Lost blogging – ‘Lighthouse’
I think I’m going to start blogging weekly on the final season of Lost. I wish I’d started this with the season premiere, but it’s too late for that.
As a primer – I become very disgruntled with the show around season 3. It was a combination of burn-out (too much Lost in rapid succession) and the show’s own struggles which had me doubting whether I’d keep watching. Suffice to say, I’m glad I did. Season 4 was much better, and Season 5 was excellent.
So far, the final season looks to be shaping up to be just as good or even better than the last one.
So – some thoughts and spoilers on the season so far, and especially the latest episode, “Lighthouse”, after the leap…
- I thought this episode was the best so far in the season, despite it being a Jack-centric one. Jack annoys the hell out of me, but I get that he’s the central figure in the show, so it’s not like we can avoid episodes about him.
- I’m still very confused about the alternate history story-line. As far as I know, Jack did not have a child in the first timeline. This means that something that happened as a result of the nuclear bomb sinking the island led to Jack getting married and having a son. Who could his mysterious ex-wife be? Is there some connection to Daniel Faraday who was also a pianist, like Jack’s son?
- I think the question we are beginning to see is one of free will. Both the man in black (i.e. smoke-monster, i.e. John Locke 2.0) and Jacob seem to be manipulating peoples’ free will. The former does so overtly, by “claiming” them. The latter does so in more subtle ways. Indeed, I’m not even sure Jacob is manipulating peoples’ free will at all – though perhaps he is using some clever nudges.
- A thought I had watching this episode – and the really creepy scenes with Claire – is that perhaps Christian Shepherd was inhabited by the smoke monster for the first few seasons, and now has been abandoned for Locke’s form. Unlike all the other people “claimed” by the smoke monster – Claire, the French crew, others? – who were/are crazy, unpredictable, violent, Christian was always very calm, very knowing, seemed to have some purpose. He helped Locke get off the island, and somehow managed to get into that cave at that exact moment that Locke was down there. We also saw him with Claire after she went missing, and she mentions that he and “her friend” have both told her the others took her baby. But we never see Christian and Bad Locke at the same time (at least not yet). And the disappearance of Christian now that Locke is the smoke monster, seems to make sense.
- I’m really not sure about the candidates, the lighthouse, and so forth. If anyone has some good symbolism thoughts, feel free to add them. Are all the people who come to the island “candidates” and is Locke lying about what that means? Are they really candidates to protect the island? If he’s trying to get away, maybe they are instead candidates for the position of prison guard, not to protect the island but to keep the island from releasing the smoke monster.
- Who is coming to the island? Where does Charles Widmore fit into all of this? Faraday’s mother? Was Ben Linus aware of the temple and the people there? Lots of questions. Not enough answers.
Discuss!
P.S. – Those of you who, like Will, think Lost is lame need not crowd up the thread with “Lost is lame” comments. You may think Lost is lame, and on that we will have to simply disagree. I’d rather have a discussion over the merits of the show for those who enjoy it than get into an argument over whether it is or is not lame. Thanks.
I veto this idea. Lost is lame.Report
I concur Will!
I miss Scully and Muldar. Bring back X-Files, those guys haven’t hit it big in the movies so might as well do four or five more seasons as “aging” FBI jacks. I love the theme music btw.Report
I veto Will. He is lame
Keep with the good idea!Report
Locke* can’t be lying about the fact that they’re candidates. Jacob deploys the same language with Hurley (presuming, of course, that Jacob is in fact more trustworthy than Locke*.
I had the same thought about the smoke monster inhabiting Jack’s dad. The point about the body not being in the coffin seems pertinent to that (which they made a point of reminding us of last night).
And I figure that we’ll get answers to all the rest of the questions as soon as we find out the significance of the Island. Answer that, and we’ll be able to answer why everyone outside the island cares about it, and what the relationship is between their current existence on the Island and the ‘alternate reality’ happening in LA.Report
In my defense, that was meant to be good-natured joshing, not a dispositive statement on the quality of “Lost.” The show’s never done it for me, but I certainly understand why it appeals to people.Report
And why is that? Because they’re lame? 😉Report
I haven’t seen this supposition elsewhere, and it’s obviousness in the context of LOST prompts me to question it, but Jack Shephard is number 23. The 23rd Psalm begins with, “The LORD is my shepherd…” Coincidence?Report
I like the alternate story-line. It’s interesting because everyone seems to be happy (relatively speaking). I’m just taking it as a ‘what-if’ that will give viewers a contrast to what really happens to everyone at the end.
I will be 100% amazed if the series doesn’t end with Jack taking Jacob’s place.Report
I think he will take the Smoke Monster’s place, ultimately. By smashing the mirrors in the lighthouse, he was in effect rejecting Jacob. At the end of the series, we might see Jack, as Smokey’s replacement, and Sawyer, as Jacob’s replacement (Sawyer will eventually reject Smokey too), having the same conversation Jacob and Smokey had at the foot of the statue. Only this could be that ending Jacob was talking about.Report
Since I’ve already outed myself as one of “those” people, I’ll keep on with it.
Mike, it strikes me at this point that the more plausible ending is that as long as real Locke stays dead, Hurley will take over Jacob’s place. Whatever we make of the island and Jacob, there’s been a pretty clear theme of “faith” throughout, and Jack’s always been too much of a skeptic to run the show. Hurley, on the other hand, is pretty comfortable with fideism, and seems to have the sort of simple purity that Locke had. Plus, Jack and Kate will get together (you KNOW this is coming), and I suspect they won’t want to make their home together on the island.Report
Ben definitely knows about the Temple. It was while Alex, Karl, and Rousseau were on their way there at his bidding that they were captured/killed by the mercenaries.
and while Christian and smokey-inhabited Locke have not appeared in the same place at the same time yet, they have definitely both existed on the island at the same time. At the end of last season Sun and Lapidus went to the Dharma village in search of Jin and Christian appeared and told her to wait for Locke, who now turns out to have been the smoke monster.Report
The one thing you don’t mention in the points is that the “alternate universe” stories all seem to be stories of redemption and renewal. Everyone starts out as they were: in trouble, miserable, and out of sorts. In each of the stories so far, the survivors end up at peace with themselves and the world. I don’t know if it continues, but it’s interesting that the “new life” is actually that, a chance to be better, or to exist in a world that treats them better. Free will or not, it is to me the most interesting element of the new season. Even Jin and Sun’s discomfort at the airport could be a red herring – like Jack’s surly son to start, it ends with forgiveness and redemption: did they go through all the horror to get to this point: Peace with one’s self, in one’s world? If so, I’m really impressed.Report