Lost: Season 2, Episode 22: Three Minutes Review
Three Minutes
Original Airdate: May 17, 2006
Writers: Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz
Director: Stephen Williams
Looking at the reviews I've written for the last 10 episodes, I found myself giving every episode an 8/10, meaning it was an episode that did what it should. Now I just want to say that this is unintentional. I stand by these ratings and assure you I don't just automatically give every episode the same rating. It'd probably be more obvious if I gave every episode a 1 and complained that "nothing happened" or if I gave them all a 10 to counteract the knee-jerk crowd. This episode is a significant dip from the previous episodes, so hopefully that'll ease the "I'm being easy on the show" criticisms some readers may have.
Little is revealed that we couldn't already put together from previous episodes. It is made a bit more frustrating with the rehashing of stock footage from "The Hunting Party". I understand it's important to give a sense of time to Michael's scenes, but the rehashed scenes could've been scaled back a bit without harming the final product. This time may have been better spent giving more time to The Others we meet (or see again) in this episode.
There are some new bits, like we meet Ms. Klugh, who has the corniest name yet. C'mon, Ms "Clue"? Now I think they're just being mean. Ms. Klugh's role appears to be similar to Mr. Friendly's in that she's a mouthpiece for The Others, but when they are on their own turf. She's the primary person to interact with Michael during his captivity, and explains his assignment.
Pickett, if The Others are really "good" people, appears to be one of those people who was on the fence, but they decided to keep him because the ranks were a little thin. He shot at Michael, which obviously angered Mr. Friendly. He appears to be a little too eager to do the dirty work of The Others.
Then we have Alex, who continues to be the reluctant member of the group. Of course, this is rather surprising for Michael when she asks about Claire and Aaron. It doesn't appear that they are aware of her letting Claire go yet, but perhaps they have so long as she's willing to play along with the façade or her letting Claire go may have been part of the plan. It's still unclear why The Others gave up on Aaron and went to Walt instead.
It is understandable that Michael wants to do everything possible to get Walt back. What still isn't clear is why did he not inform any of his fellow castaways about what happened to him? This also goes back to the question of why Michael didn't tell anyone about the messages or allow others to come with him to rescue Walt. Michael seems too vested in the belief that he has to do it alone. This continues when he comes back. The Others never tell Michael that they'd know if he snitched. Having his fellow Fuselagers on his side ready to help would've been an exponentially better than turning on his allies.
However, it doesn't drift too much from his motivation, getting his son off the island. Considering the setback of the raft, his need must've increased significantly. If or when they are rescued, Michael likely thought that he would have nothing to do with any of the Fuselagers ever again. Perhaps as he was developing his plan on the way back he thought that type of detachment would make him able to kill and sell his friends out. When time came to hatch his plan, it's clear through his facial expressions that it wouldn't be that easy, and it will haunt him forever.
It all stems to how The Others are treating Walt. Obviously, taking Walt was bad, but his treatment since coming there is also understandably shaking Michael to his core. Klugh threatens to put Walt back in "the room" for telling Michael too much about their operations. My thought is that this room is some sort of sensory deprivation chamber, where they hope to see how Walt's abilities fare when removed from outside stimuli. Some of these chambers are filled with salt water. Perhaps his astral projections to Shannon were when he was in "the room", thus explaining why he was soaking wet when he appeared. It's still not clear if the communications on the computer were Walt projections as well or just a part of the trap. Klugh alludes to something like this when she questions Michael. Perhaps Walt did appear somewhere he shouldn't have been before these.
Walt warns Michael that they're pretending, and that notion is no clearer now than it was in "Maternity Leave". This does imply that they are misleading Michael for some reason. Michael's story in retrospect isn't quite as misleading as he may have initially said. He never saw them outside of their rugged clothing and shanties. Why he lied about not seeing Walt is odd, but perhaps that would've been telling for his true motivations.
This episode continues the theme of Michael wanting Walt despite not knowing much about him. While in the past it might've been a matter of pride, it is different with The Others abducting him. However, The Others think their greater good is above everything else, even Michael's right as his father. The fact that Walt is Michael's son is plenty reason to believe Michael's motivation getting Walt back.
What is interesting about the conditions Ms. Klugh gave him that would allow Michael to get his son back is that not once did she demand he kill someone. This effectively makes Ana-Lucia's death not because of her killing of the female other and Goodwin, but simply because she happened to be there, not quite unlike Libby. Michael had to get the castaways provoked to do something and the belief that Henry was the perpetrator would be enough.
Ms. Klugh tells Michael that The Others can't get to the side of the island where our tribe is living. Why can't they go to their side of the island? Does this have to do with the line Mr. Friendly drew when he confronted Jack in "The Hunting Party"? They could easily go to the Tailies' beach and abduct to their heart's delight. Ethan and Henry managed to get there fine and presumably, they were going to come over to abduct Fuselagers when Ethan finished his list. This leads us to believe that they discovered something that is preventing them, but not Michael, from going to the Fuselagers' camp.
Then we come to the list, which is an interesting entity. Is this the list of "good" people The Others want? Viewers have tried to figure out what they have in common (besides being main characters) and so far nothing has worked. While they are part of the leadership, why wouldn't they take Sayid, Locke or Eko with them instead of Hurley, who is more of a supporting player in the Fuselager leadership? Do they want to conduct experiments on them?
It seems that the characters suffer from temporary stupidity with Michael's plan. Despite his insistences of not having anyone else come along, saying it would compromise the plan, he never explains what this master plan is. The fact that Jack questions Sawyer's (wise) choice to bring Sayid into the fold feels like he's acting dumb so the story can progress. If you're going to raid The Others camp, don't you want the guy who has seen combat and knows how to fight coming with you?
Eko clearly has some idea of what Michael did, as he laid it on thick with the story of the boy who killed the dog. It is similar to Michael's situation, and Michael's guilt is a big piece of the episode. However, Eko, if he does know, is far more interested in giving Michael the chance to get redemption himself, even if that may be bad for the castaways as a whole.
On the other hand, Sayid's more willing to share his information with those who are being lead into the trap. While his past haunts him, it has given him an uncanny ability to tell if someone is lying, from knowing Sun could speak English to Henry's deception. It gives Sayid another chance to step up to the front, something he hasn't been able to much this season.
Sawyer telling Jack that he "screwed" Ana-Lucia feels a little fake because Sawyer would've likely used a more colorful phrase (stupid network standards and practices). I can imagine him declaring it like GOB's "I f***ed…" on Arrested Development. It is abrupt, but Sawyer does have a point; Jack and Sawyer are the closest thing they have to friends and Sawyer is obviously one to kiss and tell.
One nit pick that is long due for discussion is this so-called schedule for the button. Despite Locke saying that "everyone's on the roster" for a shift back in "What Kate Did", we've only seen a handful of people do it. Half the lead/recurring cast, along with all the red shirts, haven't done it even once! Anyway, that appears to be moot as Eko is now taking charge. In another example of his turning into Locke, he took off his shoes before entering the hatch the first time since his new discovery. His enthusiasm for the button hasn't diminished yet.
Locke is reverting to where he started on the island: sitting on the shore, staring into the ocean in quiet meditation. Cutting loose that split possibly parallels him getting up after first getting his legs back. However, this time he is walking as a cynic, and not a believer. It could be the final bit to complete the transformation that has been going on all season, which is fitting as Eko and Locke are coming to a head.
Charlie is initially despondent over losing Eko to the button. He's the type, while some relied on him in the past, now needs others to give him a boost. However, losing his co builder doesn't cause him to revert to drug addiction when Vincent drops the Virgin Mary right by his feet (easily the funniest bit of the episode). Throwing the Virgin Mary's into the sea shows a major sign of growth for him, but that may place him in prime position to be killed off.
Hurley is obviously in a dark spot now. No sooner does he have an epiphany then the person who helped him achieve it is gunned down in cold blood. It does put him in a place where he'd want to go with Michael and the hunting party. It is interesting that they've decided to go this route with him, when they could easily milk the comic relief thing for a few more seasons (not that that part of him will ever be gone completely).
The boat is an interesting way to wrap up the episode. It could be a variety of things. While some may think it is a rescue vessel, it doesn't seem likely that that would be the entire rescue party. That boat doesn't appear to have much longer distance than the boat Mr. Friendly rode to get Walt in "Exodus II". The second would be that the people on this boat are the latest people to get stuck here, which would be interesting for season three. It could also be the boat that Michael demanded, but why would they give it to him before he gave up the four on the list? It could also be Desmond, whose role would be appropriate considering all the drama about the hatch.
While this episode may not have the bombshells of recent episodes, it does a fair job of establishing where all the characters are now, and that is important as the season concludes.
Little is revealed that we couldn't already put together from previous episodes. It is made a bit more frustrating with the rehashing of stock footage from "The Hunting Party". I understand it's important to give a sense of time to Michael's scenes, but the rehashed scenes could've been scaled back a bit without harming the final product. This time may have been better spent giving more time to The Others we meet (or see again) in this episode.
There are some new bits, like we meet Ms. Klugh, who has the corniest name yet. C'mon, Ms "Clue"? Now I think they're just being mean. Ms. Klugh's role appears to be similar to Mr. Friendly's in that she's a mouthpiece for The Others, but when they are on their own turf. She's the primary person to interact with Michael during his captivity, and explains his assignment.
Pickett, if The Others are really "good" people, appears to be one of those people who was on the fence, but they decided to keep him because the ranks were a little thin. He shot at Michael, which obviously angered Mr. Friendly. He appears to be a little too eager to do the dirty work of The Others.
Then we have Alex, who continues to be the reluctant member of the group. Of course, this is rather surprising for Michael when she asks about Claire and Aaron. It doesn't appear that they are aware of her letting Claire go yet, but perhaps they have so long as she's willing to play along with the façade or her letting Claire go may have been part of the plan. It's still unclear why The Others gave up on Aaron and went to Walt instead.
It is understandable that Michael wants to do everything possible to get Walt back. What still isn't clear is why did he not inform any of his fellow castaways about what happened to him? This also goes back to the question of why Michael didn't tell anyone about the messages or allow others to come with him to rescue Walt. Michael seems too vested in the belief that he has to do it alone. This continues when he comes back. The Others never tell Michael that they'd know if he snitched. Having his fellow Fuselagers on his side ready to help would've been an exponentially better than turning on his allies.
However, it doesn't drift too much from his motivation, getting his son off the island. Considering the setback of the raft, his need must've increased significantly. If or when they are rescued, Michael likely thought that he would have nothing to do with any of the Fuselagers ever again. Perhaps as he was developing his plan on the way back he thought that type of detachment would make him able to kill and sell his friends out. When time came to hatch his plan, it's clear through his facial expressions that it wouldn't be that easy, and it will haunt him forever.
It all stems to how The Others are treating Walt. Obviously, taking Walt was bad, but his treatment since coming there is also understandably shaking Michael to his core. Klugh threatens to put Walt back in "the room" for telling Michael too much about their operations. My thought is that this room is some sort of sensory deprivation chamber, where they hope to see how Walt's abilities fare when removed from outside stimuli. Some of these chambers are filled with salt water. Perhaps his astral projections to Shannon were when he was in "the room", thus explaining why he was soaking wet when he appeared. It's still not clear if the communications on the computer were Walt projections as well or just a part of the trap. Klugh alludes to something like this when she questions Michael. Perhaps Walt did appear somewhere he shouldn't have been before these.
Walt warns Michael that they're pretending, and that notion is no clearer now than it was in "Maternity Leave". This does imply that they are misleading Michael for some reason. Michael's story in retrospect isn't quite as misleading as he may have initially said. He never saw them outside of their rugged clothing and shanties. Why he lied about not seeing Walt is odd, but perhaps that would've been telling for his true motivations.
This episode continues the theme of Michael wanting Walt despite not knowing much about him. While in the past it might've been a matter of pride, it is different with The Others abducting him. However, The Others think their greater good is above everything else, even Michael's right as his father. The fact that Walt is Michael's son is plenty reason to believe Michael's motivation getting Walt back.
What is interesting about the conditions Ms. Klugh gave him that would allow Michael to get his son back is that not once did she demand he kill someone. This effectively makes Ana-Lucia's death not because of her killing of the female other and Goodwin, but simply because she happened to be there, not quite unlike Libby. Michael had to get the castaways provoked to do something and the belief that Henry was the perpetrator would be enough.
Ms. Klugh tells Michael that The Others can't get to the side of the island where our tribe is living. Why can't they go to their side of the island? Does this have to do with the line Mr. Friendly drew when he confronted Jack in "The Hunting Party"? They could easily go to the Tailies' beach and abduct to their heart's delight. Ethan and Henry managed to get there fine and presumably, they were going to come over to abduct Fuselagers when Ethan finished his list. This leads us to believe that they discovered something that is preventing them, but not Michael, from going to the Fuselagers' camp.
Then we come to the list, which is an interesting entity. Is this the list of "good" people The Others want? Viewers have tried to figure out what they have in common (besides being main characters) and so far nothing has worked. While they are part of the leadership, why wouldn't they take Sayid, Locke or Eko with them instead of Hurley, who is more of a supporting player in the Fuselager leadership? Do they want to conduct experiments on them?
It seems that the characters suffer from temporary stupidity with Michael's plan. Despite his insistences of not having anyone else come along, saying it would compromise the plan, he never explains what this master plan is. The fact that Jack questions Sawyer's (wise) choice to bring Sayid into the fold feels like he's acting dumb so the story can progress. If you're going to raid The Others camp, don't you want the guy who has seen combat and knows how to fight coming with you?
Eko clearly has some idea of what Michael did, as he laid it on thick with the story of the boy who killed the dog. It is similar to Michael's situation, and Michael's guilt is a big piece of the episode. However, Eko, if he does know, is far more interested in giving Michael the chance to get redemption himself, even if that may be bad for the castaways as a whole.
On the other hand, Sayid's more willing to share his information with those who are being lead into the trap. While his past haunts him, it has given him an uncanny ability to tell if someone is lying, from knowing Sun could speak English to Henry's deception. It gives Sayid another chance to step up to the front, something he hasn't been able to much this season.
Sawyer telling Jack that he "screwed" Ana-Lucia feels a little fake because Sawyer would've likely used a more colorful phrase (stupid network standards and practices). I can imagine him declaring it like GOB's "I f***ed…" on Arrested Development. It is abrupt, but Sawyer does have a point; Jack and Sawyer are the closest thing they have to friends and Sawyer is obviously one to kiss and tell.
One nit pick that is long due for discussion is this so-called schedule for the button. Despite Locke saying that "everyone's on the roster" for a shift back in "What Kate Did", we've only seen a handful of people do it. Half the lead/recurring cast, along with all the red shirts, haven't done it even once! Anyway, that appears to be moot as Eko is now taking charge. In another example of his turning into Locke, he took off his shoes before entering the hatch the first time since his new discovery. His enthusiasm for the button hasn't diminished yet.
Locke is reverting to where he started on the island: sitting on the shore, staring into the ocean in quiet meditation. Cutting loose that split possibly parallels him getting up after first getting his legs back. However, this time he is walking as a cynic, and not a believer. It could be the final bit to complete the transformation that has been going on all season, which is fitting as Eko and Locke are coming to a head.
Charlie is initially despondent over losing Eko to the button. He's the type, while some relied on him in the past, now needs others to give him a boost. However, losing his co builder doesn't cause him to revert to drug addiction when Vincent drops the Virgin Mary right by his feet (easily the funniest bit of the episode). Throwing the Virgin Mary's into the sea shows a major sign of growth for him, but that may place him in prime position to be killed off.
Hurley is obviously in a dark spot now. No sooner does he have an epiphany then the person who helped him achieve it is gunned down in cold blood. It does put him in a place where he'd want to go with Michael and the hunting party. It is interesting that they've decided to go this route with him, when they could easily milk the comic relief thing for a few more seasons (not that that part of him will ever be gone completely).
The boat is an interesting way to wrap up the episode. It could be a variety of things. While some may think it is a rescue vessel, it doesn't seem likely that that would be the entire rescue party. That boat doesn't appear to have much longer distance than the boat Mr. Friendly rode to get Walt in "Exodus II". The second would be that the people on this boat are the latest people to get stuck here, which would be interesting for season three. It could also be the boat that Michael demanded, but why would they give it to him before he gave up the four on the list? It could also be Desmond, whose role would be appropriate considering all the drama about the hatch.
While this episode may not have the bombshells of recent episodes, it does a fair job of establishing where all the characters are now, and that is important as the season concludes.
Score: 7/10
posted by Matt @ 8:34 PM
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