Lost: Season 3, Episode 7 Review: Not In Portland

Not In Portland
Original Airdate: February 7, 2007
Writers: Carlton Cuse and Jeff Pinkner
Director: Stephen Williams

The original plan for Lost’s schedule this season consisted of a six episode mini-arc to whet the appetite of fans and tease them with sixteen episodes running from February straight through the end of May. This was to make it so fans wouldn’t have to wait for seven months for new episodes while dealing with complaints of inconsistent scheduling. Unfortunately, this plan backfired, and fans criticized the initial six episodes rather harshly. Instead of building up buzz during the three month break, some critics were content to stew in their negative reviews, calling prematurely that “Lost” has j***** t** s**** and that it should be put out of its misery. Therefore, the return of “Lost”, particularly these first few episodes, had to be really good or they could risk testing the patience of fickle viewers teetering towards watching something else.

Luckily, this episode gave us a few insights into The Others, focusing on one of the mini-season’s best additions, Other Juliet. Elizabeth Mitchell, another great addition to the cast, gets to flex her acting muscles, playing Juliet at a time when she was timid and insecure and now as the acting leader of The Others in Ben’s incapacitation. Before the island, Juliet let other people like her ex-husband walk all over her (until a bus ran all over him). Despite doing brilliant work in fertility, impregnating both a male rat and her sick sister, she underwrites her achievements like that the rat didn’t carry to term. It’s likely that she saw her ex-husband, the always welcome Zeljko Ivanek, as someone to control her potential and to limit her confidence, like hiring a sexy new doctor in the lab where they work.

The only encouraging presence in Juliet’s life pre-island is her sister, Rachel (the third female “Deadwood” alum Robin Weigert, now where’s Molly Parker?) While she is Juliet’s guinea pig, it works. Juliet gives her sister hope for her condition, which she had thought would prevent her from her life long dream of motherhood. It is a validation of her solo work, and that push manages to get Juliet to stand up for herself when Edmund tries to steal some of her glory.

If you’re ever going to be hit by a bus, get hit on network TV, because you’ll just get a few minor scratches at worst instead of being splattered all over the pavement. Seriously though, there is reason to suspect that Mittelos had something to do with the bus crash that killed Edmund, even if they don’t make a clear implication that they did. Assuming they really wanted Juliet, their “thorough research” must’ve found that Edmund would pressure her out of it.

They certainly must’ve known that Juliet initially would be easy to manipulate, but wanted to be the ones manipulating her. Things like Ethan in the general proximity of Rachel in the prologue and Ethan and Richard just happening to show up in the coroner’s office to get Juliet to work for them show that they really want her talent for some reason.

However, Juliet is now cool and confident, willing to do anything to leave the island forever and get back in touch with her sister. This is a major departure from the “This is our island” drum The Others have been beating. Some are technically prisoners on this island, and Ben holds the key to freedom. So it would make sense that they bond with the castaways, many of whom want to get off the island.

There are a lot of big pieces of The Other puzzle introduced in this episode. For one, The Others aren’t just the native people, and they can access main land (at least, according to Tom, until the discharge went off). Of course, they have to trick us before that reveal, showing us someplace we believe is the island (Juliet on the beach, seeing Ethan, etc.) when it turns out it is not, a reversal of the last two season premieres. While Ben has said that he has always lived on the island, where did everyone else come from? All we know from this episode is that Juliet was hired because her fertility expertise could help the 26-year-old woman with a decaying uterus.

Another is Mittelos (Lost time) Bioscience. The fact that they have contacts with the outside world adds a lot to The Others mythology. Is Mittelos the reason why Dharma drops are still performed years later? Was Mittelos some rival research group that fought against Dharma? If they were genuinely native to the island, how could they form a shell corporation?

Juliet arrived on the island around the same time Desmond did. While there may be nothing to it, she also arrived six days before 9/11. It’s unlikely that they would incorporate 9/11 into the storyline out of good taste, like they would have the tsunami, which is about three weeks away on the timeline, occur because of something on the island.

One nice side note from this episode is that it develops Tom into The Others’ version of Hurley, down to his uneasiness seeing blood. They could easily have switched roles without missing a beat. Tom serves as comic relief to the dramatic tension, but serious enough to avoid being silly and to serve as the spokesman. Introducing himself while he and Jack watch Juliet and Ben is one of the highlights from this episode.

Alex gets some more moments to shine as she helps Kate & Sawyer escape from Danny and his men. If anyone was going to help them at great personal risk besides Juliet, it was going to be her. Knowing that Ben has adopted her as his daughter (she may not know the truth), that gives her a lot of freedom to dig holes and weave baskets.

Of course, Alex saving the day was convenient, so she had to have an ulterior method. Unlike last episode, where Alex screamed that The Others killed her boyfriend, this episode upgrades Karl’s condition to “alive”, to steal an old Simpsons joke. He is being held in Room 23 elsewhere at the Hydra Station, which seems to be far bigger than any other station we’ve seen so far. Not much is said as to what Karl did to warrant imprisonment in the bizarre brainwashing room, nor how Alex found out Karl was a live in the first place. Could Room 23 be the room that Klugh threatened to place Walt in last season?

The Room 23 scene was intriguing. Karl’s force feeding of the video recalls “A Clockwork Orange” among other things. It must be cool to be a person who gets to make one of these; the crazier, the better. One Eater Egg worth noting is that techno beat and screeching played backwards says “Only fools are enslaved by time and space”. That, the Mittelos anagram and Aldo’s book “A Brief History of Time”, point towards some kind of fascination with the space-time continuum among The Others.

Who made the Room 23 video? There are clips of Gerald DeGroot and Alvar Hanso, two Dharma members, but there is a reference to Jacob, the possible leader of The Others. Also, why is Karl in there? What purpose does this treatment fulfill? Is the video meant to “Otherize” people or brainwash him to do something else? Perhaps sending Karl over with Kate and Sawyer is part of some larger plan. Whatever lure the video had, it captured Sawyer’s attention long enough for Kate to call him out on it.

Considering the only thing they did to make Pickett sympathetic was give him a wife and make him a widow shortly after, the beat downs he receives are long overdue. You can’t help but cheer when Sawyer slams Pickett’s head against the food button until the electric charge surges through.

Then we have Juliet killing him before he can kill Sawyer and Kate. Knowing how much she wants to get off the island, it fits that Juliet would be willing to kill to do it. It also shows how far she has come regarding achieving her goals. They must’ve not meant for it to be read as “Juliet needed to kill her husband to reach her potential” since she killed someone to achieve her goals in the present. In both scenarios, she needed someone out of the way to do what she needed and, assuming The Others orchestrated the bus crash, The Others took the dark side of that interpretation with Edmund. Killing Pickett shows how much The Others’ culture has affected her.

It was a little much to have the “Count to 5” story be the one piece that helps Jack push through the complication in Ben’s surgery, but it does create some drama in the dynamic between Kate & Sawyer. Although they had made love the night before, Kate still has feelings for Jack. Plus, they got to reuse the “Life and Death” theme, which is always great.

This episode was a great reveal into The Others, showing us a bit about how they bring people into their society. Elizabeth Mitchell proves herself to be another asset in the superb ensemble, as one of the best elements of the mini-season gets a big character push, which sets up some of the events that will play out the rest of the season.

Overall Score: 8/10

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 2, Episode 7 Review: Lie to Me

Lie to Me
Original Airdate: November 3, 1997
Writer: Joss Whedon
Director: Joss Whedon

Continuing the theme of Buffy wanting to be normal, Whedon gives us some information about what Buffy’s life was like before she was chosen by way of Ford. Because the story needed to be advanced, not much time is given to this past, but it is nice to see that Buffy did have a life before coming to Sunnydale. It reflects an easier, pre-Slayer time for her, but the reveal of Ford’s true intentions symbolizes how much things change and how Buffy needs to face that reality. It’s hard to fault her: like she would think one of her old friends would trade her life for a guaranteed shot at immortality.

Buffy is also having a hard time adjusting to the increased complexity of her relationships. Things with Angel hit a snag as both deal with jealousy. In a twisted way, they both learn that there were other people in their lives. However, the fact that one is an evil vampire and the other is willing to let a dozen kids be slaughtered so he can become one makes the resolution of said jealousies easy. Considering what’s in store, this easy out is forgivable.

Soon after Ford arrives, he tells Buffy that he knows she’s The Slayer, and that he found out just before she left her old school. Considering how much he seems to know about the topic, Buffy’s lack of concern reflects someone who wants to believe he just happens to know because of their history. As far as we know, the only people who were brought into the circle, beside Buffy and Giles, were people who inadvertently experience some supernatural phenomena, reveal that they know something about it or are evil. This should make Buffy a little bit more suspicious as Angel was. Like in many of our lives, a friend we haven’t seen in a long time returns only to reveal himself as someone different than the person we befriended. Only this episode goes to the farthest extreme.

As we’ve been told, many who experience the supernatural on “Buffy” tend to dismiss it using “real world” logic. This episode introduces a new subculture: one that is aware, not picking a side in the big fight, but using their talents for their own needs. For Ford, it is achieving salvation from dying. For the rest of his cult, they distort the idea of vampires into some grand, romantic creature, dubbing them “the lonely ones” as a way of associating them to their lives as alienated teens.

Ford engulfs himself in fantasy to cope with his cancer. He prefers to see his actions not as reality, but as scenes from a movie or TV show that play out in his head. He has to believe that becoming a demon is better than a slow, painful death. He even has the audacity to make Spike play into his movie (why he didn’t rip Ford’s head off is beyond me). While it is understandable to have some denial about having a major illness like this, Ford goes too far, bringing impressionable outcasts along, including “Chantarelle” (AKA Hot Goth Girl) and “Diego” (who looks like a kid’s birthday party magician). As far as Ford’s concerned, they’re just players in his movie instead of human beings.

In between the planned basement slaughter, Spike has some other plans that fit into one of Giles’ ancient texts. What it is unknown, but likely connected to Drusilla’s well being or some plans they have for when she recovers. She’s the only person who can get him to tone down his aggressive nature and Buffy knows The more important question is why Giles hasn’t looked through his inventory to figure out what the vampire took.

While Ford is a “One-off” character, the reveal that Angel is responsible for Drusilla’s madness and evil adds a new layer to the existing dynamic. We knew there was some history there in “School Hard”, but it goes far deeper than that. Throughout Angel’s tenure, he is constantly looking for a way to make up for his sins, and Spike and Dru are the personification of that. One of his problems atoning is his handiwork living.

A big moment at the end of the episode foreshadows the dark turns this season will take. Until this point, Buffy hasn’t killed anyone to whom she was close. Considering what lies ahead for the rest of the season, this moment doesn’t quite get the emphasis it should. Even by the end of this season, Buffy will go into some dark territory. Unlike Ford, she can’t use a cushion of fantasy to protect herself, which is what this episode warns against.

That final moment says a lot about this episode in general. Elements like that final foreshadowing and the back story between Buffy and Ford never quite gel. Plus, there are moments of sloppy story telling, like Buffy’s magic leap and her unexplained sparing of Drusilla when she could’ve killed her. Not a complete misfire, but could’ve been a lot better.

Overall Score: 7/10

Lost: Season 3, Episode 6 Review: I Do

I Do
Original Airdate: November 8, 2006
Writers: Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse
Director: Tucker Gates

Thus ends the now infamous “mini-season”. The sting of this has diminished as the hiatus and remainder of the season passed and shouldn’t be an issue to those watching Lost on DVDs and in syndication. While I didn’t hate these episodes, there wasn’t one that had the punch of past great episodes. I can also understand fan frustration that their brief taste of “Lost” since coming back from summer hiatus hardly featured 2/3rds of the cast. Considering these were the only episodes fans would have for three months, it left a bad taste in the fans’ collective mouth. In retrospect, it would’ve been better to wait until January like “24” has, and luckily they learned their lesson and won’t air new episodes until February 2008.

So the episode delves into Kate’s psychology, her habit of not standing by the men she loves and how she is now supporting Sawyer and Jack. The most problematic element of Kate’s character is that the men in her life define her. With Jack and Sawyer, their characters can survive and be defined without Kate. The big question Kate’s fans ask isn’t how will she redeem herself for her crimes, but who will she pick? The writing and press have encouraged that, causing some shippers not to acknowledge that unless they never leave the island, Kate will be at best on the run for the rest of her life with whomever she chooses.

Kate is a fugitive. In a way, her character is like Desmond, who too also runs away from whatever he has in life, regardless of how important it is to him. He does it out of cowardice; she does similarly, but she is afraid specifically of what punishment she’ll face for her crimes.

Perhaps The Others had always planned for Kate and Sawyer to have sex. Kate’s easily escapable cage, the revealing clothes they give Kate, the bond formed while defying The Others; it all leads to bringing them together. Unless there are some Dharma condoms or birth control pills (those are probably the only things that don’t have a Dharma equivalent), Kate is at risk of getting pregnant. Besides Sun, who is married, any other woman who we’ve seen have sex on the island died before pregnancy could be an issue.

The Others must have thought that seeing Sawyer and Kate together could turn Jack. However, Jack has pushed the “live together, die alone” mantra constantly and he needs to help and to save people, not to mention the power Jack wields as the only guy who can help Ben. If he can free those two and leave himself for The Others to do as they want, so be it. So holding Ben hostage until his friends are free is bold, but expected (unless you’re one of The Others).

It’s important to remember that coming into this episode only Sawyer knew that they are on Hydra Island. So unless they have access to a boat or are mermaids as Sawyer said, they can’t escape. This partially explains Sawyer’s look of defiant resignation when Pickett has the gun pointed at him.

Probably the biggest part of this episode that could’ve slipped past our ears if it wasn’t for diligent viewers is “Jacob’s list”. In “Live Together, Die Alone” it could’ve been surmised that Ben was the powerful leader or that he made up the concept of “Him” to solidify it. However, Pickett’s throwaway line suggests that Ben is acting beyond Jacob’s wishes for his own needs and that there is someone, Jacob, higher up in the ranks. That Ben isn’t punished begs the question as to why Jacob isn’t doing anything about it.

Alex’s status in The Others’ society is given a bit more development. It appears that Ben sees himself as a father figure to her. It makes sense for her to be so rebellious towards The Others’ operations and for it to be tolerated if she’s the boss’ “daughter”. Not to mention the added push this will have when Rousseau finds out.

Outside of Kate’s flashbacks and The Others, the only thing of notice was Eko’s funeral. It would make sense that Locke would want to avoid another funeral on the beach and give them an opportunity to break the news of his death in a way they can control. We must remember that it has been only over a week since Michael killed Ana-Lucia and Libby.

Eko’s “Jesus Stick” offers Locke one bit of parting advice, “Lift up your eyes and look North”, with the scripture passage “John, 3:05” serving almost as a direct address to Locke (and it’s worth noting that Eko died in episode 3X05). This, like many of the cryptic things on Lost, is up for speculation, and will likely play a big role in the next few episodes.

Frustratingly underused is Nathon Fillion of “Firefly” fame as Kate’s husband Kevin. He serves little more than as a set piece, the perfect husband Kate can’t have because of her past. Perhaps he wasn’t interested in playing a major or recurring character on another sci-fi/fantasy show or at least one that was filmed a five hour plane ride from LA. Nonetheless, it would’ve been nice if he could’ve done something substantial. Another actor I enjoy, Clancy Brown, had only two episodes on “Lost”, and he was memorable in both. Why couldn’t they give Captain Mal a little more?

Now that we can look back on these six episodes, it makes their errors more forgivable. This arc was introductory, much like the time before Claire was kidnapped in season one and the merging of the survivors in season two. It wasn’t meant to be an arc the way a full season is and that poor advertising had a negative effect on fan reaction. What was originally thought of as the show heading towards collapse turned into a bumpy start before Lost’s groove was regained.

Overall Score: 7/10

Lost: Season 3, Episode 5 Review: The Cost of Living

The Cost of Living
Original Airdate: November 1, 2006
Writers: Monica Owusu-Breen & Alison Schapker
Director: Jack Bender

If there was one moment in the mini-season that got fans riled up, it was the sudden death of Mr. Eko at the hands (or smoky tentacle) of the Monster. Eko was the break out character from the tailies. His first flashback, “The 23^rd Psalm”, was a high point of the season and “?” was great as well. It seemed like he would be a character we’d see developed further until the end of the series, or beyond the early part of this season. While Lost has dispatched several survivors, none have had the following or acclaim Eko did, and such an act may be seen as a move of desperation on the writers’ part.

This brings up the real life arrest for Agbaje, which had some people theorizing he was fired similarly to when Ana-Lucia and Libby were killed off last season (note: no confirmation was made as to whether their DWI’s influenced their deaths on the show). There is a major problem with this rationalizing in that these episodes were completed a long time before his arrest. There were also rumors that he wanted to be with his dying parents. No one can blame him for this if that is the case.

Perhaps Eko was supposed to die from the hatch ex/implosion, and Locke’s mission in “Further Instructions” was simply to bring his body back for burial. This could’ve made the scene where Eko assured Locke that he could still save the captured trio the way the writers may have wanted that scene to play out. Instead, The Monster kills him. This made many ask “why did they bother having him survive if he was going to die a few weeks later?” Well, if they knew he was going to die all along, while simultaneously wanting to bring back the threat of The Monster, it would make sense to merge them and rewrite the events of “Further Instructions” to fit this new mold. However, the end result feels a little sloppy.

In addition to The Monster’s comeback, a few insights are given in to its operations. If it can be assumed that Yemi was a manifestation of The Monster, any other manifestation we’ve seen, like Hurley’s “friend” Dave, Christian etc. could be The Monster as well. Since Yemi’s body went missing like Jack’s father, could The Monster have done something to the bodies to assume their shape and characteristics? This wouldn’t explain an imaginary character like Dave, but it may be something. All of these manifestations have brought characters on important journeys where they come to grips with their pasts. Only Eko, who took the bait and choose not to learn from his past, paid for it.

Another point is that Locke describes The Monster as a bright white light, whereas we’ve always seen it as this black cloud. What you see in The Monster is in many ways a projection of how the person is inside. The Monster can scan a person and show images from a person’s life like Eko. Perhaps The Monster is black to someone who isn’t a “good person”. Maybe Eko was always a bad person, but his pious actions threw off The Monster until this point, when it became weak.

Regardless, Eko’s death at the hands of the monster is brutal and unforgiving. It’s the first time we actually see it kill someone (and its first casualty since The Pilot). Assuming Rousseau was correct in calling it a security system, The Monster must’ve determined Eko’s indifference for redemption as a threat to the island, and its brutality represents how important protecting the island is to it.

If Eko’s final words can be trusted, then everyone on the island is a threat to the island. It could also be a warning that the way these characters are going will lead to doom. The Monster initially passed over Locke and Eko on their first encounters, but attacked on the second.

The shot of Eko’s unopened eye in the beginning of the episode offers a different interpretation of the frequently used opening eye shot. Eko not opening his eye is symbolic of his refusal to confess for the murders of the warlords, along with his other crimes. As we last saw in “Two for the Road”, those who forsake redemption are dooming themselves.

While Eko’s potential never was realized fully, he did get a solid foundation, unlike Libby, killed off before she could receive a proper flashback episode. Most of the characters killed off so far were minor compared to the leads, whose reactions to said demises were more important. Boone’s death was crucial to Locke’s crisis in faith and whether his mission was justified. Eko is probably the highest profile character fitting this description. He arrived to challenge Locke’s role as the man of faith. With Locke’s faith restored, he doesn’t necessarily need to be there anymore.

The merging of motives to go to the Pearl Station feels murky at best. It would make sense for them to go there to find Eko because Yemi’s body is there. However, wouldn’t Locke be concerned with finding Eko first, then deciding to see if he can communicate with The Others while they’re there? It seems like odd prioritizing.

Locke takes a refreshing approach when it comes to going on the “A-missions”. Instead of taking some of the insulated few, Locke gives an open invitation to all castaways who want to come. This action is meant to give newcomers Nikki and Paolo some airtime for a proper introduction.

These two were doomed in the eyes of fans from the second they came on, and this episode doesn’t help much. While Nikki points stuff out and looks pretty, Paolo comes off as a huge creep. Flushing the toilet to punctuate the scene is a sure sign of that. While these two are subject of a lot of scorn, these scenes are smaller than some critics depict it as.

The introduction of “Patchy” as he has been dubbed is another interesting development. He is in a Dharma jumpsuit similar to Desmond’s and Kelvin’s. The equipment there also resembles The Swan’s devices near the important computer. Of course, his noteworthy eye patch leaves him subject of much speculation, given the dangerous nature of the island. If he’ll be expecting them, will he be an ally or a hostile?

Ben, outside of being beaten by Sayid, shows some weakness when Jack confronts him about his spinal tumor. The awkward smile Ben had when attempting to shrug off Jack’s accusation was very telling (some great acting on Emerson’s behalf). While nearly everything The Others do can be construed as manipulation for an unknown goal, it appears that showing Jack the x-rays at this point wasn’t Ben’s plan.

Colleen’s funeral offers some insight into The Others’ society. Unlike the castaways, who bury their dead, The Others give theirs a Viking funeral, setting fire to a small raft where the body lays. The use of music is peculiar, “I Wonder” by Brenda Lee played over the old Dharma speakers. It seems like bringing Jack to this event was in hopes of humanizing his captors, although by this time Jack saw the x-rays and Ben’s “shot to sunshine” plans would have to be retooled.

It doesn’t help Ben that there is a rift between The Others, with Juliet and Ben acting like Jack and Locke from last year. This leads to the video where Juliet asks Jack to kill Ben and make it look like an accident. Such a power play can hint towards a decline in Ben’s power as leader of The Others. Why she appears to want Ben dead is unclear, but there has to be some history where Juliet has been on the receiving end of some poor treatment by Ben.

Whether Juliet wants Jack to kill Ben, there is a more playful interaction between them. The flirting and joking about the cheeseburger (they do have everything don’t they?) is not indicative of the interaction between The Others and the castaways. Ben was aware of that when he barged in on them, with Juliet sitting unthreateningly on the table cross legged.

This episode is a little bit messy, cutting down a character when fans clearly wanted more of him, but it does reinforce the theme of redemption that all the castaways are looking for and the consequences when it is forsaken.

Overall Score: 7/10

Lost: Season 3, Episode 4 Review: Every Man for Himself

Every Man for Himself
Original Airdate: October 25, 2006
Writers: Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz
Director: Stephen Williams

Considering the mini-season’s length, it would make sense to have as many episodes focused on popular/big name characters in the series. So obviously, a Sawyer episode was a good choice. This point would be considered a turning point in the arc, with the culmination being episode six. This is probably one of the biggest problems of the mini-season, as fans saw is as something it wasn’t. This wasn’t a major storyline so much as its introduction. So while the lack of major revelations may be still frustrating, it needs to be seen in a proper context within the entire season.

Being held captive by The Others, it would make sense that Sawyer’s mind would go to his time in prison. To complete the comparison to “House of Games” made in my “The Long Con” review, Cassidy’s revenge was far more moral, turning Sawyer in for his crimes. However, this episode introduced a new dynamic. Sawyer fathered her child, Clementine. Of course, this could be a part of another con altogether, since all he has to verify this is a picture and Cassidy’s word.

Sawyer conning “Costanza” out of the ten million, only to turn it over to the authorities and to give anonymously his finder’s fee to Clementine adds to his reluctant good guy persona. A man so reluctant to be good that he doesn’t want anyone to know about any good he’s done. This all stems from him losing his family. He can’t be with other people and get attached without the fear that it’ll all be ripped from him. That distance is always present in Sawyer.

When it comes to breaking out in the flashback, it could’ve gone like an old fashioned prison break, however, Sawyer “lies and cheats” to freedom. Here, The Others switch it around, having Sawyer attempt a break out scheme while The Others use their cunning to keep Sawyer from escaping. Sawyer can be incredibly clever, as successful con men have to be. However, he can be easily susceptible to cons himself.

The Others know how to con people, including Sawyer. When The Others were nothing but an abstract concept, it could’ve been construed that they were some type of super-human creature, even though they are as human as their castaway counterparts. Ben was a master manipulator during his time in The Swan, picking apart Locke and Jack’s head butting to his advantage. Now that he’s with “[his] people” and has access to their operations, the game is tilted in his favor.

He plays this to a sadistic high with Sawyer. The most controversial element of this episode is the extensive beatings they gave him. It wouldn’t have been hard to believe that he did give Sawyer a pacemaker wired to blow if his heart rate exceeded 140 beats per minute. However, this cruelty serves to convince Sawyer that the threat is real and to allow him to give information willingly that they can use. Despite his wishes to be the loner and live by the credo of “every man for himself”, he cares for Kate. The Others are clearly aware of the attraction between the two of them, and it pays off for them to have Kate have the same feelings for Sawyer.

Kate’s cage is rather odd. For something The Others use to hold captives, what’s with the huge holes in the top that can be easily climbed through? Although that is negated with the revelation that they are on another island altogether, it still feels like The Others wanted her to get out.

Why they brought those two along is still unclear, but this episode reveals a big reason why they brought Jack. Someone has a large tumor on their vertebrae. It’s no coincidence that Jack’s a talented spinal surgeon. Why The Others aren’t pushing Jack to want to help the patient more than they are pushing Sawyer to open up is still unknown.

Jack has smartened up with regards to The Others’ operations, and even turns the tables on them the same way Ben did when he was captured last season. Undermining Juliet’s confidence in her position played out similarly to the way Ben did to Locke in “Maternity Leave”. He isn’t out to make friends with The Others, even if he may be developing a soft spot for Juliet.

Pickett, the most aggressively antagonistic of The Others, didn’t have any reason to be the bad guy before this episode. However, with Colleen succumbing to the gunshot Sun gave her, he feels justified in beating the crap out of Sawyer. This could be read differently, as The Others are acting in a way similar to how the castaways would react to the actions of The Others. Not every member of The Others is antagonistic towards the castaways, but because of the actions of some members, it makes sense for them to lash out at all of them. Of course, the lack of trust and disclosure from both sides amplifies this problem.

The toughest sell for this episode would be the final reveal that there is a smaller island about a mile away from the main island. A reasonable complaint would be why hasn’t anyone noticed this island before? There have been several expeditions that would give them access to this island, like the Elizabeth voyage, the raft or the tailies journeying to the castaways’ main camp. Just how big is this island that they have never gotten around to seeing this? On the other hand, this could be brought up every time they come across a new hatch or something like the four-toed statue.

Such an event can lead people to accuse the show of making it up as they go along, throwing in game changing twists like this simply to throw us off guard and to show how clever they are. Without being as harsh, this was my initial impression. However, producers have said that there is an island present on Rousseau’s maps seen from season one. This is a good reason to take out the DVDs again. Even reviewing this episode months later makes some of the sins of the mini-season more forgivable than when I first saw them.

As seen in “Further Instructions”, Desmond has some degree of precognition. This episode shows that it isn’t an isolated event by building a lightning rod, saving Claire’s life. With that type of talent, Desmond will be very useful, but how much can he see and how much power does he have over this?

While hardly a bad episode, this is a good representative of the problems of the mini-season: little emphasis on the main castaways, excessively cruel treatment from The Others and a flashback that leaves something to be desired. However, the intellectual con game is interesting enough.

Overall Score: 7/10

Lost: Season 3, Episode 3: Further Instructions Review

Further Instructions
Original Airdate: October 18, 2006
Writers: Carlton Cuse and Elizabeth Sarnoff
Director: Stephen Williams

Of the trilogy of introductory episodes, this episode is the simplest in terms of its story: Locke’s back and he’s on a mission to save Eko, correcting the mistake of rebelling against what he perceives is the island’s destiny for him. However, Locke has been one of, if not the most, developed characters in the series, and this episode delves into his doubtful side, in addition to having the return of the hunter, who was a fan favorite in season one. Such an episode is always welcome.

Some complained about the direction Locke’s character went last season, but it was a logical next step. Throughout season two, Locke’s resentment that destiny lead him on a mission to sit at a desk pushing buttons (similar to his box company desk job) with no known benefit was far more compelling than if Locke’s faith was steadfast. Of course, the disaster in “Live Together, Die Alone” showed him just how important The Swan’s mission was, albeit a little too late. This could’ve been the end of his arc, but Locke is far too central a character to kill him off this early. Having gotten a second chance, Locke is aware of some higher purpose, and “talks to the island” to get further instructions.

The hallucination could’ve easily deserved a full analysis, but I’ll try to get the highlights. It’s important for Locke’s character to have Boone appear in this vision. His problems with his destiny were compounded by the fact that Boone died so he could get there, because he was a “sacrifice that the island demanded”. Forgiving himself for what happened to Boone is instrumental for him to move forward, both figuratively and literally. Although Boone in this hallucination heads too close to mocking him, but perhaps that is a tough love approach.

Boone guides him through the airport, watching our fellow castaways and island mates paired up the same way they were at the end of the season. Had they been allowed to come back, I would’ve liked to see where the deceased castaways would be in the giant metaphor.

Charlie, Claire and Aaron, looking like a normal family, are “safe…for now”. Considering the island’s nature and the supposed danger surrounding Aaron (which may be just a con), it’s not hard to believe that there will be trouble along the way, especially since they had reconciled at the end of last season.

Hurley as the ticket agent, as well as Desmond as a pilot, could foreshadow some power that they’ll obtain later. Perhaps Hurley will have exclusive access to something people on the island would need or want. As for Desmond, he has already has some precognitive abilities (more on that later), which would be useful in determining the destination of the castaways like a pilot would on a flight.

Jin and Sun arguing, with Sayid directing Jin somewhere, alludes to their predicament on the boat, something of which Locke was likely unaware. This could’ve been hinting at “The Glass Ballerina”, but because this episode swapped places with that one, it is more an update on them because they are absent in this episode.

The most intriguing grouping would be Kate & Sawyer in line to be wanded, with Ben checking Jack. There is a lot that can be read into this. This could be considered a sign that Ben wants to indoctrinate them to The Others’ way of life, with Jack being the priority. Kate and Sawyer certainly are getting close, with hints of Sawyer’s plan to turn the tables on The Others.

It ultimately leads him to realize Eko needs the help. This could’ve been seen earlier as Eko’s stick nearly knocks Locke out in the beginning of this episode or the fact that we hadn’t gotten any update on him before then. Boone, bloody in a way similar to his look in “Deus Ex Machina”, warns that “they” got him. Considering the first two episodes, it could be determined that The Others have him, especially since they failed to take him in “The Other 48 Days”.

Instead, when Locke emerges from his sweat lodge it’s revealed that a polar bear has Eko. Considering they (there were at least two) hadn’t been seen since “Special”, it was nice to see them back in the story, even if they are just plot devices. The bear who took Eko could’ve easily been the one Michael fought back in season one.

Regardless, it lives in a surprisingly large cave, adorned with human skeletons, the go to harbinger of doom for a large creature. There are odd pieces in there, like a toy fire truck and some of the bodies had on Dharma (Pearl to be precise) jumpsuits. Considering the bears were likely the captive bears Tom referred to in “A Tale of Two Cities”, it’s not hard to believe they wanted some payback.

The biggest problem facing Locke is the constant doubt lingering in his mind. He constantly searched for purposed in his life only to be burned by people ready to take advantage of him. The only person who didn’t con him was Helen, and he blew that because he wanted Cooper, a scumbag, to be the dad he wanted. This episode shows at least one more, Eddie, who Locke befriended only to learn his true motives later. This likely occurred shortly after Helen dumped him in “Lockdown” and Locke was desperate for acceptance and friendship. The commune could’ve tricked Locke as well; not revealing their entrepreneurial activities until later.

Locke’s story in this episode is all about “cleaning up his mess”. The Swan’s implosion was his fault and because of it Eko is primed to be polar bear chow. Also, he feels that his actions are partially to blame for Jack, Kate and Sawyer’s abduction. While he accomplishes his first goal, it is rescuing the trio that will prove more difficult. In the flashback, he tries to clean up bringing in Eddie by killing him. Fortunately, he doesn’t go through with it for the same reason he succeeds in saving Eko: he’s a good person.

Considering Eko’s faith provided endless frustration for Locke last season, the scene where Eko (possibly in a vision by Locke) tells him that he can still save the trio The Others captured marks as a nice resolution to their head butting last year and the pivotal piece to bring back the hunter side of Locke.

The Swan implosion brings up many questions. If it imploded, how did Locke, Desmond and Eko not become a smashed mass of flesh and blood? Also, where is the wreckage? Shouldn’t there be a metallic ball in that massive hole? Did the pieces disappear?

Locke’s reawakening in the prologue is reminiscent of Jack’s in the pilot episode, even using several similar shots. Is this meant to show that Locke’s will be assuming a leadership role that Jack’s inhabited? Some jokingly referred to Desmond as “the new Vincent” if Locke is supposed to be the new Jack.

If the implosion reawakened the man of faith/hunter side of Locke, it brought something out of Desmond. Naked in the jungle, the discharge has given him a degree of precognition. The nudity recalled “Terminator” in many, which showed that characters traveling in time couldn’t bring their clothes. How would a discharge create a situation where he could time travel? What exactly did he see after he turned that key?

It was good to see those at the beach again. It seemed odd not to include anything from them in the first two episodes. In this “mini-season”, one of the many complaints was that there was hardly any time spent on the beach in significant plot lines.

Hurley’s return was also welcome, including the first “dude” of the season. I was hoping to see a storyline with him wandering the jungle alone, encountering weird things that would further detail the island’s mysteries, but nothing had to be told, at least for now.

This episode suffered from being cut to fit airtime. Locke’s flashback stops more than ends. Production photos show that there is an epilogue after Locke confronts Eddie in the forest. The flashbacks lacked a coda to make it complete. Also, Locke’s big speech is so terse that it makes anyone complementing it look a little foolish. He didn’t do more than sum up what happened and his game plan.

Then there is also the introduction of Paolo and Nikki, two characters who have become infamous for some fans. Some complained that their introduction in this episode was painfully forced. I’d disagree with that. While it must be difficult to introduce new characters in this setting, they only had a line or two each in this episode. There have been far more awkward introductions of characters on other series.

Nonetheless, this episode was a welcome return of a beloved character at his best, a side we haven’t seen since the first season. Although the flashbacks lacked a proper conclusion, it did offer a different side to Locke’s life while further developing his character as a man of faith haunted by betrayal.

Overall Score: 8/10

Lost: Season 3, Episode 2: The Glass Ballerina Review

Note: Sorry anybody who has wanted these sooner, I simply didn't have the time the last few months. I have notes on some episodes, so hopefully the reviews will be up in the coming weeks. I have no idea when I'll get to doing 24 reviews for this season, which may take a while since this season was subpar. The Lost reviews are my priority as far as this blog is concerned.

The Glass Ballerina
Original Airdate: October 11, 2006
Writer: Jeff Pinkner and Drew Goddard
Director: Paul Edwards

Like last season, these opening episodes serve to update us on the status of the castaways, who were dispersed more than ever. Considering the cliffhangers, it would make sense that the trio in the hatch would be the focus of the second episode instead of the trio on the Elizabeth. Originally, this episode was produced third, but was shown second. Sun, Jin and Sayid weren’t in any mortal peril like the raft pack last year. It’s interesting that the programmers made that decision. Months later, no reason’s been given to why this was given priority, so we can only speculate.

Last time we saw them, the crew of Elizabeth was planning to ambush The Others before they could take the rescue crew. A few days have passed, so it’s safe for Sayid to presume that something has gone wrong. It’s possible he could tie that to the discharge of The Swan station since he has no idea they weren’t related. This drawback could easily send them back to the beach, but before they do, they find the Pala Ferry pier, and suddenly the game plan changes.

Sayid’s plan, to ambush The Others Elizabeth and kill all but two to interrogate, makes a Sayid episode a possible better fit for this episode’s focus. Sayid has had vengeance on his mind since Shannon died, and planning to get payback would’ve worked well to parallel against a prior time Sayid did something like that in Iraq.

However, they decide to focus on Sun and Jin’s relationship, further showing its dark side. The affair some speculated in “The Whole Truth” has been confirmed with Sun and Jae in bed. This also makes him a candidate for the father of Sun’s baby. Some still hold on to the belief that they didn’t get that far, but that is naïve. Obviously ABC can’t show explicit sex, so some things have to be implied, which can be tough considering “Lost’s” nature.

This nature not to spell everything out leads to some speculation that shouldn’t be bothered. In this episode, it is whether Jae Lee committed suicide or if someone threw him out. Lindelof and Cuse confirmed that Jae’s death was suicide. This piece has to make someone wonder what else is just made into something it isn’t.

Jin implies that he knows more English than the rest are led on to, which is a long running theory fans have had about Jin. Although Jin isn’t fluent, the way the other characters act and inflect their speech can give him the gist of what they’re saying. This kind of theorizing can be tricky because Daniel Dae Kim is fluent in English, so some of his actions may be accidents in his performance (that is not to say Daniel Dae Kim doesn’t do great work on Lost, he does).

Jin implies that he knows of Sun’s affair, and the scene where he confronts Jae could be seen as his confirmation. I’m not sure how that works, considering previously he has no other reason to believe that, especially with the scene in “The Whole Truth”. However, this could be the controlling side of Jin rearing its ugly head again.

One thing worth noting; I believe this is the first time on “Lost” where Sun and Jin’s conversations are subtitled when in presence of a non-Korean speaker. Perhaps this is symbolic of how integrated they have become with the castaways.

The boat showed the trio the four-toed statue and the pier. Any more information they can find can seriously jeopardize The Others’ operation. Therefore, the Others’ operation to usurp Elizabeth makes sense. What doesn’t make sense is how easily they did it, without Jin and Sayid noticing. Just where were they looking? The Others were on the pier!

Because of the seizure, Sun shoots Colleen. Unfortunately, Colleen fails to realize that Sun has no reason to trust The Others. Since she’s tight lipped about their operations, she can’t explain to Sun why they behave as they do either. This can certainly be frustrating to viewers, as Colleen could be withholding simply because the story needs her to get shot in the gut. Considering Colleen deemed Sun not the enemy, how would that affect what happened to Ethan? Do they even know what happened? Would The Others only deem those who killed one of their own the enemy? What does Colleen’s shooting mean to the castaways?

As the premiere was the trio’s introduction into The Others’ society, this episode felt like the first ordinary day, in the case of Kate and Sawyer, a day working at a rock quarry. Unless manual labor is meant to break their spirits, is there something underneath this rock that The Others hope to find?

It’s odd that they would have Kate working in the quarry wearing a flimsy sun dress as opposed to work clothes like every one else. They are using the allure of Kate bending over and getting sweaty as a way to bait Sawyer. Obviously there is chemistry there, and this dynamic is pushed to an extreme, possibly on purpose by The Others. This could explain why Pickett is so antagonistic towards them. Is this behavior a part of some experiment to create a stronger bond between Kate and Sawyer?

Considering Ben watches Sawyer as he expresses his plan to turn the table against The Others, the possibility that The Others were pretending to be inexperienced as part of the con is now a possibility. However, considering we know nothing about what The Others are planning to do, anything can be considered part of an elaborate con. In this game, The Others are further ahead than the trio may realize.

Alex’s cameo offers some further insight into the dynamics between The Others. In “Maternity Leave”, Alex broke rank to break Claire out of captivity. She also showed interest in Claire when she asked Michael about her in “Three Minutes”. These moments add to the bond she’s creating with some of the castaways, so it would make sense that she would engage with one of the captives, albeit covertly. The schism between The Others is given some concrete foundation with the reveal that Karl wasn’t a plant.

For Jack, who Juliet broke last episode, Ben is coaxing him into an unknown future project, with the reward being a trip home. There is still some resilience because Jack has no reason to trust Ben or The Others, but Ben tries to rebuild that by showing Jack a tape (which couldn’t be directly shown because it was a Fox broadcast) of The Boston Red Sox’s historic World Series win a few years ago. Being from New England, although I’m apathetic to the team, I did get a kick out of this. It recalls Christian’s expression “That’s why the Red Sox will never win the World Series”, his resignation that fate ultimately decided his life, not free will. The Red Sox “breaking the curse” as many fans call it offers a strong argument for free will. And such an argument would be a great motivator for Jack to get on board with what The Others want him to do.

Recalling “Live Together, Die Alone”, we’re reminded that little time has passed since Ben’s captivity to the present, which is easy to forget with weekly installments and hiatuses, unless there is a constant reminder like on “24”. There are only a few weeks on the island until the terrible tsunami that hit the day after Christmas. That could certainly affect what’s happening on the island, but hopefully they won’t explain that something on the island triggered it, which would be in bad taste.

Considering the events we left off with on the various characters on the island, this didn’t feel like the logical second step. Technically it wasn’t. Of course, the technique of only covering a few people per episode is still a little frustrating the second time around, but it did work out as the second season gelled.

Overall Score: 7/10