For the gears of “LOST” to turn, you need some nuts and bolts — not sexy, but necessary. Tonight’s episode polished off the inevitable reunification with Jack, Kate, Hurley and Sayid in 1977, and laid out how things went with the Ajira Airlines survivors in the distant future. Basically, everyone was plotted neatly on a map to make clear the movements and machinations to come. “Namaste” offered few surprises, then, but was still meaty and enjoyable.
Jen’s favorite moment? In her words, “It was good to see Sawyer take that sanctimonious jackass down a peg or two.” Definitely a great back and forth between Sawyer and Jack. It would be very much like Sawyer to have rehearsed that little speech, mind you, but it paid off. It’s a pity that there’s no way in hell Jack will be able to resist forcing himself into the thick of things. I wager he’ll go off script as soon as next week, simply to spite Sawyer, and send things spiraling out of control.
I loved Frank and Sun’s eerie visit to the main island, from the smoke monster-ish rustling on the dock to Christian Shephard’s tour of the dilapidated processing center. The door blowing open with a cloud of smoke was a nice touch. I like how Sun learned that over 30 years separate her from her husband, as well as Christian’s suggestion that reunification may still lie ahead. The elder Shephard does seem to have a fondness for abandoned and decaying spaces, and I’m enjoying pondering what he’s been up to on the island since Locke turned the frozen donkey wheel.
We finally meet Radzinski, a guy who Jen says reminded her of “Comic Book Guy” on The Simpsons. We see now that he was instrumental in constructing The Swan, the station in which he’ll ultimately end up going mad and killing himself. I’d love to learn the story of how he ends up inside, quarantined. I also love that he must have been ultimately successful in hiding The Swan from the “Others,” affirming that its existence was indeed a mystery to Ben and friends when we first found it in Season One.
Having Juliet meet baby Ethan was great, knowing as she does where his path ultimately leads. And Sayid meeting little Ben was fantastic. First, it demonstrates that little Ben has indeed been within the Dharma Initiative concurrent with our integrated Losties (suggesting that Sawyer and friends must’ve really kept their distance). Secondly, it’ll be interesting to see how Sayid interacts with a boy who grows up into a man that Sayid deeply despises.
Notes and Notions:
- The runway raises all sorts of questions. Did Ben and the Others anticipate the arrival of Ajira 316? So soon or even before the arrival of Oceanic 815? Radzinski suggests that the arrival of an airplane is unlikely, but not impossible, in 1977.
- Why is Sun in the future, and not with Jack, Kate, Hurley, and Sayid in 1977? I previously thought it may have something to do with “the list” that Michael used in Season 2, but Sayid wasn’t on it.
- A leading fertility doctor ends up working as an automotive mechanic, and it’s cool and almost sexy. A spinal surgeon ends up a janitor, and it’s simply hilarious.
- Hurley’s reunion with Sawyer was great. “Kong. I actually missed that.” He also raises the spectre of “The Purge,” although I’m convinced that’s over a decade away. It’s “The Incident” that I’d be worried about.
- I was dismayed that Sun was apparently throwing her lot in with Ben… and stoked when she clobbered him. She delivered the line, “I lied,” with Ben-like perfection.
What did you think? Please comment below, e-mail us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or call the LostLine at (808) 356-0127.
It wasn’t one of the best episodes of Lost, nor one of the worst. It was pretty much a set-up episode for what is to come, i.e. getting everyone in their place.
The spoilers and preview video clips online gave most of what we saw tonight away. There were no real surprises.
The most interesting thing I thought was when Christian told Sun that she has a long journey ahead. I guess that is the big question – how will Sun, Ben, Locke and Lapidus get back to 1977 or will the others come forward to meet them? We have no idea at this point.
It was nice to see that Sawyer is really in a position to call the shots over Jack which seemed OK with Jack. Jack’s decisions in the past were wrong so often. I’m optimistic that Sawyer aka LeFleur will make better decisions.
It was eerie to see Sayid some face to face with the man he hates, i.e. Ben, only he met the much younger and more innocent Ben. Will he hate the child as much as he hated the older evil Ben?
The previews for next week look ominous – lots of nasty things happening. This was the absolute middle episode of the season, so it’s all rushing to the finale from here.
Episode moved pretty slowly, but some interesting setups for the next episode.
Shouldn’t have waited two weeks for this one though.
Can’t wait to hear what you guys think!
massimo.
Hi Ryan and Jen,
So glad LOST is back 1 week off was the pits. Another fantastic eppisode. Looks Like Sun is in the future and has a very long journey ahead of her to meet up with the rest, namely Jin. I fully expected Christian Shephard to take Sun down to the donkey wheel and tell her to just give it a nudge, a 30 yr nudge. Hmm so how will she make up this time span???? But the ending was so good I just knew a Ben(child) would show up heheheh. And Sun hitting Big Ben over the head with the paddle was the best. I sure hope the rest of the O6 remember that Ben is a bad guy and not to be trusted, even if he is just a child. So just where did Ben think he was going and what was he gonna do? I bet when he figures out he is 30 yrs outta the situation, that his days are really numbered and hopefully the island is the one that will exact revenge on him, yeah let the monster get him omg that would be great.
Cant wait to hear your podcast
Sandy
well let me bet one of the first to say that this was a nice set up episode.
I liked it, and what happened in this episode needed to be done.
Oh man, as the worlds HUGEST Sayid fan, I have to tell you that I almost had a stroke for the preview for next week. Ill write more later
xxxWEST-SAYIDxxx
Just wanted to note that code 14 J = the number 23. Ha!
xxxWEST-SAYIDxxx
I tend to agree that this was a very good set-up episode, but it did move along pretty slowly. I think this was a difficult episode to pull off because after half a season of jumping through time and episodes where they stretch three years into one hour, we’re now going back to the old-fashioned one day-per-episode routine. This is the storytelling that the first four seasons were made of. After seeing so much of the island and the castaways’ adventures in the beginning of Season 5, it’s going to be hard to settle down and get back to a somewhat linear mode of storytelling. (Minus the misadventures of Sun, Lapidus, Ben, and the Ajira folk.) I also thought since this episode didn’t really center on anyone, in particular, it was the writers’ way of tying up these plots into that one narrative that allows flashbacks once again.
I sympathize with Juliet, Jack is still a jerk to Sawyer after three years, little Ben gave me chills, and Radzinsky seems to be the new Arzt.
you guys should stop watching previews and reading spoilers.
went in blind and absolutely loved this episode.
Hey all!
I loved the episode, but something the show is doing is troubling me a little bit. I love the total elevation of Sawyer as the leader. I mean he has great qualities to bring towards it and the whole concept works really well for the show, with that said;
I am disappointed in the development of Jack character, thus far. Here is the reason: They set-up the 1st 3-1 1/2 season by making us love Jack, how great a leader he is and how we must rely on him. Even to the extent that Jack saves his people from Sawyer on two different occasions (Sawyer with all the guns, Sawyer with all the medicine when Jack needs it to save Claire), but now, we have Jack constantly either confused, whiny or going with the flow. And then on this episode, Sawyer rips apart Jacks entire existance in the series, and he just sits there?
Not a fan of the treatment of Jack Sheppherd’s character, and I hope against hope the it has some huge redemption very soon.
Love the show though, and I still loved the episode.
Great Episode! Lines are being drawn in the sand and it will be interesting to see who is on each side.
I’m really disappointed, not with this episode in particular but with how it seems we won’t be seeing much of Desmond anymore at least for a while with him stuck in 2007 off island. Also the mystery intriguing me the most is what happened to Faraday between 1974 and 1977. Sawyer speaks as if he is alive but says he is not there anymore. Did he leave on a sub with Charlotte to try to protect her?
Is Radzinsky the eyepatch guy?
Out of the park, bases loaded grand slam episode. I’m on a no-spoiler diet this season. I highly recommend this approach. 14J = Hostiles = 23 great catch Knives. I’ll take notes on replay and get back with comments. But the biggest baddest reveal was baby Goodwin (I’ll leave out the details for those who haven’t seen). My first and possibly only theory that has been correct.
And how did Juliet talk around her surgeon skills to the DI?
And Sun’s brilliant oar thwack!
and all that smoke wafting in the future island recruiting station with Ghost Shephard!
Creepy old Ben, creepy young Ben.
i heart lost
Hey guys,
Another solid episode this season! I am extremely pleased with the way things are going. A few of my favorite items from this episode include: Sawyer putting Jack in his place in the cabin (Jack’s smug attitude has always gotten under my skin and I was elated when Sawyer knocked him down a few pegs in an intellectual way), the revelation of baby Ethan, and the Kate/Jack/Hurley reaction to Sawyer telling them it’s 1977-classic! Now that they have returned, I’m a tad disconcerted that Kate and Jack will screw up the Sawyer/Juliet relationship. I had a few standing questions though:
1. I know that Faraday is involved with DHARMA in the 70s, but am a little puzzled by what Sawyer meant in the van when he said that Faraday is no longer with them?
2. Does anyone else think that the DHARMA security guard Phil is on high alert with his suspicions and will figure it all out sooner than later?
3. It kinda seemed that when Jack met Juliet in the cabin that there was some tension in the air. I wonder if anything will materialize from this?
Again, I really enjoyed Namaste and couldn’t be happier with the way things are going. Thank you VERY MUCH Ryan and Jen for the amazing podcast. You guys rock and I am deeply grateful for everything you do to put these out every week!
Radzinsky is the guy whom Desmond replaced in the hatch. He, I recall, killed himself or was he killed in some accident?
I think the most intriguing pat of these upcoming episodes is going to be (hopefully) seeing what transformed Ben from the sweet kid offering Sayid mustard to the Locke-killing, bug-eyed creeper that he is today (Love him for it though!) I was scanning for Roger and Ben the entire episode and I definitely cheered when I saw the back of a young boy appear on the screen. Perhaps soon we’ll find out who Annie is and what happened to her.
One glaring omission for me in this episode was Locke. Where was he?
Anyway, great to have the show back (longest two weeks ever!) and I look forward to the podcast!
I definitely thought that was a fun episode, probably more for us superduper fans. Baby Ethan! Little guy Ben! Christian being creepy! Whoo!
The conversation between Sawyer (reading his book) and Jack was a great scene. First of all, Jack was all thrown off balance by seeing Sawyer shacking up with Juliet. Then Sawyer explaining his leadership process was priceless. And…he’s right. By following Sawyer, those guys have had a fairly decent 3 years. But Sawyer’s line to Jack about how it “must be a relief” that he can just rest and let Sawyer make the decisions just brought back that same ol’ Jack/Sawyer dynamic. Sawyer knows Jack is a full-on control freak and isn’t going to be remotely relieved at letting anyone (especially Sawyer) make decisions. But what choice does Jack have at this point? P.S. I heart 1977 Sawyer. He’s just so cool. I think I might officially be crushing on him harder than Jack at this point.
And I still want to know where the hell Rose & Bernard went! Did I miss something?
Yea, I believe Kelvin said Radzinsky put a shotgun in his mouth and pulled the trigger, no idea what year that was in though. I guess he survived the purge somehow, probably by hiding in the quarantine hatch, since Kelvin didn’t get there till the 90s.
So many questions — but the biggest question to me is — why didn’t Sun jump to 1977 with the other Oceanic survivors?
Okay, did anyone else spot the person in the background when Sun was speaking with Christian in the old Dharma building?? It was very quick, and happened during the part when Christian was showing Sun the photograph of the new recruits from 1977.
I think its almost safe to assume that Young Ben in Namaste has allready met Richard, and is in his ‘incredible amount of patience’ time right? Oh man… This makes me wonder if there is MORE to how O 815 crashed. Maybe Linus is responisble for most of the passengers on that plane!
xxxWEST-SAYIDxxx
I’m kinda neutral on this episode right now, but generally, I think I liked it. More plot-driven, but necessary, I suppose, to keep things moving.
I was talking with my roommate about how random and a bit of a letdown it seemed that Horace and Amy’s son is Ethan, but then we realized something.
That means that Ethan was probably on the island before and during the purge and therefore either supported, or at least condoned, the death of his father, Horace, who ended up in the DHARMA death pit. We know later that Ethan works for and listens to Ben. What does that mean? And what’s up with all the patricide?! Ben kills his father, Ethan kills his father, Locke has to kill his father, Kate kills her father, Sun, Charlie, Penny and Jack hate their fathers, Jin and Hurley are ashamed of theirs… What could this mean?
On another note, we also remembered that someone said to Juliet that “You look like her”, hinting at someone important to Ben. We originally thought they meant his mother, but what if they meant HER, Juliet herself? Did young Ben have a crush on Juliet in the 70s or 80s? Is that why she was actively recruited for the island by Ben, not just because of her doctor skills?
Anyway, I don’t really have an answer for all of these, but hope that there will be one soon.
Thanks a bunch guys, really enjoy the Podcast.
In the scene where Christian shows Sun the photo, the door swings open, and you can clearly see smoke drifting into the light. Moments later, as Christian tells Sun that she has a long journey ahead of her, a figure of a woman can be seen behind Sun, apparently hiding.
Hey Darryl is that true? Darn, I should have taped it! Ill see it in the mourning at ABC.com
That scene was pretty eerie!
xxxWEST-SAYIDxxx
Did anyone hear what the voices were whispering to Sun in future othersville? I thought I heard “sun” at one point.
At first I thought this show didn’t bring many new questions but then as I think about it- we of course want to know how Sun, Locke, Ben Lapidus and any of the other newbies like Ceasar will get back to 1977 or wherever they need to go to get to Jin et al…and as I said before we have at least one other major Jin reveal in the future…I just watched when Sawyer and Michael crash on the Island in season 2 after the others stole Walt and realized that was the first great Jin reveal of many.
We also wonder how Ethan goes from Dharma baby to “Hostile/Other” because he is with Ben in 2003 when the plane crashes – so he survives the purge?
If Ben is already “in” with Alpert then how will that play out with Sayid being a supposed “Hostile”.
I – like others above- also liked seeing Sawyer put Jack in his place tonight. I have been watching old shows all week during this “week off” and Jack definitely doesn’t always do what is probably the best thing for everyone- many times he does- but was he really gonna cut off dying Boone’s leg just because he promised him he would save him? Thank God “dying, shocky, laying their in pain Boone” knew better than Jack what to do. I like how in this season we see some of the characters calling eachother on their issues- I guess they know eachother well enough now to do that.
I also did like seeing everyone’s reactions when they first see eachother. Especially liked when Sawyer had to tell them “when they were” and seeing Hurley’s reaction. I had forgotten the Oceanic 6 didn’t know the “clocks” were all messed up.
Look forward to the Podcast!! Hope you had fun on your trip!
i sure look forward to reading these posts each week — really helps to clarify the thrust of the story — i know others are really rooting for james and jules…but it’s hard to miss the longing in mr. dimple’s eyes when he looks at kate — am eager to see some reference to kate having connected with his daughter clementine (or the mom at least) — no doubt in a future flashback or flashforward
Wow…great to have my Lost fix tonight! Some first thoughts, although many have already been posted here already (you east coasters have a huge advantage in the posting arena…I am four hours behind you!)
So, little Ben is in the DI with our Losties…how can they not know he’s there, or do they? My hunch agrees with Knives Monroe that Ben has already been introduced to RA & the Hostiles, and may even suspect that Sayid is not one of them. He purposely brought food to Sayid to check him out.
Great conversation between Sawyer and Jack…almost painful to watch Jack back down from Sawyer. If I was Sawyer, though, I wouldn’t take my eyes off Jack. Jack has a way of trying to take things into his own hands and if he doesn’t like the way things are going, he may just do something rash.
I agree that CS is very creepy and I too thought I saw the Smoke Monster when the door blew open. I missed the woman, though…Hmmm….Claire maybe?
Radzinski is totally annoying.
Obviously the big question is why Sun, at the very least, didn’t travel back to 1977. Lapidus and even Ben probably should have as well. So, what makes them so unique? Guess that is to be answered in the future.
The landing strip on the small island implies that Ben (or at least Jacob) already knew he would be coming back to the island on a plane that would be crashing. And it seemed the outriggers were purposefully left in a location where Ben could find them upon his return.
The writers seem to be taking extra precautions with Cesar and Illana to introduce them slowly so they don’t have another Nikki and Paolo situation but it feels like it will be time to ramp up their stories a bit.
Whispers when Sun and Lapidus are looking around and then Christian shows up. Could the whispers have been a different timed Sun and Lapidus trying to warn themselves to not do something?
The co-pilot with the tree through him in the cockpit seemed to be a homage to Serenity, or at least that was my take on it.
Oh, yeah. Why is Ethan’s last name “Rom” instead of “Goodspeed”? Also, he is 27 years old in 2004…a bit young to have already completed medical school? And, as someone else has asked, how DID he escape the purge unless the DI children were spared? Also, did I hear right that Amy gave birth just the day before and that is why she didn’t have the new manifests ready? It’s the miracle of television…she’s swinging in a hammock, outdoors the day after having a c-section and Ethan was HUGE for a one-day-old preemie at that! Sheesh!
Do you think Jack with get to know Roger Linus since he is in the Workman group now?
To answer your question Connie:
I’d like to think so. And Yes Ethan was huge. Who’s to say that Ethan was telling the truth about his last name “Rom”
Hi everyone. So I thought tonight’s episode was actually really strong, for a connecting episode. We are, obviously, still waiting for things back on the Island of 1977 to kick into high gear, but the acting last week and tonight has really carried the episodes. Loved the appearances of baby Ethan and teenage Ben, of course, but I also thought the moments we were already expecting were really well done. We knew, for example, that Sayid would make his appearance, but the way Sawyer and Jin dealt with it was engaging and believable. Great, creepy stuff from Christian, as well.
My only concern with the way things are going is that, for the moment at least, the Losties have no direction. There is no crisis, no mission, and while it’s understandable, it puts them in a very risky position in terms of the story. Even in next week’s preview, there is little to indicate much in the way of plot advancement; rather, we just see more of the same dissension and relational conflict that they’ve been struggling with all along. Sure, that’s a large part of what makes the show so great, but as it stands, nobody has any clue why they had to return or what the next step is. And no matter how much thinking Sawyer does, it’s still not going to reveal their reason for being there. Daniel or Christian may help with that. The “war” predicted by Widmore will undoubtedly bring some focus back, and I have full faith in the writers to keep things interesting. Just thought I’d mention it, though.
One thought:
If my island history is correct, the barracks were built and used by the dharma initiative, but after the purge, they were eventually taken over by the “hostiles” or “others” and it became othersville. Later the others abandoned othersville, and locke and his group moved in and it became eggtown. Over the years different groups have moved into the barracks and made it their own.
In this episode, we see Sun and Lapidus enter the barracks and it felt really strange. like a ghost town. And the strangest part was when they went into the new arrivals orientation room. It didn’t look like a room that had gone through 30+ years of use, with several different owners. It looked like it had been left exactly the way it was when the DI were purged, and then just left that way to rot. Complete with 30 year old photos on the wall and welcome signs still swinging in the breeze.
I had been thinking that Sun, Lapidus, Ben and the rest of flight 316 stayed in 2008 while the O6 (minus Sun) flashed into the past. But when the turbulence started it was night, and when they started to crash, it was suddenly day. That and the distinct “ghost town” feeling makes me wonder. What year are the 316ers in?
Very observant and very authentic. You may have something there.
@Jeff-perhaps the 815ers prevent the purge? I had the same thought about the barracks…something is missing here.
Hi Ryan and Jen,
Hello from sunny Los Angeles.
Love the podcast. Long time listener first time posting.
What was up with that image that we saw behind Sun?
It makes sense in a lost sort of way if it is Claire, after all we assume that she has been with her father this whole time. I also have to wonder why Sun did not travel back like the rest. The thing that comes to mind is if you kind of think about it Ben didn’t go back in time when there is a young Ben on the island. Charlotte’s body disappears and there is a young Charlotte in the 70’s. I am starting to think that maybe Sun could have been the child we saw early on in the season with Dr. candle ( or whatever his name is. ) Maybe there is no way that they can interact with one another there for cannot be in the same time line. I know that we saw Locke in 2007 in the same time line as Locke in 2004 so this maybe a far stretch but we will have to see. Also I have never been a Sawyer fan but I like this new Sawyer the one thing that I don’t like is that we have seen in the past that when our losties are redeemed they die so I don’t want sawyer to be a complete hero. One more thing I am starting to suspect that they are going to wrap up the Rose and Bernard story in a neat little package as they did with Rousseau, I think that it is obvious
That they are the ones in the caves our Adam and Eve. The black and white rock I think that since they had already lived there they went back and they eventually die. Well that’s all for now. Keep up the good work.
************************
Regarding Rose and Bernard:
If you go back to the Season 3 Episode ‘Not In Portland’, there is a scene in which Carl is in Room 23… If you look at the video he is being forced to watch BACKWARDS its actually English, and if you read it the Anagram says,
“Only fools are enslaved by space and time” If you read it as a anagram it says,
“Bones of Nadlers may lay lost deep in cave”
To me this indicates that Rose and Bernard are indeed our Adam and Eve, being that Nadler is their last name! The stones they had with them can indicate one another. How they came to be there, is something I wonder if we will find out.
*****************************
Looks like our Producers, and Writers kind of knew what they were getting themselves into after all 🙂
xxxWest-Sayidxxx
Oh! And lets give the Runway they began building in Early Season 3 some credit, as it came to fruition in ‘Namaste’. I now forever, and for always until this series ends, believe that we are in for an amazing journey and the destination will be very very rewarding!!
Hi,
Great podcast, great episode. A lot to talk about, but I wanna focus on baby Ethan. The question is how does Ethan become an Other. My guess is that Paul isn’t dead, at least not anymore. I believe that Paul is actually the father of Ethan. Richard wanted his body so he could resurrect Paul, who the became a hostile. If he didn’t father Ethan, at the very least he might one day raise him as his own, at which point he’ll take his father’s last name, Rom.
To Jeff and Knives: Ajira flight did land in 2007. we’re so invested in the little hidden details we forget to check the big flashy signs, like a transition subtitle that says “30 years ago” before moving back to Dharma time… 🙂
You are right, thank you for pointing that out! 🙂
Interesting episode but definately a filler. Why Sun was the only one of the Oceanic 6 that did not flash to the 70s is intriguing. Perhaps it is as simple as Mrs. Hawking saying that if they didn’t all go back, things could get disrupted.
As someone mentioned above, we need to find out how Ethan went from a darma baby to a hostile and what is with the name.
I was surprised to see young Ben and am a bit concerned that Sawyer, as head of security, didn’t know that young Ben was there.
The Swan construction was very interesting. Radzinsky – the scientist who goes nuts. Painting the map on the ceiling and making edits to the orientation film perhaps? Before he goes nuts and kills himself?
Am I the only one that was a little disappointed that Sun, Lapidus and Ben didn’t encounter Locke on the beach before running off into the jungle? You would think that when Frank gathered everyone around him to make a few announcements that Locke would have been a part of it. That interaction would have been such a satisfying mind freak!
I did like the episode, though – whether or not it was more of a set-up, I think there were some great moments. Young Ben was indeed super-creepy. I’m wondering about the timeline with him – Is his meeting with Sayid before or after his conversation with long-haired Richard in the jungle? I wouldn’t be surprised if his interest in Sayid is based on his desire to join the Others and free himself of his father’s judgment and resentment…
I do love that Sawyer is the second person to comment on Jack’s fashion choices – in 316, Kate sees Christian’s shoes and assumes that he’ll be wearing them on the plane (“Wouldn’t hiking boots be a better choice?”) and then when Sawyer is passing around outfits to the “new recruits”, he tells Jack that a suit is “not exactly Island wear” – Classic!
One more thought, though – It did bother me a little that after three years and everything these characters have been through, Jack and Sawyer couldn’t help returning to their old dynamic like, as soon as they meet again. Sawyer asks how Locke died, and Jack brushes it off saying “it doesn’t matter” – Sawyer says he “has the work assignments covered” and Jack ends up being a janitor – Jack challenges Sawyer for authority only to have Sawyer put him right back in his place…I don’t know, I’m just so tired of that. Though I would certainly take Sawyer’s improvising over Jack’s planning any day…
Best line of the episode was Ben’s “How’d that work out for everyone?” after Frank reminds Sun that he came on a boat full of commandos whose only mission was to get Ben.
Too funny 🙂
PS – Also wanted to point out that we’ve heard the code 14-J before, in “The Shape of Things to Come” after Alex is taken by Keamy and Co. and has to disarm the sonic fence…she enters the numbers 16 23 and then the phone rings in Ben’s house, where Locke answers it and hears a recorded voice saying “Code 14-J” over and over. Just wanted to add that 🙂
Jeff in Azusa brings up something I have been wondering about too — why did the New Arrivals room look like it had never been re-occupied when Sun and Frank Lapidus were in it? I had the same feeling when Cesar was in the room with the maps near the crash site. The desk with the skull on it looked like it was abandoned much earlier than 2004. I wonder if this is an indication that the past on the island was changed. Maybe The Purge didn’t happen and something else did that prevented The Others from occupying the Dharma compound? Hmm.
Another thing nagging me is the “war” that Widmore told Locke is coming. Everybody on message boards seems to think this refers to a war between Ben and Widmore or Dharma and The Others, but I am wondering if it is something much bigger than that. I wonder if it ties into the repeated statements of “God help us all.” Could there be a much bigger, world war coming? Could it be a holy war – religion-based? Or a nuclear war?
I like Claudia’s idea of Pierre Chang’s baby being baby Sun. I thought the baby’s mother looked a little like Sun, in fact, and if Sun’s already on the island in 1977 that does seem like it could explain why she didn’t flash to that time with the other 815ers on 316.
(Oh, and I had a hard time with the opening scene of the crash seeing as I am flying somewhere tomorrow! I avoided the show altogether for the first season and a half because I didn’t want to watch anything to do with a plane crash!)
Oh, I had to add that Young Ben’s facial expression when we first saw him last night reminded me so much of Old Ben! Well done! (As well, I thought Teen Locke had many of the mannerisms of Old Locke last season.)
“I also love that he must have been ultimately successful in hiding The Swan from the “Others,†affirming that its existence was indeed a mystery to Ben and friends when we first found it in Season One.” I must disagree with this thought. It was shown that Ben and Juliet knew about the Swan when they were shown in the Pearl station, which monitored the Swan. Also, Radzinski inferred that they were planning on hiding the Swan from the Hostiles, which they more than likely did. However, Ben was not a hostile. He was a part of the Dharma Intitiative, and as such had the chance to know of the Swan before they did the purge. And once the purge was performed, Ben and the hostiles had all the time they needed to go thru Dharma files to gather all the information they wanted about the different Dharma stations.
Count me among the number who really enjoyed this episode. You can call it “filler,” but if you read the posts for the last several weeks, we’re all about “is Ben on the island?” and “who’s the baby?” and “why didn’t they show us how the O6 actually get back?” and “who’s on the canoe?” Just because it wasn’t a mind-blower doesn’t mean it’s a “filler.” Someone a few episodes back likened Lost to a jigsaw puzzle… the more complete the puzzle is the less surprises we’ll find. I am impressed by how elegantly all of the pieces have fit together.
Cat, you wrote:
“As someone mentioned above, we need to find out how Ethan went from a darma baby to a hostile and what is with the name.”
Probably the same way Ben did. There may have been several Dharma folks recruited. We’ve already seen via Pierre Chang that names aren’t always what they seem.
You also mentioned:
“I was surprised to see young Ben and am a bit concerned that Sawyer, as head of security, didn’t know that young Ben was there.”
I was of the opinion that maybe ironically Ben wound up on the same sub that Jack/Kate/Hurley were on.
I do wonder why Sun didn’t wind up with the other Ajira folks. The whole thing is becoming very (here’s my hangup again) “Donnie Darko” esque where there seems to be people going back in the past to “influence” the future. I’m intrigued to see how this all plays out.
As much as I like LaFleur Sawyer, Jack (Hurley?) does have a point… they’ve had a comfortable life but if the Incident and Purge happen, that’s not saying much. And yet Jack for all his struggles to get home winds up on the island 30 years earlier (when his father was likely his age, and perhaps involved with the island as welll…).
I wonder whether Ben’s list of “the good people” and compulsion for tracking down the 815 survivors will relate to his time with Dharma and whose names he remembers.
Robert, Desmond lived in the Swan for three years and Ben either never knew or never cared. Mikhail had the ability to monitor this station as we saw, but he also never did anything about it. I’m still not clear as to whether Kelvin was an Other or an original Dharma person. I’m not sure whether Ben knew about the Swan, but he certainly ignored its sole inhabitant… who oh by the way would turn out to be the son-in-law of his archnemesis.
Does anyone have a screencap of the girl behind Sun in the barracks?
How did the others know to create a runway? Did they somehow know that the Ajira flight would need it?
I’m frustrated with the direction of the show right now, what is everyone goal right now?? I’m as big a fan as they come and I have to say that the next 3 or so episodes might make or break the show for me. I hope they handle the eventual “Sun time travel to see Jin” episode well because I’m so over the time travel aspect of the show. I guess this type of episode needed to happen, I’m just not sure the direction (or lack of) of the show is what I would like to see.