Wow. Phew. Huh? Really?
Good ending. Deep, nuanced, intentionally ambiguous. Frustrating as hell.
a few thoughts:
1. Sideways = purgatory, but the pictures of random wreckage on the island makes you wonder...did they survive the wreck at all? OR, did they retroactively go straight to heaven?
2. You have to listen closely to what Christian said. He said the crash surivors made it so they could find each other in sideways world because they realized you and the time on the Island were the most important connections in your life.
3. No walt? no problem. Walt wasn't there because he got off the Island and lived a long full life with people that became more important to him than his time on the Island.
4. MIB turned into smokey when he hit the source because he was just a guy. Desmond didn't get turned because he is "special." Jack was able to go into the source because he was the island protector.
5. Or maybe we are being too judeo-christian and need to get a little more eastern. Maybe the point of the show was that souls travel together in different dimensions. Your "life" is really the continuing development of your soul as it travels through these dimensions. They all died in the plane crash. Their souls went to a different dimension (what we watched for six seasons). At some point in that dimension, everyone died somehow, and all reunited in the Sideways world dimension. At the end, they are all going to a new dimension for a new existence and new development. They may not remember their past lives in that dimension. Or some may. But their souls will continue to grow. It isn't "purgatory" with a final destination "heaven"- rather, it's just another existence in a dimension for some souls. Or, perhaps I'm totally wrong.
6. Jack = jesus. Died for the salvation of the island. stabbed in the side- pretty clear.
7. In retrospect, it seems that they forecasted/telgraphed this when Juliet said "it worked" and then died. her consciousness went to the group...
8. I need to go back and see who was or was not in the church..i didn't see Miles, I didn't see Michael, I didnt see walt....i think Michael was stuck on the island.
9. Rose's comment - it's ok, you can let go now- to Jack on the plane...she was already aware.
10. Alpert got to do it backwards- the island wasn't his purgatory... he was already dead. that's why he didnt age?
Whether you love or hate this ending, the show has brought me amazing joy. To those who read me, thank you for giving me a way to share my thoughts.
-Drew
Monday, May 24, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
One Guy's Down the Home Stretch
Staying with the now popular bullet/list form.
1. The wound on Jack's neck is likely a knife wound from... Smokey?
2. So Hurley, Sayid, Kate, Des, Sawyer, Miles, Widmore, Faraday, Charlotte, and Ellie will all be at the concert together. Ben is island aware. Does Locke become island aware when he can walk? How Does Jack intend to do that surgery in adequate time? Or is Jack really supposed to kill him on the surgical table instead?
3. "It's just a chalk line." Really Jacob? Did you say that to Kate just so she didnt think she was worthless? Or was it emblematic of those who find a purpose that is bigger than the island to them not being likely to take the reins? I vote 49/51.
4. Is Ben really that greedy and worthless? I say no. His redemptive arc in sideways land is too fruitful (getting with Rousseau!?!?!) for him to be totally diverging from it in island land- I think he's playing Smokey. Whether he is able to pull off whatever he's doing or not is a separate issue- here he's situated to get his wish- he can finally be a legitimate steward of the island. Jack will talk to him. Yay. But..will Jack really transfer the power to Ben? Perhaps Jack's tenure is to be brief. Ben truly does want to run the island, so maybe he is the guy for the job but....he's really an (amazingly acted) offensively evil character. TBD.
5. Did anyone else find the Jacob interaction with Kate/Jack/Hurley/Sawyer to be hilarious in that weird Lost Funny way? Awkward...
6. "Now you are like me." What the heck does that mean? Can Jack now grant unending life? It seems that he can find the source of the Light....and what else does "like me" mean? Can he make rules? What is the extent of the rulemaking power?
7. Did Jack really have a choice, or was Jack compelled? I could talk or write about this for a day...or 2.
8. Again, great nuanced acting by Ben. I enjoyed how he conceeded that the Smoke Monster was playing him "it was actually summoning me" while he was running the others and living in the Dharma burbs. Did Dharma know this too? Kinda puts them at cross-purposes- they have him gated out but can summon him? I can't really reconcile this.... There's more to be discussed here. Still, glad to see Ben & Locke back together, even if the dynamic is again, flipped on its ear.
9. Kinda an inauspicious end to Alpert, huh? Think he's dead? I say no.
10. I kinda thought Zoe was pretty pointless too. Was that more than a wink/nod from the writers? Perhaps there is something to the "you have to talk to Locke" for him to wield his power over you. Was this a hint? Will one of our characters be deafened and thus impervious to Locke?
11. What's Widmore whispering? How does Des serve as a failsafe? Maybe he is to be an anti- smokemonster by entering the Light/Source or maybe he is going to the Orchid to destroy the Island... Either seems plausible.
12. If Sayid said that Des was left in a well that they'd never seen before and sent Jack & Crew to find him, who threw him the rope that would allow his escape?
That's all for now...
-D
1. The wound on Jack's neck is likely a knife wound from... Smokey?
2. So Hurley, Sayid, Kate, Des, Sawyer, Miles, Widmore, Faraday, Charlotte, and Ellie will all be at the concert together. Ben is island aware. Does Locke become island aware when he can walk? How Does Jack intend to do that surgery in adequate time? Or is Jack really supposed to kill him on the surgical table instead?
3. "It's just a chalk line." Really Jacob? Did you say that to Kate just so she didnt think she was worthless? Or was it emblematic of those who find a purpose that is bigger than the island to them not being likely to take the reins? I vote 49/51.
4. Is Ben really that greedy and worthless? I say no. His redemptive arc in sideways land is too fruitful (getting with Rousseau!?!?!) for him to be totally diverging from it in island land- I think he's playing Smokey. Whether he is able to pull off whatever he's doing or not is a separate issue- here he's situated to get his wish- he can finally be a legitimate steward of the island. Jack will talk to him. Yay. But..will Jack really transfer the power to Ben? Perhaps Jack's tenure is to be brief. Ben truly does want to run the island, so maybe he is the guy for the job but....he's really an (amazingly acted) offensively evil character. TBD.
5. Did anyone else find the Jacob interaction with Kate/Jack/Hurley/Sawyer to be hilarious in that weird Lost Funny way? Awkward...
6. "Now you are like me." What the heck does that mean? Can Jack now grant unending life? It seems that he can find the source of the Light....and what else does "like me" mean? Can he make rules? What is the extent of the rulemaking power?
7. Did Jack really have a choice, or was Jack compelled? I could talk or write about this for a day...or 2.
8. Again, great nuanced acting by Ben. I enjoyed how he conceeded that the Smoke Monster was playing him "it was actually summoning me" while he was running the others and living in the Dharma burbs. Did Dharma know this too? Kinda puts them at cross-purposes- they have him gated out but can summon him? I can't really reconcile this.... There's more to be discussed here. Still, glad to see Ben & Locke back together, even if the dynamic is again, flipped on its ear.
9. Kinda an inauspicious end to Alpert, huh? Think he's dead? I say no.
10. I kinda thought Zoe was pretty pointless too. Was that more than a wink/nod from the writers? Perhaps there is something to the "you have to talk to Locke" for him to wield his power over you. Was this a hint? Will one of our characters be deafened and thus impervious to Locke?
11. What's Widmore whispering? How does Des serve as a failsafe? Maybe he is to be an anti- smokemonster by entering the Light/Source or maybe he is going to the Orchid to destroy the Island... Either seems plausible.
12. If Sayid said that Des was left in a well that they'd never seen before and sent Jack & Crew to find him, who threw him the rope that would allow his escape?
That's all for now...
-D
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
One Guy's Gone Across the Sea: Quick Hits
1. Desmond is going into the source. Whether he comes out a smoke monster or destroys the source of power in the island- open question.
2. Mom was a smokemonster too.
3. Smokey built the donkey wheel but wasn't "man" enough to turn it to get off the island. Now that he's human, he needs to get off the island- he'll do so by the Orchid Station. Ignore the talk of the sub and the airplane- that's all manipulation to kill the candidates.
4. Claudia and evil Mom were speaking latin- that places Claudia's shipwreck before 500AD. So...jacob's been there a while.
5. Jacob and Smokey come off as tragic characters. Irony that Smokey was the favorite of Mom, while Jacob was the weaker, submissive child. Smokey did end up giving Mom what she wanted- a way out of her duties to the Island.
6. I know this hearkens back to last week but...Sideways John Locke is a Pilot? Who else sees Sideways world merging with on-island world and Locke flying everyone off the island on the Ajira plane?
7. I thought the acting was pretty wretched.
8. A lot of people have complained that the waterfall with the golden light was hokey, and that the donkey wheel explanation didnt make any sense. If they said it was G-d in there does it make more sense? If they said it was ancient alien nanotech, does it make more sense? I think the reality is we are dealing with mythology. So go with it. It is what it is. A source of power with the capacity to grant/end/modify life, to move through time and space. Why? How? What's the schematic? Who cares. We know it's electromagnetic energy. That's enough for me.
9. So, Smokey can kill mom with a dagger- mom is still human. Ben can kill Jacob with a dagger. Jacob is still human. Smokey and Jacob can't kill eachother while they are on the island because their mom made it so- similar to how Jacob could grant Alper everlasting life. Smokey can't be killed with a dagger because- he's a disembodied soul inhabiting an astral projection of a dead body. See? This show is logical and does make sense. Kinda.
2. Mom was a smokemonster too.
3. Smokey built the donkey wheel but wasn't "man" enough to turn it to get off the island. Now that he's human, he needs to get off the island- he'll do so by the Orchid Station. Ignore the talk of the sub and the airplane- that's all manipulation to kill the candidates.
4. Claudia and evil Mom were speaking latin- that places Claudia's shipwreck before 500AD. So...jacob's been there a while.
5. Jacob and Smokey come off as tragic characters. Irony that Smokey was the favorite of Mom, while Jacob was the weaker, submissive child. Smokey did end up giving Mom what she wanted- a way out of her duties to the Island.
6. I know this hearkens back to last week but...Sideways John Locke is a Pilot? Who else sees Sideways world merging with on-island world and Locke flying everyone off the island on the Ajira plane?
7. I thought the acting was pretty wretched.
8. A lot of people have complained that the waterfall with the golden light was hokey, and that the donkey wheel explanation didnt make any sense. If they said it was G-d in there does it make more sense? If they said it was ancient alien nanotech, does it make more sense? I think the reality is we are dealing with mythology. So go with it. It is what it is. A source of power with the capacity to grant/end/modify life, to move through time and space. Why? How? What's the schematic? Who cares. We know it's electromagnetic energy. That's enough for me.
9. So, Smokey can kill mom with a dagger- mom is still human. Ben can kill Jacob with a dagger. Jacob is still human. Smokey and Jacob can't kill eachother while they are on the island because their mom made it so- similar to how Jacob could grant Alper everlasting life. Smokey can't be killed with a dagger because- he's a disembodied soul inhabiting an astral projection of a dead body. See? This show is logical and does make sense. Kinda.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
One Guy Listened to Juliet- Why the Sideways World is (probably) the Future and Smokey Must Die!
Juliet told us everything we needed to know when she died. The nuke worked. Smokey will die- so will Jacob and the rest of our heroes. The 815 crew, however, are already reborn in Sideways world- but a different Sideways world than we see now. How? Why? stay tuned.... One Guy returns from his hiatus to explain...later today.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
One Guy's Head Explodes: Happily Ever After
Quick Shots (to be supplemented later):
1. It APPEARS that flash sideways world is an elaborate ruse- that the nuke *DID* work but had the results of not changing the world, but of remaking the minds of the castaways & various and sundry island denizens. And wouldnt you know it, Ellie Widmore is behind/inside it. But how does she stay immune and omniscient to it?
2. Ellie gets another interesting Brooch- the same sign as was branded on Juliet.
3. The askance reference to the rabbit, "Angstrom" is a nice wink & nod to Harold "Rabbit" Angstrom, of the Updike book series, Run Rabbit Run, et al. Although it addresses many Lost themes- failure, redemption, etc, don't just read them because they're Lost relevant- read those books because they're pretty awesome on their own.
4. Penny Milton (i.e. Paradise Lost, fate & predestination- a very Lost shoutout) was listed immediately before Nikoli Tesla (another very Lost name- and a big hint as to Faraday) on the list for those to attend the Widmore party? There's more loaded names..
5. Nice symmetry- both Dogen and Widmore subjected Locke and Des, respectively, to dangerous tests to find out something crucial about them- will Widmore's backfire the same way that Dogen's seems to have backfired?
Dogen's test confirmed that Sayid was trending to "evil"- and that prophecy of evil was fulfilled. Think Jack wishes he had fed Sayid the poison pill? Alternatively, Widmore, whatever his motivation, has proven that Des can handle being microwaved on high for 3 minutes. How is this to be used?
Theories:
1. Des has to deposit energy back into the island- that is, the energy he absorbed when imploding the hatch. Perhaps the energy will be used to contain smokey- which adds to the theory that the island's unique properties serve as a cage for Smokey and that the implosion of the hatch, and the loss of the island's power, helped Smokey get control.
2. Des has to absorb more energy from the island. As in, lets break the donkey wheel so there's no more travel, and no more time jumping. This makes sense and obeys Occam's Razor as we've seen that using the wheel is the only reliable way to get off the island- using the "bearings" to get off the island is a bit dicey- a bit off and your brain phases in and out of time and eventually goes a mushy one.
6. Nice structural allusion to prior Desmond episodes- is he flashing through time, Billy-Pilgrim style, or is it just the manner of presentation? That he passed out when he came to on the island only to wake again seems to strongly allude to Des, again, being different. Or our writers are playing with structural ambiguity a la the Jin/Sun episode from Season 4 where we were lead to believe Jin was looking for a gift to bring Sun during the birth of their kid, only to learn it was a combo flash back/forward. Naughty, naughty writers.
7. This is the second episode in a row that we've heard someone powerful and mysterious tell someone else "what happens, happens" or some variant thereof.
8. A final (for now) thought on the sideways world. Eloise's comment that Des had the life he wanted because he had the respect of Widmore is telling on a number of levels- it implies that the sideways world is somehow crafted for them based on what they would have wanted for themselves. Hugo is lucky and rich. Sawyer is a cop, not a convict/grifter. But...Locke is still paralyzed. Kate is still on the run. Why do some people get better sideways lives than others? Who is the architect of this? Who decides why?
On a macro level, what the fuck is going on?
Simple- they're still them, they've just been remade off island- maybe as a consequence of the nuke. Is it permanent? Doubt it. If Widmore, Eloisie and Fisher Stevens (hear the tone and see his face when Des asked him to get the flight manifest? he's in on it too)Will it all come crashing down- you betcha. How does it play out? I'll guess...the off island sideways folks all come crashing down on the island once again.
More to come.
-Drew
1. It APPEARS that flash sideways world is an elaborate ruse- that the nuke *DID* work but had the results of not changing the world, but of remaking the minds of the castaways & various and sundry island denizens. And wouldnt you know it, Ellie Widmore is behind/inside it. But how does she stay immune and omniscient to it?
2. Ellie gets another interesting Brooch- the same sign as was branded on Juliet.
3. The askance reference to the rabbit, "Angstrom" is a nice wink & nod to Harold "Rabbit" Angstrom, of the Updike book series, Run Rabbit Run, et al. Although it addresses many Lost themes- failure, redemption, etc, don't just read them because they're Lost relevant- read those books because they're pretty awesome on their own.
4. Penny Milton (i.e. Paradise Lost, fate & predestination- a very Lost shoutout) was listed immediately before Nikoli Tesla (another very Lost name- and a big hint as to Faraday) on the list for those to attend the Widmore party? There's more loaded names..
5. Nice symmetry- both Dogen and Widmore subjected Locke and Des, respectively, to dangerous tests to find out something crucial about them- will Widmore's backfire the same way that Dogen's seems to have backfired?
Dogen's test confirmed that Sayid was trending to "evil"- and that prophecy of evil was fulfilled. Think Jack wishes he had fed Sayid the poison pill? Alternatively, Widmore, whatever his motivation, has proven that Des can handle being microwaved on high for 3 minutes. How is this to be used?
Theories:
1. Des has to deposit energy back into the island- that is, the energy he absorbed when imploding the hatch. Perhaps the energy will be used to contain smokey- which adds to the theory that the island's unique properties serve as a cage for Smokey and that the implosion of the hatch, and the loss of the island's power, helped Smokey get control.
2. Des has to absorb more energy from the island. As in, lets break the donkey wheel so there's no more travel, and no more time jumping. This makes sense and obeys Occam's Razor as we've seen that using the wheel is the only reliable way to get off the island- using the "bearings" to get off the island is a bit dicey- a bit off and your brain phases in and out of time and eventually goes a mushy one.
6. Nice structural allusion to prior Desmond episodes- is he flashing through time, Billy-Pilgrim style, or is it just the manner of presentation? That he passed out when he came to on the island only to wake again seems to strongly allude to Des, again, being different. Or our writers are playing with structural ambiguity a la the Jin/Sun episode from Season 4 where we were lead to believe Jin was looking for a gift to bring Sun during the birth of their kid, only to learn it was a combo flash back/forward. Naughty, naughty writers.
7. This is the second episode in a row that we've heard someone powerful and mysterious tell someone else "what happens, happens" or some variant thereof.
8. A final (for now) thought on the sideways world. Eloise's comment that Des had the life he wanted because he had the respect of Widmore is telling on a number of levels- it implies that the sideways world is somehow crafted for them based on what they would have wanted for themselves. Hugo is lucky and rich. Sawyer is a cop, not a convict/grifter. But...Locke is still paralyzed. Kate is still on the run. Why do some people get better sideways lives than others? Who is the architect of this? Who decides why?
On a macro level, what the fuck is going on?
Simple- they're still them, they've just been remade off island- maybe as a consequence of the nuke. Is it permanent? Doubt it. If Widmore, Eloisie and Fisher Stevens (hear the tone and see his face when Des asked him to get the flight manifest? he's in on it too)Will it all come crashing down- you betcha. How does it play out? I'll guess...the off island sideways folks all come crashing down on the island once again.
More to come.
-Drew
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
One Guy's Immediate Reaction to: The Package
- Excellent use of Bakunin. Shot twice in the eye by Jin- I think he needs more than a patch to fix that.
- I enjoyed the "remix" of our characters off island. I see Jin and Sun being helped by....Juliet. I see Sayid being caught by.... Sawyer and Miles.
- If I'm FakeLocke, I'm putting the 6 candidates on the plane to crash it. Once the candidates are dead, so is Jacob. Then Smokey can escape. The Hinkes Unified Theory of Lost lives on.
- Sayid tells FakeLocke that he can't feel anything. FakeLocke says that that may be best to get through what is coming. Sayid was previously a devout Muslim, despite his heinous acts toward others. He lived with grief and torment over what he had done, and most of his plot arc centered around (a) his love for Nadia as his potential redemption and (b) his desire for repentance for torturing while struggling with his propensity to veer back into being a torturer. Now, seemingly "cured" of all feelings does this mean Sayid will be the ultimate killing machine and used to wipe out Hydra island? Or The folks on the beach with FakeLocke? Or does Sayid's rational mind kick in and say, no, I am not human anymore and I don't like it. And does he rebel? I say so...this show is all about free will, and redemption and the characters' colective ability to decide to be better people. Will Sayid give in to his nature, or can he be more than a killer?..I want to vote for the latter.
- Bravo for bringing back Des. Although a relatively minor character, since they spat out Eko, he's been my favorite of all. The Constant cinched it for me. He's the man. And he's got something important to do... probably involving somehow re-depositing the magnetism he absorbed back into the island.
- Heavily hinted at Jin being the "Kwon" who matters. Or is it both? Maybe them together? Argument:
For Jin:
1. He's the only one who time travelled
2. He's the one Widmore wanted
Against Jin only:
1. Widmore only (apparently) wanted Jin to find what appeared to be a 2nd pocket of magnetic energy- is it the hatch and the wheel or is it another source of special power on the island we haven't encountered yet? I wish i had a better view of the map that Zoe showed Jin...
For Jin & Sun:
1. Both touched by Jacob
Against Jin & Sun:
1. Maybe Jacob's touch only compels you to go to the Island,but does not imbue candidacy?
Verdict?
Time travel carries the day. Jin, by a nose.
What's Widmore doing looking for the power sources on the island? I'd imagine by destroying them/harnessing them/correcting them (chose one, or maybe 2 or 3) he will seal FakeLocke in. Just a thought....what do you think?
-Drew
- I enjoyed the "remix" of our characters off island. I see Jin and Sun being helped by....Juliet. I see Sayid being caught by.... Sawyer and Miles.
- If I'm FakeLocke, I'm putting the 6 candidates on the plane to crash it. Once the candidates are dead, so is Jacob. Then Smokey can escape. The Hinkes Unified Theory of Lost lives on.
- Sayid tells FakeLocke that he can't feel anything. FakeLocke says that that may be best to get through what is coming. Sayid was previously a devout Muslim, despite his heinous acts toward others. He lived with grief and torment over what he had done, and most of his plot arc centered around (a) his love for Nadia as his potential redemption and (b) his desire for repentance for torturing while struggling with his propensity to veer back into being a torturer. Now, seemingly "cured" of all feelings does this mean Sayid will be the ultimate killing machine and used to wipe out Hydra island? Or The folks on the beach with FakeLocke? Or does Sayid's rational mind kick in and say, no, I am not human anymore and I don't like it. And does he rebel? I say so...this show is all about free will, and redemption and the characters' colective ability to decide to be better people. Will Sayid give in to his nature, or can he be more than a killer?..I want to vote for the latter.
- Bravo for bringing back Des. Although a relatively minor character, since they spat out Eko, he's been my favorite of all. The Constant cinched it for me. He's the man. And he's got something important to do... probably involving somehow re-depositing the magnetism he absorbed back into the island.
- Heavily hinted at Jin being the "Kwon" who matters. Or is it both? Maybe them together? Argument:
For Jin:
1. He's the only one who time travelled
2. He's the one Widmore wanted
Against Jin only:
1. Widmore only (apparently) wanted Jin to find what appeared to be a 2nd pocket of magnetic energy- is it the hatch and the wheel or is it another source of special power on the island we haven't encountered yet? I wish i had a better view of the map that Zoe showed Jin...
For Jin & Sun:
1. Both touched by Jacob
Against Jin & Sun:
1. Maybe Jacob's touch only compels you to go to the Island,but does not imbue candidacy?
Verdict?
Time travel carries the day. Jin, by a nose.
What's Widmore doing looking for the power sources on the island? I'd imagine by destroying them/harnessing them/correcting them (chose one, or maybe 2 or 3) he will seal FakeLocke in. Just a thought....what do you think?
-Drew
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
One Guy Calls Bullshit- they are not in purgatory or hell
Credit to the Good People at www.lostpedia.com for this one:
A. They are not in purgatory:
This theory has been repeatedly debunked by those steering the ship. See Lindelof's interview, Abrams' interview, and another Lindelof Interview.
B. They are not in hell
Unfortunately I'm currently unable to locate the interviews I've read that speak to this issue. However, lets examine last night's episode for some needed context.
1. Alpert is from (temporally) 1867 and (geographically) the Spanish Canary Islands. If there's a country this side of the Vatican that identifies itself with Catholicism, it's Spain. And as we saw, every single part of Alper's pre-island life was permeated with relgious symbolism and message. His keepsake of his late wife- a crucifix. His overwhelming desire for salvation. His desire for a clean soul to enter heaven. No fear of death- fear of religious damnation.
So naturally upon his examination by the smoke, MIB would be able to (using its snapshots/light thingie- same one used on Kate/Juliet) key upon Alpert's religious fervor and, as the first one on the scene (having killed everyone else) try to manipulate Alpert with what MIB knows will resonate- stories of hell and heaven, and entreaties for reunion with his beloved Isabella.
2. If they are in hell, why can they die? That was Jacob's point. I agree. Also, if they are in hell how do (a) people visit, (b) they communicate out in the current time and (c) people leave? You could argue nobody really leaves (Michael's time off the island brought him back, and Widmore just wants to go back. Who has successfully left for good? Nobody.)
Most importantly, however, this episode established some bedrock concepts for this season:
1. Jacob runs the island, and has for about 150 yrs
Jacob establishes the rules that apply to the island. He can't do anything that would reach further than the island (apparently, although this assumption is problematic given that he is to have fixed Juliet's sister's cancer off-island, but it's the best operating theory there is at the moment) but as long as he is in control of the island, he can bend certain on-island rules to his will.
Jacob has the power to bring people to the island. I've offered before that the island itself, being under the dominion of Jacob, does the "bringing"- the magnetic properties of the island, and the ability of the island to physically and temporally move steers ships, planes and people to the Island. Apparently a temptest brought the Black Rock. If Jacob was in such discrete control, maybe he could have done it without destroying his statue. Anyway...
Why is this important? Because we've seen MIB maneuvering to take out Jacob. They cannot kill eachother. They have to have pawns to do so. Smokey thinks it is his role to directly influence the survivors to kill Jacob. But up until this point, it hasnt worked. Why? Where is this going?
Jacob and Smokey seem to have an ongoing challenge of sorts. Smokey believes that “everyone is corruptible, because it is in their nature to sin.” Jacob disagrees, so they play out their theories with real, live puppets. Perhaps Alpert is the first of his breed- the first person to be discovered by MIB and not just snuffed, but to be manipulated, and influenced to go do what MIB can't- to kill Jacob.
But does that make sense? MIB seemed to have a routine down pretty pat. Probe the survivor. Figure out what his weaknesses are - religion, missing loved one. Starve/weaken the survivor. Then, be the saving force to instill loyalty, and then deploy your traumatized, brainwashed new buddy. Easy as 1-2-3. And wouldn't you konw it if Jacob was ready. Upon seeing a scraggly Alpert, Jacob didnt stop and say, "hey friendo. what's in your hand there? want to score some wine?" Nope. he kicked his ass. Why?
Because Jacob knew. So maybe Alpert was not the first. Maybe the change wasn't with Smokey, but with Jacob instead. By recruiting an ally, it seems, Jacob was able to teach some humans how to stay away from smokey, and live on the island. So why are we here, in this situation?
When the US millitary came to hang their nuke, everything was thrown out of balance. There are rules to be kept in alignment....more on that later. :)
To some basic assumptions:
1. Jacob considers the island to be a cork to keep Smokey in. If smokey gets out, judgment on all of humanity. Bad news bears.
2. Jacob has control over Smokey, and Smokey has to, at minimum, "kill" Jacob to wrest control.
3. It's not that simple. According to Jacob, if he is killed (meaning his literal, physical form is killed) he can just come back as another candidate. That's why Jacob needs to protect the candidates, and enlists Ilana for that purpose.
4. Thus, Smokey has to kill the candidates to achieve his stated goal - to escape. But...
5. Smokey can't kill these candidates. They have to kill themselves or eachother. (think about it- he tried to drag John Locke into the ground, didnt kill Kate/Juliet, and has otherwise had no issued bashing the fuck out of anyone else...why? gotta be a rule)
more to come....
A. They are not in purgatory:
This theory has been repeatedly debunked by those steering the ship. See Lindelof's interview, Abrams' interview, and another Lindelof Interview.
B. They are not in hell
Unfortunately I'm currently unable to locate the interviews I've read that speak to this issue. However, lets examine last night's episode for some needed context.
1. Alpert is from (temporally) 1867 and (geographically) the Spanish Canary Islands. If there's a country this side of the Vatican that identifies itself with Catholicism, it's Spain. And as we saw, every single part of Alper's pre-island life was permeated with relgious symbolism and message. His keepsake of his late wife- a crucifix. His overwhelming desire for salvation. His desire for a clean soul to enter heaven. No fear of death- fear of religious damnation.
So naturally upon his examination by the smoke, MIB would be able to (using its snapshots/light thingie- same one used on Kate/Juliet) key upon Alpert's religious fervor and, as the first one on the scene (having killed everyone else) try to manipulate Alpert with what MIB knows will resonate- stories of hell and heaven, and entreaties for reunion with his beloved Isabella.
2. If they are in hell, why can they die? That was Jacob's point. I agree. Also, if they are in hell how do (a) people visit, (b) they communicate out in the current time and (c) people leave? You could argue nobody really leaves (Michael's time off the island brought him back, and Widmore just wants to go back. Who has successfully left for good? Nobody.)
Most importantly, however, this episode established some bedrock concepts for this season:
1. Jacob runs the island, and has for about 150 yrs
Jacob establishes the rules that apply to the island. He can't do anything that would reach further than the island (apparently, although this assumption is problematic given that he is to have fixed Juliet's sister's cancer off-island, but it's the best operating theory there is at the moment) but as long as he is in control of the island, he can bend certain on-island rules to his will.
Jacob has the power to bring people to the island. I've offered before that the island itself, being under the dominion of Jacob, does the "bringing"- the magnetic properties of the island, and the ability of the island to physically and temporally move steers ships, planes and people to the Island. Apparently a temptest brought the Black Rock. If Jacob was in such discrete control, maybe he could have done it without destroying his statue. Anyway...
Why is this important? Because we've seen MIB maneuvering to take out Jacob. They cannot kill eachother. They have to have pawns to do so. Smokey thinks it is his role to directly influence the survivors to kill Jacob. But up until this point, it hasnt worked. Why? Where is this going?
Jacob and Smokey seem to have an ongoing challenge of sorts. Smokey believes that “everyone is corruptible, because it is in their nature to sin.” Jacob disagrees, so they play out their theories with real, live puppets. Perhaps Alpert is the first of his breed- the first person to be discovered by MIB and not just snuffed, but to be manipulated, and influenced to go do what MIB can't- to kill Jacob.
But does that make sense? MIB seemed to have a routine down pretty pat. Probe the survivor. Figure out what his weaknesses are - religion, missing loved one. Starve/weaken the survivor. Then, be the saving force to instill loyalty, and then deploy your traumatized, brainwashed new buddy. Easy as 1-2-3. And wouldn't you konw it if Jacob was ready. Upon seeing a scraggly Alpert, Jacob didnt stop and say, "hey friendo. what's in your hand there? want to score some wine?" Nope. he kicked his ass. Why?
Because Jacob knew. So maybe Alpert was not the first. Maybe the change wasn't with Smokey, but with Jacob instead. By recruiting an ally, it seems, Jacob was able to teach some humans how to stay away from smokey, and live on the island. So why are we here, in this situation?
When the US millitary came to hang their nuke, everything was thrown out of balance. There are rules to be kept in alignment....more on that later. :)
To some basic assumptions:
1. Jacob considers the island to be a cork to keep Smokey in. If smokey gets out, judgment on all of humanity. Bad news bears.
2. Jacob has control over Smokey, and Smokey has to, at minimum, "kill" Jacob to wrest control.
3. It's not that simple. According to Jacob, if he is killed (meaning his literal, physical form is killed) he can just come back as another candidate. That's why Jacob needs to protect the candidates, and enlists Ilana for that purpose.
4. Thus, Smokey has to kill the candidates to achieve his stated goal - to escape. But...
5. Smokey can't kill these candidates. They have to kill themselves or eachother. (think about it- he tried to drag John Locke into the ground, didnt kill Kate/Juliet, and has otherwise had no issued bashing the fuck out of anyone else...why? gotta be a rule)
more to come....
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