Last week, I began blogging about LOST at my other site, but I think I’m going to continue it here instead. As we continue to branch out into other conversations beyond the Potterverse, LOST is a good place to begin looking at story told on TV. Aberforth goes a little crazy when I try to bring the TV into the pub, but he knocks back a firewhiskey or two, and it all works out.
Below the break are my two posts from last week on LOST, and I’ll write up a review of tonight’s episode sometime tomorrow. Later today, look for a post on The Hunger Games, which John Granger got me hooked on a few weeks ago. I wasn’t planning to blog on it, but the political themes are just too good to pass up.
Read about LOST. Beware of spoilers.
So far, Season 6 of LOST has not disappointed. I want to focus primarily on the redemption stories in the series as we follow the characters through the rest of the adventure.
The parallel universes [see addition below for more on this] has confirmed one thing: These characters were “lost” whether or not they ever landed on an island. They are, first and foremost, spiritually lost. In this episode, we had Kate helping Claire with her pregnancy (like on the island), and Ethan stabbing Claire with needles to care for her during pregnancy (like on the island).
The quest for redemption in each character’s life is at the heart of this 6th season. Here are the glimpses of being “lost” and “found” from episode 3:
Kate: This was primarily a Kate episode, and we get three key insights: (1) Even without the island, Kate’s good-heartedness is evident as she risks recapture to help Claire. (2) On the island, Kate seeks Claire to bring her back to Aaron, and this is her primary reason for returning. (3) Her search for redemption through relationship with Sawyer continues to be futile, and will likely always be so.
Jack: The “shepherd” wrestles with some much-needed self-doubt, and in the midst of it, makes one of his most important decisions yet: risking his life to protect his friend by swallowing the poison pill. (Note that he proclaims, “I don’t trust myself. How am I supposed to trust you?” right before swallowing the pill. This is true humility leading to self-sacrifice.) This opens up a big lost/found redemption plotline, which I’ll explore below.
Sawyer: His discovering the capacity to love has put him on the brink: He’ll either discover that his time with Juliet was better than not finding love at all, or he’ll become cynical and jaded. Bet on the former, but the tension of the latter has been introduced: “I think some of us are meant to be alone.”
Sayid: After coming back to life mysteriously, he is “tested” by torture and found to be infected by an all-consuming darkness (if those in the temple are right). This is the most important newly-introduced topic.
It’s important, because we’ve got a tension set up now. Sayid has been taken over by this darkness, and once it reaches his heart, he will be fully claimed by the darkness (which we must assume is in some way related to Smokey – or now, Smocke). We’re told the same thing happened to Claire, and then we meet Claire, who has quite obviously taken the place of Rousseau.
If the Others are correct in their religion, we should now assume that “Christian Shepherd” is a manifestation of Smocke, and Claire was lured by him into following and being consumed by the darkness. Sayid will supposedly following. Sawyer introduces the legalist’s cynicism early on in reacting to Sayid’s resurrection: “He’s an Iraqi torturer who kills kids; of course he deserves another chance.” The grace needed for redemption is lacking there, and it appears the temple religion follows Sawyer’s belief in “justice.” Sayid is condemned, because he should be condemned.
But since the re-cap show last week so heavily leaned toward free will being able to trump the tyranny of “fate” via Juliet’s sacrificial death, look for the religion of the temple to be exposed as an oppressive hoax (whether its followers know it or not), or perhaps an organization that has lost the way of Jacob (the importance of free will), for Claire and Sayid both to rise above and defeat this inner darkness, and for Jack to lead the way by further acts of self-sacrifice. Claire’s being consumed by darkness is the key here. We might be ready and willing to accept that an Iraqi torturer would deserve to be consumed by darkness and claimed by evil, but we wouldn’t think the same about Claire.
Best line of the episode: “Dude, you’re not a zombie, are you?” ~ Hurley. He always gets the best lines.
Not Parallel Universes
In the first 10 minutes of Episode 1 of Season 6, I tweeted the phrase “parallel universes!” That stuck in my mind, especially with the free will set-up from just a few moments before in the re-cap. If free will can trump fate, then alternate universes seemed a possibility.
But a friend (hi, Jon) suggested to me today that they weren’t parallel universes at all, but two plot lines in two different times that would somehow weave together to make a cohesive story. Yes. Yes, I think that’s probably true.
Some people out there in Lost-land have undoubtedly already come up with intricate theories, as well as arguments against this idea. But to me, the key phrase is Dogen’s statement to Jack that he was “brought” to the island, with the implication that there’s some kind of divine reason behind it. If Jack and co. were always supposed to be brought to the island, then their landing safely in LA is not going to prevent that. And this is exactly why in the new 2004, in which they land in LA, Ethan is not on the island, but in a hospital – the one Claire ends up in. It’s not some alternative universe where Ethan never became part of the Others or made it to the island. Ethan is doing exactly what the “island” would have him do given the circumstances.
This story is ultimately about Jack and his family. Which means it’s about Claire and her baby as well. This is why we had a big pregnant pause (haha) in Claire’s story line, why she’s emerged as the new Rousseau, and why the fate of Aaron is going to be key.
Details? I don’t have the mental energy to work out many at present. But let’s consider that our heroes are in two different times right now: 2004 (in LA) and 2007 (on the island). The 2004 crew is going to end up on that island. But the question is when? And by “when,” I don’t mean “How soon?” but “What year?” Will they go back to ’77 and somehow alter what happened? Will we discover that the bomb didn’t really blow, but in that moment, what really happened was that the ’04 crew went down and turned that magical wheel of island-moving time-travel, sending the other ’77 crew ahead to ’07 – all of which means that the hatch was built and later blown up by – what? the first ’04 crew that really crashed? That doesn’t make sense. Or does some chain of events in the new scheme of things prevent Desmond from actually ever getting to the numbers in time, which is why Oceanic 815 didn’t come down in the new timeline?
Or does Juliet’s “it worked” mean that the bomb most definitely blew? And if it did, why do we have the Locke-blown hatch?
I think I need to do some reading on what makes for good and consistent fictional theories of time travel.
Red Rocker on 
diva_alix on 
Arabella Figg on 
Joivre on 
Loading ...
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Very excited for tonight’s episode. All your time travel musings are hurting my brain, which always happens when I think about that stuff too much! I too think they must be somehow entwined. Interesting to think that they might come back to the Island but not in ’07. I wonder if there will still be room this season for traditional flashbacks; there are still some things from the Island’s past I’d love a little more info on…
I read an interview where the writers said the “flash-sideways” (their word) episodes will continue throughout the season…..
I find LOST to be a show where I simply let it flow over me and don’t try to analyze too much. No idea why, as that’s unusual for me….
Fun idea to follow along here, Travis!
So, have you told your other blog you’re taking Lost away from it? How do you think it feels? Do you think you two need to go through counseling?
That’s about all I’ve got to say on Lost as I’ve never seen an episode & don’t intend to start watching now. But I will be very interested in your post on The Hunger Games.
George, my other blog and I do most definitely need counseling.
Janet, “Flash-sideways” is an interesting choice of words. It suggests something happening at the same time somewhere else. Maybe it is parallel universes after all, and we’re going to see two different story lines play out?
Or maybe it’s just indicating that there are two different stories happening that will end up merging together into one at the end. Hard to tell.
I let the first 5 seasons wash over me. Now I can’t seem to stop thinking and speculating.
I think Damon and Carlton endorsed the term “flash-sideways”. I first used the term in “The Constant” to describe what Desmond was experiencing; not sure yet just how that might relate to this, since, aside from Juliet’s “It worked” and a few hints at deja-vu – and possibly Rose knowing something more that she isn’t telling – people in the two timelines don’t seem aware of each other.
Here’s the interview where I first saw the writers use the “flash sideways” term….
http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/02/02/lost-premiere-damon-carlton/
Erin, I don’t know how on earth it is that I’m just now noticing that you blog about LOST, but I’m going to find some time later on to check it out!
I’m really excited about tonight’s episode. Sayid!!!
The talks I’ve given recently on YA dystopias use Suzanne Collins’ series as a key example, and I agree with you, there’s much political content there. Fascinating material. I’m really looking forward to your thoughts on the Hunger Games trilogy!
I recommend two books for every LOST fan:
Flashforward by Robert J. Sawyer (ironic wink there!). This novel was the springboard for ABC’s show. It explores the various theories about time (Nivens’ Law, Shrodinger’s Cat, Minkowski’s blocked time–he’s the one who coined “the time-space continuum; his “namesake” on LOST is the man on Widmore’s boat who first had the “time sickness” and died), Oedipus Rex, and arguments and ramifications of choice/free will vs. fate/destiny. I just read it and found it quite helpful for LOST’s time-looping/tripping. Although to indicate I understand all this stuff is a joke.
Remake by Ken Griffey (hat tip to EW’s Jeff Jensen). In this novel a man is compelled to live 20 years of his life repeatedly and he does so differently each time.
Cuse and Lindelhoff say no more flashbacks or flashforwards, only flash sideways. I do believe there will be convergence of 2007 time and 2004 alt time.
Travis, thanks! I haven’t really “advertised” it much up ’til now. But with the end of the series looming, it’s kinda fun to compare notes with more people!
Arabella, funnily enough, I won the book Flashforward via a contest on a LOST blog. I decided to wait to read it until after the first season, but my dad really liked it. And Schrodinger’s Cat seems to be popping up everywhere these days!
I hadn’t heard that they definitively aren’t doing anymore flashbacks or flashforwards. Guess that blows my hopes for a Richard flashback – not to mention a Vincent flashback!
But I’m sure they have an equally interesting method of giving us more on Richard’s backstory.
I too think we will get Richard’s history and I look forward to it.
Regarding Richard. When Smocke says to Richard that “it’s good to see you out of your chains,” I didn’t see this as a direct reference to physical chains or a Black Rock connection, although it could be both those things. I saw it as a metaphorical reference to what MIB sees as Richard’s slavery to Jacob, remembering that Richard told Flocke that he didn’t age because Jacob wanted it that way. Did anyone else see it as I did?
lostpedia.com, http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page, is a great website (although it carries spoilers) for reference. For example, I just looked Richard up and there is detailed chronological entry.
Am I understanding it rightly that we’re dealing now with 2 sets of Others – one group outside the temple and one within? I don’t get the impression at all that the outside Others have ever been in the temple.
Except, perhaps, for Richard. I think it’s correct that we’ll see a lot more of Richard, because I get the impression he’s the only one who has traveled in all worlds – inside the temple as an Other, outside the temple as an Other, and off the island.
I get the sense of a hierarchy in Otherdom. Ben sent a group of Others to the Temple before the big beach fight. But there seems to be an inner core of people. I can’t reconcile this group with Ben, but who knows? They had two thugs guarding Kate and Jin.
Yeah, I’d say Richard definitely has spent time at the Temple. Cindy and the kids and several Others were part of Ben’s Others until the end of season three. Otherwise not sure how much crossover there has been. One thing I’m curious about that I doubt I’ll get resolution on is where Karl came from; he’s so much younger than most of the Others, and with the baby problems seems that he, like Alex, probably came from somebody else who ended up washing ashore by accident, and that he was the sole survivor.
I think there’s a very good chance Flocke meant “chains” metaphorically, but he might’ve also meant it literally too. I also wonder if the loosening of the metaphorical chains will mean a dramatically, swiftly aging Richard.
I spend waaaay too much time on Lostpedia. Very easy site to get “lost” in.
I took the “chains” statement literally, but I don’t know if there was any particular reason for doing so other than the idea that Jacob and Smocke are daemons and perhaps Richard is some kind of spiritual underling. Which is probably a stretch.
Jeff Jensen’s Daemon Seed article at ew.com’s Totally Lost page is an excellent explanation of daemons and the daemon journey. Not to be missed!
Great point about Karl. Did the Incident in 1977 cause the fertility problems? If so, then what’s with Karl? Whose child is he? Was he conceived off-island? Why did the Others not go off-island to conceive and deliver? Other Others have left and returned.
I love how earlier today I said that I seemed to be bumping into Schrodinger’s Cat everywhere, and tonight, it was a question – or answer, I forget – on Jeopardy. Cracked me up!