Lost (Spoilers)

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Now that I am completely caught up with Doctor Who, I FINALLY started watching Lost (for the first time, so no “spoilers”!) over the weekend. Three episodes in, I must admit I find myself caught up in the intrigue. It reminds me a bit of Marvel’s Skull the Slayer, but less super-heroey. I’m paying very close attention (or trying to) to all the hints and details. One of the “mysteries” on which I speculated in part one of the pilot has already been resolved in part two, so it’s a moot point.

I expect this is going to be a bit like a 1940s movie serial (but slicker) in that some bits are going to left out only to be revealed later. The hero’s car goes over the cliff at the end of one installment, but we’re not shown him jumping out until the beginning of the next. I’ve already seen that to some extent. For example, Kate is left alone with the US marshal, and shortly thereafter, the other guy shoots him in the chest with the gun Kate was holding. There’s a scene missing!

I like Kate, though. I think I’m supposed to at this point, but I also think I’ve made the right decision. She saved the farmer’s life at the risk of being captured in the flashback, but even more telling, she affixed the oxygen mask to the marshal’s face when he was unconscious.

I do think watching shows on DVD is the way to go. Based on a strong opening season, I watched Heroes for three years only to have it cancelled out from under me with no resolution (rumors of a TV movie to tie up loose ends notwithstanding). What a waste of my time! At least I know going in I won’t have that problem with Lost.

[Doctor Hmmm?]

But ya doesn't have to call him Johnson.

[KSwolf]

His official name in the scripts was the "Man in Black" - at least when Titus Welliver was playing him. Once he took on John' Locke's form, he was simply referred to as "Locke".

By the way, Jeff, are these the dolls you mentioned?

http://captaincomics.ning.com/group/theshadowofthestatue/forum/topi...

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Possibly. I didn't see them myself and Tracy didn't point them out to me because of spoilers. Last night was watched the episode that dealt with the birth and early life of Jacob and his brother (unnamed in the episode by I like the idea of calling him "Esau"). This is an episode I've really been looking forward to for some time, not only because it reveals the origin of the "smoke monster," but mainly because it shows how and why the wheel was built. Like Quentin Collins' "staircase through time," I don't need to know how it works so much as the circumstances under which it was built.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

I finished watching Lost over the weekend and was pretty certain going in that I would be satisfied with the conclusion. Frankly, the third-last episode cleared up any remaining questions I had (except one), leaving the last two to tie up loose ends in a neat little bow. Some characters live, some die, but they all end up together in their bubble of “imaginary time” in the end (whether they actually “lived happily ever” or not) before moving on to whatever is next. A reality in which time does not pass and everything happens in the “now” is common in comic books, but this is the best example of it (not to mention the only one I can think of) I have seen on the small screen.

Now to read the thread about the end of Lost…

[Philip Portelli]

What's your remaining question, if you don't mind me asking?

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Actually, I have two questions:

1) How did Hugo acquire the nickname “Hurley”?

2) How could the others possibly think of themselves as “the good guys”? (Actually I'm not real clear on their motives for a lot of their actions.)

By the way, if anyone hasn't heard the news, the complete series box set is supposed to contain a ton of extras that will give us some more concrete explanations of some of the shows mysteries. Supposedly it’s going to contain a whole series of new DHARMA videos which will give us more details about that organization's history and inner workings. And according to rumors on several forums, there will also be some additional flashback scenes featuring Jacob and the Man in Black which will give more details on the island's history and purpose.

Well, drat.

[Philip Portelli]

They never did answer the Hugo/Hurley name. Maybe Hugo decided after his time in the mental hospital to seperate himself from his past by calling himself Hurley.

The Others thought they were the "good guys" because they felt they were chosen by Jacob and both the Dharma Initiative and our "LOSTies" were intruders.

[Ana Canino-Fluit (Anacoqui- mod)]

They thought they were the good guys because they saw themselves as protecting the Source from those who would use or abuse it. Everything else they did was justified because of it.


Philip Portelli said:

They never did answer the Hugo/Hurley name. Maybe Hugo decided after his time in the mental hospital to seperate himself from his past by calling himself Hurley.

The Others thought they were the "good guys" because they felt they were chosen by Jacob and both the Dharma Initiative and our "LOSTies" were intruders.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Ana Canino-Fluit (Anacoqui) said:

They thought they were the good guys because they saw themselves as protecting the Source from those who would use or abuse it. Everything else they did was justified because of it.

Yes, that I get. But why kidnap/recruit some of the survivors and not others? Since the Others didn't really want the survivors there, why not help them get off the island? If they wanted the existence of the island kept secret, why terrorize the survivors? why not just live and let live? Why kidnap Walt (or any of the kids, for that matter)? What kind of "tests" did they make him take and for what purpose? Given that Ben wasn't really following Jacob, I just chalk it up to the fact that Ben is a damaged individual doing what he thought was for the best. But it's still difficult to reconsile everyone else more-or-less blindly following him. Especially that stew, Cindy. She was pretty quick to drink the Kool Ade (yeah, yeah... I know it was really "Flavor-Ade"). It doesn't affect my enjoyment of the show any, but from season two on I kept waiting for the circumstances to be revealed that they really were the "good guys."

[KSwolf]

Jeff of Earth-J said:

Actually, I have two questions:

1) How did Hugo acquire the nickname “Hurley”?

2) How could the others possibly think of themselves as “the good guys”? (Actually I'm not real clear on their motives for a lot of their actions.)

By the way, if anyone hasn't heard the news, the complete series box set is supposed to contain a ton of extras that will give us some more concrete explanations of some of the shows mysteries. Supposedly it’s going to contain a whole series of new DHARMA videos which will give us more details about that organization's history and inner workings. And according to rumors on several forums, there will also be some additional flashback scenes featuring Jacob and the Man in Black which will give more details on the island's history and purpose.

Well, drat.

You don't have much to worry about, Jeff - the rumors about all of the extras proved to be highly exaggerated. The only addition to the story is a "bonus episode" called "The New Man in Charge" which chronicles Hurley's first few days as caretaker of the island, and also features Ben and another character whose inclusion I won't spoil here. The episode does provide a few answers, but all in all, was a bit of a letdown. I believe it's also included on the season 6 set, so you should be able to watch it.

[Philip Portelli]

The kidnapping of Walt may have been due to Ben Linus' research after Flight 815 crashed where they know everything about everyone. They probably learned about Walt's "specialness" and Ben wanted to use Walt to his advantage. Claire and Aaron was about trying to prevent women from dying in their second trimester. Exactly how I'm not sure. It may have been grasping at straws.

The crash survivors that became integrated into the Others like Cindy were probably given the choice betweening joinng or dying though there could have been some brainwashing involved in Room 23. Also since no children were being born, they had to repopulate through capture.

I do remember a scene where Others Tom (Mr. Friendly) and Danny (Mr. Not Friendly) were arguing that Jack was not on Jacob's list. So either Ben was making up the list himself since he never spoke to Jacob or lists were coming from Richard who had spoke to him.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

KSwolf said:

The only addition to the story is a "bonus episode" called "The New Man in Charge" which chronicles Hurley's first few days as caretaker of the island, and also features Ben and another character whose inclusion I won't spoil here. The episode does provide a few answers, but all in all, was a bit of a letdown. I believe it's also included on the season 6 set, so you should be able to watch it.

I watched "The New Man in Charge" last night. Thanks for the heads up! You thought it was a letdown? My only complaint is that it was too short! It did answer a few minor questions, such as why the polar bears, what's the purpose of Room 23, what's the reason behind Chang going by "Mr. Halliwax" amd "Mr. Candle" at different times. I had kind of made up my own reasons based on logical interpolation such as Phillip's in the post directly above. Because, in an early episode, Hugo revealed that "Hurley" was a nickname and said, "Why Hurley? I'm not telling," I figured there was some story behind it. I'm going to assume at some point in his past he drank (or more likely ate) so much that he "hurled" a copious amount of food and/or drink.

I watched a few of the other special features, too, and came to a new appreciation of the "flash-sideways" I didn't have yesterday morning.