LOST: Special **Beware Spoliers**

[Sindatur]

Heard a commercial on the radio this morning that indicated we would get more answers in this episode than we've gotten per episode so far. Going back into Rerun mode for a couple weeks after tonights episode, and I believe the last rerun we see before new episodes will be "All the Best Cowboys, have Daddy Issues" (Claire being kidnapped), and then the first new episode I believe will pick back up on Claire's storyline.

 

[Sindatur]

Gosh, VL, Sinclair, Antony and the rest haven't commented yet?

Spoilers abound. If you haven't watched it yet, and have a way to watch it (Download, tape, Tivo, whatever) turn back now, watch the episode before reading further.

Well, this was a packed episode.

Bryan didn't want to keep Walt, even though he adopted him, partly because "Sometimes he makes things happen"?

The writers are vicious, at the beginning of the episode, I found myself sympathising with Michael in the flashback scenes, but, wanting to slap him in the back of the head in the island scenes. Finally by the end of the episode, I was sympathising on both sides. Looks like Locke has won Michael over, and Michael has won Walt over. Locke is really becoming quite the Shaman. I think Michael's got it in his head now, that it's in Walt's best interest to let Locke school Walt in the ways of the island. So, Michael burned the comic book, Walt was attacked by the Polar Bear, and Walt attacked the Polar bear back. Is this a metaphor for Walt giving up his innocence and childhood?

Charlie read in Claire's diary that she was compelled to go to the Black Rock, Danielle's episode is rerun next week (referring to the black rock), we have last week with Sayid's compass apparently being affected by magnetism. So, the Black Rock really looks like it's heating up in the arc (I'm assuming the rock is black because it's a magnetic type rock) Claire returned last night in the last few moments, and doesn't appear to be pregnant or have a baby with her. And All the Best Cowboys have Daddy Issues is playing the week before the continuation of Claire's story.

There was so much going on in last night's episode, I really need to watch it again tonight or in the next few days.

 

[vacantlook]

I honestly had forgotten that I hadn't commented yet.

I did enjoy the episode. There were times I wanted to beat Michael upside the head (him on the island), and times where I wanted to beat others upside the head (in his past/flashbacks). I do feel sad for Walt with his family life being as screwy as it is. Susan (Walt's mom) not giving him Michael's letters really pissed me off. She pissed me off period. Part of me feels like I shouldn't allow myself to be pissed at her being that she died and all that, but there were so many times where she just seemed like a manipulative, selfish ass.

I'm also glad to see Claire returned, though who knows yet what manner she's returned in.

The scene of Charlie trying to keep himself from reading Claire's diary was so freakin cute. I also loved that Charlie gave Sawyer a good wack; I really wish that man would stop being such an ass all the time.

I didn't feel we got any answers to any of the bigger island mysteries in this episode though. With so much mystery set up, and so little payoff, I tend to get worried that we won't ever get any payoff of the mystery. My worry is heightened by the pretty much total lack of payoff of the mystery of Rambaldi in JJ Abrams's other show despite that show being in its fourth year now. I hope my worries will eventually be assuaged.

I still find the go on hiatus for several weeks, show a couple new episodes, then go on hiatus for a few more weeks method of television broadcast to be a total annoyance.

 

[Sindatur]

I still find the go on hiatus for several weeks, show a couple new episodes, then go on hiatus for a few more weeks method of television broadcast to be a total annoyance.

Yea they're really working the Feb Sweeps Weeks hard this time around. Lots of folks have wondered if Walt was some kind of "Firestarter" or "Harry Potter" before arriving ont he island, and I think that's now been answered with how frightened Bryan seemed to be of Walt "Making things happen". And I think this was a setup to the opening of the floodgates when the new episodes start back up again.

People went absolutely bonkers with only having 3 weeks of reruns last time around, and in order to have shown more episodes in a row, we would've had to have more weeks of reruns in a row, so, I'm OK with the 3 weeks reruns, 3 weeks new episodes, 2 weeks reruns, and then maybe all the rest of the episodes (This was episode 14, so there's 8 more after this one). And, with the way they've been fitting everything together, it seems it's really better to replay the Danielle episode and All the Best Cowboys, prior to getting back into the swing of things, in order to find clues and connect things better, as I think the next new episode will connect quite strongly to those two.

 

[Recoil]

Yea I dont think there were any answers, just more questions.

Did anyone catch that when Michael burned the comic book, it was on the page with the Polar Bear...then a few hours later a Polar Bear was attacking Walt?

The whole dead bird hitting the window thing was odd. Not sure where that was going. Maybe when Walt gets pissed he conjures things up? That would explain the Polar Bear after looking at his book getting burned. Dunno, thats a whack theory really, but I really wasnt sure where the whole bird scene was going.

Getting tired of Saawyer's shit, not so much the characters, but how the writers keep doing the same thing. No matter what happens, he always seems to have takent he item people are looking for. He always plays the bad guy in not giving it back. Its getting pretty predictible/boring at this point, they really need to stop writing scenes like that into the show.

 

[B5_Obsessed]

Walt was studying birds for school. He wanted his parent's attention because they weren't listening to him. Then BONK, a bird hits the window. I think he got their attention.

I've had the feeling that Walt was a major part of this from the beginning. He read the comic book in the pilot and then the bear showed up. I don't think Ethan showed up until someone planted the idea about strangers being among them. Also in "All the best cowboys.." Walt tells Hurley that there could be lots of people on the island. Next thing you know, Ethan apparently has help, when he's running off with Clair and Charlie.

Of course, Danielle mentions the bears and the "others". But what if she's not even real? Remember the Trek episode with Riker and the boy he names Jean Luc? Turns out the kid was just a lonely alien child with machines that could create anything he thought of. So what does he do? He creates several different scenarios in order to make Riker stay. Could Walt have done this so that he wouldn't be abandoned again? Are all these mysteries really just concoctions of Walt's imagination?

I hope that's not the case, or this show will falter in a hurry. There's got to be more to it that just Walt's special power, but I don't know what it is.

I do know, however, that I'm getting really tired of the repeats. This show is moving along at a snail's pace. I wish they would blast through like 24 is doing this year.

 

[Sindatur]

Additionally, I believe a bird flying into the window and killing it's self, is symbolism indicating someone in the household will die soon. So, it seems that was foreshadowing that Susan would die.

I have a difficult time believing that Danielle is not real, as Sayid came away from her place with tangible items. Also, it was shown from Sayid's perspective, and things that only Sayid was privy to, have reappeared in other people's knowledge (IE: Claire being compelled to the Black Rock. La Mer playing on the music box, which Sayid doesn't know, nor does he know French, yet the lyrics appear in French on the tangible items that Sayid brought back).

Walt is definately "special", as Bryan was creeped out by the fact that "things happen when Walt's around"

 

[AntonyF]

Firstly, I haven't posted yet as it was only aired two days ago in the US. I need time to download them watch it.

The bird on the window... the same bird was in his book that he was trying to get them to look at. And the polar bear in the comic, as everyone realised, is then a polar bear in real life. So he does seem to conjure things.

On the whole, I was bored by this episode. I am becoming increasing bored with each episode. Although the flashback scenes are normally different, the episodes are very formulaic. i.e:

<ul type="square">[*]Flash backs for a character, or two characters.
[*]In the realtime Locke does "mysterious" stuff and is cryptic.
[*]As Recoil says, Sawyer has something, there's fisticuffs and squaring off between him and Kate.
[*]They have this "reveltation" in the last few minutes to pull you in next week.
[*]Nothing actually happens in the present day. In this episode, I think they threw some nives and stabbed a polar bear.
[/list]
Then repeat each week.

I love a puzzle. I love Carnivale for that reason. But Lost doesn't give much to work with. Okay, they're on an island. Yes, there's some mysterious things now and again and a revelation at the end! I need more substance.

 

[Recoil]

Someone above nailed it on the head. I am a bit wary because of the TOTAL LACK OF PAYOFF in Alias about their whole Rambaldi mystery. Season 4, and now they throw around name-dropping Rambaldi objects just for the sake of it. Whereas Season 1, and part of 2, there was huge mystery and substance around it. But no resolution, no payoff to the viewers, they just let it all go away and be forgotten about.

Since the Alias creator is on Lost as well, I have serious doubts about how much payoff us viewers will get. It gets old after a while. Throw us a frinkin' bone here!

 

[AntonyF]

Alias could take quite a while to let you know what's going on. Season three the payoff took quite a while. But I feel there was enough to start pondering what the outcomes may be.

 

[Recoil]

I halfway agree Antony, but my point is this.

Alias started with its main story being about Sydney, Sloane, and had her friends social lives as a background story from ep to ep. Then the Rambaldi part start showing itself to be a major back-arc of what was going on. First there was the guy who apparently had lived for 500+ years and new the second he was going to die was when he met Sydney. Then there was the picture of her that was done by Rambaldi way back in the day as well. So there was major thought and mystery going into that.

Flash forward to end of Season 3. Sloane uses that drug on his daughter to find out one of Rambaldi's "greatest works." Season 4 premier, Sloane mentioned he gets his job at the CIA beacuse he "turned over a Rambaldi artifact of unimaginable importance to the U.S. government."

So insteda of thought and planning going into this, they just start dropping the name as a weak-ass plot device without so much as a second thought. They did this a lot in season 3 also.

 

[AntonyF]

Sloane will join the CIA? *LOL* That should be amusing.

I can see what you mean. But I think the show will suffer if it's reinventing itself once again. I have yet to see season four to see what I think. But I wondered if it was going to be like the post-Superbowl episode, where the show just spins out of orbit.

I think the Rambaldi thing started to become tired in season three, but then quite a lot of the story did. They either need to do Rambaldi properly, or maybe it's time to give it a rest.

But I imagine right now they're trying to have their cake and eat it: keep the old fans happy, but go "Oooh, mystery... subterfuge... look Lost fans". Whereas we already know a ton about it.

 

[Recoil]

Its becoming tired because they havent done anything with it. If they did things properly it would have added a lot to the show.

And yea, they sort of did hit the reset button this season, but last season sucked anyway, so they had to.

 

[vacantlook]

And yea, they sort of did hit the reset button this season, but last season sucked anyway, so they had to.

Yeah, even Vaughn said so in the first episode this season. "Last year sucked."

 

[AntonyF]

I admit, it's my least favourite of the seasons. It was nice to see an interview though where they pretty much listed all the problems I'd identified with it.

I still thought it was better than most TV mind you.

 

[Sinclair]

I've been out of town for the past few days so I haven't been able to comment yet.

I really enjoyed the Michael/Walt storyline. I really felt for Michael, as he really wanted to have a relationship with his son but wasn't able to. I can also understand Walt's resentment although he's never fully understood what happened.

One thing I noticed about the comic book that hasn't been mentioned yet is there did appear to be some sort of vessel on one of the pages, and that hints back to what someone else said a few weeks ago about the possibility of the island being some sort of giant ship. I highly doubt this is the case, but with the whole polar bear correlation there stands the possibily that it may symbolize something.

It looks like Locke should probably be in good with Michael now, and I think he understands Locke a little better now. As for Claire, it did seem as if she was no longer pregnant. I wonder if she's still going to be the same Claire now.