Posted by Mike and johnnysweeptheleg
One week Bernard knows Morse code. The next Charlotte speaks Korean. Is it too much to ask that next week someone uncovers a secret in Pig Latin? This episode seemed to deal with some pretty big issues that will likely be at the forefront during the last few episodes of the season. Some new characters, and some previously minor characters, seem poised to play a pretty big role in the overall story arc, which is a sign that this has been a good season, particularly for an abbreviated one. Just think, if Miles had been around from the beginning of the series, we might know a lot more about what is going on. He solved the Rousseau/Karl murder mystery faster than Scooby-Doo and the gang ever could — and without yanking off a single rubber mask. But we digress …
johnnysweeptheleg’s Lost In A Moment:
Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed last night’s episode. But, OMG, it was totally written by a high-school girl!
We have Juliet gabbing to Kate that Jack kissed her. But get this — he only did it to prove he loved someone else! Squeal! Oh, and while hiking for surgical utensils, Jin asks Sun if she thinks Charlotte knows that Faraday is crushing on her. And even though he was speaking Korean, Charlotte — who totally resembles Eric Stoltz in Mask sometimes — not only understood him, but she smiled! Awww. Girlfriend’s so gonna ask Faraday to the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance now!
The vast majority of the episode is Jack-centric. Between bouts of passing out and getting ready to have his appendix explode, we get flash-forwards of Jack, Kate and Aaron playing house. Jack seems to be well on his way to living the perfect existence; one that I thought only existed in Bob Ross’ universe of happy little trees. That all comes crumbling, however, once Jack visits Future Hurley, who has become Debbie Downer.
Hurley no longer takes his meds and theorizes the Oceanic 6 are all dead. Evidently, Hurley has been reading the Lost boards too much on the Internet. He used to be happy. But then Charlie began visiting him and passing messages that he wanted Hurley to give to Jack. See? Note passing. So high school. Charlie’s message to Jack is,“You’re not supposed to raise him.” Hurley warns Jack that he will be getting a visitor soon as well.
This sounds like the kind of discussion a mother would have with her pre-pubescent daughter. Jack stomps off and in an act of teenage rebellion, decides to propose to Kate, despite warnings to the contrary. She says yes, and just the thought of living with Kate and Aaron seems to drive Jack’s pill addictions to the next level. A visit from his dead father prompts Jack to solicit a scrip from another doctor. And overhearing a secretive Kate on the telephone drives Jack to the bottle. After seeing the pill popping, multiple empty booze bottles, and an admission from Kate that she’s fulfilling a promise to Sawyer, we can see this is the beginning of Jack’s complete and utter path of self-destruction to come.
We do get closer to having more of our questions, answered, though. The Oceanic 6 may be the only ones to make it off the island, but they aren’t the only ones still alive in the future. And by episode’s end, we get an inkling of why Aaron and Sun get off the island, but Claire and Jin do not. Claire has decided to go hang out with her (and Jack’s!) dead father in the middle of the jungle, sans Aaron. Must be a “21 and Older” club. And Jin, now totally hanging at the cool kids table since he and Charlotte both speak Korean, has told Charlotte she needs to get Sun a seat on the helicopter back. Or he’ll break each of Faraday’s fingers, one by one.
These crazy kids. Whatever happened to meeting at Fireman’s Park after school for good old fashioned fisticuffs?
Questions Answered
What’s wrong with Jack? He’s got a nasty case of appendicitis — which is odd, as Rose notes, considering people don’t get sick on the island; they get better. Perhaps someone or something is trying to keep Jack from leaving? Jacob, we’re looking in your direction.
How and when does Jin die? After last night’s episode, we’re not 100 percent sure that he does. We’re at about 85 percent right now.
Why doesn’t Jack want to see Aaron off the island? Well, apparently this is something he’s gone back and forth on himself. Last night’s episode seems to indicate that it’s got something to do with the message from Charlie — or, to a lesser degree, something to do with Sawyer, who has suddenly taken on the big brother role with Claire that rightfully belongs to Jack.
(This one comes courtesy of Abaddon) “Are they still alive?” (Oh yeah, and who are “they”?) If they refers to the other survivors, the answer would seem to be — at least in Sawyer’s case — yes.
When Kate meets Jack at the airport and tells him, “He’s going to be wondering where I am,” who is “he”? At this point, it’s probably safe to say it was Aaron, since Jack seems to be the only other “he” in her life off the island.
Is Christian Shephard really dead or not? (And was that him in Jacob’s cabin?) We’d say yes and yes, especially considering that next week’s episode is titled “Cabin Fever.”
New Questions To Be Asked
Where is Claire? (We know the answer but won’t spoil it. It’s pretty obvious though.)
What is Kate doing for Sawyer? (We’re guessing it has something to do with his daughter.)
Why did Sawyer decide to stay on the island?
What does Christian Shephard want from Jack and Claire?
Why was Claire willing to leave Aaron behind?
If you’ve got questions of your own, send them in and we’ll add them to the list. Check back Monday for a preview of the next episode of Lost,“Cabin Fever.”
Photo: Copyright 2008 ABC, Inc./Mario Perez