Episode 6x10 The Package

Judging from last week's preview of "The Package," I really wasn't looking forward to it that much. Maybe it's because I'm just getting tired of the re-hashing of scenes from past seasons and calling it a preview for the next episode, or maybe it's because it was slated to be a Sun/Jin-centric episode. Now, I like Sun and Jin, I really do. Though this season, it's like they've been thrown aside. Aside from Sun's, "Have you seen my husband?" quote (which she better have mastered by now), both of them have pretty much been on-screen, well...to be on screen. Anyway, I'm pleased to say that I really liked The Package and am glad that the craptastic preview didn't foreshadow an equally craptastic episode.

So starting off, we have Widmore's people using the sub. periscope observing the Losties. A very different start to an episode than usual, but the overall effect was pretty cool. Besides, who doesn't love that green, night vision color?



Flash-sideways
In the flash-sideways, Sun and Jin are at LAX trying to get the confiscated $25,000 back from customs...no luck. Jin says that he already missed the "meeting" at the restaurant and needs to deliver the money and watch immediately.

Once out of the airport and at their hotel, Jin reveals to the clerk that they are not married (a question that rose in the season premiere) and that they have separate rooms. Ironically enough, they are together despite not being married and it seems as if they're covering their bases to make sure that Mr. Paik doesn't find out about their involvement. They talk about eloping using Sun's secret bank funds. Soon after, there's a knock on the door and it's revealed to be Keamy (before he made those "good eggs" and Sayid shot him). He says to Sun that he's expecting the watch and $25,000. Sun gives him the watch, but reveals that the money was taken at the airport. Needing a translator, Keamy summons Mikhail (with TWO eyes!) and says that they'll take Jin to the restaurant, while Mikhail accompanies Sun to the bank to withdraw from her secret account. The bank officer says that the account was closed. Sun is surprised being that she was the only one who knew about it. Upon asking who closed it, it is revealed to be the doings of Mr. Paik, Sun's father, in an effort to keep Jin and Sun apart.



Back at the restaurant, Keamy locks Jin in the freezer in a continuation from "Sundown" and reveals that he was actually hired by Mr. Paik to kill Jin and the $25,000 that Jin was transporting was actually for Keamy for finishing him off. Talk about irony, huh?

When Keamy leaves, the continuation from "Sundown" continues when Sayid finds Jin in the freezer, hands him a razor and leaves him to free himself, neither harming nor helping him.

Later, Mikhail brings Sun to the restaurant and arrives to see Keamy and his men shot, with Jin pointing a gun at his head. They fight and Jin shoots him in the right eye (paralleling with the eye-eyes Mikhail on-Island) and Sun is shown bleeding from her abdomen, showing that one of Mikhail's bullets must have struck her. As Jin carries her off, she reveals that she's pregnant.



At the beach--Flocke's group
On the beach, Flocke decides to make friends with Jin and tell him about the names on the cave ceiling, "Kwon" being one of them. Ironically, Jin already knows about it (take that Flocke!). Interestingly enough, Flocke has more insight to share: they can't leave the Island unless all the names that are not crossed off leave with him. So, why can't they leave unless everyone else comes? What's keeping that from happening? If this is part of "The Rules" that Ben and Widmore have discussed, well, I think I can speak for everyone when I say that some explanation would be fantastic.

Soon after Flocke's friend-making attempts, the Losties are attacked by Widmore's team and shot by tranquilizing darts. (How cool was that seeing all the Losties attacked at once?) Widmore's team and Tina Fey, uh...I mean, Zoe, come in and take Jin, seemingly knowing what they were looking for, and quickly leave the area.



Flocke returns after the attack to find everyone unconscious and attempts to wake up Sayid, his infected buddy. All Sayid can tell him is that they were attacked, but Flocke has a mission for him...he wants him to go over the Hydra Island and take a gun (sounds like infected-Sayid's dream come true).

A confused and less-infected Claire approaches Flocke and asks him if her name was on the cave ceiling. He says it wasn't, but he still needs her and she can come on the plane too. Whether he really needs her or is just saying so to appease her and keep her from going crazy, I guess we'll find out soon enough. (Let me just say this though, Flocke wants to get off the Island pretty bad, right? Okay, where does he plan on going when and if he gets off? Let's see, it's been about...200+ years he's spent on the Island?) Also, Claire asks if Kate's name was on the ceiling (seemingly jealous) but Flocke says that it wasn't either (and if I recall correctly, it wasn't, but the way he said it made it sound like it was on cave ceiling) but he needs her as well.

Flocke and Sayid start to leave for Hydra Island in the outrigger when Sawyer makes a snappy comment about Flocke:

Sawyer: "What do you need a boat for? Can't you just turn into smoke and fly your ass over the water?"
Flocke: "Do you think if I could do that, I would still be on this Island?"

Best line of the night (followed by the one about Hurley and bacon grease). I'm pretty sure alot of fans were thinking the same thing, which made it awesome.

On the Hydra Island, Flocke arrives at the pylons surrounding the area and Widmore's people come out, followed by Widmore himself. Ironically, it seems MIB knows as much about Widmore as Widmore knows about MIB...next to nothing. Flocke states that he recognizes him as Widmore, but not much else. Similarly, Widmore knows that MIB is "obviously not John Locke" and the rest of what he's heard about him was from myth, and other passing-down of stories.

Almost stating his purpose (aside from looking for Jin) Flocke states, "A wise man once said that war is coming to this island. I think it just got here," the wise man referring to Widmore. This is a great statement for two reasons: 1. The "war" that Widmore has been talking about has come up again (in conversation between the two possible "sides"), and 2. This further shows that MIB has access to Locke's memories. It is possible that the longer MIB stays "trapped" in Locke's body, the further he becomes "solidified" as Locke? It's an interesting thought, but I don't think the show will go that route.



The Beach Camp--Ben, Jack, & Co.
Back at the beach camp, Ilana says that Jacob never lied to her and that they'll wait for Richard, as he'll know what to do. Sun goes off from the group and finds her old vegetable garden that she planted back in season one, all of it now overgrown. Jack tries to talk to her and explain that her name was in Jacob's Lighthouse as well, but (strangely similar to Jack's past on-Island self) she doesn't care out being a candidates, their purpose, or destiny. She asks to be left alone and Jack leaves.

While she's alone, Flocke appears to Sun and attempts to persuade her into coming with him by bribing her with a reunion with Jin. Though, she doesn't trust him, as he killed all those people at the Temple, and runs off into the jungle away from him.

Sun runs into a tree and is unconscious when Ben finds her. She wakes up startled and can only speak Korean. They go back to the beach where Jack looks over her and explains that she could have aphasia, the run-in with the tree affecting the language center of her brain. As this is occurring, Ilana smiles as a now-confident Richard and Hurley walk into camp. Richard tells them to back their bags because they're leaving and are going to stop MIB by destroying the Ajira plane. Sun isn't too fond of the idea and rants at Richard in Korean saying that the plane was their only way off the Island and that she hasn't found Jin yet...her only reason for coming back to the Island in the first place and that she is not going with Richard.



Later on it is night and Jack finds Sun alone on the beach. He brings her pen and paper to see if she can still write English even if she cannot speak it and she can. She shares with Jack that she didn't go with Flocke because she didn't trust him and that she does trust Jack. If she goes with the group, Jack promises that he'll help her find Jin and get them both on the plane (but wait, aren't they going to destroy the plane?). Sun takes Jack's hand and agrees to go with him.

Widmore, his people, and his motives
Since being attacked by Widmore’s darts, Jin awakes in a locked room. He finds his way to a large switch, pulls it, and the room darkens as various clips and pictures are projected onto a screen. At this moment, it is revealed that Jin in on Hydra Island and in Room 23. He turns it off and Zoe walks into the room and talks about the Dharma Initiative and the experiments they were conducting. She shows him a map that Dharma used to identify the different pockets of electromagnetic energy on the Island and they seemingly bear his signature (from when he was on-Island in ’77). She looks to Jin to see if he can help her with them but Jin says that he’ll only talk to Wilmore. Ironically, Widmore wants to talk to Jin as well.



Widmore comes in, asks Zoe to get the “package” from the submarine and take it to the infirmary, and talks with Jin. He gives Jin a camera that Widmore found in Sun's luggage from the Ajira plane. The camera has photos of Ji Yeon, whom he has never seen.

If MIB were to get off the Island, Widmore states, “everyone we know and love would simply cease to be.” Revealing his own purpose on the Island, Widmore says he has come to prevent that from happening. With that said, he says that it’s time for Jin to see the “package,” a “who”, not a “what”.

Question time: if Widmore was able to come to the Island now, what was preventing him from it before? The time-jumps from last season? Was he truly unable to find it, or was something else to blame for his inability? One would think he would’ve went to Ms. Hawking for assistance. Speaking of Ms. Hawking, it’d be nice to see her again…hint, hint, Damon and Carlton. Also, how would MIB leaving the Island cause everything to “cease to be?” I have a feeling he means that quite literally.

Near Widmore’s sub, Sayid comes out of the water and notices Zoe pulling someone out of the top of the hatch. They drop the body on the dock and the “package” is revealed to be Desmond. He looks at Sayid for a moment before he is carried away.



Thinking back on it, I really liked this episode (and surprisingly, the flash-sideways). I thought it was refreshing to give Sun and Jin a bit more character development and reassure the audience that the writers aren't done with them yet. Alot of interesting questions were posed and plot devices set into play, as well as the revisiting of a couple older Island locations.

Great episode and I think next week’s will really benefit from what “The Package” has set up for.

Until next time…

Namaste

Episode 6x09 – Ab Aeterno

Finally, the episode that everyone has been waiting for has aired: Richard’s episode. It certainly had a lot to live up to, so…did it? It was certainly an intriguing episode and revisited numerous of the Island characters and mysteries told in linear flashback format, which made for a nice break from the flash-sideways device of this season.

On Island, 2007
In 2007, the newly reunited group of Jack, Ben & Co. sits around the fire while Ilana explains the candidacy of several of the 815 survivors to replace Jacob. They have no idea what to do now, but apparently, even though he says he doesn’t, Richard knows what to do and where to go.
Still distraught from attempting to kill himself with Jack on the Black Rock, he states that it’s time to stop listening to Jacob, leaves the group on the beach, and goes off into the jungle.


Tenerife, Canary Islands –1867
Starting off, Richard is seen attempting to save his ailing wife, Isabelle, by going into town to the doctor. He accidentally kills the doctor, and a servant sees the whole ordeal, eventually leading to Richard’s prison sentence.

Facing death, an officer comes into Richard’s cell and asks him if he speaks English. After some detesting, he gives in, and his life is spared. The officer proclaims that he is now property of Magnus Hanso and will be transported on the Black Rock.

Aboard the ship, a storm is brewing outside causing the ocean waves to grow higher and higher. In the distance, one of the slaves below the ship exclaims that the Island is protected by the Devil, something obviously provoking the odd statement. Soon after, the Black Rock is riding above a massive wave, and crashes into a large statue, revealed to be the source of the slaves exclamations, as well as the now four-toed statue, the statue Taweret.



On the Island, the Black Rock nestled in its familiar place in the jungle, Richard and a few other slaves remain alive. An officer comes down and kills them one by one, as if was only a matter of time before they would turn on him. Richard is left alone, the lone survivor of the Black Rock below deck. Suddenly, the smoke monster sounds are heard and as it comes through the floor grate of the ship, scans Richard, and quickly dissipates. (Hmm…)

Throughout the episode, Richard stumbles upon MIB and chats with him. He eventually tries to convince Richard to go kill Jacob and considers himself a “friend”. Similarly, Jacob thinks MIB is the evil one. Caught in the middle, Richard eventually takes sides with Jacob, assuming the position of his “representative,” watching over those that Jacob brings to the Island. In return, although he cannot grant his wish of bringing his wife back, Jacob grants his wish of immortality, being that he is afraid to die.

When returning to MIB, Richard admits that he didn’t kill Jacob, but the offer that he can always go with MIB still stands.

Later, Jacob joins MIB overlooking the Island and reveals that he knew that he sent Richard to kill him. MIB says that he just wanted to leave the Island, and begs for Jacob to let him go.



According to Jacob, as long as he’s alive, MIB is not leaving the Island, showing that it is Jacob who is keeping him from leaving, keeping the “evil” from spreading out into the world. Because of this, MIB wants to kill Jacob; he just wants to leave the Island and, anyone who replaces Jacob, MIB says he will kill, just as he would Jacob.

Episode & Question Analysis
Overall, I thought Ab Aeterno was a great episode. They certainly had a lot of ground to cover with Richard’s back-story, so I’m thrilled that they realized that they couldn’t fit in present Island time, flashbacks, and flash-sideways and cut out the latter. Besides, it was a nice break from the rather monotonous ratio of 40: 20 alt-timeline-to-present minutes.

I’m glad that a couple mysteries that have been looming over the show for some time have been cleared up: the Black Rock, Richard’s story, how the statue was destroyed, etc. Though, I won’t lie, I thought that the ship, the wooden ship, destroying the statue was a bit of a stretch. In reality, that ship would’ve been smashed to pieces. Then again, this is Lost and I guess anything goes.

Regarding Richard’s story, maybe it was my own perception, but I thought that the episode would cover his entire life on the Island. Leading up to the present, rather than just when he arrives on the Island. That way, I thought that a lot more questions could’ve been answered and just been even more awesome.

Also, it was a nice surprise to finally get to see more expansion of the relationship between Jacob and MIB (especially in his original (?) form). With everything that each of the two has done over the years, I’m starting to form my opinion in stone that MIB isn’t as evil as Jacob sounds. I mean, who’s messed with the free will of everyone? Jacob. Who’s responsible for countless deaths of those brought to the Island? Jacob. Who’s caused false hope among Ben, Richard, Jack, and everyone else? Jacob. He may not be purely innocent, but MIB is definitely not purely evil either…well, unless we’re shown otherwise.

Another interesting bit of information that was made known was that Jacob is keeping MIB on the Island because, somehow, the Island is a “cork” keeping MIB (evil) from leaving. Now, what could MIB have done/been to make him so evil that he’s trapped on an Island and can transform into a mass of black smoke? Hmm…I think I smell a MIB-centric episode in the near future. Well, I hope that’s what I’m smelling.

So, who’s centric episodes are left to go through this season? Jin? Sun? Hurley…? If Darlton is staying true to the S1 format and centricities, then the next episode should be Claire-centric. Maybe it’s wishful thinking again, but I know I’m not the only one who would love to see a Claire episode covering what she’s been doing on the Island, and her interaction with Christian, and where she went when the O6 left the Island.

Next weeks episode is entitled, The Package. Unless it’s a super metaphorical title, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that someone is going to get a package of some kind.

Until next time…

Namaste

Episode 6x06 – Dr. Linus

Well, another episode has come and gone. I don’t think I know what to say about this one. Wait, scratch that. I know exactly what to say, I’m just pretty sure no one’s ‘gonna like it. I normally love Ben-centric episodes (he’s my favorite character, after all), but this one, I feel, missed the mark. Before I get into my opinion though, I’ll recap and share what I thought were some of the (few) positive notes:

The opening of the alt-timeline (I know Darlton doesn’t approve of the word “alternate”, but I’m using it anyway) was certainly interesting and off to a good start. Apparently, Ben is taking care of Roger while he remarks of what their lives would’ve been like if they hadn’t left the Island as well as the Dharma Initiative. This provides some insight into what fans have been pondering since the premiere now: did the Dharma Initiative exist on the submerged, alt-timeline Island? Answer: Yup, it sure did.



Almost immediately after, Alex shows up. Ironically, her last name still remains Rousseau, forcing audience minds to wonder what happened with Rousseau in the alt-timeline and if she still ended up on the Island. One thing’s for sure though, Ben didn’t kidnap this Alex!

As school, Ben remarks of his true caring for the students at the school, while the principal clearly does not. He is hard on himself however, and wonders aloud who would listen to him and his ideas? “I’m listening”, replies a confident-looking Locke, seemingly in a role reversal with him.

Overall in the flash-sideways, Ben is clearly not the manipulative leader that was seen on the Island, but rather a reserved person, looking to better the lives of his students, his father, and himself.

"I Can’t Die…"
For the first time since…well, numerous episodes, Richard appears out of the blue to Jack and Hurley and deceptively leads them to the Black Rock. After taking a couple moments to look around (almost reminiscently) Richard goes for the dynamite exclaiming that he wants to die, but cannot. He explains to Jack that Jacob gave him a gift (presumably not being able to age) and can only die if inflicted by another. There’s where Jack comes in; Richard needs him to light the dynamite to kill him. Why does Richard want to die so badly though. After all, he referred to Jacob as giving him a gift, right?

As Hurley flees, Jack lights the dynamite and confidently exclaims, “Now let’s talk.”

Similar to Ben, it seems as Richard is also feeling a bit used by the Island as well as Jacob, spending years of his life blindly serving without asking questions. He was told that Jacob would later reveal his master plan to him as well as his purpose, but with Jacob’s death, the information was never passed along. Going from the mysterious, confident Richard, to lost and purposeless, he’s desperate.


As the spark grows closer to the stick of dynamite, Jack starts telling Richard of the Lighthouse mirror and seeing his childhood home reflected in it. The new, introspective Jack comes through and reflects that if Jacob went through all the trouble to bring him and the others to the Island and etch their names into the Lighthouse, they’re not going to die now.

As both men sit around the dynamite, digesting each other’s information, the spark fizzles out, leaving them both alive and ready to go to the beach camp, “back to where it all started.”

“Linus killed him.”
Starting off from last episode, Ilana & Co. are fleeing from the Temple, when she holds out a bag of Jacob’s ashes and sternly prompts Miles to find out who killed him.



As Miles looks for the answers Ilana seeks, we find the purpose for the transportation of Jacob’s ashes—for Miles to “contact.” (While they could possibly be used for protection against the MIB, for now, it seems like Ilana just wanted to find out who killed Jacob) Upon finding her answers, she remarks that Jacob was the closest thing that she had to a father. Now, you just don’t go around saying that unless you really mean it. Obviously, there’s some Ilana back story that we haven’t gotten yet (and with the recent absence of flashbacks, I’m wondering if we’ll get it) as well as some interaction with Jacob.

Ben looks at her, digests her comment and further showing his recent lack of knowledge, remains stunned.

"There are only six left."
Well, it seems as if Sun had been bumped down to a secondary character now; it’d be nice for her to get some dialogue aside from a line or two each week. What happened to that ass-kicking Sun from last season, anyway? Is she as dead as Locke? I hope not.

Regardless, she has an interesting little conversation with Ilana (little being the keyword) where Ilana explains that she’s not sure whether she’s supposed to protect Sun or Jin, being that both persons share the digit, 42 on the Lighthouse wheel and Jacob’s cave ceiling (but Sun doesn’t know that, of course). We do find out however, that these “Candidates” are in the running for what else but to replace Jacob. Wait a minute here; let’s go over some key questions:

1. If Jacob told Ilana that the "Candidates" needed protecting, combined with the knowledge that one of them will replace Jacob, why didn't Ilana and Bram take extra precautions to protect Jacob in the first place?

2. Why do the Candidates need protecting?

3. Do Candidates have a choice in being a replacement? What makes them qualified?

4. What if all the Candidates do die? What happens to the position of Jacob’s replacement



Just a couple interesting, yet integral questions that need to be addressed. #4 really has got be boggled though. If MIB is correct, than the Island is just an Island and doesn’t need protecting. Contrastingly, Jacob feels that the Island does need protection. But from what? Like I’ve said before, until otherwise shown, I’m going with the logical answer of MIB: the Island is safe.

“The Island still got you in the end.”
On reminiscing about Oceanic 815 crashing, Frank admits that he was supposed to fly the plane, but overslept that day. Ben remarks that either way, the Island got him.

Is fate at work here, or Jacob’s manipulative nature interfering even beyond the grave? I guess we’ll fin out in the upcoming episodes (I hope).

“I’ll have you.”
Continuing digging his own grave, Ben hears the infamous mix of natural and mechanical sounds, usually preceding the smoke monster. On cue, MIB shows up and greets Ben. He states that he has a group of people (the remaining Temple folk from last week) ready to leave the Island for good and that they’re over on the Hydra Island. Once they’re gone, he plays on Ben’s emotions saying that he can think of no one else better fit to run the Island other than Ben. Now, does this sound like the jungle-stomping, Temple-killing smoke monster that we know? Of course not. Something’s going on here, and it seems like Ben may unfortunately fall into the palm of MIB’s hand. Not this episode maybe, but possibly in the future.

With Ben freed by MIB, he makes a run for it, going for the rifle that MIB left for him and aims it at Ilana, suggesting for her to drop her weapon. Obviously under high emotional stress, Ilana asks what Ben’s waiting for, almost begging to be shot.



Ben explains that he knows what’s Ilana is feeling (the death of Jacob) because he watched his daughter die, caused by him and his service to the Island and Jacob. He continues by saying that he sacrificed everything for Jacob, and "He didn't even care." By stabbing Jacob, he felt that whatever remained of his power could somehow be saved. The only thing that mattered, however, was already gone: Alex.

Ben states that he’s going to go after ‘Locke’ because “he is the only one who will have me." Ilana considerably upset and moved, manages, "I'll have you.” With that said, she heads for the beach and Ben follows.

Reunion
On the beach, Ben helps Sun with her tent and around the corner comes Jack, Hurley, and Richard, the formers seeing Sun for the first time since disappearing off of Ajira 316. It’s a joyous moment for them although Ben and Richard are without anyone to greet them, both feeling used and let down by the Island, and in so, Jacob.

“Proceed as planned.”
From the water, a submarine periscope emerges and views the group of people on the beach. As the person directing the sub. Asks if they should stop due to the people occupying the beach, a mysterious, yet familiar voice in the background is heard: “No. Proceed as planned". As the camera pans around, the voice is revealed to be belonging to Charles Widmore, the person who “is coming to the Island” according to Jacob…or is it? Could someone else be coming to the Island as well?



My Thoughts
Recently, I’ve discovered that people either loved or hated this episode. I for one, wasn’t a big fan. It's a shame because Ben (and Locke) is my favorite character and I always look forward to his episodes, but I feel like it was seriously lacking something. It felt a bit...incomplete. And rushed. Though, I did like the reappearance of Richard and the whole Black Rock scene as well as Ben's redemption/dialogue with Ilana

I think my problem with these episodes is the narrative structuring (i.e. flash-sideways). Plain and simple: until Darlton gives me reason to think otherwise, I couldn't care less what happens in the alt-timeline. I miss the flashbacks and flash-forwards, you know, where the story actually progressed?

With the season more than 1/3 over, I feel like we need to start getting some answers tossed our way, but all we get is a 5:1 question to answer ratio. I'm not digging it.

Another thing I’m not too fond of: the whole Jacob vs. Man in Black tangent that this season has broken in to. Wait, let me clarify, I like it, but I feel like everything else is revolving around it instead of the other way around. There are so many other questions and plot lines that need to be resolved that I just don’t want to see MIB vs. Jacob every week.

Maybe it's the ABC marketing department I'm enraged at for saying crap like, "the time for answers is now!" and "the next episode is so secret that we're only showing you 3 seconds of it!" Or maybe Darlton? Nah, not Darlton. Never Darlton.

I'm just fed up with the alt-timeline time-waster (yup, I said it) and want the story to move along. With 1 hr. runtime, minus 15 minutes for commercials, minus the flash-sideways time, we're looking about 20-25 minutes actually on-Island in the present. In my opinion, that's nowhere near the time needed each week to tell the story.

Just my two cents. Do I sound bitter? Maybe I need to watch this episode over again, but for now, it’s not my favorite this season.

Until next time...

Namaste