LOST Podcast: The Transmission

We’re spent. It may just be the shock of the final reveal (and the exploding and disappearing and everything else), but I’m putting this season’s finale as the best yet. Oh, there was a big giant Pandora’s box or two opened, and the requisite handful of new nagging questions, but in terms of delivering a dramatic punch, a full sprint of plot and action, and major pointers as to the mythological direction of “LOST,” we couldn’t have asked for more. Every strength of the show was serviced tonight, and the only downside to this high is the inevitable crash tomorrow. We’ll have to wait more than seven months to pick up where we left off.

And I do think we will move forward, now, from the near present. Perhaps even the true present. (No issues with Walt’s age, now.) Mr. Bentham’s ominous tale of how things went south on the island after the Oceanic Six escaped perfectly sets up the island as flashback territory… the clever inverse of the first three seasons. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Ben turned the wheel and moved the island, a mind-boggling action that also comes with another rule: whoever invokes the measure of last resort “can’t” return. We also know from his arm injury that he goes straight from the deep Earth chamber to the desert of Tunisia. We see how the Oceanic Six come together and get off the island, and also the setup for their return. We see Sawyer sacrifice himself after a smooch that no doubt gave shippers a thrill, but we also see Desmond and Penny reunited — the kiss of the whole show, bar none. And we finally learn who was in the coffin.

Jen is immensely relieved to learn who was in the coffin. She demanded to know, out loud, every ten minutes during the last hour of the finale. Considering that Season 1 left us looking down a mysterious hatch, even I was convinced until the very last moment that they just might go there… the just might leave us hanging. And we both wouldn’t have guessed who Mr. Bentham turned out to be.

Jen’s also convinced that Jin is dead. I have to admit, it looks pretty dire. He does have a couple of things going for him, though. One, Sun is convinced enough of his possible survival that she’s going to engage in some pretty big corporate shenanigans with Charles Widmore. Two, just like the three gunshots that were supposed to have robbed us of Jin, Sayid and Bernard on the beach, I don’t think any “off-screen deaths” have really stuck. Hell, on-screen deaths don’t stick. (At least Keamy’s sudden reappearance got a token explanation.) With Locke apparently going back as carry-on luggage, after all, his story is obviously not done. Look at what happened with the last person Jack transported in a coffin.

For all the big details, though, it’s the little things that made tonight’s episode so satisfying. The way the episode opened at the exact moment Season 3 ended (tires screeching with the quick fade to black). Hurley’s awkward greeting for Jack, and real gratitude to Sawyer for coming back for him. Locke’s confidence with Jack (“Just watch what I’m about to do”) but befuddlement with anthuriums. The way Michael released Jin to be a father, and the way the island finally released him. The way Ben… did everything, from referencing time-traveling bunnies to the utterly cold way he reacted to dooming the freighter. Miles’ scolding from Rose, and cryptic message for Charlotte, who almost instantly becomes the new character whose story we’re desperate to hear.

Too many great moments to mention. With our minds spinning, we’re simply reduced to bullet points.

Notes and Notions:

• The conversation between Jack and Locke goes to the very heart of the overall “LOST” story arc. If you haven’t recently revisited the conversation mentioned tonight, from the episode “White Rabbit,” you should read it again. And remember, that was Season 1, Episode 5.
• What is Sun up to? Helping Mr. Widmore, or duping him? The why, at least, seems pretty clear. But she’s right, the Oceanic Six weren’t the only ones that got off the island. And joining Ben in the bonus set are Frank and Desmond.
• Locke’s pseudonym off island was Jeremy Bentham. Philosopher, yes. Also a guy who willed his body to be put on display. It’s still in a glass case at University College London.
• Hurley’s mention of Mr. Eko was a nice touch, because I do sometimes get the sense that there are parts of the show’s past that they’d rather we just forget.
• The moment you heard Sayid’s voice at the car window, you knew that guy was toast. And of course his time of death was 8:15.
• More Sawyer nicknames, from “Sundance” for Jack to “Kenny Rogers” for Frank. And… shirtless on a beach with a pretty lady and a bottle of rum? It’s fanfic time.
• What happened to Daniel and his boatload of socks (or redshirts or background)? Are they stranded? Or, since “Alcatraz” apparently went with the main island, could they have gone along for the ride as well?
• Jack officially has a musical motif (along with Kate’s Patsy Cline). His last drive to the funeral parlor showed us his appreciation for “Nirvana.” Tonight, he rocked his way out to the big reveal with “The Pixies.”
• Yeah, so that was the “Frozen Donkey Wheel.” Ha ha. How literal and clever! Can we go back to metaphors for the next big twist?

A year ago, when we were similarly left stunned by the Season 3 finale, I wrote: “Suddenly I’m willing to entertain even the most ridiculous, crack-pot theories. Because I have no idea where ‘LOST’ will take us next.” I am still happily along for the ride.

And Jen wrote: “Season 3 of Lost, to me, is one of the best seasons of television ever.” And Season 4 tops that.

The overall design of Season 4 has been genius, as the introduction of flash forwards have set us up for a most unique of season finales. We’re building to a climax from both the past and the future, and the energy seems fittingly magnified. Yet for all the tension coming to a head on the island, two off-island scenes tonight really stood out for me: the reunification of the Oceanic 6 and their families on the tarmac here in Honolulu, and Claire’s mom revealing to Jack that he had (or has) a sister. The latter because it’s a reveal that we knew was inevitable, but was still so pitch perfect it had me holding my breath. Matthew Fox was fantastic, showing the brutal impact of the devastating news in his face, and still again we know things that Claire’s mom and Kate so far don’t. As for their arrival in Hawaii, it was a powerful reminder of how “LOST” defies expectations. Here’s a scene we all had in our heads as the last scene of the entire series: some, but not all, of the crash survivors make it off the island. Yet we still have two more seasons to go. (more…)

The beautiful paradox of “LOST” is that, tonight, we have an episode that told us so much. Yet ultimately, at its core, the revelations are simple, basic, cutting right to the heart of the show we’ve loved for four years now. The quiet contentedness with which Ben shared Hurley’s candy bar said it all… without a single line. Tonight we saw the passing of the torch, the beginning of the next era for the island, and one that — perhaps foretold by Locke’s childhood choice of the knife — will be a tumultuous one. “Cabin Fever” directly takes us back to “Walkabout” from Season 1, the first episode to blow our minds, the first episode to put us on notice that “LOST” was up to something big. Locke’s destiny has been waiting for him since birth. Through immaturity, circumstance, and stubborn choice, he rejected that fate. But after a season of insecurity and confusion, it looks like he’s finally on track. Just in time to face an oncoming armageddon, a torching of the island. (more…)

If last week’s episode was a taste of action adventure, “Something Nice Back Home” brings us back to the character drama. There was a heap of ‘shipper fodder and a dabble of mystery, and in between a substantial serving of connecting the dots. Jack and Kate play house and bliss out, only to have it all go to hell (starting the descent into “we have to go back” Jack from the end of Season 3). And why? Ominous warnings from a Hurley who’s become accustomed to visits by Charlie but doubts reality, and hauntings by his dad. Claire’s dad, as well, and his comfy T-shirted appearance on the island is perhaps this week’s most confounding moment. Was he there or wasn’t he? Did Miles see him, or just “see” him? And why nab Claire and not Aaron?

I was reminded immediately of Claire’s last abduction in Season 1, and the fact that it never was fully addressed until Season 2. Meaning I’m not exactly holding my breath for all the answers to this mystery. Still, given that Christian Shephard has haunted us since the pilot, and has surfaced (in blurry profile) in Jacob’s cabin, his role in “LOST” is clearly pivotal.

Aaron’s fate, as well, finds us looking back this week, with Charlie’s message from beyond the grave. Jack’s not supposed to raise him, he says, the same message Claire got from the psychic in Australia before boarding the plane. Interesting that Jack’s fitness to be a father, and his insecurities, appear to be the tipping point for his downward spiral.

Of course, Kate’s mysterious mission for Sawyer couldn’t have helped. And what could that promise have been? The last selfless sacrifice we saw Sawyer make was for dear Clementine, his presumed daughter with Cassidy. Her phone conversation (“I can stay for an hour”) sounds more like a babysitting emergency than a playdate. But if she is meeting with Cassidy, surely she’d remember meeting her before?

For those holding out hope for Danielle and (maybe) Karl, Miles discovery of their bodies is about as definitive an end as you can get. It was nice, though, to see Miles’ abilities get a workout. In addition to giving us some hope that the stories of the dead could still be told, there were certainly hints that Miles was picking up something special from Claire and Aaron. His odd request to hold the baby suggests he’d probably get a brainload of information from physical contact. But Sawyer wasn’t having any of that… to hilarious effect.

“Back off, Donger.” Jen’s favorite line of the night. Mine? Daniel asks what’s powering the medical hatch. Charlotte replies, “Add that one to the list.”

As for the whole appendicitis detour, it certainly can’t have been introduced for dramatic effect. After all, we know Jack lives. Still, I thought it was well played for the characters’ sake. Jack the control freak had to surrender fully to Juliet. Juliet came to terms with Jack’s love of Kate, and gave it over to her. Bernard revealed even more hidden talents (Jen’s quickly promoting him up her list of most interesting characters). And finally, the ever wise Rose asks the most important question: “Why now?”

Yes indeed, people get sick, but not on the island. His falling ill is as mysterious, then, as Ben’s spinal tumor.

Notes and Notions:

• Jack steps on a Millenium Falcon. The “Star Wars” shout-outs are almost getting to be too much.
• Jack’s reading “Alice in Wonderland,” a book oft invoked in “LOST,” cited in “LOST” analyses, and the source of at least two episode titles: “White Rabbit” and “Through the Looking Glass.” But… not the most conventional choice for a toddler.
• Am I the only one somewhat surprised to see Keamy and a fair number of soldiers still alive after the epic thrashing by the smoke monster last week? There better have been thirty of them.
• Lines were drawn several times between “Keamy and Friends” and Miles, Daniel and Charlotte. Miles says he “didn’t sign up for this,” and is generally becoming a more likable character. And Daniel, standing up to Charlotte, says they’re scientists who don’t want to see anyone hurt.
• The Daniel and Charlotte relationship also got a little more interesting. As was Charlotte’s grasp of Korean, which Jin picked up in a smile. Reminiscent of when Kate discovered Sun’s grasp of English. Was it just me, or did she also smile after Jin told her to save Sun?
• Mysterious forces are delivering different messages. Charlie tells Hurley to tell Jack that he can’t raise Aaron. But Christian Shephard (or “Christian Shephard”) separates Aaron from the person we’re told should raise Aaron. Which is it?
• By this point in the future, has Jack already figured out that Claire’s his sister (and that Aaron is his nephew)? When he snaps at Kate he says, “Your son? You’re not even related to him!” And he is? Deliciously ambiguous.
• The timeline was tough to unscramble. We know the flash-forward sequences tonight take place after the trial, but presumably before the end of Season 3. And the newspaper he reads is a pretty explicit marker, too. Folks at The Fuselage have already pegged the story as an article from the New York Times published on August 31, 2007.