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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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?
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
No comments:
Post a Comment