It seems to me that Charles Widmore has been training and motivating Desmond for many years. Instead of marrying Ruth, Desmond "woke up" on a sidewalk, not knowing how he got there and decided to "follow" Brother Campbell - who’s connected to Eloise Hawking and to CW. Ruth subsequently called Desmond a Coward, after which Daddy Widmore sent his daughter to the Abbey on an errand that just happened to result in the two of them meeting.
Two years later, when Desmond "first" met Charles Widmore, the Great Man, after asking Des whether he had any military training, informed him that he wasn’t worthy of so much as a gulp of MacCutcheon’s, let alone the hand of his daughter.
When Widmore’s colleague, Ms Hawking convinced Desmond that his "path" was to break up with Penny, she called him a Coward just before she walked away.
Des then joins the Army - where one can "become a man you can be proud of" - and during his Basic Training, CW gives him Penny’s (correct) address so that he can visit her there and regain her love before he is dishonourably discharged - for cowardice (or insubordination) - from the Army .
Upon his discharge from Military Prison, CW is right there, outside the Prison and again accuses Des of cowardice as he offers to bribe him to stay away from Penny and then subsequently arranges for Libby to "give" Des the Elizabeth.
Despite the fact that her Daddy intercepted the letters that Des had sent her over the years, Penny still loved Desmond enough to track him down at the stadium in LA where Des tells Penny that he intends to win Widmore’s Sailboat Race to regain his honour.
IMO, it was CW, Ms Hawking and Libby - a Time Cop agent - who "nudged" Des onto The Elizabeth and thence onto the Island. The Implosion enabled Des’ mind to revisit his 1995 relationship with Penny and to "realise" (too late) that he could have chosen to stay with her ... and this Revelation sustained Desmond’s love - guided and supported by Daddy Widmore - enough for him to establish his Constant and thus enable Charlie to reach her briefly before his noble death. Note that CW, piggy-backing on Penny’s Listening Post info, set up the Kahana crew (including the MA-selected Science Team) and also including Naomi’s "cover story" Desmond photo.
In "Jughead", we see Desmond "break in" to the Widmore-sponsored Faraday lab where he conveniently "finds" the Daniel/Theresa photo and is then conveniently educated by the extremely-well-informed "caretaker" - and marches off to visit Theresa - which leads Desmond (by the nose) right back to Widmore - who once again suggests that Desmond should resume hiding after delivering his message to Faraday’s LA-located Mum.
It seems to me that Widmore’s careful emotional button-pushing is intended to propel Desmond (and therefore Penny and Young Charlie) into situations requiring Desmond’s Courage - which he will be that much more eager to demonstrate because his Father-in-law led him to do so.
In view of the fact that CW gave Desmond the correct LA address of Ms H, it seems to me that he either sent his daughter to her death (if she’s dead) or he used her as bait in an effort to have Ben killed. Either way, he sure is a Loving Daddy all the way.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Charlie's War
Regarding the War predicted by Charles Widmore: It seems to me that Widmore the Wicked selected and "trained" a set of social misfits including a manipulative Adulteress married to a guilt-wracked Corporate Enforcer, a Murderous, Vengeance-seeking Con Man, a guilt-wracked Torturer, a Fugitive Murderess, a (former) Murdering African Drug Lord, a Heroin Addict, a guilt-wracked sanity-doubting Lottery-winner, a guilt-wracked Pregnant Woman and a guilt-wracked Doctor among others. His team then herded these emotionally-fragile "draftees" onto Flight 815 which was deliberately crashed onto the Island with the intent (I think) to induct them into his on-Island network of Loyalist supporters.
But Ben, having had many years to prepare, had a counter-plan. The Tailies were attacked on Night One - before Goodwin had time to prepare his List. The Night One kidnappers grabbed 4 men - all of them "tough, athletic threats". One of these was Eko - who was a bit tougher than anticipated. On Night One at Lostie Beach, the Losties were not attacked by any kidnappers. But they saw some trees shaking and they heard "The Monster". IMO, The Monster was protecting the Lostie Beach Losties from Widmore’s Loyalist on-Island supporters that night - and for many nights to come. Other than Scott/Steve, not one Lostie was murdered on Lostie Beach during Seasons 1-4. Ben (with the Island's help) was keeping them safe.
Over the course of Season One, I believe that The Island tested and helped "heal" a handful of potentially "Good" or at least "Useful" Losties and by the end of Season Three, Ben had eliminated a bunch of Widmore’s on-Island Hater Loyalists - including Danny, Ryan, Mikhail, Bea, Greta, Bonnie and even Tom - before the arrival of Team Keamy.
At this point in the Series, Hugo - who learned to believe in himself and his ability to Make His Own Luck - including the Miraculous revival of that dead DHARMA bus, has been returned to The island, sure of his Sanity, confident in his "let’s do this" Courage and yet comfortable seeing Dead People that no one else sees. Jack, freshly returned to the Island, has now embraced his inner Man-of-Faith and will (I think) become more confident in his Ability to perform Medical Miracles.
Kate, having experienced Motherhood (sort of), may now have a chance (assuming she’s pregnant) to become a Full-Fledged Island Mother. Sayid - dunno what his role other than healthy skepticism, ninja combat and effective interrogation techniques might be. St John was dead and has now been Resurrected as a walking, talking, eating, sleeping "more human than human" Person. I’m thinking that he has yet to learn about his new capabilities, which might include "Christian-style" teleportation. Once Desmond sails back to The Island, he’s the Game Changer - the guy who can rewrite History. I think that before the War begins, the Grown Children, including Walt the Manifester will also have travelled to the Island.
The Love that Sun and Jin discovered for each other on the Island will enable them to find a way to be reunited across Time and Space.
The S6 War will feature Good Guy combatants who can leap tall buildings in a single bound, teleport, read minds (I think) Manifest their Wishes and edit the past/present/future.
Their enemies will have similar capabilities (including the ability to Manifest "Bad Twins" of the Good Guys) and will have had time to master their Powers. I suspect that Ben may be on a Personal Mission which may or may not ally itself to the Lostie Good Guys - and I suspect that there are three Forces at play and not just Ben the Possibly Good VS Charles the Possibly Bad.
Regardless, the S6 War shapes up to be a "humdinger"
But Ben, having had many years to prepare, had a counter-plan. The Tailies were attacked on Night One - before Goodwin had time to prepare his List. The Night One kidnappers grabbed 4 men - all of them "tough, athletic threats". One of these was Eko - who was a bit tougher than anticipated. On Night One at Lostie Beach, the Losties were not attacked by any kidnappers. But they saw some trees shaking and they heard "The Monster". IMO, The Monster was protecting the Lostie Beach Losties from Widmore’s Loyalist on-Island supporters that night - and for many nights to come. Other than Scott/Steve, not one Lostie was murdered on Lostie Beach during Seasons 1-4. Ben (with the Island's help) was keeping them safe.
Over the course of Season One, I believe that The Island tested and helped "heal" a handful of potentially "Good" or at least "Useful" Losties and by the end of Season Three, Ben had eliminated a bunch of Widmore’s on-Island Hater Loyalists - including Danny, Ryan, Mikhail, Bea, Greta, Bonnie and even Tom - before the arrival of Team Keamy.
At this point in the Series, Hugo - who learned to believe in himself and his ability to Make His Own Luck - including the Miraculous revival of that dead DHARMA bus, has been returned to The island, sure of his Sanity, confident in his "let’s do this" Courage and yet comfortable seeing Dead People that no one else sees. Jack, freshly returned to the Island, has now embraced his inner Man-of-Faith and will (I think) become more confident in his Ability to perform Medical Miracles.
Kate, having experienced Motherhood (sort of), may now have a chance (assuming she’s pregnant) to become a Full-Fledged Island Mother. Sayid - dunno what his role other than healthy skepticism, ninja combat and effective interrogation techniques might be. St John was dead and has now been Resurrected as a walking, talking, eating, sleeping "more human than human" Person. I’m thinking that he has yet to learn about his new capabilities, which might include "Christian-style" teleportation. Once Desmond sails back to The Island, he’s the Game Changer - the guy who can rewrite History. I think that before the War begins, the Grown Children, including Walt the Manifester will also have travelled to the Island.
The Love that Sun and Jin discovered for each other on the Island will enable them to find a way to be reunited across Time and Space.
The S6 War will feature Good Guy combatants who can leap tall buildings in a single bound, teleport, read minds (I think) Manifest their Wishes and edit the past/present/future.
Their enemies will have similar capabilities (including the ability to Manifest "Bad Twins" of the Good Guys) and will have had time to master their Powers. I suspect that Ben may be on a Personal Mission which may or may not ally itself to the Lostie Good Guys - and I suspect that there are three Forces at play and not just Ben the Possibly Good VS Charles the Possibly Bad.
Regardless, the S6 War shapes up to be a "humdinger"
Friday, February 27, 2009
Widmore's 3 Peaceful Decades
Regarding CW’s comment about 30 years of Peaceful Island Protection: After the 1954 slaughter of Team Jughead, there were about 17 years of possible Island Peace before the 1971(?) arrival of the DI. During these 17 years, the hot-headed, murderous, and yet cowardly Bully we all saw in "Jughead" may have taken control of "his People" - the (Latin-speaking) Family Richard. That must have been fun for them.
The 1971 arrival of the DI seems to have sparked a not-peaceful series of "hostile" attacks, one of which we glimpsed during Young Ben’s first day at DHARMA School. Roger Work Man also encountered some not-peaceful "Hostile action" years before The Purge.
At the time that Young Ben meets Richard in the Enchanted Forest outside the Sonic Fence, it may be that Charles The Cruel has been the "Hostile" Leader for almost two decades. I’m guessing that just before the Widmore-ordered Purge, Ben Work Man (Secret "Hostile" Agent) negotiated (or tricked) a much older Charles Widmore into pushing the FDW in accordance with a set of Rules they’d worked out between them. It was too late to stop the Widmore-organised Purge, but immediately afterwards, Ben the New Leader could start the process of winning the upcoming War.
The 1971 arrival of the DI seems to have sparked a not-peaceful series of "hostile" attacks, one of which we glimpsed during Young Ben’s first day at DHARMA School. Roger Work Man also encountered some not-peaceful "Hostile action" years before The Purge.
At the time that Young Ben meets Richard in the Enchanted Forest outside the Sonic Fence, it may be that Charles The Cruel has been the "Hostile" Leader for almost two decades. I’m guessing that just before the Widmore-ordered Purge, Ben Work Man (Secret "Hostile" Agent) negotiated (or tricked) a much older Charles Widmore into pushing the FDW in accordance with a set of Rules they’d worked out between them. It was too late to stop the Widmore-organised Purge, but immediately afterwards, Ben the New Leader could start the process of winning the upcoming War.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
507 - The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham - recap
An illuminating Episode in which Ben’s Goodness and Widmore’s Badness are somewhat further demonstrated.
Recap:
We’re in an office. A DI office. "Caesar" enters and finds a LIFE magazine, dated 4/19/54 featuring a cover picture labelled "Color picture of Hydrogen [bomb] test ... The Awesome Fireball". This magazine pre-dates the US Army Top Secret Jughead Mission (by about 6 months) as well as the 1970's arrival of the DI - so ... Somebody in the DI saved this magazine for about 20 years and then brought it to the Island? Hmmm
Caesar then breaks into an old-style wooden Filing Drawer and extracts a file containing some Island maps and what looks like one of Daniel’s Journal pages - featuring "Space-time", "Real Time" and "Imaginary Time". Actually, it may be that this is the DI original that Daniel may have copied into his journal.
Caesar then finds a loaded sawed-off shotgun attached to the underside of the desk, grabs it, stashes it in his bag and then lies about having found it. Ilana (a kinder, gentler version of Edward Mars/Ana Lucia) enters, asks him what he’s just put into his bag and he tosses her the flashlight. It’s 2 or 3 days since they crash-landed at Hydra and the A-Team are exploring. They haven’t yet found the Armoury. Note that Family Ben (with a bit of help from Kate and James) built the air-strip in anticipation of this crash-landing. This implies that they left this office stuff behind to be found.
Ilana announces: "We found someone - a man. Roxanne was scouting just south of here and he was just standing in the water. He's wearing a suit."
As the two of them return to the beach, they stroll past the crash-landed plane. Great flying, Frank!! According to Ilana, the newcomer isn’t "one of the ones who disappeared" and was in fact not "on the plane". As we approach the beach, we see someone huddled under an Ajira blanket. It’s John. John Locke.
So ... St John has not been reincarnated, but has been resurrected with his memories and personality intact. Unlike Montand and "Claire", he has not been "possessed" by The Island His casket corpse did not include a cast on his right leg, and John is not limping in his New Life. How "alive" is he, exactly? Is he now immortal? Is he one of the "Non-Living Persons" obliquely referred to by Ben when he warned Jack that calling the Freighter would result in the "death of every single living person" on the Island? Are all of Family Ben/Richard Non-Living (immortal) Persons? Have they all died like John?
The next morning, as John looks across the water to the Island, Ilana brings him the Best Mango He’s Ever Eaten and we find out that of the originally left-behind 3-boat outrigger fleet, that Frank and Sun took one in the middle of the night without telling anyone. Maybe Frank and Sun are smart enough (unlike St John the Stupid) not to trust Caesar. I’m guessing that their first destination would have been Lostie Beach, which they found abandoned (the date of the Flight 316 crash being early 2008).
I’m guessing that Frank and Sun would then have abandoned that canoe and started searching for their fellow Losties by foot, not knowing that they’ve been Flashed into the early 70's. Poor Sun - now isolated from both her husband and her daughter! Poor Jin when he finds out too.
I’m further guessing that Caesar and his Five Best set out to scout the island, found the abandoned outrigger, went searching for Sun and Frank, came back to find one canoe missing, then chased it, taking pot-shots at Team Ford - until they Flashed away - like Hugo, Kate and Sayid had.
Note that Caesar, the Leader of the Flight 316 survivors has a Very Appropriate Name. I wonder if he speaks Latin.
Note that Ilana tells John that "nobody remembers you being on the plane" - just like Nathan and Ethan.
St John the Stupid has still not figured out when to hold his tongue. Instead of saying the bare minimum until he can figure out who these people are and what their intentions might be, he starts blabbing about remembering his own death. Slow Learner. Given Walt’s Warning (see below) John’s speechifying is even dumber.
Flashback to John pulling the FDW, followed by his "wake-up" on his back in the Tunisian Desert. Just like Ben, John’s first action is to vomit some Wormhole Gack. Unlike Ben’s 10/24/05 arrival, there is now a camera Observing the Exit site. Based on Bentham’s passport issue date (12/12/07), I’m guessing that John’s Tunisian arrival occurred in early December, 2007 - time enough for Charles Widmore to have discovered and upgraded the site with a surveillance camera. The Bedouins who come to pick John up have also had their transportation up-graded from horses to a truck.
Note that John would have died in the desert if not for Widmore’s help. He would also not have been able to track down The Six without Widmore’s help. Both Widmore and Ben (plus Richard and "Christian" and Ms H) want The Six to Go Back, but only Ben The Good wants St John to survive the Return.
If Widmore was 17 in 1954, he was 70 in December 2007. Unless there’s some serious Longevity Benefits involved in reclaiming the Island, one would think that CW ought to just retire in peace. However, I think that Longevity as in Eternal Life may in fact be at stake for CW. CW tells us that "his people" protected the Island peacefully for three decades [after the Not Peaceful slaughter of Team Jughead]. If CW was banished at the time of The Purge (early 90's), this suggests that he became the Leader in the early 1960's. Note that Young Ben arrived in the early 70's - about 10 years after CW became leader of the "Hostiles". CW is about 25 years older than Ben
We all know that there’s a War Coming. If there’s only two sides to this war, it should now be obvious who The Bad Guys are. But I’m inclined to think there’s three sides to this war and we haven’t really seen much of The Real Bad Guys.
Meanwhile, St John gets a new passport in the name of Jeremy Bentham - a name picked out by Widmore.
According to Lostpedia:
[Bentham] was best known for his advocacy of utilitarianism, a form of consequentialism, meaning that the moral worth of an action is determined by its outcome - the ends justify the means. Utilitarianism argued that the "right" action or policy was that which would cause "the greatest happiness of the greatest number". His critics objected saying that it would therefore "...be acceptable to torture one person if this would produce an amount of happiness in other people outweighing the unhappiness of the tortured individual."
Bentham was also known for his outspoken opposition to the French revolutionary discourse of "natural rights", an idea championed by philosopher John Locke (whose father, also named John Locke, worked for Jeremy Bentham). He also suggested a procedure for estimating the moral status of any action. His principle regards "good" as that which produces the greatest amount of physical or spiritual pleasure, and the minimum amount of pain; and "evil" as that which produces the most pain without the pleasure.
So ... CW "believes" that the End Justifies The Means (not unlike Ben’s philosophy). I’ll buy that, but as far as the concept of The Greatest Good for the Greatest Number, I don’t think this reflects CW’s personal philosophy at all.
In an effort to win John’s Trust, Widmore tells him that he’s never tried to kill him - implying that Ben did. This is a Half-Lie. Ben had just been demoted, was distraught and not thinking clearly. He pulled the trigger only once and admitted subsequently that he "should have realised at the time that [the murder attempt] was pointless". The fact that Widmore knew about Ben’s DHARMA Pit wounding of John tells us that he had spies on the island at that time. By the end of Season Three, Ben had succeeded in the (indirect, by-the-book) removal of the Widmore Loyalists from The Game.
Widmore’s next Big Lie is that he wanted Ben removed so that John could assume his rightful Island Leadership Role. Based on the Widmore comment in 409 ( "The shape of things to come" ):
"That island's mine, Benjamin. It always was. It will be again." , I think it’s safe to say that CW has/had no plans for John to become the Island Leader.
On the other hand, Ben The Good specifically took on the burden of Moving The Island so that John could rejoin Family Richard and become their Leader - at least for a little while. Ben may be a Liar, but Widmore is a Lying Liar.
Finally, regarding John’s willingness to "trust" CW, he should remember 17-year-old CW completely willing to cut off Juliet’s hand just for starters and that he nonchalantly murdered "Cunningham" for the "crime" of hinting where to find Camp Richard, followed by his own cowardly flight which helped lead Team John directly to the camp.
We are now formally reintroduced to Matthew Abaddon, whose job is to "help people get to where they need to get to" - including Charlotte’s journey to her death and Locke’s journey to his. Widmore’s last word to Locke was: "Godspeed" - the same word spoken to him by "Horace" . Were Horace and Widmore on the same side before CW’s exile?
Based on the detailed, 3-year surveillance info contained in the O6 File, John’s first stop is Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic - where Sayid’s been helping build homes and schools. Note that Sayid is still alive. Widmore is not The Economist.
Sayid’s comments are the first step toward John’s suicide: ""Why do you really need to go back? Is it because you have nowhere else to go?" Note that it was the news of John’s death that brought Sayid to Hugo.
Next up: Walt
"I've been having dreams about you. You were on an island, wearing a suit, and there were people all around you. They wanted to hurt you, John."
John shakes his head. "Good thing they're just dreams." John = Idiot
"Is my dad ... is he back on the island? I haven't talked to him in three years. Figured he must have gone back."
"Last I heard, your dad was on a freighter near the island." John didn’t want to be the Bearer of Bad News
"So why'd you come to see me?"
After a few seconds, Locke says, "I just wanted to make sure you were okay." John changes his mind about trying to recruit Walt, who’s been through enough.
MA’s comment: "That's 0 for 2, Mr. Locke. Maybe I misunderstood, but I thought you were supposed to bring everyone back." The Angel of The Abyss is pushing John into despair.
Next: Hugo
By the time Locke rolls his wheelchair over to where Hugo is working on his Not-Island watercolour, Hugo’s used to visits from Dead Friends and naturally assumes that Locke’s the latest in a series. When he confirms that the Staff can see John (who is therefore Not Dead), he’s shocked. When Locke explains that The Six are needed on the Island, Hugo’s sceptical that Jack, Kate or Sun could be persuaded. Then Hugo sees MA. Hugo, LOST’s Moral Compass tells John that MA is evil and untrustworthy. If CW or MA had wanted Locke to succeed in recruiting Hugo, they would have made a point of keeping him out of sight. But that’s not the agenda here. The agenda is to lead John into Choosing Death.
Kate: "The answer is no,"
"Kate, I don't think you understand."
"No, you made yourself perfectly clear. Everyone on the island is going to die if I don't go back. And the answer is no."
"Why? Don't you care about them?"
"Have you ever been in love, John?" she asks. "I think about you sometimes. I think about how desperate you were to stay on that island. And then I realized, it was all because you didn't love anybody." Another nail in the coffin. Note that in 413, Kate told Jack that Locke’s conversation with her convinced her that he was crazy - a conclusion not really supported by the above, but whatever.
MA now takes John to visit Helen’s grave, where he tells John that Helen died of a (Minkowski-style?) brain aneurysm and that despite the possibility that she and John might have been able to share a few good years, that her Path led her to an early death in 2006 and that John’s Path, no matter what he did or what he does leads back to the Island. All this talk about John’s Path places MA onto Team Hawking (which is looking less benign by the minute. Maybe her FBYE comment to Desmond that his failure to turn the failsafe key would lead to the death "of every single one of us" meant only the deaths of everybody on Team Hawking - despite what D&C have to say).
Helen’s last name - Norwood - may be a reference to the late Warren Carl Norwood, the sci-fi author of "TIME POLICE".
MA now delivers his final words to John - intended to lead him into Choosing Death: "Mr. Widmore told me that Richard Alpert said that you were going to die. So tell me, John, is that inevitable or is it a choice?"
Helen’s death erases any possibility that she and John might yet rekindle their lost love and severs any connection to The Real World for St John
Having Done His Work, MA is killed by Ben or his shooter, after which Locke drives off out of control (thanks to the cast on his right foot), gets smashed up in a car accident and wakes up with Doctor Jack beside him:
"What are you doing here?" Jack asks. He has broken up with Kate again, has caught some glimpses of "Christian" and is on the road to self-destructive Substance Abuse.
"Jack, how did you find me?"
"You were in a car accident and you were brought into my hospital. What are you doing here?"
Locke props himself up. "We have to go back."
Jack chuckles. "Of course. Of course we do."
"Jack, the people I left behind need our help. We have to go back."
"Because it's our Destiny. How many times are you going to say that to me, John?"
"How can you not see it? Of all the hospitals they could have brought me to, they brought me here. You don't think that's Fate?"
"Your car accident was on the west side of Los Angeles. You being brought to this hospital wasn't Fate, John, it's Probability!"
"You don't understand. It wasn't an accident. Somebody is trying to kill me." [Not Yet]
"Why would someone try to kill you?"
"Because they don't want me to succeed. They want to stop me."
Jack hangs his head.
"They don't want me to get back, because I'm important."
"Have you ever stopped to think that these delusions that you're special aren't real? That maybe there is nothing special about you at all? That maybe you're just a lonely old man that crashed on an island?" [No wonder that Jack takes the news of Locke’s death so hard. He thought it was his fault]
"Your father says hello," Locke says.
"What?"
"A man, the man who told me to move the island, the man who told me how to bring you all back, he said to tell his son hello. He couldn't have been Sayid's father and he wasn't Hurley's. That leaves you. He said his name was Christian."
"My father is dead."
"Well, he didn't look dead to me."
"He died in Australia three years ago. I put him in the coffin! He's dead."
"Jack, please, you have to come back. You're the only one who can convince the rest of them. You have to help me. You're supposed to help me."
"John, it's over! It's done. We left and we were never important, so you leave me alone and you leave the rest of them alone." Exit Jack, about to try Going Back without involving anyone else except innocent fellow passengers.
Note that the above conversation conflicts with Jack’s 413 and 501 comments, including: " He said that [Going Back] was the only way that I could keep you safe – you and Aaron ... He told me... that after I left the island, some very bad things happened ... and he told me that it was my fault for leaving ... and he said that I had to come back ...
Sawyer, Juliet, everyone from the boat... and everyone we left behind – John said that they'd die, too, if I didn't come back.
Note also that it was Locke’s death, especially death by suicide that helped push Jack into becoming a Believer.
The Westerfield Hotel may be crummy, but it’s the address that John gave Sayid. It’s also the only hotel I’ve ever seen that features a T-bar ceiling and radiators.
After breaking some ceiling tiles and stringing his Suicide cable over something strong enough near the poured concrete above and anchoring the cable to the radiator, John’s ready to die. He has chosen death - which is what CW and MA wanted him to choose.
Ben bursts in:
"What do you want from me?"
"I'm trying to protect you!"
"Protect me? You shot him. You killed Abaddon."
"Yes, yes I did. But it was only a matter of time before he would have killed you. [which he almost did - indirectly]
"No! Widmore came to me. He saved me."
"No, John, he used you! He waited until you showed up so that you could help him get to the island. Charles Widmore is the reason I moved the island. So that he could never find it again. To keep him away so that you could lead." [which are exactly the circumstances under which Ben voluntarily left the island]
Ben says, "You can't do this. If anything happens to you, John, you have no idea how important you are. Let me help you."
"There is no helping me. I'm, I'm a failure."
"No, John, you're not." [John has to hear Ben’s encouraging words]
"I am! I couldn't get any of them. I couldn't get a single one of them to come back with me. I can't lead anyone."
"Jack booked a ticket." [John had to hear that Jack had taken the first step]
"What?"
"A plane ticket from Los Angeles to Sydney tonight. Return trip first thing in the morning. Whatever you said to him, John, it worked. And if you got Jack, you can get the rest of them." Ben kneels. "John, you can't die. You've got too much work to do. We've got to get you back to the island so that you can do it." He reaches over and unties the wire. "Please, John." He stands and helps Locke down.
"I know we can do this, John. You haven't even been to Sun yet, let's start with her."
"No. I promised Jin that I wouldn't bring her back."
"Jin is alive?"
"Yeah, but he didn't want her to know. He wanted me to tell her that his body washed up on the beach. He gave me his wedding ring to give to her."
"Alright. A promise is a promise." [valuing a Commitment as on several previous occasions]
Locke removes the noose from his neck. "Thank you." [he has chosen Life. Now it’s OK to kill him]
Ben helps him to the bed. "I know we can do this. Once we can get them all in the same place, I don't know where we'll go from there, but we'll figure something out."
"I know where we go. There's a woman here in Los Angeles."
Ben gathers the wire. "A woman?"
"Yeah. I don't know exactly where, but she shouldn't be that hard to find. Her name is Eloise Hawking."
Ben stops, suddenly Grim. "Eloise Hawking? You sure?"
"Yeah. Why? Do you know her?"
"Yes, John, I know her." He walks behind Locke and strangles him with the wire.
Did Ben "decide" to murder JL when he mentioned Ms H? Did Ben not want John to meet her? When Desmond suggested that Ms H was Faraday’s Mother, Ben had a similar Grim reaction.
The above exchange permitted Ben to learn that Jin was alive and that he had wanted Sun not to Go Back.
Suicide is a sin in the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist Religions and as I wrote a week or two ago, I was convinced that suicide would not permit John’s entry into Club Messiah.
Therefore, I believe that Ben’s intervention in John’s Suicide proves him to be a Good Guy, willing to do horrifying work in order to further his (or The island’s, or Jacob’s) agenda. I believe that Ben’s "murder" of John was what permitted John to be resurrected, the opposite of what CW wanted. Note that Somebody also wanted Hugo to commit Suicide in "Dave".
Knowing that John would retain his post-Resurrection memories, it was also important for John to hear, prior to his death, that he had, in fact succeeded in nudging Jack toward becoming a Believer. It was also important - for Future Motivational reasons - that John know that it was Ben who "killed" him. We’ll have to wait to find out why this should be the case.
The fact that Ben told "Locke" that he (Ben) would "really miss" John suggests that Ben didn’t expect to return to The Island - or at least not in the same Time Period as St John. The upcoming confrontation between Ben and John ought to be lively.
Locke’s death triggered the gathering of the O6 in LA. Team Ben’s help got them (and Locke’s body) onto Flight 316.
The fact that Ben left Locke in Hanged Mode suggests that he wanted CW to believe that John had, in fact chosen Death - hence the Suicide Scene and the Suicide Note put into Ms H’s hands. I expect that CW will be unpleasantly surprised to find his erstwhile "protege" alive and well on The Island at some point.
Cut to Hydra Island. Caesar is in the Office, behind the desk - which features a Baby Polar Bear skull (I think) - and is reading the contents of a Hydra-stamped folder. St John The Stupid marches in and starts Showing Off:
"That symbol, it belongs to an organization called The Dharma Initiative. They were conducting some experiments here awhile back."
Caesar puts the file down. "How do you know that?"
"I spent more than a hundred days on this island. I know a lot." [Actually, John, you spent zero days on this Island, but whatever]
Is JL being played by Caesar?
It seems that Caesar is willing to share too: "On the plane, I was sitting across from that really big guy with curly hair. When the plane started shaking, really shaking, there was a noise and a bright light. And this really big guy with curly hair, he was gone. I mean, literally gone. And it wasn't only him. Some of us saw it happen to other people too. [presumably including Sayid]
So, Mr. John Locke, do you have an idea about what happened?"
"I think I might know how I came to be here. But that would involve me finding my friends. Do you have a passenger list?"
"No, the pilot took it when he ran off."
"And everyone's accounted for? All the people, other than the ones who disappeared?"
"Yeah, except for the ones that got hurt."
Caesar takes him to another room where people are lying on cots. They are bandaged. Locke looks at each one until he comes across Ben.
"You know him?" Caesar says.
"Yeah. He's the man who killed me."
Recap:
We’re in an office. A DI office. "Caesar" enters and finds a LIFE magazine, dated 4/19/54 featuring a cover picture labelled "Color picture of Hydrogen [bomb] test ... The Awesome Fireball". This magazine pre-dates the US Army Top Secret Jughead Mission (by about 6 months) as well as the 1970's arrival of the DI - so ... Somebody in the DI saved this magazine for about 20 years and then brought it to the Island? Hmmm
Caesar then breaks into an old-style wooden Filing Drawer and extracts a file containing some Island maps and what looks like one of Daniel’s Journal pages - featuring "Space-time", "Real Time" and "Imaginary Time". Actually, it may be that this is the DI original that Daniel may have copied into his journal.
Caesar then finds a loaded sawed-off shotgun attached to the underside of the desk, grabs it, stashes it in his bag and then lies about having found it. Ilana (a kinder, gentler version of Edward Mars/Ana Lucia) enters, asks him what he’s just put into his bag and he tosses her the flashlight. It’s 2 or 3 days since they crash-landed at Hydra and the A-Team are exploring. They haven’t yet found the Armoury. Note that Family Ben (with a bit of help from Kate and James) built the air-strip in anticipation of this crash-landing. This implies that they left this office stuff behind to be found.
Ilana announces: "We found someone - a man. Roxanne was scouting just south of here and he was just standing in the water. He's wearing a suit."
As the two of them return to the beach, they stroll past the crash-landed plane. Great flying, Frank!! According to Ilana, the newcomer isn’t "one of the ones who disappeared" and was in fact not "on the plane". As we approach the beach, we see someone huddled under an Ajira blanket. It’s John. John Locke.
So ... St John has not been reincarnated, but has been resurrected with his memories and personality intact. Unlike Montand and "Claire", he has not been "possessed" by The Island His casket corpse did not include a cast on his right leg, and John is not limping in his New Life. How "alive" is he, exactly? Is he now immortal? Is he one of the "Non-Living Persons" obliquely referred to by Ben when he warned Jack that calling the Freighter would result in the "death of every single living person" on the Island? Are all of Family Ben/Richard Non-Living (immortal) Persons? Have they all died like John?
The next morning, as John looks across the water to the Island, Ilana brings him the Best Mango He’s Ever Eaten and we find out that of the originally left-behind 3-boat outrigger fleet, that Frank and Sun took one in the middle of the night without telling anyone. Maybe Frank and Sun are smart enough (unlike St John the Stupid) not to trust Caesar. I’m guessing that their first destination would have been Lostie Beach, which they found abandoned (the date of the Flight 316 crash being early 2008).
I’m guessing that Frank and Sun would then have abandoned that canoe and started searching for their fellow Losties by foot, not knowing that they’ve been Flashed into the early 70's. Poor Sun - now isolated from both her husband and her daughter! Poor Jin when he finds out too.
I’m further guessing that Caesar and his Five Best set out to scout the island, found the abandoned outrigger, went searching for Sun and Frank, came back to find one canoe missing, then chased it, taking pot-shots at Team Ford - until they Flashed away - like Hugo, Kate and Sayid had.
Note that Caesar, the Leader of the Flight 316 survivors has a Very Appropriate Name. I wonder if he speaks Latin.
Note that Ilana tells John that "nobody remembers you being on the plane" - just like Nathan and Ethan.
St John the Stupid has still not figured out when to hold his tongue. Instead of saying the bare minimum until he can figure out who these people are and what their intentions might be, he starts blabbing about remembering his own death. Slow Learner. Given Walt’s Warning (see below) John’s speechifying is even dumber.
Flashback to John pulling the FDW, followed by his "wake-up" on his back in the Tunisian Desert. Just like Ben, John’s first action is to vomit some Wormhole Gack. Unlike Ben’s 10/24/05 arrival, there is now a camera Observing the Exit site. Based on Bentham’s passport issue date (12/12/07), I’m guessing that John’s Tunisian arrival occurred in early December, 2007 - time enough for Charles Widmore to have discovered and upgraded the site with a surveillance camera. The Bedouins who come to pick John up have also had their transportation up-graded from horses to a truck.
Note that John would have died in the desert if not for Widmore’s help. He would also not have been able to track down The Six without Widmore’s help. Both Widmore and Ben (plus Richard and "Christian" and Ms H) want The Six to Go Back, but only Ben The Good wants St John to survive the Return.
If Widmore was 17 in 1954, he was 70 in December 2007. Unless there’s some serious Longevity Benefits involved in reclaiming the Island, one would think that CW ought to just retire in peace. However, I think that Longevity as in Eternal Life may in fact be at stake for CW. CW tells us that "his people" protected the Island peacefully for three decades [after the Not Peaceful slaughter of Team Jughead]. If CW was banished at the time of The Purge (early 90's), this suggests that he became the Leader in the early 1960's. Note that Young Ben arrived in the early 70's - about 10 years after CW became leader of the "Hostiles". CW is about 25 years older than Ben
We all know that there’s a War Coming. If there’s only two sides to this war, it should now be obvious who The Bad Guys are. But I’m inclined to think there’s three sides to this war and we haven’t really seen much of The Real Bad Guys.
Meanwhile, St John gets a new passport in the name of Jeremy Bentham - a name picked out by Widmore.
According to Lostpedia:
[Bentham] was best known for his advocacy of utilitarianism, a form of consequentialism, meaning that the moral worth of an action is determined by its outcome - the ends justify the means. Utilitarianism argued that the "right" action or policy was that which would cause "the greatest happiness of the greatest number". His critics objected saying that it would therefore "...be acceptable to torture one person if this would produce an amount of happiness in other people outweighing the unhappiness of the tortured individual."
Bentham was also known for his outspoken opposition to the French revolutionary discourse of "natural rights", an idea championed by philosopher John Locke (whose father, also named John Locke, worked for Jeremy Bentham). He also suggested a procedure for estimating the moral status of any action. His principle regards "good" as that which produces the greatest amount of physical or spiritual pleasure, and the minimum amount of pain; and "evil" as that which produces the most pain without the pleasure.
So ... CW "believes" that the End Justifies The Means (not unlike Ben’s philosophy). I’ll buy that, but as far as the concept of The Greatest Good for the Greatest Number, I don’t think this reflects CW’s personal philosophy at all.
In an effort to win John’s Trust, Widmore tells him that he’s never tried to kill him - implying that Ben did. This is a Half-Lie. Ben had just been demoted, was distraught and not thinking clearly. He pulled the trigger only once and admitted subsequently that he "should have realised at the time that [the murder attempt] was pointless". The fact that Widmore knew about Ben’s DHARMA Pit wounding of John tells us that he had spies on the island at that time. By the end of Season Three, Ben had succeeded in the (indirect, by-the-book) removal of the Widmore Loyalists from The Game.
Widmore’s next Big Lie is that he wanted Ben removed so that John could assume his rightful Island Leadership Role. Based on the Widmore comment in 409 ( "The shape of things to come" ):
"That island's mine, Benjamin. It always was. It will be again." , I think it’s safe to say that CW has/had no plans for John to become the Island Leader.
On the other hand, Ben The Good specifically took on the burden of Moving The Island so that John could rejoin Family Richard and become their Leader - at least for a little while. Ben may be a Liar, but Widmore is a Lying Liar.
Finally, regarding John’s willingness to "trust" CW, he should remember 17-year-old CW completely willing to cut off Juliet’s hand just for starters and that he nonchalantly murdered "Cunningham" for the "crime" of hinting where to find Camp Richard, followed by his own cowardly flight which helped lead Team John directly to the camp.
We are now formally reintroduced to Matthew Abaddon, whose job is to "help people get to where they need to get to" - including Charlotte’s journey to her death and Locke’s journey to his. Widmore’s last word to Locke was: "Godspeed" - the same word spoken to him by "Horace" . Were Horace and Widmore on the same side before CW’s exile?
Based on the detailed, 3-year surveillance info contained in the O6 File, John’s first stop is Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic - where Sayid’s been helping build homes and schools. Note that Sayid is still alive. Widmore is not The Economist.
Sayid’s comments are the first step toward John’s suicide: ""Why do you really need to go back? Is it because you have nowhere else to go?" Note that it was the news of John’s death that brought Sayid to Hugo.
Next up: Walt
"I've been having dreams about you. You were on an island, wearing a suit, and there were people all around you. They wanted to hurt you, John."
John shakes his head. "Good thing they're just dreams." John = Idiot
"Is my dad ... is he back on the island? I haven't talked to him in three years. Figured he must have gone back."
"Last I heard, your dad was on a freighter near the island." John didn’t want to be the Bearer of Bad News
"So why'd you come to see me?"
After a few seconds, Locke says, "I just wanted to make sure you were okay." John changes his mind about trying to recruit Walt, who’s been through enough.
MA’s comment: "That's 0 for 2, Mr. Locke. Maybe I misunderstood, but I thought you were supposed to bring everyone back." The Angel of The Abyss is pushing John into despair.
Next: Hugo
By the time Locke rolls his wheelchair over to where Hugo is working on his Not-Island watercolour, Hugo’s used to visits from Dead Friends and naturally assumes that Locke’s the latest in a series. When he confirms that the Staff can see John (who is therefore Not Dead), he’s shocked. When Locke explains that The Six are needed on the Island, Hugo’s sceptical that Jack, Kate or Sun could be persuaded. Then Hugo sees MA. Hugo, LOST’s Moral Compass tells John that MA is evil and untrustworthy. If CW or MA had wanted Locke to succeed in recruiting Hugo, they would have made a point of keeping him out of sight. But that’s not the agenda here. The agenda is to lead John into Choosing Death.
Kate: "The answer is no,"
"Kate, I don't think you understand."
"No, you made yourself perfectly clear. Everyone on the island is going to die if I don't go back. And the answer is no."
"Why? Don't you care about them?"
"Have you ever been in love, John?" she asks. "I think about you sometimes. I think about how desperate you were to stay on that island. And then I realized, it was all because you didn't love anybody." Another nail in the coffin. Note that in 413, Kate told Jack that Locke’s conversation with her convinced her that he was crazy - a conclusion not really supported by the above, but whatever.
MA now takes John to visit Helen’s grave, where he tells John that Helen died of a (Minkowski-style?) brain aneurysm and that despite the possibility that she and John might have been able to share a few good years, that her Path led her to an early death in 2006 and that John’s Path, no matter what he did or what he does leads back to the Island. All this talk about John’s Path places MA onto Team Hawking (which is looking less benign by the minute. Maybe her FBYE comment to Desmond that his failure to turn the failsafe key would lead to the death "of every single one of us" meant only the deaths of everybody on Team Hawking - despite what D&C have to say).
Helen’s last name - Norwood - may be a reference to the late Warren Carl Norwood, the sci-fi author of "TIME POLICE".
MA now delivers his final words to John - intended to lead him into Choosing Death: "Mr. Widmore told me that Richard Alpert said that you were going to die. So tell me, John, is that inevitable or is it a choice?"
Helen’s death erases any possibility that she and John might yet rekindle their lost love and severs any connection to The Real World for St John
Having Done His Work, MA is killed by Ben or his shooter, after which Locke drives off out of control (thanks to the cast on his right foot), gets smashed up in a car accident and wakes up with Doctor Jack beside him:
"What are you doing here?" Jack asks. He has broken up with Kate again, has caught some glimpses of "Christian" and is on the road to self-destructive Substance Abuse.
"Jack, how did you find me?"
"You were in a car accident and you were brought into my hospital. What are you doing here?"
Locke props himself up. "We have to go back."
Jack chuckles. "Of course. Of course we do."
"Jack, the people I left behind need our help. We have to go back."
"Because it's our Destiny. How many times are you going to say that to me, John?"
"How can you not see it? Of all the hospitals they could have brought me to, they brought me here. You don't think that's Fate?"
"Your car accident was on the west side of Los Angeles. You being brought to this hospital wasn't Fate, John, it's Probability!"
"You don't understand. It wasn't an accident. Somebody is trying to kill me." [Not Yet]
"Why would someone try to kill you?"
"Because they don't want me to succeed. They want to stop me."
Jack hangs his head.
"They don't want me to get back, because I'm important."
"Have you ever stopped to think that these delusions that you're special aren't real? That maybe there is nothing special about you at all? That maybe you're just a lonely old man that crashed on an island?" [No wonder that Jack takes the news of Locke’s death so hard. He thought it was his fault]
"Your father says hello," Locke says.
"What?"
"A man, the man who told me to move the island, the man who told me how to bring you all back, he said to tell his son hello. He couldn't have been Sayid's father and he wasn't Hurley's. That leaves you. He said his name was Christian."
"My father is dead."
"Well, he didn't look dead to me."
"He died in Australia three years ago. I put him in the coffin! He's dead."
"Jack, please, you have to come back. You're the only one who can convince the rest of them. You have to help me. You're supposed to help me."
"John, it's over! It's done. We left and we were never important, so you leave me alone and you leave the rest of them alone." Exit Jack, about to try Going Back without involving anyone else except innocent fellow passengers.
Note that the above conversation conflicts with Jack’s 413 and 501 comments, including: " He said that [Going Back] was the only way that I could keep you safe – you and Aaron ... He told me... that after I left the island, some very bad things happened ... and he told me that it was my fault for leaving ... and he said that I had to come back ...
Sawyer, Juliet, everyone from the boat... and everyone we left behind – John said that they'd die, too, if I didn't come back.
Note also that it was Locke’s death, especially death by suicide that helped push Jack into becoming a Believer.
The Westerfield Hotel may be crummy, but it’s the address that John gave Sayid. It’s also the only hotel I’ve ever seen that features a T-bar ceiling and radiators.
After breaking some ceiling tiles and stringing his Suicide cable over something strong enough near the poured concrete above and anchoring the cable to the radiator, John’s ready to die. He has chosen death - which is what CW and MA wanted him to choose.
Ben bursts in:
"What do you want from me?"
"I'm trying to protect you!"
"Protect me? You shot him. You killed Abaddon."
"Yes, yes I did. But it was only a matter of time before he would have killed you. [which he almost did - indirectly]
"No! Widmore came to me. He saved me."
"No, John, he used you! He waited until you showed up so that you could help him get to the island. Charles Widmore is the reason I moved the island. So that he could never find it again. To keep him away so that you could lead." [which are exactly the circumstances under which Ben voluntarily left the island]
Ben says, "You can't do this. If anything happens to you, John, you have no idea how important you are. Let me help you."
"There is no helping me. I'm, I'm a failure."
"No, John, you're not." [John has to hear Ben’s encouraging words]
"I am! I couldn't get any of them. I couldn't get a single one of them to come back with me. I can't lead anyone."
"Jack booked a ticket." [John had to hear that Jack had taken the first step]
"What?"
"A plane ticket from Los Angeles to Sydney tonight. Return trip first thing in the morning. Whatever you said to him, John, it worked. And if you got Jack, you can get the rest of them." Ben kneels. "John, you can't die. You've got too much work to do. We've got to get you back to the island so that you can do it." He reaches over and unties the wire. "Please, John." He stands and helps Locke down.
"I know we can do this, John. You haven't even been to Sun yet, let's start with her."
"No. I promised Jin that I wouldn't bring her back."
"Jin is alive?"
"Yeah, but he didn't want her to know. He wanted me to tell her that his body washed up on the beach. He gave me his wedding ring to give to her."
"Alright. A promise is a promise." [valuing a Commitment as on several previous occasions]
Locke removes the noose from his neck. "Thank you." [he has chosen Life. Now it’s OK to kill him]
Ben helps him to the bed. "I know we can do this. Once we can get them all in the same place, I don't know where we'll go from there, but we'll figure something out."
"I know where we go. There's a woman here in Los Angeles."
Ben gathers the wire. "A woman?"
"Yeah. I don't know exactly where, but she shouldn't be that hard to find. Her name is Eloise Hawking."
Ben stops, suddenly Grim. "Eloise Hawking? You sure?"
"Yeah. Why? Do you know her?"
"Yes, John, I know her." He walks behind Locke and strangles him with the wire.
Did Ben "decide" to murder JL when he mentioned Ms H? Did Ben not want John to meet her? When Desmond suggested that Ms H was Faraday’s Mother, Ben had a similar Grim reaction.
The above exchange permitted Ben to learn that Jin was alive and that he had wanted Sun not to Go Back.
Suicide is a sin in the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist Religions and as I wrote a week or two ago, I was convinced that suicide would not permit John’s entry into Club Messiah.
Therefore, I believe that Ben’s intervention in John’s Suicide proves him to be a Good Guy, willing to do horrifying work in order to further his (or The island’s, or Jacob’s) agenda. I believe that Ben’s "murder" of John was what permitted John to be resurrected, the opposite of what CW wanted. Note that Somebody also wanted Hugo to commit Suicide in "Dave".
Knowing that John would retain his post-Resurrection memories, it was also important for John to hear, prior to his death, that he had, in fact succeeded in nudging Jack toward becoming a Believer. It was also important - for Future Motivational reasons - that John know that it was Ben who "killed" him. We’ll have to wait to find out why this should be the case.
The fact that Ben told "Locke" that he (Ben) would "really miss" John suggests that Ben didn’t expect to return to The Island - or at least not in the same Time Period as St John. The upcoming confrontation between Ben and John ought to be lively.
Locke’s death triggered the gathering of the O6 in LA. Team Ben’s help got them (and Locke’s body) onto Flight 316.
The fact that Ben left Locke in Hanged Mode suggests that he wanted CW to believe that John had, in fact chosen Death - hence the Suicide Scene and the Suicide Note put into Ms H’s hands. I expect that CW will be unpleasantly surprised to find his erstwhile "protege" alive and well on The Island at some point.
Cut to Hydra Island. Caesar is in the Office, behind the desk - which features a Baby Polar Bear skull (I think) - and is reading the contents of a Hydra-stamped folder. St John The Stupid marches in and starts Showing Off:
"That symbol, it belongs to an organization called The Dharma Initiative. They were conducting some experiments here awhile back."
Caesar puts the file down. "How do you know that?"
"I spent more than a hundred days on this island. I know a lot." [Actually, John, you spent zero days on this Island, but whatever]
Is JL being played by Caesar?
It seems that Caesar is willing to share too: "On the plane, I was sitting across from that really big guy with curly hair. When the plane started shaking, really shaking, there was a noise and a bright light. And this really big guy with curly hair, he was gone. I mean, literally gone. And it wasn't only him. Some of us saw it happen to other people too. [presumably including Sayid]
So, Mr. John Locke, do you have an idea about what happened?"
"I think I might know how I came to be here. But that would involve me finding my friends. Do you have a passenger list?"
"No, the pilot took it when he ran off."
"And everyone's accounted for? All the people, other than the ones who disappeared?"
"Yeah, except for the ones that got hurt."
Caesar takes him to another room where people are lying on cots. They are bandaged. Locke looks at each one until he comes across Ben.
"You know him?" Caesar says.
"Yeah. He's the man who killed me."
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Power of "Wanting"
We now know that for certain people, if they want something enough, it will happen for them - both on and off the Island.
I'm fairly sure that Walt "wished up" a Polar Bear after seeing the image in Hugo's Comic Book on the Island in the same way that he wished up that bird he was studying in Australia.
In fact, in order for a Polar Bear to even exist on a tropical island in the first place, there had to be some real-world reason, some "reasonable" explanation - such as, say, a decades-old Scientific Research program aimed at "de-territorialisation" blah blah blah. In other words, I think Walt CREATED the DHARMA Polar Bear program IN THE PAST by wishing up a Polar Bear in the "present".
We know that Ben knows about Conscious Wish Fulfillment because he describes it to Locke in "The man from Tallahassee". We also know that Ben, having turned the Frozen Donkey Wheel, is transported in time and space to Tunisia. We know that Ben didn't know what date or even what year he was in, but that as soon as he realised that it was a few days before Nadia's funeral, he travelled to Tikrit and happened to have in his possession photographic "proof" linking Bakir to Nadia's murder. IMO, Ben "wished up" this proof - which did in fact appear valid: moments before his death, Bakir admitted that he worked for Widmore.
I think that Ben may have (unconsciously) "brought" Jack to the Island because he NEEDED a miracle-working spinal surgeon. It was Ben's need, coupled with the fact that Ben is Very Special which enabled him to (perhaps subconsciously) WANT a Spinal Surgeon to come to the Island. Ben's WANTING changed Jack's past, causing him to make a series of "choices" and to encounter a series of "Coincidences" (including his Miraculous Sarah Surgery) which weren't Free Will or Coincidences at all ... these "Free Will choices and Coincidences" were simply all the little steps needed BY BEN to get Jack onto Flight 815.
One of the repeating phrases we hear on LOST all the time is: "What is it that you want?" or "What do you want from me?" We also know that in 305 - "The Cost of Living" - that Ben told Jack: "I wanted you to WANT to save my life" - knowing that if Dr Miracle-worker WISHED for it sincerely enough, lo - it would come to pass (as it did for Hanging Charlie)
So ... who WANTED Ben to get Cancer in the first place? Maybe Jacob.
Who WANTED the rest of our Losties (and was responsible for all their pre-crash misery) on Flight 815?
Note that Ben's "Family" weren't really expecting Flight 815 on the day of the Book Club meeting and that it wasn't until after Mikhail's research that Ben knew the backgrounds of the survivors. So ... Ben didn't consciously bring them. Somebody (Jacob? ... The Island?) is using Ben.
As of Ep 506 ("316") we’ve seen Man-of-Science Jack finally embrace his inner Man-of Faith aspect to the point where he "plays along" with Ms Hawking’s Voodoo-style insistence that Locke’s body needed something that belonged to Christian. Her "leap-of-faith" line is an important step along Jack’s journey towards becoming a Believer. At least equally important is Ben’s Doubting Thomas lecture, followed by the "coincidental" presence in Grandad Ray’s suitcase of a pair of Christian’s shoes.
It seems to me that Someone (Jacob?) or Something (The Island?) wants Jack to believe in his ability to perform miracles and that this effort to lead Jack into Belief extends at least as far back as Jack’s miraculous Sarah surgery.
Note that Christian seems to have tried for decades to undermine Jack’s self-confidence. He also tried to convince his own daughter to sanction her mother’s murder. How evil is that? How callous was it for "Christian" to appear moments before Michael’s death to tell him that he "can go now" ? If a prick like that disses Ben, it seems to me that Ben really might be a Good Guy.
Note also that Someone wanted Hugo - long before his arrival on the Island - to believe that he was crazy. Upon arrival on the Island, "Dave" (Manifested by Someone or Something) almost succeeded in persuading Hugo to jump off that cliff. But Someone Else had planted Libby on Flight 815 - and she saved Hugo’s life. Hugo subsequently developed enough self-confidence that he was able through sheer force of Will to revive that dead DHARMA van - which Hugo subsequently used to kill Ryan on Lostie Beach. Upon returning to The World, Hugo evolved from once again believing himself to be crazy (thanks to visits from "Charlie" and "Eko") to gradually believing himself to be sane and yet still accepting the reality of Dead Friends, including "Ana Lucia"
My point here is that it seems to me that our Losties are, in fact, being "played" by at least two opposing Powers that have mastered the art of Wish-fulfilment. It further seems to me that these two opposing Powers are both "Aspects" of the Island itself - which reflect a dark/light dichotomy/schizophrenia waging Civil War on the Island - and in The World.
To me, the best evidence to support this Island Schizophrenia theory is what we saw in "This Place is Death" where one aspect of the Island ripped (innocent) Montand’s arm off, instantly "possessed" him, lured his three (innocent) buddies into the CV, "possessed" them and then forced Robert to attempt to murder his (innocent) pregnant wife. This Evil Deed was prevented by a "missing" firing pin reminiscent of Michael’s malfunctioning pistol. In other words, the Dark Aspect of The Island was defeated (in Danielle’s case) by the Light Aspect of The Island.
If I’m right, the Dark Aspect of the Island seeks the end of all Human Life on Earth, whereas the Light Aspect is willing to tolerate us.
It further seems to me that our Losties will, during S6, come to understand the Rules of The Game and to finally take control of their own Destiny and hopefully Save The World.
I'm fairly sure that Walt "wished up" a Polar Bear after seeing the image in Hugo's Comic Book on the Island in the same way that he wished up that bird he was studying in Australia.
In fact, in order for a Polar Bear to even exist on a tropical island in the first place, there had to be some real-world reason, some "reasonable" explanation - such as, say, a decades-old Scientific Research program aimed at "de-territorialisation" blah blah blah. In other words, I think Walt CREATED the DHARMA Polar Bear program IN THE PAST by wishing up a Polar Bear in the "present".
We know that Ben knows about Conscious Wish Fulfillment because he describes it to Locke in "The man from Tallahassee". We also know that Ben, having turned the Frozen Donkey Wheel, is transported in time and space to Tunisia. We know that Ben didn't know what date or even what year he was in, but that as soon as he realised that it was a few days before Nadia's funeral, he travelled to Tikrit and happened to have in his possession photographic "proof" linking Bakir to Nadia's murder. IMO, Ben "wished up" this proof - which did in fact appear valid: moments before his death, Bakir admitted that he worked for Widmore.
I think that Ben may have (unconsciously) "brought" Jack to the Island because he NEEDED a miracle-working spinal surgeon. It was Ben's need, coupled with the fact that Ben is Very Special which enabled him to (perhaps subconsciously) WANT a Spinal Surgeon to come to the Island. Ben's WANTING changed Jack's past, causing him to make a series of "choices" and to encounter a series of "Coincidences" (including his Miraculous Sarah Surgery) which weren't Free Will or Coincidences at all ... these "Free Will choices and Coincidences" were simply all the little steps needed BY BEN to get Jack onto Flight 815.
One of the repeating phrases we hear on LOST all the time is: "What is it that you want?" or "What do you want from me?" We also know that in 305 - "The Cost of Living" - that Ben told Jack: "I wanted you to WANT to save my life" - knowing that if Dr Miracle-worker WISHED for it sincerely enough, lo - it would come to pass (as it did for Hanging Charlie)
So ... who WANTED Ben to get Cancer in the first place? Maybe Jacob.
Who WANTED the rest of our Losties (and was responsible for all their pre-crash misery) on Flight 815?
Note that Ben's "Family" weren't really expecting Flight 815 on the day of the Book Club meeting and that it wasn't until after Mikhail's research that Ben knew the backgrounds of the survivors. So ... Ben didn't consciously bring them. Somebody (Jacob? ... The Island?) is using Ben.
As of Ep 506 ("316") we’ve seen Man-of-Science Jack finally embrace his inner Man-of Faith aspect to the point where he "plays along" with Ms Hawking’s Voodoo-style insistence that Locke’s body needed something that belonged to Christian. Her "leap-of-faith" line is an important step along Jack’s journey towards becoming a Believer. At least equally important is Ben’s Doubting Thomas lecture, followed by the "coincidental" presence in Grandad Ray’s suitcase of a pair of Christian’s shoes.
It seems to me that Someone (Jacob?) or Something (The Island?) wants Jack to believe in his ability to perform miracles and that this effort to lead Jack into Belief extends at least as far back as Jack’s miraculous Sarah surgery.
Note that Christian seems to have tried for decades to undermine Jack’s self-confidence. He also tried to convince his own daughter to sanction her mother’s murder. How evil is that? How callous was it for "Christian" to appear moments before Michael’s death to tell him that he "can go now" ? If a prick like that disses Ben, it seems to me that Ben really might be a Good Guy.
Note also that Someone wanted Hugo - long before his arrival on the Island - to believe that he was crazy. Upon arrival on the Island, "Dave" (Manifested by Someone or Something) almost succeeded in persuading Hugo to jump off that cliff. But Someone Else had planted Libby on Flight 815 - and she saved Hugo’s life. Hugo subsequently developed enough self-confidence that he was able through sheer force of Will to revive that dead DHARMA van - which Hugo subsequently used to kill Ryan on Lostie Beach. Upon returning to The World, Hugo evolved from once again believing himself to be crazy (thanks to visits from "Charlie" and "Eko") to gradually believing himself to be sane and yet still accepting the reality of Dead Friends, including "Ana Lucia"
My point here is that it seems to me that our Losties are, in fact, being "played" by at least two opposing Powers that have mastered the art of Wish-fulfilment. It further seems to me that these two opposing Powers are both "Aspects" of the Island itself - which reflect a dark/light dichotomy/schizophrenia waging Civil War on the Island - and in The World.
To me, the best evidence to support this Island Schizophrenia theory is what we saw in "This Place is Death" where one aspect of the Island ripped (innocent) Montand’s arm off, instantly "possessed" him, lured his three (innocent) buddies into the CV, "possessed" them and then forced Robert to attempt to murder his (innocent) pregnant wife. This Evil Deed was prevented by a "missing" firing pin reminiscent of Michael’s malfunctioning pistol. In other words, the Dark Aspect of The Island was defeated (in Danielle’s case) by the Light Aspect of The Island.
If I’m right, the Dark Aspect of the Island seeks the end of all Human Life on Earth, whereas the Light Aspect is willing to tolerate us.
It further seems to me that our Losties will, during S6, come to understand the Rules of The Game and to finally take control of their own Destiny and hopefully Save The World.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Alvar Hanso and the US Army
Note that the 9/23/54 US Army photo was labelled "Top Secret". So ... Somebody connected to the DI (possibly a powerful, wealthy and well-connected Munitions Supplier) obtained US Army Top Secret info which may have led the DI to the Island some time between 1954 and the 1970's. And yet, Alvar Hanso’s ancestor Magnus landed on the Island in the late 1800's - so ... it was (at least) known by AH to have existed during his entire life. Maybe AH knew of its existence but couldn’t find it until the early 1950's.
LOST DHARMA Glyphs, DI TT and Desmond
Given the fact that the FDW, The Well, The Temple and Ben’s Secret Door all feature Egyptian/Mayan glyphs, it would appear that there was a civilisation on the Island that pre-dated the DI and yet had mastered Time Travel - in other words - Aliens.
And yet ... the DHARMA-built count-down timer featured Egyptian glyphs and the DI/Hostiles/Linus/Richard Family seems to have whole-heartedly "adopted" various Buddhist/Hindu notions of Reincarnation, Karma, Nirvana plus Christian Messianic leadership (all of which are human and not ET notions) into their Island Culture. Note that Ben’s bookshelf included the Quran, VALIS and possibly everything in between.
So ... maybe (like Doc Brown) we all have to think a little more four-dimensionally.
I’m thinking that the DI - in the early 70's - mastered Time Travel (how?) and travelled into the Future - to discover the horrifying Death of All Human Life.
In an effort to prevent this Disaster, the DI travelled back in time to discover the circumstances leading to this Future Disaster and then maybe travelled even farther back in time to try to Rewrite History. We know that the DI sent a Polar Bear to Tunisia far enough back in time (thousands, maybe tens of thousands of years) for it to have become worthy of an Archeological Dig.
I’m thinking that the DI travelled far enough back to have created, or to have influenced, or at least to have incorporated ancient Egyptian, Mayan, Buddhist, Roman, Christian, Druid and Viking practices/beliefs into their Island Culture - which included speaking Latin. In other words, it wasn’t Aliens who built the FDW Well "before" the DI’s Island arrival. It was the DI itself.
I think that the DI tried repeatedly to avert the Future Disaster and failed every time. Somewhere along the line, the DI noticed that each failure to Save The World resulted in a "Reset", where events repeated themselves (as dictated by Buddhist philosophy) during which something else could be tried ... some Change could be introduced (into The "Past") which could help lead to eventual victory over the Future Disaster.
Note that the DI designed and built the Swan, including the fail-safe key and that Ms Hawking, in FBYE, knew all about it and told Desmond that it was his job to eventually turn it. Note also that she corrected Desmond when he told her that he would take the ring. She told him that he changed his mind and walked out the door (which is exactly what he did in a previous Iteration of these events).
Note also that Ben told Locke in "Lockdown" that he didn’t push The Button and that there was a loud, scary humming noise followed by some shaking ... and that the countdown timer then reset itself to 108 without any interference on his part. In other words, Ben knew what would have happened had he not pushed The Button. He had experienced (or at least heard about) the Swan Implosion in a Previous Iteration of these events. Note also that during the Swan Implosion, when Ben was on the Pala Ferry dock with his captives, that he didn’t miss a beat during The Discharge. He’d been through this Time Loop before and knew what to expect.
The point I’m getting at is that the DI designed and built the fail-safe key, knowing that sooner or later, during one or another of the Time Loops to come that a properly-selected and motivated "Desmond" would be sent to the Island and would be forced to turn the fail-safe key, thereby becoming Uniquely Special, and therefore able to help The Good Guys succeed where all previous efforts had failed.
I’m also convinced that the Good Guy DI/Jacob/Hawking/Linus team found itself up against an opposing Bad Guy team with formidable powers who were in favour of the Death of All Humans. Yikes!
The Final Success of the DI/Jacob/Hawking/Linus team is what we will see in Season 6.
And yet ... the DHARMA-built count-down timer featured Egyptian glyphs and the DI/Hostiles/Linus/Richard Family seems to have whole-heartedly "adopted" various Buddhist/Hindu notions of Reincarnation, Karma, Nirvana plus Christian Messianic leadership (all of which are human and not ET notions) into their Island Culture. Note that Ben’s bookshelf included the Quran, VALIS and possibly everything in between.
So ... maybe (like Doc Brown) we all have to think a little more four-dimensionally.
I’m thinking that the DI - in the early 70's - mastered Time Travel (how?) and travelled into the Future - to discover the horrifying Death of All Human Life.
In an effort to prevent this Disaster, the DI travelled back in time to discover the circumstances leading to this Future Disaster and then maybe travelled even farther back in time to try to Rewrite History. We know that the DI sent a Polar Bear to Tunisia far enough back in time (thousands, maybe tens of thousands of years) for it to have become worthy of an Archeological Dig.
I’m thinking that the DI travelled far enough back to have created, or to have influenced, or at least to have incorporated ancient Egyptian, Mayan, Buddhist, Roman, Christian, Druid and Viking practices/beliefs into their Island Culture - which included speaking Latin. In other words, it wasn’t Aliens who built the FDW Well "before" the DI’s Island arrival. It was the DI itself.
I think that the DI tried repeatedly to avert the Future Disaster and failed every time. Somewhere along the line, the DI noticed that each failure to Save The World resulted in a "Reset", where events repeated themselves (as dictated by Buddhist philosophy) during which something else could be tried ... some Change could be introduced (into The "Past") which could help lead to eventual victory over the Future Disaster.
Note that the DI designed and built the Swan, including the fail-safe key and that Ms Hawking, in FBYE, knew all about it and told Desmond that it was his job to eventually turn it. Note also that she corrected Desmond when he told her that he would take the ring. She told him that he changed his mind and walked out the door (which is exactly what he did in a previous Iteration of these events).
Note also that Ben told Locke in "Lockdown" that he didn’t push The Button and that there was a loud, scary humming noise followed by some shaking ... and that the countdown timer then reset itself to 108 without any interference on his part. In other words, Ben knew what would have happened had he not pushed The Button. He had experienced (or at least heard about) the Swan Implosion in a Previous Iteration of these events. Note also that during the Swan Implosion, when Ben was on the Pala Ferry dock with his captives, that he didn’t miss a beat during The Discharge. He’d been through this Time Loop before and knew what to expect.
The point I’m getting at is that the DI designed and built the fail-safe key, knowing that sooner or later, during one or another of the Time Loops to come that a properly-selected and motivated "Desmond" would be sent to the Island and would be forced to turn the fail-safe key, thereby becoming Uniquely Special, and therefore able to help The Good Guys succeed where all previous efforts had failed.
I’m also convinced that the Good Guy DI/Jacob/Hawking/Linus team found itself up against an opposing Bad Guy team with formidable powers who were in favour of the Death of All Humans. Yikes!
The Final Success of the DI/Jacob/Hawking/Linus team is what we will see in Season 6.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Random thoughts following "316"
Note that despite his JL/Orchid words to the contrary, Ben is able to return to the Island - possibly only because he’s accompanied by the Losties. His anguish while pushing the FDW seemed at the time to suggest Banishment Remorse, so I’m eager to find out how he managed to get "permission" to Go Back. Since his last-second arrival echoed Hugo’s (onto Flight 815) and since his trip to the front of the plane was a "Charlie proxy" - type move, this might explain it. Sort of. Note that "Caesar" gets a ticket to the Island too. Maybe he's a Widmore plant.
Note that there were several carved stone pillars, including a pair supporting an arch in the Pendulum Room. To me, this suggests that the DI was involved in TT even "before" finding the Island.
There were two Virgin Mary statues in Ms Hawking’s Office - one (small) on her desk, the other (large) on the hutch. My only "explanation" for these "recycled" props involves Illusions, Hallucinations and/or Dreams and I really don’t want the Show to be about that.
The shot of Ben "praying" placed him below a stained-glass half-circle so as to suggest Saintliness. Ignoring the "glitch" that it was night-time outside, TPTB seem to be suggesting that Ben really is a Good Guy.
While Ben was educating Jack about St Thomas’ bravery in the face of anticipated murder, it occurred to me that Ben’s subsequent North Beach Marina injuries might have resulted from a murder attempt (possibly instigated by Widmore - OR The Economist) on his life.
Ben’s callous disregard for the fates of the Economy passengers aboard Flight 316 is shared by Jack’s similar disregard while using his Oceanic Golden Pass to Go Back at the end of S3.
Kate is right that Hugo "bought a ticket" - well, he bought 78 tickets - but she’s wrong about Sayid buying one.
After Kate wakes up at poolside, she asks: "The plane, where’s the plane?" - and I suddenly thought about Tattoo’s trademark line on Fantasy Island - another place where Wishes Come True.
Note that there were several carved stone pillars, including a pair supporting an arch in the Pendulum Room. To me, this suggests that the DI was involved in TT even "before" finding the Island.
There were two Virgin Mary statues in Ms Hawking’s Office - one (small) on her desk, the other (large) on the hutch. My only "explanation" for these "recycled" props involves Illusions, Hallucinations and/or Dreams and I really don’t want the Show to be about that.
The shot of Ben "praying" placed him below a stained-glass half-circle so as to suggest Saintliness. Ignoring the "glitch" that it was night-time outside, TPTB seem to be suggesting that Ben really is a Good Guy.
While Ben was educating Jack about St Thomas’ bravery in the face of anticipated murder, it occurred to me that Ben’s subsequent North Beach Marina injuries might have resulted from a murder attempt (possibly instigated by Widmore - OR The Economist) on his life.
Ben’s callous disregard for the fates of the Economy passengers aboard Flight 316 is shared by Jack’s similar disregard while using his Oceanic Golden Pass to Go Back at the end of S3.
Kate is right that Hugo "bought a ticket" - well, he bought 78 tickets - but she’s wrong about Sayid buying one.
After Kate wakes up at poolside, she asks: "The plane, where’s the plane?" - and I suddenly thought about Tattoo’s trademark line on Fantasy Island - another place where Wishes Come True.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
506 - "316"
Finally - proof positive that Time Loops are real and that the version of events we all saw in Seasons 1 - 4 were one set in a series of Iterations - each one different, but with similarities to its predecessor. In this, the Final (?) Iteration, the first major difference I’ve noticed is that Jack, Kate and Hugo all remember the previous Iteration.
The Ep opens with an eye opening - a left eye - Jack’s left eye. He’s waking up, on his back in a bamboo grove. Welcome back to Ep 1, Scene 1. Except not quite. Vincent doesn’t come prancing through the jungle, Jack does not have a bleeding back and the first thing he hears are Hugo’s cries for help.
He follows the sound of Hugo’s voice, sees him floundering in a pool below a waterfall - possibly the same pool in which James and Kate found the gun-case and in which Paulo found Nikki’s script bag. Amazing how something familiar looks so different from another Point of View.
Hugo - who appears to have cannon-balled out of Flight 316 is floundering around with the now-soaked guitar-case he brought on board. I’m guessing he brought the guitar at "Charlie’s" request. Somebody is going to have to program the LG jammer at some point in the past/present/future. Note that Brennan, in 505, also brought a soaked musical instrument case to the Island.
After dragging Hugo into shallow water, Jack swims over to Kate, who’s lying inert at pool-side. Her question, upon waking is: "Are we?" Jack’s answer: "We’re back"
"46 hours earlier" (whatever that means):
Eloise leads Jack, Sun, Desmond and Ben through a door marked; "Caution: High Voltage. Do not enter this enclosure" and down the winding stairs, past a DI hatch (marked with a "lamp" symbol) and into the Pendulum Room. Note that The Lamp-Post is a reference to "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" and "The Magician's Nephew", the first and sixth books in the Narnia series. In the books, a lamp-post marks the passage between Narnia and the real world.
Once through this hatch door, we see a "live" wall-mounted latitude/longitude board. Ms Hawking tells us that "this is how they found the Island". When Jack asks Ben whether he knew about this place, he says he didn’t (and yet we know that he met Eloise upstairs in the Church). When Jack asks Eloise whether Ben’s telling the truth (as if that could possibly matter), she says: "probably not". Huh!? She wants Team Jack to distrust Ben more than they already do? Whatever.
We see a photo of the Island with a caption at its bottom: "9/23/54 US Army Op 264 (one day shy of exactly 50 years before the crash of FDlight 815) Top Secret EYES ONLY" - which, when I Googled it didn’t come back with anything obviously relevant. So ... the US Army figured out how to find the (moving) Island during the 50's and sent the Jughead gang (possibly in the Galaga) to seize and/or destroy it, but were defeated by 1954 Team Richard. And the reason why Ms Hawking displays this photo is ... ?
After she finds the binder she had in mind ("Ah ha!"), Ms Hawking enters Pedantic Teacher Mode:
"The room we're standing in was constructed years ago over a unique pocket of electromagnetic energy. That energy connects to similar pockets all over the world. [including Tunisia] The people who built this room, however, were only interested in one."
"The island," Sun guesses.
"Yes, the island. They'd gathered proof [from the US Army?] that it existed. They knew it was out there somewhere, but they just couldn't find it. Then, a very clever fellow built this pendulum on the theoretical notion that they should stop looking for where the island was supposed to be and start looking for where the island was going to be ... This fellow presumed, and correctly as it turns out, that the island was always moving. Why do you think you were never rescued? Now, while the movements of the island seem random, this man [Horace - Mathematician?] and his team created a series of equations which tell us, with a high degree of probability, where it is going to be in a certain point in time. Windows, as it were, that while open, provide a route back. Unfortunately, these windows don't stay open for very long. Yours closes in 36 hours." Someone went to a lot of trouble at some point in time, to keep the Island moving and therefore highly inaccessible.
Note that the (Widmore-sponsored) Kahana crew knew the Island was moving [in Space-time]
Finally - "proof" that Somebody deliberately selected, trained and herded our Losties onto Flight 815 - which was then flown into a "window" (including the "instrument malfunction" and consequent route change). Note that the in-air break-up of Flight 815 was not accompanied by a Whiteout like the one on Flight 316 - which sent our Losties into the early 1970's. Hence the "same" dates on/off-Island for the 815 survivors. At this point it looks like Team Widmore were responsible for Flight 815. Note also that Widmore sent Desmond on his Sailboat Race - which also intercepted the Island. CW knows a thing or two about Island location techniques, possibly including the funding and staffing of the Antarctic Listening Post. Note that the "real-world cause" of Flight 815's break-up over the Island was Desmond’s 9/22/04 System Failure. Talk about one big Game of "Mousetrap".
As I’d thought some time ago, Desmond’s "message" to Eloise was entirely unnecessary. She was already doing what she could. The real (Widmore) mission was IMO to offer Penny and Young Charlie up as bait with which to lure Ben into a murder attempt.
Ben’s grim look when Desmond told him he was looking for Daniel’s mother was exactly what I’d thought: Ben now knew that Widmore had sent Desmond to LA. The fact that Ben emerged from his encounter with Penny seriously injured implies that Widmore sent some muscle to guard his daughter.
It seems to me that Desmond is too important to be permitted to Play House with Penny and Young Charlie for long. If Penny’s dead, Desmond might very well be on a Vengeance Mission of his own.
Ms Hawking’s grim look when she tells Des that the Island isn’t yet done with him tells us that she knows something about Ben’s upcoming Assassination Attempt.
Note that Desmond is tuned into the Game aspect of the story. Note also that his advice to Jack ("whatever she tells you to do, ignore it") is quite similar to Sayid’s "do the opposite" advice to Hugo - which didn’t enable either of them to avoid flying the friendly skies of Ajira.
Note that within the Pendulum Chamber, there are several carved stone columns - strangely out of place in this high-tech environment. I didn’t spot any glyphs on them.
The Flight 316 co-ordinates - 34 degrees, 03N 118 degrees, 14W Guam
Some super-geek might be able to find some meaning in these numbers
Ms Hawking tells Jack that if he doesn’t round up all of the O6 that the results would be "unpredictable". So ... since Aaron was only a "half-person" on 9/22/04, the results should be "fairly predictable" ?
With the rest of the Class dismissed, Jack is asked to stay behind for a "detention", during which Ms H hands him Locke’s suicide note. Note that she told Jack that Ben and Sun had heard all that they needed to hear. For a moment, she sounded to me like The Oracle in "The Matrix " She added that the issue of Locke’s Suicide Note did not concern them - encouragement not to "share" info.
It seems to me that Locke’s suicide made a strong impression on Jack - as though (to Jack) Locke willingly died in the service of his commitment to his "faith".
Eloise’s next few lines, concerning the necessity of "giving" Locke’s body something belonging to Christian, the better to serve as a Christian proxy/substitute struck me as a Voodoo technique. Note that the "soul jars" in Jacob’s Cabin also derive from the Voodoo Religion.
Her key line: "Stop thinking how ridiculous it is and start asking yourself whether or not you believe it's going to work. That's why it's called a leap of faith, Jack." This line helps push Jack into Believing. Locke delivered this same line to him back in Season 2. Locke had heard it from Helen.
When Jack re-enters the upstairs Church and Ben asks what Eloise told him, Jack replies: "Nothing that matters" . My best guess as to why Jack didn’t expound is that he thought all this Voodoo stuff would have sounded ridiculous.
When Jack asked Ben how Ms Hawking knew "all this", Ben (looking at the Doubting Thomas painting) replied:
"Thomas the Apostle. When Jesus wanted to return to Judea, knowing that he would probably die there, Thomas said to the others: 'Let us also go, that we might die with him.' But Thomas was not remembered for this bravery. His claim to fame came later when he refused to acknowledge the resurrection. The story goes that he needed to touch Jesus' wounds to be convinced."
"So was he?"
"Of course he was. We're all convinced sooner or later, Jack." So ... Ben’s non-answer helped lead Jack into believing, like Locke, that Miracles like resurrection were possible.
A bar: Jack stares at an undrunk drink when his phone rings.
An Old Folks Home: Jack’s Granddad Ray has been retrieved on his fourth escape attempt and is "enjoying" a Magic Show, the announcement for which ("Join us for a Special Magic Show") might as well apply to LOST. The Show included a rabbit. Note that "Magic" often involves Illusions. Note also that Arthur C Clarke wrote that "Sufficiently-advanced technology is indistinguishable from Magic."
As Jack unpacks his Granddad’s Getaway Suitcase, he finds a pair of new shoes which turn out to have belonged to Christian. Just the right items to "give" to Locke, made extra meaningful when we learn why Christian wore white tennis shoes in "White Rabbit"
I’m guessing that Ray is not Christian’s father - who gave him The Watch. If I’m right, that would make him Margo’s Father. After Jack tells Ray (but not his Mum?) that he’ll be going away "for a while" (as in "forever"), he enters his clean and tidy condo/apartment. Molly Maid’s been very busy over the last few days. While Jack (after looking into various cupboards) fixes himself a drink, we hear his front door open (no knock) followed by a some quiet strides, followed by a soft thump. Kate’s dropped in for a visit.
Kate looks emotionally numb. My best guess is that Aaron’s been murdered. If not murdered, then at least kidnapped. If he’s been kidnapped, it appears he’ll be Raised By Another, because Kate has (finally) been persuaded to Go Back. I’m guessing that either Gabriel or Jeffrey or both paid her a visit after she drove home from the Long Beach Marina.
When Jack asks her what happened, she says: ""Don't ask questions. If you want me to go with you, you'll never ask me that question again. You will never ask me about Aaron again. Do you understand, Jack?" For once, he doesn’t press. Maybe he’s learned (the hard way) to Let Go. They kiss and then they fuck - the kind of sex that follows Great Fear. We never get to see whether Jack drinks that drink or not.
The next morning, Jack’s up early and makes coffee and juice for Kate.
As he moves Christian’s shoes off the table, Kate says: "Those don't make much sense for the Island. You might want to consider hiking boots."
"Those were my father's. When I went to pick up his body in Sydney, my dad didn't have any nice shoes. My mother wanted to have the funeral as soon as I landed back in L.A. and I thought, 'Who the hell is going to see his feet?' And I had these old white tennis shoes and I just said "use these, put these on". I guess he wasn't worth a nice pair of shoes to me or the time it would take to go out and get them."
"So why don't you get rid of them? Why hold on to something that makes you feel sad?"
This slightly surreal banter seems brittle and is mercifully interrupted by the phone. Exit Kate, Running Away - again.
Ben, battered, injured and bleeding is calling from the North Beach Marina - where I’m guessing he had trouble tying up his loose end. He sends Jack to pick Locke’s body up from Jill the Butcher. Note that Desmond appears to have sailed from England to LA - presumably through the Panama Canal. It would therefore seem that his meeting with Daddy Widmore occurred several weeks prior to his encounter with Ms Hawking. If Penny is dead, her Daddy basically sent her to her death. If so, it would seem that Desmond has a new Mission - to Kill Ben. And he even has an appropriate Boat on hand!
As Jack changes John’s shoes, he says: "Wherever you are, John, you must be laughing your ass off that I'm actually doing this. Because this, this is even crazier than you were."
Jack then takes the envelope out of his pocket and tucks it into Locke's clothes. "Anyhow, you can have this back. I've already heard everything you had to say, John. You wanted me to go back, I'm going back." He closes the casket. "Rest in peace."
Note that JL (with a lot of help from Team Ben) achieved 90% of his Mission even though he died believing he’d failed.
Airport: Once again, Jack is trying to get a coffin on board an airliner. Easier going this time, though. Note that when the clerk asks Jack what his relationship was to the deceased, that Jack answers: "Friend" (as opposed to his answer to the same question a few days earlier). I even think it’s true. I think that Jack has finally (tentatively) embraced the Man-Of-Faith aspect of his own personality, taking him one step closer to becoming the Great Leader that Achara saw in him back in "Stranger".
After checking in, a fellow passenger tells him: ""My condolences. I'm sorry you lost your friend." I’ve seen this actor before - but not on LOST. I’m sure we will see him again. His (actor) name is Said Taghmaouj and he ends up sitting beside Hugo on Flight 316.
In Security, Sun approaches Jack and they chat for a bit, during which she says that: "If there’s even a chance that Jin is alive, I have to be on that plane" Even if it means abandoning Ji Yeon - who is now one more child being raised by a Granparent. Can’t wait for the Sun-Jin reunion.
During the Security scan, we see Sayid being marched through (cuffed) and escorted by a (female) Marshall. Shades of (gender-reversed) deja vu! Team Ben’s been busy indeed. We also see an Oceanic Poster on the wall.
At the Gate (#15, natch), we see Hugo reading another Spanish Comic Book. This one features The Last Man on Earth, whose face looks like a skull and whose name appears to be Yorick - as in Hamlet’s Yorick. Yes indeed, our writers know their Eng Lit.
It would appear that Lawyer Dan and/or Gabriel/Jeffrey have, uh, reasoned with Hugo, who has now accepted his Fate, but has decided to spare as many civilians as possible the near-certain death (for them) to come. He has bought all 78 of the empty seats. LOST fans have got to love Hugo. The "civilians" at the Gate, however, will never know how he spared them. In fact, had they known he stopped them from getting on that plane, they would not have thanked him. And ... there was no way he could have explained himself by telling them the Truth. He would not have been believed. This is exactly the situation in place between the Season 1 Losties and Family Ben.
When Jack and he meet at Gate 15, Hugo actually says: "OK, then. Let’s do this" The Cowardly Lion has found his Courage. As Jack passes (seated) Sayid - already on board - Sayid seems surprised to see him. Sayid looks Grim. Kate - still looking Grim is also already on board. The last passenger to board is Ben.
Hugo, with the Guitar beside him, leaps up when he sees Ben and says: ""Wait, what's he doing here?"
"Hurley," Jack says.
"No, no, he can't come!"
"Hurley," Jack says, "if you want to get back, this is how it's going to have to be." [Why? Ben wasn’t on Flight 815]
"No one told me he was going to be here," Hurley says. [What did they tell you, Hugo?]
"Who told you to be here, Hugo?" Ben asks. [Like he doesn’t know]
The flight attendant asks, "Is everything okay?"
"Yes," Jack says. "Yes, everything is fine." He looks at Hurley. "Right?"
"Yes, Jack, I'll be fine." Hurley sits. Grim
Note that all of the O5 plus Ben are seated in First Class.
As Jack and Ben chit-chat about the Suicide Note that’s been course-corrected back into Jack’s hands, Jack glances back at the Economy passengers and asks: "And the other people on this plane, what's going to happen to them?"
"Who cares?" Ben says. [Stone Cold, it would seem. But. I think Ben knows that the LOST End Game will result in the deaths of millions and that a few dozen here or there simply don’t matter. How this squares with his earlier "I will kill no innocent people" speech to Kahana Michael is yet to be explained] Note that Jack, while using his Oceanic Golden Pass was similarly onconcerned with the fates of his fellow passengers.
Once the "unfasten your seat-belts" sign lights up, Jack pays Kate a visit, during which he asks: ""Hurley, Sayid being on the same plane. How did they end up here?"
"They bought a ticket." Kate = Traumatised Skeptic
"You don't think it means something? We're all back together." Jack = John
This is the "merger" between Jack and John that I’ve been anticipating for a long time. Note that "Jack" and "John" are interchangeable names.
We then find out that (as I’d expected) our captain is none other than Frank Lapidus, being course-corrected back to the Island - and he realises this as he spots Sun, Hugo, Sayid and Kate in First Class. "We’re not going to Guam, are we?" And then, instead of frantically trying to change course, he just rolls with it.
While Jack waits nervously for Turbulence, Ben is reading "Ulysses" by James Joyce.
According to Lostpedia, the novel is a story about the journey through Dublin on a single day (June 16, 1904) by its main character, Leopold Bloom. Damon and Carlton told viewers to read this book on one of the Dharma Special Access videos. A quote from page 316 of the novel is hidden in the source code of the Ajira Airways website. The final chapter [of Ulysses] is named "Penelope".
Note the tender concern that Ben shows to Jack: "No, Jack, [Locke’s suicide] wasn’t your fault ... Let me give you some privacy" [to read the Suicide Note] Ben simply cannot concern himself with the fates of inconsequential "civilians" because his energy is devoted to the Important Players on Team Jack
The note reads: "I wish you had believed me". John’s wish came true. And it was no coincidence. After Jack wakes up on his back, the note fragment he retains reads: "I wish" Once again, we are reminded that on LOST, certain Very Special people can Manifest their Wishes - maybe even posthumously.
As the (expected) turbulence hits, Hugo glances over at his fellow passenger and says: "Dude, you might wanna fasten your seatbelt" - as he fastens his eye-mask! [Classic]
The ensuing Whiteout should have clued us in to the fact that our Losties have been Time-shifted.
The Flight 316 survivors are spread out. The shiny DHARMA van looks like it just drove off the Back to the Future parking lot. Jin’s DHARMA symbol appears to resemble a Sheriff’s star. Maybe he was sent out to look for crash survivors. His hint of a smile implies that he recognises and remembers his fellow Losties. He’s been living in this time period long enough to have landed a DHARMA job. Is Daniel working in the Orchid basement at this moment? Is James hauling rocks?
Will we see 2008 Ben bump into his early 1970's self?
What role, if any, will our Losties have in the upcoming (early 1990's) Purge?
Note that the left-behind children will "now" have 30 years to grow up and ... get to the Island in 2004 Island Time?
Will the Island resurrect Locke as Locke? Or ... (my best guess) as Jacob?
I’m currently of the opinion that the Island has - or will have - a "split personality" a Jekyll/Hyde conflict (remember that Beer clue?) within itself ... a black/white civil war reflected among the Island inhabitants themselves. I think it may be this "Family" that John/Jacob is supposed to "bring together again" per Boone’s Sweat Lodge comment
The Ep opens with an eye opening - a left eye - Jack’s left eye. He’s waking up, on his back in a bamboo grove. Welcome back to Ep 1, Scene 1. Except not quite. Vincent doesn’t come prancing through the jungle, Jack does not have a bleeding back and the first thing he hears are Hugo’s cries for help.
He follows the sound of Hugo’s voice, sees him floundering in a pool below a waterfall - possibly the same pool in which James and Kate found the gun-case and in which Paulo found Nikki’s script bag. Amazing how something familiar looks so different from another Point of View.
Hugo - who appears to have cannon-balled out of Flight 316 is floundering around with the now-soaked guitar-case he brought on board. I’m guessing he brought the guitar at "Charlie’s" request. Somebody is going to have to program the LG jammer at some point in the past/present/future. Note that Brennan, in 505, also brought a soaked musical instrument case to the Island.
After dragging Hugo into shallow water, Jack swims over to Kate, who’s lying inert at pool-side. Her question, upon waking is: "Are we?" Jack’s answer: "We’re back"
"46 hours earlier" (whatever that means):
Eloise leads Jack, Sun, Desmond and Ben through a door marked; "Caution: High Voltage. Do not enter this enclosure" and down the winding stairs, past a DI hatch (marked with a "lamp" symbol) and into the Pendulum Room. Note that The Lamp-Post is a reference to "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" and "The Magician's Nephew", the first and sixth books in the Narnia series. In the books, a lamp-post marks the passage between Narnia and the real world.
Once through this hatch door, we see a "live" wall-mounted latitude/longitude board. Ms Hawking tells us that "this is how they found the Island". When Jack asks Ben whether he knew about this place, he says he didn’t (and yet we know that he met Eloise upstairs in the Church). When Jack asks Eloise whether Ben’s telling the truth (as if that could possibly matter), she says: "probably not". Huh!? She wants Team Jack to distrust Ben more than they already do? Whatever.
We see a photo of the Island with a caption at its bottom: "9/23/54 US Army Op 264 (one day shy of exactly 50 years before the crash of FDlight 815) Top Secret EYES ONLY" - which, when I Googled it didn’t come back with anything obviously relevant. So ... the US Army figured out how to find the (moving) Island during the 50's and sent the Jughead gang (possibly in the Galaga) to seize and/or destroy it, but were defeated by 1954 Team Richard. And the reason why Ms Hawking displays this photo is ... ?
After she finds the binder she had in mind ("Ah ha!"), Ms Hawking enters Pedantic Teacher Mode:
"The room we're standing in was constructed years ago over a unique pocket of electromagnetic energy. That energy connects to similar pockets all over the world. [including Tunisia] The people who built this room, however, were only interested in one."
"The island," Sun guesses.
"Yes, the island. They'd gathered proof [from the US Army?] that it existed. They knew it was out there somewhere, but they just couldn't find it. Then, a very clever fellow built this pendulum on the theoretical notion that they should stop looking for where the island was supposed to be and start looking for where the island was going to be ... This fellow presumed, and correctly as it turns out, that the island was always moving. Why do you think you were never rescued? Now, while the movements of the island seem random, this man [Horace - Mathematician?] and his team created a series of equations which tell us, with a high degree of probability, where it is going to be in a certain point in time. Windows, as it were, that while open, provide a route back. Unfortunately, these windows don't stay open for very long. Yours closes in 36 hours." Someone went to a lot of trouble at some point in time, to keep the Island moving and therefore highly inaccessible.
Note that the (Widmore-sponsored) Kahana crew knew the Island was moving [in Space-time]
Finally - "proof" that Somebody deliberately selected, trained and herded our Losties onto Flight 815 - which was then flown into a "window" (including the "instrument malfunction" and consequent route change). Note that the in-air break-up of Flight 815 was not accompanied by a Whiteout like the one on Flight 316 - which sent our Losties into the early 1970's. Hence the "same" dates on/off-Island for the 815 survivors. At this point it looks like Team Widmore were responsible for Flight 815. Note also that Widmore sent Desmond on his Sailboat Race - which also intercepted the Island. CW knows a thing or two about Island location techniques, possibly including the funding and staffing of the Antarctic Listening Post. Note that the "real-world cause" of Flight 815's break-up over the Island was Desmond’s 9/22/04 System Failure. Talk about one big Game of "Mousetrap".
As I’d thought some time ago, Desmond’s "message" to Eloise was entirely unnecessary. She was already doing what she could. The real (Widmore) mission was IMO to offer Penny and Young Charlie up as bait with which to lure Ben into a murder attempt.
Ben’s grim look when Desmond told him he was looking for Daniel’s mother was exactly what I’d thought: Ben now knew that Widmore had sent Desmond to LA. The fact that Ben emerged from his encounter with Penny seriously injured implies that Widmore sent some muscle to guard his daughter.
It seems to me that Desmond is too important to be permitted to Play House with Penny and Young Charlie for long. If Penny’s dead, Desmond might very well be on a Vengeance Mission of his own.
Ms Hawking’s grim look when she tells Des that the Island isn’t yet done with him tells us that she knows something about Ben’s upcoming Assassination Attempt.
Note that Desmond is tuned into the Game aspect of the story. Note also that his advice to Jack ("whatever she tells you to do, ignore it") is quite similar to Sayid’s "do the opposite" advice to Hugo - which didn’t enable either of them to avoid flying the friendly skies of Ajira.
Note that within the Pendulum Chamber, there are several carved stone columns - strangely out of place in this high-tech environment. I didn’t spot any glyphs on them.
The Flight 316 co-ordinates - 34 degrees, 03N 118 degrees, 14W Guam
Some super-geek might be able to find some meaning in these numbers
Ms Hawking tells Jack that if he doesn’t round up all of the O6 that the results would be "unpredictable". So ... since Aaron was only a "half-person" on 9/22/04, the results should be "fairly predictable" ?
With the rest of the Class dismissed, Jack is asked to stay behind for a "detention", during which Ms H hands him Locke’s suicide note. Note that she told Jack that Ben and Sun had heard all that they needed to hear. For a moment, she sounded to me like The Oracle in "The Matrix " She added that the issue of Locke’s Suicide Note did not concern them - encouragement not to "share" info.
It seems to me that Locke’s suicide made a strong impression on Jack - as though (to Jack) Locke willingly died in the service of his commitment to his "faith".
Eloise’s next few lines, concerning the necessity of "giving" Locke’s body something belonging to Christian, the better to serve as a Christian proxy/substitute struck me as a Voodoo technique. Note that the "soul jars" in Jacob’s Cabin also derive from the Voodoo Religion.
Her key line: "Stop thinking how ridiculous it is and start asking yourself whether or not you believe it's going to work. That's why it's called a leap of faith, Jack." This line helps push Jack into Believing. Locke delivered this same line to him back in Season 2. Locke had heard it from Helen.
When Jack re-enters the upstairs Church and Ben asks what Eloise told him, Jack replies: "Nothing that matters" . My best guess as to why Jack didn’t expound is that he thought all this Voodoo stuff would have sounded ridiculous.
When Jack asked Ben how Ms Hawking knew "all this", Ben (looking at the Doubting Thomas painting) replied:
"Thomas the Apostle. When Jesus wanted to return to Judea, knowing that he would probably die there, Thomas said to the others: 'Let us also go, that we might die with him.' But Thomas was not remembered for this bravery. His claim to fame came later when he refused to acknowledge the resurrection. The story goes that he needed to touch Jesus' wounds to be convinced."
"So was he?"
"Of course he was. We're all convinced sooner or later, Jack." So ... Ben’s non-answer helped lead Jack into believing, like Locke, that Miracles like resurrection were possible.
A bar: Jack stares at an undrunk drink when his phone rings.
An Old Folks Home: Jack’s Granddad Ray has been retrieved on his fourth escape attempt and is "enjoying" a Magic Show, the announcement for which ("Join us for a Special Magic Show") might as well apply to LOST. The Show included a rabbit. Note that "Magic" often involves Illusions. Note also that Arthur C Clarke wrote that "Sufficiently-advanced technology is indistinguishable from Magic."
As Jack unpacks his Granddad’s Getaway Suitcase, he finds a pair of new shoes which turn out to have belonged to Christian. Just the right items to "give" to Locke, made extra meaningful when we learn why Christian wore white tennis shoes in "White Rabbit"
I’m guessing that Ray is not Christian’s father - who gave him The Watch. If I’m right, that would make him Margo’s Father. After Jack tells Ray (but not his Mum?) that he’ll be going away "for a while" (as in "forever"), he enters his clean and tidy condo/apartment. Molly Maid’s been very busy over the last few days. While Jack (after looking into various cupboards) fixes himself a drink, we hear his front door open (no knock) followed by a some quiet strides, followed by a soft thump. Kate’s dropped in for a visit.
Kate looks emotionally numb. My best guess is that Aaron’s been murdered. If not murdered, then at least kidnapped. If he’s been kidnapped, it appears he’ll be Raised By Another, because Kate has (finally) been persuaded to Go Back. I’m guessing that either Gabriel or Jeffrey or both paid her a visit after she drove home from the Long Beach Marina.
When Jack asks her what happened, she says: ""Don't ask questions. If you want me to go with you, you'll never ask me that question again. You will never ask me about Aaron again. Do you understand, Jack?" For once, he doesn’t press. Maybe he’s learned (the hard way) to Let Go. They kiss and then they fuck - the kind of sex that follows Great Fear. We never get to see whether Jack drinks that drink or not.
The next morning, Jack’s up early and makes coffee and juice for Kate.
As he moves Christian’s shoes off the table, Kate says: "Those don't make much sense for the Island. You might want to consider hiking boots."
"Those were my father's. When I went to pick up his body in Sydney, my dad didn't have any nice shoes. My mother wanted to have the funeral as soon as I landed back in L.A. and I thought, 'Who the hell is going to see his feet?' And I had these old white tennis shoes and I just said "use these, put these on". I guess he wasn't worth a nice pair of shoes to me or the time it would take to go out and get them."
"So why don't you get rid of them? Why hold on to something that makes you feel sad?"
This slightly surreal banter seems brittle and is mercifully interrupted by the phone. Exit Kate, Running Away - again.
Ben, battered, injured and bleeding is calling from the North Beach Marina - where I’m guessing he had trouble tying up his loose end. He sends Jack to pick Locke’s body up from Jill the Butcher. Note that Desmond appears to have sailed from England to LA - presumably through the Panama Canal. It would therefore seem that his meeting with Daddy Widmore occurred several weeks prior to his encounter with Ms Hawking. If Penny is dead, her Daddy basically sent her to her death. If so, it would seem that Desmond has a new Mission - to Kill Ben. And he even has an appropriate Boat on hand!
As Jack changes John’s shoes, he says: "Wherever you are, John, you must be laughing your ass off that I'm actually doing this. Because this, this is even crazier than you were."
Jack then takes the envelope out of his pocket and tucks it into Locke's clothes. "Anyhow, you can have this back. I've already heard everything you had to say, John. You wanted me to go back, I'm going back." He closes the casket. "Rest in peace."
Note that JL (with a lot of help from Team Ben) achieved 90% of his Mission even though he died believing he’d failed.
Airport: Once again, Jack is trying to get a coffin on board an airliner. Easier going this time, though. Note that when the clerk asks Jack what his relationship was to the deceased, that Jack answers: "Friend" (as opposed to his answer to the same question a few days earlier). I even think it’s true. I think that Jack has finally (tentatively) embraced the Man-Of-Faith aspect of his own personality, taking him one step closer to becoming the Great Leader that Achara saw in him back in "Stranger".
After checking in, a fellow passenger tells him: ""My condolences. I'm sorry you lost your friend." I’ve seen this actor before - but not on LOST. I’m sure we will see him again. His (actor) name is Said Taghmaouj and he ends up sitting beside Hugo on Flight 316.
In Security, Sun approaches Jack and they chat for a bit, during which she says that: "If there’s even a chance that Jin is alive, I have to be on that plane" Even if it means abandoning Ji Yeon - who is now one more child being raised by a Granparent. Can’t wait for the Sun-Jin reunion.
During the Security scan, we see Sayid being marched through (cuffed) and escorted by a (female) Marshall. Shades of (gender-reversed) deja vu! Team Ben’s been busy indeed. We also see an Oceanic Poster on the wall.
At the Gate (#15, natch), we see Hugo reading another Spanish Comic Book. This one features The Last Man on Earth, whose face looks like a skull and whose name appears to be Yorick - as in Hamlet’s Yorick. Yes indeed, our writers know their Eng Lit.
It would appear that Lawyer Dan and/or Gabriel/Jeffrey have, uh, reasoned with Hugo, who has now accepted his Fate, but has decided to spare as many civilians as possible the near-certain death (for them) to come. He has bought all 78 of the empty seats. LOST fans have got to love Hugo. The "civilians" at the Gate, however, will never know how he spared them. In fact, had they known he stopped them from getting on that plane, they would not have thanked him. And ... there was no way he could have explained himself by telling them the Truth. He would not have been believed. This is exactly the situation in place between the Season 1 Losties and Family Ben.
When Jack and he meet at Gate 15, Hugo actually says: "OK, then. Let’s do this" The Cowardly Lion has found his Courage. As Jack passes (seated) Sayid - already on board - Sayid seems surprised to see him. Sayid looks Grim. Kate - still looking Grim is also already on board. The last passenger to board is Ben.
Hugo, with the Guitar beside him, leaps up when he sees Ben and says: ""Wait, what's he doing here?"
"Hurley," Jack says.
"No, no, he can't come!"
"Hurley," Jack says, "if you want to get back, this is how it's going to have to be." [Why? Ben wasn’t on Flight 815]
"No one told me he was going to be here," Hurley says. [What did they tell you, Hugo?]
"Who told you to be here, Hugo?" Ben asks. [Like he doesn’t know]
The flight attendant asks, "Is everything okay?"
"Yes," Jack says. "Yes, everything is fine." He looks at Hurley. "Right?"
"Yes, Jack, I'll be fine." Hurley sits. Grim
Note that all of the O5 plus Ben are seated in First Class.
As Jack and Ben chit-chat about the Suicide Note that’s been course-corrected back into Jack’s hands, Jack glances back at the Economy passengers and asks: "And the other people on this plane, what's going to happen to them?"
"Who cares?" Ben says. [Stone Cold, it would seem. But. I think Ben knows that the LOST End Game will result in the deaths of millions and that a few dozen here or there simply don’t matter. How this squares with his earlier "I will kill no innocent people" speech to Kahana Michael is yet to be explained] Note that Jack, while using his Oceanic Golden Pass was similarly onconcerned with the fates of his fellow passengers.
Once the "unfasten your seat-belts" sign lights up, Jack pays Kate a visit, during which he asks: ""Hurley, Sayid being on the same plane. How did they end up here?"
"They bought a ticket." Kate = Traumatised Skeptic
"You don't think it means something? We're all back together." Jack = John
This is the "merger" between Jack and John that I’ve been anticipating for a long time. Note that "Jack" and "John" are interchangeable names.
We then find out that (as I’d expected) our captain is none other than Frank Lapidus, being course-corrected back to the Island - and he realises this as he spots Sun, Hugo, Sayid and Kate in First Class. "We’re not going to Guam, are we?" And then, instead of frantically trying to change course, he just rolls with it.
While Jack waits nervously for Turbulence, Ben is reading "Ulysses" by James Joyce.
According to Lostpedia, the novel is a story about the journey through Dublin on a single day (June 16, 1904) by its main character, Leopold Bloom. Damon and Carlton told viewers to read this book on one of the Dharma Special Access videos. A quote from page 316 of the novel is hidden in the source code of the Ajira Airways website. The final chapter [of Ulysses] is named "Penelope".
Note the tender concern that Ben shows to Jack: "No, Jack, [Locke’s suicide] wasn’t your fault ... Let me give you some privacy" [to read the Suicide Note] Ben simply cannot concern himself with the fates of inconsequential "civilians" because his energy is devoted to the Important Players on Team Jack
The note reads: "I wish you had believed me". John’s wish came true. And it was no coincidence. After Jack wakes up on his back, the note fragment he retains reads: "I wish" Once again, we are reminded that on LOST, certain Very Special people can Manifest their Wishes - maybe even posthumously.
As the (expected) turbulence hits, Hugo glances over at his fellow passenger and says: "Dude, you might wanna fasten your seatbelt" - as he fastens his eye-mask! [Classic]
The ensuing Whiteout should have clued us in to the fact that our Losties have been Time-shifted.
The Flight 316 survivors are spread out. The shiny DHARMA van looks like it just drove off the Back to the Future parking lot. Jin’s DHARMA symbol appears to resemble a Sheriff’s star. Maybe he was sent out to look for crash survivors. His hint of a smile implies that he recognises and remembers his fellow Losties. He’s been living in this time period long enough to have landed a DHARMA job. Is Daniel working in the Orchid basement at this moment? Is James hauling rocks?
Will we see 2008 Ben bump into his early 1970's self?
What role, if any, will our Losties have in the upcoming (early 1990's) Purge?
Note that the left-behind children will "now" have 30 years to grow up and ... get to the Island in 2004 Island Time?
Will the Island resurrect Locke as Locke? Or ... (my best guess) as Jacob?
I’m currently of the opinion that the Island has - or will have - a "split personality" a Jekyll/Hyde conflict (remember that Beer clue?) within itself ... a black/white civil war reflected among the Island inhabitants themselves. I think it may be this "Family" that John/Jacob is supposed to "bring together again" per Boone’s Sweat Lodge comment
505 Recap - This Place is Death
For me, the biggest and yet subtle revelation of the Ep was that the Losties still have no idea just how bad The Bad Guys really are/were/will be. I totally believe Ben when he tells Jack and Sun: "What I'm doing is helping you! And if you had any idea what I've had to do to keep you safe, to keep your friends safe, you'd never stop thanking me."
IMO, The Bad Guys shaped the pre-crash lives of our Losties in all their collective misery and loaded them onto Flight 815 in order to use them against Ben’s Good Guy team. Constrained by The Rules, Team Ben protected and rehabilitated the Losties as part of a huge effort to Save The World and 505 showed us a glimpse of the titanic antagonistic forces on and off the Island arrayed against Team Christian/Hawking/Linus.
Recap:
Before Sun and her Gun get out of her car at Slip 23, she gets a phone-call from her daughter and during this call, it suddenly struck me that Sun was already, by that point, ready to abandon Ji-Yeon in pursuit of Vengeance. She was ready to go to jail over the murder of Ben Linus. This explains (to me) why she’d be prepared, by the end of this Ep, to abandon Ji-Yeon and follow Ben back to the Island - back to Jin.
I’m amused at all the LOST-fan speculation that Sun’s real target was Jack. Some times things really are what they seem on this Show. Ben was her Vengeance Target and if Widmore really did send the Gun ‘n Chocolates to Sun in a bid to indirectly kill Ben, he failed again. For now.
As Sun lectures Ben about the three years she’s been nursing her Grudge, we see a boat in the background. The name on the boat is "Illusion". If this Show is a huge Illusion - such as ... "it’s all a dream", I’ll be more than a little, er, annoyed. And yet, the recycling of names, scenarios, sounds, spoken lines and "props" (like one single brand of Scotch) coupled with the Show’s constant references to Altered Mental States like Sleep, Sleep-deprivation, Unconsciousness, Insanity, Lucid Dreams plus Memory Issues ... there’s something that smells fishy to me.
Kate retrieves Aaron from Auntie Sun’s car and stalks off, muttering phrases like: " you guys (including "Jeremy Bentham") are crazy" and drives off in her Volvo - heading "home" no doubt, happy in the knowledge that Lawyer Dan was working for Ben and not Grandma Littleton. I think it’s time for her to meet the Real Bad Guys.
Sayid walks off, saying that he wants "no part in any of this". Except for the Rule about "Informed Consent", I’d say it was time for Team Ben to break out the Elephant Trank Darts. Is Sayid on his way to tell Hugo to stay in jail?
Sun agrees to defer her trigger-pulling until Ben shows her the "proof" that Jin’s alive. En route to St Eloise Church, Ben unleashes the above Honesty Torrent which shuts both Jack and Sun up for the rest of the ride.
Upon arrival at the Church, Ben gives Sun the ring that Jin had previously given to Locke and uses it to achieve the opposite of what Jin had wanted. Ben uses the ring to help persuade Sun to Go Back. That ‘s the problem with letting someone else do your work for you. So ... how did Ben know to have the ring in his pocket? Maybe Jack phoned him. Or maybe he knew telepathically. Or maybe he manifested the ring on the spot.
As they approach the Church, Desmond strolls up and asks: "What are you doing here?" Another priceless Jack/Desmond Miracle Moment.
Note that as soon as Desmond asked Ben: "You’re looking for Faraday’s mother too?" that Ben’s mood instantly became more grim. He knew that Widmore had sent Desmond to LA. Is Penny’s life in dire peril? Let us hope that Ben’s been able to "let go" of his desire for Vengeance.
As we enter the Church, Eloise seems to be prepared to do her magic (or at least start it off) on the Installment Plan. I hope she’s not as evil as she looks at that moment.
Meanwhile, back on the Island:
Jin confirms the date (11/88), but, like Marty McFly, is not thinking four-dimensionally. He somehow believes that "his camp" (complete with helicopter) might exist elsewhere on the Island in 1988. Nuh uh.
After admitting that he couldn’t find "his" camp by following the shoreline, Jin agreed that he could find it from the Radio Tower. Except that Jin was never at the RT, but whatever ...
En route to the Radio Tower, we learn a little more about The Monster. Its first victim of the day was Nadine who was quietly snatched, quietly executed and then placed into some tree branches (a la Seth Norris). After her body fell to the ground, the Monster’s next vic was Montand - who was dragged into a Cerberus Vent by Smokey - who had some new (to us) sounds - a "tapping/hammering" sound plus a roar we haven’t heard before. After dragging Montand into the hole (minus his left arm), we hear a voice - probably of the already-resurrected "Montand" - informing Team Danielle that he’s "hurt" [no shit, Sherlock] and that "it’s gone" [yeah, right]. Sounds like bait in a trap to me. Naturally, Robert plus both of his buddies climb into the hole shortly before the next Whiteout, after which Jin finds himself alone outside the Temple. Alone, except for Montand’s now-aged arm. The Temple is "decorated" by glyphs looking similar to those incised on Ben’s Secret Door, the FDW chamber and displayed on the Swan count-down timer.
The undeniably evil way in which Smokey ripped Montand’s body away from his friends reminded me that S1 Locke had looked into the beautiful white light "eye of The island" and that we’ve seen hints of "White Flashy" in previous Ep’s - such as when WF drove off Black Smokey while it was attacking Juliet and Kate in "Left Behind". It seems to me now as though The Island itself contained/contains two opposing forces - one light and one dark - and that these two opposing forces have similar powers - including the ability to send Lucid Dreams, the ability to resurrect, incarnate and reincarnate living, breathing beings as well as inanimate objects ... and that the Island’s Dark Side might very well be opposed to All Human Life. The fact that "Robert" - "changed" by the Dark Side of The Island - was "willing" to murder an innocent pregnant woman further persuades me that the Dark Side of The Island is evil. The fact that Ben could summon Smokey to harass Team Keamy suggests that Smokey is a tool to be used by either side.
After taking a drink from a jungle leaf, Jin spies a column of Black Smoke - described by 2004 Danielle as a precursor to a Visit from The Others. Jin then finds Danielle’s Beach Camp - which includes Brennan’s violin case, Danielle’s Music Box, a box marked "Explosive" (possibly from the Black Rock) and the fly-blown bodies of Lacombe and Brennan. He hears Danielle: "You're not Robert! You're someone else! That thing changed you!" I’m guessing that she came to the same conclusion about the two Beach Buddies.
from 109 ("Solitary") :
DANIELLE [to Sayid]: You just happened to hear my distress call? I know what you are ... I broadcast from somewhere else. But they control it now
SAYID: They?
DANIELLE: You... and the others like you [Island Changelings]
DANIELLE: Our vessel was 3 days out of Tahiti when our instruments malfunctioned... The ship slammed into rocks, ran aground, the hull breached beyond repair. So, we made camp, dug out this temporary shelter ... Temporary ... Nearly 2 months we survived here, 2 months before --
SAYID: Your distress signal? The message I heard, you said, "It killed them all."
DANIELLE: We were coming back from the Black Rock. It was them. They were the carriers...
DANIELLE: The firing pin has been removed. Robert didn't notice it was missing, either -- when I shot him. It took them, one after the other. I had no choice. They were already lost ... What would have happened if we were rescued? I couldn't let that happen.
from 123 ("Exodus, Part 1") :
DANIELLE: The Black Rock is not far. This is where it all began -- where my team got infected -- where Montand lost his arm.
So ... in Season 1, Danielle believed that her compatriots had been infected near the Black Rock, with a Personality-changing Sickness which they’d contracted from the Others who were "the [disease] carriers" and she believed that "The Monster" was no more than a Security System guarding the Island. In S1, Montand lost his arm near the Black Rock.
In 505, Montand lost his arm under the Temple and Team Danielle did not dig out a Jungle Shelter where they survived for nearly 2 months; instead, Danielle (on her own after the deaths of Nadia and Montand) returned to the Beach after the disaster at The Temple (not the Black Rock)
In 505, Danielle shot Brennan and Lacombe who had "returned" from the Temple as "Changelings" and laid them out side by side but unburied on the beach. She subsequently killed "Robert" after "he" persuaded her to lower her rifle so that he could (try to) shoot her - which proved that she had been right about him too having been "changed" by The Monster.
In 505, Danielle firmly believed in The Monster as much more than a Security System. Judging by the state of Montand’s arm and the state of the two beach corpses, Danielle shot Robert about a month after the Temple Disaster - but before giving birth to Alex.
In the 505 Iteration, she took a few parting rifle shots (all "misses", natch) at Jin before he was snatched away by the Whiteout. Since these two Iterations of the Rousseau Saga are different, we don’t have to worry about whether S1-S4 Danielle "remembered" Jin.
So ... Danielle (after her child’s kidnapping) "goes crazy" and lives alone for 16 years? I doubt it - and hope we get to see a follow-up to the 505 Rousseau events soon.
After the joyful James/Jin reunion and immediately after James clues Jin in on the finer points of Whiteout Time-skipping, Jin bursts out with some Korean and asks Charlotte (who’s sitting beside Miles) to translate. James mistakenly thinks that Jin has addressed this request to Miles, who offers: "Uh, he’s Korean; I’m from Encino" Priceless.
In true Lostian fashion, it’s the red-haired white girl who speaks Korean. So ... why did she try to hide her Korean language skill? Some observers (more imaginative than me) have suggested that she was a Paik plant, but that seems now to have been a Red Herring.
As Team Locke marches toward the Orchid, Daniel drops back with Charlotte and asks her if she speaks any other languages. Instead of asking him: "How many languages are there?", she replies: "just Klingon" [yay Star Trek!!] Note that Locke has his Knife plus a Machete. Kinda like wearing a belt plus suspenders.
Shortly after, Daniel offers: "It does make empirical sense that if this started at The Orchid, then that's where it's got to stop. But as far as bringing back the people that left in order to stop these temporal shifts, that's where we leave Science behind." Exit Science, enter Voodoo (or Faith). Allrighty then.
The increasing frequency of the next few Whiteouts plus the increase in the number of nose-bleed victims convinces John, James, Jin, Miles and Juliet of the urgency to do ... something, and Locke’s Plan starts sounding less and less crazy, to the point where everyone but Daniel is willing to abandon Charlotte.
After her terrifying warning to Jin not to permit Sun’s return to the Island because This Place Is Death, she slips into Theresa mode: "Why can't Daddy come with us? ... You know what my mom would say about marrying an American ... I know more about ancient Carthage than Hannibal himself." So ... did Charlotte once consider marrying an American? Possibly an American Physicist?
It seems that Charlotte was a Geronimo Jackson fan like Officer Eddie’s Dad, Commune Mike and John Locke. She also offered an Orchid clue to John: "Look for the well. You’ll find it at The Well" Thanks for that, Red. [I wonder if we’ll ever find out how she knew about The Well]
After the departure of Team Locke, we learn from Charlotte that: "Daniel, I've been here before."
"You've been here before?"
"I grew up here, on the Island. There was this thing, the Dharma Initiative ... and then I moved away with my mom and I never saw my dad again. And when I got back (?) to England, I asked my mom about this place, but she would say that it wasn't real and that I made it up. That's why I became an anthropologist, to find this island again. It's what I've been searching for my whole life." So ... she grew up remembering her early Island life? Based on her joy at finding the Tunisia DI Polar Bear, I’d say yes. Note that her mom (Annie?) told her that her Island Life was an Illusion. Yikes.
So ... Charlotte was born in England, moved to the island for a few years and then moved back to England? Allrighty, then.
"Charlotte, why are you telling me this?"
"Because I remember something now. When I was little, living here, there was this man, this crazy man. He really scared me. He said that if I ever came back I would die." This sounds like a "repressed memory", that she only remembered "now".
"Charlotte, I don't understand."
"Daniel, I think that man was you." Hmmm ... Daniel does/did get around - and he doesn’t "remember" this warning. Yet. Maybe it’s in his journal.
Just before she dies, Daniel tells Charlotte that his mother can help them.
Her Work finally Done, Charlotte dies, and Daniel weeps as he did before being recruited by MA. How did that man know whom to call?
So ... can Mummy resurrect Charlotte?
Meanwhile, back at The Well, James asks what John expects to find at its bottom - a subway? Priceless. Jin extracts a promise from John not to bring Sun back to the Island. He promises. Sun will Come Back anyway. No wonder John had to die.
John kept his word and did not contact Sun. But Ben contacted Locke - who gave him Jin’s ring. Note that the Very Bad Things that John told Jack about include some Red-shirt deaths, the disappearance of Bernard and Rose and some nose-bleeds ... a far cry from the Death of Every Single Living Person.
Note that The Well pre-dates the 1970's DI, that the FDW chamber is at its bottom, that the Whiteout Time Skip Flashes emanate from the bottom of the Well, propagating "upwards", that The Well disappeared at some point before the Orchid construction and that it appears to have a tunnel connection to ... somewhere/somewhen else.
Shortly after John falls a good distance (again), lands on his back (again) and injures his R leg (again), "Christian" strides into view, lights a "Jacob lamp" and tells John that he’s there to help him the rest of the way:
"When you came to see me [Christian = Jacob?] in the cabin, you asked me how to save the island and I told you you had to move it. I said that you had to move it, John."
"But Ben said he knew how to do it. He told me that I had to stay here and lead his people."
"And since when did listening to him get you anywhere worth a damn? [valid point] The good thing is that you're here now. You ready to go?" The implication is that John should have insisted that he be the one to Move The Island. But we all know that Ben had to leave first to Prepare The Way. "Christian" is still manipulating John (in a Good way, I think)
"I don't know what to do once I get there."
"There's a woman living in Los Angeles. Once you get all of your friends together, and it must be all of them, everyone who left [does Ji-Yeon count?] and once you've persuaded them to join you, this woman will tell you exactly how to come back."
"Who is she?"
"Her name is Eloise Hawking." Jacob/Christian/The Island/Richard/Ben and maybe Widmore are all on the Same Team.
"What if I can only convince some of them to come back?"
"I believe in you, John. You can do this." It’s all about Motivation.
"Richard said I was going to die."
"I suppose that's why they call it a sacrifice."
"Alright. I'm ready." This Messianic willingness to die for the Greater Good marks John as a worthy Leader AND (I think) marks Team Jacob/Hawking/Linus as Good Guys.
"Good. Now on the other side of this column, here, is a wheel that's slipped off its axis. And all you have to do is give it a little push."
Locke tries to get up. "Can you help me up?"
"No. Sorry, I can't." [John Locke = A Moth]
Locke uses the wall to pull himself up. He sees the wheel oscillating - the Time Skipping Effect of which is presumably "magnified" Outside - plus some flashes coming from behind the wall. It would appear that the other side of the wall is the Cold Side.
"Good luck, John," Christian says.
Locke goes to the wheel and pulls it. As the flash of light comes, Christian says, "Say hello to my son."
"Who's your son?" Locke says.
Cut to Christian’s son, with Sun.
So ... after John "stabilised" the Unfrozen Donkey Wheel, I’m guessing that the Island Flashes stopped (?) while Team Ford and Family Richard and the Other Others await the return of The Six ++ (?)
Note that John failed to convince any of The Six to Go Back. Did he actually commit suicide (all depressed over his failure?) as reported in the newspaper? Or was he murdered by The Bad Guys? For St John to qualify for legitimate membership in the Messiah Club, it would have to be Murder, I think.
IMO, The Bad Guys shaped the pre-crash lives of our Losties in all their collective misery and loaded them onto Flight 815 in order to use them against Ben’s Good Guy team. Constrained by The Rules, Team Ben protected and rehabilitated the Losties as part of a huge effort to Save The World and 505 showed us a glimpse of the titanic antagonistic forces on and off the Island arrayed against Team Christian/Hawking/Linus.
Recap:
Before Sun and her Gun get out of her car at Slip 23, she gets a phone-call from her daughter and during this call, it suddenly struck me that Sun was already, by that point, ready to abandon Ji-Yeon in pursuit of Vengeance. She was ready to go to jail over the murder of Ben Linus. This explains (to me) why she’d be prepared, by the end of this Ep, to abandon Ji-Yeon and follow Ben back to the Island - back to Jin.
I’m amused at all the LOST-fan speculation that Sun’s real target was Jack. Some times things really are what they seem on this Show. Ben was her Vengeance Target and if Widmore really did send the Gun ‘n Chocolates to Sun in a bid to indirectly kill Ben, he failed again. For now.
As Sun lectures Ben about the three years she’s been nursing her Grudge, we see a boat in the background. The name on the boat is "Illusion". If this Show is a huge Illusion - such as ... "it’s all a dream", I’ll be more than a little, er, annoyed. And yet, the recycling of names, scenarios, sounds, spoken lines and "props" (like one single brand of Scotch) coupled with the Show’s constant references to Altered Mental States like Sleep, Sleep-deprivation, Unconsciousness, Insanity, Lucid Dreams plus Memory Issues ... there’s something that smells fishy to me.
Kate retrieves Aaron from Auntie Sun’s car and stalks off, muttering phrases like: " you guys (including "Jeremy Bentham") are crazy" and drives off in her Volvo - heading "home" no doubt, happy in the knowledge that Lawyer Dan was working for Ben and not Grandma Littleton. I think it’s time for her to meet the Real Bad Guys.
Sayid walks off, saying that he wants "no part in any of this". Except for the Rule about "Informed Consent", I’d say it was time for Team Ben to break out the Elephant Trank Darts. Is Sayid on his way to tell Hugo to stay in jail?
Sun agrees to defer her trigger-pulling until Ben shows her the "proof" that Jin’s alive. En route to St Eloise Church, Ben unleashes the above Honesty Torrent which shuts both Jack and Sun up for the rest of the ride.
Upon arrival at the Church, Ben gives Sun the ring that Jin had previously given to Locke and uses it to achieve the opposite of what Jin had wanted. Ben uses the ring to help persuade Sun to Go Back. That ‘s the problem with letting someone else do your work for you. So ... how did Ben know to have the ring in his pocket? Maybe Jack phoned him. Or maybe he knew telepathically. Or maybe he manifested the ring on the spot.
As they approach the Church, Desmond strolls up and asks: "What are you doing here?" Another priceless Jack/Desmond Miracle Moment.
Note that as soon as Desmond asked Ben: "You’re looking for Faraday’s mother too?" that Ben’s mood instantly became more grim. He knew that Widmore had sent Desmond to LA. Is Penny’s life in dire peril? Let us hope that Ben’s been able to "let go" of his desire for Vengeance.
As we enter the Church, Eloise seems to be prepared to do her magic (or at least start it off) on the Installment Plan. I hope she’s not as evil as she looks at that moment.
Meanwhile, back on the Island:
Jin confirms the date (11/88), but, like Marty McFly, is not thinking four-dimensionally. He somehow believes that "his camp" (complete with helicopter) might exist elsewhere on the Island in 1988. Nuh uh.
After admitting that he couldn’t find "his" camp by following the shoreline, Jin agreed that he could find it from the Radio Tower. Except that Jin was never at the RT, but whatever ...
En route to the Radio Tower, we learn a little more about The Monster. Its first victim of the day was Nadine who was quietly snatched, quietly executed and then placed into some tree branches (a la Seth Norris). After her body fell to the ground, the Monster’s next vic was Montand - who was dragged into a Cerberus Vent by Smokey - who had some new (to us) sounds - a "tapping/hammering" sound plus a roar we haven’t heard before. After dragging Montand into the hole (minus his left arm), we hear a voice - probably of the already-resurrected "Montand" - informing Team Danielle that he’s "hurt" [no shit, Sherlock] and that "it’s gone" [yeah, right]. Sounds like bait in a trap to me. Naturally, Robert plus both of his buddies climb into the hole shortly before the next Whiteout, after which Jin finds himself alone outside the Temple. Alone, except for Montand’s now-aged arm. The Temple is "decorated" by glyphs looking similar to those incised on Ben’s Secret Door, the FDW chamber and displayed on the Swan count-down timer.
The undeniably evil way in which Smokey ripped Montand’s body away from his friends reminded me that S1 Locke had looked into the beautiful white light "eye of The island" and that we’ve seen hints of "White Flashy" in previous Ep’s - such as when WF drove off Black Smokey while it was attacking Juliet and Kate in "Left Behind". It seems to me now as though The Island itself contained/contains two opposing forces - one light and one dark - and that these two opposing forces have similar powers - including the ability to send Lucid Dreams, the ability to resurrect, incarnate and reincarnate living, breathing beings as well as inanimate objects ... and that the Island’s Dark Side might very well be opposed to All Human Life. The fact that "Robert" - "changed" by the Dark Side of The Island - was "willing" to murder an innocent pregnant woman further persuades me that the Dark Side of The Island is evil. The fact that Ben could summon Smokey to harass Team Keamy suggests that Smokey is a tool to be used by either side.
After taking a drink from a jungle leaf, Jin spies a column of Black Smoke - described by 2004 Danielle as a precursor to a Visit from The Others. Jin then finds Danielle’s Beach Camp - which includes Brennan’s violin case, Danielle’s Music Box, a box marked "Explosive" (possibly from the Black Rock) and the fly-blown bodies of Lacombe and Brennan. He hears Danielle: "You're not Robert! You're someone else! That thing changed you!" I’m guessing that she came to the same conclusion about the two Beach Buddies.
from 109 ("Solitary") :
DANIELLE [to Sayid]: You just happened to hear my distress call? I know what you are ... I broadcast from somewhere else. But they control it now
SAYID: They?
DANIELLE: You... and the others like you [Island Changelings]
DANIELLE: Our vessel was 3 days out of Tahiti when our instruments malfunctioned... The ship slammed into rocks, ran aground, the hull breached beyond repair. So, we made camp, dug out this temporary shelter ... Temporary ... Nearly 2 months we survived here, 2 months before --
SAYID: Your distress signal? The message I heard, you said, "It killed them all."
DANIELLE: We were coming back from the Black Rock. It was them. They were the carriers...
DANIELLE: The firing pin has been removed. Robert didn't notice it was missing, either -- when I shot him. It took them, one after the other. I had no choice. They were already lost ... What would have happened if we were rescued? I couldn't let that happen.
from 123 ("Exodus, Part 1") :
DANIELLE: The Black Rock is not far. This is where it all began -- where my team got infected -- where Montand lost his arm.
So ... in Season 1, Danielle believed that her compatriots had been infected near the Black Rock, with a Personality-changing Sickness which they’d contracted from the Others who were "the [disease] carriers" and she believed that "The Monster" was no more than a Security System guarding the Island. In S1, Montand lost his arm near the Black Rock.
In 505, Montand lost his arm under the Temple and Team Danielle did not dig out a Jungle Shelter where they survived for nearly 2 months; instead, Danielle (on her own after the deaths of Nadia and Montand) returned to the Beach after the disaster at The Temple (not the Black Rock)
In 505, Danielle shot Brennan and Lacombe who had "returned" from the Temple as "Changelings" and laid them out side by side but unburied on the beach. She subsequently killed "Robert" after "he" persuaded her to lower her rifle so that he could (try to) shoot her - which proved that she had been right about him too having been "changed" by The Monster.
In 505, Danielle firmly believed in The Monster as much more than a Security System. Judging by the state of Montand’s arm and the state of the two beach corpses, Danielle shot Robert about a month after the Temple Disaster - but before giving birth to Alex.
In the 505 Iteration, she took a few parting rifle shots (all "misses", natch) at Jin before he was snatched away by the Whiteout. Since these two Iterations of the Rousseau Saga are different, we don’t have to worry about whether S1-S4 Danielle "remembered" Jin.
So ... Danielle (after her child’s kidnapping) "goes crazy" and lives alone for 16 years? I doubt it - and hope we get to see a follow-up to the 505 Rousseau events soon.
After the joyful James/Jin reunion and immediately after James clues Jin in on the finer points of Whiteout Time-skipping, Jin bursts out with some Korean and asks Charlotte (who’s sitting beside Miles) to translate. James mistakenly thinks that Jin has addressed this request to Miles, who offers: "Uh, he’s Korean; I’m from Encino" Priceless.
In true Lostian fashion, it’s the red-haired white girl who speaks Korean. So ... why did she try to hide her Korean language skill? Some observers (more imaginative than me) have suggested that she was a Paik plant, but that seems now to have been a Red Herring.
As Team Locke marches toward the Orchid, Daniel drops back with Charlotte and asks her if she speaks any other languages. Instead of asking him: "How many languages are there?", she replies: "just Klingon" [yay Star Trek!!] Note that Locke has his Knife plus a Machete. Kinda like wearing a belt plus suspenders.
Shortly after, Daniel offers: "It does make empirical sense that if this started at The Orchid, then that's where it's got to stop. But as far as bringing back the people that left in order to stop these temporal shifts, that's where we leave Science behind." Exit Science, enter Voodoo (or Faith). Allrighty then.
The increasing frequency of the next few Whiteouts plus the increase in the number of nose-bleed victims convinces John, James, Jin, Miles and Juliet of the urgency to do ... something, and Locke’s Plan starts sounding less and less crazy, to the point where everyone but Daniel is willing to abandon Charlotte.
After her terrifying warning to Jin not to permit Sun’s return to the Island because This Place Is Death, she slips into Theresa mode: "Why can't Daddy come with us? ... You know what my mom would say about marrying an American ... I know more about ancient Carthage than Hannibal himself." So ... did Charlotte once consider marrying an American? Possibly an American Physicist?
It seems that Charlotte was a Geronimo Jackson fan like Officer Eddie’s Dad, Commune Mike and John Locke. She also offered an Orchid clue to John: "Look for the well. You’ll find it at The Well" Thanks for that, Red. [I wonder if we’ll ever find out how she knew about The Well]
After the departure of Team Locke, we learn from Charlotte that: "Daniel, I've been here before."
"You've been here before?"
"I grew up here, on the Island. There was this thing, the Dharma Initiative ... and then I moved away with my mom and I never saw my dad again. And when I got back (?) to England, I asked my mom about this place, but she would say that it wasn't real and that I made it up. That's why I became an anthropologist, to find this island again. It's what I've been searching for my whole life." So ... she grew up remembering her early Island life? Based on her joy at finding the Tunisia DI Polar Bear, I’d say yes. Note that her mom (Annie?) told her that her Island Life was an Illusion. Yikes.
So ... Charlotte was born in England, moved to the island for a few years and then moved back to England? Allrighty, then.
"Charlotte, why are you telling me this?"
"Because I remember something now. When I was little, living here, there was this man, this crazy man. He really scared me. He said that if I ever came back I would die." This sounds like a "repressed memory", that she only remembered "now".
"Charlotte, I don't understand."
"Daniel, I think that man was you." Hmmm ... Daniel does/did get around - and he doesn’t "remember" this warning. Yet. Maybe it’s in his journal.
Just before she dies, Daniel tells Charlotte that his mother can help them.
Her Work finally Done, Charlotte dies, and Daniel weeps as he did before being recruited by MA. How did that man know whom to call?
So ... can Mummy resurrect Charlotte?
Meanwhile, back at The Well, James asks what John expects to find at its bottom - a subway? Priceless. Jin extracts a promise from John not to bring Sun back to the Island. He promises. Sun will Come Back anyway. No wonder John had to die.
John kept his word and did not contact Sun. But Ben contacted Locke - who gave him Jin’s ring. Note that the Very Bad Things that John told Jack about include some Red-shirt deaths, the disappearance of Bernard and Rose and some nose-bleeds ... a far cry from the Death of Every Single Living Person.
Note that The Well pre-dates the 1970's DI, that the FDW chamber is at its bottom, that the Whiteout Time Skip Flashes emanate from the bottom of the Well, propagating "upwards", that The Well disappeared at some point before the Orchid construction and that it appears to have a tunnel connection to ... somewhere/somewhen else.
Shortly after John falls a good distance (again), lands on his back (again) and injures his R leg (again), "Christian" strides into view, lights a "Jacob lamp" and tells John that he’s there to help him the rest of the way:
"When you came to see me [Christian = Jacob?] in the cabin, you asked me how to save the island and I told you you had to move it. I said that you had to move it, John."
"But Ben said he knew how to do it. He told me that I had to stay here and lead his people."
"And since when did listening to him get you anywhere worth a damn? [valid point] The good thing is that you're here now. You ready to go?" The implication is that John should have insisted that he be the one to Move The Island. But we all know that Ben had to leave first to Prepare The Way. "Christian" is still manipulating John (in a Good way, I think)
"I don't know what to do once I get there."
"There's a woman living in Los Angeles. Once you get all of your friends together, and it must be all of them, everyone who left [does Ji-Yeon count?] and once you've persuaded them to join you, this woman will tell you exactly how to come back."
"Who is she?"
"Her name is Eloise Hawking." Jacob/Christian/The Island/Richard/Ben and maybe Widmore are all on the Same Team.
"What if I can only convince some of them to come back?"
"I believe in you, John. You can do this." It’s all about Motivation.
"Richard said I was going to die."
"I suppose that's why they call it a sacrifice."
"Alright. I'm ready." This Messianic willingness to die for the Greater Good marks John as a worthy Leader AND (I think) marks Team Jacob/Hawking/Linus as Good Guys.
"Good. Now on the other side of this column, here, is a wheel that's slipped off its axis. And all you have to do is give it a little push."
Locke tries to get up. "Can you help me up?"
"No. Sorry, I can't." [John Locke = A Moth]
Locke uses the wall to pull himself up. He sees the wheel oscillating - the Time Skipping Effect of which is presumably "magnified" Outside - plus some flashes coming from behind the wall. It would appear that the other side of the wall is the Cold Side.
"Good luck, John," Christian says.
Locke goes to the wheel and pulls it. As the flash of light comes, Christian says, "Say hello to my son."
"Who's your son?" Locke says.
Cut to Christian’s son, with Sun.
So ... after John "stabilised" the Unfrozen Donkey Wheel, I’m guessing that the Island Flashes stopped (?) while Team Ford and Family Richard and the Other Others await the return of The Six ++ (?)
Note that John failed to convince any of The Six to Go Back. Did he actually commit suicide (all depressed over his failure?) as reported in the newspaper? Or was he murdered by The Bad Guys? For St John to qualify for legitimate membership in the Messiah Club, it would have to be Murder, I think.
503 Recap
LOST 503A - Jughead - aired 1/28/09
Some more Time-Travelling Goodness, including some new head-scratchers
In 501, Daniel, having "skipped" to some time between 2001 - 2004, spoke to pre-crash Desmond - apparently on his own in the Swan - and urged him to contact his mother in Oxford whose name is ... Eloise Hawking (as we learned from the "enhanced" edition of 502 we saw just before 503 aired).
Desmond "receives" this message "3 years later" than the Ben/FDW date of 1/2005 - which would be 1/2008. The first time we see him receive this "memory", he wakes up beside (an apparently un-pregnant) Penny - after which Desmond ups anchor, not-pregnant Penny asks him where they’re going and he replies: "Oxford"
The first scenes of 503 show us a Flash-back of Desmond frantically racing from gambling den to gambling den in search of Doctor "Efron Salonga" - whom he eventually finds. As the two of them run back to Penny’s Boat, Des asks: "Are you sure you know what you’re doing? There’s a lot of blood". En route to the boat, they pass a flag and the word "Mabuhay" - which is a Tagalog greeting - so ... we’re in the Philippines. When they get to the boat, we learn that Penny is giving birth - Emily Linus-style - to a "beautiful " boy. Judging by the sub-par quality of Sonya Walger’s acting, I’m guessing that she was having a Really Bad Filming Day.
In the next scene - back in the "Present", we meet their new son Charlie - named after the ex-hobbit who brought them back together - and also the man who (for a few years) kept them apart. Young Charlie Hume appears to be +/- 3 years old as Desmond tells him about a very special island - called Great Britain - whose most special part is Scotland, a land of mountains, glens, deep Lochs (deep Lockes?) ... and Monsters.
Before going ashore in search of Faraday’s mother, Des promises that he’ll be back by dark and that he will then be "done" [with helping the Losties] forever - including never going back to the Island. Never say "never", Dude.
Having arrived at Oxford, Desmond learns that there are no records of any Faraday ever having worked there. We also learn that Des can't remember when he met Professor Faraday. Is Somebody tampering with the Past and erasing Daniel and Desmond's memory of him? After locating and breaking into Faraday’s former lab above the Physics department, having ignored a "Danger - Fumigation" sticker, we can see the blackboard, the maze, the purple-light gizmo, some papers strewn on the floor - and a pic of Des with a blonde. We are interrupted by a caretaker from whom we learn that Des is "not the first one to poke around here asking about [DF] and his work". So ... my best guess is that the folks who had earlier poked around are the Real Bad Guys - not Widmore and not Hawking/Linus.
Why would Widmore - who’d funded Faraday’s research - not round up and stash all of Daniels’s papers and equipment? Only the LOST writers know.
We also find out that Faraday did something to "that poor girl".
Now armed with a name and address, Des knocks on the Spencer door and we meet Abigail, Theresa’s sister. Theresa is presumably the blonde in the Daniel/Blonde pic. She’s also a long-term patient who’s currently being hand-fed by a Home Care worker. It seems that Theresa is (mentally) "away right now".
Like Minkowski, Theresa is prone to "Consciousness-jumping": "Sometimes she wakes up and thinks she's three, wants to know where her dolly is. Yesterday she was talking to our dad. He died five years ago." Unlike Minkowski, she’s been in this state for years. Daniel having abandoned her, Abigail is grateful to Mr Widmore for having looked after Theresa "ever since this happened to her" - a scenario similar to Christian Shephard looking after (comatose) Carole Littleton for years. I wonder what Carole was dreaming all that time.
So ... CW, whose 20-year search for the Island included funding Faraday’s research - the success of which was enabled by Desmond’s "Constant" mind-travel (Desmond having been selected, trained and motivated by CW and Ms Hawking to go to the Island) ... as I’ve been speculating for some time ... it would seem that CW and Hawking (and therefore Ben - who enabled the Swan destruction via Desmond’s turning of the fail-safe key) have been working (to some extent) together - consciously or otherwise.
Desmond’s next Port of call was CW’s office - where Des breezed past Melanie the receptionist to barge into the Great Man’s office. Note that The Bodyguard seemed to materialise very conveniently. Where the hell is his office? OR did he teleport in from somewhere OR was he Manifested by CW? Note that CW waved Mr Muscle (and Melanie) away in much the same way as he did to the Southfield Auctions usher in "The Constant"
I was impressed by Desmond’s bold stance during the ensuing conversation, during which he asked for (and received) the address of Faraday’s Mother - "currently" in LA - and a "Very Private Person" - more evidence that the two of them work together. I was touched by CW’s seemingly tender concern for the safety of his daughter. It seemed to me as genuine as Ben’s love for Alex. CW’s concern for Penny extended to his parting request:
"Desmond, deliver your message, then get out of this mess. Don't put Penny's life in danger."
"Danger?"
"You're putting yourself in the middle of something that goes back many many years. It has nothing to do with you or my daughter. Wherever you were hiding, go back there." I’m guessing that CW remembers his last ("I’m going to kill your daughter") conversation with Ben. But it also sounded to me as though CW was appealing to Desmond’s "cowardice" and that Desmond picked up on the tone of his "go back there" suggestion.
"Thanks for the advice." He leaves. Desmond’s relationship to his Father-in-law has certainly evolved since 1995. I’m avidly looking forward to this Hawking/Hume meeting!
Meanwhile, back on the Island:
Miles, Charlotte and Daniel plus a couple of Red-shirts are en-route to The Creek. Charlotte’s symptoms have worsened to include dizziness and double vision. Daniel (either foolishly or fatalistically) promises her that he "won’t let" anything happen to her. Since she can’t possibly die yet, maybe Daniel actually knows something about Charlotte’s upcoming not-demise.
Upon arrival at the Wet Part of the creek, there’s no one there to meet and Daniel lectures Miles about his Bad Attitude (very similarly to his Charlotte Attitude Adjustment speech). Miles notices the wires and the Claymore mines, but warns the red-shirts too late to save them. Another couple of dead Living Persons. Multiple explosions! Capture by Flaming Arrow guys! We then meet Ellie, their rifle-toting Leader whose cutely-deceptive line is: "You just couldn’t stay away, could you?"
Note that the Claymore explosions sounded and looked (to me) similar, if not identical to the "Tree-exploder" aspect of Smokey.
It turns out that (according to Richard in a later conversation): " A month ago we found 18 members of an army battalion right here in the jungle, setting up this camp. We gave them the opportunity to leave peacefully. They weren't willing to do that, so I was forced to kill them. All of them." And dress up in their clothes.
"Forced," Daniel says. "By whom?"
"You answer to someone don't you? You follow a chain of command?"
"Yeah."
"Well, so do I." It would appear that Jacob (and possibly therefore Richard) doesn’t subscribe to the "no killing" Good Guy rule.
I’m thinking that the reason to dress up in the clothes of the Enemy - is to better infiltrate them. To me, this is connected to Team Ben dressing down in Hillbilly clothes in order to impersonate the other Others.
Ellie knows that of the 20 Beach Losties, there are still 15 unaccounted for - and wants to know where they are. We now learn that it was the American Invader Soldiers who set up the Claymores. I expect that Rose and Bernard are among the prisoners - whom we did not see during his Ep.
Meanwhile, Locke, Ford and Juliet discuss "Jones" and "Cunningham". Locke shows off his so-far-unaccounted-for Military training/knowledge by pointing out that their rifles are new-looking M1 Garands. It also turns out that "Jones", "Cunningham" (who looks to me a lot like Karl) and Juliet all speak Others 101 (not very good) Latin. Another example of someone secretly knowing a second language.
There’s something to all these people who resemble each other - Juliet/Sarah/Annie ... Ellie/Theresa ... "Cunningham"/Karl ... My best guess is in order to allude to "different versions" of the same "thing" - be it repeating lines, repeating scenarios and repeating/reincarnated people as well. Another hint relating to the whole Buddhist Dharma-wheel cycle comes when Juliet describes Latin as the "language of the Enlightened". Add in the fact that Juliet believes in Karma and we can conclude that the Others are aware of the circular nature of their existence and are therefore that much more "accepting" of their "fate", including death. Note that The Goal of Buddhist existence is to escape the Wheel of Life (through Good Deeds) and to attain Enlightenment, also known as Nirvana.
As Ellie marches her three captives to Richard’s camp, Miles announces that they’ve just stepped over the graves of four dead American soldiers, one of whom died of Radiation Poisoning and three of whom died of Lead Poisoning. Upon arrival at Camp Richard, Daniel learns that the Americans had brought a bomb to the island. A Hydrogen bomb. Which is leaking radiation (that word again). During a brief Time-Out in a tent, Daniel announces that, until "the next flash", the three of them will just go along with the notion that they’re out-of-uniform American soldiers. More plausible (for now) than The Truth, I guess.
Brought before Richard again, we learn that: "We didn't start this, friend, your people attacked us. You come to our island (how?) to run your tests. [Any non-military tests included?] You fire on us and you expect us not to defend ourselves?"
"I don't know anything about that. We are scientists."
"So, what, so they sent you here to recover?"
"You mean our hydrogen bomb? Then yes. I'm guessing from this man's radiation burns that the housing has been compromised. Is that right?" They both look at the bandages on a man's arm. "You need to listen to me. You have an unstable device that is capable of destroying this entire island and it's broken. If you don't allow me to render it inert, all of us are going to die. All of us."
Note that, like the Tempest Threat - also genocidal - that Daniel’s mission is to "render it inert". Different time period, different incarnation of the same threat/solution.
Meanwhile, Locke, Ford and Juliet learn from "Cunningham" that "the rest of your people are either captured or dead" because James didn’t give his orders in a Secret Language.
Juliet’s Diplomacy persuades "Cunningham" to volunteer that Camp Richard is a couple of km’s East of their present location - just before he’s murdered - Goodwin neck-twist style - by "Jones" - who then bolts. Locke aims his Garand but doesn’t shoot, because, well, Jones is one of his people.
Just before Daniel leaves to "disarm" the Bomb, we are reminded that the US Military tested H-bombs (among others) in the South Pacific. What we don’t know yet is how the original Jones, Cunningham etc "found" the Island. Just before Daniel heads out to disarm The Bomb, Charlotte tells him (in a scenario similar to Kate and James at Hydra) that he didn’t "have to " say that he loved her. He asserts that he said it because it’s The Truth.
Before Daniel and Ellie head out, "Jones" arrives and we find out that he’s considered a coward: "Cunningham and I, a group of them surprised us. We were outnumbered, but I escaped."
"Outnumbered, eh?" Ellie smirks as "Jones" tells her to shut up.
"How did you escape?" Richard asks.
"I ran."
"Did it ever occur to you that they might follow you?"
"Follow me? Their leader is some sodding old man. What? You think he can track me? You think he knows this island better than I do?" A coward, a merciless killer and an immature Punk/Bully.
By this time, Locke, Juliet and James have spotted camp Richard as well as Daniel, who (according to James) is being "death-marched into the jungle". Locke wants to have a Word with Richard. Juliet decides to help Ford rescue the Geek, having confirmed to John that Richard is old. Thanks for that, Jules.
As they march toward The Bomb, The Geek keeps looking at Ellie - who reminds him of Theresa. We finally get to see The Bomb, named "Jughead" - and Daniel quickly discovers that the casing is cracked as per his previous theory - and he hurries back to Ellie to warn her to keep her distance, patch the crack with lead, encase Jughead in concrete and bury him. Dubious that radioactive land-fill is Green enough for the Island, Ellie questions the wisdom of "just bury it". So ... Daniel tells her that he knows this is a good-enough solution because he knows that 50 years into The Future, "this Island is still here".
As Ellie chews on that for a moment, Ford and Juliet arrive and the four of them return to Camp Richard, Ford asking: "You told her"? I’m guessing that Ellie remembers this conversation for the rest of her life.
Meanwhile, Locke strides into Camp Richard - to the consternation of "Jones" - who promptly points a rifle at his back. When John tells Richard (who doesn’t recognise him per his prediction during their 2001 First Aid conversation) that Jacob sent him, Richard orders "Widmore" to lower his rifle. The fact that John knew Widmore’s first name probably helped support his credibility - and led to the John/Richard conversation during which John gave Richard The Compass and suggested that Richard visit his birth hospital in a couple of years.
We also learn that: "... we have a very specific process for selecting our leadership and it starts at a very young age." Similar to how the Dalai Lama is selected.
"Alright," Locke says, "what year is it right now?"
"It's 1954." As opposed to: "Well, John, that’s all relative"
"Alright, May 30th 1956, two years from now, that's the day I'm born. Tustin, California. If you don't believe me, I suggest you come and visit me." Whiteout
Note that Charlotte’s wrist bindings and Ford’s Garand stick with them through the Jump. Unfortunately, it looks as though this Jump is one too many for Charlotte as she drips blood out of both nostrils and collapses.
So ... prior to the 1950's arrival of the US soldiers, Family Richard were peacefully hunting boar, fishing and picking mangoes? I don’t think so. Getting off the Island is already in 1954 a Trusted Secret - well before the arrival of DHARMA. Jacob is already a ... God? The Four-toed Statue, the "kill your Father" Pillar and (presumably) the Temple are already old. Can’t wait to meet the Statue-builders.
Assuming that Desmond plans to sail to LA - across the Atlantic, through the Panama Canal and then up the coast of Mexico to California - his departure from London must have occurred weeks before the Hawking/Linus 70-hour deadline. I’m guessing that he really does have to Go Back with The Six ++. After all, Ms Hawking, Ben and the rest of The Six don’t really need Des to tell them how dire the situation is/was/will be on the Island. Assuming he takes Penny and Young Charlie along, it seems to me that Young Charlie might just grow up to become a Musician.
Some more Time-Travelling Goodness, including some new head-scratchers
In 501, Daniel, having "skipped" to some time between 2001 - 2004, spoke to pre-crash Desmond - apparently on his own in the Swan - and urged him to contact his mother in Oxford whose name is ... Eloise Hawking (as we learned from the "enhanced" edition of 502 we saw just before 503 aired).
Desmond "receives" this message "3 years later" than the Ben/FDW date of 1/2005 - which would be 1/2008. The first time we see him receive this "memory", he wakes up beside (an apparently un-pregnant) Penny - after which Desmond ups anchor, not-pregnant Penny asks him where they’re going and he replies: "Oxford"
The first scenes of 503 show us a Flash-back of Desmond frantically racing from gambling den to gambling den in search of Doctor "Efron Salonga" - whom he eventually finds. As the two of them run back to Penny’s Boat, Des asks: "Are you sure you know what you’re doing? There’s a lot of blood". En route to the boat, they pass a flag and the word "Mabuhay" - which is a Tagalog greeting - so ... we’re in the Philippines. When they get to the boat, we learn that Penny is giving birth - Emily Linus-style - to a "beautiful " boy. Judging by the sub-par quality of Sonya Walger’s acting, I’m guessing that she was having a Really Bad Filming Day.
In the next scene - back in the "Present", we meet their new son Charlie - named after the ex-hobbit who brought them back together - and also the man who (for a few years) kept them apart. Young Charlie Hume appears to be +/- 3 years old as Desmond tells him about a very special island - called Great Britain - whose most special part is Scotland, a land of mountains, glens, deep Lochs (deep Lockes?) ... and Monsters.
Before going ashore in search of Faraday’s mother, Des promises that he’ll be back by dark and that he will then be "done" [with helping the Losties] forever - including never going back to the Island. Never say "never", Dude.
Having arrived at Oxford, Desmond learns that there are no records of any Faraday ever having worked there. We also learn that Des can't remember when he met Professor Faraday. Is Somebody tampering with the Past and erasing Daniel and Desmond's memory of him? After locating and breaking into Faraday’s former lab above the Physics department, having ignored a "Danger - Fumigation" sticker, we can see the blackboard, the maze, the purple-light gizmo, some papers strewn on the floor - and a pic of Des with a blonde. We are interrupted by a caretaker from whom we learn that Des is "not the first one to poke around here asking about [DF] and his work". So ... my best guess is that the folks who had earlier poked around are the Real Bad Guys - not Widmore and not Hawking/Linus.
Why would Widmore - who’d funded Faraday’s research - not round up and stash all of Daniels’s papers and equipment? Only the LOST writers know.
We also find out that Faraday did something to "that poor girl".
Now armed with a name and address, Des knocks on the Spencer door and we meet Abigail, Theresa’s sister. Theresa is presumably the blonde in the Daniel/Blonde pic. She’s also a long-term patient who’s currently being hand-fed by a Home Care worker. It seems that Theresa is (mentally) "away right now".
Like Minkowski, Theresa is prone to "Consciousness-jumping": "Sometimes she wakes up and thinks she's three, wants to know where her dolly is. Yesterday she was talking to our dad. He died five years ago." Unlike Minkowski, she’s been in this state for years. Daniel having abandoned her, Abigail is grateful to Mr Widmore for having looked after Theresa "ever since this happened to her" - a scenario similar to Christian Shephard looking after (comatose) Carole Littleton for years. I wonder what Carole was dreaming all that time.
So ... CW, whose 20-year search for the Island included funding Faraday’s research - the success of which was enabled by Desmond’s "Constant" mind-travel (Desmond having been selected, trained and motivated by CW and Ms Hawking to go to the Island) ... as I’ve been speculating for some time ... it would seem that CW and Hawking (and therefore Ben - who enabled the Swan destruction via Desmond’s turning of the fail-safe key) have been working (to some extent) together - consciously or otherwise.
Desmond’s next Port of call was CW’s office - where Des breezed past Melanie the receptionist to barge into the Great Man’s office. Note that The Bodyguard seemed to materialise very conveniently. Where the hell is his office? OR did he teleport in from somewhere OR was he Manifested by CW? Note that CW waved Mr Muscle (and Melanie) away in much the same way as he did to the Southfield Auctions usher in "The Constant"
I was impressed by Desmond’s bold stance during the ensuing conversation, during which he asked for (and received) the address of Faraday’s Mother - "currently" in LA - and a "Very Private Person" - more evidence that the two of them work together. I was touched by CW’s seemingly tender concern for the safety of his daughter. It seemed to me as genuine as Ben’s love for Alex. CW’s concern for Penny extended to his parting request:
"Desmond, deliver your message, then get out of this mess. Don't put Penny's life in danger."
"Danger?"
"You're putting yourself in the middle of something that goes back many many years. It has nothing to do with you or my daughter. Wherever you were hiding, go back there." I’m guessing that CW remembers his last ("I’m going to kill your daughter") conversation with Ben. But it also sounded to me as though CW was appealing to Desmond’s "cowardice" and that Desmond picked up on the tone of his "go back there" suggestion.
"Thanks for the advice." He leaves. Desmond’s relationship to his Father-in-law has certainly evolved since 1995. I’m avidly looking forward to this Hawking/Hume meeting!
Meanwhile, back on the Island:
Miles, Charlotte and Daniel plus a couple of Red-shirts are en-route to The Creek. Charlotte’s symptoms have worsened to include dizziness and double vision. Daniel (either foolishly or fatalistically) promises her that he "won’t let" anything happen to her. Since she can’t possibly die yet, maybe Daniel actually knows something about Charlotte’s upcoming not-demise.
Upon arrival at the Wet Part of the creek, there’s no one there to meet and Daniel lectures Miles about his Bad Attitude (very similarly to his Charlotte Attitude Adjustment speech). Miles notices the wires and the Claymore mines, but warns the red-shirts too late to save them. Another couple of dead Living Persons. Multiple explosions! Capture by Flaming Arrow guys! We then meet Ellie, their rifle-toting Leader whose cutely-deceptive line is: "You just couldn’t stay away, could you?"
Note that the Claymore explosions sounded and looked (to me) similar, if not identical to the "Tree-exploder" aspect of Smokey.
It turns out that (according to Richard in a later conversation): " A month ago we found 18 members of an army battalion right here in the jungle, setting up this camp. We gave them the opportunity to leave peacefully. They weren't willing to do that, so I was forced to kill them. All of them." And dress up in their clothes.
"Forced," Daniel says. "By whom?"
"You answer to someone don't you? You follow a chain of command?"
"Yeah."
"Well, so do I." It would appear that Jacob (and possibly therefore Richard) doesn’t subscribe to the "no killing" Good Guy rule.
I’m thinking that the reason to dress up in the clothes of the Enemy - is to better infiltrate them. To me, this is connected to Team Ben dressing down in Hillbilly clothes in order to impersonate the other Others.
Ellie knows that of the 20 Beach Losties, there are still 15 unaccounted for - and wants to know where they are. We now learn that it was the American Invader Soldiers who set up the Claymores. I expect that Rose and Bernard are among the prisoners - whom we did not see during his Ep.
Meanwhile, Locke, Ford and Juliet discuss "Jones" and "Cunningham". Locke shows off his so-far-unaccounted-for Military training/knowledge by pointing out that their rifles are new-looking M1 Garands. It also turns out that "Jones", "Cunningham" (who looks to me a lot like Karl) and Juliet all speak Others 101 (not very good) Latin. Another example of someone secretly knowing a second language.
There’s something to all these people who resemble each other - Juliet/Sarah/Annie ... Ellie/Theresa ... "Cunningham"/Karl ... My best guess is in order to allude to "different versions" of the same "thing" - be it repeating lines, repeating scenarios and repeating/reincarnated people as well. Another hint relating to the whole Buddhist Dharma-wheel cycle comes when Juliet describes Latin as the "language of the Enlightened". Add in the fact that Juliet believes in Karma and we can conclude that the Others are aware of the circular nature of their existence and are therefore that much more "accepting" of their "fate", including death. Note that The Goal of Buddhist existence is to escape the Wheel of Life (through Good Deeds) and to attain Enlightenment, also known as Nirvana.
As Ellie marches her three captives to Richard’s camp, Miles announces that they’ve just stepped over the graves of four dead American soldiers, one of whom died of Radiation Poisoning and three of whom died of Lead Poisoning. Upon arrival at Camp Richard, Daniel learns that the Americans had brought a bomb to the island. A Hydrogen bomb. Which is leaking radiation (that word again). During a brief Time-Out in a tent, Daniel announces that, until "the next flash", the three of them will just go along with the notion that they’re out-of-uniform American soldiers. More plausible (for now) than The Truth, I guess.
Brought before Richard again, we learn that: "We didn't start this, friend, your people attacked us. You come to our island (how?) to run your tests. [Any non-military tests included?] You fire on us and you expect us not to defend ourselves?"
"I don't know anything about that. We are scientists."
"So, what, so they sent you here to recover?"
"You mean our hydrogen bomb? Then yes. I'm guessing from this man's radiation burns that the housing has been compromised. Is that right?" They both look at the bandages on a man's arm. "You need to listen to me. You have an unstable device that is capable of destroying this entire island and it's broken. If you don't allow me to render it inert, all of us are going to die. All of us."
Note that, like the Tempest Threat - also genocidal - that Daniel’s mission is to "render it inert". Different time period, different incarnation of the same threat/solution.
Meanwhile, Locke, Ford and Juliet learn from "Cunningham" that "the rest of your people are either captured or dead" because James didn’t give his orders in a Secret Language.
Juliet’s Diplomacy persuades "Cunningham" to volunteer that Camp Richard is a couple of km’s East of their present location - just before he’s murdered - Goodwin neck-twist style - by "Jones" - who then bolts. Locke aims his Garand but doesn’t shoot, because, well, Jones is one of his people.
Just before Daniel leaves to "disarm" the Bomb, we are reminded that the US Military tested H-bombs (among others) in the South Pacific. What we don’t know yet is how the original Jones, Cunningham etc "found" the Island. Just before Daniel heads out to disarm The Bomb, Charlotte tells him (in a scenario similar to Kate and James at Hydra) that he didn’t "have to " say that he loved her. He asserts that he said it because it’s The Truth.
Before Daniel and Ellie head out, "Jones" arrives and we find out that he’s considered a coward: "Cunningham and I, a group of them surprised us. We were outnumbered, but I escaped."
"Outnumbered, eh?" Ellie smirks as "Jones" tells her to shut up.
"How did you escape?" Richard asks.
"I ran."
"Did it ever occur to you that they might follow you?"
"Follow me? Their leader is some sodding old man. What? You think he can track me? You think he knows this island better than I do?" A coward, a merciless killer and an immature Punk/Bully.
By this time, Locke, Juliet and James have spotted camp Richard as well as Daniel, who (according to James) is being "death-marched into the jungle". Locke wants to have a Word with Richard. Juliet decides to help Ford rescue the Geek, having confirmed to John that Richard is old. Thanks for that, Jules.
As they march toward The Bomb, The Geek keeps looking at Ellie - who reminds him of Theresa. We finally get to see The Bomb, named "Jughead" - and Daniel quickly discovers that the casing is cracked as per his previous theory - and he hurries back to Ellie to warn her to keep her distance, patch the crack with lead, encase Jughead in concrete and bury him. Dubious that radioactive land-fill is Green enough for the Island, Ellie questions the wisdom of "just bury it". So ... Daniel tells her that he knows this is a good-enough solution because he knows that 50 years into The Future, "this Island is still here".
As Ellie chews on that for a moment, Ford and Juliet arrive and the four of them return to Camp Richard, Ford asking: "You told her"? I’m guessing that Ellie remembers this conversation for the rest of her life.
Meanwhile, Locke strides into Camp Richard - to the consternation of "Jones" - who promptly points a rifle at his back. When John tells Richard (who doesn’t recognise him per his prediction during their 2001 First Aid conversation) that Jacob sent him, Richard orders "Widmore" to lower his rifle. The fact that John knew Widmore’s first name probably helped support his credibility - and led to the John/Richard conversation during which John gave Richard The Compass and suggested that Richard visit his birth hospital in a couple of years.
We also learn that: "... we have a very specific process for selecting our leadership and it starts at a very young age." Similar to how the Dalai Lama is selected.
"Alright," Locke says, "what year is it right now?"
"It's 1954." As opposed to: "Well, John, that’s all relative"
"Alright, May 30th 1956, two years from now, that's the day I'm born. Tustin, California. If you don't believe me, I suggest you come and visit me." Whiteout
Note that Charlotte’s wrist bindings and Ford’s Garand stick with them through the Jump. Unfortunately, it looks as though this Jump is one too many for Charlotte as she drips blood out of both nostrils and collapses.
So ... prior to the 1950's arrival of the US soldiers, Family Richard were peacefully hunting boar, fishing and picking mangoes? I don’t think so. Getting off the Island is already in 1954 a Trusted Secret - well before the arrival of DHARMA. Jacob is already a ... God? The Four-toed Statue, the "kill your Father" Pillar and (presumably) the Temple are already old. Can’t wait to meet the Statue-builders.
Assuming that Desmond plans to sail to LA - across the Atlantic, through the Panama Canal and then up the coast of Mexico to California - his departure from London must have occurred weeks before the Hawking/Linus 70-hour deadline. I’m guessing that he really does have to Go Back with The Six ++. After all, Ms Hawking, Ben and the rest of The Six don’t really need Des to tell them how dire the situation is/was/will be on the Island. Assuming he takes Penny and Young Charlie along, it seems to me that Young Charlie might just grow up to become a Musician.
504 Recap
LOST 504 - "The Little Prince"
Regarding the Episode title - According to Sparknotes: The [book’s] narrator, an air-plane pilot, crashes in the Sahara desert. The crash badly damages his air-plane and leaves the narrator with very little food or water. As he is worrying over his predicament, he is approached by the little prince, a very serious little blond boy who asks the narrator to draw him a sheep. The narrator obliges, and the two become friends. The pilot learns that the little prince comes from a small planet that he calls Asteroid 325 but that people on Earth call Asteroid B-612. [the label on the metal can overturned by Locke on the debris-strewn beach]
The little prince took great care of his planet, preventing any bad seeds from growing and making sure it was never overrun by baobab trees. [Note that the Little Prince is a Farmer and not a Hunter] One day, a mysterious rose sprouted on the planet and the little prince fell in love with it. But when he caught the rose in a lie one day, he decided that he could not trust her anymore. He grew lonely and decided to leave. Despite a last-minute reconciliation with the rose, the prince set out to explore other planets and thereby seek a cure for his loneliness.
While journeying, the narrator tells us, the little prince passes by neighbouring asteroids and encounters for the first time the strange, narrow-minded world of grown-ups. On the first six planets the little prince visits, he meets a king, a vain man, a drunkard, a businessman, a lamplighter, and a geographer, all of whom live alone and are overly consumed by their chosen occupations.
Shortly after arriving on Earth - in the Sahara desert - the little prince meets a snake - who speaks in riddles and hints darkly that its lethal poison can send him back to the heavens if he so wishes. The little prince politely declines the snake’s offer - for the time being.
Some time later, he befriends a fox, who teaches him that the important things in life are visible only to the heart, that his time away from the rose makes the rose more special to him, and that love makes a person responsible for the beings that one loves. The little prince realizes that, even though there are many roses, his love for his rose makes her unique and that he is therefore responsible for her. Despite this revelation, he still feels very lonely because he is so far away from his rose.
It is now the narrator's eighth day in the desert, and at the prince's suggestion, they set off to find a well. The water feeds their hearts as much as their bodies, and the two share a moment of bliss as they agree that too many people do not see what is truly important in life. The little prince's mind, however, is fixed on returning to his rose, and he begins making plans with the snake to head back to his planet. The narrator is able to fix his plane on the day before the one-year anniversary of the prince's arrival on Earth, and he walks sadly with his friend out to the place where the prince landed. The snake bites the prince, who falls noiselessly to the sand.
The narrator takes comfort when he cannot find the prince's body the next day and is confident that the prince has returned to his asteroid.
So ... The Six - having learned that Worldly Concerns are less important than returning to The Ones You Love, embrace/will embrace Ben-the-Snake’s offer to send them Home ... OR ... Little Prince Aaron (along with Princess Ji-Yeon and Bonnie Prince Charlie) will be going "home" to their Island/Asteroid, forsaking the narrow-minded world of self-absorbed adults.
It seems to me that the underlying message here is that the Return of The Six will make the World a Better Place ... certainly better than Total Destruction of All Human Life, in any case.
The disappearance of the Little prince’s body after having "died" would appear to be another hint that St John may in fact be "dead" but that he will soon be reborn. Yay!
Recap:
1/05 - on board The Searcher - the night before the discussion/vote about The Lie:
Kate suggests that she should pose as Aaron’s Mum and Jack asks for Kate’s support in favour of The Big Lie. Kate tells him that "I have always been with you" [except for when she’s with James]. Awww
"Three years later" - Kate prepares to meet Dan Norton (the Lawyer) while Auntie Sun looks after Aaron - just like the Good Old Days on the Island. Just as Kate leaves, Sun receives a Delivery, including surveillance pix of Jack and Ben at the back of Hoffs/Drawlor. The accompanying notes appear to be quite detailed - which implies that they’re being tailed by Professionals - but whose? Obviously, this package was sent by Widmore. But notice the result - by the end of the Ep, Sun and Aaron are on the same Pier as Sayid, Jack and Kate - with Hugo due for release the next morning. If Desmond sails into Slip 23 of the Long Beach Marina "tomorrow", he can join the Reunion without even needing to see his Mum. To me, this supports the idea that Widmore and Ben are co-operating to get The Six (plus maybe a few more) back to the Island. If Ben has to die to achieve this goal, this would appear to be a point in the Story where his death might make sense. We’ll just have to see if The Island agrees.
Lawyer Dan reveals that his client seeks a quiet "exchange of custody" and that he will be seeing him/her later that day. As Kate stakes out the Law Office, Jack arrives and together they follow Dan (is there a name shortage on this Show?) out to a motel where we learn that the "client" is Carole Littleton (for some reason made to look like "Elsa" from "The Economist"). We then learn that Carole is in town to collect her Oceanic settlement. Despite having made a comment at Christian’s funeral about how beautiful Kate’s son was, Carole professes - when Jack brings up Aaron’s name - not to know who Aaron is. I guess Carole hasn’t paid much attention to the world-wide news about Kate’s son. Whatever. The most puzzling aspect about Carole’s involvement is: why would Ben want Jack and Kate to know that Carole was in town, but that she has no intention of "taking" Aaron away from Kate? I’m just shaking my head. In any case, the next place J&K go is to the Marina.
Before hopping into Kate’s car to chase Dan the Lawyer, Jack had been in the process of unhooking Sayid from his IV - just as Evelyn Ariza - Director of Clinical Services interrupts and drags Jack into the hall to point out to him that he’s under suspension and that his actions in treating Sayid pose a liability risk to the Hospital. Their conversation is interrupted by a phone call from Hugo to Jack during which we learn that Hugo is in the LA County lock-up - safe from Ben the snake. We don’t see Evelyn again, but as soon as Hugo hangs up on Jack, Ben shows up.
During those few minutes when Sayid was alone, an "orderly" entered his room under the pretext of giving Sayid some more meds, but Sayid figured him out in 10 seconds and during their scuffle, retrieved a note - containing Kate’s address - which was supposedly the address of his "Employer" - Huh? Note the clockwork timing of Jack’s departure from the room and the entrance of the "orderly". Somebody’s got good eyes and ears at St Sebastian’s. It would seem that Dr Ariza works for The Enemy.
A moment later, Jack and Ben join Sayid and they leave the hospital. Given the implications of the Kate note, Jack announces that he’ll track her down, while Ben and Sayid decide they’re going to look into the Hugo scenario. Note that Sayid does not attack Ben, nor accuse him of anything vile. His attitude seems to be cautious distrust. Evidently, his break with Ben was not about Nadia’s murder.
What Ben does say is: "You have friends in trouble. Let's get them to safety and save the dirty linen for later." Judging by Sayid’s subsequent comment that Ben is on nobody’s "side" except his own, it would appear that this dirty linen involves Sayid feeling betrayed, misled and used by Ben in the recent past. However, aside from snatching the van keys and announcing that he’ll drive, Sayid rejoins Team Ben readily enough - for Hugo’s sake. Note that the name on the side of Ben's van, "Canton Rainier" is an anagram of "reincarnation."
Their next stop is an underground parking garage where we learn that Hugo will be a Free Man the following day and that Dan the Lawyer works for Ben. I took some satisfaction out of having predicted this. I wonder what Gabriel and Jeffery are up to? The next stop for the Locke Reincarnation van is Slip 23.
Meanwhile, back on the Island, Charlotte is not dying. In fact, after some initial (temporary) memory loss, she recovers quite readily and Daniel’s theory is that:
"I think it's neurological. Our brains have an internal clock, a sense of time. The [time-skipping] Flashes... throw the clock off. It's like really bad jet lag." The fact that subsequent nose-bleeds (without worsening Charlotte’s previously deteriorating condition) occur with:
2) Miles and
3) Juliet
seems to imply that Charlotte’s Island experience is longest/farthest back, followed by Miles’ (unremembered) childhood (?) stint and then Juliet’s "three years". Beyond this shallow conjecture, I’m just rolling with the Show.
John’s strategy to return to the Orchid strikes me as a reasonably good one. Ben’s left a "wreckage" trail leading from the vault to the FDW - which presents its own obvious invitation. The trick will be for John to enter the Orchid at an appropriate point in time - shortly "after" Ben’s "most-recent" turn of The Wheel. Until then, however, there’s so much we have yet to learn about the Island’s history.
Note that John is NOT spending any time with Family Richard. He’s been snatched away from them - and won’t be returning to them and their Family mysteries as long as he and/or The Island keep Time-skipping.
Note also that we haven’t seen nor heard from Rose, Bernard and the remaining Lostie red-shirts - who are presumably skipping in synch with the A Team and are no longer the prisoners of 1955 Family Richard.
As soon as Charlotte’s recovered enough, Team Locke head back toward Lostie Beach to retrieve the Zodiac. En route, they spot the S1 light-column - (date: 11/1/04) and "detour" around it. John doesn’t want to bump into himself. They then hear screams - and James stealthily approaches the source of the screaming - Claire giving birth to Aaron - just before the next Whiteout.
A little while later, James and John discuss his reason for avoiding the Hatch:
James: So why'd you turn us around then? Don't you wanna go back there?
John: Why would I wanna do that?
James: So you could tell yourself to do things different, save yourself a world of pain.
John: No, I needed that pain to get to where I am now. [Sounds Enlightened to me]
Next up: Return to Lostie Beach. James’ immediate reaction to Juliet’s observation that "Camp’s back" is joy: "Finally! Anybody for a DHARMA beer? Hello? Anybody here? Rose? Bernard?" The camp’s abandoned and seems dishevelled, with a number of the structures in disrepair and all the supplies either stolen or consumed. There’s no "Kitchen", no Losties and no Vincent. But there are a couple of outrigger canoes. Much bigger than the Hydra Island/Karl outrigger. Even stranger - inside the canoe’s a water bottle. Not an Oceanic bottle, not a DHARMA bottle - but a completely new (to us) brand name: Ajira Airlines. Note the following comments about the canoes:
CHARLOTTE: Where did these come from?
FARADAY: That's a good question. They're pretty old.
MILES: Not that old. So ... Miles is implying that these canoes are not as old as they look? What’s up with that?
There’s still some ambiguity because this beach scene apparently dates to late 2005 or later - after the departure of the O6 - but this may be the type of Significant Change From Previous Iterations of Lostie Beach Reality that I’ve been predicting for years. The biggest Change - if that’s what it is - would be the suggestion that in this particular Iteration, the airline responsible for the crash was Ajira.
The Zodiac’s gone - possibly with a handful of the surviving Losties in it.
Shortly after Team Locke jump into one of the canoes, (conveniently large enough to accommodate 6 paddlers) they are pursued and shot at.
Miles: These your people?!
Juliet: No! Are they yours?! Note that before they took Canoe #1, James had asked Juliet: "Who came in these? Other Others?", her reply was: "Don't look at me."
To me, this implies that until they started shooting, Juliet didn’t know who owned the canoes but after they started shooting, she knew they were not her "we’re not killers" people - and that it was OK to shoot back. - which she did.
The final Whiteout of this Ep seems to have sent the entire island back to 1988 - the year that Rousseau’s boat crashed. It’s raining at sea and the A team paddle for shore, where they discover some debris from Rousseau’s boat - apparently named B612 in honour of The Little Prince - written, after all, by a Frenchman. Team Locke must be getting mighty hungry.
Off-shore, the French-speaking survivors of the B612 are in a round life-boat and spot Jin floating face-down on a table or door:
ROBERT: Je t'ai bien dit! On n'aurait jamais du suivre ces maudits chiffres! (I told you so! We never should have followed those damn numbers!)
MONTAND: C'est pas ma faute, Robert. Brennan devait tenir le sonar! (It's not my fault, Robert. Brennan was in charge of the sonar!)
BRENNAN: Mais je le faisais, Montand! Je vous l'ai déja dit, les instruments ont mal fonctionné! (I was watching, Montand! I told you already, the instruments malfunctioned!)
ROUSSEAU: Un homme á la mer! (Man overboard!)
(Man) Quoi? (What?)
Mais je pensais qu'on était tous lB! (I thought we were all there!)
On est tous la! il n'est pas des autres. Alors qui est-ce? (We ARE all here! He's not one of us. So who is it?)
Pagaie! Pagayez! Allez (Paddle! Paddle! Come on!)
"pointez la lampe de poche sur lui" (focus the light on him) "il faut tenir la lampe torche" (We have to hold the light)
"brennan (?), aidez a pagayer" (brennan, help paddling)
"allez depechez vous! nous derivons avec le courant" (come on! hurry up! we are moving with the stream)
"non, il n'y a que lui! pas de bateau, rien" (no.. There's only him! no boat! nothing!)
"les vagues vont nous amener (rapidement ?) sur la côte, le vent ( ?) par ici" (the waves will bring us (quickly ?) to the coast, the wind ( ?) over here)
"nom de dieu brennan! ta gueule!" (for godsake brennan! shut up!)
"allez, montez le dans le radeau" (come on, bring him in the raft) "il est lourd ! » (he’s heavy) "aide moi" (help me)
"Il respire encore" (He's still breathing)
My best guess is that Jin was outside the FDW Time-shift "radius", but close enough to it that he was tossed into 1988. Maybe Rousseau’s 1988 shipwreck was caused (?) by the 12/30/04 FDW activation
Final Scene:
AUTOMATED VOICE OVER RADIO: 4... 8...
MONTAND: Robert... Regarde, le signal vient de l’ile. (look, the signal comes from the island)
ROBERT: Tu peux déterminer la source ? (can you find the source ?)
AUTOMATED VOICE OVER RADIO: 15... 16...
MONTAND: Bien sur que oui. Regarde. (yes of course, look !)
ROBERT: Tu crois qu’elle est habitée ? (do you think it’s inhabited ?)
ROUSSEAU: Ça va ? Comment tu te sens ? (how are you ? how are you feeling ?)
JIN: No understand.
ROUSSEAU: (French accent) You speak English?
JIN: (Panting) Little.
ROUSSEAU: Are you okay?
JIN: Yes.
ROUSSEAU: How did you get here?
JIN: Boat.
Robert surement : Qui est-ce? (who is he ?)
Montand : On s’en fout qui c'est. Qu’est ce qu’il fait ici ? (I don’t care who he is. What is he doing here ?)
ROUSSEAU: Il dit qu’il est venu en bateau. (he said he came by boat)
ROBERT: (French accent) What boat?
JIN: It's gone. Sink.
ROUSSEAU: It must've been caught in the same storm as ours.
MONTAND: Who are you? How long you in the water?
JIN: I don't know.
MONTAND: How do you not know how you wound up in the middle of the ocean, hein ?
ROUSSEAU: Montand ! Laisse le, il est en état de choc. On a de l’eau B lui donner ? (leave him alone, he is shook up, do we have water for him ?)
Robert : Ouais. (yeah) (comes back with the water) Tiens. (Here)
ROUSSEAU: Merci, Robert. (thank you Robert)
JIN: (Exhales deeply) Thank you.
ROUSSEAU: What is your name?
JIN: Kwon Jin-su. Jin.
ROUSSEAU: Hello, Jin. I'm Danielle. Danielle Rousseau.
The End
So ... 1988 Danielle met 2004 Jin (although she doesn’t yet know when he’s from).
I’m guessing that Team Danielle, Jin and the A Team will soon meet in 1988. Team Locke will remember Jin, but will he remember them? Based on him being able to tell Danielle that he was on a boat which sank, it would seem that his 2004 memory’s intact. My advice would be that Jin should hug Charlotte tightly until the next Whiteout - even if it takes weeks and months.
Danielle watching Team Locke disappear before her eyes could tip her into some kind of madness ... OR ... might explain her subsequent strange 2004 behaviour upon re-encountering Jin and his colleagues. She’s always struck me as knowing much more than she let on. Ah ... I’m so looking forward to learning more about Danielle’s Story.
If, however, Team Locke cannot "interact" with Jin and Team Rousseau, they could at least see Jin, enabling John to relay this info to Sun.
Assuming that Locke, after leaving the Island, tracked Sun down and told her that Jin was alive and hanging out on the Island with James, Juliet and the gang ... why would she be all "Kill Ben" right now? Unless she isn’t.
Regarding the Episode title - According to Sparknotes: The [book’s] narrator, an air-plane pilot, crashes in the Sahara desert. The crash badly damages his air-plane and leaves the narrator with very little food or water. As he is worrying over his predicament, he is approached by the little prince, a very serious little blond boy who asks the narrator to draw him a sheep. The narrator obliges, and the two become friends. The pilot learns that the little prince comes from a small planet that he calls Asteroid 325 but that people on Earth call Asteroid B-612. [the label on the metal can overturned by Locke on the debris-strewn beach]
The little prince took great care of his planet, preventing any bad seeds from growing and making sure it was never overrun by baobab trees. [Note that the Little Prince is a Farmer and not a Hunter] One day, a mysterious rose sprouted on the planet and the little prince fell in love with it. But when he caught the rose in a lie one day, he decided that he could not trust her anymore. He grew lonely and decided to leave. Despite a last-minute reconciliation with the rose, the prince set out to explore other planets and thereby seek a cure for his loneliness.
While journeying, the narrator tells us, the little prince passes by neighbouring asteroids and encounters for the first time the strange, narrow-minded world of grown-ups. On the first six planets the little prince visits, he meets a king, a vain man, a drunkard, a businessman, a lamplighter, and a geographer, all of whom live alone and are overly consumed by their chosen occupations.
Shortly after arriving on Earth - in the Sahara desert - the little prince meets a snake - who speaks in riddles and hints darkly that its lethal poison can send him back to the heavens if he so wishes. The little prince politely declines the snake’s offer - for the time being.
Some time later, he befriends a fox, who teaches him that the important things in life are visible only to the heart, that his time away from the rose makes the rose more special to him, and that love makes a person responsible for the beings that one loves. The little prince realizes that, even though there are many roses, his love for his rose makes her unique and that he is therefore responsible for her. Despite this revelation, he still feels very lonely because he is so far away from his rose.
It is now the narrator's eighth day in the desert, and at the prince's suggestion, they set off to find a well. The water feeds their hearts as much as their bodies, and the two share a moment of bliss as they agree that too many people do not see what is truly important in life. The little prince's mind, however, is fixed on returning to his rose, and he begins making plans with the snake to head back to his planet. The narrator is able to fix his plane on the day before the one-year anniversary of the prince's arrival on Earth, and he walks sadly with his friend out to the place where the prince landed. The snake bites the prince, who falls noiselessly to the sand.
The narrator takes comfort when he cannot find the prince's body the next day and is confident that the prince has returned to his asteroid.
So ... The Six - having learned that Worldly Concerns are less important than returning to The Ones You Love, embrace/will embrace Ben-the-Snake’s offer to send them Home ... OR ... Little Prince Aaron (along with Princess Ji-Yeon and Bonnie Prince Charlie) will be going "home" to their Island/Asteroid, forsaking the narrow-minded world of self-absorbed adults.
It seems to me that the underlying message here is that the Return of The Six will make the World a Better Place ... certainly better than Total Destruction of All Human Life, in any case.
The disappearance of the Little prince’s body after having "died" would appear to be another hint that St John may in fact be "dead" but that he will soon be reborn. Yay!
Recap:
1/05 - on board The Searcher - the night before the discussion/vote about The Lie:
Kate suggests that she should pose as Aaron’s Mum and Jack asks for Kate’s support in favour of The Big Lie. Kate tells him that "I have always been with you" [except for when she’s with James]. Awww
"Three years later" - Kate prepares to meet Dan Norton (the Lawyer) while Auntie Sun looks after Aaron - just like the Good Old Days on the Island. Just as Kate leaves, Sun receives a Delivery, including surveillance pix of Jack and Ben at the back of Hoffs/Drawlor. The accompanying notes appear to be quite detailed - which implies that they’re being tailed by Professionals - but whose? Obviously, this package was sent by Widmore. But notice the result - by the end of the Ep, Sun and Aaron are on the same Pier as Sayid, Jack and Kate - with Hugo due for release the next morning. If Desmond sails into Slip 23 of the Long Beach Marina "tomorrow", he can join the Reunion without even needing to see his Mum. To me, this supports the idea that Widmore and Ben are co-operating to get The Six (plus maybe a few more) back to the Island. If Ben has to die to achieve this goal, this would appear to be a point in the Story where his death might make sense. We’ll just have to see if The Island agrees.
Lawyer Dan reveals that his client seeks a quiet "exchange of custody" and that he will be seeing him/her later that day. As Kate stakes out the Law Office, Jack arrives and together they follow Dan (is there a name shortage on this Show?) out to a motel where we learn that the "client" is Carole Littleton (for some reason made to look like "Elsa" from "The Economist"). We then learn that Carole is in town to collect her Oceanic settlement. Despite having made a comment at Christian’s funeral about how beautiful Kate’s son was, Carole professes - when Jack brings up Aaron’s name - not to know who Aaron is. I guess Carole hasn’t paid much attention to the world-wide news about Kate’s son. Whatever. The most puzzling aspect about Carole’s involvement is: why would Ben want Jack and Kate to know that Carole was in town, but that she has no intention of "taking" Aaron away from Kate? I’m just shaking my head. In any case, the next place J&K go is to the Marina.
Before hopping into Kate’s car to chase Dan the Lawyer, Jack had been in the process of unhooking Sayid from his IV - just as Evelyn Ariza - Director of Clinical Services interrupts and drags Jack into the hall to point out to him that he’s under suspension and that his actions in treating Sayid pose a liability risk to the Hospital. Their conversation is interrupted by a phone call from Hugo to Jack during which we learn that Hugo is in the LA County lock-up - safe from Ben the snake. We don’t see Evelyn again, but as soon as Hugo hangs up on Jack, Ben shows up.
During those few minutes when Sayid was alone, an "orderly" entered his room under the pretext of giving Sayid some more meds, but Sayid figured him out in 10 seconds and during their scuffle, retrieved a note - containing Kate’s address - which was supposedly the address of his "Employer" - Huh? Note the clockwork timing of Jack’s departure from the room and the entrance of the "orderly". Somebody’s got good eyes and ears at St Sebastian’s. It would seem that Dr Ariza works for The Enemy.
A moment later, Jack and Ben join Sayid and they leave the hospital. Given the implications of the Kate note, Jack announces that he’ll track her down, while Ben and Sayid decide they’re going to look into the Hugo scenario. Note that Sayid does not attack Ben, nor accuse him of anything vile. His attitude seems to be cautious distrust. Evidently, his break with Ben was not about Nadia’s murder.
What Ben does say is: "You have friends in trouble. Let's get them to safety and save the dirty linen for later." Judging by Sayid’s subsequent comment that Ben is on nobody’s "side" except his own, it would appear that this dirty linen involves Sayid feeling betrayed, misled and used by Ben in the recent past. However, aside from snatching the van keys and announcing that he’ll drive, Sayid rejoins Team Ben readily enough - for Hugo’s sake. Note that the name on the side of Ben's van, "Canton Rainier" is an anagram of "reincarnation."
Their next stop is an underground parking garage where we learn that Hugo will be a Free Man the following day and that Dan the Lawyer works for Ben. I took some satisfaction out of having predicted this. I wonder what Gabriel and Jeffery are up to? The next stop for the Locke Reincarnation van is Slip 23.
Meanwhile, back on the Island, Charlotte is not dying. In fact, after some initial (temporary) memory loss, she recovers quite readily and Daniel’s theory is that:
"I think it's neurological. Our brains have an internal clock, a sense of time. The [time-skipping] Flashes... throw the clock off. It's like really bad jet lag." The fact that subsequent nose-bleeds (without worsening Charlotte’s previously deteriorating condition) occur with:
2) Miles and
3) Juliet
seems to imply that Charlotte’s Island experience is longest/farthest back, followed by Miles’ (unremembered) childhood (?) stint and then Juliet’s "three years". Beyond this shallow conjecture, I’m just rolling with the Show.
John’s strategy to return to the Orchid strikes me as a reasonably good one. Ben’s left a "wreckage" trail leading from the vault to the FDW - which presents its own obvious invitation. The trick will be for John to enter the Orchid at an appropriate point in time - shortly "after" Ben’s "most-recent" turn of The Wheel. Until then, however, there’s so much we have yet to learn about the Island’s history.
Note that John is NOT spending any time with Family Richard. He’s been snatched away from them - and won’t be returning to them and their Family mysteries as long as he and/or The Island keep Time-skipping.
Note also that we haven’t seen nor heard from Rose, Bernard and the remaining Lostie red-shirts - who are presumably skipping in synch with the A Team and are no longer the prisoners of 1955 Family Richard.
As soon as Charlotte’s recovered enough, Team Locke head back toward Lostie Beach to retrieve the Zodiac. En route, they spot the S1 light-column - (date: 11/1/04) and "detour" around it. John doesn’t want to bump into himself. They then hear screams - and James stealthily approaches the source of the screaming - Claire giving birth to Aaron - just before the next Whiteout.
A little while later, James and John discuss his reason for avoiding the Hatch:
James: So why'd you turn us around then? Don't you wanna go back there?
John: Why would I wanna do that?
James: So you could tell yourself to do things different, save yourself a world of pain.
John: No, I needed that pain to get to where I am now. [Sounds Enlightened to me]
Next up: Return to Lostie Beach. James’ immediate reaction to Juliet’s observation that "Camp’s back" is joy: "Finally! Anybody for a DHARMA beer? Hello? Anybody here? Rose? Bernard?" The camp’s abandoned and seems dishevelled, with a number of the structures in disrepair and all the supplies either stolen or consumed. There’s no "Kitchen", no Losties and no Vincent. But there are a couple of outrigger canoes. Much bigger than the Hydra Island/Karl outrigger. Even stranger - inside the canoe’s a water bottle. Not an Oceanic bottle, not a DHARMA bottle - but a completely new (to us) brand name: Ajira Airlines. Note the following comments about the canoes:
CHARLOTTE: Where did these come from?
FARADAY: That's a good question. They're pretty old.
MILES: Not that old. So ... Miles is implying that these canoes are not as old as they look? What’s up with that?
There’s still some ambiguity because this beach scene apparently dates to late 2005 or later - after the departure of the O6 - but this may be the type of Significant Change From Previous Iterations of Lostie Beach Reality that I’ve been predicting for years. The biggest Change - if that’s what it is - would be the suggestion that in this particular Iteration, the airline responsible for the crash was Ajira.
The Zodiac’s gone - possibly with a handful of the surviving Losties in it.
Shortly after Team Locke jump into one of the canoes, (conveniently large enough to accommodate 6 paddlers) they are pursued and shot at.
Miles: These your people?!
Juliet: No! Are they yours?! Note that before they took Canoe #1, James had asked Juliet: "Who came in these? Other Others?", her reply was: "Don't look at me."
To me, this implies that until they started shooting, Juliet didn’t know who owned the canoes but after they started shooting, she knew they were not her "we’re not killers" people - and that it was OK to shoot back. - which she did.
The final Whiteout of this Ep seems to have sent the entire island back to 1988 - the year that Rousseau’s boat crashed. It’s raining at sea and the A team paddle for shore, where they discover some debris from Rousseau’s boat - apparently named B612 in honour of The Little Prince - written, after all, by a Frenchman. Team Locke must be getting mighty hungry.
Off-shore, the French-speaking survivors of the B612 are in a round life-boat and spot Jin floating face-down on a table or door:
ROBERT: Je t'ai bien dit! On n'aurait jamais du suivre ces maudits chiffres! (I told you so! We never should have followed those damn numbers!)
MONTAND: C'est pas ma faute, Robert. Brennan devait tenir le sonar! (It's not my fault, Robert. Brennan was in charge of the sonar!)
BRENNAN: Mais je le faisais, Montand! Je vous l'ai déja dit, les instruments ont mal fonctionné! (I was watching, Montand! I told you already, the instruments malfunctioned!)
ROUSSEAU: Un homme á la mer! (Man overboard!)
(Man) Quoi? (What?)
Mais je pensais qu'on était tous lB! (I thought we were all there!)
On est tous la! il n'est pas des autres. Alors qui est-ce? (We ARE all here! He's not one of us. So who is it?)
Pagaie! Pagayez! Allez (Paddle! Paddle! Come on!)
"pointez la lampe de poche sur lui" (focus the light on him) "il faut tenir la lampe torche" (We have to hold the light)
"brennan (?), aidez a pagayer" (brennan, help paddling)
"allez depechez vous! nous derivons avec le courant" (come on! hurry up! we are moving with the stream)
"non, il n'y a que lui! pas de bateau, rien" (no.. There's only him! no boat! nothing!)
"les vagues vont nous amener (rapidement ?) sur la côte, le vent ( ?) par ici" (the waves will bring us (quickly ?) to the coast, the wind ( ?) over here)
"nom de dieu brennan! ta gueule!" (for godsake brennan! shut up!)
"allez, montez le dans le radeau" (come on, bring him in the raft) "il est lourd ! » (he’s heavy) "aide moi" (help me)
"Il respire encore" (He's still breathing)
My best guess is that Jin was outside the FDW Time-shift "radius", but close enough to it that he was tossed into 1988. Maybe Rousseau’s 1988 shipwreck was caused (?) by the 12/30/04 FDW activation
Final Scene:
AUTOMATED VOICE OVER RADIO: 4... 8...
MONTAND: Robert... Regarde, le signal vient de l’ile. (look, the signal comes from the island)
ROBERT: Tu peux déterminer la source ? (can you find the source ?)
AUTOMATED VOICE OVER RADIO: 15... 16...
MONTAND: Bien sur que oui. Regarde. (yes of course, look !)
ROBERT: Tu crois qu’elle est habitée ? (do you think it’s inhabited ?)
ROUSSEAU: Ça va ? Comment tu te sens ? (how are you ? how are you feeling ?)
JIN: No understand.
ROUSSEAU: (French accent) You speak English?
JIN: (Panting) Little.
ROUSSEAU: Are you okay?
JIN: Yes.
ROUSSEAU: How did you get here?
JIN: Boat.
Robert surement : Qui est-ce? (who is he ?)
Montand : On s’en fout qui c'est. Qu’est ce qu’il fait ici ? (I don’t care who he is. What is he doing here ?)
ROUSSEAU: Il dit qu’il est venu en bateau. (he said he came by boat)
ROBERT: (French accent) What boat?
JIN: It's gone. Sink.
ROUSSEAU: It must've been caught in the same storm as ours.
MONTAND: Who are you? How long you in the water?
JIN: I don't know.
MONTAND: How do you not know how you wound up in the middle of the ocean, hein ?
ROUSSEAU: Montand ! Laisse le, il est en état de choc. On a de l’eau B lui donner ? (leave him alone, he is shook up, do we have water for him ?)
Robert : Ouais. (yeah) (comes back with the water) Tiens. (Here)
ROUSSEAU: Merci, Robert. (thank you Robert)
JIN: (Exhales deeply) Thank you.
ROUSSEAU: What is your name?
JIN: Kwon Jin-su. Jin.
ROUSSEAU: Hello, Jin. I'm Danielle. Danielle Rousseau.
The End
So ... 1988 Danielle met 2004 Jin (although she doesn’t yet know when he’s from).
I’m guessing that Team Danielle, Jin and the A Team will soon meet in 1988. Team Locke will remember Jin, but will he remember them? Based on him being able to tell Danielle that he was on a boat which sank, it would seem that his 2004 memory’s intact. My advice would be that Jin should hug Charlotte tightly until the next Whiteout - even if it takes weeks and months.
Danielle watching Team Locke disappear before her eyes could tip her into some kind of madness ... OR ... might explain her subsequent strange 2004 behaviour upon re-encountering Jin and his colleagues. She’s always struck me as knowing much more than she let on. Ah ... I’m so looking forward to learning more about Danielle’s Story.
If, however, Team Locke cannot "interact" with Jin and Team Rousseau, they could at least see Jin, enabling John to relay this info to Sun.
Assuming that Locke, after leaving the Island, tracked Sun down and told her that Jin was alive and hanging out on the Island with James, Juliet and the gang ... why would she be all "Kill Ben" right now? Unless she isn’t.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)