Posted by Mike and johnnysweeptheleg
To paraphrase Flight of the Conchords, “We’re not crying. It’s just been raining … on our face.”
Last night’s episode, “Ji Yeon,” delivered a shocker, as we found out that Jin does not make it off the island alive. In all the frantic deactivation of poison gas, Back to the Future-esque time travel and elaborate reconstruction of crash sites, it’s easy to forget that Lost has always been a show about characters. Real people with real emotions — at least within the context of a fictional series. This season has already given us two near-perfect reminders of that in the emotional phone conversation between Penny and Desmond, and now this episode’s very touching scenes with Sun and Jin. Which made it all the more devastating when we learned of Jin’s fate. Much like with Charlie last season, the writers have done an excellent job of making us most attached to a character just before they kill him off. The difference here is that we really liked Jin before he forgave Sun for her infidelity and promised that he was going to stay with her (which, by the way, was the exact moment we began to suspect that something would happen to ensure that he couldn’t stay with her).
Some other stuff happened, too, so here we go …
johnnysweeptheleg’s Lost In A Moment:
Perhaps the most mystical occurrence yet happened. The island turned Jin from a mafia-like enforcer to a declawed tabby cat this week. All Jin wants to do is talk baby names and the sex of the child. Sun secretly knows the fate of women and their unborn children on this island, so she tells Jin they will wait for a name until they get off the island. And through flash-forwards, we know that Sun does defy the island and with unborn child, is one of the Oceanic 6.
However, Sayid and Desmond are still trapped on the Carnival Cruise from hell. Someone slips a note through their door that reads, “Do you like me? Check yes or no.” Further down, it also says “Don’t Trust The Captain.” Being the drinker that he is, Desmond thinks the Captain in question is Morgan.
This being a heliocentric episode, though, it’s all about Sun. Once Faraday tells her he has no say on whether this is or isn’t a rescue mission, Sun decides it’s time to pack up and move over to Locke’s place for safety. Juliet doesn’t want to see her leave, though, so she tells Jin that Sun had an affair and originally thought the other guy was the father. Jin storms off with Bernard before she has a chance to divulge that after a visit to The Maury Povich Show, she found out that Jin – not her boy toy on the side – is the father. Oh no she di`int.
Meanwhile, Sayid and Desmond finally get to meet the captain, who not only tells them that is this Charles Widmore’s boat, but shows them the black box from Oceanic 815. He tells them about the staged recovery and says it’s one of many reasons they want Benjamin Linus. This leads to Sayid and Desmond’s new room. But there are still fragments of brain on the wall, so “Kevin Johnson” is called in to clean it up and leave a mint on the pillow. They recognize “Kevin” and call him out.
Desmond: “Wait a minute, I know you. You’re Kevin Johnson, you played for the Phoenix Suns.”
Kevin: “I’m sorry, but you must have me confused with someone else. I’m the janitor.”
Desmond: “You are the point guard. I’ve seen you play. My dad’s got season tickets.”
Kevin: “I think you should go back to your room, Desmond. I’m a janitor.”
Desmond: “I think you’re the greatest, but my dad says you didn’t work hard enough on defense. And he says that lots of times, you didn’t even run down the court. And that you didn’t really try … except during the playoffs.”
Kevin: “The hell I didn’t. LISTEN, DESMOND. I’ve been hearing that crap ever since I was at UC-Berkeley. I was out there busting my buns every night. Tell your old man to drag Isiah and Magic up and down the court for 48 minutes.”
Wow, that’s a long way to go for an Airplane joke.
So Kevin Johnson is really Michael, and he’s Ben’s man on the boat. But Sayid and Desmond keep this knowledge quiet. For now.
Finally, the other big reveal is that the whole time, the flash-forward was actually half flash-forward and half flashback. Sun does give birth to a baby girl — named Ji Yeon, as Jin had wanted — off the island in flash-forward, but Jin is not there. Jin’s flashes have been flashbacks, pre-island. Hurley accompanies Sun and daughter to Jin’s grave. Jin’s demise deeply saddens us. And once again, the Lost producers seemingly have killed off another actor busted for suspected drinking and driving.
Questions Answered:
Who’s in control of the freighter? This one is pretty straightforward. It’s Captain Gault. And though he seems pretty straightforward himself and very forthcoming with information, something tells us that Desmond and Sayid would be wise to follow the note’s advice not to trust him.
Who is Ben’s man on the freighter? Michael/Kevin Johnson
Are Desmond and Sayid’s “friend on the boat” and Ben’s “man on the boat” one in the same? It would appear that way. But we’ll find out more next week.
How did the fake Oceanic 815 wreckage end up at the bottom of the ocean? The details are still sketchy but if you believe Gault, Ben is responsible for it.
Why does Abaddon want Ben captured? Well, we know one of the reasons. The fake wreckage site and all that was involved in creating it.
Who are the members of the Oceanic 6? (Confirmed members: Jack, Kate, Hurley, Sayid … and Aaron?) Add Sun to the list. And we suspect that one spot remains open, with Aaron not being a full-fledged member of the group.
What has the Oceanic 6 been lying about? Among others things, the date of Jin’s death apparently. The date on his tombstone matches the date of the Oceanic 815 crash.
New Questions To Be Asked:
Who dies next week in “Meet Kevin Johnson”? (We’re guessing Claire. Or maybe Sawyer.)
How and when does Jin die?
Should we trust Captain Gault?
Assuming Aaron doesn’t count, who is the last member of the Oceanic 6?
Why is Michael working for Ben?
Where is Walt?
If you’ve got questions of your own, send them in and we’ll add them to the list. Check back early next week for a preview of the next episode, “Meet Kevin Johnson.”
Photo: Copyright 2008 ABC, Inc./Art Streiber