The Back to the Island column for "The Package" has been gratuitously exposed for your reading pleasure on Chud.com.
Thursday, April 1
The Package (S6, ep. 10)
The Back to the Island column for "The Package" has been gratuitously exposed for your reading pleasure on Chud.com.
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Interesting. That is all I can say at this point with it being out of context from your entire column. As always, I look forward to it!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to your write-up. Given that Sayid (evidently) does Flocke's bidding, I was thinking more "Nazgûl" than zombie.
ReplyDeleteZombies! This is a promising teaser.
ReplyDeleteI'm still telling myself that Sayid isn't totally zombified, and that his sense/soul could potentially be 'woken up' or something (somehow). Because really, it's about time Sayid caught some kind of break.
I love the idea of "NazgulSayid." I'm not suggesting that Sayid is a Literal "philosophical zombie," just that his symptoms line up perfectly with the concept. What the "infection" actually is seems to be a combination of a loss of consciousness/conscience/feeling that leads to being "puppeted." For all of Anti-Locke's talk about choices, the "infection" seems to suggest otherwise.
ReplyDeleteI personlly think the "infection" just refers to being "claimed" or that MiB has taken away a piece of them. If you look at the Claire example, she seems very emotional yet, she was said to be infected. On another note, if MiB took Sun's English, did he take away Sayids ability to feel? In that sense, is Sun now "infected"?
ReplyDeleteAlso wanted to mention, if you have not seen it already, the funny April Fool's joke on abc.com
ReplyDeletehttp://abc.go.com/site/april-fools?ThemeGallery=417709&playlistId=&clipId=
Darth,
ReplyDeleteBoth Claire and Sayid have experienced a loss - in perspective/control and in emotional depth, respectively. In that sense I think you're spot on. Sun's different (in my eyes, at this point) because her loss doesn't appear to reach the emotions as it does with Claire and Sayid.
But maybe I'm just trying to find a difference because an infected Sun would be upsetting to me.
JDR22 Here...
ReplyDeleteMMorse,
Another great read, I appreciate your insights.
To be honest, I'm not sure why people have an issue with Sun's Aphasia. It doesn't mean she's stuck like that forever. It had to have been for a significant reason, and I'm inclined to think it has to do with "bleeding timelines", which is just a cool idea to me.
However, how does that work when you consider that the producers have gone WAY out of their way to emphasize that we're not witnessing "alternate realities"? Does that make them parallel worlds; existing together, both equally real? If so, how many of these worlds are there? Have we seen any of these parallel worlds before on the show?
Sheesh, I love how LOST gives me a headache!
I'm curious as to what you all think of "Christian" after this episode. So the MiB cannot cross water, yet "Christian" appeared to him on the freighter. Do we have any indications as to who, or what he is?
ReplyDeleteThings we know so far:
Christian's real body is nowhere to be found on the island. All the other bodies that the Mib has impersonated have been accounted for.
Can reappear and disappear.
Couldn't interfere with Locke and the donkey wheel.
Appears in Jacob's (possibly abandoned at the time) cabin.
Claire talks about "Christian" and the MiB as two separate entities.
Claire shows up with him after abandoning Aaron.
He possessed knowledge of the survivors in Dharma land.
I know there's more, but those were the relevant ones that I could think of. So with all this information, have the writers given any indication as to who or what "Christian" is? Or are we not playing with a full deck yet? Anyone have any new, or existing theories as to what is going on?
Something Has been bugging me about the whole Zombie theory. Its something that I have noticed that no one seems to be talking about. Is it just me or do Sayid and Claire seem to take on Antilocke's mood or maybe his emotions in some scenes. For a case and point I would site sayid's big grin after the temple assault, or claire's holding of kates hand when antilocke was being all comforting to the others. I think its safe to assume that smokey was very happy to kick some ass in that temple which would explain sayid's grin. And the kate scene with claire was before the events of the whole "I am going to kill you Kate" "Oh wait I am sorry Kate".
ReplyDeleteEven in the Package when sayid says he feels nothing, could that be because at that point antilocke felt nothing? Maybe Antilocke's control over sayid's and Clair's moods/emotions is the infection that he gave them when he brought them back to life!!!
Oh well just a thought. Love the columns
(after reading column...)
ReplyDeleteI thought the question of "why just Jin?" was answered by Zoey --> Jin used to go on patrol around the island, humming along to "Dharma Lady" on his radio, and therefore has some relevant firsthand knowledge about the Dharma identified pockets of energy. Maybe there is more to it? (I hope there is more to it.)
"All kidding aside, I liked that this episode gave Sun the chance to be sexy. She’s so often called on to be restrained and/or pained that it was a breast of fresh air to watch her flirt in Korean."
ReplyDeleteA breast of fresh air, eh? ;)
Anyway, good read, as always! I love reading your articles. Keep up the good work!
I assume that typo was intentional. Very funny.
ReplyDeleteMorse, it's a testament to your skills as a critic that you made me interested in an episode that, for whatever reason, kept my intention less-so than What Kate Does. Was it the distracting V countdown clock? Was it the presence of awkward house guests? Or was it simply that the episode was sub-par? I don't know, but you've brought me around and encouraged an immediate rewatch, which I usually reserve for the hour just before the premiere of the newest episode.
Huzzah, sir. Huzzah.
I'm not convinced we have Claire nailed. Timothy's idea that she and Sayid reflect SMokey's mood is pretty interesting and seeming stands pretty solid so far.
ReplyDeleteBut in this last scene, with Claire quizzing MIB, I wasn't convinced that she wasn't policing MIB's intentions with Kate and therefore her. I mean, pretty much everything he said about Kate could apply to Claire as well. Not on the list. Doesn't have to "go" whatever that means. But the result is unclear. I think Claire may be figuring out that she is not much value, and seeing that Kate may be a better friend. I'm not sure she's worked through it, but I don't think she is ONLY thinking of offing Kate. She could also be thinking of saving Kate.
The Claire episode will be telling for sure. I can't really accept that her path was to birth that kid and then go permanently and unresolvably crazy.
I also like the idea that maybe the MIB has taken something from Sayid, Claire and now Sun. We're told Jacob touches and gives a gift. Does the MIB have a similar ability to touch and take something from? But maybe it varies from person to person?
Interesting idea, Miles....
ReplyDeleteIf this is the case, then can those things that they've "lost" be regained? I have no idea how they're going to wrap this whole thing up in the time they have left.
Yup. That was an intentional typo. Admittedly juvenile, but sometimes I just can't help myself.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping that this "infection" isn't irreversible. Claire's general demeanor suggests that it might not be.
Something that I am curious about regarding the "infection". Since witnessing all of the people that had gotten this, were "touched" in some way by the MiB(Smokey). We all saw MiB touch Richard in "Ab Aeterno". What was originally taken from Richard? Was he then healed by Jacob? This is what makes me think that the "infection" is able to be reversed, or healed. I am really still not sold on the fact there is an actual infection, rather than it is a way of describing the persons mind being twisted by MiB to carry out his bidding (beiing "claimed"). My 2 cents on it for now anyway.
ReplyDelete@Tralfamadore64,
ReplyDeleteIt had to be those distracting elements, because this episode was anything but uninteresting.
There was a lot going on, answers (arguably) were provided, and as MMorse said: it contained tantalizing suggestions.
This was a good one.
How many other times this season have people been knocked unconscious? I like JDR22's idea that Sun's aphasia results from the timelines becoming entangled in some capacity. The only other example I can think of was unconscious island Jack post-Jughead matching up with airplane Jack finding the neck wound.
ReplyDeleteNice write up once again Morse, thanks!
I just want to go on record again that it will be really sloppy if the timeline changes are not running in concurrent time. so if something happening in 2007 causes a bleed to an alternate 2004, there should be a good reason. They have made it really clear that there wasnt just a reset from the moment of the crash, but that things deviates from sometime in/after the 70s.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying this as "I'll be upset if" just that "I think this bleed over idea is missing some pieces to be valid because I think the show is smarter than this"
"this" being the fact that 2007 and sideways 2004 events would not be happening in parallel.
if you do want to look for parallel events, then look at the first several days of season one, because THAT would be in parallel to the sideways 2004.
ReplyDeleteI agree Miles! You are totally right. The events from season 1 need to be looked at.
ReplyDeleteHowever, one interesting point to throw in the mix, in "LA X", the date of Claire's sonogram is 10/22/04, which happens to be her due date. This was a confirmed by Dalton error. He states that to correct the error, the sonogram machine was malfuntioning. This being said, they are not perfect. Although I would not like the idea that a timeline from 2004 is merging with a timeline in 2007, it may be what we are left with. I am really hoping that they are a little more aware of this incontinuity.
Sorry about that double post before, I thought the original one had disappeared.
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting point Miles, I hadn't really thought of it that way. Although, do alternate realities necessarily have to be running on the same kind of time line? If we're talking about two separate realities, I don't see why a specific year in one can't correspond to a (different) specific year in another. If we're talking about something as physically weird as alternate realities bleeding into each other, I don't see why they can't bleed over into other times as well. Although I'm starting to confuse myself a bit, so who knows. :)
JDR22 Here...
ReplyDelete@Miles,
You brought up an excellent point that I hadn't thought of: if in fact "bleeding" is occurring, why would 2004 be bleeding into 2007? The answer is....I have no idea. Here are some thoughts:
1) 2004 is not bleeding into 2007. If Sun never learns English in the Sideways, the bleeding could be from 2007 Sideways into 2007 on-island. This would imply that Sun does not die from the gunshot wound to the gut.
2) "The Incident" caused space-time to get jumbled, and from that point 2004 Sideways became parallel with 2007 on-island. Our Losties transferred memories from on-island to the Sideways, albeit in deja-vu fashion. This seems a little too convenient, though.
3) The timelines are not bleeding.
@katie1421,
Your point is also good. I wish there was a Parallelapedia we could consult to get the specific rules on parallel realities (if that's even what we're seeing). :-)
Considering that there are not scientific guidelines to follow (at least that I'm aware of), the writers can make up any rules they want. I'll be happy as long as they give a good reason (or at least an explanation) for those rules in the show itself.
We'll see.
I don't think we need to think of events in the two timelines as matching up exactly (eg, events happening in Sideways 2004 corresponding with S1 of the show); it seems more general than that. For example, Jack lost his appendix as a child in the sideways timeline but as an adult in the island timeline. He was always destined to lose it, but the details changed. Mikhail was always destined to lose his eye, but it happened later in the sideways world, and resulted in his death as opposed to him living for some time with an eyepatch. Jin and Mikhail were always destined to fight, but the when and where weren't set in stone (sidenote: I was psyched when Jin and Mikhail squared off in the restaurant kitchen, as it echoed one of my favourite Lost moments; Jin's takedown of Mikhail in season 3. Jin is possibly my favourite character, and one I feel is sometimes underwritten, so I love it when he gets to show his badass side).
ReplyDeleteI don't actually think that parallel events need to correspond exactly, or that things are supposed to line up with season 1. I was using that as an example of what time lines would be equivalent.
ReplyDeleteIt just would follow to me analytically that traveling across universes - if there is literal spillover as Juliet's "Go Dutch" line suggested - that it would most reasonably seem to be apples to apples and oranges to oranges. (ie 2004 to 2004 and 2007 to 2007).
Like I said, I trust the writers, so if I'm wrong, I'm sure there will be a valid justification of the time traveling timeline crossing. :)
Dogen said that Claire and Sayid were both "claimed". It seems that Claire and Sayid are suffering from different afflictions. While Sayid says he cannot feel pain, anger or happiness, Claire seems to genuinely feel anger and retains some sense of herself. She's worried that Locke won't need her in the end and is concerned she will get left behind and not get retribution with Kate. I don't know if this is just sloppy on the writers' part or what, but they dont appear to be the same. She's also pretty clingy to Locke, while Sayid obeys but is ultimately withdrawn from everyone.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if anyone else has noticed this or agrees, but it's been bugging me a lot.
You're definitely not the only one to have noticed, Anon. It's bugging me too. But I feel like we're getting closer to understanding this "infection."
ReplyDeleteMaybe the infection makes you give in to your personal worst impulses? So Sayid becomes the emotionless killer he always feared to be and Claire becomes Psycho-Mum, because that what she was afraid of when she wanted to give Aaron away? Just a wild guess.
ReplyDeleteActually, "Psycho-Mum" doesn't quite fit. I think "childish" is a better word to describe the way the infected Claire acts. The way she refers to Smokey as "my friend", as if they are sandbox buddies, the way she has created a home that looks more like something a child would build, the doll she made for herself, her holding hands with Claire, her dependence on Un-Locke, her tantrums. She acts pretty immature. And isn't THAT what she was afraid of, when she wanted to give Aaron away? That she was to immature to raise him? And that's not all. I think that's what Lost has always been about: humans fighting their own dark impulses, to better themselves. So, coming back to the infection, I don't think it really changes you, it just takes away your choice whether or not to give in to your worst impulses or as Germans like to call it "Innerer Schweinehund" (an idiom meaning inner pigdog. I like the metaphor of a filthy beast of your own making that trys to hinder personal transcendence).
ReplyDeleteCitizen,
ReplyDeleteI think you've hit the nail directly on the head. I wrote something similar on the Chud boards over the weekend. If anything, you've put it better and more succinctly!
I'd theorized that, with Lost's running theme of becoming "conscious," discovering "good being," the infection might represent the triumph of the subconscious - the cancerous growth of what you called dark impulses until those impulses are driving the car, so to speak. Sayid's worst impulses manifested include his violence and his ability to "shut himself off" emotionally. Claire's worst impulses are centered around her fears re motherhood.
I love the way you describe Claire as childlike; it's perfect. Don't children often wrestle with their worst impulses and fail? And isn't that a kind of amazing metaphor for the journeys of the castaways in general? I'm going to talk about all of this in the next column and I'll be sure to point folks toward your thoughts. Thanks for commenting.
Citizen, I just wanted to echo MMorse's comments. That's the most apt and insightful explanation of the "claiming"/"infection." And it's perfectly suited to the show's well established focus on redemption from one's own dark battles.
ReplyDeleteWe don't know enough about the characters to really judge, but that would also allow for an explanation as to what happened to Robert Rousseau (I assume that they were married?) and the rest of the French Team that went into the declivity in the Temple wall. They succumbed to their own basest instincts/demons.
Though, given that, the parallels between Claire and Danielle are interesting seeing as from what we saw Danielle Rousseau was not "infected." She just went crazy after having her kid stolen and living alone in terror for 16 years.
In reading these comments, the realities in Lost "bleeding" over give me a kind of Donnie Darko feeling. Where everyone knows that something has happened but no one is quite sure why, what or how... I've been feeling it since Jack had that cut on the plane and seemed to know Desmond. I think if this is the direction ultimately taken, I'm going to feel a little let down come the end. Even with all the theories and though I'm trying to piece the puzzle together myself, I'm really hoping the end is something that can stay unpredictable, something that won't come into focus until it's here.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, thanks for your kind comments. I'm pretty sure most of the commenters here would eventually have come to the same conclusion (and Morse, unsuprisingly, sort of already has), I just happened to have been the first.
ReplyDeleteConcerning the parallels between Claire and Rousseau: they are, of course, another case of mirroring. But I think the differences betwen the two women are also pretty striking. Claire kills an Other without mercy, Rousseau, on the other hand, tortures Sayid, but doesn't kill him and eventually listens to him. While Psycho-Claire's home is a mess, Rousseau's was not pretty, but practical.