Photos
Video
'Lost': The sands of time, the winds of war
Because I'm a card-carrying member of the Lost Recappers Association of America (better known as LRAA), I'm on a special email list with a direct pipeline to the producers of Lost. Sadly, it's a one-way communication system, sorta like how it is between Jacob and those he deems fit to summon and/or terrify. So most of the time I sit around and eat Cheeto's and wait for my super special LRAA emails. It's a living, people.
But, lo, patience rewarded! This just popped into my inbox at 11:01 EST.
To: LRAA
From: Darlton
Subject: Didn't I Blow Ya Mind This Time?
As Nelson from The Simpsons would say, "Ha ha!"
LOL!
Luv,
D
Very cute guys, and yes, you did blow my mind, and the collective mind of Lost fans everywhere. Gunfights! Smoke monster attacks! Crazy ancient doors! Ben in a winter parka in the middle of the Sahara! If this is what happens after unintentional hiatuses, by all means, guys, take more of them. (And yes, that's a joke. Don't you dare take away new episodes of Lost midstream, lest I start shaking uncontrollably like that other Ryan on The Office.)
The producers were not kidding around when they said the condensed Season 4 would provide more action and more information than ever before. Sweet Mary in the morning, were they right. As such, allow me to focus more thematically than narratively, as the actual plots are quickly summarized (Freighters Attack! Ben Assembles His One-Man Army! Jack Has an Upset Tummy!).
If you thought you had an understanding of the basic parameters of the overall mythology of Lost, then this episode served to slap people like me in the face with a white glove and offered to duel us an dawn with pistols from ten paces. Or, in Keamy's case, a bungalow-destroying bazooka. We thought we knew; but it turns out we knew even less than we thought.
"Rules" of Engagement
Let's start with possibly the most intriguing addition to the show's mythology: the so called "rules of the game." Ben mentioned this several times in the wake of Alex's execution, in reference to Charles Widmore. But what on freakin' earth does he mean by that? What rules is he talking about?
The implication, I think, is that Charles Widmore and Benjamin Linus had dealings previous to The Purge, and may in fact have been co-architects in the planning of it. The way that Widmore spit out the word "boy" in referring to Benjamin, coupled with his assertion that everything Benjamin had was stolen from Charles, inferred a previous relationship between the two of them. Even though Benjamin ultimately betrayed Widmore (either via the Purge or shortly after), there were still "rules" in place based on Ben's position of power: namely, his ownership of the Island.
What followed, then, was essentially a détente between the two parties, during which Widmore sought alternative methods of accessing the Island outside of Benjamin's knowledge. I can't help but wonder if all those pallet drops over the years were part of the rules established by Ben and Charles as part of their uneasy alliance. And one can only wonder if Jacob himself is a victim of the power play between these two individuals as well.
And, oh yes, apparently Smokey was part of those rules as well.
The Door of All That's Awesome
Over at Zap2It's Guide to Lost, we theorized to what the mysterious door in the promo for this week's episode could possibly lead. Some thought it led to the Temple, others to the "real world," and at least one person thought it led to a Burger King. All good guesses (except for the BK one), but it looks like leads to a place where one can activate the force known as Smokey.
Before tackling that, let's first take a moment to think about the monumental importance of Ben's bungalow. He essentially lives in the penthouse of New Otherton. Not as nice as Widmore's penthouse, to be certain, but it's nevertheless a place that suggested that bungalow, and indeed the Barracks in general, were situated in that particular place on the Island for a reason. Ben's bungalow, so near as I could tell, was fitted OVER an existing door, one that was constructed by the same civilization that built the four-toed statue. As such, one can further theorize that whatever is behind this door is fundamentally related to the smoke monster in some capacity.
What we CAN'T overtly say now is that "Ben controls the monster." I don't think it's as simple as that. He might be able to agitate/summon it, but it seemed fairly obvious to me that Ben didn't want to ride in on it to whup some mercenary butt. The fact that Ben came back covered in soot may not simply mean that he walked through a dusty corridor, but in fact had to use some tactile substance, related to the composition, in order to truly agitate it.
The door to provoke such agitation, marked as it was with those symbols, seems to insinuate that the smoke monster, in some form or another, has been on the Island for a very long time. I say "one form or another" because I don't want to rule out that its present form isn't a relatively recent phenomenon, but the show strongly indicated tonight that its basic essence dates back much, much longer that the Dharma Initiative.
That's as far as I'm willing to go right now, because the true nature of the smoke monster is a Season 6 reveal, so for now, let's revel in the fact that we saw possibly the largest incarnation yet of the smoke monster, in all its billowy, murderous glory. And that just might be enough for now.
The Hunt is On
In "Meet Kevin Johnson," we learned that Michael cannot die because the Island still has work for him to do. Turns out, this Island has work for both Benjamin and Charles as well, since Ben apparently can't kill Charles, mo matter how much he'd like to do so.
This of course begs the question, "Why not?" But before even attempting to answer that, let's look at one of the greatest "close up of eyes opening" sequences ever, as the quick cut back from commercial just kept going up...and up...and up. Ben Linus. With smoke/cold air burning off of him. In a Dharma winter parka adorned with what looks to be the first shot of the symbol for the Orchid Station. As if that wasn't crazy enough, the name Halliwax is written across the front left of the jacket. If "Orchid" and "Halliwax" don't mean anything to you, well, check this out.
Looks like Ben's been doing a little teleportation/leaping action, courtesy of this yet-to-be-fully-seen station. (Maybe via the same mechanism that sent a polar bear to Tunisia, no?) Moreover, it's unclear if he knew where he would end up, or more intriguingly, WHEN he would end up. His conversation with the front desk clerk at a local hotel seems to indicate a great deal of confusion. Now, it's always best to take everything Ben says with a grain of salt, but I don't think we can take either his shocking look at arriving in the Sahara nor he general confusion at the front desk as anything other than genuine.
Thus, we have a whole host of new questions. Why didn't he leave with the Oceanic 6? Why did he pick that time/place to arrive? Did he in fact plan either one of them? Did he leave at the same time on the Island, but arrive at a different time/place than the six of them? Given the cut on his arm, it looks as if a struggle occurred before arriving in the Sahara Desert.
And let's think about those nightmares Widmore's been having. When exactly did they start? And of what do they consist? Looks like Charles hid Penelope away soon after the events that are unfolding on the island in "real time," whatever that really means on the show anymore, as a preventative measure to avoid retribution for Alex's death. Smart guy, that Widmore.
For whatever reason, these two are prohibited from directly affecting the outcome of the drama they are producing. They both need to manipulate people, either through influence or cash, in order to produce the results they want. Widmore uses people such as Desmond to find the Island; Ben uses people such as Sayid to enact his revenge. (Among a myriad of permutations, too many to fully list here.) If you look at actions taken by both men, it suggests they themselves are relatively powerless. Benjamin needs to recruit Juliet; Widmore needs to recruit Abaddon. These are men caught in the literal grip of the Island, using those not similarly bound to affect the desire outcomes.
This is all heady and abstract stuff, but it's important, I feel. There's an actual narrative reason why Benjamin doesn't simply off Widmore in the final scene of tonight's episode. There are forces much larger than themselves at work in these flash forwards. These are the same forces that call to the Oceanic 6 as well. The Island is fundamentally damaged by the end of Season 4, and it's calling out to anyone and everyone who can hear for help. It just remains to be see exactly who inflects this wound, and how.
Eight-Sided Time
One way to think about the inability of certain people to die, the inability of them to change their fate in any meaningful way, is to look at the time discrepancies inherent between the Island and the real world. (The people on the freighter don't even seem to know the doctor's dead! They might be lying, but wouldn't it be more intriguing if, as far as they are concerned, it hasn't happened yet?) If you were to look at this show for what it is, a postmodern narrative, then such discrepancies are not only expected but perhaps dictated.
After all, Lost is a show about the inability to see things correctly through a mere linear narrative. Everything that happens is both shaped what's past and shapes what's to come, forming a life that's but a series of temporal and emotional resonances. As such, the title of the episode, "The Shape of Things to Come," is perfectly described in the Orchid logo: a rippling of waves from a central source, ever expanding. Nevertheless, these ripples have a boundary, described by the 8-walled outline of the Dharma logo. These ripples are therefore not infinite, but finite. They have a beginning as well as an end.
And this end, I think, dictates a large amount of the forced "inaction," as it were, amongst the various characters on the show. Because there's a finite level of action, there's almost a cosmic conservation of energy going on in the show, where only certain people can do certain things at certain times. And you can attribute this to fate, you can assign it a higher power, or you can go off the assumption, from a postmodern perspective, that certain people have already seen the end are seek alternative ways to amend it/affect it.
Since we're so obsessed with shapes at this point, let's look at one as I end this week's recap: the 8-spoked wheel that is the dharmacakra. I'd suggest looking long and hard at this wheel. Think about the different spokes. Think about a man named Isaac who was extremely interested in this symbol. Think about the various points on earth he mentions, and how that might provide a clue to the globe-trotting Benjamin Linus. Think about how it wasn't just enough for Jack to perform spinal surgery on Ben, but how Jack had to WANT to perform the surgery. Think about all this energy, all that action, contained on a finite number of ripples forming these series of interconnected lives.
And then, friends, you'll start to see the shape of things to come on Lost.
But I'm only one man, people. I need your help in deciphering that shape. What did you think of Ben's appearance in the desert? Smokey's appearance in New Otherton? Penelope's disappearance off the face of the earth? Leave your thoughts, theories, and comments below!
Ryan also posts every 108 minutes over at Boob Tube Dude.
Excellent work, as always!
Awesome episode - the action never let up from start to finish. Setting a fixed timeline to end the series was a stroke of brilliance.
Two things stuck out for me this episode:
-The bizarre - dare I say funny? - offing of the lostaway extras in rapid succession as Sawyer tried to get to Claire. At this rate, it may not be that hard to get down to the Oceanic 6.
-Alex. What...the...crap. Ben has no moral high ground left to stand on, no matter how deluded he may be.
I lost count how many times I said "Holy S--t!" during this episode, the biggest one being Alex getting shot in the head. Damn Lost, you ain't playing now.
Oh, and did you notice the flashback swoosh sound when going from Ben in 2005 back to the island?
Blown away. That is the only phrase that can describe the utter shock of this episode.
If it weren't for the fact that we know something of Ben's childhood, I'd be convinced at this point that the struggle between Ben and Charles is cosmic in nature, the duel between two immortals, one on the side of Good, one on the side of Evil, except that we don't know which is on which side (or more likely, both on opposites sides of gray).
I suppose it's still possible that there is some piece of this there; perhaps in each generation a champion is chosen by each side to represent it in the battle.
Mike | Apr 24, 2008 10:10:09 PM | #After seeing the more-solid smoke monster this time around, it got me to thinking about Jewish mysticism and the idea of the Golem: maybe the reason why Ben was so filthy when he came back out the ancient door is that he has to somehow "create" Smokey by way of some magical/mystical formula/incantation/spell/recipe in order to bring the smoke monster to life. Unlike the mythical Golems, however, it doesn't look like there is a point where Ben has to rub out the symbol that renders the Golem inert (read: dead, again). Instead, maybe the monster has a limited shelf life or a definite mission that, once it's fulfilled, the creature/monster ceases to exist beyond that point. This may also be why the smoke monster that eventually took out Eko may have "known" him, which is why it seemed to meet Eko face-to-face before doing him in.
Like Brandon, I thought it was quite funny when the three Others got mowed down one after the other, almost like they were being pulled out on a rope in order to get shot. Makes me wonder how many others of the Others are still alive. Comic relief is always welcome, as long as it isn't overdone.
Sad to say, but I felt very little sadness after Alex was murdered. Perhaps it's because, in a way, she was tainted with Ben's blood, and thus her time on this planet needed to end anyway. The Spawn of Ben Linus is a scary thought in the first place (I shudder to think just how much farther out his eyes can bug, and what would cause them to do so...but I'd imagine procreation would be in the top five); seeing Alex killed just seemed proper, in a freakish way. High kudos for good acting all around in that particular scene.
It was nice to see Alan Dale speaking in his normal accent, wasn't it? He's been on about a dozen shows over the past decade, and in every one that I can recall, he speaks with an American accent. Even though his Australian twang was muted (probably from being around all them Yanks for so long), I always like hearing an actor from another country speaking in their native accent. Plus, Alan Dale is just so damned cool.
I'm not going to bother trying to figure out timelines and such anymore, because since the rules don't necessarily apply to this show, it just seems silly to waste time in an endeavor that is doomed to failure, at least where I'm concerned. After this episode, I'm beyond confused as to what the date actually is on The Island compared to what it was in Tikrit (2005, apparently), so I'll just go with the flow. I'll leave it to those who enjoy beating their heads against brick walls trying to figure it out. ;)
Anyway, great episode, and it looks to be an interesting next few weeks. Now that I'm totally mentally btrwthed, I'm going to bed to rest my tired brain.
Dark Disciple | Apr 24, 2008 10:15:30 PM | #I think Ben thought that by bluffing that the asshole (excuse my language) would shoot Alex. As much as I hate the guy who pulled the trigger, Ben was at fault, but not intentionally I think. This is where I don't like the Ben character. He thinks he's smarter than everyone and he has to keep his lies straight until he pulls the rug off from under whoever he has in his spell at the moment. The mercenary was probably told this and he knew not to fall for anything that Ben said no matter what. So in a way, Ben met his match in the lying game.
I haven't been here for the break, but I am glad LOST is back and I can share my thoughts again on the show with everyone...
Mark O. Estes | Apr 24, 2008 10:21:41 PM | #My bad, I meant that Ben thought that by bluffing that the mercenary wouldn't shoot Alex.
Mark O. Estes | Apr 24, 2008 10:25:00 PM | #All that analysis, and you miss the most important point- Ben Linus is an a-hole. The only reason Alex is dead is because he was too much of a coward to come outside. He can walk around being all vengeful and macho, but as Widmore points out, it was he who got her killed to begin with. How can one talk about this being a battle between two grays when Ben has no redeeming features I can think of? I am willing to bet a hundred bucks he offed Nadia to get Sayid to work for him.
AC | Apr 24, 2008 10:27:01 PM | #Ac, I kind of agree on the fact that Ben is a coward and that he had Nadia knocked off cause I thought the same thing when I realized that Ben was trailing Sayid.
Mark O. Estes | Apr 24, 2008 10:54:25 PM | #Given how stunned Ben looked upon "arriving" in the Sahara, I chalked up the Sayid plot as excellent improv, much like making lists of Oceanic survivors was an in-the-moment decision that had long-term implications.
Ryan | Apr 24, 2008 10:59:32 PM | #In all fairness, while I agree Ben is a jerk, without knowing the larger picture we can't say for sure just -how- selfish letting Alex die was. I mean, if there really are bigger forces at work, maybe Ben couldn't just turn himself over. Who knows?
Ben | Apr 24, 2008 11:06:57 PM | #One line I want to draw attention to. Hurley said, "Australia is the key to the whole game." Now was he just talking about RISK or was this another clue about our TV Show?
Bryan | Apr 24, 2008 11:12:35 PM | #Im back everyone!
So. do we all agree that Mr. Bernard killed the guy we found by the shore?
The way Jack asked Bernard to come to him during one of the scenes hinted this already.
James | Apr 24, 2008 11:19:35 PM | #Im back everyone!
So. do we all agree that Mr. Bernard killed the guy we found by the shore?
The way Jack asked Bernard to come to him during one of the scenes hinted this already.
James | Apr 24, 2008 11:19:45 PM | #When Ben first stepped through the door, I was certain that was how he jumped through time/space. He obviously lied to Sayid about how he got off the island, and the writers certainly timed that flash forward (or those flash backs?) to make it seem that way. What if time/space jumping sets off smokey as a side effect? What if the change in rules directly involved Ben finding Sayid in the future when he wouldn't have otherwise?
On a separate note, I am wondering where the speculation is on the doctor washing ashore. Obviously it has to do with the time difference, but if all of the mercenaries are on the island, who on the freighter would've slit a guys throat? The captain?
Morgan | Apr 24, 2008 11:26:42 PM | #Bryan-
I know! That was one of the best lines of the night! The other one being "Calm down, Chicken Little. The sky ain't fallin' just yet." God, I missed Sawyer's snarkiness over the break.
I bow at the altar of Benjamin Freakin' Linus! My god, the guy is just an enigma wrapped in a puzzle deep inside a mystery. And I love how the episode showed the full range of Ben Linus tonight - they showed him as the globe-trotting action hero and the naieve douchebag all within the same episode.
I kinda had a feeling Alex was going to die. As I said awhile back on this Lost blog, every character on this show that relies to heavily on someone else creatively is destined to die (and the rapid, random killing of the extras is an ironic metaphor for this fact). So because Karl and (as far as we know) Danielle died, Alex's story really had nowhere else to go - just like Boone and Shannon. Yes, Alex was Ben's "daughter", but a man can't be saddled with a touchy-feely family story arc when he's knee-deep in a global cold war. The downside of this, however, is that Danielle, a character that has been a part of the overarching story of Lost even before the coming of Ben Linus, was probably killed off BECAUSE of the need to kill Alex. I'm not saying she is truly dead, but if she is, this is all why.
But man, that final scene was just fantastic. So much intrique, so many questions, so few answers.
I think we should just all be glad Claire lives to see another day (but God help her, the vultures are circling), and leave it at that. There's still five more episodes, and the answers will come.
Other Sean | Apr 24, 2008 11:30:16 PM | #Oh, and there's no damn way Desmond is going to let Ben get at Penny so long as he's still alive.
Other Sean | Apr 24, 2008 11:52:40 PM | #Great episode, one of the best this season.
I don't feel cowardice was why Ben didn't give himself up. He's said all along that Widmore's crew would kill everyone on the island once they captured him, and he must have known that would include Danielle. He always thinks he can outsmart everyone and was trying to buy time, figuring Danielle was worth more to them as a hostage.
I never understood why the smoke monster was a constant presence on the island the first season, then rarely seen since. If Ben can control it, or at least summon it, then maybe he sent it to keep the losties on the beach and too scared to explore further until he was ready for them.
Jessie | Apr 25, 2008 12:30:31 AM | #Most likely Ben can't kill Widmore because the Island won't let him die. Like Michael.
But... what if he can't kill him because Widmore is actually Ben's grandfather? Who has traveled through time to the future and will eventually travel back and be the father of Ben's Mom?
George Glass | Apr 25, 2008 12:46:16 AM | #I didn't think of Bernard killing the doctor. Nice one, James. Maybe he got thrown overboard in the aftermath of Meet Kevin Johnson?
And Other Sean, Ben vs. Desmond is going to be great.
Bryan | Apr 25, 2008 1:22:55 AM | #First off, excellent recap/analysis.
Wasn't too shocked at Alex's demise, but it was a brutally effective scene. Also not surprised Ben would sacrifice the girl if necessary.
Temporal mechanics gives me a migraine, but ... The flash-forward with Ben and Sayid was technically a flash-back since we've already seen them allied together in a previous ep ... er, right? And apparently the flash-forwards are taking place in 2005?
Ben's teleportation obviously bespeaks some sort of advanced technology at work. Perhaps alien tech, although that seems a reach. Then again, we are talking about Lost ...!
Along that line, Smokey makes me think of Dr. Morbius(sp) in "Forbidden Planet" who controlled a monster with an ancient alien device. As I recall the creature came from his own id; I wonder if there's a similar relationship between Ben and Smokey.
Had to laugh at Widmore's comments on Ben's eyes.
Z-Wulf | Apr 25, 2008 2:25:22 AM | #Bernard killed the doctor? Huh?!? What?!? Jack pulled Bernard aside to verify that he knew Morse Code so they could set up their trap for Faraday and Co. Obviously something transpired on the boat and Doc Creepy bit it. The coments about the doctor being OK were either lies or due to the time difference issue.
Yeah, I know I said I was moving on last week and bit McGee in the nads for his pun-tastic style but, Ryan my man, you redeemed yourself this week ten fold. A brilliant LOST episode capped by quite a thorough, thought provoking re-cap here. Nice work and a sincere apology from yours truly. I also agree with SHARI. When Alex was executed I knew this was a show written by people who were taking no prisoners. Cold and ruthless. Man! BRYAN, gotta agree. That "Australia" line seemed to have chaser lights around it for me.
Ron H. | Apr 25, 2008 3:36:33 AM | #one question which i think must be asked in the wake of this episode is not only where ben went and what he did, but HOW LONG was he gone? was he only gone for as long as the people on the island perceived him to be gone? or was he gone for a more extended period of time? perhaps globetrotting setting up the pieces in this chess game. perhaps everything that happened off island in this episode happened while ben left everyone in the cabin...
heady stuff to be sure...
Huzzah! Called the door leading to the Smokie control room in Monday's blog comments :D
Jeff | Apr 25, 2008 4:58:53 AM | #I had speculated during the break that maybe Ben was behind Libby and she was an Other. (Ben put her at the MH with Hurley for some reason, had her give the boat to Des, sent her to the Tailies to be part of their crowd). But I couldn't figure out why he'd want Des on the Island. Still not sure, but using him as a link to Penny for revenge against Widmore emerged last night as a very possible motive.
I was blown away at the fact that Sayid volunteered to be an assassin for Ben. I was thinking he was doing it under some sort of duress. Ben's self-satisfied smirk as he walked away from Sayid made me think that HE was definitely the one behind Nadia's death so he could manipulate Sayid.
But Ben's horror at Alex's being shot felt very real. "He changed the rules...." He obviously thought she was safe for some reason. Assuming he truly loved Alex in his twisted way, he must be feeling some level of guilt with the last thing she heard was him denying her, declaring her to be of no value to him. Whew.
djc | Apr 25, 2008 5:40:44 AM | #
Zap2it Twitter Talk
