Last week’s episode was a tough act to follow, to be sure. And any episode that comes before a season finale will feel more like an appetizer than a feast. But I couldn’t quite get into “Three Minutes.” Eko’s parable, Sawyer’s confession, and the return of Walt (and Vincent) were memorable, and the clues in the scene with Mrs. Klugh were no doubt significant. Tonight’s story felt like the deep breath before the dive, though — like “LOST” was just tying some things down and dropping some dramatic dead weight before the climax.
Maybe it was the all-island flashback, reminiscent of “The Other 48 Days,” where we’re distracted by assorted scenes we’ve seen before. Or maybe it’s because we’ve seen so little of Michael, it’s hard to empathize with him. Whatever the reason, “Three Minutes” felt awkward. Even the funeral seemed like a mere formality. Out of sync with the mood and pace of the better episodes this season.
But we’re a week away from the season finale, so perhaps we shouldn’t quibble.
Several subplots were nudged forward tonight. Claire letting Charlie back in, if only just a little, and Charlie rejecting the heroin… for real this time. Mr. Eko giving up on his church and skipping out on the funeral (you’d think even a fake priest would feel obligated to attend) to assume button duty. Meanwhile it looks like Locke –- the wise but tough original Locke — might be back. But where’s he going?
The “Others” camp to the north was where the latest clues were dropped. They do appear to live as Michael said, yet Walt blurted out that they’re pretending, that they’re not who they say they are. Mrs. Klugh, while echoing Michael’s courtroom flashback, alludes to Walt’s special powers. And the “Others” have cherry picked four survivors that Michael is struggling to deliver.
So yet another list, but is this one also the “good people”? We doubt it. Jen figures it’s because Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Hurley are leaders or in some way would hinder an attempt to take over the rest of the survivors. I’m focused on Michael’s statement that those four know… something. What, I’m not sure. It can’t be knowledge of Henry (the whole camp knew) or the first encounter with Zeke (Locke was there). Either way, this list was different.
Jen’s primary beef with “Three Minutes” is that we’re not given a satisfactory explanation for why Ana Lucia and Libby had to die. Yes, a father would do anything, yada yada yada, but there are a multitude of ways Henry could have been freed and the survivors riled up without such a drastic turn. Mrs. Klugh had an interesting line: “They’ll be so angry, they’ll do whatever you say.” Did she expect Michael to figure it out, or forsee what he’d ultimately do? Jen was looking for Ana Lucia and Libby to be targeted somehow, but if Mrs. Klugh said anything, it ended up on the cutting room floor.
I’m heartened, at least, that Michael’s bizarre behavior has finally triggered some alarm bells. Sayid’s figured it out, and I expect Jack already had his suspicions. Mr. Eko’s story of the kid killing the dog implies he’s onto Michael too. Now, a double double-cross in the making.
And how about that boat? We have absolutely no idea what to think about that. (At least without sipping from the spoiler tap.) It ain’t the boat Michael had in mind. If it’s the boat Desmond used to race around the world, where has it been all this time? Unless Desmond’s on board, and his hatch story was complete hogwash.
Notes and Notions:
- Michael used a compass? Wasn’t it bluntly established that compasses were useless on the island?
- Speaking of magnetic anomalies, Mr. Eko discovered the mysterious humming wall in the hatch. For now he’s content pushing the button, but perhaps he’ll explore a little deeper than the other survivors have so far.
- It was good to see Alex again. Jen liked that it turned out that she was at the forest confrontation, but that she wasn’t the one to produce Kate. She’s pretty chatty for a Zeke minion, and clearly hasn’t bought into the whole operation. I hope we see more of her in the future. Heck, I hope we see more of Danielle, too.
- Why would anyone inject himself with a random needle? Though I guess if anyone would, Charlie would.
- Locke gives up on the button, and Eko takes over. Eko gives up on his church, leaving it to Charlie. Doesn’t anyone ever finish anything?
- Two more people are seen getting knocked out cold by blows to the head. Jen asked, “Has anyone compiled the concussion list yet?”
- The Sawyer and Jack scene was odd, but entertaining. (It probably rekindled a whole ‘nother branch of fan fiction.) Sawyer’s definitely back on a softer cycle. Jack didn’t seem inclined to dissuade Sawyer from thinking he and Kate “got caught in a net” — you know, that way.
Links:
- Playing ‘The Lost Experience’? Share your latest discoveries here.
- My photos of the DHARMA camp seen in tonight’s episode.
- “Three Minutes” discussion threads at TheFuselage.com and Lost-Forum.com
So Michael wasn’t lying when he said the ‘Others’ were living in worse conditions than the ‘Lostees’ – tents, teepees, etc. As he saw it, that’s really the way things were. He just conveniently left out his deal with the devil. (And they MUST do something to explain the real-life aging of Walt… he looked SO OLD.)
I understand why they’d want Jack (doctor) and Hurley (some connection to the numbers)… but why Kate and Sawyer? And if Henry Gale was supposed to be bringing Locke to the ‘Others’ why wasn’t he on that list that Michael was given?
This episode furthered the plot along and bridged the gap between what happened to Michael and his return, but I thought it was a bit forced… and I was totally expecting something bigger to have happened to Michael while in captivity to justify killing two ‘friends’ and shooting himself.
did one of the others look like desmond to anyone else?
SO where was Locke going, all healed again.? Now eko is bound to the hatch. I liked the story he told Michael about the dog and hell. Made michael toss his cookies. Cant wait for next week!
I have to say I was disappointed by tonight’s episode. IMHO the show is really starting to fray at the edges — there are so many times I’m finding myself questioning why the characters are acting the way they are. The whole thing with Michael coming back to commit murder instead of simply telling Jack “we have to gather everyone, every weapon, and go take the Others down.” And Jack buying Michael’s desparate “we have to do this my way” act? Please. And how about Walt looking like he aged about 18 months in less than 13 days? I want to think the show is headed somewhere but I have a feeling we are getting close to a jump the shark moment.
I feel dumb… what is a “jump the shark” moment? did I miss a joke?
anyway, I feel the show is growing more complex and I am really loving it!
I think the ‘others’ are experimenting on Walt and that is why he’s aged… he said they make him take tests…. Also, I think Sayid has intrigued Jack enough that he is becoming suspicious of Michael…we’ll see, oh yes… we will see….
Excellent episode in my opinion. Looking forward to next week’s episode; a Desmond flashback episode, so I’m assuming that Desmond is on that boat.
Jump the shark is in reference from Happy Days when Fonze was water skiing and “jumped over a shark cage”. As soon as the show aired..it hit rock bottom. So, when a show does something..stupid or just..really way out in left field..it’s called a “Jump the Shark” moment. At least that is how I word it.
As for this episode..I’m going to have to drink a LOT to make it through next weeks show..what a build up.
I still can’t believe that Michael will be given back Walt and a boat if he follows orders. Why does Michael find it so easy to believe this B.S.? What ever happened to Michael’s memories from the close of last season when Michael and our two other raftees (Sawyer and Jin) were told that they couldn’t take “the boy” aka Walt with them? Why does Michael find the offer from the Others to be so believable? However, you gotta admit that the appearance of the boat was a nice piece of bait being thrown in Michael’s face—but, haven’t most of us been the victims of “bait and switch” (at one time or another).
Wow, we finally get to see Walt. It seems that Walt isn’t what the “others” thought that he was. Also there is another list of four people that is important to the others. Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Hugo. Walt also says that the others are “pretending” and that they are not who they say they are. And for crying out loud, how does Locke know that Sawyer is James Ford? There was so much to digest in this episode that my head is going to explode. I’m glad they finally dealt with the death of Ana Lucia and Libby. Sawyer had an out of body experience actually revealing to Jack that he was the closest thing to a friend that he has not that Ana Lucia is gone. Charlie exorcises his demons by disposing of the heroin Marys. Locke does his miraculous walking again and is has the call of the wild. I hope nothing happens to Kate. We’re running out of good looking women on the island. Although April Grace made an appearance as the liason between Michael and the others. And the sailboat? What the hell? I can’t wait for the season finale. **Spoiler Alert** In the previews for the season finale they show Charlie lighting some explosive, Jack finds the door to another hatch, someone is turning a “Dharma key”, Desmond running through the woods, the blast doors come down on Mr. Eko, the countdown reaches zero, Locke is trying to bash the computer, Kate is either shot (oh god no) or falls down and the group of 5 finds hundreds of thermos sized silver canisters with blue caps.
Ira, the reason they don’t do it the way you say, is because that would really be dull and boring. If you want to see that sort of beahvior, go out wand watch people walking along the street and driving cars, and going shopping… it’s dull. No one wants to see that.
Jump the shark? Hardly.
So,
1.) Michael, the Fool
2.) Sayid, the Hero
3.) Locke, the Victim
4.) Ecko, the Wise Man
5.) Jack, the follower who believes he’s the Leader
Nothing is what it seams to be.
Everything happens for a reason…
We still have to wait 90 minutes more to see this one. Sigh.
A quick reminder, comments related to ‘The Lost Experience’ (i.e. tonight’s new commercial and website) should go over here.
I wish they allowed Micahel’s character to do more than yell. If I hear “I just want my son!” or some other variation of that, one more time…….
All I can say, Eko’s stick and a beat down.
Besides that, it isn’t as satisfying when an episode is a set up for the finale, but it is definitely necessary. The writers and producers have been very clever in making us want more as the season progresses. The “Others” seem a lot less technologically advanced than I imagined. The Claire flashbacks led me to believe they were a lot more “tech”
I just hope for a satisfying finale. One that answers some questions and then ticks me off until the fall……………
I JUST WANT MY SON!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As usual, more questions asked than answered. The series finale is going to have to be 5 hours long just to answer everything the way this is going.
I want Michael ..to be Next To Die, He killed Two People…..Just to
GET MY SON!!!!, Lame and weak….
I am a dad….kill to Protect Kill To save
But Not Kill Kill on a promise..of something that May happen….
He would have been at least believeable had he been Brainwashed.
Hugo Should Eat Him. mr. Eko should Emoliate, Him Kate Should Shoot him in the Belly, Sayid Should….Kill him Bahgdad Style and Locke should Carve him Up..Oh Jack could Bore him to death….with a lecture…..
April Grace is a Delight to behold….
I am in love……..
to Me this was worst episode to date…
ONLY Saved By April Grace
I also thought I saw Desmond at the OthersCamp. He was one of the first people they passed by, and it was a very quick glance. I’m awaiting some caps to confirm or deny.
i am truly surprised by all the comments tonite and REALLY looking forward to what Ryan and Jen have to offer.
although i didn’t find this episode to be great, it certainly wasn’t a ‘jump the shark’ moment (and Jim you did a great job describing that hollywood terminology). this weeks episode was definately a set-up for the finale (2 glorious hours of LOST — can’t you just taste it???) and offers up just enough questions to knock us outta the park next week … at least according to JJ, who is being quoted in every publication as stating that LOST’s finale is his best ever. i disagree, however, with all the crosstalk about the others living in squalor and not being as technologically advanced as we thought. i mean, there were TWO armed guards flanking what is obviously another hatch door … so it is my belief that the tents and teepees and whatnot are merely another ‘show’ that the Others use as a mind trip … remember: they aren’t what/who they say they are. as for Walt aging so much? well … that’s what happens when you have a pre-pubescent boy take an entire season off. all of a sudden the actor shows up for work and hes grown three inches. hats off to the writers if they can work that into the storyline. i am very intrigued by the desmond storyline … always wondered where the hell HE ran off to. and cheers all around for Sayid. can’t pull nuthin over his eyes … and good thing, too, or all the losties would be running into the jungle with handguns and homemade spears.
Anyone else find it curious each character’s full name was on that piece of paper? i don’t know, it just seemed so …. deliberate …
Of course the teepees and tents are a decoy. Remember that Goodwin, and Ethan, and “Henry Gale” all showed up perfectly clean shaved, clothes clean and pressed. If they had been living off dried fish in tents on the beach for who knows how long, they would have been dirty and wrinkled, at the very least.
I didn’t think the episode was so bad. At least it raised a lot of questions. The finale is gonna be a killer (in more ways than one? Oh please, not Kate!).
BTW, what happened to Sun’s perfectly idiomatic English? (“Boat! Boat!” — were those lines supposed to be for Jin?) And another silly thought: how the heck did Vincent get so fat? Is there a big bag of Dharma Dog Chow?
I think the entire promo for 5/24 got me buzzing. I got more from that than the entire episode. (short of Walt saying they were pretending)
The pile of canisters from the tube, complete with one open book in the last shot.
A picture someone turning a Swan embossed key.
I think it was Desmond running in the jungle, but I have my doubts… looked ALOT more like the guy from the photo Desmond took.
I enjoyed this episode. Though it was more of a tease — an appetizer for the finale, if you will — and I was bummed that of the 65 minutes (with commercials) a good 15-20 of that was footage we’d already seen. We’re getting a real shake-up here.
I think that most of what’s going on with “the Others” and their camp is a red herring. As many folks above have pointed out, we *know* that the Others and their rag-tag appearance is not all it’s made out to be. (Mr Friendly and Alex, at least, have been in hatches at various points… and doesn’t Michael think it’s odd that Mr Friendly’s beard is now significantlylonger and greyer than a few years ago?) Walt also tells us that they’re “pretending.” I have a feeling that beneath some of the canvas covers to the tents are the openings to more hatches. Otherwise, this is just too much to give away in the penultimate episode.
I wonder if the Others weren’t wrong about Walt. (Mrs Clue certainly seemed doubtful.) Maybe they suspected that someone powerful was on the plane and thought it was Walt for whatever reason, but it’s not. And so they’ve broadened their search. Or maybe they just got what they need from Walt. (Blood samples?) Either way, how can Michael be dumb enough to believe that they’d let him and Walt go?
Interesting that of the four people on the new list, three of them (definitely Sawyer and Hurley, and as far as I can tell Kate as well) have gone by at least a partial alias (do we know what Kate’s real last name is? I think she’s used a few.). But Mr Eko, for instance, is not on the list.
And what’s up with Alex? Is she sympathetic to the Losties? Or is she just hoping to get some kind of word about her mother?
I can’t believe I now have to wait a week…
Excellent episode! I really like the comment made towards the end “they are pretending” – wow, that really opens up yet another huge can of worms. I can’t wait to see who the “others” really are!
Did I hear correctly, when an “OTHER” took a blood sample from Mike, he stated something like “I’ll see you in the funny pages?” I hope this is not a Walt comic book caper, dream sequence. Just my thought I hope Im wrong… 1 more week.
I definately agree that Walt could have riled them up to go after the Others besides shooting Ana Lucia (I don’t think he mean to kill Libby- she happened to be on the way).
But I do believe that even though Walt knows deep down that the Others are lying, he is still willing to do anything to get his son back.
At the end he can tell himself that he did everything he could. He did his Dharma as a father and was not concerned with the Karma of his actions
What did people think of the dialogue in this episode? It appears, as the season draws to a close, the writers are forcing explanations out the mouths of the actors the way meat is forced through a grinder. Like Ryan, I felt the episode was terribly awkward.
More on the “not what they seem to be”
Many are turning away from what they were (this can also be known as repentance):
1 Eco stops building the church.
2 Charlie repudiates heroin
3 Locke leaves the hatch
4 The Others are not what they seem
5 Michael has “changed.”
6 Sawyer softens up
I can accept this is a setup for next week … why was the episode called “Three Minutes”?
There is definitely someone who looks a lot like Desmond at the Others’ camp. He’s sitting outside a tent, with a stone in his right hand.
What surprised me a bit was that they used subtitles to indicate the date: 11 days ago, today, etc. I think they only did the same thing on “The Other 48 Days”.
I’m terribly excited about the season finale, although that’ll mean no more Lost for some months.
JUST SAY NO THANK YOU!
Herion inside the statue of the Virgin Mary = religion is the opiate of the masses?
Just a cliche or a subplot or a CUSE RUSE?
What about the half broken statue of the Virgin Eko looks at under his shoe on his hunt for the “question mark”? Did anyone notice that the substance on the writing table attached to the chairs in the viewing room of the Pearl station looked like chunks of the herion (same color and clay like appearance) and the little straw left on the table? Perhaps some of the Dharma folks got messed up snorting drugs and things started to go wrong with their mission as they got strung out! I mean come on, aren’t the “others” acting a little crazed?
“and Charlie rejecting the heroin… for real this time.”
Oh, you know those Virgin Mary statues will be floating back to shore eventually…everything always does…the bottle, the raft (what was left of it)…I’m afraid this storyline isn’t quite over.
I cried when Walt and Michael enbraced and Walt said, “Dad, I love you!” I’m such a sap, but I couldn’t help it. I keep wanting to be angry at Michael for the shootings, but then I put myself back in his shoes…what would I do if it were my son? Anything and everything I possibly could, I think.
It was awfully convinient that the 4 people on the Mrs Klugh’s list just happened to be the 4 people who arrived a the hatch to see Libby and Ana-Lucia killed…
Sawyer
Kate
Hurley
Jack
never mind … I guess it was because Michael got “three minutes” with his son. Didn’t pick up on that the first time 🙂
When Michael was puking in the woods was it because he was sick emotionally or because he was injected with some sort of sickness at the “others” camp?
GMHJr — Michael gets “3 minutes” with Walt.
Another “notion” to add to Ryan and Jen’s list that bugged me: Kate should have overheard the conversation between Zeke and Michael, no? If she did, why is she staying quiet? She’s still not told anyone about the fake beards she found….
How does Michael think that the Others are living in worse conditions that they are? Their lodgings seem much better (even though they probably live inside the hatch). It seems like there were a lot of folks wandering around that camp. I still wonder if there’s not another group of Others somewhere – the ones Danielle refers to. Where are all the children we saw walking through the jungle? Something tells me that we may see an alliance between these Others with Zeke and our losties. The real enemy may be some other group.
Just a note to clarify what “jump the shark” is all about. The term is, indeed, tied to a “Happy Days” episode in which Fonzie is water skiing and jumps over a shark cage. However, the phrase isn’t about putting something in a show that then causes ratings to plummet. Rather, Fonzie’s jumping of the shark was an attempt to boost ratings which were already in decline. Thus, “jumping the shark” is generally meant as a comment on something (usually absurd) intended to reinvigorate a failing (and now flailing) program.
Ryan and Jen, I still miss The Transmission podcasts! Mahalo for continuing to offer us your after-episode views in writing.
Amy — I got the impression — however absurd this is — that Kate did not hear Michael and Zeke/Mr Friendly or Alex. Why she’s keeping the fake beard secret is anybody’s guess… except that the costume she found was what Mr Friendly was wearing on the boat (Kate never saw this one) and not what he was wearing during the jungle encounter. Maybe she hasn’t made the connection. She doesn’t have Tivo and the internet. =)
I agree with many who are just so tired of Michael’s ravings. I’m having trouble understanding his motivation to shoot Ana Lucia and Libby, then himself. Seems like the instructions from the others were not that explicit.
A thought on the Others…they are constrained by something in how they can interact with our guys. I get the feeling that they are also pawns in an experiment, and that they are not the power brokers we had been thinking they were. Maybe they’re trying to solve the mystery of the island just like the rest of us.
Hurray for Charlie having a “good” day.
I am in total agreement with Faraway J. Michael is the most annoying lost character. If he is not yelling, “WAAAAAALT!” he is screaming , “I want my son back.”
Hello Michael…..your hands are tired behind your back and your butt was kicked and you are still demanding the others do what you say. How about a little reverse psychology. Get a grip!
I think that Jack, Sawyer, Hurley and Kate are on the list because they have all seen things on the island. Jack saw his dad, Kate and Sawyer saw the horse and Hurley saw Dave.
Sayid’s comment to Jack about a father doing anything for his son was interesting. Did Jack’s dad do something for Jack at the end of his life, which will be revealed later?
I think Ryan’s “more appetizer than feast” statement about sums this one up. But now, is the stage not well set? I’m pretty excited for next week.
I’m not sure what I was “intended” to feel, but seeing Michael struck with so many visual reminders of what he’s done and is doing, well.. I actually felt slightly sympathetic.
The others set out to trap Michael and then to fully break him. Was it Walt he was communicating with in the Swan? No, the others appeared to have full control of Walt and I don’t believe he could have gotten that message out. Plus, they were clearly waiting for Michael AND knew his friends were following – did the Swan camera give it away? Is that also perhaps why Mrs. Klugh made the statement to Michael (“They’ll be angry, they’ll do whatever you say.”), because she was aware of the manner by which he left? Regardless, there was a lot of intent involved, further evidenced by the fact that she had Walt waiting right outside the tent for her call. The moment Walt was dragged from the tent screaming was the moment Michael broke.
I wonder what type of advantage Sayid will propose to create, the “double double-cross”? Better to walk into a trap knowing that it’s a trap, but.. you’re still walking into a trap.
That’s my two cents for now. Hope everyone is well!
I really enjoyed the episode, but Ryan has an EXCELLENT point about the compass. Seems that having several writer has a downside. Oh, Continuity Girl…
And thank god for Sayid! Sawyer seemed suspicious of Michael and even Kate thought he was going overboard, but Jack was just going along.
I thought last nite’s episode was great. Walt revealing that the Others are not what they appear to be. I had a feeling when Michael came running out to Jack and Kate that he had been “tainted” by the Others, because why would they let him go? That’s not like them. And why would he trust them? When “Zeke” and the others first take Walt away they are on a small power boat, which means that it can’t go far. I think the island is close to some other land. And my theory on the “Blake Smoke” that Eko faced off was because they put Walt in that room that he was scared of. Remember that Polar bear chased Walt and Michael right after Walt put down the comic that showed the scary looking polar bear. Atleast those were my thoughts when Walt mentioned the dark room. Walt has some very “special paranormal” powers. I think he’s also the reason the plane crashed. I also believe that the reason why there are two guards at the hatch at the Others camp has 1) the missing children are in there, 2) the mastermind behind the Others in in there. I think it was great when Mr. Ecko told the story of the boy and the dog to Michael. I think he told him that because he suspects Michael killed Ana Lucia and Libby and that’s what made Michael throw up in the woods—Guilt!!!!! And Sawyer showing actually behaving like a decent person—-WOW!!!!!!! He actually showed some sorrow, and some jealousy when Jack told him that he and Kate were “caught in a net” LOL…….. And then Charlie telling Ecko that he and his “Jesus stick” could move his own things into the hatch was sooo funny!!! Don’t mean to go on and on….but I liked last’s nite’s episode.
Also…. did anyone else notice that when Mr. Ecko went to the computer to type in the numbers that the cross he wears was sticking straight out?
And Mr Eko saw his brother. And Charlie saw Aaron drowning. So where does that leave us?
But Eko saw his brother and Charlie saw Aaron drowning in their dreams. Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Hurley saw their visions while awake.
And Sayid saw Walt with Shannon
Who is Mr. Friendly?
Sorry, I think I just figured it out. Is it the guy who Walt first came up to when he set out with the guns? Also, I am confused about the boat. Is that the boat they promised to Michael or is that a different boat? Or do we even know?
Mr. Friendly is Zeke, aka the guy with the beard.