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'Lost': Letters from the Flame, Volume 6.2
As promised, here's Part 2 of this week's installment of "Letters from the Flame." In yesterday's edition, I addressed a variety of topics, but today's entry focuses on the birthing and raising of children in the Lost world, a topic at the front and center of the majority of Lost action these days. Moreover, it speaks to the increasing suggestion on the show that the drama we're watching not only started before the Lostaways even thought about boarding Oceanic 815, but likely started centuries earlier.
But all that in good time. Let's see what reader "Chris" wants to know.
Ryan, for "Letters from the Flame," please, pretty please with sugar on top and a sweet bing cherry with whipped cream...........answer me this:
How does Benjamin Linus go from this Island-raised boy to "Others" leader to über spy/assassin/time travellin' man? Was he trained at Richard Alpert's school for the insanely special chosen kids? How does this little man know so much about manipulation and psychology and technology? He didn't just pop out of Emily this way so, how did he learn all this stuff?
Firstly, ye needs never ask that nicely. In fact, it's vaguely off-putting. Living in Boston, I'm much more used to angry scowls and scatologically-based insults hurled me way. All this "niceness" has to end, people. No one really acts that way. Next thing you'll be telling me is that people actually smile in public. I'm not buying that for a second. But enough about Boston and onto your question.
There's a long and short way to answer your question. The short way speaks to pure plot mechanics, whereby his encounter with Richard Alpert as a child sets in motion a series of events that lead to the Purge and everything thereafter. But obviously, that's not what you're asking. I imagine you're less interested in the "how" than the "why."
As far as the formation of the Ben Linus we all know and love/hate/want to remain at least fifty feet away from at all times, I'd suggest you look at the way Michael Emerson plays the moment in "The Man Behind the Curtain" when he takes the gas mask off upon the Purge's successful completion. Watch how his body sloooooows down after a few, initial, wide-eyed, chest-heaving gasps into a man who wills himself into a position of cold-hearted, calculating authority. Everything else that followed demonstrated a mixture of innate skill, astute perception, and a moral code outside that of "normal" people.
It didn't help that he assumed control of a place replete with advanced/unusual forums for exploration/experimentation in the fields of science, psychology, and parapsychology. I've long felt that what we saw in Room 23 was "The Linus Cut," a Special Edition version, if you will, of the original video. The music might have been his idea as well, transforming a place once meant perhaps for benevolent means into a chamber in which loyalists could be programmed.
But remember, this is also a man who, as a boy, sent his beloved pet rabbit through the sonic fence to ensure that he himself did not die after entering in the code. What we see in adult Ben was always present, on some level, in his psyche. But his encounter with Alpert as a child merely augmented and honed a side that might have been more dormant under different circumstances. This is what he means when he tells people over and over again how he was born on the Island. He's both lying and telling the truth at once. While he was biologically produced just outside of Portland, Oregon, he was truly Born on the Island.
Speaking of unusual births, let's hear from reader "A-Rob" about the pattern that emerges in the aftermath.
Why can't the "chosen ones" be raised by their true parents? Starting with Ben, his mother died as soon as he was born and he never had a good relationship with his father. Then, Locke is raised by adoptive parents. Throw in Walt being separated from Michael both pre- and post crash, and Aaron without Claire, and a pattern starts to form. What's up with that?
Zap2It reader Jeff has it right when he says that the figure of the "orphan" is a staple not only of literature as a whole, but specifically the hero myth in particular. Moses, Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter...all orphans, "raised by another," to quote the aptly named Claire-centric episode from Season 1. As such, the hero's journey is marked by the absence of birth parents, and during the quest to discover the identity of their parents, discover their own true nature and, by extension, their destiny.
That's obviously a simplistic way to sum up "The Hero with a Thousand Faces," but Joseph Campbell literally wrote the book on this stuff decades ago. The suggestion is that myths from various cultures all adhere to a similar pattern, one that could not have simply derived from the cross-pollination of different cultures, but rather independently developed from one another. This makes the similarities between these archetypal myths that much more fascination. Rather than springing from a cultural meme, it arose seemingly from one central source tapped into by all walks of life.
Having typed out that insanely pretentious paragraph, let's take this "monomyth," as Campbell calls it, and literally spell it out. (Well, type it out, really, if you're being literal.)
A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.
What's interesting is how Lost seemingly embraced this model, and then COMPLETELY went against the grain. In this monomyth, there are many variations, but quite often three distinct stages: departure, initiation, and return. The first details the venturing forth on the quest, which in Lost might be truly demarcated by the now infamous "Live together, die alone" speech from "White Rabbit." Initiation is everything from that moment until Jack makes contact with Minkowski at the end of Season 3, which SHOULD start the phase of return. Only, in the case of Lost, the act of return is in fact the undoing of everything.
The Oceanic 6 are in some ways a direct mockery of the monomyth, with the return phase marked by regret, death, overwhelming guilt, and a realization that what was perceived to be the return was in fact still part of the initiation. Jack's assertion that they "have to go back" is his realization regarding his part in the overall mythology, the errors he's committed along the way, and his frustration at not being able to reinsert himself back into the storyline. Then again, Jack's...well, he's Jack. Which maybe means that he's once again completely freakin' wrong about what to do. Maybe it's not himself that needs to go back; it's Aaron, the now-orphan. (See how I tied all that back? I know, smooth operator. Just call me Sade.)
Let's now go a bit further into the deep end of the pool (or off the deep end, depending on your perspective) and combine the hero-myth with a figure the show alluded to in "Cabin Fever": the tuklu, a Buddhist lama who is reborn generation after generation in order to fulfill what's known as the Bodhisattva vow. I've been reading up on tuklus and Bodhisattva vows since "Cabin Fever" aired, and trust me, I'm far from an expert. In fact, I will more than likely misapply what I've learned. But I've hopefully gleaned enough to see where Lost might be going with Alpert's "Drawing of the Three" scene, couple it with "The Hero with a Thousand Faces," and lead you all into nirvana. Or at the very least, the next paragraph.
The heroic journey and Bodhisattva vows are similar in that they both seek enlightenment for the purpose of aiding/educating others. Here's a translation of The Four Great Vows:
I vow to liberate all beings, without number
I vow to uproot endless blind passions
I vow to penetrate dharma gates beyond measure
I vow to attain the way of the Buddha
If that doesn't sound like the modus operandi for The Dharma Initiative, I don't know what does. An organization conceived in order to bring enlightenment to the world through scientific research in a unique location able to provide a proper for results "beyond measure"...sounds about right, no?
The trick, however, is balancing the good of all against the desires of self, and this struggle has played out over decades, centuries, perhaps millennia on and around the Island. The sides we currently see fighting over control over the island both miss the point entirely, giving in to those "endless blind passions" that have corrupted all who have come before. And why? Because in the show itself are various tuklus, entities that have reappeared throughout history, betrothed and/or betrayed by the Island.
Richard's search for the Island savior is the most direct sign the show's given that such entities are in play. There have been hints of the Island's history, through hieroglyphics, statues, and slave ships. But what we haven't really keyed into until now is the notion that this struggle we've watched for the past four seasons is but one small sliver amidst a lengthy feud between two sides fueled not only by the same passions, but in many ways, by the same people.
Lately, I've been obsessed with applying the board game Risk to the world of Lost, but it's time I went back to the basics and looked at backgammon as another way in which to illustrate the tuklu orphan phenomenon at work here.
LOCKE: Backgammon is the oldest game in the world. Archeologists found sets when they excavated the ruins of ancient Mesopotamia. Five thousand years old. That's older than Jesus Christ.
WALT: Did they have dice and stuff?
LOCKE [nods]: Mhhm. But theirs weren't made of plastic. Their dice were made of bones
WALT: Cool.
LOCKE: Two players. Two sides. One is light... one is dark.
Whether or not this was intended at the time, this snippet of dialogue might accurately describe both the nature and length of conflict on the Island, with two players/tuklus in a five thousand year struggle, constantly perpetuating the battle via their own moral code/ Bodhisattva vow. But here's the kicker: both sides think they are the light and the other is the dark. Both fashion themselves the hero in this particular care. They are, to paraphrase Benjamin Linus, the good guy. Ever trying to destroy the other. Ever failing. But ever trying.
So there you have it: The Tuklu Orphan Theory of Lost. Possibly the least catchy titled theory ever, but hopefully worth your consideration all the same.
Your turn, campers...what do you make of the war over the Island? Long-fought battle, or recent skirmish? What can we glean from the births of Ben, Locke, and Aaron in terms of the show's mythology? And who, ultimately, is the hero of this show?
Ryan also posts every 108 minutes over at Boob Tube Dude.
mri-
I commented this somewhere else on this blog, but I think that suit Christian is Jack's memory of his dad, and rumpled Christian is Claire's memory of her dad. How we see Christian is how the memories of the pertinent people are being projected.
Ryan-
Slightly off topic, but you should check out the Boston-based artist Bren Bataclan, whose personal mission is to make Bostonians smile at strangers more often.
Shaggysteve: "concerned" -- Wow dude. You really do pay attention. Glad to have you around. Hope you'll stick with us.
Thanks much! I'm not going anywhere -- I just wish I had discovered this blog sooner!
Shaggysteve:Where is everyone else? There is a lot to talk about. 'Cabin Fever' gave us more questions to ponder. I liked how we used this as a forum (actually over at the LOST BLOG) after the episode. We were able to work out what we all observed from the episode. Though it may not be fair to those on the West Coast, I think we should do it again following the next episode. Then following the finale we'll need therapy sessions to get through our LOST withdrawl for 8 months.
I apologize for my tardy response, and promise to be more timely in the future. (Tonight's episode should provide much material for discussion, as should the two-hour finale!)
Shaggysteve: Is everyone going to participate in the chat-like session after the episode like we did last week? It's guaranteed that we'll have a lot a lot to talk about.
Which "channel"? First here, then over at "it happened last night" if/when Ryan posts the recap tonight? (How about whoever first notices that
the recap has been posted please post a message here letting everyone know to "switch channels". Thanks.)
Great discussion this week, people, on a wide variety of topics -- from "is Claire really dead?" to monomyths! (I also am a big Joseph Campbell fan -- in fact I think I mentioned him a couple of weeks ago in reference to Star Wars.)
Before tonight's episode airs, however, let me get down my reaction to last week's "episode" as my take seems to be somewhat different than others. To be honest, I was bit insecure after reading Ryan's excellent recap as I had never heard of "The Drawing of the Three", nor did he bring up some of the biggest questions
regarding the episode I had. (Fortunately others eventually touched on some of them, at least tangentially.) At any rate, without further ado, here's my reaction:
I didn't think there was anything wroing with the freighter stuff, it interested me just as much as the rest of the "episode". The problem was that it wasn't so much as episode as simply 42 minutes of the long-form filmed-novel that is LOST. And sometimes 42 minutes just isn't enough time to have a satifying story arc -- especially when split amongst several groups of people (and when leading into a season-finale). I found every minute of all three story-lines interesting; I just thought it was too short in that it's frustrating to have to wait a week for the next 42 minutes. I suspect if one was watching the season on DVD at one's own pace there would be no negative reaction to the freighter stuff in this "episode" at all.
I keep putting "episode" in quotes because LOST episodes aren't always episodes in the traditional sense of being self-contained stories that (generally speaking) can be shown out of sequence as they simply have the same main characters and settings -- think the original STAR TREK. Clearly LOST is long-form, not episodic, though in most cases they do do a tremendous job of making it an episode as well. But this time they couldn't... but rather than accept that, we have to find blame, and thus point to the freighter stuff, because it had the least sense of begiinning/end.
(But even this story had some structure: It began with the arrival of the chopper on the freighter, and essentially ended with the departure of the chopper.)
Obiously the locke flashback stuff had a clear beginning (his birth) and end (the disabled locke we've already come to know), but this is relatively easy to do in flashback.
And the other story, regarding the search for the cabin, didn't have a beginning (we knew before the episode that the three would be searching for the cabin, and that Ben didn't know the way), but there was a clearly defined middle (the wonderfully named "pit stop" to find Horace's map) and dramatic ending ("move the island").
But as far as the "middle" goes, the whole vision and finding the map was a bit contrived in that nothing was learned from it, nor was it necessary -- it was just a (albeitly clever) delaying tactic, so they wouldn't find the cabin right away (or just spend the whole episode looking around for it until Hurley or John magically found it).
Think about how even some of the pre-commercial dramatic moments were forced, such as when Locke tells Hurley, in answer to his question regarding what happened to cause the death of all those people in the pit, "he did" (indicating Ben). Based on the dramatic sound and cut to commercial, you'd think this was new info -- but of course we've known it for a long time.
So, given how little time remains in the season, as much as I like Horace (where do I know that actor from?!) (pre-LOST), I would have preferred that the whole cabin-vision and pit-stop have been deleted, and that time given to the "freighter" story. Then at the end of the episode they find (either thanks to a logical search patten or Hurley's or Locke's special gifts) the cabin and the ending is as written.
But then some people (though not me) would have been complaining that something seemed missing because they just set out to find it and ultimately did (there was no "middle"). But to me since the "middle" was strictly for entertainment, it apparently didn't add much to the story (except Locke can get visions again), it kind of was a little waste of time.
But since it was entertaining it didn't bother me -- I'm just bringing it up because I think some are unfairly complaining about the freighter stuff, which I think was actually better than most of the "find the cabin" story. Though clearly the flashback story was the most interesting and important, and what caught most of my attention. To wit: I've been amazed that almost nobody has mentioned the things that really troubled me, to the point that I've almost been afraid to mention them:
1) How many kids, especially back then, have the same last name as their maternal grandmother? The nurse refers to Mrs. Locke, who inquires about adoption. If John was adopted as a baby he almost certainly would have had a different last name, as would he if his mother did keep him and eventually got married to someone else. When John did "The Drawing of the Three" he seemed to have a different mother (not Emily) and a sister and baby brother. It's unlikely his mother would have had two more kids if she wasn't married (plus she didn't look like Emily). Nor is it likely if he was adopted that his adoptive mother would not give him her (and her husband's) last name. Or am I missing something obvious?
2) Why was it so important to Emily (John's mother) that the hospital staff know that the baby is to be named John? In fact, she says his name IS John, as if it is a fact. Is this a clue? Or just another name (such as Sawyer) that that Cooper (the person who needed the kidney from him as an adult) went by, and Emily just wanted to name the baby after him because she was in love?
3) Since when is John a nerd? To the point of getting beat up in high school? Doesn't seem right -- seems more like Darlton (or ABC) are wanting to pander to a core demographic of the show, rather than being organic to John's character. Not good.
I find myself playing the first 30 seconds of the episode over and over -- "Everyday" is one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite singer/songwriter/musicians (we have the same birthday, though he died before I was born), and I've always thought that time (late 50's/early 60's) was probably the best time in human history (at least for Americans). Pre-vietnam/national debt, etc., an innocent time between wars when good-paying jobs were plentiful -- even for the modestly educated -- and one's biggest concern was fully immersing oneself in teenage love.
Then reality hits, with Holly dying in a plane crash (the day the music died), the Kennedy assasination, vietnam, the draft, massive federal debt, etc.
Perhaps everyone thinks the time just before they were born was the best time to be alive, but I think an objective case can be made that this was indeed the time of Camelot. (He says, as he rewinds the tape again to hear the music, see her singing and dancing and primping in her classic 50's outfit.)
mri: "concerned" -- hmmmm time travel and planetary movement. hadn't thought about it. but then, it makes me think about the first time i ever flew in a plane when i was about 5 and my dad (he's QUITE the jokester) told me to be careful because if i jumped up in the air on my way to the bathroom, the back of the plane would smack me in the face.
That's hilarious!
BrianOTN: "concerned" -- again you've been paying attention. The show "Seven Days", addressed the time travel & physical relocation issue through a powerful computer program and an old school joystick mounted in the sphere that our hero would climb into before he "blasted off". I think the fact that I was the only one watching is why the show's not around any more. Later dude!
Interesting. I'm amazed I'd never heard of this show.
(I think I had some more thoughts [!] but I see it's less than an hour to the new episode so I'd better go ahead and post this!)
"concerned" | May 15, 2008 6:18:20 PM | #20 minutes to go ... see everybody here after 11 ;)
Erwin | May 15, 2008 6:41:29 PM | #concerned-
wow. thats really all there is to say.
A few more last-minute thoughts:
Tim: Anyone think maybe Frank is Jacob?
God, that would be great! As I think I've previously mentioned I feel a certain buddha-like calmness whenever Frank is around.
Jens: Anyone catch the fact that the bearings used to get to the island are the same as those getting off? A bearing of 305 degrees to get to the ship would mean having to use a bearing of 125 degrees to get back to the island.
Yes, I noticed that too. I assume the dialog was simplified due to lack of time, but who knows?
Patricia: Love Jack. It wouldn't be Lost without Jack. Locke and Jack are the main characters, as Damon and Carlton has stated in recent interviews.
I'm almost afraid to admit it, but I agree.
In my haste, and to keep my previous post brief (yeah, right), I neglected to give credit where credit is due:
Ray: I'm a little confused. Who was Locke raised by? His mother ran off and Grandmother said somthing about adoption. Was that his foser mom who he was with with the other kids?
jbw:Also, who before tonight would have pegged John Locke as a science geek in school?
Mark O. Estes: I think this episode was not as good as everyone thought it was. The Island bits bored me (except for the end) and the freighter plot was where the action was. I hope Ryan didn't blow that off, because it set up what is to come for the impending showdown. I am not a fan of John Locke as I have time and time again have stated, but his backstory was really interesting. I kinda sympathized with him and I stretch kinda. I still think he blindly doesn't pay attention and does things on impulse which could get people in trouble.
What I am worried about is that while LOST is great this season, it is not what it was first season. In that I mean as I look here at all the posts every week since I been on the board, it is amazing to see how many people have forgotten simple things that don't mesh with the current state of things on the show. Some cases in point are all the signs of the Hatch to not be opened in season one, Walt's vision telling Shannon to not push the button, Claire being told to not let her child be raised by another, the whole Walt is special thing, etc. etc. I have a very bad feeling (even though the show is brilliant and somewhat original) that when you se the show in full, like watching from Season One to Season Six, that people will become aware of the spotchy storytelling that is happening now. And on a last note, the episode was a good one because it built on character (Locke), plot (the frieghter/Island), and overall arc (all three combined). If you don't have one of those then you don't have a good story if you get what I am saying...
DanC I guess I'll have to try to watch the episode again online, because it didn't really do as much for me as I'd hoped, or as it appears to have for others.
Granted, it was great seeing Richard again, ageless as ever and kinda neat learning that it's Horace who gets to join Quintus in the Crooked House Design Competition, but ... I don't know, maybe it was just the bad TV reception or the late hour, but I just felt like it was another 'all set-up, no punchline (yet)' episode. Definitely need to watch it again.
(And for those who don't get the Quintus reference...while I think most of Robert Heinlein's adult SF novels were total crap - with the notable exception of The Door Into Summer - I did like a number of his short stories. Including "--And He Built a Crooked House", about an architect who built a house based on a four-dimensional geometric figure called a tesseract. A house that exhibited VERY odd properties indeed...)
I loved "Summer" and "House" as well -- that woujld be cool if the cabin does turn out to be a tesseract!
P.S. Abaddon and Alpert showing up in Locke's past?. Way cool.
Agreed!
Whoa.
Morgan | May 15, 2008 8:00:40 PM | #did Sun's Dad look thoroughly unsurprised/happy at his daughter's safe return?
also i think Jack's mom bears an uncanny resemblance to Harper.
best line of the night "Jesus Christ is not a weapon."
fantastic!!!
mri | May 15, 2008 8:02:16 PM | #Do we really have to wait 2 weeks for the finale??
A-Rob | May 15, 2008 8:05:27 PM | #I wouldn't say it was the best episode I've ever seen, but it definitely left me wanting more. A lot of WTF? moments for sure.
Shaggysteve | May 15, 2008 8:05:30 PM | #mri-
There was something peculiar about Mr. Paik. However, we do know he has connections to Dharma and the Island.
A-Rob
Unfortunately Yes. But it looks to be one kick ass season finale.
Shaggysteve | May 15, 2008 8:08:13 PM | #S.Steve-
Mr. Paik is definitely involved in the Island/Dharma. it was a nice touch that he didn't seem surprised.
wonder if Sun is going to use Paik Industries to get back to the Island?
mri | May 15, 2008 8:11:10 PM | #Could Paik's money troubles have anything to do with Miles's request? Hmmmmm
A-Rob | May 15, 2008 8:12:57 PM | #A-Rob-
i think Paik's employees were talking about the hostile takeover that just happened. Sun must have routed all her money through 5 different banks to cover her tracks.
mri | May 15, 2008 8:14:24 PM | #I've never posted before, just spent a lot of time reading everyone's theories (you all are scary smart, by the way, I wouldnt be able to think of any of these theories without a base from someone else).
After watching this episode, I feel like though it wasn't quite as exciting as the last one, it left me more confused than ever how the O6 end up together to get off the island? Jack's with Sawyer and from the preview, he'll clearly be meeting up with Hurley at the Orchid, but Kate and Sayid are with the Others, Sun's on the freighter with Aaron? How does that work out??
I'm also getting worried with all that C4 that Desmond, Michael and Jin are going to pull a Armageddon-style Bruce Willis on the freighter to save everyone else.
Did anyone else notice in the preview that it looked like Sawyer was on the helicopter when he kissed Kate?
I am dying to see this finale...its going to be a long two weeks.
(and thanks for all the great theories, you all have made my work days go by and given me a lot to think about!)
kristin | May 15, 2008 8:15:14 PM | #Ben undoubtedly has connections on the outside, but we don't know yet who they are. Paik is definitely a contender, as is Hanso I would think.
Shaggysteve | May 15, 2008 8:17:01 PM | #mri-
We thought the 5 banks were representing moneys from the 5 adult Oceanic 6 members.
did anyone find it odd that ben didnt tell locke what to do once he took the elevator?
where are kate and sayid being taken?
what happens to the bearing if the freighter moves? how will farraday know where to return to?
Morgan | May 15, 2008 8:17:41 PM | #A-Rob, mri is right ... Mr Paik was not expecting his own daughter to takeover the business ... that was just fun to see how Sun acted ... and then "you are one of them" responsible for Jin's death ... does this mean Jin is really dead??? and how?
Erwin | May 15, 2008 8:18:08 PM | #And who's the other one responsible? I almost forgot about that!
Kristin | May 15, 2008 8:19:50 PM | #This episode confused me more than make this clear ... its gonna be excting to see how the O-6 are actually coming out about after what happened tonight.
Erwin | May 15, 2008 8:20:18 PM | #erwin-
Or maybe more importantly, who would sun publicly say is the other person responsible for jin's death?
See, get me started posting and now I can't stop.
Did they ever establish that the tapping Sayid and Desmond were hearing on the pipes in the boat was definitely Michael? Or anyone else?
I'm thinking now, maybe Penny is on the freighter and no one knows it yet. Widmore did say Ben would never find her.
kristin | May 15, 2008 8:21:22 PM | #Morgan-
well, Sun just told her Dad that she owned controlling interest in Paik. and you can't just run out and do that (not sure on Korean laws about stock purchasing, so flying a little blind here) without filing a LOT of paper work beforehand. by floating the money out through 5 different banks, she could cover the fact that she bought Paik and reveal it to her father herself. also, there are counter moves a company can make (such as issuing more stock to devalue it) to fend off a takeover if you know about it faar enough in advance. Sun avoided all this and shocked the btwrth out of Daddy-dearest. a VERY nice backgammon move. :-)
mri | May 15, 2008 8:22:31 PM | #Morgan-
Good catch on the 5 banks thing. It would be a great way for them to gain access to Island info.
Kristin-
Listening to the Oceanic explanation of their rescue, it sounded like the Kahana is destroyed. It was probably the ship that washed on-shore with supplies mentioned in the story.
Exactly Morgan ... there is someone else responsible for Jin's death that we don't know about ... this is "lost" we only get bits of pieces at a time ...
Erwin | May 15, 2008 8:24:17 PM | #kristin-
no way would widmore hide his daughter on a freighter loaded with explosives.
and speaking of explosives... could the thing on keamy's arm be rigged so that if he dies the freighter explodes?
Morgan | May 15, 2008 8:25:40 PM | #
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