'Lost': Thinking back on 'Namaste'
Tomorrow, I'll be unleashing a big, jam-packed version of "Letters from the Flame," in which I'll be answering a bunch of your questions about "Namaste." But today, I thought I'd try something new: amend my initial recap of the episode. It's not that I want to take the entire recap back, but there are things one can get after a few days that one cannot get in an instant, right-after-it-airs response. A typical "Lost" episode simply has too much going on to get it all first time through.
So, here's my list, in no real order.
As approximately 800 of you pointed out, Ilana says "Jarrah," not "Sarah," upon coming to after Ajira 316 lands on Hydra Island. I don't have closed captioning, and moreover, I had to listen to her say it about 10 times before actually being convinced myself. No wonder she once got kicked out of the hip-hop group House of Pain: no one knew how the hell to sump around.
Props to reader ShelbyM for pointing out that when Lapidus approaches the runway, the Numbers are still broadcasting from the radio tower. This fact helps solidify my theory that at some point in the past, something zigged as opposed to zagged and fundamentally changed the Island's future from that point forward in domino-like fashion. I know Faraday says, "Whatever happened, happened," but I think the rest of Season 5 is going to be a stress test on said theory. Watch how this alternate future plays into the dilapidated beach scene in "The Little Prince," in which Locke and Co. pick up the outrigger and sail towards the Orchid.
I think I was a little too harsh on Jack near the end of the episode. After Sawyer dressed him down, Jack leaves, agreeing that it's easier to no longer be in charge. Sawyer then looks at him with this, "Doc is gonna go be a hero again," fear in his eyes. So initially, I thought the same as Sawyer: Jack's gonna once again try and fix things. However, I now think what actually happened is this: Jack started in on his usual rhythms, got upbraided, then decided to take a step back. So when he tells Sawyer that not being in charge is a relief, he actually means it. But Sawyer has no grounds for taking this at face value, and thus his "ruh row" face.
This might be heresy to say, but Season 5 is failing Ben Linus in a major way. He's had exactly one great scene all year (end of "Bentham"), and a half-decent scene in "Prince" where he scolds Jack and Sun like two children on a cross-country trip to Auntie Eloise's place. Other than that? A lot of scenes in which he falsely claims not to know something, only to reveal later that he did. Hopefully the injection of Lil' Bug-Eyed Ben starts pushing this character back towards the towering figure we've grow to love/hate over the years.
There's a lot more to discuss, but I will get to those in tomorrow's "Letters." Topics that will be addressed:
- The status of Daniel Faraday
- The covert meaning of mustard
- How Ethan turned into an Other
- Who commissioned the runway
- New Creepington
- Why Lil' Ben might destroy our favorite show
So stay tuned!
Ryan also posts every 108 minutes over at Boob Tube Dude. He invites you to join the hundreds already in Zap2It's Guide to Lost Facebook group. He also encourages you to subscribe to the Zap2It's Guide to Lost Twitter feed.
Ryan I thought your posting was fine...whether it was Sarah or Jarrah I didn't find it that important. I did find your mention of the Swan not being known by the Others as important though. I hope the writers eventually tell us why the Others and Ben in particular avoid or as you mentioned didn't initially know about the Swan. Clearly Ben knows about this later via all the tv's set up in the other stations and I believe he knows about Desmond being there. For some reason Desmond has to be there and Ben knows it. If they don't address this at some point, it is a major gaffe on the writers part. I do hope as I have mentioned many times a reborn Jack or a compromise of Leader Jack and his current status....he is just to comatose right now for me, which is the complete opposite of his "angry Jack state".....which I just noticed in watching on tv last night in "Orientation". Give me some balance in his character....her deserves it. And give me some Locke on this week's episode please.
The covert meaning of mustard? My 1st thought upon realizing that Ben was probably giving Sayid a ham sandwich was that it was kind of evil. Maybe 12-year old Ben didn't realize this, but Sayid is a Muslim and as far as I know, he cannot eat pork for religious reasons. Cruel to taunt a prisoner like that, isn't it?
Carol Ann, I believe Muslims can't eat pork under normal cir***stances, but are allowed certain dispensations depending on their country of origin, how devout they are, whether they have the choice between eating or starving to death, et cetera, et cetera. Given all that Sayid has done that is totally against the laws of Islam and the Quran, methinks eating a ham sandwich would be #99 on a list of a hundred really bad things he's done since Flight 815 went down.
As for Benny (and the jets), I agree that he probably didn't give the food to Sayid with malice in mind. Not sure of when he met the love of his life, but if she ain't dead/gone yet, he's probably still got his heart intact. The mustard comment did seem a little...Ben-ish, though. Maybe there's a Colonel of a Clue in that Mustard remark? Mwa-ha-ha-ha.
there's a real mixup with creepytown. if it is the barracks it's too close to the beach, it may be a new deserted location near the dock that was the past proccessing room. however, it all seemed in one spot and the proccessing place should be a little more inland too, otherwise why would chang ask jack who was his shuttle driver?
I am also very nervous about little Ben, but I might me more nervous about the idea of an alternate timeline.
I know there has been a disagreement among fan about weather there is one time line or multiple.
I've always thought that there was only one. that the Losties always meet Richard in the 50s and were always a part of the DI in the 70s. And we were told in the first episode that only Desmond can change anything. So I'm hoping the alternate timeline theory is wrong, and that Sun is not at the Barracks but a different place.
Also, I am really missing Desmond this year. In fact I even had a dream about him coming back to the show. In it Des & Ben got into a fight with scissors and a knife and then there was a fire and Desmond had to save his daughters head which was in a box being kept alive with electricity. Also, Jack & Richard made cameos.
Ryan you have some of the same concerns as I do.
MUUUUUUUUUUSTAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRD
Where is Daniel Faraday and who else thinks he causes the incident?
I still wonder where Rose, Bernard and Vincent and ***orted other red-shirt survivors are. Jack and Co. did not even inquire as to their whereabouts even when Kate asked James who else from their group was in the Dharma Initiative.
Does anyone else think that Juliet killed one of the Ajira crash survivors' red shirts on the outrigger. Ben is unconscious and in their makeshift infirmary so, I think Ceasar, Ilana and some red shirts found the outriggers and went on a ride to explore the other island. When they spotted Locke and Co. on their outrigger, they began shooting and Juliet shot back and hit one of them. I think it's a 316 redshirt.
What happens to baby Ethan? We all know that Alex was taken about 4 years before the Purge in 1992. Ethan is an other as an adult so, when did he make the jump? Was he kidnapped like Alex as a baby? or did he defect at 15 when the purge happened? Very curious to find out what went down there.
We know from Man Behind the Curtain that the "Hostiles" were attacking the Dharma compound when Ben was a child in school. That is right around now or about a couple of years ago. Did our Losties witness this because it would have been a clear violation of the truce that was already in place when James and company got there in 1974?
So many questions.
There must be an alternate timeline with the Dharma compound being abandoned and creepier than ever in 2007 and looking quite like it was never inhabited by the "Others". Perhaps this is a manifestation of Jacob's cabin. We've all seen the cabin appear and disappear so, who's to say that it can't take different creepy forms. Whoever commented that the compound was too close to the beach is onto something there.
Just how is Christian going to help Sun find Jin? What kind of "journey" does she have ahead of her? Does Frank make the journey with her?
Is Sun's purpose(other than the completely contrived plan to separate our beloved pair yet again)to bring the O6 back to the present? Now, I love me a Lost reunion as much as the next fan but, enough with the on-island separation of Sun and Jin. Poor couple. The writers have completely taken advantage of our love for their love.
I would like to see Juliet reunited with her sister and nephew, Rose and Bernard reunited with the Losties in Dharmaville, Ben reunited with Annie and, of course Hugo re-reunited with good old Cheech and Mom.
Well, Ryan, I certainly appreciate your second look at the Jack/Sawyer confrontation. I'm very much hoping that Jack gets a little redemption before series end. He certainly made some errant decisions in the past, but he made due with the knowledge and ressources he had at the time.
As for little Ben, I'm not worried about his presence ruining the show. After 5 1/2 seasons of great writing and plot twists, I have to give the writers credit and trust they know what they're doing.
As always, great posts, Ryan. Keep up the great work!
Aaron, thanks for the clarification. And "Maybe there's a Colonel of a Clue in that Mustard remark?" was good!
Sorry Ryan, but I think you and others are wrong about the possibility of an alternate future. I just don't think that's gonna happen on this show.
The past is the past and you can't change the future. That doesn't mean this theory won't get tested, but I honestly think the dilapidated beach camp is after the freighter explosion, timewise, and not some random spot in a different future.
Think about it. If the future is different, why is there even a beach camp at all, let alone one that has completely the same setup as the previous one?
As for the Numbers being broadcast... We know Rousseau's message was switched off, but that doesn't necessarily mean the Numbers were as well. There's also the possibility that having the Numbers play in 2007 was something missed by Gregg Nations, which wouldn't be the first time that's happened this season.
First, I have to admit that I've never had a guided tour of New Otherton. Shocking, I know. But from what we've seen of the sonic fence protected area, I don't remember the dock being included. The welcoming station is probably pretty close to the pier (where Locke blew up the submarine), but where exactly are the other barracks? I know we've seen the Others live in these houses, but we've never even seen them in that welcoming station. So, Dharma signs still being up may make sense in that way. Now, as far as everything esle being blown up and boarded up, I have no idea, but just something else to think about.
Also, we definately need more Daniel and Desmond as soon as possible. Anyone else guessing the season finale is gonna pick up with Daniel, where the season started?