LOST Recap: Season 5, Episode 3: “Jughead”

Before I get to breaking down the episode, let me just quickly comment on the installment on an overall basis.  While the first two episodes were “decent” with respect to LOST fare, I thought last night’s show was absolutely fantastic.  The episode reminded me why I fell so much in love with this show in the first place.  Great character interaction, high quality acting, a strong, forward-moving narrative, and of course, a few little twists to make things fun an interesting.  Yes, LOST is indeed back, and I couldn’t be happier!

“Are you the doctor?”

This one really seemed to come out of nowhere.  Of course, I know that LOST is known for surprising us by changing things we thought we knew, but showing Desmond and Penny in the first two episodes but not their child definitely made his appearance even more of a surprise than usual.

Head fake!

Not sure if any of you really fell for this one, but as Desmond told his son to look ahead at “the island”, I’m sure it at least briefly crossed your mind that they weren’t heading to Great Britain.  Oh, those sneaky writers!

Uh, watch out for the trip wire…

Pretty crazy sequence with the explosives taking out a couple of passengers…one of which flew sideways through the air before going down for the count.  Glad to see the stunt folks having a little fun.

“Promise me you’ll never go back to that island again.”

Note Desmond’s vague answer in which he really doesn’t commit to Penny’s request.  It’s not as if I’m expecting that his journey will take him back there, but I’m also not ruling it out.  Especially once we realize where Faraday’s mother is supposedly located.

“We didn’t put them here, you did.”

After watching this scene a couple of times, I’m still unsure what to make of it.  Is Ellie suggesting that Faraday himself (and/or his friends) set the land mines that they ran into?  That they’ve seen them before and that she knows what they did?  Her line, “you just couldn’t stay away, could you?” would suggest that. After seeing this scene, I expected that at some point in a future episode, we’d see Faraday and team traveling to a past date even further back than this one.  I still hope that this is the case, but now I’m not sure if Ellie says what she says because she (at least at the time) thinks that Faraday and team are part of the US military.  There are clues that point to both answers, and I’m still on the fence, so I’ll leave it up to you to make your own conclusions.

Latin, the official language of the Others

Is it possible to be both funny and cool at the same time?  It’s nice to see that the Others have a “secret handshake”, but the way Juliet claimed it so nonchalantly was quite amusing.  It left me to wonder though…didn’t Ms. Klugh and Patchy chat with each other in Russian?  Why wouldn’t they revert back to Latin?  Or are the Others actually multi-lingual?

Meanwhile, back at camp…

Richard appears once again as a member, or even quasi-leader, of the Others.  And he’s still looking like the same old Richard.  He’s like the Dick Clark of the Others, hasn’t aged a day since we first saw him.  But seriously, even as much as 50 years back, this guy looks like he’s the same age.  I originally thought he looked the same because he time traveled everywhere he went.  But his stay at the Others camp in this episode certainly does not appear to be a brief visit.  No, I’m convinced now more than ever that Mr. Alpert is indeed aging at an incredibly decelerated rate.  No, I have no idea how he’s doing it, but I’m convinced that his trick is not one of time travel.

“What’s your name?”

Uh no, what’s *your* name?  Lovely little chuckles interspersed here and there this episode, and the look on Miles’ face when Faraday snapped back at Richard was priceless.  Of course, it’s just enough to throw you off the scent of what’s really happening here.  Faraday is going through a lot of trouble to not give away his identity while at the camp.  But more on why he’s doing that in a bit.

“Could be 5 minutes, could be 5,000 years”

Seriously folks, if you didn’t enjoy the humor in this one, then there’s no hope.  Really fun dialogue in this episode, which did nothing but add an extra notch to what was already a stellar installment.

“You come to this island to run your tests and you expect us not to defend ourselves?”

An obvious nod to the Dharma/Others war here, but the principals are still not overly clear.  Richard is clearly an Other from the start, but where did he come from?  And how did Ellie and “Jones” get to be a part of it?  Plus, is the US military the pre-cursor to the Dharma initiative?  Or are they one in the same?  While the picture is starting to come into focus, it’s certainly still not 100% clear.

“He’s one of my people”

Not that he would have been able to shoot and kill “Jones”, but Locke’s line here is an interesting insight into how he’s thinking right now.  His confidence has fully returned, and he knows he’s on a mission.  He’s the leader of the Others, he’s got clarity of purpose, and he’s clearly a man to be reckoned with right now. 

On Faraday, Theresa, and Widmore

Well here’s a scene that’s jam-packed with little nuggets of knowledge.  First of all, it looks like Faraday had an up-close and personal experience with what happens when someone can’t find their constant.  But poor Theresa, she wasn’t given a final sentence of death like the majority of the freighter people from last season.  She’s stuck in the temporal abyss, moving back and forth through time endlessly.

Of course, this explains why Faraday is so consumed with what’s happened to Charlotte.  He’s already responsible for ruining someone’s life (maybe a lover?), and he’s bound and determined not to have it happen again.  Of course, he may have no control over the situation.

The last thing we learn in this scene is that Widmore has been funding Faraday’s experiments all along.  Everyone’s random ties to each other continue to be exposed on the show.  Or is it random?  Actually, I don’ think so.  But more on that in a bit.

“Good luck with that…I’m going to finish my conversation with Richard.”

Like I said, don’t mess with Locke.  He’s got clarity of purpose right now, and doesn’t have time for silly things like saving Faraday from a rogue Other.  It’s up to Sawyer and Juliet to leave Crazy Town and take care of that.

“…you look so much like someone I used to know”

OK, here’s the moment that pushes all of the clues over the top.  Of course, it only makes real sense after the identity of “Jones” is revealed, but since I’m assuming you’ve already seen the episode, I’m sure it’s an easy enough extrapolation.

So here’s the deal: with the revelation of Theresa and her sickness in this episode, it’s easy to believe that Faraday’s comment to Ellie is in reference to what happened with Theresa.  But LOST is known for its misdirection, right?  So allow yourself for just a minute to think that it’s *not* about Theresa.  What else could he be talking about?  Well, couple this behavior with him being very careful about not revealing his name, the idea that a young Charles Widmore is on the island (who funds Faraday’s work in the future–why would that be?), and you might just come to the conclusion that…Ellie is actually Faraday’s mom.  Who, in fact, is Ms. Hawking, the woman currently working with Ben, and who Desmond had met previously in one of his flashes.  And you thought “Jones” getting revealed as a young Charles Widmore was the big sccop in this episode!

Jughead

Ah yes, *that’s* why they named the episode Jughead!  I was waiting for something that was indicative of the title, and then BOOM, there it is!

“Do you people have any access to lead or concrete?”

OK, so here’s something far-fetched and not fully fleshed out, but I’m going for it anyway.  The only place on the island where we’ve seen massive amounts of concrete is…the Swan station.  Is it at all possible that the location the Others decided to bury the bomb was at the hatch?  Could pressing the button every 108 minutes be keeping the bomb inert?  I do realize that if that magnitude of a bomb went off, it would leave a much larger crater than what was left behind when Desmond turned the failsafe key.  But maybe there’s more to it.  In any event, it at least seems worthy enough a concept to be mentioned.

“You told her?”

As if there weren’t enough humorous moments in this episode, Sawyer hits a home run with this one-liner.  I don’t think there will ever be a better reaction to someone giving up the ghost about their time-travel antics.

Desmond is off to LA

Thing is, he best be careful.  Remember, Charles Widmore has already killed Ben’s “daughter”, and Ben is out for revenge.  If Desmond takes Penny with him, and they happen to find Ms. Hawking at the same time she’s collaborating with Ben, then look out!  Of course, Sun is probably hoping for Kate to lead her to Ben in the same fashion, so we might just have a shoot-out at the OK Corral before everything is said and done.  The one thing that’s for certain is that moments of high tension await when everyone gets together in LA.

“I said, put the gun down Widmore.”

Ah…the truth is revealed.  Quite a cool moment, and one I certainly didn’t see coming.  I guess those of you playing the challenge of the week were half-right!  But of course, it’s the past and not the future.  Of course, the biggest thing to take out of this is that we have a little more background on why Widmore and Ben are so at odds with each other.  Widmore’s been there before, and he feels like he has just as much right to claim the island as Ben.

“You are my life now.  You and Charlie.”

And the cool surprises just keep on coming!  Definitely nice to see Desmond and Penny giving a nod to our dear old friend that way.  Of course, I’m assuming that they named their child after the Oceanic 815 survivor, and not Penny’s dad…

“How do I get off the island?!”

Well, there goes my theory that Locke only faked blowing up the submarine.  If he hadn’t blown it up, then he would know that he could get into it at a future date and use it to get back to the mainland.

“Yeah, me too!  I’m great too!”

Leave it to the writers to throw in one more great line before taking us to the the dramatic (and somewhat disturbing) conclusion to the episode.

Widmore and Faraday, Part 2

This isn’t part of a specific scene in the episode, but it’s something interesting I rolled around in my head, and I wanted to share it with you.  When flight 815 crashed on the island, and everyone seemed to be interconnected somehow, it was amazing to see it all play out.  It spoke to “destiny” or “fate” that these supposed strangers were really involved in each others lives indirectly.

I mention this because it’s easy to apply the same logic to Faraday, Widmore, and Hawking.  But you shouldn’t.  Those folks have different rules.  More to the point: remember, the freighter folk were hand-picked by Widmore for the mission.  In fact, I would go as far as to say that Faraday, with Widmore’s funding, has been training his whole life for the moments he’s now experiencing on the island.  I also think that Charlotte and Miles have similar on-island connections, we just don’t what they are yet.  But I’d bet that they both have at least been on the island before, and there’s probably much more to it than that.

Anyway, I just wanted to point it out.  Their situation is much more causal that the flight 815 folks…although maybe we’ll learn that there was more to it than mere coincidence with them as well…

Post-episode questions

1. When did Faraday and gang shuffle off to this time?  Could they actually be on the island at a time after flight 815 crahsed on the island but before the Oceanic 6 left?
2. Can Desmond find Ms. Hawking without leading Penny to Ben?
3. How the heck does Locke finally get off the island?

There was a ton going on in this episode, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I missed something.  Please feel free to comment if you’ve got something to share!

LOST Challenge of the Week: “Jughead”

Can you believe it’s time for another LOST episode again already?  Maybe it’s just because LOST has been gone for so long and I’m not used to having it around, but it seems like a real quick turnaround for a new episode.  And good thing too!  There are so many new things going on, I’m excited to see what’s around the corner.  And, with so many new things going on, what could we possibly focus on for the challenge of the week?  Well, I’ve got 2 big things I’d like to see the answers to, but I only think one of them might get answered in the next episode, “Jughead”.  So, here is your challenge of the week:

Who are the people that Sawyer and Juliet encountered last episode, and are they from the past, present, or future?

That’s it for today…enjoy the episode!

LOST Recap: Season 5, Episode 2: “The Lie”

One of the things I find amazing about LOST is its ability to re-define itself season after season.  While the writers have clearly had “themes” in mind from one season to the next, I’m not sure if they were fully aware how that would give the show such a different feel from season to season.  Every season really seems to have a completely different vibe to it, and this season, 2 episodes in, is no different.

One thing you can count on with LOST though, is that the viewer will be given multiple puzzles to unravel, and misdirection is just part of the game.  It’s that fact that leads me to believe that “The Lie” is not just a reference to the Oceanic 6’s cover-up, and Hurley’s desire to divulge what really happened.  No, I think there’s another “lie” going on in this episode, and you don’t have to dig too deep to see the signs.  But more on that as the recap goes on.

Three Years Ago

The conversation on the Searcher is very unsettling.  Here’s a group of people we’ve come to know and love, and it appears as though Hurley is the only one with any integrity.  And unfortunately, he succumbs to peer pressure and goes along with the group.  His argument that a) the island is gone and would be nearly impossible to find and b) that Widmore won’t stop looking regardless of what they say is actually very compelling.  But clearly, the group went through a bit too much to have clearer heads prevail.

“What if I were real?”

I love all of the guest appearances going on in the first 2 episodes this season.  Ana Ana-Lucia coming back through Hurley’s “hallucinations” is no exception.  Although it appears as though there’s not much from her dialogue that helps put this season’s puzzle together, her lines “You’ve got a lot of work to do” and “Libby says hi” were priceless!

Introducing Mr. Neil Frogurt

Well technically, we met him last episode, but it was cool to see a face with a name the writers dropped a ways back.  And the casting was pretty awesome as well.  Just having his character in a few scenes at all was clearly an indication of the writers throwing the more obsessive fans a bone.

“I know you from somewhere, don’t I?”

Pretty funny that the writers can actually make fun of themselves.  They’ve definitely had Hurley on the news multiple times, and it’s cool to see that they are self-aware.  Even better that they can use that multiple times in this episode for comic relief.

Ben’s got a secret stash

It’s only on the screen for a few seconds, so it’s easy to miss.  But Ben clearly has an item that he is extremely concerned about.  First, he hides it in the hotel’s vent, then he quickly moves it to his bag while Jack is in the bathroom.  I don’t have the first clue as to what it might be, but it certainly holds a high level of importance.

Previously on Expose

Gotta love all of the little winks the writers give us in this episode.  Not only do we get a quick nod to Nikki and Paulo, but Hurley’s dad also says, “why, are you on it again?”, referring to his son’s propensity to get on the news.  Classic.

Ben takes a trip to the butcher

And it’s not to buy porterhouse.  Apparently, it’s to protect John Locke’s body.  But there’s definitely more going on here than meets the eye.  I mean, would anyone really be after Locke’s dead body?  Or perhaps Ben’s really trying to protect his secret stash.  Or, maybe Locke isn’t really dead?  I guess maybe the simplest explanation is one that Ben already gave: that they need Locke’s body to join the Oceanic 6 in order for them all to get back to the island.  But there’s always more to the story when Ben is involved.  If you’re looking for a double-meaning in this episode’s title, then this scene certainly gives you a chance to speculate.

Frogurt, we hardly knew ye

Just when you get all excited about seeing Frogurt in the flesh and following his escapades, he goes and takes a flaming arrow to the chest.  Ah well, I guess it was to be expected, considering what happened with Nikki and Paulo.  What might have ben more central to the plot in this scene was Charlotte’s continuing physical ailments.  Of course, Faraday knows exactly what’s going on with her, but he’s reluctant to share…probably because he know the outcome isn’t good, and he doesn’t want to put her into a panic.

Of course, seconds later, *everyone* is in a panic, with flaming arrows flying through the air picking people off here and there.  Pretty intense scene, especially in the middle of the relative silliness of Hurley’s trip to his parent’s house.

Kate and Sun have a secret rendezvous

Sun gives her own interpretation of the lawyers arriving at Kate’s door, as well as the events on the freighter before it blew up.  “I don’t blame you”, she says, referring to the death of her husband.  Good for Kate; she’s off the hook.  Not so good for Ben, as a team-up of Sun and Charles Widmore might be difficult to overcome…

“Tell your mother the truth.”

And when he does, he gets what he’s been looking for over the past 3 years.  Despite the spectacular, convulted story, Hurley’s mother believes his story.  And thus, Hurley proves, at least to himself, that telling the truth was the right thing to do all along.  Unfortunately for him, there are still consequences to pay for making the wrong choice initially.

“If you come with me, you won’t ever have to lie again.”

Ben once again does a fantastic job of smooth-talking, this time to Hurley.  Somehow he knows exactly what to say, appealing to Hurley’s desire to stop lying and set things straight.  But he didn’t count on Hurley’s friendship with Sayid to override his own desires.  He remembers Sayid’s request to do exactly the opposite of whatever Ben asks him, and follows through.  Very ironic, in fact, when coupled with the first scene of the episode, in which Hurley states that Sayid will ask for his help, and he won’t do it.  It turns out that Hurley can’t help but to do what he thinks is right.

“What are you doing on our island?”

After being assaulted by flaming arrows, Sawyer and Juliet get accosted by people claiming the island as their own.  And just as it appears as though things would get real ugly real quick, the good old knife-wielding John Locke comes out of the jungle and saves the day.  But who are these guys?  And why do they think the island is theirs?

You’ve got 70 hours

The episode ends with yet another guest-star, Ms. Hawking, from Desmond’s past.  She provides an extra sense of urgency to Ben’s task, and sets him up with a time frame that is interestingly similar to the amount of time that Sun plans to stay in LA.  She clearly seems to have a time and a place that she thinks can provide a window for everyone to return to the island, but whether or not Ben can pull everyone together is another story.

As an aside, did anyone else get the impression that she might actually be Faraday’s mother?  I half expected for the reveal to be that she was in Oxford writing on that chalkboard, but that’s certainly not the case.  I guess it was just a head fake for all of us looking for any clues we can find…

Post-episode questions

1. Who are the people that Sawyer and Juliet run into?  Why do they think the island is theirs?
2. Now that Hurley is under arrest, how is Ben going to get him to the rendezvous point?
3. What’s up with Ben’s stash?  And why does he feel as though Locke’s body needs to be guarded?

Don’t hesitate to post any comments below!