'Light vs. Dark' in 'Lost': Looking back at Dave

We're spoiler-free here on this "Lost" blog. "Spoiler-free" is a nebulous term, but essentially boils down to, "we're not going to tell you anything that will ruin future enjoyment of any episodes." This, of course, isn't as simple as it sounds in practice. It's hard to agree on certain pieces of information as being a spoiler or not.
 
Producer announcements to me do NOT fall under the spoiler category, as far as I'm concerned. Doesn't mean I'll slavishly repeat everything they say, but their track record indicates that they withhold important information at best, and downright lie/misdirect at worst. What they DON'T do is overtly tip their hand or let anything slip that they don't want fans to know. The next paragraph details a Darlton-announced return of a character, and if that's something you want to avoid, I understand. Just wanted to get this all out there before continuing.
 
We good?
 
Good.
 
OK, just a leetle more space lest wandering eyes see the character by accident.

So, how about those Jets, eh?

No, you don't look fat in that. Just stop. Stop it now.
 
Still with me? Good, I think we're safe now.
 
So the character in question is Libby, who, along with Michael, was announced to be retuning to the show at last week's TCA press tour. (Remember what I said about "Darlton lies"? For years they have insisted that her story was over. I realize they did so in a non-malicious, Hollywood-necessitated manner, but I'm just pointing this out to all "Lost" fans who take every word they say as gospel.) With this announcement, I immediately popped back to an episode rife with Libby-centric goodness, Season 2's "Dave."
 
So what better place to look for another installment of the "Light vs. Dark" series? After all, if we're looking at instances in which Jacob or The Man in Black might have been exerting an unseen hand, this is a hella good place to look. With Libby returning to the show, and Hurley's potential importance to the show's mythology greater than ever, "Dave" might be a Rosetta stone for the show as a whole.
 
The Episode: "Dave"
 
The Sequence: Hurley's imaginary friend from Santa Rosa appears on the Island, wearing the same schlubby gear he did in the mental hospital. He tries to convince Hurley that everything on the Island is merely a hallucination he's experiencing at Santa Rosa, noting the prominence of Leonard's numbers and Libby's potential romantic interest as signs that it couldn't possibly be real. Dave tells Hurley that only by jumping off a cliff will he be able to break the hallucination's hold and "return" to Santa Rosa. But Libby stops him from doing so, via a kiss (more on this later), and the two return to camp.
 
The Case for Jacob: Jacob's all about choice. The Island represents a pause button, if you will, in your life. You can choose to look objectively at how you were, and either continue to live that way or make some sort of change. But he doesn't sugarcoat these choices. He doesn't varnish them. He simply presents them, and allows the person to choose. He uses "Dave" to remind Hurley of the seminal choice he made in the hospital to turn his back on his imaginary friend and start the long, slow process back to his old life.
 
The Case for The Man in Black: Hurley's vital to Jacob's plan. The Man in Black knows this. Long before he used the cabin as part of the long con on Ben/Locke, he simply tried to off his nemesis' would-be partner. Using Dave as a weapon seemed most effective, in that he represented Hurley's deepest-seated fear. Dave doesn't offer a choice so much as an ultimatum: jump or else. Only through Libby's interference does The Man in Black fail, which indicates something potentially interesting about her.
 
The Zap2it Opinion: Now, about that kiss: go back and rewatch it. Lord knows I did before writing this entry, since even when it first aired it was a C+C Music Factory moment (in other words, it makes you go "hmmm"). Is she crying because she's happy? She sure as hell doesn't look happy. You could argue that she's simply relieved Hurley didn't jump, but that tear betrays some form of grief. Is she upset that she's simply kissing Hurley to keep him alive for a greater purpose, or was this a prophesied moment that heralds her imminent demise? In either case: we're going with "The Man in Black" for this round of "Light vs. Dark," with the Libby aspect hopefully answered once and for all in Season 6.

What do YOU think? Vote and comment below!




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Photo credit: ABC