Lost Recap/Review
Maternity Leave
For the second time this season, we have an episode that doesn't flashback to a castaway's time before the island, but to events that took place on the island. In this case, we finally get some clues as to what happened to Claire when Ethan came and took her off into the jungle back in season one.
It's easy to forget sometimes that in time on the show, it's only been about a month or so since that happened while in the real world that we all live in, it's been over a year since those events unfolded.
I'll say this--I'm glad they decided to deal with the issue of what happened to Claire. But in looking at the episode, I'm not sure we got any more answers than when we started. We knew the Others had some interest in Aaron but we weren't sure why. Now, we know that had an interest in him and wanted to take him from Claire once he was born. But why? And what exactly were they injecting him with? And was it necessary to keep him from being infected? No real answer on that front because Aaron gets over the ailment that sends Claire off the maternal deep end (can't blame her really) and out into the jungle looking for the bunker she was held in. So was it just a normal sickness associated with kids that age or was it something more sinister? I guess we'll have to wait and find out. And I've got to admit, that is kind of frustrating because on the surface it feels like we've learned something, but deep down we've not covered much new ground. In a lot of ways, we're treading water.
We did get some other revelations that could feel important. I didn't go back and freeze frame the tape, but was one of the symbols we saw with the counter got down to zero on the walls of the bunker in Claire's flashbacks with Ethan? And could that be important in the long run or are they just teasing us?
Also, we see Zeke without his beard. And it appears this is a disguise used for--well, I'm not sure why. Is there some connection between Zeke and one of the castaways from before they were trapped on the island?
We also find out that Danielle helped to save Claire when she was under the Jedi mind trick power of Ethan by knocking her out and dragging her off into the jungle. We also find out that Alex is a daughter and it's pretty strongly implied that it was Alex who rescued Claire before the Others could perform a c section to get Aaron and probably kill Claire. How this will play out--I'm not sure. Does it mean the group will trust Danielle more now? Or does it just show that while Danielle is interested in getting Alex back, she does have some limits. She wouldn't let them take and kill Claire, but she will take Aaron to get Alex back.
Also, while I can get Claire's obssesion with wanting to do what is right for Aaron, did she really expect to the Others to leave vials of this alleged cure around sitting around after they abandonded the bunker?
Elsewhere, the power struggle between Locke and Jack continues. Which it'd be a bit more compelling if this went somewhere rather than being the equivalent of two boys on the playground arguing who was better. "No I am!" "No I AM!" NO! I AM!" You get the point. And could we have a bit more obvious foreshadowing than Locke bringing up the Hemingway story? Oh he was in the shadow of a genius and yada, yada, yada. Anyone who didn't see the revelation that Locke may consider himself the Hemingway to Jack's Dostoevsky coming a mile away take a step back.
I'm interested to see that Gale has found this weakness in the fabric of the group and is ready to exploit it. I am hoping this might push things forward a bit and make this power struggle actaually take on some momentum other than two people arguing about it every week. It could be interesting given that Jack is a reluctant leader and we've seen from Locke's flashbacks that he does not deal well with not being in control of certain aspects of his life. He wants to be the leader but the group hasn't given him that place as they have Jack. So this could lead to a power struggle that could play into exactly what the Others want.
And Eko plays a part this week, figuring out that we've got a potential Other and going to him to confess his sins. I guess I'm too into Battlestar Galactica right now but I fully expected Eko to say--oh I killed you and now you're back. But the confession of killing two of them--yeah, it was OK. But I really wanted him to say--"I saw you there" to Gale.
Anyway, I guess you could say that while this was a good episode of Lost, it wasn't great. It felt more momentous maybe than it really was. It's not time to hit the panic button yet but this is two episodes in a row that have covered the same basic ground as what we already knew about the characters. It's time to push those plots and characters forward.
posted by Michael Hickerson @ 5:32 AM
6 Comments:
Who is Barret? He claims his name is Henry Gale.
According to the LostPedia the anagram of 'Henry Gale Minnesota' is 'See an Other man lying'.
Interesting tidbit from Sarcastro. I thought he was an Other, too, esp. when he couldn't remember the specific details about burying his wife to Sayid (who would know, of all people).
Personally, I think the Jack/Locke struggle this early on is kind of lame and cliche. Seems like the fear of being kidnapped, eaten or having that buzzer go off would be more important.
I also think the introduction of the original hatch and all of its modern benefits is rather boring and an easy way out to see how everyone survives. I mean, Locke washing dishes with a bottle of Dawn? It just doesn't feel very island-survivorish, as it did in the first season.
The very idea of Jack as Dostoevsky is laughable. I cannot believe the expect me to accept the parallel in any way. In fact, the idea of Jack as Hemingway is also laughable.
-->Jack is a crap doctor.
Yes, there may be nothing you can do for the baby, but any doctor worth his salt KNOWS when treating a sick child you must also treat the mother. How much would it have hurt to say "let's take Aaron back to the bunker and give him a cool bath that will work to bring down his fever." ??? The cool bath would have done precisely zippo for Baby A, but it would have given Claire something to do, a way to feel proactive and motherly.
But no. Mr. "I only treat patients when I can be really DRAMATIC about it" is about as reassuring as a tax collector.
--> Jack is a self-absorbed whiny mess of a man.
Jack not only would not run with the bulls, he would stand at the side of the road and tell everyone else how stupid they are for doing so. At the same time he would be feverishly hoping for at least one person to be gored so that he could DRAMATICALLY save them.
---------
"Henry Gale" is an other. I'd stake my morning bagel on it. What, though, was with the whole sacrifice of the facial pubes? That was just freakin' bizarre.
---
The Cadeuces on the wall wasn't in the end of the countdown.
Apparently all of us (myself included) who believed those symbols to be Darma Station correlates were wrong. They're some type of hieroglyph. Good. something else to ponder.
------
Can I just say that the writers need to learn a new trick? This is yet another episode where they created dramatic tension through false dialog. I know women. When 3 women are running through the jungle, the conversation will be a lot more thorough. None of this "you have to let her go"...."why"..."she has to keep looking..."
No. Three real women would be very chatty about what they're doing.
Still don't get why Locke and the prisoner sitting around a bunker are chattier than three gals. No way.
Barret was supposed to be Gale but my mind pulled a brain fart of me. It is now corrected.
I agree with Mycropht, I think Jack is drunk with power right now. He's also been such a whining sack lately.
I sort of miss the old Jack.
The power struggle on the island right now is very intriguing to me. The power structure between the castaways, the others operations, Sawyer (who gave up that gun prettily easy to Kate without much of a struggle) and Sayid, Locke and Jack keeping secrets.
Long-term, I think this will be rather interesting.
I thought this episode offered a LOT of new information. If there IS some disease on the island, if that's why it says "Quarantine" inside the hatch, then it makes sense that the "Others", who the beard and rags seems to indicate pose as a rugged tribe of survivors but are actually Hanso scientists, are looking for a cure. How? But working with children and infants to produce new antibodies. That's why Alex was taken, the tailie's kids, Walt, and Claire with Aaron. I think this can be traced back to civilization where the law office in which Michael loses Walt is of the same firm as the one where Claire almost signed away Aaron. I wonder if her first memories DID blend in past events as Libby said, and she had an experience similar before leaving. I bet the psychic that told her to get on the plane was hired by Hanso, who engineered bringing her and other castaways to the island.
I also liked the mention of Charlie's hanging. Last season, before Hatches and Hansos, I was thiking these Others must be superhuman, for Ethan to lug two people by himself, hang one, and then disappear. That story COULDN'T be told until we learned the story of Locke's hatch. Now it's obvious that Ethan had help stringing up Charlie, drugged Claire, and then his crew went underground in the concealed bunker by the time Jack and Kate caught up. This episode really makes it seem like the writers have a definite plan. We just have to be patient and watch it play out.
I can't believe Gale got to Locke. I was sitting there thinking he'd catch on that the guy was manipulating him, but I guess Gale hit on a character weakness. Should prove interesting...
Post a Comment
<< Home