling very stupid," Locke says with a grin.....
Worst acting EVERRRR! And where did these 2 idiot extra actors come from and why didn't they get any acting lessons?!?!? Now they are making Locke look like an idiot, and did he completely forget everything from season 2 ??!?!
→ 12. Posted by: Lost is starting to really suck! at November 2, 2006 1:58 PMMac you have the best reviews on the net by far.
Did I see the previews for next week correctly? Is it the season finale already?
Eko was the man. If I was a cast member of Lost I would never drink again. Dang you you get busted for DUI you mine as well pack your bags.
I had the same point as Marty, everyone in the tail section is gone except for Bernard.
→ 13. Posted by: D Ral at November 2, 2006 2:00 PMDid we forget about Bernards wife??
→ 14. Posted by: all knowing at November 2, 2006 2:01 PMI was annoyed with the excessive advertising that "one of the survivors will die" over the past week; when the episode began with Eko's back story, I knew he would be the one to bite the dust, so most of the episode I just spent waiting for it to happen. At least it made sense why he was building a church (Amina's comment "You owe your brother a church").
Glad to see the old Locke back, although I also don't get his reasoning behind wanting to communicate with the Others to get their lostmates back. And the video scene with Juliet and Jack was fantastic--sets a whole new direction for the show. Can't wait till next week! Thanks Mac, for a great review as usual.
"Yet, instead of striding into the castaways' camp and calmly introducing himself, Ben concocts an elaborate scheme to make Jack want to fix him. For the love of God, why didn't Ben just ASK?!"
What makes you think that Ben wasnt on his way to the losties to ask exactly this when Rousseau captured him?
→ 16. Posted by: jraw at November 2, 2006 2:04 PMA terrific analysis of this episode yet again Mac! Thanks. This episode was one of the more frustrating this season. Was Eko repentant when building the church for his brother or not. Why go down that path just to turn him unrepentant at the last moment? The civil war among the Others is a pretty interesting angle, and they have me wanting much more information about it. I still am leaning towards it all being a part of the game they are playing with Jack's head. After all, Ben is a liar. Why not all of them?
→ 17. Posted by: LostExposed CluesBlog at November 2, 2006 2:05 PMWait, I should end it now.....before we see 30,000,000 posts saying "bernards wife was in the front"
ok? ok.
Lets not have another escalator issue
Everybody keeps saying that Bernard is the "last Tailie" still alive - if you think about it, he's not really a Tailie - he just happened to be in the bathroom when the plane fell apart. Yes, he landed with the back of the plane, but he wasn't "supposed" to be there.
→ 19. Posted by: sthnbelle at November 2, 2006 2:08 PMI think we ought to be a little more cautious about pronouncing anything as a "whole new direction" for the show like people are saying about this Jack/Juliet thing. I'm still very bitter about the utter letdown that the "Let's train an army" thing turned out to be. That was supposed to be a series changing event too, and it was just a big waste of time.
→ 20. Posted by: jraw at November 2, 2006 2:08 PMI said it last week, and I'll say it again, I do NOT trust Juliet. I think she is the one who is lying, not Ben. I'm still inclined to believe Sawyer's assessment of her character when he told Kate she (Juliet) would have shot her (Kate) no problem. I think she wants Ben out of the way for whatever reason and is using her feminine wiles on Jack to do it.
→ 21. Posted by: Amy at November 2, 2006 2:08 PMEko wanted off the show. He had a deal with the writers to get off. He wanted to move back to London and direct a movie. So you can't really blame the writers for his death. But he was a BA. Great episode too.
Not sure if I trust Juliet either. This could be another test by Ben. But then again, Juliet and Ben seem not to get along.
Two quick comments: did anybody besides me turn their volume up REAL high when Eko uttered his dying words? I couldn't make them out, but he most certainly did NOT say "You're next." Now, whether that was a production gaffe or Locke purposely misleading his friends is anybody's guess. Anybody have a better sound system than me?
Also, I don't think Paulo & Nikki are simply writing devices. Rodrigo Santoro (who plays Paulo) is a HUGE star in Brazil, and the LOST producers certainly could have found a cheaper writing device if that was the only intent.
→ 23. Posted by: KG at November 2, 2006 2:10 PMEko dies - Bummer!!!!!
I liked the character.
→ 24. Posted by: Brothaslide at November 2, 2006 2:11 PMIt’s a little early for voting already, so I’ll move out of "parliament mode".
(HOWEVER, it is the last day for early voting in most states - so get out there and do your civic duty friends!)
On to LOST:
Mac covered it all. But I admit, that altho he is excited about the forthcoming episode, I am still a bit disappointed in the first five adventures so far this season - obviously, next week is going to have to be the MOTHER OF ALL BLOW OUTS if it’s supposed to bring this six-part mini-series to a satisfying close!
I must admit - I love the mystery piled upon mystery, scheme upon scheme, and conjecture upon conjecture that these opening 5 hours have given us! And in spite of the two month hiatus coming up - I’ll be there faithfully glued in front of the tube when the second season begins.
In an earlier blog - on another station early this morning - someone ventured the premise that - What if Juliette is the real BAD OTHER, and Ben, despite his obvious personality flaws is really THE GOOD OTHER?
Remember, Sawyer once said to Kate . . . “That one would kill you in a second.â€
Referring to Juliette at the stone clearing site.
Talk about sorted intrigue!
What do you folks think about that tact?
→ 25. Posted by: davidrh at November 2, 2006 2:12 PMCould this eye patch man be in The Flame? I'm sure I heard mumblings about The Flame.
→ 26. Posted by: Chris at November 2, 2006 2:15 PMI suggest calling them Paulikki for now. And I agree they are prety useless.
→ 27. Posted by: Melissa at November 2, 2006 2:15 PMGreat review, Mac, and some good points.
Here's my comments:
1) Nikki/Paulo ... I hate that they're "gorgeous", too. Attractive people on TV rarely have anything going on upstairs, ya know? I hope the writers give them some "bite". Paulo in the toilet ... oy.
2) Juliette's Bob Dylan/Sign video ... wow, that was classic LOST. Perfect. I must admit it confused me, though. So many games within games this season. Are they messing with Jack's mind?? Is Juliette a "good guy" or an "bad guy"????
3) Ben ... I have to admit I actually felt sorry for him during the Ben/Jack scene. Sorry, I did. But then, as a child, I always felt sorry for the Disney villains, too. They're just good people doing bad things! LOL.
4) Ecko ... like I said in my post during the last episode, Ecko was a great character, but ultimately a story device. He was the "faith" for the show during Season Two when Locke lost his faith. Now that Locke believes in the serendipity of the island again, Ecko is no longer needed. Bye bye, Ecko. I thought he was a great character, though, and I will miss him.
5) Smoke Monster ... it looks like the writers have brought back the idea that simply wondering around the island is dangerous (Remember when the MYSTERIOUS ISLAND was part of the plot?!). Now, I would imagine that the Losties will have to stick together, not go into the jungle alone, etc. As for what it actually is .... I'm lost, too. Is it running by itself? Or is it being controlled by someone? And is it related to the WHISPERS we sometimes hear, too ???
6) The preview for the next/last episode before the 3-month break looks intense. It also looks like they're cramming a lot of story into 1 hour. An operation, the whole Kate/Sawyer plot, a Kate flashback, and the Losties, too??!! My!
7) The Patch Guy ... I'm so intrigued. I'm having a hard time digesting the backstory, though. I get confused about Dharma vs. Danielle's Scientist Group vs. the Hatch Dudes ...
8) Where are the children????
Thanks again!!!
→ 28. Posted by: Matt at November 2, 2006 2:15 PMMac Morning to all!!!
Mac, great review...laugh out loud funny!
I am friggin' pissed that Eko is dead. The relationship between Locke and Eko has been the most intersting thus far, except for the turn of events between Juliet and Jack. I was so upset to see him go, I couldn't sleep last night. Perhaps I have too much emotionally invested in the show :) ya think?
Can I just point out...where are all the black actors? First WALT & MICHAEL conveniently left the island on a boat, EKO is killed. Anyone seen ROSE lately? Or how about MRS. PUGH? All this time spent in OtherWorld and no site of her either? Can a brother get some love from the writers at ABC?
Anyone know why Harold Perrineau (Michael) is still credited for this season? Is he coming back? He is listed on IMDB on all episodes.
I am ready for the castaways to kick some others butt. I like your thoery Mac, that the tide will turn soon. IT'S ABOUT FRIGGIN TIME! Hopefully Nikki and Paulo will die soon. They are annoying as hell.
Thank god Jack got is game on again!
→ 29. Posted by: Kimberly at November 2, 2006 2:15 PMI am with you guys....given that Benry flat out told Jack their "plan" was to mess with his head, what cause do we have to trust anything, anything at all, that he or Juliet say or do? Now, I, for one, really like the idea of Jack and Juliet working together....but, I have no reason to trust her. What if it's her plan to eradicate Benry so she can take over? What if she is really in charge in the first place?
I miss Eko already...he was my fave. I am perpetually disturbed by and confused by the black smoke thing. Does Dharma control it? Do the Others (HBO's or "other"wise...) know about it? Is is energy? Is it consciousness? Is it the same thing Locke saw, and, if so, why did it manifest itself as white when he saw it and black when Eko did?
Was Eko a good guy or a bad guy?
→ 30. Posted by: Vikki at November 2, 2006 2:17 PMWhat!?! No jokes about Jack getting the "Subterranean Homesick Blues" from Juliette's video? That was a hanging curveball right over the plate, and you whiffed on it, Mac. For shame, for shame.
Other than that, another fine episode recap.
I'm more skeptical than you about whether the slow pacing of this season can/will be justified by what follows next, but the proof will be in the pudding. After reading your recap, a new thought occurred: the smoke monster has been suddenly brought back on stage at the same time the new plotline is being drawn to Mr. Patch. One can expect there's going to turn out to be some connection between the two, but lord only knows what.
→ 31. Posted by: Deep Cover at November 2, 2006 2:20 PMWhen Ben was talking to Jack about the plan to "break" him, I couldn't help but think they already have. When Jack was first captured/imprisoned, he flailed about his cage, refused to eat and demanded to know where his friends are. Now he either sits peacefully or gets in a few reps of chin-ups, munches on a cheeseburger, attends other funerals and enjoys quiet conversation. If that isn't breaking, I don't know what is!
→ 32. Posted by: Amy at November 2, 2006 2:21 PMHas anyone noticed that there are no Hanso Foundation Commercials this season? LOL
→ 33. Posted by: Keluha at November 2, 2006 2:22 PMI think Ben only told Jack of his breaking plan to try and gain his trust. Kind of like, if I tell you what I was going to do to you, but now I'm not, you'll start to think better of me. Something like that.
→ 34. Posted by: Amy at November 2, 2006 2:23 PMI also don't think we are giving Jack enough credit. I am sure he has been considering his options and has something up his sleeve.
I don't trust Juliette. The one talking or the one holding the signs. Maybe Ben was behind the signs?
→ 35. Posted by: Melissa at November 2, 2006 2:23 PM@DC: Yup, that was definitely in the wheelhouse. I'm slipping in my old age ;) -- mac
→ 36. Posted by: mac at November 2, 2006 2:25 PMWhat is with the others? are they a cult? do the worship weak-ass late 60's pop tunes or something? And what's with Captain Eye Patch? is he from a different group of others? does he control old smokey? I will miss Ecko, there are too many charachters allreday to loose a good one and add some lame ones. Like that kid with the bad attitude Apple boy.
→ 37. Posted by: danlostinboston at November 2, 2006 2:25 PMI have to believe that the image of Yemi was indeed Smoky. And therefore it stands to reason that the other images people have seen (Jack's dad, Kate's horse, Hurley's friend Dave) were also Smoky. Smoky was stalking Eko, and seemed to back off when Locke appeared. Maybe Smoky only harms people who've done harm to others, e.g., it killed the pilot because intentionally or not the pilot had killed many of the passsengers on his plane. And Eko was unrepentant when "confessing" to Yemi. Very bad mojo. And back when Locke looked into Smoky's eyes, Smoky somehow understood that Locke, even though he'd certainly had the oppportunity to kill the young cop back at Weedpatch, had not taken life. Funny how Eko saw a black monster and Locke saw a bright light. Locke had his faith and Eko didn't. Maybe Smoky is like Yoda's cave on Dagobah, when Yoda tells Luke something along the lines of, "All that's in there is what you take with you." Or maybe Smoky is sorta like Gort from The Day The Earth Stood Still: an unfeeling unstoppable force designed to enforce peace and harmony in its little island universe. If that's true, Sawyer and Kate better watch out.
BTW - someone on one of the other blogs (sorry, Mac) suggested a strong parallel between Lost and 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. I'm gonna hafta do some quick reading. Will report back. Maybe someone who's familiar can comment?
And as for Benry's tumor and the island not healing him, I think maybe he's on the wrong island. Maybe only one of the islands has the power to heal, and maybe that's what Benry was doing when he caught caught up in Rousseau's net. I don't recall - what exactly was the point of her net? Was she trying to capture a polar bear? With a Tonka truck in its mouth?
Juliet is way too hot to be anything but evil. Damn, I like her.
Also, I propose a new acronym…WGNAE…stands for We're Gonna Need Another Eko. Thoughts?
→ 38. Posted by: ransomjackson at November 2, 2006 2:25 PMDAVIDRH,
oooh...I like your theory...what if Juliet is the REALLY bad other. That's a good one. The reference to Sawyers comment about Juliet...great connection!
→ 39. Posted by: kimberly at November 2, 2006 2:27 PMSomething small that I noticed: When Eko was having the hallucination of the warlords in the jungle, he also sees the altar boy who motions "shhh" to him with his finger. Isn't this also what Walt did to Shannon when she used to have visions of him?
And, personally, I am on the "can't stand Paulikki" bandwagon too....I hope something else interesting happens with them....
And, didn't Benry tell Sawyer the best way to earn a con man's respect is to con the con? So who is conning who? Benry? Juliet? Jack? What's the conning combo? Why tell Sawyer that?
→ 40. Posted by: Vikki at November 2, 2006 2:27 PM-Eko will be missed.
-Paulo is a tool.
Very Lazarus-like scene with the giant rock in front of the plane entrance.
I thought this episode lent more to the whole "Purgatory Theme". Remember the line at the end from Yemi-guy to Eko, "Are you ready to be judged?"
Any thoughts?
Great job Mac, thanks for cranking these out.
→ 41. Posted by: chappy at November 2, 2006 2:29 PM@Ransomjack: I'll vote for it!
WGNAE!!!!
→ 42. Posted by: VIkki at November 2, 2006 2:30 PMOkay, I'm going to commit a cardinal forum posting sin here, but this is really getting to me, especially after this last episode... It concerns the defibrillator and the upcoming surgery on Ben
"Serious question here...
Supposing that they really did put something into Sawyer, which I'm not sure what to believe now...
Is it possible to install a pacemaker without momentarily stopping the heart?
The reason I ask because if the defibrillator is broken or busted as Juliette says it would:
1.) Possibly imply that it was broken when they used it on Sawyer (despite Juliette's implication that its been broken for a while)
2.) Give Jack crucial evidence later to reveal to Sawyer who will most likely doubt that Ben did NOTHING to him, that without a working defib, they couldn't have installed a pacemaker.
3.) Be really coldhearted of Juliette if the defib WAS in working order because they had just used it on Sawyer and let Colleen die anyway.
I hope this makes since.
Is there a doctor in the house?"
→ 43. Posted by: Illusivemuse at November 2, 2006 2:32 PMim hoping nicki/paulo will be like red shirts on start trek
→ 44. Posted by: joe at November 2, 2006 2:32 PMI don't understand why the writers had Locke save Eko from the polar bear last episode only to kill him in this one. What were we supposed to learn about Eko and his backstory from this episode that would do us any good? The only thing I really learned is that he wasn't sorry for his past.
→ 45. Posted by: ydnewc1 at November 2, 2006 2:32 PMMac,
As always, great review. You are the man. I agree with your analysis of the smoke being able to take the form of humans, but I think it can only take the form of people who died on the island. Otherwise it would've already taken the form of one of the survivors and screwed with everyone.
Second, remember the glass eye the Taillies found in the arrow station? I think that glass eye belongs to the man they saw on the television in the Pearl Station.
Also, as far as your suggestion about the map of the other hatches being destroyed, that's not true. Remember, Desmond helped paint the map so obviously he knows where the other hatches should be. Plus with his new psychic powers, he should be able to help hium find it. (If he needs to go on a heroin binge to help paint the future, Charlie can hook him up....oh sorry, wrong show!)
Sam
→ 46. Posted by: Sam at November 2, 2006 2:33 PM@illusivemuse:
It is not necessary to stop the heart in order to insert a pacemaker; it's a fairly simple procedure when compared to other types of heart surgery.
Just wondering what sort of control Ben has over the Others that makes it necessary to kill him in order to have a regime change...why can't they stage a coup? Hold an election?
Curious to see how that will pan out...
→ 48. Posted by: Helen Stergius at November 2, 2006 2:37 PM@Kathy
Thanks a lot. I figured it would be pretty dangerous to have to stop/restart the heart.
There goes one theory. I still think the "broken" defib is going to be an important piece of the future puzzle.
→ 49. Posted by: Illusivemuse at November 2, 2006 2:42 PMCould the polar bear also have been Smokey in disguise? Could explain a lot.
→ 50. Posted by: howcurious at November 2, 2006 2:43 PMSawyer is Schaivo
→ 51. Posted by: anon at November 2, 2006 2:43 PMKUDOS Mac,
One of your best recaps. I have to say that your wit, like Obi-Locke, was firing on all cylinders for this one.
I'm sad to see Eko go, he was, without a doubt, one of my top 3 fave characters on the show.
I'd like to point out that the creators of the show said at the end of season 2 that this season would see the return of "Smokey", but they also said that we had seen the smoke monster in season 2, but hadn't realized it. I think it is now clear that all the freaky sightings on the island were Smokey. Going all the way back to season one, when Jack saw his father traipsing through the jungle, to the black horse, to (maybe) Walt in the jungle speaking backwards. OK, maybe not Walt, but then you have Hurley seeing his old (imaginary) friend Dave. I also have another theory about Smokey, he (it) DOESN'T read minds. Smokey accesses peoples past through the same method that the island has access to all events in time. The theory that I posted previously that could explain how Desmond can see the future is relelvant to understanding Smokey. Smokey is in tune with the Island and can access anyone's life at random. It came across Eko and accessed his past on the spot. We assumed it was reading his mind because it was flashing images from Eko's past, but that doesn't mean memories. Of course I could be wrong.
→ 52. Posted by: Mr. Grimm at November 2, 2006 2:44 PMBernard's wife wasn't a tailie. She was one of the "original" survivors, saving hope that her husband who wasn't among the season one crash scene was still alive. They were reunited at the beginning of season two.
→ 53. Posted by: Sherlock at November 2, 2006 2:47 PM@ mac
You said another title should be "Eko's Very Bad Day." How about "Eko's Very Last Day?"
"With Colleen cooking in the background" is too funny - good one.
Personally, I thought Obi-Locke said, "Don't mistake coincidence for Kate." ;>)
I would not trust Benry - he's the type who will borrow your pot, then cook your goose.
→ 54. Posted by: ButchM at November 2, 2006 2:47 PMThe producers had said in the past on their podcast that we have seen more of the smoke monster than we thought. I believe this epsiode proves that when we saw: Wet Walt, Jack's dad on the island, White Horse, etc...we we're actually seeing the smoke monster. Why? I have no clue.
→ 55. Posted by: Adam at November 2, 2006 2:47 PM@ransomjackson:
Looks like we're on the same wave length Brotha'
we must have been typing at the same time LOL.
→ 56. Posted by: Mr. Grimm at November 2, 2006 2:47 PMAm I the only person that wants to know what's showing on the other 4 TV's. 1)the "late" hatch and 2) the patch...come on..give me more..
→ 57. Posted by: tazznutt at November 2, 2006 2:51 PMOk, so we're led to believe that Juliet:
1. Got a bunch of poster stock
2. And some markers
3. Made up a bunch of signs
4. Borrowed a Dharma video camera
5. Shot her video (straight to VHS)
And all without ANYone knowing? In an environment where cameras abound and it seems nobody can blink without someone else knowing it? This is why I distrust her, the "little details" do not add up here. And let's not forget the time Benry commented to her, "Nice work" regarding Jack. This is a setup.
I think one of two things will happen.
1. Jack will operate and "fail to save" Ben (he'll really try though, that is Jack) and then Juliet can go "Bwa-ha-ha, you fell for it" -or-
2. Jack will operate, and SAVE Ben (to everyones surprise) but Juliet will still intervene (somehow), negating his efforts. Same "Bwa-ha-ha" effect.
Juliet is eee-vil with a capital E.
Don't doubt it for a second.
→ 58. Posted by: TheDuf at November 2, 2006 2:54 PM1. Interesting how Locke claims to have seen a "bright light" in his first encounter when the monster, yet in "Man of Science, Man of Faith" (second-season premiere) he told Kate that a "column of black smoke" had tried to drag him into a hole. How does our new info about Smokey jive with Rousseau's earlier labeling of it as a "security system"?
2. Just so you know, it's not an accountant's calculator that supplies the smoke monster's noise. It's a weirdly-engineered version of the noise that taxi receipt machines make. Thought you'd like to know that. =) Unfortunately I have no idea where its battle cry came from.
3. Eko wanted to leave the show and the DUI charges against him were dropped, so that couldn't have been the reason he's gone. I say it was the Island Sex Curse; he must have gotten funky with Cindy or something prior to her sudden disappearance. =) Of course, Sawyer and Sayid have yet to be stricken by that curse; I guess they're waiting for those two to hook up with others and THEN kill them off so we can have a Lonely Castaway Grieving Over His/Her Secret Island Lover's Corpse Scene, which seems standard for regular character deaths. Which means, judging from the trailer, that Kate will soon share the curse as well. Darn it, are there going to be ANY main characters left by the end besides Walt?
4. Smokey killed the pilot to prevent him from reading its thoughts, or else there would have been no mystery =). Oops, wrong show.
→ 59. Posted by: Brandon at November 2, 2006 2:55 PMOh, and...
5. I think another instance of us seeing Smokey without realizing it, is the "Hurley bird". In "Exodus Part 2", the first-season finale, we see the Hurley Eagle flying around, a few minutes after which Smokey shows up and starts dragging Locke off to its underground chimney. If you listen, you can hear the Hurley bird calling again, when Kate starts yelling after Jack. I doubt that's a coincidence. =)
→ 60. Posted by: Brandon at November 2, 2006 3:00 PM@theDuf:
I think Juliet wrote on one of the boards "some of us want a change". That would imply that she is not in it alone, and that there are others in her group that would help her make the video and keep it secret.
→ 61. Posted by: Mr. Grimm at November 2, 2006 3:01 PMGreat Update Mac as usual.
After watching last nights episode I was left with a real empty feeling. After the opening scene of "Otherville" this season has been very slow moving, building steam towards something big. I'm just hoping not to be let down next week.
Sad to see Eko gone, he will be missed. Bernard better watch every step he makes now.
Juliette is so playing Jack, it's not even funny. She is completely ruthless (i.e. what Sawyer told Kate "She would shoot you in a second), I think the big shocker next week will be in Ben's death, just a thought, and Juliette taking power and being even more ruthless.
One last point: Dose anyone remember when we were first introduced to the Tallies and Mr. Eko and Jin were searching for Michael through the forest. They had to hide from a band of "Others" that were barefoot and one was even dragging a teddy bear tied to a rope. Something tells me this is another party not yet heard from. (The one's that kidnapped the children & maybe even the flight attendant), would be interesting to have them show up at the end of next weeks episode.
Ok that's it for now
Peace
Kalico
I agree that Juliet might be one of the 'bad' others. She wasn't asked to tell Jack about the tumor. She did that on her own, so she's definitely making decisions behind Ben's back.
And the part with the cue-cards was just too weird. Juliet seemed evil the day she held the gun to Kate. My first impression that it's just wrong for her to want to kill Ben. If she's good, there has to be a way around killing him, no matter what the problem is. I can't believe that everyone wants him dead -- just her. This is awfully sneaky of her and shows more insight into her personality, or maybe this is just another test to see how Jack will respond. Who will he side with? Why put all this burden on Jack? He's a doctor and it's unethical for him to purposely hurt someone on the operating table.
I will miss Eko! I taped Regis & Kelly this morning, so we'll see what he has to say (if anything at all).
WGNAE
How did they know what Sarah looked like and how did they just happen to have someone like Juliet (who looks like Sarah) there on the island? I mean come on! How much access do they have to everyone's personal information back home. I mean there is no website that posts pics of ex-wives, so Ben has connections with someone back home who tracked Sarah down.
→ 63. Posted by: Linda at November 2, 2006 3:04 PMJuliet was doing her best Bob Dylan Imitation with those cue cards, She should do a new version of "Subteranian Homesick Blues based on the Island.
You know "Jacks in the basement mixin up the medacine, Kates in a bear cage thinking bout the government"
→ 64. Posted by: danlostinboston at November 2, 2006 3:04 PMHere's what Jack should do. Slip during the procedure with Benry, then silently kill Juliet, Hitman style, before they leave the OR (assuming she will be helping with her medical know-how). Jack should then go outside and kill the Dharma drones that will be guarding the door and take their weapons. Then he should shoot, shoot and shoot some more and when all the Dharma drones and Pickett are dead, he can spring Sawyer and Kate from the bear cages. They can then escape to the other island, pick up those left there and take a compass heading of 342 until they find rescue just like Michael and Walt. Anyone sees a flaw in my plan just let me know.
JAC
PS Mac you wiffed on that curve kinda like Coco Crisp. Missing Damon yet?
NYY > BOS
@JAC -- Don't make me ban you ;) -- mac
→ 66. Posted by: mac at November 2, 2006 3:07 PM@MAC
Hey there- Fabulous recap as always....
Quick question: any thoughts on the music they played during Colleen's funeral? Odd choice...
WGNAE! Yeah, I'm on board with that! Just goes to prove that only the good die young. I will say this though: If Eko had to die, that was the way for him to go!
The whole "Are you a bad man?" thing kept bringing to mind another movie quote: "Are you a good witch or a bad witch?" I expected to see it on here, mac, in keeping with all the Wizard of Oz citations.
BTW, Great job recapping the Juliette movie scene! Right after watching it, my first thought was: How is Mac gonna transcript that in blog form? :) You don't disappoint, man!
→ 68. Posted by: Trinity at November 2, 2006 3:10 PMGreat review Mac.
Ok here are my thoughts.
First, it was an escalator.
Second, The first card that was held up said "Ignore everything I'm saying." Ok, do we ignore everything your actually saying (in the room) or everything you're saying on the cards? This could go two completely different ways.
Third, Mr. Grimm, I think you are dead on again. The smoke monster can read people's past. My only question is, didn't the smoke monster visit Eko at one time in S2 and Eko somehow made it go away? (I think it was when he was walking with Charlie back to the plane crash site - beginning of S2). Why didn't the smokemonster go all King Kong on him then? Why now?
I personally think the smokemonster can take any form it wants. If that's the case, things are going to get real interesting going forward. I think the smokemonster has taken the forms of Jack's Dad, Kate's horse, Yemi and Walt. But how could it take the form of Walt? He's still alive, at least as far as we know. My best guess is that Walt has "special" powers that the smokemonster could access and pull through the space / time continuum even though Walt was still alive? But who knows.
Again, excellent recap, Mac. Much appreciated.
→ 69. Posted by: Dudelost at November 2, 2006 3:13 PM@Trinity: To be honest, I absolutely HATE "The Wizard of Oz," so don't be surprised if I completely miss those references. There's just something about that movie that rubs me the wrong way. -- mac
→ 70. Posted by: mac at November 2, 2006 3:13 PM@Trinity:
I'm with Mac on the Wizard of Oz, that movie always freaked me out - especially the flying monkey scene, gave me the heeby jeebies as a kid.
→ 71. Posted by: Mr. Grimm at November 2, 2006 3:17 PM>Mac said:...as the group scampers away, Locke helps Eko shift rocks away from the Beechcraft wreckage.
Was anybody else struck by the parallels with Christian symbolism of a tomb blocked by a rock that had to be rolled away, and when entered the tomb is empty?
Further questions: If Yemi this time was Smoky, could Yemi's previous appearance as a body have been Smoky, too? Maybe event the whole plane? (We've never gotten an explanation how a plane of limited range got from Africa to the South Pacific.)
→ 72. Posted by: Cecil Rose at November 2, 2006 3:18 PMi read that mr eko didnt want to be on lost for an extended time and it was understood by the producers that his character wouldnt be long term.
first time poster long time reader. love you mac, you are the very very best!
definitely agree nikki&paulo are annoying, although paulo is definitely nice to look at. :)
→ 73. Posted by: tiffani at November 2, 2006 3:18 PMmac you are the man no matter what team you root for brother.
JAC
→ 74. Posted by: JAC at November 2, 2006 3:19 PMthe word "brother" is so trendy this season
→ 75. Posted by: wolf at November 2, 2006 3:21 PMMac, awesome recap - look forward to each as much as the actual episodes.
You questioned why Locke would think that reaching out to the Others would make a difference because Locke doesn't have any leverage or anything to trade. Perhaps he remembered what Benry had told him in the hatch - that he had come to bring back Locke.. in that case, Locke would be the trade.. (although we know this was a lie since he was excluded from the list the others gave Michael.)
Juliet points out the obvious - Benry is a liar (in next week's preview for the winter season we may actually see his pants on fire?)
Has anyone yet compiled a list of Benry's lies (either clearly known to be lies or that can be disproven by events)? If so, I haven't come across it in these posts.
I'll start with a handful of the most obvious:
1) The Henry Gale cover story
2) That he had come for Locke
3) That he didn't press the button
4) That he can leave the island (if so why would he put his life in the hands of someone with every reason to kill him and not even have a working defrib. )
Gotta hope that Jack is bright enuff to realize that last one..
→ 76. Posted by: vacc at November 2, 2006 3:23 PM@ cecil rose
oh i totally caught that (the Christian symbolism that is). It was the first think i though of when i saw his brothers body was gone. Although Yemi definitely didn't turn out to be Jesus-like.
→ 77. Posted by: JAC at November 2, 2006 3:24 PM@JAC -- Flattery will get you very far! -- mac
→ 78. Posted by: mac at November 2, 2006 3:24 PMI don't get it...? They show us how deadly Ecko can be and then they kill him off. I wanted to see this guy kick some "other" ass ! Ecko was the most interesting person on the show along with Jack and Locke. Very distraught to see his exit !
The whole "Others" thing is becoming very tiresome. The mystery of why they are there and what they are doing is becoming less and less interesting.
Why is everyone having hallucinations ? It's cool and all, but i think i can recall that we confirmed that the writers said there is nothing supernatural going on. But then, what does that say for Ecko's executioner ? Regardless of that, the scenes of Ecko getting worked by Smokey were awesome ! You people that are nitpicking the cgi polar bears etc are doing just that - nit picking. When Smokey was first revealed I was so sure i would be dissapointed with whatever it was, but i must confess i am VERY impressed with it up to this point.
Can anyone name a better show or even one that has been on par with LOST ? (action drama)
The new chick is hotter than Kate !
"we're gonna need a bigger boat "
→ 79. Posted by: thinng at November 2, 2006 3:27 PMUgh. This episode bummed me out again, and not with the storyline, but with where the show is going or whether it actually is going anywhere.
I agree with Marty. Killing off Eko, leaving only Bernard of the Tailies, leads me to believe that the entire Tailie thing was just filler. Off the top of my head, I can't really think of any significant story points that were advanced by introducing the Tailie characters. Nothing that couldn't have been accomplished using existing characters, which is to say they were just cardboard cutouts that were moved around the board for a while and then disposed of.
Sigh. I go back and forth with this show. I think there seems to be one storyline in there somewhere, and tons of filler and red herrings surrounding and hiding it from view. The way they have summarily killed off all the Tailie characters has left me again feeling like a chump for (to borrow a phrase from Ben) investing myself in those characters in the belief that their storylines would go somewhere.
→ 80. Posted by: Darryl at November 2, 2006 3:28 PMWhat would Jack Bauer do on this island?
Good point by tazznutt, I thought the same thing about the TV's. You got one working why not try the other tv's maybe you will get HBO or ESPN. Worth trying, heck Sayid is a genius maybe he can get the al jezeera network.
@D ral:
LMAO
→ 82. Posted by: Mr. Grimm at November 2, 2006 3:31 PM@Mr.Grimm
Interesting point. But if I was trying to get what I wanted, I'd say the same thing. What's worse is, you KNOW they are going to cliffhanger us SO bad...
→ 83. Posted by: TheDuf at November 2, 2006 3:34 PMIn Juliet's video, is the camera on a tripod or is it handheld by someone else? (Sorry - don't have tivo and didn't notice at the time...)
→ 84. Posted by: howcurious at November 2, 2006 3:34 PMI just remembered something else from the interior of the Beechcraft and I wasnted to see if anyone else noticed it, too.
When Eko looks inside for Yemi's body and sees it's gone, there's one of those plaster statues sitting inside (broken in half but otherwise in tact). Wouldn't plaster have melted away while the plane was burning, kinda like all the other ones did? Did the same person/entity who took Yemi's charred body perhaps place a statue where it lay? Oh, the intrigue! My head's gonna explode!
I wonder, too, if Juliette is telling the truth. I have a feeling Jack's hippocratic oath will rear its ugly head during the surgery. At most, he would prevent Ben from ever walking again but I don't believe he'll "accidentally" kill him. That just wouldn't be a smart thing to do, given the state of things in the Other hierarchy.
I'm sorry you don't enjoy visiting Ozland, mac. Is it the scary witch? The damaging tornado? The fact that Dorothy was wearing red shoes with a blue gingham dress?
→ 85. Posted by: Trinity at November 2, 2006 3:35 PMIt occurred to me and my husband during the scene with the video tape/cue cards that maybe Juliet is the bad one and she's f-ing with Jack's head. We don't know that Ben is the bad guy and Juliet is on the "good side." It could all be a huge mind game. We just don't really know yet.
I wonder if there could be another set of "Others." It would explain a lot of things. Like where the hell are those kids?
And I can't WAIT to find out who "Patch" is. Great reference to Days of Our Lives, Mac! (Steve Johnson).
→ 86. Posted by: Amanda S. at November 2, 2006 3:39 PMThey are all DEAD!
"L'alba vinceva l'ora mattutina
che fuggia innanzi, si che di lontano
conobbi il tremnolar de la marina.
Noi andavam per lo solingo piano
com' om che torna a la perduta strada,
che 'nfino ad essa li pare ire in vano.
Quando noi fummo la 've la rugiada
pugna col sole, per essere in parte
dove, ad orezza, poco si dirada,
ambo le mani in su l'erbertta sparte
soavemente 'l mio maestro pose:
and' io, che fui accorto di sua arte,
porsi ver' lui le guance lagrimose;
ivi mi fece tutto discoverto
quel color che l'inferno mi nascosse.
Venimmo poi in sul lito diserto,
che mai non vide navicar sue acque
omo, che di tornar sia poscia esperto.
Quivi mi cinse si com' altrui piacque:
oh maraviglia! che qual elli scelse
l'umile pianta, cotal si rinacque
subitamente la onde l'avelse."
- Purgatorio, Canto I, Lines 115 - 136
→ 87. Posted by: Dante Alighieri at November 2, 2006 3:39 PMre the Tallies as filler - Aren't we still waiting for the whole Libby in the loony bin story?
The music in the funeral was another 60s song, made me think of the timewarp theory.
Still not clear what Benry was doing when he got caught in the net. If he was on his way to ask for help, why didn't he?
To be honest, I don't know who to believe, Benry or Juliet or neither. They could still be working together.
CS
→ 88. Posted by: Charlie Salinger at November 2, 2006 3:40 PMWsnt' the music that was playing at Colleen's funeral the same music that the losties heard when Sahid rigged up the Radio? and the plume of black smoke that the losties saw, could that have been the other's having other funerals?
→ 89. Posted by: babydoll at November 2, 2006 3:40 PMHey Mr. Grimm, finally I encounter someone else who doesn't like the Wizard of Oz! I've never understood why people think that movie is warm and fuzzy. The evil mean apple tree in particular gave me the willies when I was a kid. And also when the flying monkies rip the scarecrow from limb to limb! How creepy and sick is that?!
→ 90. Posted by: Darryl at November 2, 2006 3:40 PMWhy does Juliet need to kill Benry if he is already dying from the tumor?(Jack says in the preview that it will be inoperable in a week) Can't they just wait?
→ 91. Posted by: morgan at November 2, 2006 3:44 PMTechnical point:
Jack asks Ben if his neck hurts, yet the tumor we previously saw was of the lumbar (lower back) spine not the neck. Minor writing inconsistency
I figured the "funeral music" was just one of her favorite songs. You know, the old "play this to remember me" bit?
→ 93. Posted by: TheDuf at November 2, 2006 3:47 PMSorry if this has been said already, I couldn't wait to get thru all the posts. I don't understand something. WHen Paolo said that the monitors are probably for monitoring other hatches, Locke acted surprised by this, but didn't they already know this?? When they first went to the Pearl, Locke saw the monitor showing Jack in the original hatch. So they must have known this bit of information, why did they act so surprised?
→ 94. Posted by: Christina at November 2, 2006 3:47 PMKilling Mr. Eko. That's F'ed up BIG TIME!!! I mean why did they even have the Tailies come on the show? I don't think Locke needs to worry about being next. But if I were Bernard I'd be sleeping with one eye open!!! I'm just about done with this show!!!! They had better come to the table with something great in the spring or I am going to "get lost!"
Thank you for letting me vent.
Love the reviews MAC!!!
→ 95. Posted by: Loop at November 2, 2006 3:48 PMKilling Mr. Eko. That's F'ed up BIG TIME!!! I mean why did they even have the Tailies come on the show? I don't think Locke needs to worry about being next. But if I were Bernard I'd be sleeping with one eye open!!! I'm just about done with this show!!!! They had better come to the table with something great in the spring or I am going to "get lost!"
Thank you for letting me vent.
Love the reviews MAC!!!
→ 96. Posted by: Loop at November 2, 2006 3:48 PM@Gables79
A tumor of that size on the spine would affect multiple parts of your body.
→ 97. Posted by: TheDuf at November 2, 2006 3:50 PMHere's what I don't get.
1) Benry has a terminally fatal tumor. If Juliet really wants him dead, why involve Jack at all? Just let Benry eventually die from the tumor. It's got to be a mind-game trick on Jack to see if he will be LOYAL whether it's to Juliet, Benry, or his profession.
2) Good vs. Evil / White (light) vs. Black (smoke) / Locke vs. Eko / believe in God vs. don't believe? These themes are too coincidental not to be intertwined.
3) Resurrection of Christ? When they rolled the boulder away from the plane entrance and the body of Yemi was gone, my husband and I both looked at each other and went "Jesus!"
As a matter of fact, there were a lot of scenes that made me wonder about the "Do you believe in God" statement that Benry made to Jack.
Enough for now... oh, Mac - your review was top notch and I LOL too much (I'm at work... shhhh)
@Morgan
I was thinking the same thing. The only thing I can think of is that if it doesn't seem like everyone WANTS Ben to live and tries everything to save him, it could lead to an even larger civil unrest among the "Others". Those who support Ben would outright revolt against the Juliette and the Wailers for idling by while their leader wasted away.
→ 99. Posted by: Illusivemuse at November 2, 2006 3:53 PMAlso, who's to say what Ben may or may not do as he grows more desperate? A man with no time to live has nothing to lose, right?
→ 100. Posted by: TheDuf at November 2, 2006 3:58 PM@christina
Locke (and Sayid) were being sarcastic. Obviously they knew the TVs could be used to monitor other stations, that's why they were trying to fix all those wires as Nikki made her revalation. Locke kept giving the video a "you haven't seen this one yet?" look as Nikki was watching it.
→ 101. Posted by: wolf at November 2, 2006 4:03 PMWell, I guess if Smokey can impersonate other people on the island, that explains Walt's significant growth over season 1 to season 2. Smokey just can't seem to get the proportions right! :D
→ 102. Posted by: GatorMike at November 2, 2006 4:05 PMIs it just me or did anyone else become VERY annoyed by the American Express ads that were shown throughout the show? I think less of the producers and the show in general for agreeing to go along with the "LOST secrets for card members only" BS. Shame on you LOST.
→ 103. Posted by: FU American Express at November 2, 2006 4:05 PMHoly God, what an episode!
First off, poor, poor Eko. He was my favorite character behind Sawyer. That guy was the B.A of the whole world! It sucks that they had to kill off such a strong character, I would have liked to see how he would have contributed to the rest of the seasons.. and I also blared my volume to hear what Eko said at the end, and it didnt sound like, you're next.
Did Smokey tell Eko that?? I for one am happy too see Ol' Blackie back in the picture. I couldnt stop laughing when the coward ran away with its tail between its legs..(smokey that is)
I just wanna know what the frig this thing actually is, what its made out of, and where its big brother Invisible Smokey went to.
There definately is something fishy going on with Ben and Juiliet. And i dont like. I think they're both just acting it out, and there really isnt any tumor, but just made up.
The one thing i hope for in the coming episodes is that Nikkie/Paulo or whoever, DIE. My God they are terrible actors and as annoying as freaking mosquitoes. They're like another Shannon and Boone, but worse. I hate them. That's that. Tehy should have been introduced more in season one.
So yeah, that's my two sense, i'd like to hear what you all think about it. and someone please tell me what's going on. is next week the last episode??
→ 104. Posted by: Sierra at November 2, 2006 4:06 PMI was surfing another blog and came across a post I thought I would post here - it has to do with the whole "Redemption" theory that some people had last season:
"Why is redemption so important to the island, and why does it, if smokey is an extension of the island, destroy those who refuse to redeem themselves? Is judgment coming for the remaining 815’rs on a grand scale? And since the others seem to be getting by just fine, are they exempt from judgment or are they what remains of others who have been judged, the pure. Many new questions posed in a thoroughly interesting way and an ending to a character that was just fantastic within the mythology of the show.
The advancement of the shows concepts of redemption continues to stun me. Social commentary probably isn't as high on the writers minds as good action and adventure, but the death of Eko forces us to consider what this disembodied force on the island contemplates in its own scale of good, bad, and redeemed. Is it the vast chromic depth that our characters embody, or is shades of gray where evil is one tick away from reformed?
Consider that this may be a sum of actions. Sawyer, we learned, was in fact the total opposite of the self centered in it for himself character he tries to convince everyone he is. In fact, he selflessly gave up a fortune to take care of a love child he'd never met; an act which seems to balance against any of the small time con-jobs he's perpetrated. Eko, on the other hand, had a legacy of violence that walked with
him to the end. A destroyer of men who, for some time, enjoyed that power and wielded it for purposes far removed from good. Redeemable to dozens of fans for sure, but not so to the island who has tried and convicted him on this day."
Any thoughts on how redemption might still play a part in the show, maybe it is the scale against which Smokey measures Good vs. Bad?
WARNING: RANDOM THOUGHTS, PROBABLY THE PRODUCT OF A DERANGED MIND
The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that Dharma is a smokescreen (a Smokeyscreen, maybe) being used by the writers.
The Island hints at a deep pre-Dharma history: The Black Rock, The Foot, the sixties culture (remember, Dharma appears to be 70s/80s), the number of different groups of people.
I think we should stop concentrating on a group of post-hippy pseudo-science, and ask what is it on the Island that is drawing people to it, and why? I suspect that Smokey is intrinsic to the Island, and NOT Dharma created.
As an interesting sidenote about the Others, didn't Goodwin have some US Army penknife? This could suggest that the Others are not Dharma descendents - perhaps the Army was already on the Island when Dharma arrived, and then proceeded to take it back? It would explain how Ben's been on the Island all his life, yet has a perfect American accent.
P.S. I hereby christen the eye-patch guy Patch Adams - I felt better after he made me laugh!
→ 106. Posted by: Danny at November 2, 2006 4:10 PMSo sad to see Eko go. I too loved the Bob Dylan Juliet scene, funny - isn't that method of signage from Subterranean Homesick Blues? Maybe the entire series is just one big Bob Dylan song translated?
→ 107. Posted by: MissT at November 2, 2006 4:11 PMoh just wanted to add to my comment up there.. a few up... IF I SEE ONE MORE AMERICAN EXPRESS OR DAYBREAK COMMERCIAL I AM GOING TO THROW MY TV OUT THE FREAKIN WINDOWS.
i feel better now.
→ 108. Posted by: Sierra at November 2, 2006 4:13 PMFirst of all - NOOOOOOO, EKKKKKKKKKKOOOOOOOO!
I HATED this ep. I liked Eko's character! Did he get the boot because the actor got arrested in HI too? Man, they are dropping like flies over there.
Mac, I think the Pearl station was upgraded to TRaSh 80s, thank you very much.
LOL on the Paulo/deuce dropping line!
@Chappy - Paulo is a Tamale Tool. Total eye candy, but I agree that Paulikki need to move on.
Now I'm wondering if Bernard bumped into Paulo at the toilets when they were on the plane. Lost writers - Flashback scene, please!
Wonder what little corner of the aquarium is not visible from the cams so Jackilette can get their groove on.
oh just wanted to add to my comment up there.. a few up... IF I SEE ONE MORE AMERICAN EXPRESS OR DAYBREAK COMMERCIAL I AM GOING TO THROW MY TV OUT THE FREAKIN WINDOWS.
i feel better now.
→ 110. Posted by: Sierra... again at November 2, 2006 4:14 PMJuliet is going to get into jacks head, then he's going to have a change of heart at the last second and try to save Ben....at which point he will fail. There will be a terrible misunderstanding, jacks a murderer he did it on purpose etc etc etc....I'm sure some how it will all be cleared up and everyone will have wasted an additional 13 hours of their life that they will never get back....
You know the D-Koz agrees with that!!
→ 111. Posted by: Here is the deal at November 2, 2006 4:19 PMI really think that Julliet and Ben are in it together on one big psychological experiement. Also, I don't think that Ben has the tumor. Have we ever seen him display any physical signs of it?
Could Locke actually have the tumor and could the whole experiment is to see what it will take to get an honorable doctor to betray his hippocratic oath?
→ 112. Posted by: Becky at November 2, 2006 4:23 PMMac, as per usual, you RULE! Great wit and humor interjected with the kick a** recap makes my day!!
Where are Rose & Bernard in all of this?
Sorry N&P - your acting isn't the best and just because you're hot doesn't mean you'll win us over!
Namaste
→ 113. Posted by: sara at November 2, 2006 4:24 PMOh, I like that idea. Jack tries and fails FOR REAL, but Juliet thinks he cooperated with her. Nice!
She's still eeee-vil though. :)
→ 114. Posted by: TheDuf at November 2, 2006 4:24 PM@Wolf, thanks, I think I missed the sarcasm, that must be it.
As for Juliet looking like Sarah, I KNEW there had to be something to that when I first saw her. I immediately thought she looked like Sarah, and I think I wasn't the only one.
RIP Eko
→ 115. Posted by: Christina at November 2, 2006 4:26 PMDid smokie pre-date Dharma, or is he(she?) the product of the "accident"?
Also, maybe Ben was in remission on the big island, but since the hatch blew up he is now in trouble - the irony there being that it was him who encouraged Locke to not push the button.
Also about the map, someone said it was blown up with the hatchm but remember Locke drew a picture of it.
→ 117. Posted by: Christina at November 2, 2006 4:32 PMAlso about the map, someone said it was blown up with the hatch but remember Locke drew a picture of it.
→ 118. Posted by: Christina at November 2, 2006 4:33 PMI look forward to your revie all day, Mac...great work!
One point...
Following the viking funeral ceremony, a couple of things came to mind: The Vikings most imprtant God was the one-eyed "Odin" whose domain included warfare, justice, death and wisdom (maybe the eye-patch guy is calling the shots). Also, the Vikings' Gods' main enemy were Giants (could explain the huge foot statue). Now, the white linen outfits...they seem cult-like.
Can't wait for next week!
→ 119. Posted by: eeyoreebo at November 2, 2006 4:37 PM(Mac - I changed my to Bunny Lover, hope that's okay. Thought someone may recongize my name from work...)
Okay - Did anyone else notice that when Smokey came sneaking up on Eko while he was drinking from that nasty creek that when it started retreating it had the shape of a polar bear?
One more question - Hasn't every single episode had some sort of Religious symbol in it? Let's think about it... How many can you list?
I'll start:
1) Crosses - plenty in this episode
2) Rolling the stone away from the plane
3) Previous Ep: Mary, Joseph & Jesus (Claire the baby and Charlie?)
4) Charlie's hallucination seeing Claire and ? lady on the beach like angels.
5) "Do you believe in God?" quote from Benry to Jack.
6) "Faith" conversations between Eko & Locke
7) The Bible in the Tailies hatch - the one with the eye in it.
Please, somebody take over...
Becky,
It seems pretty clear that the tumor and x-rays belong to Ben. His whole statement about finding out about the tumor and 2 days later a spinal surgeon falls from the sky is a little to out there to be used as a believable con. Besides, if the x-ray wasn't Ben's then why did he ask Juliet if she told Jack about it.
Follow me here:
Day 1: X-ray reveals massive spinal tumor
Day 3: Plane crashes with spinal surgeon
Day 74: Let's con the doc and see if he will kill someone.
Ben knew about the tumor and that he had it before the plane even crashed.
→ 121. Posted by: Mr. Grimm at November 2, 2006 4:42 PMMac--as always, thanks.
A few things about this episode:
1) When Yemi/Smoky monster said to Eko, "You talk to me as if I am your brother" this seems to be an implicit admission that smoky has been materializing things (Daddy Shepard, Kate's horse, Hurley's Dave, the Hurley Bird, etc.) I say this because I have always believed Smoky represents the physical manifestation of one's subconscious mind. Eko died because in a philosophical sense, he could not reconcile that he killed people and "was only surviving" therefore his conscious became visible via Smoky and killed him.
2) I still think Ben and Juliet are trying to mind**** Jack. I think Benry playing the loser ("I failed to break you) and Juliet playing INXS with the "we want a change" are two sides of the same coin. Benry surely knows Jack has a pathological need to save someone from illness and is going to exploit this.
3) I found it interesting that Desmond didn't say or do anything related to his second sight...
4) Paulo and Nikki need to get eaten by Smoky, the Polar Bear, or trapped by Rousseau...get them OFF THE SHOW
5) Where are Rose and Bernard?
cinefyl
→ 122. Posted by: Jason at November 2, 2006 4:44 PMDidn't read many posts.... but i will later, sry
This episode ticked me off too. Ecko's dead? ECKO'S DEAD!?!?!?!? How can u fire an actor like that, and keep Paulo/Nicki around.
I know the producers check out some Lost blogs to see viewers reactions... I suggest everyone who agree's to put in their 2 cents about Nicki/Paulo.
so so horrible
@ ButchM
That sounds familiar, Ann Margaret being the mother-in-law of Elizabeth Mitchell. Good catch.
→ 124. Posted by: smitty at November 2, 2006 4:45 PMIf I remember correctly, Locke took the map he drew and stuck it in one of those bank tubes. It ended up with all of the notebooks from the Pearl Hatch in the middle of the island somewhere. Anyone remember this?
→ 125. Posted by: ND Fan at November 2, 2006 4:45 PMOh yes, youre right, ND Fan, he did put the map in the pneumatic tube. So I guess they'll be taking a trip to find the map soon.
→ 126. Posted by: Christina at November 2, 2006 4:47 PM@theDuff
If by affecting multiple parts of the body you mean metastatic disease, then yes. However, we were not shown X-rays to that effect. Jack ask about numbness and tingling of the arms. Only a higher level chord lesion would cause those symptoms.
gables79
→ 127. Posted by: gables79 at November 2, 2006 4:48 PMI know this is random... but on the subject of the new additions to the cast, does anyone else feel that there is so much that has been left unexplained that instead of adding to the fray of backstories and people, they could tie up some stuff?
the whole libby being in the institution with hugo thing STILL bothers me... and we'll probably get none of that explained since she's dead now.
kind of bumming me out...
i love brazilians, but get rid of them, please.
→ 128. Posted by: Erin at November 2, 2006 4:50 PMI'm wondering if Smokey impersonating dead people accounts somehow for missing bodies. Jack's father's body is gone...Yemi's body is gone...both were manifestations of Smoky at some point.
Where was the creepy alien looking guy in the biohazard gear glimpsed in the preview last week?
@gables79:
I'm not a doctor (and I don't play one on tv), but i have to add my $0.02 regarding the spine tumor symptoms and so on.
I suffer, on occasion from Sciatica, a painful condition of the lower back and the nerve that emenates down the legs. The symptoms are supposed to be lower back, and leg pain. But on some pretty bad days I've had the "numbness in the arms, pain the neck" symptoms that Jack mentioned. Like I said I'm not a Dr. but when it comes to the spine just about anything is possible. IMHO.
→ 130. Posted by: Mr. Grimm at November 2, 2006 4:55 PMBuh buy mr eko!!!! Locke is way cooler, may have had to stop watching if he bit the dust.
Juliet is SOOOOO playing with jack!!
By the way!! To those of you who post the super long posts NO ONE READS THEM!!!!!!! They are just way to long to go through!!
Sorry - in my previous post i meant to say "numbness in the arms and pain in the upper neck".
→ 132. Posted by: Mr. Grimm at November 2, 2006 4:56 PM@Christina</
First
→ 1. Posted by: john at November 2, 2006 1:38 PM