Something Nice Back Home

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.
This entry was posted in Notes. Bookmark the permalink.

86 Responses to Something Nice Back Home

  1. Kira says:

    Who else “choose to stay” on the Island? Jin? Rose? People speculated that Jin stayed after we saw the birth of Sun’s baby with his funeral. I thought her grief was very real for dead, not just gone, but I guess if you know you’ll never see or find someone again, they are as good as dead..

    I hope Sayid isn’t going to be the one to have to track down Penny and kill her..kinda think so..I really hope Desmond’s happy ending isn’t over too..

    Like someone mentioned, Kate and Sawyer’s baby Mama (forgot her name) have a history. Maybe they patched it up and she’s in her babysitting circle..doesn’t sound like a bunch of con artsist to me..Kate can lie like nobody’s business.

    Didn’t love the epi, didn’t hate it. Fave so far was ‘The Constant’.

  2. Jen says:

    Judi: I noticed that, too! I’m glad someone else saw it. I think it might have been a wayward crewmember or something.

  3. Bonita B says:

    Since I’m no Kate fan this episode made me impatient for the stronger talents and better stories of the other cast members. Matthew Fox definitely plays better with stronger talents, too.
    That said, this was a necessary balance to the previous action/packed stories and did provide a lot of good theory fodder. My favorite is Jack seeing his father and actions of Miles, Daniel and Charlotte.

  4. Bill says:

    I think the storytellers went way out of their way to indicate Future Jack had no appendectomy scar.

  5. Val says:

    Timeline questions: According to Lostpedia, The Yankees/Sox article WAS from August 2007.

    The obit Jack was reading at the end of last season (a Jack already marred by alcohol, pills, depression) was from April 8, 2007.

    So alternate realities? I’d say a big YES to that…unless one can get all sober and start another pill problem & grow a massive beard, repeatedly, in a four month span.

  6. Carrie says:

    I was wondering… when we see Frank run out of the jungle and meet up with Sawyer and his gang, didn’t it seem like Frank was running away from something? ( Keamy and his people, perhaps?) But yet, when Keamy meets up with Frank, it’s as if Frank was expecting them. Was Frank running from them, or did he just seem like he was? And why was he so concerned about Sawyer, Claire, Miles, and Aaron? Just wondering…… Why didn’t Frank try to hide as well?

  7. Tim says:

    Anyone have a clue as to where Jack’s new forearm tattoo came from? There is a great picture of it at lostpedia:http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Image:008.jpg.
    Am I missing something, that tattoo wasn’t there in the first two seasons was it?

  8. NuckinFuts says:

    This episode answered some things…but don’t forget how many new questions we are seeing…

    Wasn’t the guy in the preview for next week the guy who brought Ben and his father to the island? It looked like blood streaming down his nose from after the gas attack / purge? Is he Jacob? Naah…What was his name in real life? What could possibly be up w/ him communicating w/ Ben after Ben organized his death?

    If Claire was already dead like some have suggested….whoa….what does that mean about anyone we’ve seen this whole time? NaaFlack….She clearly interacted w/ many people who do not see the dead on a regular basis…and held things ( Aaron )…though he has been carried some by Hurley and some other 815ers. He has been in a laundry basket a lot lately I thought I would point out. Isn’t is Moses in the bible that was sent down a river in a basket? Although, imaginary people can throw coconuts at Hurley as we’ve seen from Dave…however nobody saw him run past in a robe or his shoe…hmmm.

    Great call on the smoke alarm…I would have never thought of that.

    Miles asks “Who are Karl and Danielle?” He knew all about Kate and enough it seems about Ben to know he has money and all, but seems to know little about these particular people? Danielle I can understand. But this means Widmore does not have his own complete “List” of Others.

    Perhaps Smokey decides who it will kill. Ben maybe called in the smoke, but obviously Smokey flashed their lives at them and decided to let people live. Ben maybe only knew it would be a distraction?

    Have a great weekend all – –

  9. Bill says:

    Nuckin, I thought the bloody-nose guy from next week was the character Horace Goodspeed. He brought Ben and his dad Roger to the island as a Dharma employee. He also was the Good Samaritan when Roger and wife were experiencing Ben’s untimely birth alongside the road.

    But didn’t he say, “I’ve been dead for 15 years.” ? If he were Goodspeed, could that be right?

  10. nerico says:

    OOOOOOHHHHH! OOOOOOHHHHH! OOOOOOHHHHH!
    (insert Arnold Horshack impersonation here)

    I promised myself just one posting this week but then I had this rush of ideas while answering another post elsewhere and I think I like it. The question was regarding the point of the appendicitis?

    I wrote … “It might also be setting it up so that Jack is strength/ability is compromised at the time that they have to do whatever it is that determines who and how they leave the island. Either he makes a mistake at least partly because of it or maybe even that it gets him a seat on the chopper/freighter because he needs medical attention.

    A possible explanation behind the Oceanic 6 is that the space is limited and a decision to prioritize has to be made (by a few or by all).

    1. Sayid is already on the boat. (which opens up the possibility that Desmond is also off island, though incognito since he is not a passenger)

    2. Aaron gets a spot and Hurley is taking care of him because of Claire’s disappearance.

    3. Sun gets a spot because of her pregnancy.

    4. Jacks gets a spot because he will need further follow up to avoid infection or other complications. Kate is his nurse. This would also be a good way of putting Jack on the freighter since as the leader he would have probably felt that he should be the last to leave until everyone else gets a chance. Specially if they believe their helicopter ride to the freighter to be the first of many, he would have chosen to be on the last trip.

    Then again if they know it is the only trip out, then it could be one explanation of how people “chose” to stay behind. Because they chose to stay behind in other to give seats to those that needed them most. In this scenario only Sun, Jack and Aaron are guaranteed . Other people could have had a case for getting one of the other two seats. Jin obviously, maybe Sawyer could have taken Aaron, since as of yesterday he is the one taking care of him, etc… I´m sure even the red shirts could have made the case that as long as TPTB needed some random people to die for authenticity, they were all in extreme danger.”

  11. Sandy says:

    did anyone else think it was strange that Danielle and karl were buried?? Why would the mercinaries take the time to bury them-

  12. Sandy says:

    I also loved this episode and am surprised by the negative responses. Not as action packed, but lots of questions answered, and many more posed. I am a Jack/ Kate lover though, must admit.

  13. Jo says:

    Great episode, not action-packed but still moving us forward. My son and I both came up with the same question at the same time – When Hurley passes on the message ‘You’re not supposed to raise him’ – to Jack, we both thought he could be referring to raising Christian from the dead! Probably way off, but we both thought it at the same time!

  14. Frank says:

    I’m also really surprise a few people seem to not have liked this episode. It was, indeed, much like a season 1 episode. How else are moments like last week’s episode to become as intense as they do without taking time to tell the overall story? It would be a recipe for disaster (or for the show 24) if Lost somehow forgot its characters, its overall plot, and thematic episodes and just gave us “The Shape of Things to Come” each week.

    Aside from that, I thought it was great that a pretty major question was answered, so subtly, slyly, and under the radar: so now we finally have some type of confirmation on what the voices/whispers are. This was the first time we’ve heard them in a way that has been fairly audible without having to hope the dvr crowd catches and then processes the audio for us. So now we know that they are the voices of the dead (or at least, they are this in addition to whatever else), b/c we could clearly hear Rousseau’s voice and dialogue from the end of Episode 8 in the whispers. With all the apparent ghosts running through the episode, they really filled out the theme of the dead/undead in this episode. Exactly how this connects with other things that have now been revealed (time travel via-consciousness shifting; island being inside of some sort of time anomaly; etc.) remains to be seen. But Lost has again demonstrated its subtlty; this tends to be how big questions are answered: they are semi-answered bit by bit and they are answered without the writers declaring to us that “We are answering a question; here is the answer!” a la lots of other stuff on tv (heroes , anyone).

  15. HELLO, I’M A HUGE LOST FAN AND LOVE YOU GUYS. A COUPLE OF THINGS I NEED TO TALK ABOUT. I’VE BEEN WATCHING OLD EPISODES TO GAIN INFO AND 1 CLUE CAME OUT : IN DESMOND’S BOOK, THE LAST ONE OF CHARLES DICKENS HE’S GOING TO READ, PENNY WRITES, …..”ALL WE NEED TO SURVIVE IS ONE PERSON WHO LOVES US…” DOES SHE MEAN A “CONSTANT?” DOES SHE KNOW ABOUT TIME TRAVEL AND WHAT HE MAY ENCOUNTER IN THE FUTURE? IS HER NOTE GOING TO SAVE HIM? YES.

    ALSO, IN THE LATEST EPISODE ON MAY 1, 2008, I BELIEVE KATE IS TALKING TO SAWYER’S OLD FLAME, WHOM KATE MET IN A FLASHBACK (FORGET HER NAME) MAKES SENSE THAT A FAVOR FROM SAWYER WAS TO TELL HER A MESSAGE DEALING WITH DAUGHTER CLEMENTINE.

    THE PERSON IN THE COFFIN? WELL NADIA DIED IN LOS ANGELES, THAT’S WHERE THE FUNERAL WAS. AND WHEN JACK GOES TO SEE HER, HE SAYS HE IS NOT FRIEND OR FAMILY. COULD BE NADIA. EVERYONE IS SPECULATING ITS CHRISTIAN SHEPARD BUT JACK IS HIS SON, SO IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE.

    THIS THEORY IS SO OUT THERE CAN’T BELIEVE I’M WRITING IT : YOU KNOW HOW THE BLACK SMOKE TAKES PICTURES OF CHARACTERS INTERNAL THOUGHTS, THEN THE SMOKE MONSTER CAN RE-APPEAR AS THOSE THOUGHTS, IE. CHRISTIAN SHEPARD, KATE’S HORSE, ECHO’S BROTHER. IT WAS KIND OF FUNNY THAT JACK SAW HIS DAD IN THE LOBBY RIGHT AFTER THE SMOKE ALARM WENT OFF. LOL, CALL ME CRAZY.

    SARAH, JACKS FORMER WIFE, I BELIEVE WILL HAVE A BIGGER ROLE IN THE BIGGER PICTURE OF LOST. AND I BELIVE THE GUY SHE LEFT JACK FOR WAS BEN. STAY WITH ME, WHEN JULIET WAS TOLD BEN HAS A CRUSH ON HER, SOMEONE SAID, “YOU LOOK JUST LIKE HER.” COULD BE SARAH. AND IN AN EPISODE BEFORE HARPER APPEARS THE WHISPERS SAY,”SARAH IS HERE OR SARAH…SOMETHING. COULDN’T MAKE OUT THE REST BUT THE NAME SARAH WAS SPOKEN. THERE IS A CONNECTION. SOME ONE HELP ME ON THIS.

    AND LAST, HURLEY SAYS (WHEN HE’S PLAYING RISK WITH LOCKE AND SAWYER) “AUSTRALIA IS THE KEY TO THE WHOLE GAME” COULD HE BE REFERRING INDIRECTLY TO THE THEORY OF HOW THEY WHERE MANIPULATED TO BE ON THAT PLANE FROM SYDNEY? IN THE FORM OF THE WIDMORE VS BEN GAME? SAYEED TAKING A DIFFERENT FLIGHT, HURLEY JUST BARELY MAKING IT, CHARLEY RUNNING LATE AS HE WAS IN THE ELEVATOR, SUN ALMOST DITCHING JIN AND NOT GETTING ON THE PLANE. JUST SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT. THANKS FOR LISTENING TO MY RAMBLING.

  16. JBux says:

    First, I like the Star Wars references – it is like Lost’s trademark 🙂

    Keamy & “Smokey” theory – We know that “Smokey” can be summoned. I think Keamy has a “device” to stop “Smokey” from attacking, hence the raeson Keamy is alive and the other man was only slightly injured. He probably was given this information by Widmore.

    I think Jack knows that Claire is his sister, which is why he is trying to make an effort to bond with Aaron.

  17. LostLou says:

    Great episode. Great comments. I never have read them all before but I had to so something. Where is this week’s transmission?

  18. snuffy says:

    pretty boring epi. but this season’s par is pretty high so it really wasn’t bad.

    and yeah no podcast this week?

  19. jim says:

    This episode had a lot of crucial information, or at least hinted at said info, but it was the relatively flat pace that bored many viewers. Any other show but Lost would call this a conventional pace…but this is LOST!
    I have one trivial thing to note, a potential blooper. When Elizabeth Mitchell begins the scene where Juliet preps Sun for the trip to the medical hatch, I swear, she calls Sun “Jin”! I watched it over and over, and except for the fact that her words are slightly swallowed, it sounds like the first word out of Juliet’s mouth is “Jin”. Did anyone else hear this? Yunjin Kim, it must be added, has never been lovelier, a face that the camera simply adores.

  20. mikefrommaine says:

    I haven’t read all of the posts for every episode so someone may have already said this, but a thought that I have for the coffin at the end of last season is maybe it’s miles. The funeral parlor was in LA and I believe the house he went to when he talked to the ghost was in Inglewood, so he may be from around there. At the end of last season we were all racking our brains at who it may be and I wouldn’t put it past Lost to have it be a character we hadn’t seen yet. He may hold a greater significance to the island than we know right now. Anyway, just a thought

  21. Lib4 says:

    Worst line of the entire series….Jack looks at Juliet and says

    “I just want Kate to hold the mirror”

    CHA….HEEEE…..ZEEEEE

  22. chelle says:

    let’s look beyond the obvious.
    the expected.
    the petty.
    the karl and danielle.
    the kate sawyer clementine.

    what about the book jack was reading aaron.
    the line where…”was i the same when i got up this morning…wh am i…that’s the great puzzle…”

    listen…
    we look…
    we need to hear.

  23. Rob says:

    There was some discussion (on the pod-cast) as to Bernard and his medical and morse-code skills.

    Well I don’t think we’ve had any reason to know about any military or nautical experience that would make sense of the morse code, but since he is a dentist then it probably makes sense that he should know how to handle a hypodermic (at least!).

    Rob

  24. Brooke says:

    Overall, I thought this was a great episode and really reflected the talent of some of these actors. It was creepy, heartbreaking, and funny.

    I don’t know if this has been mentioned before but, one thing that came to mind was Christian Shephard’s attire at Jack’s office. Could the white sneakers be the same as the one’s in the pilot, that were hanging off a tree where Jack wakes up? Don’t know how significant it would be, but in Lost, who knows?

  25. Tori says:

    Frank, I am totally with you in wondering about folks who disliked the show… I’d dare any critics to come up with any writing that is anywhere near as intricate, compelling and poignant as just about any Lost episode. And. btw, nice call about the whispers being from dead people!

    Was I the only one who was moved by the Kate and Jack get-together, and his proposal to her? Serious emotional depth-charge, in my book! For whatever it’s worth, my heart goes out to ol’ Jack big time…..He tries so hard and means so well, but is so stuck in his mind and convictions. I’m wondering if his emotional/mental doors are due to be blown open somehow, in an unexpected way.

    Interesting that Christian Shepherd seems to be playing such a big role… And interesting name, eh? Jack is sort of the island shephard– so does a Christian Shepherd take on an even bigger meaning?

    Interesting observation, Jennifer re: “The way Kate said a favor for “him” was very reminiscent to the way she said at the end of Season 3 to Jack “He’ll notice I’m gone.” Are we to think the two are the same?” I’m wondering the same thing… I’m also still mixed up on whether Bridge Suicide Jack comes before or after Jack Proposing to Kate Jack. Is this still a question mark?

    Thanks!

    Tori

  26. LostMan says:

    Everyone! You are so caught up in character references and plot conspiracies, that you are missing the glaring truth: The Smoke Monster did it! Cant you see?!

    I think the Smoke Monster built the electro-magnetic forcefield! Yes, I said it! And not only that…..hear me out:
    – The Smoke Monster sent that girl to Kobe Bryant’s room!
    – The Smoke Monster sent that little boy to Michael Jackson’s house!
    – The Smoke Monster killed Laci Peterson!
    – The Smoke Monster shot Tupac AND Biggie!
    – The Smoke Monster p****d on R Kelly’s dates!
    – The Smoke Monster taped Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson!
    – The Smoke Monster was f*****g Paris Hilton in that video!

    All to get your mind off the fact that he is hiding a prime spot in the South Pacific….. until he can get his submarine shuttle service running properly, and thus have a monopoly in place before the competition finally get there!

    I mean, he wouldnt want to see his plans go up in Smoke (excuse the pun!).

  27. LostMan says:

    Your thoughts on my comments above?

  28. Tori says:

    Dude– you’ve got a whacked sense of humor!

  29. LostMan says:

    To “Tori”:
    With the current day confusion of the given meaning of expressions and words (ie. whacked), I have to ask:
    Do you mean your comment in a good way?

    LostMan
    PS. Wouldnt it be incredible if my theory is right though?!

  30. Tori says:

    LostMan– Sure I mean it in a good way!!! Silly is good, eh?! I reckon your guess is as good as any! 🙂

  31. LostMan says:

    To “Tori”:
    Well, theres a backhanded (ie. mixed) compliment!

    Firstly claiming your comment was meant in a good way….. and then labelling it as silly! Oh well…..

    And I know my theory is correct. How do I know this?
    Cos the Smoke Monster made me type all that!

  32. SmokeMonster says:

    LostMan is right.

    Yes, I made him do it!

    Oh yes, Oogy Boogy Boogy!

    S Monster

  33. LostMan says:

    Told you so!

  34. Tori says:

    Hey, I said silly is good— and I mean it! No backhandedness intended, LM or SM!

  35. LostMan says:

    Tori, the Smoke Monster told me to tell you:
    ——————————————————–
    “Thanks Tori, now I can strike you off my list.

    Regards,

    Smokey”
    ——————————————————–

  36. Pingback: Lost, Season Four, Episode 10 « Linkmeister

Comments are closed.