Trans 2010-05-09: “The Candidate” (Episode 6-14)

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After a week off, this edition of “The Transmission” covers “The Candidate,” the unforgettable fourteenth episode of Season 6. We share our thoughts, then we turn it over to our brilliant listeners in “You All Everybody.” We discuss our plans for our last few podcasts, then play the latest track from The Others LOST Band. Finally, in a tiny “Forward Cabin,” we look at what’s coming up on “LOST.”

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Segments:

  • 0:00:19 Introduction
  • 0:01:44 Recap: “LOST” in Eight Minutes
  • 0:09:19 Reaction & Analysis
  • 0:44:25 Feedback: You All Everybody
  • 1:19:26 “Done Going Back” by The Others LOST Band
  • 1:23:29 Spoilers: The Forward Cabin
  • 1:26:20 Closing

To download this LostCast, click the “Pod” icon below, or cut-and-paste the following URL:

http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/hawaii/lostcast20100509.mp3

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49 Responses to Trans 2010-05-09: “The Candidate” (Episode 6-14)

  1. peejay from millersville, md says:

    What a gut-wrenching episode! This just continues on that level of “Through the Looking Glass”. The writers and creators did a tremendous job making you care very much for Charlie then and Jin and Sun were fan favorites too so they definitely hit home with there last moments on the show. The floodgates definitely broke open with me in this ep. Sayid found redemption and his character died a hero’s death. Now we know for sure man in black is evil and here we go! Lets enjoy the rest of this fantastic ride!

    PS Happy Mothers Day Jen!

  2. gene e says:

    Dear Ryan and Jen,

    I truly love listening to your podcast. It is the most informative and entertaining one out here. I look foward to getting deeper into the hawaiiup universe in the future, after the era of The Transmission.

    I agree with Jin on his decision to stay with Sun. He never raised the child and would likely be a stranger in her eyes. I would rather have her know how much her mother and I loved each other and let that be what she treasures as her remembrance of us.

    I think that Sawyer should wake up speaking Korean… then he could tell the child about her parents. (Haha, the old “knock me out and I’ll wake up speaking Korean” joke! GOTCHA!)

    One other point to pick.
    I ain’t no doctor, but if I’m treating a gun shot wound to someone’s upper chest, I at least take her shirt off. (Freudian slip alert!)

    And, just wondering…
    Has anyone seen MIL drink water? I have not been paying specific attention to that, but one would have to wonder how that would work. And, I do want one of those bullet-proof t-shirts.

  3. Genevieve says:

    I’m listening to the podcast now, and wanted to address the Desmond/Jack issue. Desmond and Jack do have a moment in L.A. in the hospital, when Des was looking for Charlie after the near-drowning incident. They recognized each other as being on the flight together. 🙂

    xo

    Going to finish listening! Thanks for the podcast!

  4. Happy Mothers Day

  5. Great podcast, I finally (8 years later) got an iPod so now I can hear you guys are on go!
    Wow everyone had great theories!! I never really took in how Bernard may have been ‘enlightened’. Great points!
    Wow, I’m really happy to hear ‘you all everybody’! If there is anything I love more than LOST is LOST fans!

    MUCH LOVE!!!

    Very tough episode to watch, very awesome podcast!

  6. Laura in NY says:

    Another note on Jin’s choice — he may also be thinking that the chances are pretty slim he’ll ever get off the island and back to Korea. And in that case, I can see why he’d make the choice not to let Sun die alone.

  7. Carol from Boston says:

    MIB has lied so many times so why do we assume he is telling the truth about not being able to travel over water? Why would he leak such important info to Sawyer that could potentially be used against himself? Maybe he just wanted an excuse to send Sawyer to Hydra Island to check it out?

    @Knives – congrats on the ipod. Great to finally hear your voice. Did you see the portrait that was done of Sayid by a member of the board a couple of weeks ago?

    @Ryan and Jen – enjoyed the podcast. Happy Mother’s Day!

  8. docjkm says:

    Ryan and JEN – HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!

    “After that, who knows?” – Ryan. “There might be a podcast or two left in us” – Jen
    O’ hear my plea. Thine ears are but stone to the cry for Transmission continuity through the desolate desert that awaits on the distal shoulder of May 23. Must I, yet through redundant screech, implore upon implacable shore as the wave breaks yet alters not the dune. With one hand laud thine accomplishment, whilst the other stretches in fruitless grasp towards thy diminishing visage.

    Does that do any more than previous imploration? We will need that buffer. The blog with maybe mini-casts? How cruel and heartless the suggestion that we go elsewhere to the multitude of other entities, the pretenders, the erstwhile wannabes.

    Ah, well, I guess you want to have your ALT-lives, too. Can’t say I blame you, my ALT-life could use some attention that Lost has usurped so well.

    So, The Candidate and your podcast: both excellent!

    I have one comment. No, two.

    Ben, before he left the motel to go after Penny on Des’s boat, retrieves a package/box from the HVAC register. The filming of this retrieval is identical to that shown as Flocke retrieves the package/box from the overhead compartment. Indistinct as per the item (in the foreground) with clear visage of the face (serious) doing the retrieval. I find it inescapable that the item is the same. Now, why Ben would leave something so important on the plane (as I am now sure he was getting it for the Ajira ‘trip’, and it was not the gun for his Penny mission as has been assumed) is currently beyond my ken. But, that Flocke knew it was there is undeniable, and appears a major component of his long con. Does anyone remember this package prior to Ben’s retrieval?? Outside of Jin’s ring, did Locke have something on/with him on his journeys after the Oceanic 6? Something Ben would want, and bring back, valuable to ol’ Smokey? Remember Ben telling the lady at the butcher shop he had another job for her? Did she pick it up from somewhere? Ah, questions…

    Second, our friendly pilot is NOT dead. After listening to the comic duo, Darleton, on the official podcast, I am convinced. Lapidus – not done.

    Third, (I know, I said two, but who’s counting?), Sayid. Sayid. I did not cry, I was emotional, but did not cry tears until I listened to Knives call on the You All Everybody segment of the podcast. That brought it home. I was so caught up in the various ramifications of what I was witnessing that the emotional weight was postponed. I am not conditioned to cry at television shows, at all. Boy, is this different. I am mourning Sayid the most. His arc is so painful, much like John Locke’s, but different. To think of all he has endured, the lover who through circumstance was the killer because he could. Forced into the role for the most part, he gave his gift of killing to others, and then… I will never forget his ‘what about me’ to Ben when Ben released him from his ‘contract’ as assassin during his time as one of the Oceanic 6. And I remember sharing Knives strong affinity for the character. Almost to the extent that he ceased being a ‘character’. Sun and Jin… as characters they were faultlessly played, and remain some of the strongest flashback episodes on the series. Gone?

    Thank you, Knives, for your emotional honesty. And to all of you who shared your thoughts and feelings about this epic epic. To you, Ryan, for a classy and skillful write-up of the episode. Well done.

    Thank you, Ryan and Jen. This podcast and blog has made this experience what is has been for all of us. The proof is in the sharing, no?

  9. docjkm says:

    One more thing. Like Doc Jensen on EW, I applaud the writers’ choice to celebrate the marital adventure that was Sun and Jin. I also applaud Jin’s choice. How many couples lose track of the fact that their children spring from the relationship and commitment they feel and make to each other. The children are a sign, a symptom of the parents love.

    I know, it’s all about the kids. No, it’s not. Sound heartless? If it does, and you are married with children, I strongly suggest you reevaluate your marital relationship. No marital relationship should be equivocal on this issue.

  10. Coolpeace says:

    Thank You for the Podcast – just finished listening. And of course, Happy Mother’s Day to all moms.

    Docjkm, unlike you I easily cry if I have a connection to charaters and stories on TV and did during this episode, however, like you Knives’ call brought me right back to that night and the tears came again.

    To those of you who spoke through your tears or choked them back, thank you for being unafraid to show us, this community, your emotions. And if I may say that this more than anything else is witness to the fact that we have indeed a special community, where we all can say and express our opinions and feelings without fear, knowing that YAE have our backs. I do venture out there and it is a rare thing indeed in the vastness that is cyerspace.

    Finally, Ryan and Jen since you brought up the future, perhaps you may wish to contemplate putting together a few additional podcasts and blog posts with a paricular discussion topic every other week, to help us digest and dissect the story as a whole… of course, respectfully, this is only a suggestion for your consideration.

    As always, many thanks.

  11. LReene says:

    Normal Sunday routine interrupted by a visit from the kids and Mother’s Day activities, but in the end still got to listen to the Podcast.

    As always, thanks SO much Ryan and Jen for the fine job. And thanks also to YAE for the many call-ins, comments, and posts about last week’s episode.

    @docjkm – I especially like your post above.

  12. Carol from Boston says:

    @Doc and Coolpeace – Thank you for putting into words how I feel as well.

    @Knives – I was moved by your tears as well, we know how you feel about Sayid. Hopefully Sayid will live a better life in his sideways now that he has redeemed himself. Though I feel that he never wanted to be a killer or torturer, he was forced into it by others. You always had a heart Sayid, you felt things deeper than most.

  13. Mattfromnd says:

    Just found out what man in black’s real name is. Wanna know?

    It’s Bob.

    Alright I’m kidding. I read spoilers, but I don’t spoil other people that don’t want to know.

    Anyway. I had a comment on something from the podcast, but I forgot what I was going to say. So I’m going to listen a second time and see if I remember it.

  14. Joop says:

    I was surprised by the chatter about Jin an Sun speaking English as odd, because it didn’t occur to me. I re-watched the scene and it still doesn’t feel odd, in fact I think it’s an inspired choice by the writers. The English language has been a major theme in their story. Sun hiding that she spoke it represents the barrier between them in the beginning, and Jin speaking it represents how long they have been apart. It also represents their connection with the other survivors. The words that Jin does speak in their native tongue are made more poignant “I won’t leave you. I will never leave you again.”

  15. Bonita in Atlanta says:

    @ Joop, I support your notion about the Kwon’s English.

  16. ScottB in DC says:

    @docjkm – I agree with you about the box, good point about the retrieval process mirroring what happened previously. I’m thinking the box was left on the plane and hooked up to the electrical system as a power source. Maybe a device to thwart the MIB somehow?

    Ben/Widmore – I agree with so many people and Ryan and Jen yesterday, it seems like they are fixated on remaining on the island in power. Their rivalry seems like a classic battle born from a political power struggle. Both are ruthless to this end, Widmore is convinced he needs to defeat the MIB to stay on the island in safety, Ben – I really hope is also convinced!

    Can not WAIT for Tuesday…..thanks Ryan and Jen for helping with the honey-do lists on so many Sundays. Namaste.

  17. ScottB in DC says:

    A small point, but so many of us have been saying that the people who ambushed our heroes at the sub were not Widmore’s people, but in fact working with Smokey to force everyone to flee into the sub for safety.

    They only wounded Kate with the first shot, no one else…….@gene e great point about needing more truth in medical protocol, I’m on team shirtless Kate! They allowed everyone to enter the dock and sub before attacking. Isn’t it safe to assume, moments before the losties arrived, alerted by UnLocke, they also eliminated any of Widmore’s security people posted outside the sub? The fact that MIB put the bomb in Jack’s bag and not one of the other survivors, PROVES that he had a plan to get Jack on the sub (wounding Kate) in place before the shooting started.

    I didn’t realize why I was so emotionally affected by Kate’s exclamation on the beach at the end of the episode, the podcast really pointed out what a change that was for Kate – I appreciate the clarity Ryan, Jen, and YAE bring on so many levels.

  18. Annietoo says:

    @ScottB – I agree with you! (Except for the shirtless Kate part, ha ha)

    Thank you Ryan and Jen – as usual a very enjoyable, unmissable podcast.

  19. soko says:

    what happened to mr. eyepatch after he swam away? what happened to Bernard and Rose after they chose to not play the game and live on their own in ’77 ? (if they survived the blast they’d still probably be bones by now so… oh… oh yeah!)

  20. steve says:

    @docjkm – I agree with you on the official podcast. They also talk about Kate’s candidate status and MIB’s motivations. There’s fluff to go through on their podcasts, but usually, they use it to clear up ambiguous points and I recall on more than one occasion, getting aha moments.

    They will be doing a talk at the NY Times prior to the last episode. Wish I got a jump start on that – the event sold out fast so I’ll have to get the next day recap on the internet.

  21. Katie Scarlett says:

    I’m listening to the podcast for The Candidate right now, and I just had to stop to tell Jen that I couldn’t agree more: Jack IS dreamy!! 🙂

  22. Amaia says:

    @gene e- Yeah, I saw un-Locke drinking water (although we can’t be sure that’s water).

    @Carol from Boston- The MIB is a liar, but don’t you think if he could travel over water he won’t be there? I noticed he wasn’t happy about being wet and he had problems to get out of the water. At least, that’s what Terry’s face transmitted me.

    @Joop- I found strange that when Sun & Jin finally met they spoke in English. I didn’t think about that in their last scene but that was because I was crying. But to be honest, it is strange they talked in English and not in their mother tongue. Maybe the writers thought the emotion of the scene could be les if people had to read the subtitles.

    About Jin’s decision, he promised Sun he was not going to leave her and that’s what he did. The kid was with her grandmum and I also think he couldn’t go back to Korea and confront Sun’s father.

  23. Amaia says:

    @Ryan & Jen- I’m happy that you’ll do another podcast after The Transmission. It is a pity I discovered this great podcast just some months ago but thankfully I could still listening to your great coments about other TV series and other stuff.

  24. Carol from Boston says:

    @Amaia- I gave Damon and Carlton artistic license for the english/korean speech. I agree with you. It would have taken me out of the moment to read the subtitles. Plus remember, Jin has been speaking English for the past 3 years. The scene worked for me. I was too busy crying anyway. (though my husband came home in the middle of that scene and distracted me a bit. I think I alarmed him when he came home and found me crying by myself in the family room.)

  25. Kate from California says:

    Ryan and Jen, I just want to tell you how much your podcast means to me, and I know, to so many other people. There are a couple of other Lost podcasts that I listen to regularly and enjoy, but yours gives me the richest understanding of the show, and I so appreciate the time, care, and thought that you invest every week.
    Whee! I made it into the podcast! I squealed with excitement when I heard my voice, especially because I left such a long message that I never thought I’d make the cut. Thanks for including me!
    I did have one thing that I wanted to run by everyone ~ it was at the tail end of my long call, and so understandably wasn’t included in YAE.
    When Jack and Locke were talking in the sideways ‘verse about Locke’s plane crash, Locke told Jack that he didn’t remember what he’d done to cause the crash, which I found intriguing. I’ve felt for a couple of episodes that there’s a connection between Island Locke, i.e. MIB, and Sideways Locke, and I’m wondering whether there might be more to Locke’s crash than meets the eye. That is, could it have happened as a result of Jacob and/or MIB’s interference, and that’s why Locke doesn’t remember doing anything to cause it?
    I don’t have any ideas on specifically how this might work, but the line jumped out at me as perhaps being significant, and I love to hear what others might think.
    Mahalo!

  26. steve says:

    Not to make things difficult for those trying to avoid spoilers, but this weeks New Yorker has a writeup on LOST’s composer, Michael Giacchino, and mentions a bit about the finale score. Spoiler-ish? Who knows?

  27. @ Carol??? I haven’t seen this portarit!! GIMME GIMME GIMME! =)

  28. Genevieve says:

    I have to say that I’ve always been Team Jack, and am so glad he’s getting his due, FINALLY! 🙂

  29. Carol from Boston says:

    @Knives – this Was done by Keith who did the Locke, and Sun portraits. He does great work.

    http://i44.tinypic.com/r1g3us.jpg

    @Keith – hope you don’t mind my posting it.

  30. Carol from Boston says:

    @Genevieve – me too!! I don’t really hate anybody except Razinsky, Phil, and Zoe.

  31. Carol from Boston says:

    @Knives – there is also another one with a close up of the face. Keith posted them under the “everybody loves hugo” board (I think).

  32. Alice from Long Isalnd says:

    I can’t help but thinking that both MIB & Widmore are engaged in some game at the Losties expense. I believe Widmore is just as evil as MIB. We’ll have to wait and see.

  33. ScottB in DC says:

    @Kate from California – The line Locke said struck me as significant too. So many things fly by, that one went in and out of my head. It does sound like something other than Locke’s actions was responsible.

    Dogen’s story is similar sounding to Locke’s sideways story, a crash where a loved one is injured significantly.

    Why I wonder, did Dogen remember the deal he made with Jacob? If we was telling the truth, was there anyone else (other than Hurley and Dogen and Richard and Ben w/MIB) that ever spoke to Jacob?

  34. @ Carol

    Oooh thanks! Instantly my wall paper!
    I think Sayid was ‘redeemed’ in the sideways timeline when he told Nadia that he didn’t deserve her… That too me was really painful but brutally honest.
    SOmething I wish I had the heart to tell past lovers.

    Oooh thank you all for giving me such a wonderful forum to post LOST love!
    <3 I love you all!

  35. Cian says:

    Gonna make it short. I’d still like to know why the islands are under water in the flash sideways timeline.

    Also, here is a list of the remaining survivors of the Flight 815 crash (candidate or not):

    Jack Shephard
    James “Sawyer” Ford
    Kate Austin
    Hugo “Hurley” Reyes
    Claire Littleton
    Walt Dawson
    Aaron Littleton (Claire pregnant when the plane crashed)
    Ji Yeon Kwon (Sun pregnant when the plane crashed)

  36. Jonathan, From Louisiana says:

    Wow! Amazing episode and I’ve loved your podcast for almost as long as the show!

    I found this episode amazing. It was emotional and made some great progress…it starting to feel like things are going to be wraping up for the end. And sometimes wraping things up hurts a bit.

    I was sad about the big deaths this episode but mostly for Frank. I felt Frank had the most potential. I was really hoping the writers would do something with him. Sun and Jin’s story was pretty much done when they got back together. Sayid was bad but only kind of. You could tell it was only a matter of time when he was going to sacrifice his life for good.
    It seems like by the final episode will have Sun, Jin, and Sayid alive and living somewhat happy lives. Frank, however, is the only one we haven’t seen I flash sideways. So thier deaths don’t seem that permenant, but his does a little more.
    But it was fun to hear the extreme reactions. Makes me feel better. My Cousin’s 2 year old was in my face asking to play during the big scene! !! It was killing me. I ended up building blocks because I didn’t have a valid sounding arguement to tell a two year old. “lost is more important than you” just did sound right. So I built a castle..but it wasn’t a good one (I was still watching lost over her shoulder)shh;)

    You both do such a great job, thanks for the hard work and dedication!

  37. @Cian: Sun was not pregnant when 815 crashed.

    Who revived Sayid? He is the only “dead is dead” exception (since all the rest were ghosts or mib)… Or was he like Mikhail? Or is it like them only being killed by other Candidates (Shannon/Ana Lucia/Michael/the bomb(Keamy/Widmore) while John did not die from his fall and Ben could not kill Widmore (but Widmore “killed” Linus/father and Horace with the Tempest’s gaz)?

  38. Coolpeace says:

    Bonjour Yann :

    Did you mean to say that Ben “killed” Linus/father ? In any evenut Roger Linus and Horace were Dharma and therefore I think they were not candidates… It seemed that Richard help to coordinate the purge … was he working for MIB (but thought he was doing Jacob’s bidding?).

  39. Coolpeace says:

    Oops… ‘In any event …”

  40. steve says:

    The latest Darlton interview. Interesting. People are not happy to be on the same flight as them. Would you?

    http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2010/05/lost_showrunners_damon_lindelo.html

    They talk about the creative process of the arc of the story and Jin & Sun’s death and maybe a hint at the ending by reference to the Sopranos/M*A*S*H?

  41. Alex in MD says:

    I still say that MIB is not been PROVEN to be “evil”. What the actions in “The Candidate” show is that he has been lying about wanting the Candidates to join him in leaving the island. He wants all (or at least some) of the candidates to die. But if killing is the proof of evil, then Kate, Sawyer, Ana Lucia, Mr. Eko and Sayid are “evil” since they have all killed others. MIB has justified his killing as self-preservation.

    What remains unknown is what will happen if the MIB leaves the island. There are two sources that state that MIB is evil. One is Jacob. The other is Isabella’s ghost, when she spoke with Hurley. Everyone else has been told by Jacob or by someone that Jacob told.

    Darlton!!! Prove me wrong!

  42. Cue Dblu says:

    @Alex in MD: like you, I wasn’t convinced MIB was evil, but Cuselof said as much in the latest OLP. Bummer, b/c I think Terry O’Quinn’s acting as MIB is much more interesting to watch than as John Locke. His nuances as someone who is incredibly powerful, yet constrained from freely using that power is a lot of fun to watch. To me, he’s been much more of a ‘human’ character than Jacob (who seems more like an unfeeling mannequin) ever has shown.

  43. LReene says:

    @Alex in MD – There are actually two other sources that say MIB is evil. Their name’s are Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. And since it is “their” story, I guess like it or not we have to accept the fact.

    As “Cue Dblu” pointed out, Darlton even said that the reason so many had to die in this last episode was so that there would be no longer be any doubt in any mind but that MIB was the evil one.

  44. LReene says:

    Ooooo, sorry for the terrible sentence structure in that last post. My tongue got so twisted up my eye teeth couldn’t see what they were saying. 🙂

  45. My crackpot theory is that Lapidus survived the explosion on the sub. He was knocked out by the door hitting him, but regained consciousness in time to get off of the sub. And since we only saw Jin and Sun’s hands floating apart, I am going to say that Lapidus grabbed Jin on the way out and that Jack is going to revive him on the beach. Hey, if you are going to theorize on fiction, you may as well do it big!

  46. steve says:

    There are those who think those hands were Lapidus’. I thought it was crackpot, but on second look, they were pretty hairy. But I have no idea what Jin’s forearms look like, so who knows.

    All I have to say is, with all his great one liners, Lapidus goes out with “oh no”, “aw hell” or whatever he said? As Hurley would say, dude, that is so wrong, mission unaccomplished.

  47. Bonita in Atlanta says:

    Lapidus saying “Ah, Hell” is the perfect one-liner, a call back to the notion that the Island is Hell,

  48. Lourdes says:

    I love your podcast, but have to disagree with this: The anvilicious insertion of clips from “House of the Rising Sun” made the moment even more frustrating. Seriously, if you were a latecomer to “LOST” who didn’t know why it was significant that black and white stones were placed with two bodies laid to rest in a cave… would you have missed much without the flashback?

    I’ve been watching since Season 1. So much has happened, that I did not remember this scene at all. For those of us with bad memories, it was much needed!

  49. Cian says:

    @Yann From France

    Yes, Sun WAS pregnant when the plane crashed, just like she was pregnant when Flight 815 landed in Los Angeles in the flash sideways.

    If you recall there was a question as to whether the father of Sun’s baby was Jin, or if Jae Lee was the father.

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