“LA X” was a fitting opener to the final season of “LOST.” It had a reassuring focus on character with a generous topping of mythology. It had moments of strong emotional resonance, and a few gasp-worthy reveals. And it sets the stage for the epic battle between Jacob and the Man In Black that has apparently simmered beneath much of what we’ve been studying for the past several years. Sure, with yet another storytelling “twist,” we have no idea what’s going on… but since when has that been a problem?
Okay. So Jen’s a little nonplussed with the “parallel storyline” structure, and I can see why. On one hand, it’s clever. We get to see both outcomes of the Jughead argument. And the little differences we spot range from amusing hat-tips to a deeper exploration of a person’s fate. On the other, it seems just a little cheap to not commit to one answer… at least this late in the game. It also raises the troubling specter of having to switch between two worlds for several more episodes, when we really want the writers to just pick a path and let the rubber finally, finally hit the road.
And intellectually, I can see many reasons to dismiss or even dislike the universe where Oceanic Flight 815 lands safely in Los Angeles. Through that lens, they’ve thrown out five years of character development and regression. So I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Sure, some of the touches were more fan bait than plot (Frogurt at the taxi stand, Doctor Arzt being annoying), but other moments felt right: Jack and Locke talking at the airport lost and found, with Jack taking interest in Locke’s condition. Jin returning to his darker, meaner self, and Sun already rebelling. Sawyer flirting with Kate, but more tellingly, not interfering with her escape from the airport. Hurley being confident and lucky. And Charlie, once running from death, now almost exhaustedly chasing it. I guess I’m more curious about the “what if” scenario than I thought I was.
Besides. The island is underwater? A development that comes about sometime after New Otherton is built? (A development that, sadly, could’ve used a few more days in the CGI rendering farm?) Just like watching a magic show, independent of everything else, I now simply have to see how they explain that. My guess is that it sank when Ben moved the island, a moment that is at the other end of whatever branching we’re now seeing. But I can’t even begin to explain what I actually mean.
Meanwhile, the new on-island world (universe, storyline, timeline, what have you) so far certainly seems to be custom-built to feed the fans obsessed with the mythology of the show. “I’m sorry you had to see me like that,” says Unlocke, while Richard says, incredulously, “You!” If the Man in Black and the smoke monster are one and the same, we now have a whole new prism through which to reexamine the last five seasons. I only hope things hold up under such scrutiny.
Learning what was in the guitar case so early in the season was a pleasant surprise, and the giant Ankh was certainly an impressive prop, regardless of the fact that a sealed envelope would’ve probably worked just as well.
Finally, we see the temple, and meet a whole new group of characters. It’s a good thing Hiroyuki Sanada is so good at being mysterious, because these original recipe Others (shunning technology and performing rituals) could very well have been too much, too late. Instead, Sanada seemed a perfect disciple and ally of Jacob, and through him, the Others again seemed to be a tribe to be reckoned with. An intimidating air that was reminiscent of the first two seasons, before Kate found the costumes.
What of the temple spring? Apparently it’s supposed to heal, as the Island itself does, though that power went missing as the water turned cloudy. Sayid, instead of being revived, apparently died. But that was likely always Jacob’s plan. I bet that Jacob now has a new agent or vessel in Sayid, given the unfamiliar voice with which Sayid asked, “What happened?”
But with word that Jacob is dead, the Others at the Temple prepare for battle with “him.” Their flare alerts Alpert, who’s sadly pummeled by Unlocke/Man In Black, and I guess the battle is on.
Notes and Notions:
- I guess we had to get “closure” with Juliet, but having to basically see her die twice was wrenching. Josh Holloway, hands down, gave the performance of the evening.
- From beyond the grave, Juliet says, “It worked.” So can she see the other timeline? Is it even, really, another timeline? After all, in Los Angeles, it’s 2004. On the island, it’s 2007 or so. Maybe the writers can somehow connect the two into one single timeline? Does that even make sense?
- The Man in Black’s tribute to the late John Locke was a bittersweet one. He spoke the truth about our sad, defeated friend, and our would-be hero. But perhaps not surprisingly, Terry O’Quinn’s “menacing” look is incredibly effective, and I’ll gladly let John Locke go in favor of seeing what the actor does with a whole new soul.
- The Man in Black wants to get off the island, and go “home.” I guess it’s fair to ask where or what “home” is, but I think the real story is why he (and likely Jacob) are trapped on the island. His reference to Alpert’s chains, meanwhile, hint strongly at the suspected link between Alpert and the Black Rock.
- Hurley can see Jacob, but Jin can’t, though Jacob touched them both. Therefore, Hurley is special, and seeing the dead is simply his thing. Indeed, he seems almost too suddenly fine with it, barely reacting when Jacob tells him he died three hours prior, and talking warmly to the recently deceased Sayid. Miles, too, got to let his freak flag fly, and this time his communion with the dead came with a great deal of dramatic flourish. Sometimes, I can’t believe this is the same show we were watching in Season 1.
- Great lighter moments. Hurley saying he knows how to use a gun, or arguing about trademarking the word “Outback.” Locke telling Boone he’s not pulling his leg, and Boone telling Locke he’d follow him to stay safe on a plane. And, of course, a Sawyer nickname: Earhart.
- Richard said, “Asking me what’s in the shadow of the damn statue doesn’t mean you’re in charge.” He flippantly referred to a line that, up until now, was infused with significance and weight. Kind of like, “Live together, die alone.”
- Fun with pointy things! Jack was again looking for a pen to save someone’s life. And how great is it that a character named Bram dies via a stake through his heart?
- Book: “Fear and Trembling” by Soren Kierkegaard, a retelling of the biblical story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac.
- Locations: The Temple interior is on the Hawaii Film Studio sound stage, but the impressive exterior is in Manoa Valley. The plane interior, and the collapsed hatch tunnel, was also on the studio lot. The Swan site is in the jungles of Heeia Kea in Kaneohe, and the foot of the four toed statue was Makua Beach. LAX is, of course, Honolulu International Airport.
We’d love your feedback for our podcast this weekend! Comment below, e-mail us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or call the LOSTLine at 815-310-0808.
I would like to go on record before the season starts with my CRACKPOT THEORY. Here goes:
At the end of the season there will be cliffhanger and it will say “To Be Continued……†And then there will be a season 7.
That’s the biggest surprise yet!! (I told you it was a crackpot theory! )
I just hope they leave us with a “reasonable ending” rather than leaving it to everyone’s imagination.
I would hate to be left with a “That’s it?!?” feeling.
Ryan, I heard you on NPR this morning – when they started the story, I thought, they should really talk to Ryan and Jen. And then there you were. Excellent!
Just to make sure everyone sees it, here’s the link to the NPR segment where Ryan is interviewed:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123214955
Ryan & Jen, I’m so bummed I couldn’t fly out for all the festivities last weekend, but I’ve enjoyed pouring over all the blogs, posts and photos. Thanks for keeping us informed! I’m busting with excitement for the premier. Only 2.5 hours to go here!
@mike.in.va: Best theory ever! I don’t want the show to end this year! Come on! It would the best surprise ever and totally unexpected!
@joe: I hope they leave plenty to speculate about for years and years… Otherwise it would not be fun anymore.
See you tomorrow in an other life, brothers.
Guys. This is it.
We are about to watch the final and maybe even greatest premiere of LOST EVER.
Enjoy it. Savor it.
I’ll see you guys when its over.
subscribe to http://www.youtube.com/user/knivesmonroe
to get my reviews and recaps =)
I love you guys.
“They’re Coming”
http://www.youtube.com/user/knivesmonroeislost
^^ My LOST Recap and Review channel!
sorry about that. That other channel is for other things!
Thanks for the subscription Ryan!
Get ready, because this premiere is going to be incredible =)
-Knives
mike.in.va
I thought the same thing !
but they would come back with a different title
just to make sure that it is the last season of LOST
I always thought to myself The Transmission is the NPR of Lost Podcasting. There I was looking at the NPR website and who is on the webpage!! Ryan. Really enjoy your analysis of a great show. Looking forward to a great season!! Thanks for your hard work guys.
Eric
Ok, the recap just started and I’m even excited about that.
*sigh*
Here we go!!!! Can’t believe this is premiere night! I have to take my daughter to acting class and work late tonight, but I will be watching the dvr after the kids are in bed and can’t wait to share my thoughts. I’ll be up late tonight! Kudos Ryan and Jen, looooved starting out my morning commute and hearing about Lost and my favorite Lost podcasters on the way! OMG, what a treat 🙂 See you all on the other side of the premiere.
Not only is this going to turn out to be the best season for the show, but The Transmission is going to be the best it’s ever been too. Thanks for all your hard work Ryan and Jen! At least you don’t have as many commercial breaks as the show does.
Holy Freakin Crap!
That’s all I can say. 1st HFC moment of the season is the first 4 minutes, and now I am to the 2nd HFC moment… This is the best season premiere ever!!!
son of a ….
I am gobsmacked – – best ep ever…
So in season one they had said they were going to kill Jack off in the first episode. My question to Damon n Carlton is how did this change how the story wad told?? What about the direction of the plot story??
“I want to go home” – can anyone explain that?
who? what? why? when?
Better than the pilot. Need I say more?
Epic
Enthralling
Touching
Confusing
Scary
Exciting
Just FREAKIN AMAZING!
Whaa just happened? I knew Richard was going to get his ass kicked by Man in Black, but Richard KNOWS who Man in Black is? And Man in Black had Richard in chains?
Maybe it was just me, but when Sayid woke up, it didn’t sound like his voice. Will have to watch it again.
Questions are answered. Questions are raised. Lost is fabulous. BUckle up and enjoy the ride! (How many threads can you follow?)
I was prepared to be extremely disappointed by this episode, it just seemed like it was going to be kind of predictable. In the words of Mr. Locke “I was wrong.”
Just unbelievable…I am still shaking my head in disbelief, I have a headache from crying about 30 times, still have goosebumps and firmly believe that Terry O’Quinn will win every single award this year.
Pass the duct tape, my head is about to explode! W O W what an episode, I have to watch it again. What was up with the island underwater? If this episode is a microcosm (sp?) of this season then it is going to be awesome! Holy Frickin Crap!
@Matt — I think the “Richard in Chains” comment means that Richard wasn’t the captain of the Black Rock, he was a slave being transported.
Whoa, where did the temple people come from? It seemed that Richard recognized the firework signal and was startled to see it (What is his connection?) The Locke Monster wants to go home, my theory is that it is an alien stranded on Earth and not some sort of demon. Too many questions!
@Pete yeah could be that. Somebody on YuBlog also surmised that he could have been a prisoner since Australia was at one point a penal colony. And Australia has to play a part in the resolution of the story.
To say that this amazing 2hr premiere blew my mind is quite an understatement. I mean, Flashsideways?! Cmon thats genius. Finally discovered whats in the guitar case. Finally saw the temple. Finally found out that fakelocke is the smoke monster. Still wondering what happened to Desmond on the plane that was a bit odd. Man so many reveals yet so many more questions.. Till next week….
WOW! So I just left a voicemail as well, but let me lay it out here (where I can be more coherent).
First of all, BEST SEASON PREMIERE EVER!!! This has got to be my absolute favorite season premiere, answered so many questions and raised so many more.
Several Holy Freakin Crap moments. The first was the opening scene, and the establishment of two timelines. I loved watching the LAX scenes, and wonder if the fact that the coffin wasn’t on the plane will prove to be critical as to why the plane didn’t crash. Why was Desmond on the plane and not in the hatch? Why was the statue underwater? Is this just in the group’s imagination, or is this really an alternate timeline?
Second HFC moment – Smokey reveals himself as Locke (and the other way round). So now we now. New Lock = Man in Black = Smoke Monster and he is an evil bastard. I look forward to watching him move through the season. With the ash perimeter (see below) I think we also have established that it was the Man in Black in the cabin and somehow (Hurley?) the ash line was broken which freed him. Watching Ben’s reaction to learning he had been used was freakin awesome!
HFC moment #3. The reveal of the Temple behind the temple. So the “Black Rock-ers” were the people at the Temple (that’s who they are right)? Is the well / fountain what’s keeping them immortal (Alpert as well)? Maybe with Jacob dead now the fountain won’t work for them. I thought the group seemed to be “piratical” so I have to imagine they are the pirate crew from the ship. Of course, Zack and Emma are revealed as being the kids there (predictable), but who is the Japanese man (and his translator)? And why did Sayid awake if the fountain didn’t work? By the way, the fountain looked very much like a Mikveh (Jewish ritual bath for cleansing).
Can’t wait for next week. I am sure I missed a ton, but this episode wins the top HFC award from me….
Happy return of Lost, all, and Ryan and Jen, it’s nice to be back with you!!!
@Nana I watched the Pilot today, and these two episodes definitely had more “WTF” moments. Gonna give it some time to sink in before I could agree that these two are better than the pilot though.
Are we spoiler free in here? What are the rules?
A HOLY FREAKIN CRAP THAT BLOWS AWAY ALL OTHER HOLY FREAKING CRAPS!
OMG! Just let Sayid be alive!!!
Is he okay!?
Whats going on!!
Im too shocked to have a theory! I’d never thought I’d say that.
What did Juliet mean by ‘it worked’!!!
If Man in Black was in the Cabin, and Man in Black = Smoky, then the ash line had to be broken before the Losties got there since Smoky attacked them in the cockpit of the plane.
Nothing is irreversible.
I think Sayid = Jacob.
People all over the Internet are saying that when Sayid came alive, his voice was not Sayid’s voice. Anyone notice that?
Strong opener. Absolutely love what they did with Locke. He remains my favorite character even still, since Smokester ranks among my favorite things to see on screen. I am so pleased, I am even able to forgive them for killing him off.
Really would prefer to see Kate go to jail and never be seen again. That marshal is a perpetual idiot.
They’re going to have to explain how Hurley won the lottery without the use of the numbers, and why he was in Australia…
Really, really like the alternate reality concept, and the fact that Juliet seemed to have been able to perceive the alternate reality as she died in one of them. May give a new understanding of the unstuck phenomenon.
Is Sayid still Sayid, or is he changed like Ben was changed? Is he going to be loyal to the turban-sporting hippies or to Locke-Monster (since the water was, after all, dark). Note: Miles knew he wasn’t dead, but whaaaaat else did he know? Looked a little distressed there next to Sayid.
Seems like the Other Others are trying to keep the Dark One out of his “home” (the temple) with their hilarious magical borders. Note that: If there had been a ring of ash around that cabin, was it keeping Smokey away from Jacob? Guess so.
What did that note really say?
Why didn’t Shannon get on the plane? Needs moar hawt chix.
Where was WAAALLLLT?
Frogurt sleeps with girly-patterned eye masks.
DVRed it, got it on iTunes (in the AM) so will have seen it a few more times by next week. Looking forward to the Xmission’s take. (Pro tip: LOST on iPod/Phone + Treadmill = 45 minutes of exercise you won’t even notice.)
@ SM I agree 100%
@John F. — Didn’t notice. I’ll have to re-watch. (Of course, I don’t really need a reason to re-watch 😀 )
Theory!!!!!!!!!!!!! Locke came back to life in Sayid’s body, which is why his accent is different.
When Man in Black was carrying Richard away from the Statue, the camera took an obvious pause on Locke’s body. Cut to the Temple and Sayid wakes up w/ an accent that isn’t Sayid. He was drowned in that water, which is apparently how they heal people. Based on this, I agree w/ what Colleen said abt Young Ben not being the same person as Current Ben. The Others drowned him in the water and he came back as a deceased other, hence Richard saying “he’ll never be the same again†or something like that before he took YB from Kate.
My head hurts.
Holy Cow! So many questions and yet some answers. Granted none of them were big answers but I guess it’s better than nothing. We now know the ash keeps Smokie out.
So where and when is MIB/Fake Locke from? How does he know Richard and just how long has Richard been on the Island?
So do we now have to keep track of 2 timelines? Will these timelines merge at some time?
My head hurts.
Good night can’t wait to hear the next cast.
I just finished watching the Season 6 Premier, and all I can think is “Holy mother of crap!!!”
My mind is all twisted up in knots now, with even more questions, and my jaw is sore from dropping open so many times, but I’m loving it!!
Favorite moments?
A brief flash of what I’m certain was Ezra James Sharkington.
“I’m sorry you had to seem me like that.” (jaw dropped)
“What’s a 314?” “I’m sorry, sir, but that’s confidential.” “Well then how am I suppose to know if I see one?”I’m happy to talk to John. But before I do, I think you should talk to him first” (OMG!!)
“It’s good to see you out of those chains.” (jaw really, really dropped!)
I think I have about a dozen more faves, but just in case people read the comments before they see the episode, I don’t want to spoil anyone!
I’m so excited Lost is back! I think this season is going to be amazing!!!
Can’t wait to hear the podcast!!!
Melissa
It appears that there are now two parallel universes, one in which Oceanic flight 815 doesn’t break apart in mid-air, and one where the survivors are still on the island. In the first case, the flight does experience turbulence over the (sunken) island. But, the only reason that the flight was over the island in season one was because it had experienced radio problems and had changed course towards Fiji and was a thousand miles off course. So, if in season six, why was the flight over the island at all? To be over the island implies that it still was headed towards Fiji. Yet it lands at LAX. Maybe it did land in Fiji, had the radio problems fixed, and then completed the flight to LAX. That presents the possibility that Christian Shephard’s coffin was lost there and that Christian is walking around Fiji.
And now somebody just mentioned Jacob, I guess Sayid could be Jacob now too. Now my head really hurts.
Saw exactly what Ryan was talking about with the SFX scene. Kinda wrenched me out of the moment.
John – I noticed that, too! I thought at first that I was imagining it, but I went back and rewatched that part, and his voice sounds totally different!
And Frogurt is still whiney.
I think the bomb caused all the electromagnetism to leave the island and created an alternate universe in which the plane actually lands. It sure is good to see Terry O’Quinn to play Locke instead of this evil guy.
Too bad there was no music like the older episodes, since “Parallel Universe” would have been the perfect song!