LOST Podcast: The Transmission

Last week’s lavish, lingeringly shot episode was a tough act to follow, but “The Package” still satisfied. For those seeking forward momentum on the island, we certainly got some, and the flash-sideways brought some great moments. Overall, it was a fun ride, but one with an undercurrent of uneasiness… both in the narrative and in “LOST” fandom. Just why is Sayid’s dead soul best prepared for what’s to come? And just how will everything be untangled in the next six episodes? It may be the drugs talking (I’m battling bronchitis), but I’m at peace. The many ways in which this final season has evoked the drama and richness of the first one is more than reason enough for me to surrender to whatever happens.

Locke and Widmore’s confrontation on the beach brings us our declaration of war, and Jin’s first look at Ji Yeon reduced me to a puddle of goo. And as suspected, Widmore’s arrival does bring some solace to those eager for some “science” in their science fiction, with Zoe the physicist asking about the island’s pockets of magnetism. The long-overdue final reveal that Desmond is apparently the key to Unlocke’s defeat ((telegraphed pretty bluntly with “it’s not a what, it’s who”), is at once thrilling and perplexing. Will the mere presence of Desmond cause a rift in the space-time continuum? Is Desmond the only person who can wield the dagger against an otherwise invincible Unlocke?

And what does “cease to be” mean? As a description of the dire consequences, it rings a little hollow. It sounds less like Armageddon, and more like a “Back to the Future”-esque nullification of existence.

One answer, four more questions.

The fact that Sun cut her hand while gardening cannot be insignificant. And having her lose her ability to speak English seems a move straight out of daytime soap operas, so I’m hoping there’s more to it. Coupled with the post-Unlocke pursuit blackout, I’m wondering if she might soon follow Sayid’s path.

I also loved Unlocke’s conversation with Claire, at once rationalizing why he saved Kate from her rage earlier, and resetting the stage for another confrontation. His disavowal of whatever might happen adds another sinister point against the Man in Black being merely a misunderstood prisoner.

Off the island, I was about to roll my eyes in frustration at just how hard the writers were trying to point out how not together Sun and Jin were (“Two rooms! Not married!”), when of course Jin’s discomfort was merely preemptive defensiveness all along. Turning the iconic fight over Sun’s blouse buttons into a seductive move was a brilliant one, in my book. And I’m glad that even in the flash sideways, escaping together was part of the plan. Mr. Paik, though, is one cold dude.

I liked Keamy’s turn this week, from his dismissiveness toward Omar to his fleeting moment of compassion for star-crossed Jin. Jin shooting Mikhail’s eye out was a gruesome yet amusing twist. The way the restaurant confrontation connected with Sayid’s earlier story was a nice touch, but it seems deliberate that he was, at best, only indifferently helpful to Jin.

And Sun, pregnant? But of course!

• Let’s ponder the line referenced tonight from Widmore to Locke: “Because there’s a war coming, John. And if you’re not back on the Island when that happens, the wrong side is going to win.” Is it safe to assume Widmore meant real Locke, not Unlocke? If so, is the wrong side going to win? Or did Widmore just find another out with Desmond?
• Claire was not on the list. Kate is no longer on the list, but is vital to collecting those that are. So, why does Unlocke need three more people to get on the plane? Or does he merely need to dispose of them together?
• So, Sawyer tells Jin that the double-cross deal with Widmore was the real deal, not the double-double-cross deal he seemed to make with Unlocke upon returning to the main island. Is it as simple as that? I guess so, given his disappointment in Unlocke’s return. I think I liked it better when his allegiance were more ambiguous.
• Miles’ cruelty toward Hurley, harping again on his weight, was upsetting. But I couldn’t be mad for long, with Frank’s admonition: “Hey. Don’t talk about bacon.”
• Jen’s favorite line: “No, ’cause that’d be ridiculous.” Ah, the powers and limits of the Smoke Monster, always fun to ponder. I think it echoes a Miles line from the time travel period, but I’m not sure.
• Unlocke telling Sun that he’s not going to make her do anything, and that he’s merely asking her, is yet more emphasis on free will. The line between “forcing” and “asking” seems pretty fuzzy though. Is it just the candidates whose choices must be pure?
• Top anvilicious moment? The brief dialogue between Unlocke and Jin about the list of names. Now, after all these seasons, they explicitly point out that conversations happen off-screen? That people mysteriously learn facts we didn’t see them learn? It felt awkward.
• The night-vision moment that opened the episode was also a bit cheesy. It would’ve been cool if they’d depicted infra-red heat signatures, with everyone glowing except for Locke (and Sayid), but… no such luck.
• Speaking of which, I also couldn’t help wondering why the darts worked on Sayid and Claire. Just how human are those two? The attack, Jen felt, was reminiscent of the hail of flaming arrows last season… just less funny.
• Who’s Danny? Keamy and Omar’s associate, of Mikhail’s mutual acquaintance. The only Danny we can think of is Daniel Faraday.
• Locations: The airport where Jin is released is Pier 2 near Restaurant Row. The hotel where Sun and Jin stay in Los Angeles is the Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore. The bank where Sun and Mikhail try to withdraw funds is the main branch of the Bank of Hawaii on S. King Street. And the kitchen where the showdown takes place is at the Koolau Golf Club.

We want your feedback on this episode! Please share your thoughts, theories, and favorite moments in the comments below. You can also e-mail us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or leave a one-minute-or-so message on the LOSTLine at (815) 310-0808. Mahalo!

It was the best of episodes, it was the worst of episodes. A tale of two LOSTs came to us tonight, and the chasm between fans who liked it and fans who didn’t will probably never be wider. Perhaps “Ab Aeterno” was a breathtaking, deep, and daring voyage into the heart of a man and, therein, the heart of the whole series. Or, perhaps it was merely an extended flashback for a secondary character that ended with absolutely no forward momentum on the island.

We choose the former. We loved this episode.

If only for tonight, we forgot about numbers and vaccines and time travel, and immersed ourselves in the story of Ricardus — the rich Spanish settings, the lingering moments of terror and despair aboard the Black Rock, the eternal chess game between the Man in Black and Jacob, and throughout, Nestor Carbonell’s fantastic performance. When Richard is visited by the form of Isabelle, we were enthralled. We couldn’t believe this eerie scene was part of the same show that started with a plane crash five years ago.

Before we even thought about where the pieces fit, “Ab Aeterno” reaffirmed our love of the picture being painted. In the end, will it be incomplete, fragmented, and confounding? We have no doubt. But six seasons in, “LOST” is still taking chances, posing big questions, and for that, we still think it’s the best show on television.

Nonetheless, the puzzle pieces demand some study.

No, the island is not hell, nor purgatory… yet it is the closest thing to it, in both the corporeal and metaphysical sense. Indeed, Alpert’s early declaration that they’re all dead is not entirely untrue. Souls come to the island to be tested, and have so far unanimously failed. Sounds like hell to us. We also learn that the island is a “cork” that keeps malevolence and evil contained, and that our survivors are pawns in an epic battle between darkness and its captor.

So: Before the Man In Black escapes, can the last of the candidates prove Jacob’s case? Can they demonstrate that people can choose the right path?

That seems to be “LOST” in a nutshell. The players and stories are simply human. Jack, Kate, Hurley, a Kwon… Their pasts don’t matter, yet obviously inform their future. But stakes are huge. Biblical, global, and universal. It seems impossible for “LOST” to satisfactorily resolve these grand themes in the next seven episodes, let alone a million other frayed threads. We’re afraid vindication may only come after re-watching the series from the beginning, after seeing everything through Season Six eyes.

Interestingly, we saw a distinct parallel between Richard’s failed attempt on Jacob’s life and Sayid’s failure to kill the Man in Black. The fact that both sides may be intent on murder certainly muddies the “good versus evil” waters. Also, even though we still don’t know what rules are in force (and thus what “loophole” Ben stepped through to finally stab Jacob), I was surprised by the suggestion that Alpert was the first to try. Coming to the island in the 1800s, his story already began much more recently than I’d assumed. Which means that the conflict has only recently turned ugly, maybe as Jacob’s candidates have started to run out.

On the questions checklist, meanwhile, we can cross out both “what destroyed the statue” and “how did the Black Rock end up in the jungle” with the same stroke. The physics seem a little iffy, but then again, there’s also a smoke monster on this show. Speaking of which, it’s now clear that said smoke monster “scans” people to find their motivations and weaknesses, if not also their usefulness. Conjuring dead wives, or daughters (Alex), or brothers (Yemi) is a useful power to get people to do things for you, and it’s a power that Jacob explicitly admits tonight that he lacks.

He can, however, grant immortality. And I’m curious why Alpert became Jacob’s ageless intermediary, when all who came before and after him were merely candidates to test. I’m guessing Alpert was a candidate himself, explaining why was he the only person on the Black Rock that the smoke monster didn’t kill. But did he end up extra special because he was the first to come at Jacob with a dagger, demonstrating to Jacob that he needed a helper?

And now, decades later, Richard is weak and tries to join the Man In Black. His dead wife, through Hurley, puts him back on track. Like Ben, he’s nearly led astray, but sticks with Jacob’s team. But also like Ben, I now wonder what else is left for him to do. I don’t know who’s going to be the last man standing against the Man In Black, but I’m pretty sure it’s not either of them.

We’re glad “LOST” took us on a ride into the past this week. But next week, we better rack up some serious mileage on the island.

Notes and Notions:

• Jen’s now fixated on Anthony Cooper. The man who appeared mysteriously on the island, and whom Ben prodded Locke to murder. With a knife. Quickly, before he had a chance to think. Was that whole scenario yet another “move” between Jacob and the Man in Black? And if so, who’s side did Anthony Cooper represent?
• Alpert’s backstory was almost flawless. But the ease with which the greedy doctor was killed was a bit silly. Coupled with Kelvin’s noggin knock at Desmond’s hands, it seems skulls on “LOST” are especially fragile.
• Now that we see even more significance and history to Alpert’s character, it’s hard not to think about some of the things he’s done in seasons past. The fact that he was merely a thug for Ben in “The Brig” seems ridiculous, as does his apparently pivotal role in “The Purge.” Was he acting in Jacob’s interests then? And how does that jive with his efforts to sustain a truce further back in 1977?
• Richard’s devotion to Isabella was well acted, but I couldn’t help but think it was an interesting choice to motivate him with his love for a spouse, rather than for a parent or especially a child. With all the generational issues explored on “LOST,” hanging things on a husband and wife bond seemed almost quaint.
• Some great, lighter moments: Richard’s almost girlish giggle when he’s asked what to do. Hurley telling Jack it’s not about him. And the look on the Man in Black’s face when Alpert hands him the white stone.
• The captain of the Black Rock was one Magnus Hanso. Presumably related to Alvar Hanso of the nearly forgotten Hanso Foundation, which funded the DHARMA Initiative. I wonder if this one mention of the Hanso name will be all we’ll see in the show from the Season 2 ARG? Or will the arrival of Charles Widmore open the door to a little more Hanso/DHARMA backstory?
• Lots of overtly Christian elements this week. God, the devil, a bible, a cross, sin, absolution and forgiveness, penitence… There was a lingering shot of Luke 4:24-29, in which Jesus asserts that prophets are often rejected in their own neighborhoods, and angers the people of Nazareth by telling them not to expect any special treatment even though he’s from their town. I’ll leave it to more qualified scholars to tease out how the passage applies to “LOST.” I’m also sure the nail Richard found on the Black Rock was symbolic, but don’t know how.
• At the end of Season 5, Jacob and the Man In Black see a ship sailing on calm seas in the middle of a bright, sunny day. Yet we now know the Black Rock arrived on a stormy night… delivered by a huge wave, no less. Presumably the first ship wasn’t the Black Rock, but one of many other vessels that Jacob has summoned.

What did you think? We’d love your feedback! Share your thoughts, theories, and reactions to “Ab Aeterno” via a comment below, e-mail us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or call the LOSTLine at (815) 310-0808.

“Locke tasks Sawyer with a mission.” We’ll blog our thoughts as soon as we can (Ryan just landed back in Honolulu and may not be fully conscious), but we want to know what you thought about tonight’s episode. Share your feedback, thoughts, theories and questions by posting a comment below, e-mailing us at lost@hawaiiup.com, or calling the LOSTLine at (815) 310-0808.