I know what I was going to bring up, Jack. I picked up some of the analysis from Jensen over on EW.com and it got the wheels in my head spinning this morning while I was watching Hailey this morning. I found the Jack story to be really interesting.
The problem with Jack that has "infected" him for the past 6 seasons on this show is living in the shadow of his father, his dad even saying, "You don't have what it takes." And it struck me an episode a two or go when I made the comment, "I am Jack's wasted life." that the problem with Jack being a hero was that he was trying to be a hero. Being a hero or a leader isn't something that you try to do, you just are or your not, it's as simple as that. Jack deep down is a leader but when he tries to be he ends up more looking like a douche and the character that we all started to hate over the years, including me, but last night struck me that as he said it, "he was broken." After trying so hard to be what he thought he was supposed to be, what he thought he needed to be he finally came to the realization that he wasn't any of those things he was trying to be, thus he was broken. But, to paraphrase Socrates, "It's only after realizing that you know nothing are you free to learn anything." something like that, you got an Internet, you go look it up =) Or the line in, hey look Fight Club again. "It's only after we've lost everything, that we're free to do anything."
Jack is now at a starting point, his ideas of who he is have been completely shattered, he's no longer trying to be something, he's just being something. Which goes back to his story with David, in the history that we don't get to see with David, he is that parent that pushes his son to be something great, to which David backs away because he doesn't want the pressure of trying to be something great, imposed on him by his father. Jack was always trying to prove to his father how great he could be, but never got the fact that it didn't matter, the only person that you have to prove that to is the man in the mirror, did you notice that Jack saw his own reflection in the mirror like 5 or 6 times this episode. Getting back to my point, with his mothers help Jack realized that he was playing out the same relationship with David that he had with his father, not intentionally, but because he was just trying to be some image a father. In the end he just told Dad that he wanted to be his father and he didn't care what David did, he just wanted to be a part of it.
To me all of this means that Jack has changed on the island and based on who he is off the island he is capable of making that change. On the island he just doesn't care anymore, much like Sawyer, but in the end I think he will, which is why Jacob provoked him at the lighthouse. For once while being cryptic Jacob actually seemed to give a straight answer, he needed to get Jack away from the temple. Jack is Jacob's last hope, a shining beacon amongst a sea of failed people (like that, beacon = lighthouse, failed people = all the names crossed out on the lighthouse wheel). if we believe that Jack is ultimately a good guy, then that would mean that Jacob has to be a good guy. But why does a guy that might actually be good, go around screwing with people's lives that otherwise would have been pretty decent? I guess we'll see.
Oh and after watching the episode this song has been ringing in my head, Sorrow by Bad Religion.
Father can you hear me?
How have I let you down?
I curse the day that I was born.
And all the sorrow in this world.
Let me take you to the herding ground
Where all good men are trampled down
Just to settle a bet that could not be won
Between a prideful father and his son
Will you guide me now for I can't see
A reason for this suffering and this long misery
What if every living soul could be upright and strong?
Well then I do imagine
There will be sorrow
Yeah there will be sorrow
And there will be sorrow no more
When all soldiers lay their weapons down
Or when all kings and queens relinquish their crowns
Or when the only true messiah resucues us from ourselves
It's easy to imagine
There will be sorrow...
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Lost - Turn out that darn light!
After every night of Lost, the next morning I like to come in and see what everyone is saying about the episode. It looks like there is some negativity, but honestly I don't see why, I really liked the episode. Jack no longer seems like a tool, Hurley is funny, Claire is out of her mind, and we're wondering around on the island once more, "just like the old days." Thank you Hurley for making that observation.
I really liked the observation when Hurley and Jack arrived that the lighthouse wondering, "Why have we never seen this before?" Thinking the same thing I was thinking, why the heck have they never noticed the light house before? "I guess we were never looking for it." Well played sir. It was a cool nod in my opinion that yes you would think that we'd have seen the lighthouse before now, but it was like the show was saying, "Give us the benefit of the doubt here." Knowing that we were going to ask that question. And isn't that why Lost is so great, the show isn't hiding the fact that it's a show where people are watching, sure it's not totally in your face, but the writers know it and the little nods that I written into the story are cool, because it lets us know when they are reaching for something, like with the lighthouse, or when Jack asks Dogen about the baseball.
Hurley's little quips in the episode were great, "He's kind of like Obi Won, he just pops up from time to time." or "I like temples.... like Indiana Jones..." or "I'm a candidate and I'll go where I want to, why don't you go back to the courtyard." Hurley is always great for some humor but at the same time a serious character in the show. Hurley is just the simple whatever guy, not stupid by any means he's just the everyman character. As Jacob said, "Some people you just need to get into their cab, others require a little something more." Which leads us to Jack and how Jacob used him.
I'm really at a crossroads with Jacob, I can't tell if I should take him at face value or if he's totally playing Jack. When they got to the lighthouse I knew that Jack was going to smash the mirrors, we'd seen it in the promos, so I was thinking that Jacob was playing Jack, making him come there, knowing that he'd get upset and then shatter them. Mission accomplished the person that was coming to the island would now be unable to find it. Or was Jacob sincere in saying that he was trying to get Jack to come around to being the hero that he needs to be. Normally I'd suspect that Jacob was the bad guy, but the way he was at the lighthouse and how he told Hurley that they couldn't help the people at the temple made me believe in his benevolence. Time will tell, but mixed with Claire and her "friend" you have to be thinking that Smokey really might be the bad guy.
Claire is off her rocker, she has been told by Smokey that the others have her baby, sound like anyone else we know??? And as such she is trying to get Aaron back. Oh and don't mention the fact that Kate took Aaron off the island because she really isn't going to like that, but my guess is that, that is coming. Now back in season 4, Kate saw an image of Claire where Claire said, "Don't you ever bring Aaron back to the island." I'm wondering if that was the Claire that didn't die in the fountain, maybe a part of her left the island and was telling Kate to keep Aaron safe because she herself was no longer safe. Meaning the island / Smokey wanted the baby and by bringing him back, he'd be in danger. Interesting little tidbit... In season 1 when Roussou #22 took Aaron to the other side of the island, she was taking him to a pillar of black smoke, I'm just saying...
So while we're talking about every one's kids, let's talk about David Sheppard. If Lost has pounded one thing into our heads over the past 6 years, it's that everyone has daddy issues and David was no exception with the relationship that he had with his Dad, Jack in the weekends that he got to see daddy. Humm any question why this episode might have struck a cord with me... (get it cord? =) hahah, nothing...) Here was Jack, the kindlier gentler Jack trying to forge a relationship with his son but no matter what he did it seemed like he was going down the same path that he and his dad went down. The problem of course was that Jack was still consumed by his poor relationship with his father. In the end he lets go of that pain and he and David bond, in yet another happy ending in sideways world.
I'm really finding it interesting that sideways world is all about happiness or correcting the mistakes of the other life, the sideways world is the redemption that they are all trying to achieve on the island, but just can't. Best part of if it, it seems like Jack and Locke both came to the their changes on their own, without the help of Smokey or Jacob. And one final thought, they are breaking a chain of events in their lives and making themselves better people which is pretty much the redemption that this show has preached for years now.
I'm kind of drawing a blank on what else to write this week, lack of outside input. =)
I really liked the observation when Hurley and Jack arrived that the lighthouse wondering, "Why have we never seen this before?" Thinking the same thing I was thinking, why the heck have they never noticed the light house before? "I guess we were never looking for it." Well played sir. It was a cool nod in my opinion that yes you would think that we'd have seen the lighthouse before now, but it was like the show was saying, "Give us the benefit of the doubt here." Knowing that we were going to ask that question. And isn't that why Lost is so great, the show isn't hiding the fact that it's a show where people are watching, sure it's not totally in your face, but the writers know it and the little nods that I written into the story are cool, because it lets us know when they are reaching for something, like with the lighthouse, or when Jack asks Dogen about the baseball.
Hurley's little quips in the episode were great, "He's kind of like Obi Won, he just pops up from time to time." or "I like temples.... like Indiana Jones..." or "I'm a candidate and I'll go where I want to, why don't you go back to the courtyard." Hurley is always great for some humor but at the same time a serious character in the show. Hurley is just the simple whatever guy, not stupid by any means he's just the everyman character. As Jacob said, "Some people you just need to get into their cab, others require a little something more." Which leads us to Jack and how Jacob used him.
I'm really at a crossroads with Jacob, I can't tell if I should take him at face value or if he's totally playing Jack. When they got to the lighthouse I knew that Jack was going to smash the mirrors, we'd seen it in the promos, so I was thinking that Jacob was playing Jack, making him come there, knowing that he'd get upset and then shatter them. Mission accomplished the person that was coming to the island would now be unable to find it. Or was Jacob sincere in saying that he was trying to get Jack to come around to being the hero that he needs to be. Normally I'd suspect that Jacob was the bad guy, but the way he was at the lighthouse and how he told Hurley that they couldn't help the people at the temple made me believe in his benevolence. Time will tell, but mixed with Claire and her "friend" you have to be thinking that Smokey really might be the bad guy.
Claire is off her rocker, she has been told by Smokey that the others have her baby, sound like anyone else we know??? And as such she is trying to get Aaron back. Oh and don't mention the fact that Kate took Aaron off the island because she really isn't going to like that, but my guess is that, that is coming. Now back in season 4, Kate saw an image of Claire where Claire said, "Don't you ever bring Aaron back to the island." I'm wondering if that was the Claire that didn't die in the fountain, maybe a part of her left the island and was telling Kate to keep Aaron safe because she herself was no longer safe. Meaning the island / Smokey wanted the baby and by bringing him back, he'd be in danger. Interesting little tidbit... In season 1 when Roussou #22 took Aaron to the other side of the island, she was taking him to a pillar of black smoke, I'm just saying...
So while we're talking about every one's kids, let's talk about David Sheppard. If Lost has pounded one thing into our heads over the past 6 years, it's that everyone has daddy issues and David was no exception with the relationship that he had with his Dad, Jack in the weekends that he got to see daddy. Humm any question why this episode might have struck a cord with me... (get it cord? =) hahah, nothing...) Here was Jack, the kindlier gentler Jack trying to forge a relationship with his son but no matter what he did it seemed like he was going down the same path that he and his dad went down. The problem of course was that Jack was still consumed by his poor relationship with his father. In the end he lets go of that pain and he and David bond, in yet another happy ending in sideways world.
I'm really finding it interesting that sideways world is all about happiness or correcting the mistakes of the other life, the sideways world is the redemption that they are all trying to achieve on the island, but just can't. Best part of if it, it seems like Jack and Locke both came to the their changes on their own, without the help of Smokey or Jacob. And one final thought, they are breaking a chain of events in their lives and making themselves better people which is pretty much the redemption that this show has preached for years now.
I'm kind of drawing a blank on what else to write this week, lack of outside input. =)
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Lost - No one is reading anyway
Ah the good times that we used to have, we'd watch the show on Wednesday night and then all day Thursday it was all about what the heck happened on the previous night's show. Now here we are in the 6th year of what is seeming to be the length of a flight to Sydney. Sure I love the show and eagerly await each episode, but I'm feeling a little fatigue and without anyone to share my enthusiasm with I don't know I just guess I just kind of miss all of that. I used to get people e-mailing me, "Did you do the write up yet?" to now, "Did you watch the episode?" "Not yet". I was in love and so was everyone else, we shared that love and it was good. Now I don't know why I do it, it's like pressing the button, 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42 and damnit, I'm going to keep pressing that button until the end just like Desmond, even if I'm alone in that hole.
So with that being said let's get to it, good episode last night, I didn't love it, but I really liked it, I think my own distraction of, "Are we there yet?" gets in the way a little bit, think of it like the drive to Vegas, I mean you're still going to Vegas so that's awesome, but once you hit state line it just seems to take forever to get there, like a horizon that will never come, and 10 miles that seem to take 10 years. What was I saying? Anyway the producers know how to follow up a shaky Kate story, with a kick butt Locke story. Wonder who next week will be.
Enough of my rambling get to it Adam. Let's start off with the biggest piece of the Lost pie, the numbers, last night there they were in all their glory etched on the walls of the Harry Potter cave in Half Blood Prince. Each name with a number next to them, the numbers that have become legend in pop culture, and at first I was all pumped as you can see below in my live blog. (Yes I actually do a live blog for the show now!) But that excitement gave way to questions this morning, and even some disappointment, potentially. The numbers are one of two things, 1) The proof that Jacob has over the years been manipulating all of the characters on the show so that they would end up right where he wanted them, or 2) A huge cop out by the producers, putting the numbers up against each name because they needed to check off that item from the millions of questions the show has given us. I really really hope that there is more to come from the numbers because if that is it, then guess what, we were duped, which does lead to a 3) Maybe we are meant to feel deceived as an audience much like Jacob has led all of the people on the island to believe one thing that really wasn't true. I'm actually ok with #3, I personally think that would be awesome, but they would have to come out and say exactly what was going on. It's like a magic trick, we're ok with magic because we know we're being deceived, but in this case they'd just be F---ing with us, and that's not cool.
Two extra things on the numbers, every character that has been on the show is on the wall and crossed out (I found it online and some pics) all except one (at least one that we didn't see) Kate. Maybe this means that Kate is supposed to die, we can only hope, and while I'm there let me just say that I will be the happiest Lost fan to see her die a very very horrible death. So that means that everyone has been brought to the island as a possible "candidate" to take over the island, but we're down the final 5 on Lost Idol, does that mean Smokey is Simon? Or since the show is on ABC maybe Chris Harrison is standing somewhere in the background ready to say, "This is the final number of the night, Jacob, when you're ready." Better yet, that's Richard, Richard is Chris Harrison on this season of The Island Bachelor. Maybe we'll get an episode of The Producers Tell All. Ah who will the island propose to in this tropical paradise? Was the cave the suite where Smokey and Sawyer got to forgo their individual suites and stay as a couple? Man this stuff writes itself... =)
Anyway how about some meat, tasty, juicy, meat from the theory department. Again we saw the episode last night so no reason to recap every single detail that happened. So the main points.
Blonde child - Tony thought that was Aaron, I think it might be Jacob, another theory online is that it's Sawyer as a child. Really I have no idea to be honest, the big key with the kid wasn't that he was there, because let's be honest seeing another ghost on the island isn't really a big deal anymore, it's that he reminded Smokey about the rules and Smokey yelling in a very Locke tone, "Don't tell me what I can't do!" A couple thoughts, first Smokey must have been fated to become Locke, so not even the "gods" can avoid fate, he is who he is and was destined to find someone like himself. Second thing is that Smokey can't kill the other people on the list, if one of them chooses to rule the island and become the new Jacob then there isn't anything that he can do about it, they have to choose to say no, or die on their own. Hence the free will.
Smokey says that everyone that comes to the island fights, destroys, etc.. Maybe he was telling Jacob to stop bothering bringing people to the island that it was only a matter of time before he got free because the humans that came were inherently flawed to begin with. Not that it's a negative to be flawed, it's just human nature, we're not perfect. My contention has been that Jacob is really the bad guy here, he has manipulated everyone that has come to the island and pretty much kept the others in the dark on everything. Some people would say that Jacob is the representation of God on this show, or the good in people, I think we see what we want to see or what we've been led to believe. He is no God and I have two examples of things that God would not do, in my opinion of course. 1) He gave Sawyer the pen so that he could write his revenge letter at the time he was most vulnerable (what God does that?) 2) He bails Kate out from stealing, sure it's more forgiving, but Kate was under the impression that she could get away with it, and his stepping in there pretty much assured that she would. Too examples where either character could have gone either way had nature been allowed to take it's course. With Sawyer, he would have gave up on the letter and learned to live with the loss of his parents and Kate would have gotten in trouble for stealing, and maybe wouldn't have done it again. In both cases Jacob prevented what should have happened to happen, and in these two examples both actions condoned sins.
Sideways Locke - Ok so I was wrong Locke never got to go on Walkabout, but regardless he was very different in this timeline. Ok sure he can't walk, but who he was as a person was very different. He didn't believe in miracles, hoping that everything would work out, a victim to life, he was much more inclined to take on life the best he could. Best example of this was in the job interview where he didn't want to answer stupid questions he wanted to get a new job, sure he was still unrealistic, but as we saw at the end of the episode he had learned to deal with that. Locke didn't care that he was in a wheelchair or else he'd have called Jack, he accepted his fate and was going to make the most of it. Something from this story that was more than funny was Ben...
Ben - Here is something to consider, if Ben was there at the school teaching that means that he is still alive. Here is where it gets head trippy. The sideways world that we are watching is supposedly the time line that started after the nuke on the island went off, if that is so then Ben being there means two things. 1) Ben was still shot by Sayid in the past (if that is tough to get, just trust me on it, it'd take pages to explain, after years of watching Sci-fi and time travel stuff, just go with me on this) and he was brought back in the temple. 2) It means that the island was not sunk when the nuke went off, because Ben was living with the others at the time in the jungle so you'd think he'd have died when the blast happened. All of this assumes that the timeline starts in 1977, which it should based on what we've seen.
Sideways World - Has anyone else noticed that sideways world is a much better place than the island world? Everyone in sideways world has a much better life than they did in island world. Kate still seems to have her issues with the law, so she is my one exception. Sun and Jin, it's too early to tell. I have some thoughts here, but nothing I'm ready put my flag down on so let's just keep watch shall we.
Who are Smokey, Richard, and Jacob - "It's nice to see you out of those chains [Richard]" I think he was being metaphorical in suggesting that Jacob had kept him locked into his service for all those years and it was good to see him not serving Jacob finally. All indications are that Smokey is the bad guy, but let me throw this out there. He has only killed Eko (check the tape, only one death) and the Jacob army. And to the best of our knowledge he hasn't been manipulating everyone on the island forever, like Jacob. Yes he can and will judge you and he did manipulate Ben in order to kill Jacob, but relatively speaking that's minor in comparison and as he said, "I didn't make you do anything, I just gave you a choice." Jacob on the other hand allows the people in his life to think that they had a choice but in reality he's been pulling strings behind the scenes making them believe they have a choice but he's already set up the answers that they will make. Smokey flat out said, I gave you a choice. It's very easy to draw put God and Satan comparisons to both, but I'm not going there, I don't think that either is either of those, as Smokey said himself he was once a man. And I'm not going to buy into all bad guys wear black and all good guys wear white, it seems to me like the bad guys would wear white to make you believe they were good, while the good guys wouldn't care, who they are isn't about their clothes it's about who they are. That being said Smokey can be a bad ass mofo if he wants to be so he could very very easily be the bad guy like they are leading us to believe, but since when has ANYTHING on this show been that easy?
Best guess is that Jacob has Smokey trapped on the island and will do whatever he has to do to anyone or anything to keep that power over Smokey. This will sound really odd but it makes sense in a crazy way. Smokey is like a genie and Jacob is the guy that wished for more wishes. Smokey can't kill Jacob because genie's can't kill their masters hence the rules and the loophole. But while Jacob is alive and will live forever Smokey has to do his bidding. And you thought all that Egyptian stuff was just coincidence? =) And Richard... maybe he didn't ask for more wishes but wished for eternal life, or had Jacob ask for him. The facts, Smokey is supernatural and he's a big plum of smoke, like a genie! And magic things happen on the island that Jacob seems to control like wishes. I know that sounds crazy but it does fit. And let me just site Aladdin for a second, a man can become trapped in the bottle if they wish for the power them self. Maybe Smokey did that, and he's really pissed about it. Siting another Aladdin thing, life, Jacob wanted a child, but that was the one thing that couldn't happen on magic island, I'm pretty sure that Robin Williams wasn't able to make babies, but the topic wasn't really covered except in "I can't make someone fall in love with you" close enough.
So what does it all mean? Jacob is no God, he's a man manipulating everyone and everything on the island through Smokey's power and Smokey wants to be free from Jacob's service. The losties are stuck in this struggle via Jacob as he tries to outwit Smokey and maintain his power. And their lives would have played out much different, even better had Jacob never got involved with their lives.
So with that being said let's get to it, good episode last night, I didn't love it, but I really liked it, I think my own distraction of, "Are we there yet?" gets in the way a little bit, think of it like the drive to Vegas, I mean you're still going to Vegas so that's awesome, but once you hit state line it just seems to take forever to get there, like a horizon that will never come, and 10 miles that seem to take 10 years. What was I saying? Anyway the producers know how to follow up a shaky Kate story, with a kick butt Locke story. Wonder who next week will be.
Enough of my rambling get to it Adam. Let's start off with the biggest piece of the Lost pie, the numbers, last night there they were in all their glory etched on the walls of the Harry Potter cave in Half Blood Prince. Each name with a number next to them, the numbers that have become legend in pop culture, and at first I was all pumped as you can see below in my live blog. (Yes I actually do a live blog for the show now!) But that excitement gave way to questions this morning, and even some disappointment, potentially. The numbers are one of two things, 1) The proof that Jacob has over the years been manipulating all of the characters on the show so that they would end up right where he wanted them, or 2) A huge cop out by the producers, putting the numbers up against each name because they needed to check off that item from the millions of questions the show has given us. I really really hope that there is more to come from the numbers because if that is it, then guess what, we were duped, which does lead to a 3) Maybe we are meant to feel deceived as an audience much like Jacob has led all of the people on the island to believe one thing that really wasn't true. I'm actually ok with #3, I personally think that would be awesome, but they would have to come out and say exactly what was going on. It's like a magic trick, we're ok with magic because we know we're being deceived, but in this case they'd just be F---ing with us, and that's not cool.
Two extra things on the numbers, every character that has been on the show is on the wall and crossed out (I found it online and some pics) all except one (at least one that we didn't see) Kate. Maybe this means that Kate is supposed to die, we can only hope, and while I'm there let me just say that I will be the happiest Lost fan to see her die a very very horrible death. So that means that everyone has been brought to the island as a possible "candidate" to take over the island, but we're down the final 5 on Lost Idol, does that mean Smokey is Simon? Or since the show is on ABC maybe Chris Harrison is standing somewhere in the background ready to say, "This is the final number of the night, Jacob, when you're ready." Better yet, that's Richard, Richard is Chris Harrison on this season of The Island Bachelor. Maybe we'll get an episode of The Producers Tell All. Ah who will the island propose to in this tropical paradise? Was the cave the suite where Smokey and Sawyer got to forgo their individual suites and stay as a couple? Man this stuff writes itself... =)
Anyway how about some meat, tasty, juicy, meat from the theory department. Again we saw the episode last night so no reason to recap every single detail that happened. So the main points.
Blonde child - Tony thought that was Aaron, I think it might be Jacob, another theory online is that it's Sawyer as a child. Really I have no idea to be honest, the big key with the kid wasn't that he was there, because let's be honest seeing another ghost on the island isn't really a big deal anymore, it's that he reminded Smokey about the rules and Smokey yelling in a very Locke tone, "Don't tell me what I can't do!" A couple thoughts, first Smokey must have been fated to become Locke, so not even the "gods" can avoid fate, he is who he is and was destined to find someone like himself. Second thing is that Smokey can't kill the other people on the list, if one of them chooses to rule the island and become the new Jacob then there isn't anything that he can do about it, they have to choose to say no, or die on their own. Hence the free will.
Smokey says that everyone that comes to the island fights, destroys, etc.. Maybe he was telling Jacob to stop bothering bringing people to the island that it was only a matter of time before he got free because the humans that came were inherently flawed to begin with. Not that it's a negative to be flawed, it's just human nature, we're not perfect. My contention has been that Jacob is really the bad guy here, he has manipulated everyone that has come to the island and pretty much kept the others in the dark on everything. Some people would say that Jacob is the representation of God on this show, or the good in people, I think we see what we want to see or what we've been led to believe. He is no God and I have two examples of things that God would not do, in my opinion of course. 1) He gave Sawyer the pen so that he could write his revenge letter at the time he was most vulnerable (what God does that?) 2) He bails Kate out from stealing, sure it's more forgiving, but Kate was under the impression that she could get away with it, and his stepping in there pretty much assured that she would. Too examples where either character could have gone either way had nature been allowed to take it's course. With Sawyer, he would have gave up on the letter and learned to live with the loss of his parents and Kate would have gotten in trouble for stealing, and maybe wouldn't have done it again. In both cases Jacob prevented what should have happened to happen, and in these two examples both actions condoned sins.
Sideways Locke - Ok so I was wrong Locke never got to go on Walkabout, but regardless he was very different in this timeline. Ok sure he can't walk, but who he was as a person was very different. He didn't believe in miracles, hoping that everything would work out, a victim to life, he was much more inclined to take on life the best he could. Best example of this was in the job interview where he didn't want to answer stupid questions he wanted to get a new job, sure he was still unrealistic, but as we saw at the end of the episode he had learned to deal with that. Locke didn't care that he was in a wheelchair or else he'd have called Jack, he accepted his fate and was going to make the most of it. Something from this story that was more than funny was Ben...
Ben - Here is something to consider, if Ben was there at the school teaching that means that he is still alive. Here is where it gets head trippy. The sideways world that we are watching is supposedly the time line that started after the nuke on the island went off, if that is so then Ben being there means two things. 1) Ben was still shot by Sayid in the past (if that is tough to get, just trust me on it, it'd take pages to explain, after years of watching Sci-fi and time travel stuff, just go with me on this) and he was brought back in the temple. 2) It means that the island was not sunk when the nuke went off, because Ben was living with the others at the time in the jungle so you'd think he'd have died when the blast happened. All of this assumes that the timeline starts in 1977, which it should based on what we've seen.
Sideways World - Has anyone else noticed that sideways world is a much better place than the island world? Everyone in sideways world has a much better life than they did in island world. Kate still seems to have her issues with the law, so she is my one exception. Sun and Jin, it's too early to tell. I have some thoughts here, but nothing I'm ready put my flag down on so let's just keep watch shall we.
Who are Smokey, Richard, and Jacob - "It's nice to see you out of those chains [Richard]" I think he was being metaphorical in suggesting that Jacob had kept him locked into his service for all those years and it was good to see him not serving Jacob finally. All indications are that Smokey is the bad guy, but let me throw this out there. He has only killed Eko (check the tape, only one death) and the Jacob army. And to the best of our knowledge he hasn't been manipulating everyone on the island forever, like Jacob. Yes he can and will judge you and he did manipulate Ben in order to kill Jacob, but relatively speaking that's minor in comparison and as he said, "I didn't make you do anything, I just gave you a choice." Jacob on the other hand allows the people in his life to think that they had a choice but in reality he's been pulling strings behind the scenes making them believe they have a choice but he's already set up the answers that they will make. Smokey flat out said, I gave you a choice. It's very easy to draw put God and Satan comparisons to both, but I'm not going there, I don't think that either is either of those, as Smokey said himself he was once a man. And I'm not going to buy into all bad guys wear black and all good guys wear white, it seems to me like the bad guys would wear white to make you believe they were good, while the good guys wouldn't care, who they are isn't about their clothes it's about who they are. That being said Smokey can be a bad ass mofo if he wants to be so he could very very easily be the bad guy like they are leading us to believe, but since when has ANYTHING on this show been that easy?
Best guess is that Jacob has Smokey trapped on the island and will do whatever he has to do to anyone or anything to keep that power over Smokey. This will sound really odd but it makes sense in a crazy way. Smokey is like a genie and Jacob is the guy that wished for more wishes. Smokey can't kill Jacob because genie's can't kill their masters hence the rules and the loophole. But while Jacob is alive and will live forever Smokey has to do his bidding. And you thought all that Egyptian stuff was just coincidence? =) And Richard... maybe he didn't ask for more wishes but wished for eternal life, or had Jacob ask for him. The facts, Smokey is supernatural and he's a big plum of smoke, like a genie! And magic things happen on the island that Jacob seems to control like wishes. I know that sounds crazy but it does fit. And let me just site Aladdin for a second, a man can become trapped in the bottle if they wish for the power them self. Maybe Smokey did that, and he's really pissed about it. Siting another Aladdin thing, life, Jacob wanted a child, but that was the one thing that couldn't happen on magic island, I'm pretty sure that Robin Williams wasn't able to make babies, but the topic wasn't really covered except in "I can't make someone fall in love with you" close enough.
So what does it all mean? Jacob is no God, he's a man manipulating everyone and everything on the island through Smokey's power and Smokey wants to be free from Jacob's service. The losties are stuck in this struggle via Jacob as he tries to outwit Smokey and maintain his power. And their lives would have played out much different, even better had Jacob never got involved with their lives.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Lost - The man in black, unlocked
Honestly I watched the recap from last week and it wasn't as bad as I remember, yeah I hate Kate and all, but Jack was pretty cool for a change, and Sawyer, well he's always cool. The part with the pill and Jack was really good because we got to see Jack so unpretentious for a change, I like the broken man. To take two things from Fight Club, "It's only we've lost everything that we're free to do anything." And "I am Jack's wasted life." And yes the second is an exact quote.
Ok show started
I love Locke episodes, instantly just that much cooler. Some big differences in his life, his soon to be wife is there, and apparently he is on good terms with his Dad? Odd? I like the it must be fate that he met a spinal doctor. Then seeing Smokey from Smokey's perspective, I have a feeling we're going to have more confused people, I'm looking at you Dede.
So Richard was serving Jacob and Jacob kept him in the dark, but Smokey didn't really scare Richard into following him, apparently they exist on the same level in some way. What is the deal with recruiting? Oh and I'm sure that Sawyer is going to follow Smokey now that he has nothing to lose. FYI I'm calling the new Locke, Smokey because that is who he is now. The real John is dead on the island world. One cool thing I noticed, Richard face was half bloodied and have fine.
Fun seeing Hurley at the box place, "That guy is a douche." love it, he must own Trend too. Oh snap!
Ok so we have child Jacob running around on the island, but that isn't the big deal the big deal is that Smokey was saying something very very Locke, "Don't tell me what I can't do!" It's interesting because when you see Locke in the other world, he seems confident, and what is up with the kid saying that he can't break the rules. I think the ones Jacob touched can't be killed by him,
So why doesn't Smokey acknowledge that he was chasing a kid? And Richard is now scared of Smokey and tells Sawyer that they need to get to the temple fast. Honestly I think it's too obvious and I can't see Sawyer in any real danger because he wouldn't care if he died at this point, so they'll bluff it tonight.
Locke back in the other world is all confident but not a wimp either, he presses Rose for the construction job and wanting to get to business about finding a real job. I think he really did the walkabout, they are setting it up.
Anyone else notice that Helen had black nail polish? So Locke didn't go on walkabout, I was wrong, but he did come to terms with his problem, so maybe Jack won't fix him, but I'm still holding out that he will.
So Sawyer falls down the cliff and Smokey saves him, I guess you have to trust him now. Here is my deal if you spend all that time on the island and Jacob doesn't tell you anything and then Smokey comes along and shows you a cliff with every ones name on it, guess who I'm going to trust, and for us the audience I think we all like Smokey, he might actually give an answer or two, I think they were all lied to by Jacob.
THEY ARE THE NUMBERS!!!
Oh and sorry Kate, we didn't have a number for you, I guess that whole running thing takes you out of the running. Maybe you'll die, we can only hope.
Ok so the ending was very interesting, I'll have to ponder that one and the theories that will come from it. My take is that the island is a prison and Jacob was watching over it to keep Smokey locked up, and the losties are there to keep him in place, naturally Sawyer is done with the place. Oh so much to think about.
Ok show started
I love Locke episodes, instantly just that much cooler. Some big differences in his life, his soon to be wife is there, and apparently he is on good terms with his Dad? Odd? I like the it must be fate that he met a spinal doctor. Then seeing Smokey from Smokey's perspective, I have a feeling we're going to have more confused people, I'm looking at you Dede.
So Richard was serving Jacob and Jacob kept him in the dark, but Smokey didn't really scare Richard into following him, apparently they exist on the same level in some way. What is the deal with recruiting? Oh and I'm sure that Sawyer is going to follow Smokey now that he has nothing to lose. FYI I'm calling the new Locke, Smokey because that is who he is now. The real John is dead on the island world. One cool thing I noticed, Richard face was half bloodied and have fine.
Fun seeing Hurley at the box place, "That guy is a douche." love it, he must own Trend too. Oh snap!
Ok so we have child Jacob running around on the island, but that isn't the big deal the big deal is that Smokey was saying something very very Locke, "Don't tell me what I can't do!" It's interesting because when you see Locke in the other world, he seems confident, and what is up with the kid saying that he can't break the rules. I think the ones Jacob touched can't be killed by him,
So why doesn't Smokey acknowledge that he was chasing a kid? And Richard is now scared of Smokey and tells Sawyer that they need to get to the temple fast. Honestly I think it's too obvious and I can't see Sawyer in any real danger because he wouldn't care if he died at this point, so they'll bluff it tonight.
Locke back in the other world is all confident but not a wimp either, he presses Rose for the construction job and wanting to get to business about finding a real job. I think he really did the walkabout, they are setting it up.
Anyone else notice that Helen had black nail polish? So Locke didn't go on walkabout, I was wrong, but he did come to terms with his problem, so maybe Jack won't fix him, but I'm still holding out that he will.
So Sawyer falls down the cliff and Smokey saves him, I guess you have to trust him now. Here is my deal if you spend all that time on the island and Jacob doesn't tell you anything and then Smokey comes along and shows you a cliff with every ones name on it, guess who I'm going to trust, and for us the audience I think we all like Smokey, he might actually give an answer or two, I think they were all lied to by Jacob.
THEY ARE THE NUMBERS!!!
Oh and sorry Kate, we didn't have a number for you, I guess that whole running thing takes you out of the running. Maybe you'll die, we can only hope.
Ok so the ending was very interesting, I'll have to ponder that one and the theories that will come from it. My take is that the island is a prison and Jacob was watching over it to keep Smokey locked up, and the losties are there to keep him in place, naturally Sawyer is done with the place. Oh so much to think about.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
LA X - Here we go again
And we're off, we're in the home stretch of the final season. Seemingly hundreds of questions await to be answered while thousands more shall forever remain a mystery. Well ok maybe that is stretching it, but you get my point, it's Lost, it's questions, and honestly that's the fun of it all. First off, I would offer up the writings of Jeff Jenson on ew.com, I read this stuff every week and some of my ideas do come from his theories, or at least get my mind going on some of my own, like Jack fixing Locke, yep all me baby!!! Nailed it!
Anyway I just wanted to say that while I was waiting for the show to return and anticipating writing up theories and other goodies about the show I realized why I love the show and why I'm going to miss it. Lost isn't about actually knowing the answers to what is going on, it's about playing a game to try and guess what those answers and outcomes are going to be. I have a pretty good level of confidence now that the majority of the questions about the show will be answered this year and because of this, I can be patient in the dolling out of that information. Lost isn't about the destination, it's about the ride as long as there is a destination at the end of it all. Sure we found out what the smoke was after 5 years, (now we need to know who he is) but really did we even really care that much by now? Not me, it was cool to learn and see, and the payoff was pretty freakin cool actually, but in a way I already knew the answer. Personally I like to be engaged by my tv shows, I try to solve Lost, I imagine what I'd do on Amazing Race, I just like being apart of what I'm watching take place, hence my love of video games. So in some small way writing all my garbage up here is like me taking part in the experience that is Lost. And we might as well enjoy it for the time we have left because it's unlikely that we'll ever see a show like this again.
Ok now that I've said my peace let's get to it, as you can see below I kept a little blog going during the commercials as notes for today.
Anyway I just wanted to say that while I was waiting for the show to return and anticipating writing up theories and other goodies about the show I realized why I love the show and why I'm going to miss it. Lost isn't about actually knowing the answers to what is going on, it's about playing a game to try and guess what those answers and outcomes are going to be. I have a pretty good level of confidence now that the majority of the questions about the show will be answered this year and because of this, I can be patient in the dolling out of that information. Lost isn't about the destination, it's about the ride as long as there is a destination at the end of it all. Sure we found out what the smoke was after 5 years, (now we need to know who he is) but really did we even really care that much by now? Not me, it was cool to learn and see, and the payoff was pretty freakin cool actually, but in a way I already knew the answer. Personally I like to be engaged by my tv shows, I try to solve Lost, I imagine what I'd do on Amazing Race, I just like being apart of what I'm watching take place, hence my love of video games. So in some small way writing all my garbage up here is like me taking part in the experience that is Lost. And we might as well enjoy it for the time we have left because it's unlikely that we'll ever see a show like this again.
Ok now that I've said my peace let's get to it, as you can see below I kept a little blog going during the commercials as notes for today.
I'm going to do things a little different because there is no reason to recap the plot, we all watched the plot we know what happened. Instead I'm going to highlight on stuff I liked, stuff I didn't like, and then any theories that I might have.
First off we learn that the plane did not crash, Jack is enjoying his secret free drinks with an odd sensation that he's been here before, nice little deja vu. Then Desmond appears and sits next to him. Now the cool thing about Des being there and which was brought up in an interview with the producers (fyi, they say that the big questions from last night will be answered) is that life didn't just change for the people that blew up the Swan, nope the entire world changed, well as much as it can when a nuke goes off in the middle of the Pacific. So for Des instead of crashing into the island he probably kept on sailing. Or let's go even further, maybe Des doesn't even enter the boat race at all, because guess what, if a Neutron bomb went off on the island in 1977, Charles Widmore the one putting on the race would never have survived. And let's go one further, maybe in that case Penny isn't around, or she's raised by her mother instead of her dad, which means that she and Des never meet. Can you imagine that, the best episode of Lost "The Constant" never took place!
I loved watching the two different time lines taking place at the same time. For me it's like watching a "What if" of life play out. For example if I had never gone to Miami to watch the Orange Bowl through my conversation with Jen, which at the time we were only friends, then there is a very strong chance that we never would have gotten married. (Thank you Pete Carroll) So what would that life look like? That's what Lost is this season a big question of what if, but it's still the same characters or are they the same? With Hurley all lucky now and Des on the plane I guess we'll see. I'd imagine they were the same, otherwise the story loses it's value, but I trust in their writing at this point, after 5 years we might as well buy the snake water.
Another thing that was pure awesome was watching Smokey get very very involved, and the line to Ben, "Sorry you had to see me like that" or "You're the monster?... Hey let's not get into name calling." Great stuff, as always the Ben / Locke dynamic on the show is the best and Terry O'Quinn the guy that plays Locke does a great job, look at all of the different types of people he has had to play on the show, it's pretty impressive. I loved Smokey's take on Locke himself, he saw Locke as being a pathetic person, well he sees them all that way actually. it was striking that Locke didn't understand when he was being killed, interesting considering that the whole time he was the most sure of what was supposed to happen on the island. Oh he had a destiny alright, it was to die for Smokey. I guess Locked didn't understand what his real fate was, he thought it was for something great, in reality it was just to be a tool for someone else, kind of like the rest of his life. Smokey kicking Richards ass at the end was pretty fun to watch too, Richard was scared out of his mind.
I had a thought on the cut that was on Jack's neck when he was on the plane. If you remember way back in season 1, when Locke got to the site of the small plane crash with Boone, you might remember that his leg started acting up on him, which is the reason why Boone climbed up into the plane and ended up dieing. At the time I think we all thought that maybe what had caused him to walk was wearing off, but I have a new take on it. Last season he was shot in the leg by Ethan there at the plane site. What if there is some sort of echo between the two worlds where maybe things aren't exactly the same, but there is a sort of physical impression that carries over, just like deja vu? If that is the case then maybe when flying over the island there was a small physical effect on Jack. Granted the flight was 7 miles up for the island so it's kind of a stretch, but that's part of the fun.
Now let's get to something that I really really did not like, the temple and everything to do with it. You know I get where it fits into the plot and I understand why we needed to go there, but really did we need to see another batch of island people pointing guns at the castaways? Really? For those of you not keeping score, the people there were the others that Ben sent to the temple way back in season 3 I think, it's where they have been hanging out. Odd that they'd hang out where Smokey resides, but don't we all have crazy neighbors? And seriously did we need the crazy Korean guy? No we didn't, it added nothing and it was annoying to get another "big mystery" that whole section really pissed me off. And about Sayid dieing and then coming back to life, it's too early to figure out what that was all about, because really I don't care about the fountain. Tony suggested to me that Jacob might now be in Sayid's body, but I personally don't think so, seems too easy and too obvious, but at this point in the game who's to say.
Overall I give the episode an 8, I liked the concept of it, I really liked some parts of it, but the temple really ruined a lot of it for me. Anyway it was two hours of content so there are piles of stuff that I didn't get to, but if you look at my predictions, I think what I said is still in play for the other timeline. Kate is with Claire, and Jack and Locke at linked up too, we'll see.
Until next week
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
LA X 2
So the coffin is missing, that is odd, no ideas on that one.
Have to say that is a little crazy that Jin would take them to the hole in the wall, I don't know if I would have, really scary place too, especially considering that it's that island, and Jin knows that Smokey is there. Finally we see the temple, which would be where the others were told to hide.
Not liking the temple stuff. Sayid is dead, really??? I don't buy it.
And Juliet said that "It worked" which is that they are still on the island, but another them isn't. Had a feeling that they were going to go parallel this season.
I like Smokey, he is right to tell Ben that all of their lives sucked, here they were on the island with the chance at a fresh start on the island, maybe if they didn't fight the island it might not have been such and issue to live there, who knows... Smokey's home is the temple I'm guessing, so how does Richard play into this?
And I so called it, Claire ends up with Kate on the run. Might not be fully played out yet, but so far score one for me!!!
Oh and score one big big one for me, Jack is going to fix Locke's back!!! GO ME!!!
Have to say that is a little crazy that Jin would take them to the hole in the wall, I don't know if I would have, really scary place too, especially considering that it's that island, and Jin knows that Smokey is there. Finally we see the temple, which would be where the others were told to hide.
Not liking the temple stuff. Sayid is dead, really??? I don't buy it.
And Juliet said that "It worked" which is that they are still on the island, but another them isn't. Had a feeling that they were going to go parallel this season.
I like Smokey, he is right to tell Ben that all of their lives sucked, here they were on the island with the chance at a fresh start on the island, maybe if they didn't fight the island it might not have been such and issue to live there, who knows... Smokey's home is the temple I'm guessing, so how does Richard play into this?
And I so called it, Claire ends up with Kate on the run. Might not be fully played out yet, but so far score one for me!!!
Oh and score one big big one for me, Jack is going to fix Locke's back!!! GO ME!!!
Lost live blog - mainly notes for myself
Ok we have Des on the flight, that is very new because he would have crashed on the island, so stuff if different. No crashing as of yet, so that means they don't crash. But something is up, Jack feels different, which makes sense, it's like deja vu, but it's more because of the cut on his neck, we'll see how that plays out. So they feel the change but don't realize it. Oh and they showed the Dharma shark.
So WTF Hurley is the luckiest guy on earth, very opposite. Oh and they are back in 2004ish the nuke didn't kill them, but apparently it did blast the island, so two very different things happened, I think it's two different realities, and intersecting of universes like I thought in my theory. And hi Jacob.
So Locke goes on Walkabout, or says he does anyway. Boone is around, but that's more of a passing thing, we'll see if that goes any where. Nice to see Richard getting a little pissed, not sure which team he should be playing for, think we're going to find out who is on whos side pretty quick, at least this season anyway lol... Love how Ben is still lying to Richard there on the beach, let's see if that changes now that he killed Jacob, might not be to safe for him around there with Illana and her buddies.
So Jacob tells Hurley to take Sayid to the temple, and Jin will tell him to get there, uh no, like Jin is going back to that place. Hi Charlie, it's like a reunion going on, WWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT only a matter of time now I'm sure.
We know who Smokey is!!! what else needs to be said?! Now we know what the ask was for. I'm guessing that Smokey can keep the ghosts active while Jacob can give life. Smokey is death, Jacob is life, but neither is good or evil just opposites.
So John didn't really go on walkabout, liar.
Charlie saying that he was supposed to die and then Desmond not being around is a little interesting, there are overlaps, but nothing direct, very curious to see how this plays out.
And that was LA X 1
So WTF Hurley is the luckiest guy on earth, very opposite. Oh and they are back in 2004ish the nuke didn't kill them, but apparently it did blast the island, so two very different things happened, I think it's two different realities, and intersecting of universes like I thought in my theory. And hi Jacob.
So Locke goes on Walkabout, or says he does anyway. Boone is around, but that's more of a passing thing, we'll see if that goes any where. Nice to see Richard getting a little pissed, not sure which team he should be playing for, think we're going to find out who is on whos side pretty quick, at least this season anyway lol... Love how Ben is still lying to Richard there on the beach, let's see if that changes now that he killed Jacob, might not be to safe for him around there with Illana and her buddies.
So Jacob tells Hurley to take Sayid to the temple, and Jin will tell him to get there, uh no, like Jin is going back to that place. Hi Charlie, it's like a reunion going on, WWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT only a matter of time now I'm sure.
We know who Smokey is!!! what else needs to be said?! Now we know what the ask was for. I'm guessing that Smokey can keep the ghosts active while Jacob can give life. Smokey is death, Jacob is life, but neither is good or evil just opposites.
So John didn't really go on walkabout, liar.
Charlie saying that he was supposed to die and then Desmond not being around is a little interesting, there are overlaps, but nothing direct, very curious to see how this plays out.
And that was LA X 1
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