An ABC Episode Recap of the Lost finale clarified the identity of the Four-Toed Statue. Click "Read More" for my analysis on the significance of her identity in relation to Jacob and Lost as a whole.
The statue is a representation of Taweret! Let's begin our discussion with her name. Taweret means "(one) who is great," which links up nicely with the answer to "What lies in the shadow of the statue?:" "The one who will save us all." Certainly Taweret signifies what we already knew: Jacob is a big-freaking deal.
Although my research on this is a bit murky (but props to me for looking beyond Wikipedia), it seems that Taweret was married to Apep, the Egyptian deity associated with evil. Taweret could then be seen as a counter-point to evilness and was often considered the "Restrainer of Evil". Is Jacob really good and counter-balancing the evilness of The Man in Black (or the other way around)? Let's not get carried away. Because Apep could only come out at night, Taweret was seen as responsible for all evil acts that occurred during the day. In fact, Taweret was considered a demon! Her likeness was composed of multiple man-killing animals, most notably the hippopotamus, lioness, and crocodile.
Perhaps the most intriguing link between Taweret and the mythology of Lost is that she was seen as the protector of pregnancy and childbirth. Pregnant women wore amulets of her likeness around their necks to be protected from any evilness jeopardizing the safe delivery of their babies. Obviously, we know there are some major fertility issues on the Island amongst the Others. However, Claire was able to give birth to Aaron, and Sun was miraculously impregnated by Jin (who was supposedly infertile) while residing on the Island.
Digging deeper, almost every character on Lost has major Mommy issues. Ben's mother died during child-birth. Jack decided to turn on his father when he realized the woman Christian killed while performing surgery drunk was pregnant. Ana Lucia cracked after getting shot in the abdomen, losing her pregnancy. The list could go on.
So now we ask, when did the damage to the statue occur, leaving nothing but the calf and foot, and when did the fertility issues amongst the Others arise? Certainly there could be a connection there.
What else do you know about Taweret that could be seen as relevant to Lost? And isn't this fun?!
Read more!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
TV - Preview - The Vampire Diaries
As mentioned in my Apocalypse post, the CW has picked up a pilot of "The Vampire Diaries" based on the series by L.J. Smith, staring Ian Somerhalder and some other people that I don't care about. This is why that matters to me.
When I was in high school, I read a lot. I am talking like maybe two or three books a day. And by books, I mean 170-page young adult novels. I consumed them like crack - or popcorn, or that it is more believable that I would actually consume. One of the primary authors of my high school reading era was L.J. Smith. She wrote fantasy novels with a heavily romantic focus. I read just about everything she wrote. A year or so ago, when I became aware of the Twilight mania, I thought, this sounds just like L.J. Smith. After having read the entire Twilight Saga (and completely enjoying it - with the exception of the ridiculous fourth book) I still prefer my old school L.J. Smith. I thought to myself, 'I bet this Twilight craze will bring some publicity to L.J. Smith.' Sure enough, most of her books, written in the mid '90's have been reprinted and reissued. I have to stop myself from buying them just to support her, since I already own just about everything she has written.
The Vampire Diaries was never my favorite series of hers. I liked the set-up and the characters, but it was one of her earlier series and I don't think she had quite worked out the whole love triangle angle that would become a huge focus of most if not all of her subsequent books. I am a HUGE sucker for a love triangle. Especially one where I can actually see the person in the middle with either of the other two. And as low-brow as her books are, in my opinion, she's got that down.
So, I'm hoping that the new show keeps the characters and set-up, but manages to use the love triangle more effectively than it was used in the books.
Also, I have to ask, why do TV shows cast guys who are older than their characters are supposed to look as vampires? It's going to make things really difficult when Ian Somerhalder (who is 31, and playing a character who was made into a vampire at 21, and therefore should look eternally 21), starts to look older, assuming this show lasts more than one season. It happened on Buffy with David Boreanaz and James Marsters. They were both older than their characters were supposed to look when the series started, so it could only get worse from there. I mean, I'm glad to have Ian Somerhalder on a TV show again (since he is just objectively beautiful), but seriously, guys. Think about the fact that this person is not supposed to age when you cast them.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to the show. I know perfectly well that it could be completely awful. But Ian Somerhalder knows hat he's doing and the guy who directed the pilot has directed shows for Dexter, so I have an inkling of hope that it could actually be good. Read more!
When I was in high school, I read a lot. I am talking like maybe two or three books a day. And by books, I mean 170-page young adult novels. I consumed them like crack - or popcorn, or that it is more believable that I would actually consume. One of the primary authors of my high school reading era was L.J. Smith. She wrote fantasy novels with a heavily romantic focus. I read just about everything she wrote. A year or so ago, when I became aware of the Twilight mania, I thought, this sounds just like L.J. Smith. After having read the entire Twilight Saga (and completely enjoying it - with the exception of the ridiculous fourth book) I still prefer my old school L.J. Smith. I thought to myself, 'I bet this Twilight craze will bring some publicity to L.J. Smith.' Sure enough, most of her books, written in the mid '90's have been reprinted and reissued. I have to stop myself from buying them just to support her, since I already own just about everything she has written.
The Vampire Diaries was never my favorite series of hers. I liked the set-up and the characters, but it was one of her earlier series and I don't think she had quite worked out the whole love triangle angle that would become a huge focus of most if not all of her subsequent books. I am a HUGE sucker for a love triangle. Especially one where I can actually see the person in the middle with either of the other two. And as low-brow as her books are, in my opinion, she's got that down.
So, I'm hoping that the new show keeps the characters and set-up, but manages to use the love triangle more effectively than it was used in the books.
Also, I have to ask, why do TV shows cast guys who are older than their characters are supposed to look as vampires? It's going to make things really difficult when Ian Somerhalder (who is 31, and playing a character who was made into a vampire at 21, and therefore should look eternally 21), starts to look older, assuming this show lasts more than one season. It happened on Buffy with David Boreanaz and James Marsters. They were both older than their characters were supposed to look when the series started, so it could only get worse from there. I mean, I'm glad to have Ian Somerhalder on a TV show again (since he is just objectively beautiful), but seriously, guys. Think about the fact that this person is not supposed to age when you cast them.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to the show. I know perfectly well that it could be completely awful. But Ian Somerhalder knows hat he's doing and the guy who directed the pilot has directed shows for Dexter, so I have an inkling of hope that it could actually be good. Read more!
TV - American Idol Results Scam
I declare a foul! I don't know if this would have really made a difference determining this season's winner, but it sucks knowing that scheming like this might be going on.
Read more!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Film - Best Theme-Setting Scores
The other day I heard the theme song to "The Lord of the Rings" (remember? "Eeeeee-Aahhhhhh eh-ah-eh-ah-eeeee-ahhhh." There, that should help), and I got to thinking about what an incredibly powerful piece of music that is. I turned to my husband, Greg, and said "I think that LOTR has the best theme-setting score. Whenever I hear that music I am automatically scared, excited, nervous, and on-the-edge of my seat," which I think are the perfect emotions to be experiencing when following Frodo on his quest.
Greg said, "I think you mean besides Darth Vadar's theme in the Star Wars movies" and he has a point there (dah dah dah dum-da-dum, dum-da-dum). That music tells you to "Hello! Evil on it's way!," but in a playful manner, perfectly in keeping with the original three films. (While watching Episodes 1 - 3 you should be experiencing some gagging and eye-rolling emotions).
I'm going to stick with my original premise that for me, for you, for me, LOTR has the best theme-setting score. What are your thoughts? Leave a comment. Read more!
Greg said, "I think you mean besides Darth Vadar's theme in the Star Wars movies" and he has a point there (dah dah dah dum-da-dum, dum-da-dum). That music tells you to "Hello! Evil on it's way!," but in a playful manner, perfectly in keeping with the original three films. (While watching Episodes 1 - 3 you should be experiencing some gagging and eye-rolling emotions).
I'm going to stick with my original premise that for me, for you, for me, LOTR has the best theme-setting score. What are your thoughts? Leave a comment. Read more!
The Apocalypse - A Buffy movie sans Joss Whedon
Thanks, Jenna, for bringing the apocalypse to my attention.
Fran Rubel Kuzui is a complete idiot. There has been talk of a Buffy movie since the series went off the air in 2003. Alternating rumors that it was in development or that it would never happen made fans like myself appear bi-polar to outside observers. You'd think we would all be thrilled now that Kuzui, the rights holder to the franchise, is actively pursuing a Buffy feature film. You'd be wrong.
The reason we fans have been clamoring for a film, is that we are invested in the lives of the characters from the TV show. We want to know what happens to them after Sunnydale is leveled. Luckily, Joss Whedon's Season Eight comics have done that, to an extent, but I'd really like to see a movie with all of the characters from the Buffyverse with a little bit more closure on some of the main storylines (who does Buffy end up with, or does she not end up with anyone?, does Angel get to become human?, why was Angel brought back from hell?).
However, this feature film, spearheaded by Kuzui isn't going to be a sequel or continuation of the television show. Instead, in the wake of the Twilight frenzy, it's going to be a complete reboot, ignoring both the TV show, and the 1992 movie, and trying to gain a whole new generation of fans. Seems like a good idea, right?
Problem #1: The only reason the Buffy franchise is so successful is because of the insanely rabid fans. There aren't very many casual Buffy-watchers. People either never watched enough to get hooked, or they are completely nuts about it. Those are the only two options. By rebooting the franchise, and ignoring the characters that the fanbase cares about, the feature film may appeal to a new generation, but it will completely alienate the existing fans. And without the existing fans on board, I doubt the movie will do very well.
Problem #2: Joss Whedon has not even been approached about being involved. So, this pretty much guarantees that the movie will suck. You can't do Buffy without Joss in complete control. They took control away from Joss for the 1992 movie, and look what happened. Plus, now, the rapid fans of the TV show aren't just going to ignore the movie, they will actively work to undermine it. Speaking as a rabid fan, I promise you, this will happen. Check out the article and accompanying poll at EW.com. If there are riots, I will totally go.
Problem #3: We are flooded with vampire related TV shows and movies right now. The CW just picked up a show based on L.J. Smith's "The Vampire Diaries" starring Ian Somerhalder (Boone from Lost), and some other people that I don't care about. Plus the Twilight books and movies, True Blood, etc. I can't think of others right now, but it just seems like it is everywhere. A reboot of Buffy right now would just fall in with the vampire frenzy and probably wouldn't stand out at all. If it were a sequel to the series, it would work, because the aforementioned rabid fans would make it stand out. But if it's just going to be a from scratch movie, what makes it different from all the other vampire stuff. I realize that the fact that vampires are "so hot right now" is a reason to make the film now. Kuzui practically says as much in the Hollywood Reporter article, but fads change so quickly. By the time the movie is made and comes out, vampires might be "so over."
Problem #4: I hate the idea. And we all know how much pull I have with my highpowered blog. Read more!
Fran Rubel Kuzui is a complete idiot. There has been talk of a Buffy movie since the series went off the air in 2003. Alternating rumors that it was in development or that it would never happen made fans like myself appear bi-polar to outside observers. You'd think we would all be thrilled now that Kuzui, the rights holder to the franchise, is actively pursuing a Buffy feature film. You'd be wrong.
The reason we fans have been clamoring for a film, is that we are invested in the lives of the characters from the TV show. We want to know what happens to them after Sunnydale is leveled. Luckily, Joss Whedon's Season Eight comics have done that, to an extent, but I'd really like to see a movie with all of the characters from the Buffyverse with a little bit more closure on some of the main storylines (who does Buffy end up with, or does she not end up with anyone?, does Angel get to become human?, why was Angel brought back from hell?).
However, this feature film, spearheaded by Kuzui isn't going to be a sequel or continuation of the television show. Instead, in the wake of the Twilight frenzy, it's going to be a complete reboot, ignoring both the TV show, and the 1992 movie, and trying to gain a whole new generation of fans. Seems like a good idea, right?
Problem #1: The only reason the Buffy franchise is so successful is because of the insanely rabid fans. There aren't very many casual Buffy-watchers. People either never watched enough to get hooked, or they are completely nuts about it. Those are the only two options. By rebooting the franchise, and ignoring the characters that the fanbase cares about, the feature film may appeal to a new generation, but it will completely alienate the existing fans. And without the existing fans on board, I doubt the movie will do very well.
Problem #2: Joss Whedon has not even been approached about being involved. So, this pretty much guarantees that the movie will suck. You can't do Buffy without Joss in complete control. They took control away from Joss for the 1992 movie, and look what happened. Plus, now, the rapid fans of the TV show aren't just going to ignore the movie, they will actively work to undermine it. Speaking as a rabid fan, I promise you, this will happen. Check out the article and accompanying poll at EW.com. If there are riots, I will totally go.
Problem #3: We are flooded with vampire related TV shows and movies right now. The CW just picked up a show based on L.J. Smith's "The Vampire Diaries" starring Ian Somerhalder (Boone from Lost), and some other people that I don't care about. Plus the Twilight books and movies, True Blood, etc. I can't think of others right now, but it just seems like it is everywhere. A reboot of Buffy right now would just fall in with the vampire frenzy and probably wouldn't stand out at all. If it were a sequel to the series, it would work, because the aforementioned rabid fans would make it stand out. But if it's just going to be a from scratch movie, what makes it different from all the other vampire stuff. I realize that the fact that vampires are "so hot right now" is a reason to make the film now. Kuzui practically says as much in the Hollywood Reporter article, but fads change so quickly. By the time the movie is made and comes out, vampires might be "so over."
Problem #4: I hate the idea. And we all know how much pull I have with my highpowered blog. Read more!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Book & TV - The Worthing Saga by Orson Scott Card, and Dollhouse
So, when watching the two part season finale of Dollhouse, I was inspired to re-read The Worthing Saga by Orson Scott Card, because of some similarities. Both stories involve taping people's memories and/or personalities and then replaying them into themselves or others. More after the jump.
The Worthing Saga is one of my favorite books of all time. I've probably read it six or seven times, and every time, I'm surprised at how much I love it every time. It's a very involved story; it's not called a saga for nothing. It's got three separate main worlds that the saga takes place in, separated by thousands of years AND thousands of light years. But the most compelling thing for me, in the entire saga is the use of a drug called somec. Somec is a drug that allows the people in this society to basically hibernate. The drug is used as a social status symbol. People with a lot of money, power, talent or intelligence are given somec and allowed to use it at high levels, like spending five years sleeping and one year awake. That way, they can live five times longer than they would have otherwise. The ruler, an empress-like woman called Mother, wakes for one day every ten years.
But that's not really the part that interests me. What interests me is that prior to taking the drug, a person's mind is taped into a bubble, and then it is played back into their head when they wake. There's a short story about a woman who was in love with a very powerful man. She had invalid parents who desperately needed her to take care of them. The man she loved wanted to marry her, but she couldn't leave her parents. So he offered to put her on somec until they passed away. He would make sure that they were taken care of, but she wouldn't have to do it herself, and she wouldn't get any older. She was conflicted, but she agreed, so he took her to the place to have her mind taped. But after her mind was taped, and before they gave her the drug, she changed her mind. She couldn't leave her parents. So he took her home and she stayed with her parents. They lived five more years, in which she became reclusive and bitter. After they died, the man returned, and still wanted to marry her. She couldn't do it. She was too unhappy, to bitter, and she couldn't move forward. So, he offered to put her to sleep and then play the old tape back into her head. She wouldn't remember the past five years, so she wouldn't be the bitter, sad person that she was, but he would tell her what had happened, so she could know that she had done the right thing. So, they did that, and they were happy for a short period of time, but slowly, it started happening that she couldn't live with herself. She couldn't remember taking care of her parents, so for her it was like it had never happened. And she couldn't live with that, because it wasn't the decision that SHE would make. It made her crazy to feel as though, and to remember that she had not taken care of her parents, even though she was told that she had. And she couldn't live with remembering having made a decision that isn't the one she would make.
On Dollhouse, there are dolls, or actives, who come in "voluntarily" and have their memories wiped so that they become blank slates. That way, they can be imprinted with different personalities. However, there is a character named Alpha. Before he became an active, he was a criminal. He had kidnapped a woman and had slashed her face with a knife. He would have killed her if he had not gotten caught. After his mind is wiped, when he is in the doll/"blank slate" phase, he slashes the face of another doll.
These two situations have a shared idea behind them. They both suggest that even if our minds can be wiped, our memories erased, and possibly different ones put in, there is still something that makes you you. There are still things that you simply wouldn't do, because of who you are, even if you can't remember why. Or, in Alpha's case, there are still things that you will do, even if you have no memories or personality which should make you want to do them. Neither The Worthing Saga, nor Dollhouse specifically addresses the idea of a soul, but I think that is what they are both implying.
It's also a strong comment on the nature/nurture debate. They both indicate that there is a very strong nature component. I don't think either requires the belief that people's personalities and decisions are 100% due to nature, but it suggests that there are major components of who we are which are ingrained, and removing our memories won't eliminate those. Read more!
The Worthing Saga is one of my favorite books of all time. I've probably read it six or seven times, and every time, I'm surprised at how much I love it every time. It's a very involved story; it's not called a saga for nothing. It's got three separate main worlds that the saga takes place in, separated by thousands of years AND thousands of light years. But the most compelling thing for me, in the entire saga is the use of a drug called somec. Somec is a drug that allows the people in this society to basically hibernate. The drug is used as a social status symbol. People with a lot of money, power, talent or intelligence are given somec and allowed to use it at high levels, like spending five years sleeping and one year awake. That way, they can live five times longer than they would have otherwise. The ruler, an empress-like woman called Mother, wakes for one day every ten years.
But that's not really the part that interests me. What interests me is that prior to taking the drug, a person's mind is taped into a bubble, and then it is played back into their head when they wake. There's a short story about a woman who was in love with a very powerful man. She had invalid parents who desperately needed her to take care of them. The man she loved wanted to marry her, but she couldn't leave her parents. So he offered to put her on somec until they passed away. He would make sure that they were taken care of, but she wouldn't have to do it herself, and she wouldn't get any older. She was conflicted, but she agreed, so he took her to the place to have her mind taped. But after her mind was taped, and before they gave her the drug, she changed her mind. She couldn't leave her parents. So he took her home and she stayed with her parents. They lived five more years, in which she became reclusive and bitter. After they died, the man returned, and still wanted to marry her. She couldn't do it. She was too unhappy, to bitter, and she couldn't move forward. So, he offered to put her to sleep and then play the old tape back into her head. She wouldn't remember the past five years, so she wouldn't be the bitter, sad person that she was, but he would tell her what had happened, so she could know that she had done the right thing. So, they did that, and they were happy for a short period of time, but slowly, it started happening that she couldn't live with herself. She couldn't remember taking care of her parents, so for her it was like it had never happened. And she couldn't live with that, because it wasn't the decision that SHE would make. It made her crazy to feel as though, and to remember that she had not taken care of her parents, even though she was told that she had. And she couldn't live with remembering having made a decision that isn't the one she would make.
On Dollhouse, there are dolls, or actives, who come in "voluntarily" and have their memories wiped so that they become blank slates. That way, they can be imprinted with different personalities. However, there is a character named Alpha. Before he became an active, he was a criminal. He had kidnapped a woman and had slashed her face with a knife. He would have killed her if he had not gotten caught. After his mind is wiped, when he is in the doll/"blank slate" phase, he slashes the face of another doll.
These two situations have a shared idea behind them. They both suggest that even if our minds can be wiped, our memories erased, and possibly different ones put in, there is still something that makes you you. There are still things that you simply wouldn't do, because of who you are, even if you can't remember why. Or, in Alpha's case, there are still things that you will do, even if you have no memories or personality which should make you want to do them. Neither The Worthing Saga, nor Dollhouse specifically addresses the idea of a soul, but I think that is what they are both implying.
It's also a strong comment on the nature/nurture debate. They both indicate that there is a very strong nature component. I don't think either requires the belief that people's personalities and decisions are 100% due to nature, but it suggests that there are major components of who we are which are ingrained, and removing our memories won't eliminate those. Read more!
TV - Lost Season One
Re-watching Lost has been more rewarding than I predicted. I thought it was going to be fun, I didn't realize it was going to be crazy, awesome fun.
I'm already completely invested in the characters, and I know some answers to the mysteries they are questioning right now (so I'm not burdened with that "WTF?!" rage). Most importantly, I don't really remember any of the details of the early seasons, so as I watch, I still get surprised and even sometimes teary-eyed!
After the jump here, I'm going to go on a tremendous rant about Lost. If you feel like nerding-out with me, please, read on!
The outline to the following rant is as follows:
1. Character Analysis
2. Favorite Moments and Episodes
3. Repeated Lines and Their Significance
4. Goofy Theories
1. Character Analysis:
JACK:
Without doubt the most complicated character, for me, is Jack. All of the other characters' redemption stories are a bit more cut and dry, but Jack's is layered and difficult for me to wrap my head around. My best guess is that he needs to accept humility, because obviously pride is a major problem for our "hero." We hear Christian telling Jack he doesn't have what it takes to be a hero because he cannot deal with failure.
However, I think this goes beyond him accepting that failure is sometimes inevitable. I think he is meant to have humility towards his abilities as a human to control his own fate. The Island is haunting Jack with images of his father. One time Jack follows Christian through the jungle and falls of a cliff-edge, only to be saved by Locke. Is Christian being used as a tool to lead Jack to follow Locke (and his Man of Faith philosophies)? Obviously, we see Jack embrace ideas of Destiny and Purpose in Season Five. The big question is: what will be the pay-off for Jack's believing in Fate? (I'm capitalizing like a German here!)
SAYID:
Sayid says an interesting line at the beginning of this season: "Losing hope is a dangerous thing." We see how this philosophy plays out in Season Five when he has lost Nadia and is back on the Island he so desperately wanted to escape. With no hope left in his heart, he shoots a child (albeit a child version of Ben) and signs up for Jack's mission of blowing up a hydrogen bomb to destroy his 1977-day self in favor of granting sweet Island-ignorance to future versions of Sayid.
Sayid is also a major player. First he's trying to bone Kate, and then he moves on to Shannon (INEXPLICABLY: She's the worst!). All while grieving the loss of Nadia?! I get that it's been seven years since he lost track of Nadia, but still: if he was this ready to move on, wouldn't he have a wife or girlfriend on the mainland? What leads him to go on a booty quest only after he crash lands on an Island of mystery?
KATE:
In the very first episode, Jack explains to Kate his Count to Five method of dealing with stress (which we learn in Season Five was actually taught to him by his father, interesting!). Kate responds that if she had been in such an intense situation, she probably would have run. Jack says that she doesn't believe she would have, and that, my friends, is why Kate falls for Jack. He believes the best of her. Whenever Jack treats Kate like the schemer she is (as when he asks her if she poisoned Michael) she gets mega-pissed. But Kate did poison Michael (second-handedly, by giving Sun the idea), so she gets mad at Jack for not believing that she's a person she isn't.
Sawyer, on the other hand, loves Kate for who she really is, not some ideal image of her. (DISCLAIMER: Sawyer is my favorite character and has been from the first time I watched Season One, and although I'm not thrilled about Kate, I want Sawyer to be happy, and if that means being loved by Kate, so be it.)
2. Favorite Moments and Episode
SAWYER AND KATE PLAY "I NEVER": Sawyer doesn't need any mugshot pictures to realize that Kate's a fugitive: he knows that just by looking at her. I think that when it really boils down to who Kate is supposed to be with, it's Sawyer.
CLAIRE CUTS CHARLIE'S HAIR WHILE HE WRITES A SONG: It's called "The Monster Eats the Pilot"!
BACKGAMMON BETWEEN LOCKE AND WALT: "Two players, two sides: light and dark." Finding out what's up with Walt is something I hope gets fleshed out a bit more in Season Six, even though Walt will look like he's 25.
Favorite Episode: Exodus Part One
This episode is such an amazing piece of work. My two favorite parts are when Sawyer tells Jack about his chance encounter with Christian, and of course the entire goodbye scene. Sun and Jin reconciling was sweet enough to bring me to tears! I also loved the shots of Sawyer and Kate looking for each other at various points to attempt a goodbye. But the best is the entire ending scene. We see the raft hit the water successfully, and everyone is happy and sad and scared and hopeful! There's a slow fade, but then OH YEA! BAM! The shot of the smoke billowing up into the sky signifying that the Other's will soon be attacking. SO GOOD.
3. Repeated Lines and Their Significance:
I'M LETTING YOU OFF THE HOOK: Both Rose and Boone tell Jack that they are forgiving him for his broken promises. All part of Jack learning that failure is sometimes inevitable?
DO YOU HAVE MY BACK?: This is how people on Lost as their significant others if they love them. We see Jack ask Kate in this season, and we will see it be a key element to the blossoming of Sawyer and Juliet's romance in Season Five.
DON'T TELL ME WHAT I CAN'T DO: Both Jack and Locke yell this sentence, always wanting to feel empowered and constantly feeling challenged by others. They long for limitless abilities and complete confidence in those abilities by those who surround them.
4. Goofy Theories:
I've got to tell you, I'm starting to think that VINCENT IS JACOB.
IS THE SMOKE MONSTER THE MAN IN BLACK / JACOB / OR SOMETHING ELSE?
The monster certainly doesn't seem happy that the castaways are on his Island, so it seems more likely that it's The Man in Black rather than Jacob.
The monster also revealed itself in some way to Locke. He says that he looked into the eye of the Island and it was beautiful: which makes me think it's plausible that Jacob is the monster.
I feel pretty confident that the monster is under the control of one of these guys, rather than it being an independent-minded spirit or a creation of the Others.
But seriously, Vincent... something's going on there. Read more!
I'm already completely invested in the characters, and I know some answers to the mysteries they are questioning right now (so I'm not burdened with that "WTF?!" rage). Most importantly, I don't really remember any of the details of the early seasons, so as I watch, I still get surprised and even sometimes teary-eyed!
After the jump here, I'm going to go on a tremendous rant about Lost. If you feel like nerding-out with me, please, read on!
The outline to the following rant is as follows:
1. Character Analysis
2. Favorite Moments and Episodes
3. Repeated Lines and Their Significance
4. Goofy Theories
1. Character Analysis:
JACK:
Without doubt the most complicated character, for me, is Jack. All of the other characters' redemption stories are a bit more cut and dry, but Jack's is layered and difficult for me to wrap my head around. My best guess is that he needs to accept humility, because obviously pride is a major problem for our "hero." We hear Christian telling Jack he doesn't have what it takes to be a hero because he cannot deal with failure.
However, I think this goes beyond him accepting that failure is sometimes inevitable. I think he is meant to have humility towards his abilities as a human to control his own fate. The Island is haunting Jack with images of his father. One time Jack follows Christian through the jungle and falls of a cliff-edge, only to be saved by Locke. Is Christian being used as a tool to lead Jack to follow Locke (and his Man of Faith philosophies)? Obviously, we see Jack embrace ideas of Destiny and Purpose in Season Five. The big question is: what will be the pay-off for Jack's believing in Fate? (I'm capitalizing like a German here!)
SAYID:
Sayid says an interesting line at the beginning of this season: "Losing hope is a dangerous thing." We see how this philosophy plays out in Season Five when he has lost Nadia and is back on the Island he so desperately wanted to escape. With no hope left in his heart, he shoots a child (albeit a child version of Ben) and signs up for Jack's mission of blowing up a hydrogen bomb to destroy his 1977-day self in favor of granting sweet Island-ignorance to future versions of Sayid.
Sayid is also a major player. First he's trying to bone Kate, and then he moves on to Shannon (INEXPLICABLY: She's the worst!). All while grieving the loss of Nadia?! I get that it's been seven years since he lost track of Nadia, but still: if he was this ready to move on, wouldn't he have a wife or girlfriend on the mainland? What leads him to go on a booty quest only after he crash lands on an Island of mystery?
KATE:
In the very first episode, Jack explains to Kate his Count to Five method of dealing with stress (which we learn in Season Five was actually taught to him by his father, interesting!). Kate responds that if she had been in such an intense situation, she probably would have run. Jack says that she doesn't believe she would have, and that, my friends, is why Kate falls for Jack. He believes the best of her. Whenever Jack treats Kate like the schemer she is (as when he asks her if she poisoned Michael) she gets mega-pissed. But Kate did poison Michael (second-handedly, by giving Sun the idea), so she gets mad at Jack for not believing that she's a person she isn't.
Sawyer, on the other hand, loves Kate for who she really is, not some ideal image of her. (DISCLAIMER: Sawyer is my favorite character and has been from the first time I watched Season One, and although I'm not thrilled about Kate, I want Sawyer to be happy, and if that means being loved by Kate, so be it.)
2. Favorite Moments and Episode
SAWYER AND KATE PLAY "I NEVER": Sawyer doesn't need any mugshot pictures to realize that Kate's a fugitive: he knows that just by looking at her. I think that when it really boils down to who Kate is supposed to be with, it's Sawyer.
CLAIRE CUTS CHARLIE'S HAIR WHILE HE WRITES A SONG: It's called "The Monster Eats the Pilot"!
BACKGAMMON BETWEEN LOCKE AND WALT: "Two players, two sides: light and dark." Finding out what's up with Walt is something I hope gets fleshed out a bit more in Season Six, even though Walt will look like he's 25.
Favorite Episode: Exodus Part One
This episode is such an amazing piece of work. My two favorite parts are when Sawyer tells Jack about his chance encounter with Christian, and of course the entire goodbye scene. Sun and Jin reconciling was sweet enough to bring me to tears! I also loved the shots of Sawyer and Kate looking for each other at various points to attempt a goodbye. But the best is the entire ending scene. We see the raft hit the water successfully, and everyone is happy and sad and scared and hopeful! There's a slow fade, but then OH YEA! BAM! The shot of the smoke billowing up into the sky signifying that the Other's will soon be attacking. SO GOOD.
3. Repeated Lines and Their Significance:
I'M LETTING YOU OFF THE HOOK: Both Rose and Boone tell Jack that they are forgiving him for his broken promises. All part of Jack learning that failure is sometimes inevitable?
DO YOU HAVE MY BACK?: This is how people on Lost as their significant others if they love them. We see Jack ask Kate in this season, and we will see it be a key element to the blossoming of Sawyer and Juliet's romance in Season Five.
DON'T TELL ME WHAT I CAN'T DO: Both Jack and Locke yell this sentence, always wanting to feel empowered and constantly feeling challenged by others. They long for limitless abilities and complete confidence in those abilities by those who surround them.
4. Goofy Theories:
I've got to tell you, I'm starting to think that VINCENT IS JACOB.
IS THE SMOKE MONSTER THE MAN IN BLACK / JACOB / OR SOMETHING ELSE?
The monster certainly doesn't seem happy that the castaways are on his Island, so it seems more likely that it's The Man in Black rather than Jacob.
The monster also revealed itself in some way to Locke. He says that he looked into the eye of the Island and it was beautiful: which makes me think it's plausible that Jacob is the monster.
I feel pretty confident that the monster is under the control of one of these guys, rather than it being an independent-minded spirit or a creation of the Others.
But seriously, Vincent... something's going on there. Read more!
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