He Shoots, He Scores
Lost Spoilers Ahead.
I thought "He's Our You" was a below average episode of Lost, so I was surprised when TV Squad called it the best of the season, and iF Magazine gave it an A. Maybe they were still stunned by the ending, which is a great moment. In any case, Lost performs at such a high level that even weaker episodes are pretty compelling.
"He's Our You" was Sayid-centric. We still need to know how all the Losties got on the plane to Guam, so this featured flashbacks to his life off the island, making it an old-style episode. (No info about Locke and the gang in the present, by the way.) What we learned about Sayid from the flashbacks is he's been a killer all along--I'm not sure if this is news, or even if it's true. Early on we see him assassinate yet another of Widmore's alleged crew, based on the word of Ben Linus. Then that's it, he's run the list, and Ben let's him go. This is apparently the beginning of Sayid turning against Ben. I figured it was something bigger--like he found out Ben was behind his wife's death--because by the time he helped out Hurley, he told him not to trust Ben under any circumstances.
I thought "He's Our You" was a below average episode of Lost, so I was surprised when TV Squad called it the best of the season, and iF Magazine gave it an A. Maybe they were still stunned by the ending, which is a great moment. In any case, Lost performs at such a high level that even weaker episodes are pretty compelling.
"He's Our You" was Sayid-centric. We still need to know how all the Losties got on the plane to Guam, so this featured flashbacks to his life off the island, making it an old-style episode. (No info about Locke and the gang in the present, by the way.) What we learned about Sayid from the flashbacks is he's been a killer all along--I'm not sure if this is news, or even if it's true. Early on we see him assassinate yet another of Widmore's alleged crew, based on the word of Ben Linus. Then that's it, he's run the list, and Ben let's him go. This is apparently the beginning of Sayid turning against Ben. I figured it was something bigger--like he found out Ben was behind his wife's death--because by the time he helped out Hurley, he told him not to trust Ben under any circumstances.
But I see why it wasn't so obvious. Once Sayid was on his own again, and building homes in Santa Domingo, he had time to calm down and realize (or at least believe) he'd been had. If he had stronger evidence of Ben's perfidy, Linus probably couldn't visit Sayid in the Dominican Republic without being shot. In fact, Sayid still has to believe Ben enough that he'll return to Los Angeles to help protect Hurley (even as he tells him not to trust Ben).
We also learned why Sayid was on the plane, and who Ilana is. While she didn't know (or said she didn't know) Ben, it's impossible to believe her plan doesn't have his fingerprints on it.
The main plot back at the Dharma Initiative was fun. The Losties can't reveal the truth, and Sawyer does what he can to save Sayid, but Sayid's not playing ball. If it wasn't clear before, Sawyer is happy in his place with the DI. Off the island, he was a con man, always on the run. Now he's finally a respected leader of the community, and is doing good, honest work. (I think he was always jealous of Jack for this reason.) I supposed he understands he can't really do this job forever. Maybe he figures there's more than a decade before the DI is wiped out, so let's just take it one day at a time. Juliet also seems to have this take, though she understands that the arrival of their old pals must change everything.
Anyway, Sayid's refusal leads to the best scene in the show. He's brought to Oldham (played by the great William "Larry" Sanderson), who specializes in extracting information. This is what Sayid used to do, of course--hence the title--and since then, the show has made sure there have been a number of times where Sayid has been held in constraints and questioned. Oldham uses some sort of truth serum. Sayid starts telling what he knows, but because he claims to be from the future, no one believes him. Buth funny and tense.
As a sidelight we got some Love Connection stuff with the Juliet-Sawyer-Kate-Jack combo, and Hurley gets to put the cooking skills he learned in the fast food world to use.
Next, Sayid's scheduled to be shot. (They decide this in a scene where they bring up my alma mater, University of Michigan, for the first time since season two.) But he's not worried, he knows his purpose. Around this point I started wondering is he going to shoot little Ben Linus? Is that his "purpose" on the island?
Yes.
Still, I had trouble accepting it could happen. It's cruel, even for Sayid, and, of course, we know that Linus lives on. Or do we?
Ben, conniving as always, busts Sayid out. Sayid takes on Jin (wouldn't Jin be asking a lot more questions about Sun?--guess he doesn't get a chance to that easily). Then he turns and shoots Ben right in the chest.
Even though I predicted it (I didn't believe Sayid planned to lead him to the Hostiles, even if he knew how to), I was still shocked. A lot of commentary I've read since assumes that Ben can't be dead. How can they be sure? Because Faraday said so? I'm not sure if Eloise Hawking would agree. This could be another mindbending moment that Lost is famous for.
Since then, I've heard some people who claim to have inside information on next week's episode say Ben survives--okay, we'll see. Maybe Jack will get to perform surgery on him again. (Or would he refuse this time?) It would certainly make sense. How much will he remember, because he sure tries to kill Locke many years later (after, it seems to me, the Others went out of their way not to kill him), though you think he'd know it can't work. Ben seems to plan ahead a lot, but he also seems to kill impetuously.
While we still need a couple episodes to explain how Kate (who mentioned she had her own reasons) and Hurley got on that flight, we also need some reason for the Losties to get out of the Barracks. I suppose it could happen against their will, like something Faraday does, but better if they do it because they want or need to. Here there are a number of possibilities. Could be internal dissension, where Jack gets out of his funk, challenges Sawyer, and says "we've got to go back" yet again. Or, more likely they'll have the threat of being found out, and have to make their move. Or maybe they'll be in the middle of some DI/Hostiles action. Then, of course, you've got the wild card of Sun, egged on by Christian and actively seeking the group.
We also learned why Sayid was on the plane, and who Ilana is. While she didn't know (or said she didn't know) Ben, it's impossible to believe her plan doesn't have his fingerprints on it.
The main plot back at the Dharma Initiative was fun. The Losties can't reveal the truth, and Sawyer does what he can to save Sayid, but Sayid's not playing ball. If it wasn't clear before, Sawyer is happy in his place with the DI. Off the island, he was a con man, always on the run. Now he's finally a respected leader of the community, and is doing good, honest work. (I think he was always jealous of Jack for this reason.) I supposed he understands he can't really do this job forever. Maybe he figures there's more than a decade before the DI is wiped out, so let's just take it one day at a time. Juliet also seems to have this take, though she understands that the arrival of their old pals must change everything.
Anyway, Sayid's refusal leads to the best scene in the show. He's brought to Oldham (played by the great William "Larry" Sanderson), who specializes in extracting information. This is what Sayid used to do, of course--hence the title--and since then, the show has made sure there have been a number of times where Sayid has been held in constraints and questioned. Oldham uses some sort of truth serum. Sayid starts telling what he knows, but because he claims to be from the future, no one believes him. Buth funny and tense.
As a sidelight we got some Love Connection stuff with the Juliet-Sawyer-Kate-Jack combo, and Hurley gets to put the cooking skills he learned in the fast food world to use.
Next, Sayid's scheduled to be shot. (They decide this in a scene where they bring up my alma mater, University of Michigan, for the first time since season two.) But he's not worried, he knows his purpose. Around this point I started wondering is he going to shoot little Ben Linus? Is that his "purpose" on the island?
Yes.
Still, I had trouble accepting it could happen. It's cruel, even for Sayid, and, of course, we know that Linus lives on. Or do we?
Ben, conniving as always, busts Sayid out. Sayid takes on Jin (wouldn't Jin be asking a lot more questions about Sun?--guess he doesn't get a chance to that easily). Then he turns and shoots Ben right in the chest.
Even though I predicted it (I didn't believe Sayid planned to lead him to the Hostiles, even if he knew how to), I was still shocked. A lot of commentary I've read since assumes that Ben can't be dead. How can they be sure? Because Faraday said so? I'm not sure if Eloise Hawking would agree. This could be another mindbending moment that Lost is famous for.
Since then, I've heard some people who claim to have inside information on next week's episode say Ben survives--okay, we'll see. Maybe Jack will get to perform surgery on him again. (Or would he refuse this time?) It would certainly make sense. How much will he remember, because he sure tries to kill Locke many years later (after, it seems to me, the Others went out of their way not to kill him), though you think he'd know it can't work. Ben seems to plan ahead a lot, but he also seems to kill impetuously.
While we still need a couple episodes to explain how Kate (who mentioned she had her own reasons) and Hurley got on that flight, we also need some reason for the Losties to get out of the Barracks. I suppose it could happen against their will, like something Faraday does, but better if they do it because they want or need to. Here there are a number of possibilities. Could be internal dissension, where Jack gets out of his funk, challenges Sawyer, and says "we've got to go back" yet again. Or, more likely they'll have the threat of being found out, and have to make their move. Or maybe they'll be in the middle of some DI/Hostiles action. Then, of course, you've got the wild card of Sun, egged on by Christian and actively seeking the group.
posted by LAGuy @ 12:08 AM
6 Comments:
You argued that Ilana is working for Ben, directly or indirectly. I think it's equally possible that she's working for Widmore (again, directly or indirectly).
Widmore was involved in the attempt to get the Six back to the island even before Ben was. Widmore sponsored Heloise, while Ben merely leapfrogged on her plan.
I suspect Widmore was on the plane. He wants to get back to the island as much as any of them do. And this was his only chance. So it's seems bizarre that he wouldn't have taken it.
I mentally divide Lost into 8-episode "blocks". Seasons one to three each contained three blocks. Seasons four to six are shorter, and each contain two blocks. Ergo, as of last week, we had seen exactly 12 of 15 blocks in the entire series: 80% of the way through.
Blocks 1-9 were on the island, with flashbacks.
Blocks 10-11 were on the island, with flash-forwards to the Oceanic Six.
Block 12 showed the Oceanic Six trying to return, and time-travel on the island.
From this week's episode, I conclude that block 13 will be on the island (in 1977 and 2008), with flashbacks filling in the missing pieces of the Six. They've got enough missing pieces to fill up this entire block: how Hurley got on the plane, Kate's errand for Sawyer, what happened to Aaron, what happened when Ben tried to kill Penny, and presumably something about Sun running Paik Industries. I suspect that by the end of Block 13, these will be complete, and everyone will be reunited in 2008.
So what will they do instead of flashbacks and flashforwards in Season Six? Presumably the main story of Season Six will be the great five-way battle between Ben, Widmore, Ann Arbor, the Others led by Locke and Richard, and the main heroes. We won't be craving any more flashbacks in our heroes lives. Presumably they won't leave the island again (except maybe Sun), so we won't need flash-forwards.
But it's hard to believe they'll abandon the "flash" format. Which makes me wonder what they will do!
I meant "piggybacked," not "leapfrogged".
The reason I believe Ben is behind it is because it was his job to get the six on the plane, and I find it hard to believe he'd let Sayid (or any of them) get away so easily. He hired a lawyer to get Kate, so why not hire someone to bring back Sayid--after all, he's the one who knows more about what Sayid did than anyone. (We also don't know how much Widmore knows about Hawking's plans. He knows where she is, but it's not clear they communicate with each other.)
There's one thing you left out of this season, and that's the "incident." I have no idea exactly how it'll work out, but it'll be a big deal and I'm guessing lead us into the final season.
And while we've got the rest of the Oceanic Six in 1977 to deal with, we've also got big questions to answer regarding what Locke does next, where the Others are, what present-day Ben is doing, what Cesar wants and why isn't the island finished with Desmond.
Good point about the Incident. Back when they blew up the hatch in Season Two, I thought we were done with the Dharma Initiative. Very wrong was I....
Btw, although you mentioned "spoilers" at the top of the post, it would be great if you were more specific when including spoilers for next week's episode. I started to read that paragraph then skipped it when I realized. (I don't watch previews for next week either....)
I discussed what I'd heard others say, but I have no idea if it's true.
ABC should get rid of those previews. For years they've oversold what's going on, when fans need no information, and, at this point, no one else will care.
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