Photos
Video
'Lost': The shape of Season 5, Part 2
Yesterday, I tried to outline a possible arm of Season 5 of Lost: the events that would lead to John Locke's expulsion from the Island. There obviously will be other strands of plot throughout the Island portion of the season, but all roads will eventually lead to John Locke leaving the Island as a broken man.
But what about the off-Island activities? What of the Oceanic 6? When last we saw them, Sayid took Hurley into hiding, Sun was proposing a business venture with Charles Widmore, and Kate was trying to explain to Aaron that Uncle Jack was a raving alcoholic with a penchant for grunge music. And yet, Benjamin Linus insists that these six, plus John Locke, all have to return to the Island to set things right. So obviously the second arm of Season 5 will involve Jack, himself a broken man, seeing if he can't get the old band back together again for one last tour.
The obvious question, however, is, "Why do they have to get back at all?" One could of course look at this as another Benjamin Linus long con, but I think the long con's already happened. As outlined yesterday, I propose to look at Season 4 as an elaborate misdirection on behalf of an unknown entity to unseat Jacob, Benjamin Linus, but perhaps most important, Jacob's true heir on the island: Aaron.
John Locke once told Jack Shephard that everyone on Oceanic 815 came to the Island for a reason. And while that may be true, there is definitely a pecking order in terms of whom the Island really wanted to come. I'd place Locke, Jack, and Claire on the upper eschelon, Sun/Jin somewhere in the middle, and Frogurt dead last. Point is this: it's too simplistic to simply assign equal importance to all the survivors in terms of the grand story of either the Island or Lost itself. The show has consistently demonstrated, on a dramatic and metatheatrical level, that some people are simply more important that others.
Claire didn't always seem as a centerpiece in the Island's vision, but I think Season 4 corrected this incorrect judgement: both she and Aaron are EXTREMELY central to the story of Lost at this point of the game. In fact, in lieu of what we've seen of them this season, Ben's obsession with fertility, coupled with his love/hate relationship with Jacob, makes a heckuva lot more sense now than it did at the end of Season 3. At that point, I assumed Ben's work was working AGAINST Jacob, but now, I'm not so sure he wasn't do exactly as he was told by the ghostly figure from the cabin.
All that work to produce a child may have in fact been work designed in order to produce the literal rebirth of Jacob.
Think about the "Drawing of the Three" scene from the episode "Cabin Fever." Think about Richard's seeming agelessness. Think about Widmore's assertion that Ben took away what was rightfully his. And then think about these figures less as people and more as repositories: temporary housing for eternal entities waging a constant war. But while the spirit may be eternal, the body is not, and as such, a constant, ever changing set of physical vessels.
However, in this particular iteration, for whatever reason, a new vessel cannot be produced. Perhaps it's due to the "incident" oft mentioned on Dharma initiation videos. In any case, "Jacob," the name for the spirit more than the body it once inhabited, is stuck in limbo, unable to die but also unable to live. He needs a new body, only pregnant women now die. Desperate, Ben recruits Juliet, only to find she cannot help either. Luckily, for all involved, help comes in the form of a pregnant woman on an airplane that so happens to crash land on the Island.
Of course, nothing happens by accident, and as such, one can easily view Aaron as the long-awaited vessel for Jacob. And as we now know, more than one party is privy to events on the Island, whether they be in the past, present, or future. I've already discussed this point at length, but I think Christian Shephard, the "good" Christian, knew the events surrounding Aaron coming down the pipe, and may have drank himself to death, having surrendered to fate.
The Christian Shephard that tried to warn his daughter in Australia is the same Christian Shephard seen in Jack's private practice, and is the same seen in the mobisode "So It Begins." But there's another Christian, or a vision of Christian, that bears little to no resemblance to the flawed but ultimately caring father figure at the apex of Lost. That figure seeks to separate Claire from Aaron in order to separate Jacob from Aaron, thus preventing him from passing onto the next generation. If Jacob cannot pass on, then the centuries' old war ends, and the Island loses.
That is, of course, unless the Oceanic 6, plus 1, plus Ben, plus more than likely a 43-year old Walt, can return to make things right.
What do you think Aaron's role will be in Lost? Is he as important, or in fact more important, than the rest of the Oceanic 6?
Ryan also posts every 108 minutes over at Boob Tube Dude.
Aaron is definitely a keystone. how that will play out is anybody's guess though. he could be the keystone because he does something for the Island, or maybe he's the keystone because he inspires someone else to do something for the Island. he could father someone who does something for the Island. he could have a way cool pet polar bear that does something cool for the Island. i think you get the picture. any number of things could make Aaron the key. unless i'm totally wrong, which is quite possible. :-)
still think it would be way badass if Abbadon turned out to be Walt.
mri | Jun 9, 2008 8:18:33 PM | #I'd be interested to see where other people put the importance of those you were on 815 [b]and[/b] at one point were cast regulars but have since been such as: Nikki and Paolo, Eko, Ana Lucia, Libby, Charlie, Shannon and Boone and anyone else who I may have forgotton that was killed [b]prior[/b] to season 4.
Also, I'm interested in them showing/us seeing the following scenarios at the beginning of S5:
a) Faraday's and Charlotte's reunion as well as Daniel's realization that he has to recaliberize how to go to and from the island and figuring out how to get something close enough to the island to go to fro to (I hope that was readable); -> This assumes that Daniel's raft was in the 'island bubble' that was part of the island's relocation -> for this to be true this concludes that Jin is dead and unfortunately this is the conclusion that I have reached
b) is Daniel's raft isn't in the island's bubble and therefore is able to find Jin and save him. From there we see how they too try to find their way back to the island -> except they are doing this in early 2005 rather than sometime in 2007 as the O6 are doing. -> It seems unlikely that Darlton would reduce the impact of getting back to the island by doing 2 separate treks at the same time at different stage of time.
Rishi | Jun 9, 2008 10:15:46 PM | #Just thought of this, we know that Ben had a way to and from the island in the sub prior to Locke blowing it to smithereens, I'm wondering if Jacob will let Locke know of a way so that they can get their off island spies to relay their info to them and so that they can bring new people to the island to replace some of the specialists that have since been killed -> ie. a new Ethan is going to be needed etc.
Rishi | Jun 9, 2008 10:18:33 PM | #Well, lucky for those left behind on the island, they still have at least one doctor, Juliet.
I can't even begin to imagine what "bad things" have been happening since the 06 escaped but, I'm pretty sure they will need a doctor.
Locke and Aaron seem to have a connection. Charlie was jealous of it back in season 1 & 2. Claire has always been more in the Locke camp than the Jack camp from the very beginning. Locke made her the cradle for Aaron. Nice of him but, what if there were more to it than that? Locke punched Charlie repeatedly for thinking he had kidnapped Aaron. I think, maybe, John Locke is meant to be Aaron's protector. Charlie thought that was his job but, it never was, it was always Locke. Ben must have fallen out of Jacob's good graces, Locke has always been a candidate for greatness but, has never quite measured up. The Christian, Jack, Claire & Aaron family has been significant throughout the series and will ultimately end with Aaron being the most important player of all.
I disagree that some people are more important than others. I'd like to think the Island holds them all equally important, but the duration of their stay depends entirely on the function they are needed to perform.
Just as an example, Eko was an extremely important character, not only because served as a link from the 815 survivors to the Beechcraft of lost souls (well one lost soul, really), but because he ultimately lead Locke along the path toward finding his faith and accepting his destiny.
Casting issues for the show aside, if you watch the DVDs not knowing anything about the production side of the show, you could draw the conclusion that Eko's main purpose was fulfilled when Locke rescued him and having reunited with his dead brother, had fulfilled the Island's purpose for him and could be let go.
That aside, I'm intrigued by the idea that Aaron could be a vessel for Jacob. I'm equally intrigued by the idea of Aaron being a "chosen one" that will restore balance to the forc-... I mean, Island.
Jeff | Jun 10, 2008 6:29:43 AM | #BTW, I'm pissed that Charlie seems to have sacrificed himself for nothing. Claire was supposed to leave the island on the helicopter with Aaron according to Desmond's vision.
Desmond told Charlie that he saw Claire and her baby get into a helicopter and leave the island. This has not happened. I hope it still can happen in the future or else that whole story line with Charlie dying in such a dramatic fashion in the finale was just stupid and did not live up to LOST standards.
And did you notice, aside from everyone immediately forgetting about Charlie, Claire never got Charlie's letter or the ring he left Aaron? Like, that would have been such a simple, nice thing to include in the season premier and they totally missed the opportunity.
Jeff | Jun 10, 2008 8:05:11 AM | #FROM LOSTPEDIA:
Charlie began to write a list of the five best things in his life, #1 being The night he met Claire. While Jack explained his plans to combat the others, Charlie noticed Desmond showing signs of having had a
At first Desmond denied it, but later told Charlie that the vision showed Claire and Aaron getting aboard a helicopter, but Charlie would have to die for this to happen. Desmond told Charlie that he goes into the station, throws a switch, and then drowns. After being given this information, Charlie volunteerd to swim into the station. Later, Charlie put Aaron in his crib and told him to take care of his mum, that he loves him, and passed on his D.S. Ring. Claire asked Charlie why he didn't tell her that he was going down to the station. Charlie told her not to worry about him while he was gone. Knowing his fate, he gave Claire their final kiss. Desmond and Charlie took Alexandra's canoe and followed the cable to the station. After Charlie finished his list, he gave it to Desmond. The Scotsman volunteered to take Charlie's place underwater; Charlie seemed to accept at first, but then knocked him out with an oar.
Oops, I deleted some of that by mistake. That should read: Charlie noticed Desmond having signs of having had a vision.
Chris | Jun 10, 2008 8:21:04 AM | #There's no reason to think what Desmond saw simply hasn't happened yet. We know Aaron has to return to the Island.
Yes, it's a bit of a cheat, but then again, visions are tricky business.
I guess I'd just be shocked if that vision doesn't get eventually paid off. For a show with such close-knit continuity, that would be a whopper of an error.
Ryan | Jun 10, 2008 8:28:05 AM | #Except that Aaron would be about 4-5 years old when they finally got on that helicopter. Desmond's vision intimates that Claire and the baby escape, not Claire and the toddler.
Jeff | Jun 10, 2008 8:31:17 AM | #I'll have to look at the sequence again, but I think you're being a teensy bit literal/stubborn about this.
Again, they could totally abandon this plot line. (I hope not.) The "vision" could have come from the same force that kidnapped Jacob. (Possible, intriguing.) Or, in future Lost, which is in roughly late 2007/early 2008, all six go back, rescue Claire, and she carts off her toddler child.
Ryan | Jun 10, 2008 8:40:54 AM | #Maybe Claire has another baby??????????? Hey, it could happen. Unfortunately, we don't get to see Claire until season 6 as her contract is on hold according to reprts I've read.
Chris | Jun 10, 2008 8:43:20 AM | #Just playing devil's advocate. I really do hope his vision plays out in some fashion. I want to believe Charlie sacrificed himself for something good.
Chris, I've heard we will see Claire next season, but not very much.
Jeff | Jun 10, 2008 8:46:12 AM | #What was the warning that Christian gave to Claire?
Tim | Jun 10, 2008 9:04:56 AM | #i would HOPE Des's vision of Claire and Aaron plays out somehow. i mean sheesh. if that gets dropped that would be a HUGE continuity error. don't see how that's going to happen since i'm firmly in the "Claire's dead" camp. hadn't thought about the implications of Des's vision on that though. hmmmmm, will have to chase my tail on that for a bit...
mri | Jun 10, 2008 9:22:10 AM | #I really don't get how Claire could be dead.
Jeff | Jun 10, 2008 9:50:56 AM | #she's hanging out with dead people, so i'm going with at least "dead-ish."
mri | Jun 10, 2008 9:55:13 AM | #She's drunk.
Jeff | Jun 10, 2008 10:03:12 AM | #Jeff,
I guess the apples don't really fall far from the Shepard tree, Like Father (and brother), Like Daughter.
Of course the Aaron (as a baby) on the helicopter with Claire scenario could have been changed by subsequent events. Most visions have 'wiggle room'. I'm sure the writers will come up with something good--I have faith! (vs. science)
Barb | Jun 10, 2008 10:11:52 AM | #Walt has appeared to Locke and Shannon...he was not dead. Was this really Walt or the Island/Smokey? Jack sees his father...we know he is dead. Kate sees Claire...is Claire dead or perhaps she has special Waltlike abilities?
Tim | Jun 10, 2008 10:15:11 AM | #...and I'm sure the writers read all the blogs 'religiously' to see what we catch so they can 'fix' things. We do serve a purpose!
Barb | Jun 10, 2008 10:18:19 AM | #Of Things Lost-Ish (OTLI):
Speaking of vessels, now would be a good time to pop in your DVD's of Donnie Darko (Directors Cut) and start thinking about time travel and vessels.
Ponder the signifigance of time travel, worm holes, and, ultimately, sacrifice.
Brian of the North | Jun 10, 2008 10:21:42 AM | #So, Ryan, following your Aaron-as-key-to-Jacob's-plans theory, what do you make of his List?
Jeff | Jun 10, 2008 10:29:31 AM | #
Zap2it Twitter Talk
