The Instareaction:
So were you left grinning ear-to-ear, nervous and amped up; almost absurdly energized by tonight's episode? Or was that just me? Further confirmation of the Love Snake theory, a warm and touching reappearance from Libby, a splintering of purposes, Death By Water Bottle, Jack's willingness to trust, Desmond's lack of fear, The appearance of another of the Island's Lost Boys (was that the MiB as a child?), the knowledge that some of the dead are trapped on the Island (echoes of my well of souls theory) and that the Whispers are the voices of those Purgatorial souls, the way that Desmond acts as a kind of Jacob in the Off-Island world, and the way the episode ends.....
Is this show really going to stick the landing?
After tonight I'm more confident than ever that the answer is 'yes.'
Original Post:
Jimmy Wales (founder of Wikipedia) would like to petition JJ Abrams for more Lost, according to a bunch of different online sources.
I'd sign that petition - and I never sign petitions for television/film/entertainment. See, counting tonight's episode there are just four (FOUR!) episodes of Lost left until the finale. How did this happen so quickly? And do they make a form of Methadone that's strong enough to deal with the withdrawal symptoms I'm going to be dealing with?
Some of you already know that once Lost ends I'll be turning my attentions toward The Book (which you can contact me about at WhatIsWater@gmail.com) and toward new material, so it isn't as though I'll be leaving this show behind completely or quit writing altogether. That said, I've been writing on/about Lost for almost a full year now and the transition away from that and onto other things is going to feel very, very weird.
But that's a subject for a month-and-change from now. Tonight it's all about the new episode. Leave your thoughts and comments here - I'll be in after it airs on the East Coast to give my Insta-reaction.
Best,
MMorse
Tuesday, April 13
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Hey MMorse, I totally know where you're coming from.
ReplyDeleteBut I believe that including tonight's episode, there are 5 episodes to go before the 2-hour finale, instead of 4. Last week was the 11th hour of the 18-hour (and 16-night) season.
So BOOM, you asked and you just got an extra hour! ;-)
Morse,
ReplyDeleteCan I recommend the 2004 re-imagined Battlestar Galactica as a stand-in for Lost after it leaves the air? It deals with a lot of similar themes (even blending in the SF and the fantastical as the series progresses) and fantastic writing and acting. And while there is admittedly less focus on long-running mystery (still some, though), it is the only show I know of that rivals Lost for major plot twists.
It is, I must admit, a show I enjoyed even more than Lost during its run. And since it is finished (at four seasons), you won't have to endure the endless waiting that watching Lost "live" forced us all to deal with.
You should check it out.
If y'all haven't seen this link explaining why the Others dressed up as hillbillies and such, you should check it out: http://sagaciouspenguin.blogspot.com/2010/04/lost-comic-ben-tells-it-like-it-is_09.html
ReplyDeleteIt just occured to me that the sideways timeline is almost a cruel trick by someone or an agreement with hidden disclosures.
ReplyDeleteYes you can live out your life off island and get what you want, (ex. Daniel his music (but not Charlotte), Desmond Charle's respect (but no Penny), Locke his love and relationship with Dad(but cannot walk etc.) but forgot to mention that you would not get everything, something would be sacrificed.
However, someone maybe Jacob found a loophole, to enlighten our Losties directly would violate the rules, but as Jacob learned after talking to Richard, you can use someone else to enlighten and thus not really be breaking the rules. So that through Charlie, and Daniel's psychic, for lack of a better word reveal, Desmond can now enlighten the Losties as to what they unknowingly or knowingly sacrificed, ie their loves or memories thereof. However now with their new knowledge they can search out these people and fullfill their destiny together. Maybe Locke will even get that operation from Jack and be able to walk.
Almost like using a loophole in a game.
mommaleonard
I would check into some BBC America shows.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I loved the Jekyll mini they aired several years ago. Robin Hood wasn't awful. Torchwood has been up and and down but great...
the shorter season in Britain is slowly becoming the norm here- especially with cable drama- shorter and better seasons (ie deadlines like the Losties imposed on themselves) require better story telling
Actually, one of my favorite shows for symbolism and a touch of the mystic is the HBO (sadly cancelled) show Carnivalé. At a total of 24 episodes, it wouldn't take long at all to cover the series as a whole. It is quite a bit darker than Lost, but I quite enjoyed the show.
ReplyDeleteSeems like nobody has any idea what to expect from tonight's episode.
ReplyDeletei'm pretty psyched for it. I think Hurley is going to drive a lot of the end game from the show. And based on the ad for this episode, I suspect he is going to push for something different than Richard's plan to blow up the plane.
I don't want to belabor the possible-production-error, but I keep returning to thinking about Desmond on the plane with a ring. I wonder if, as a clue to when he came from, at some point in the future of either timeline we will see Desmond pick up the Rushdie book?
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of weird that the Wikipedia guy is petitioning JJ Abrams instead of someone still involved with the show. I mean, I certainly give a lot of credit to Abrams for his work on the Pilot and season 1, but it always makes me kind of sad when I see someone under the impression that he's still the show runner and responsible for everything in the later seasons as well.
ReplyDeleteI'll second Greg's Battlestar Galactica recommendation. It's the only other show I've seen that I'd compare with Lost in terms of mythological scope and character. And there are lots of exciting space battles.
Thanks for the recommendations, folks!
ReplyDeleteOnce Lost is over I have something percolating in the back kitchen that will hopefully please your respective palates. If you'd like to see that "something" continue to run on Chud.com, please let the good folks there know of your interest. And if you'd like to see my ramblings up on another site altogether I'd love to hear your suggestions.
Either way, I hope you'll stick around this ol' dive once Lost comes to a close. Even as I do a little premature mourning I'm excited for what comes next.
I am loving Desmond as Puppet Master in the sideways/altenate world. It is massively cool to see him being the special talent he was told he would be.
ReplyDeleteWell, thanks to Libby, I think my fiancee gets another point for her "dead in one world means more perceptive in the other" hypothesis.
ReplyDeleteAnd, uh, WTF?????? with everything else?
Morse, I eagerly await your take.
mind blown.. this is why I love Lost.. as for more Lost.. how about a Hurley/Miles Spin-off where they are like Michael J. Fox in the Frightners??
ReplyDeletedear god I love this season-
ReplyDeleteilana blowing up was FANTASTIC, the best part as my wife pointed out, the distinct LACK of reaction...
Oh yeah, this is for you Springsteen fans: Hurley was supposed to meet a woman named Rosalita at Spanish Johnny's. Fans of "The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle" should appreciate that.
ReplyDeleteGreg, you talk about waiting season-to-season and episode-to-episode as though it isn't a huge part of the fun. That anticipation, confusion and frenzied discussion is a key component of why LOST is so unique, and it's something people who "catch up on DVD" don't get.
ReplyDeleteMorse, I'm looking forward to seeing what it is.
General thoughts on the episode:
I'm enjoying the weird dichotomy of Desmond seeming to abdicate all agency on-Island and being the puppet master off-Island, yet seeming to be equally committed to some as-yet-undefined end in both timelines.
Also, and I know that there's no chance of this, but I'd love it if we never again see that odd jungle child who seems to scare UnLocke so, nor ever get an explanation about him. It would strike me as very cool to just have him there as a bit of atmosphere and a hint about whatever the underlying ordering logic to this puzzle is, but have it left at simply that.
gravyboat, that's an inspired idea about the kid, but I hope you're wrong. In fact was it me or has that kid sprouted ridiculous a la Walt? It had me wondering if it wasn't actually that same kid's brother. Is it the same character aging? Or is it another kid altogether? My insta-thought was the same kid sprouted a lot more than the 2 months since we last saw him (though they could have filmed that 2 weeks ago and inserted it in and it's really been 8 months for that kid).
ReplyDeleteI loved Michael and Libby's appearances. I felt they answered really anything needed from Libby's backstory, which was not much. The main point was that her connection with Hurley was genuine.
MMorse, my pulse started racing the minute that Jack saw Locke/MIB. Jack looked crushed and scared. Really a powerful nuance that i'm sure comes out like Jackface in freezeframe.
i also noted Sun's disappointment that Jin was pretty much the only person NOT at the camp.
Lastly, the ad for next week was creepy, f'ed up and inspired. I have no idea what's next, but I definitely feel like the crazy candyman is driving the boat.
What was in the bag that Hurley found??
ReplyDeleteTodd,
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing that the bag held the black and white backgammon pieces.
Colonel,
Not a Springsteen fan (I know - sacrilege!), so that's really cool to know.
Next week's preview: what was up with that split image of FakeLocke and Claire, it was really creepy!
ReplyDeleteIm guessing so as well, but why would that spur Hurley to go all leader on everyone?
ReplyDeleteI don't think that's what spurred it, really. I think it's just Hurley's well-established aversion to conflict and violence that leads to him faking Jacob's orders. He wants to talk to "Locke" because he doesn't want anyone to get hurt. That's very Hurley.
ReplyDeleteIt's all right, Morse. I've learned that not everyone can bow down to Lord Springsteen. I will, however, recommend his earlier stuff, i.e. pre-"Born in the USA," particularly "The Wild, the Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle" and "Darkness on the Edge of Town."
ReplyDeleteSpringsteen is a huge fan of Flannery O'Connor (The Boss does have an album called "The Rising," after all) and Walker Percy. See: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2009/01/walker-percy-an.html
Oh, and here's links to the lyrics for the two songs alluded to in this episode, "Rosalita" and "Incident on 57th Street":
http://www.brucespringsteen.net/songs/Rosalita.html
http://www.brucespringsteen.net/songs/IncidentOn57thStreet.html
hurley was fantastic when he went into flockes camp- which was great juxtapose to his worrying about what to say earlier
ReplyDeleteUmm, I'm kind of surprised that you all forgot what was in the bag already.
ReplyDeleteIt contains the ashes of Jacob. Ilana scooped them up at the start of this season, and in "Dr. Linus" she hands the ashes to Miles to indict Ben for killing Jacob.
I think that Hurley recognized the bag and will use them as some kind of protection against Flocke.
Sorry for the continuing post, but I just thought of this...Is this well related (or the same) as the well at the Orchid? I just looked on Lostpedia, and they seem like different wells in different locations, and the article indicates that there are more. I was just wondering if anyone could shed any light on this.
ReplyDeleteHey, Hi-Ho!
ReplyDeleteIt's a different well from the one at the Orchid (the Station is still there in the "present day," while this well is out in the open), but they're most definately related. Anti-Locke pretty much confirms this when he talks to Des about it.
And thanks for the reminder about Jacob's ashes. I thought I'd heard clicking when Hurley opened the bag, which would indicate game pieces, not ashes. We'll see when I go back to re-watch tonight.
Colonel,
Are you the author of the Newark Examiner pieces that you posted on Chud earlier today? Someone's been posting links to those recaps consistently, and while I'm always happy to link to/mention/recommend a fellow fans' site, I'm not so big on repeated stealth marketing. If it's you, let me know - I'll mention you in the column and put a link up on the sidebar under "What you've written."
Thought you might like this: The Lost Lebowski http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg5OxQlj5zY&feature=player_embedded
ReplyDeleteMorse,
ReplyDeleteNo, I am not that guy on Chud. I do have my own Blogger blog, but it's not related to "Lost" at all. If I pimp any "Lost" blog posts/articles they're yours or another blogger friend's, and I just do that on Facebook. Where are these Newark Examiner articles posted on Chud, anyway?
So don't worry. I'm not up to any stealth marketing shenanigans.
JDR22 Here...
ReplyDeleteI think it's safe to say that this season is officially in high gear. Whoa, what an episode. Emotionally satisfying, answers, and a lot of WTF!?! moments.
I'm hoping Locke ends up in the hospital with Jack. Hopefully Jack is able to save his life, and possibly his legs. It would be great to see the real Locke walk again, even if it's only in the Sideways.
Also, I'm not usually big on ABC's promos, but the one at the end of the episode with the Willy Wonka song... extremely creepy cool. Gave me shivers.
I'm still digesting it, but this was another fantastic episode.
No worries, good sir. Just thought that you and this guy (http://chud.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2893148&postcount=3769) might be related, given that you share the same screenname. I've offered to publicize Mike Julianelle's stuff before, but he seems content to drop links and dash off (http://chud.com/forum/search.php?searchid=7661191).
ReplyDeleteJacob's ashes? Hmm... would make sense but I need to relook at scene... thought I heard clicking too
ReplyDeleteis there a timeline to commentary this week?
ReplyDeleterewatched, definitely no clicks... just dragging sound going back to LAX to confirm but makes a lot of sense since Hurley picked up a Russian Dictionary- altought convenient that Ilana did not have "jacob" in the bag when she went kaboom no?
ReplyDeleteThis episode ended and I was left gasping...perplexed by the fact that the hour had just slipped away. What a breathless episode! It just brisked by. Loved it.
ReplyDeleteI literally freaked out when Desmond ran into John Locke in the Sideways Flash. It hit me (no pun intended, really) that while some castaways are reconnecting with their on-Island lives through their experiences of love on the Island, John Locke himself has never had an on-Island related love story. John's experience on LOST seems to center around extreme moments of physical injury or debilitation. So, perhaps he sees his former life flash before his eyes as he lays in the parking lot. Perhaps he finds his "destiny" again. Just a thought...which all really depends on whether or not he is actually the Man in Black or not. I'm of the belief that Sideways John is NOT the MiB.
Anyway...what I'm most interested by is where these recollections are leading.
Just THREE episodes left. Oh, no...
Hey Mr. Moo.
ReplyDeleteI've got good news for you! Including next week and the finale, there are 5 episodes left. And with a two hour finale, that is actually 6 hours (with commercials) left of Lost. So it's basically twice what you are thinking.
Miles, I said the same thing about the kid sprouting up when he appeared on-screen. Some of the folks I watched it with think they must have gotten the original actor's older brother, given that the time in between shoots had to only have been a few months and yet he seems to have aged a couple years. I'm sure we'll find out what the story is soon, though.
ReplyDeleteMiles...thank you. I am a fool. Six hours. I wish they could get rid of the commercial breaks.
ReplyDeleteHere ya go...
ReplyDeleteJohn in Alt is working with the man that killed him in the island world. He get's his memories back and it will be about him getting past what happened. Also, what will it take for Linus to get his memories back in the ALT? He is already interacting with his daughter- presumably his emotional connection
I'm kinda glad that I saw the episode by myself. As Ilyana exploded, I laughed like a crazy person. I love how everything starts to fit together. The whispers being explained so shortly and logically is just on example for that. And I cringed when Desmond ran over Locke. One thing that bugged me though: Dr. Marvin Candle didn't look like more than 30 years older.
ReplyDeleteSo where's the recap?
ReplyDeleteyeah, I'm wondering the same. everything okay morse? normally you've at least given us a tidbit or an update by now.
ReplyDeletehope all is going well, and I look forward to your words.
Let me add mine and my roommate's to the small-but-growing chorus of voices saying that we hope all is well...
ReplyDeleteMe three, Morse. Hope you're doing ok.
ReplyDeleteso was it just me or was there no "hurley glimpses into a window/water/metal object and stares at himself in the reflection" time in this episode. I may have just missed it... but if he didn't then he is the first person to NOT see his reflection which could obviously only mean one thing... well I'm not entirely sure what it could mean, but I'm sure it's important!
ReplyDelete