Yet another episode full of wheel-spinning. I am still confident they can pull off the finale and that it will be an epically great bookend to the first season.
Oh, and the campfire scene was way too rushed. After Jacob gave them the option to volunteer to be the Island-keeper, in typical Lost fashion, no one actually, you know, TALKED to each other about any motivations or deeper meaning behind making a choice. Just a couple of Meaningful Glances and Jack hops up like an eager bunny. Shamefully superficial.
@1 Uh, they actually finally have a successor. Widmore. Ben! Ultimate plan of Smocke revealed!
@Humphrey They died to lead toward the succession of Jacob's role, that he took from his adoptive mother, who probably took it from someone before her--the island dates back to at least early Egyptian times.
You heard it here first: Island Jack, Richard, Ben, Smokey/Smocke dead. Hurley takes the final role as successor, with Island Sawyer as his Richard. LA Kate dead. A variety of characters will have to choose which world to live in when they all finally go to the heart of the island.
Ben: LAverse
Jack: LAverse (and Juliet will be his baby mama, who will choose the LAverse to not die, losing Sawyer)
Kate: Islandverse
Sun & Jin: LAverse
Sayid: LAverse, to take his chances of being with Nadia
Pretty much everyone else dead: The one they're not dead in, but Rose & Bernard will stay on the island to live out their lives.
Miles: will retire to Cabo to sip beers on the beach and live off Paulo & Nikki's diamonds.
I predict Jack will have a quick reign as island protector, and he'll die by being stabbed or shot in the neck... Because there's got to be a reason they keep showing him looking at that patch on his neck.
I'm wondering if that was it for Richard - all that build up, and he dies in a bad CGI smoke monster attack? Kind of a cop-out.
I'm also liking Hurley for sole survivor. The island chose him early on, and he's just crazy enough to take the gig. Kate can't take care of someone's stolen baby, much less an island. Jack was supposed to die in the first episode, and it's never too late to fix that issue. Sawyer could make a most excellent smoke monster. He's pissed off, wants off the island, and not the brightest - throw him down the hole.
In the end, as I predicted way way back, it will be Jack and John sitting on a beach, and John will turn to Jack and say "You know I hate you, don't you?"
1) They died because MIB and his bro's mom was a murdering bitch.
3) Nope, no idea on how Des will do that. But it will be awesome, brother.
7) Jack is the chosen one. Sucks to be you.
9) What did you think of this episode? It was ok, but I'm waiting to watch Jin in Hawaii 5-0 and the return of William Shatner, personally. Oh and that ABC jungle series looks cool.
i don't think Richard is dead...it has to be harder than that to kill someone who is seemingly immortal...even if his "protector" (Jacob) is dead.
I liked this episode...the campfire/initiation scene WAS rushed but any episode with Michael Emerson back to his most Ben-tastic ways, is a-ok in my book...and thank Ben for killing that stupid twat Zoe! Gawd, I hated her...
I also had a problem with Jack's "just like that" decision, although when you factor in how his character and experience has evolved over the whole show, it makes more sense.
LAverse Desmond is creeping me out. Do you think he's rounding everyone up to get them back on a plane, or just have a group mind-grope that will kill off their alternate reality?
Hurley, for sure. He's the only unambiguously good guy on the show. Unless Smokey actually does destroy the island, which won't happen. Maybe Ben will be the new Smokey. Sawyer is a good pick, but I keep thinking Abrams is actually gonna float the Sawyer/Miles cop show - it's right up his alley and there is NO WAY abc isn't after his ass for a spinoff. "Cop... OR CONMAN? Sleuth... OR PSYCHIC? Tune in next season to THE GRIFT WHISPERER!"
@10 you may be on to something with the sib-stuff, but that would mean it's Jack and Claire. Which actually sounds fairly convincing, I mean, look at the casting, back story, etc.
Nice to see I'm not the only one who thinks Hurley will end up as Jacob's successor. I've been saying it for most of this season. One more piece of evidence: Jorge Garcia was the very first actor they cast at the beginning of the show. I think they've always had him in mind for this. Could they maybe, somehow, bring back Libby to keep him company on the island for eternity? Probably too much to ask.
Even if Hurley's not the one, there's no way it will end up being Jack. His leaping up to volunteer was just too simple and pat. Nothing on Lost is ever that straightforward.
The most mind-bending possibility as the next Jacob? Ben. But could they come up with a turn-about convincing enough to make us believe he's changed and become that selfless and trustworthy? Or is his seeming to go back to being actively uber-evil last night just a setup, lulling UnLocke into trusting him so he can thwart and/or destroy him in the end?
Maybe the Jack being willing to jump right into the Jacob role was rushed to get that out of the way because it won't mater -- maybe there is ultimately is no successor to Jacob, because the Island is destroyed in Sunday's finale.
We already saw the wreckage of the Island in the season premiere on the seafloor, and the lives of the series' characters unspooling as they might have without the meddling over the years of poor, simpleminded Jacob, raised by a crazy witch and given too much power to play games with with people's lives everywhere, including his twin brother that he murdered and then inadvertently condemned to a horrific twilight half-life trapped on the Island.
Alternately, maybe the alternate timeline is a sort of Last Temptation of Jacob's people by his Nemesis, destined to be undone by Widmore's failsafe Plan B, Desmond, who is awake in the dream.
If the light goes out, humanity dies, so it's worth a few hundred deaths from Jacob's perspective to find an appropriate successor.
Jack won't be so cavalier with people's lives if he chooses to bring them to the island.
I think that the light is the 'specialness' that everyone from the Man in Black to Walt to John Locke. Mother from the last episode said a little of the light is in everyone, but taking all of it, or more than you are allotted is a bad thing.
A lot of the questions I see out there stem from paying the same amount of attention to Lost as one would to Two and a Half Men.
@1 if you thought last nights Lost was wheel spinning, you either didn't watch the same episode I did, or 'wheel spinning' to you means elegantly answering long term questions, providing dozens of brilliant character moments, and advancing the plot in half a dozen ways. It was a fucking fantastic episode last night.
Maybe the light at the heart of The Island is the Wormhole, and Benjamin Sisko will come back in time after he has communed with the Prophets to become the final protector of the island.
First, didn't anyone else find the "take this and drink" lame even for LOST?
I agree all that campfire stuff was too rushed.
LIKE: @3 and @18
My first guess was for Hurley to be the real "Chosen One". But I don't think Hurley can be ruthless enough to protect the Light.
It isn't goodness that can protect the light, it's someone who can play a game of strategy - as Jacob kept in touch with his brother despite his mother's wishes - playing that game Mom gave them. Someone who can manipulate people. Mom was not a good person, so that is not a requisite.
I think Ben is stringing Locke/Smokie along. Like evil bro, Ben has suffered the most disillusionment and cynical manipulation by his "gods", only to be tossed away as a candidate for protector of the island. Ironically, Ben, the Judas, has always wanted to stay.
Jack can be more ruthless than Hurley, but Sawyer as the light's protector has a more delicious irony than Jack.
So I'm guessing it will be Ben and Sawyer as the two left on the island. Or Ben and Smokie/Sawyer?
I think all the island castaways have always been Jacob's and Smokie's imaginary playmates, (We arrrre everybody). Once each entity (or the Light) decides on who the best incarnations of the evil/good duality is, the other island versions will disappear, leaving their real LA counterparts to live their lives more or less oblivious to the island links.
At least until somebody decides a sequel has legs.
***
Random Plot Elements I find especially intriguing:
Momās clothing looks vaguely Egyptian or Middle Eastern peasant, but Iām no fashion historian expert. One surmises she was a shipwreck survivor. She doesnāt take the pregnant woman as a companion, but kills her and takes her babies. She must have planned that as soon as she saw the woman was pregnant. She could control the children easier than an adult.
Mom kills the villagers and destroys their mine. Who built the wheel that moves the island thru time? Is the wheel some kind of prod of the light that irritates it so it does the time travel thing to remove the irritation? How does that ultra-magnetism relate to the light? And why donāt any babies conceived on the island survive? Is it because Smokie kept trying to take them over so he can use them to get off the island? Did Jacob save Aaron?
So what is Smokie/Lockeās real plan now to get off the island? Apparently it can only project an image of a dead person. Does it think destroying the island will set it free?
The Trinities: Female Keeper of the Light and the two boys. Jacob, Un-named Bro/Smokie. If Smokie canāt be destroyed then he/it will always be the Evil Being on the island. If so, will he keep Lockeās image or use someone elseās?
Very interesting that it was the True Believerās image Smokie assumed. What other dead castaway would have been able to influence the others as much? If Ben killed Locke so Smokie could take the image,
Jacob let all those Others and Dharma folk live there for a long time. Jacob is less ruthless than āMomā? More likely, he liked the entertainment and realized he needed to be more aware of the outer world to protect the island. But he did bring one pregnant woman to the island. Presumably Aaron was the main candidate.
All those agents out in the āreal world,ā werenāt just working for Jacob.
āMomā had two options for her replacement. Jacob opted for a lot more candidates. Was Ben the candidate at some point in time until he got fooled by Smokie and turned to much to the dark side?
Un-named brother only goes really bad because he is trapped by the need to keep the island a secret from the rest of the world. Jacobās evil began when he killed his Brother. Glad they didnāt name them Cain and Able
@Humphrey They died to lead toward the succession of Jacob's role, that he took from his adoptive mother, who probably took it from someone before her--the island dates back to at least early Egyptian times.
You heard it here first: Island Jack, Richard, Ben, Smokey/Smocke dead. Hurley takes the final role as successor, with Island Sawyer as his Richard. LA Kate dead. A variety of characters will have to choose which world to live in when they all finally go to the heart of the island.
Ben: LAverse
Jack: LAverse (and Juliet will be his baby mama, who will choose the LAverse to not die, losing Sawyer)
Kate: Islandverse
Sun & Jin: LAverse
Sayid: LAverse, to take his chances of being with Nadia
Pretty much everyone else dead: The one they're not dead in, but Rose & Bernard will stay on the island to live out their lives.
Miles: will retire to Cabo to sip beers on the beach and live off Paulo & Nikki's diamonds.
So yes, they have a successor, but, so what? Jack vs. Locke, I get it. But something about the whole "ceremony" felt...off...for some reason.
I'm also liking Hurley for sole survivor. The island chose him early on, and he's just crazy enough to take the gig. Kate can't take care of someone's stolen baby, much less an island. Jack was supposed to die in the first episode, and it's never too late to fix that issue. Sawyer could make a most excellent smoke monster. He's pissed off, wants off the island, and not the brightest - throw him down the hole.
1) They died because MIB and his bro's mom was a murdering bitch.
3) Nope, no idea on how Des will do that. But it will be awesome, brother.
7) Jack is the chosen one. Sucks to be you.
9) What did you think of this episode? It was ok, but I'm waiting to watch Jin in Hawaii 5-0 and the return of William Shatner, personally. Oh and that ABC jungle series looks cool.
I liked this episode...the campfire/initiation scene WAS rushed but any episode with Michael Emerson back to his most Ben-tastic ways, is a-ok in my book...and thank Ben for killing that stupid twat Zoe! Gawd, I hated her...
LAverse Desmond is creeping me out. Do you think he's rounding everyone up to get them back on a plane, or just have a group mind-grope that will kill off their alternate reality?
Even if Hurley's not the one, there's no way it will end up being Jack. His leaping up to volunteer was just too simple and pat. Nothing on Lost is ever that straightforward.
The most mind-bending possibility as the next Jacob? Ben. But could they come up with a turn-about convincing enough to make us believe he's changed and become that selfless and trustworthy? Or is his seeming to go back to being actively uber-evil last night just a setup, lulling UnLocke into trusting him so he can thwart and/or destroy him in the end?
And Richard isn't dead, any more than Lapidus is.
We already saw the wreckage of the Island in the season premiere on the seafloor, and the lives of the series' characters unspooling as they might have without the meddling over the years of poor, simpleminded Jacob, raised by a crazy witch and given too much power to play games with with people's lives everywhere, including his twin brother that he murdered and then inadvertently condemned to a horrific twilight half-life trapped on the Island.
Alternately, maybe the alternate timeline is a sort of Last Temptation of Jacob's people by his Nemesis, destined to be undone by Widmore's failsafe Plan B, Desmond, who is awake in the dream.
Or something else.
Jack won't be so cavalier with people's lives if he chooses to bring them to the island.
I think that the light is the 'specialness' that everyone from the Man in Black to Walt to John Locke. Mother from the last episode said a little of the light is in everyone, but taking all of it, or more than you are allotted is a bad thing.
A lot of the questions I see out there stem from paying the same amount of attention to Lost as one would to Two and a Half Men.
I wish I had friends that would send me a Lost party invite like this one:
http://i.imgur.com/weWC7.jpg
First, didn't anyone else find the "take this and drink" lame even for LOST?
I agree all that campfire stuff was too rushed.
LIKE: @3 and @18
My first guess was for Hurley to be the real "Chosen One". But I don't think Hurley can be ruthless enough to protect the Light.
It isn't goodness that can protect the light, it's someone who can play a game of strategy - as Jacob kept in touch with his brother despite his mother's wishes - playing that game Mom gave them. Someone who can manipulate people. Mom was not a good person, so that is not a requisite.
I think Ben is stringing Locke/Smokie along. Like evil bro, Ben has suffered the most disillusionment and cynical manipulation by his "gods", only to be tossed away as a candidate for protector of the island. Ironically, Ben, the Judas, has always wanted to stay.
Jack can be more ruthless than Hurley, but Sawyer as the light's protector has a more delicious irony than Jack.
So I'm guessing it will be Ben and Sawyer as the two left on the island. Or Ben and Smokie/Sawyer?
I think all the island castaways have always been Jacob's and Smokie's imaginary playmates, (We arrrre everybody). Once each entity (or the Light) decides on who the best incarnations of the evil/good duality is, the other island versions will disappear, leaving their real LA counterparts to live their lives more or less oblivious to the island links.
At least until somebody decides a sequel has legs.
***
Random Plot Elements I find especially intriguing:
Momās clothing looks vaguely Egyptian or Middle Eastern peasant, but Iām no fashion historian expert. One surmises she was a shipwreck survivor. She doesnāt take the pregnant woman as a companion, but kills her and takes her babies. She must have planned that as soon as she saw the woman was pregnant. She could control the children easier than an adult.
Mom kills the villagers and destroys their mine. Who built the wheel that moves the island thru time? Is the wheel some kind of prod of the light that irritates it so it does the time travel thing to remove the irritation? How does that ultra-magnetism relate to the light? And why donāt any babies conceived on the island survive? Is it because Smokie kept trying to take them over so he can use them to get off the island? Did Jacob save Aaron?
So what is Smokie/Lockeās real plan now to get off the island? Apparently it can only project an image of a dead person. Does it think destroying the island will set it free?
The Trinities: Female Keeper of the Light and the two boys. Jacob, Un-named Bro/Smokie. If Smokie canāt be destroyed then he/it will always be the Evil Being on the island. If so, will he keep Lockeās image or use someone elseās?
Very interesting that it was the True Believerās image Smokie assumed. What other dead castaway would have been able to influence the others as much? If Ben killed Locke so Smokie could take the image,
Jacob let all those Others and Dharma folk live there for a long time. Jacob is less ruthless than āMomā? More likely, he liked the entertainment and realized he needed to be more aware of the outer world to protect the island. But he did bring one pregnant woman to the island. Presumably Aaron was the main candidate.
All those agents out in the āreal world,ā werenāt just working for Jacob.
āMomā had two options for her replacement. Jacob opted for a lot more candidates. Was Ben the candidate at some point in time until he got fooled by Smokie and turned to much to the dark side?
Un-named brother only goes really bad because he is trapped by the need to keep the island a secret from the rest of the world. Jacobās evil began when he killed his Brother. Glad they didnāt name them Cain and Able
OK thatās enough.