Package Delivered
Back with a timely Lost recap/analysis. Before I start let me note during the show there was this annoying countdown to V clock in the bottom righthand corner of the screen. I don't think V or Flashforward are going to make it past this season, but that's no excuse for ruining the final season of Lost.
This week's episode, "The Package," was all about Sun and Jin. But it was also like a first season episode in that while the flashback, or flashsideways, concentrated on a character (or two), the stuff on the island involved everyone--even if the action is been split into three camps.
This week starts with Widmore's people watching monster Locke's camp. They're aware of what's going on, and are ready to strike. At the camp, Flocke wants to talk to Jin (because this week is his episode). Flocke wants to bring Sun over. He needs the Candidates to get off the island--just like how they were needed to get back to the island? Is he going to recreate what was already a recreation? (And I still don't see how anyone can fly the Ajira plane, even with Smokey power). It also seems Flocke isn't sure which "Kwon" he needs--so does that mean he had no knowledge of how Jacob created the Candidates list?
In Altaworld, Jin is released from custody at LAX, but the $25,000 he was carrying is confiscated. He was to meet some people at a restaurant and hand over the money and watch. He's missed the meeting, too. Sounds like trouble.
Jin and Sun check in at the hotel and we get the first stunner. Just as altaLocke is married to Helen and altaJack has a son, turns out the shows main couple, Sun and Jin, aren't married in this world.
Flocke leaves Sayid in charge while he goes to get Sun. Sayid notes he feels no emotions. Sayid has been good at hiding emotions in the past, but he's always felt things strongly. Flocke says maybe it's best, it'll help him get through what's coming. That doesn't sound good. Even Flocke is nervous about the upcoming war, I guess. Jin tries to leave, too (he doesn't trust Flocke) but before Sawyer can stop him, Widmore's people shoot darts into everyone and knock them out. Old Other tactics. Flocke may be Smokey, but he can't be everywhere all the time--guess they waited for him to leave. They take only Jin (because, once again, it's his week). (BTW, I thought I heard a new musical cue--this late in the show's history?)
Back at Ilana's camp, her strategy is to wait for Richard to return. That's some strategy, but since she's failed at everything else, maybe doing nothing will work. Ben is doubtful, but Jacob has never led her astray before.
This week starts with Widmore's people watching monster Locke's camp. They're aware of what's going on, and are ready to strike. At the camp, Flocke wants to talk to Jin (because this week is his episode). Flocke wants to bring Sun over. He needs the Candidates to get off the island--just like how they were needed to get back to the island? Is he going to recreate what was already a recreation? (And I still don't see how anyone can fly the Ajira plane, even with Smokey power). It also seems Flocke isn't sure which "Kwon" he needs--so does that mean he had no knowledge of how Jacob created the Candidates list?
In Altaworld, Jin is released from custody at LAX, but the $25,000 he was carrying is confiscated. He was to meet some people at a restaurant and hand over the money and watch. He's missed the meeting, too. Sounds like trouble.
Jin and Sun check in at the hotel and we get the first stunner. Just as altaLocke is married to Helen and altaJack has a son, turns out the shows main couple, Sun and Jin, aren't married in this world.
Flocke leaves Sayid in charge while he goes to get Sun. Sayid notes he feels no emotions. Sayid has been good at hiding emotions in the past, but he's always felt things strongly. Flocke says maybe it's best, it'll help him get through what's coming. That doesn't sound good. Even Flocke is nervous about the upcoming war, I guess. Jin tries to leave, too (he doesn't trust Flocke) but before Sawyer can stop him, Widmore's people shoot darts into everyone and knock them out. Old Other tactics. Flocke may be Smokey, but he can't be everywhere all the time--guess they waited for him to leave. They take only Jin (because, once again, it's his week). (BTW, I thought I heard a new musical cue--this late in the show's history?)
Back at Ilana's camp, her strategy is to wait for Richard to return. That's some strategy, but since she's failed at everything else, maybe doing nothing will work. Ben is doubtful, but Jacob has never led her astray before.
Sun is unhappy. I'm unclear about her motivation. She's seen an awful lot in the time since Ben convinced her Jin was alive, but even after the Temple incident, why isn't she running off into the jungle to find Jin, Ilana or no? Instead, she's plants her garden (really?) while Jack tries to explain the Lighthouse. She doesn't care. Jack sounds like Locke, talking about destiny, but Sun just wants it to be over.
In altaworld, Jin visits Sun's room. They're having an affair. Another surprise. Let me add at this point we haven't seen Sun speak English yet. In this new world, has she never had the chance to learn?
Island Sun is met by Locke. He offers to bring her back to Jin, but she doesn't trust him. She runs away and knocks herself out on a tree like she's Buster Keaton. Couldn't he go all Smokey on her when she runs? He can't kill her, but can't he pull her back? Sun doesn't trust him since the Temple massacre (but not the Statue?). Not quite sure why or how she got these feelings. Did Ilana tell her what to think?
After the loving, Sun tells Jin they should run away. She didn't come to America just for a shopping trip. She's got a secret account they could live off. There's a knock on the door. Jin hides in the bathroom. Sun stops and looks at herself in the mirror. Ha! She seems a bit unsettled, but we get our guaranteed weekly mirror shot. Keamy's at the door. He can't find Jin, whom he expected to see last night.
Ben finds Sun, knocked out. She can only speak Korean, even though she can understand English. Quite a bump. Is it aphasia, or is part of her head flashing to the sideways world, where she can't speak English?
Flocke returns to camp and wakes emotionless Sayid. He explains they've been attacked. Locke wants to know about Jin...
..who's now on Hyrda Island, in Room 23. We even get to see a little of the propaganda film. Turns out this was part of the experimentation of the DI, working on subliminal messages. (Very hippie era concept). Ben later coopted it, I guess, but since the film (if I recall) has messages about Jacob, did he do any reshooting?
Zoe comes in and explains to Jin he's safe, but Widmore's captive. He worked for the DI and they want him to verify some maps about electromagnetism. Convenient that he signed off on them. (And how did Widmore get them? I guess they're from the 70s originally, but wasn't he off the island before Jin took over?)
Flocke prepares to take the outrigger to Hydra Island with Sayid. (Still waiting for the outrigger scene.) But first there's trouble with Claire. Flocke's camp is full of unhappy campers (and Flocke is the camp counselor). Claire wants to know if she's a name on the wall--a Candidate. She's not. (I thought there was a "Littleton," but maybe it was crossed out.) She figures she isn't needed to get off the Island, but Flocke reassures her. She's also worried Aaron won't know her when they get home, and will think Kate's his mother. But Flocke tells her Kate name isn't on the wall, either--no longer, anyway. So once they're on the plane, "whatever happens, happens." (A lot of character speak gnomically this episode.)
Sawyer wonders why Flocke needs a boat to go over to the island--why not fly smokey express? He says he would if he could but he can't--yes, that would be ridiculous, Sawyer notes (in the funniest line of the night).
In altaworld, Keamy finds the watch, but no cash. Sun still can't speak English. If she could here, maybe she would. Keamy and his partner Omar find Jin hiding and decide to have a talk. But the two only speak Korean. (Keamy says it's like being in a Godzilla movie--another good, if uglyl, line). So they send for a compatriot who can speak a bunch of languages--a Russian named Mikhail (whom we knew was coming from the credits, alas). He looks a lot younger and, of course, well kempt here. He's also the fourth white character in the history of Lost who can speak Korean--who'd have thought it's that popular?
Sun says she'll go and get the money. Keamy takes Jin for safekeeping while Mikhail takes Sun to the bank. The two are separated. Will they ever see each other again?
No one believes Ben's story about finding Sun knocked out. Jack, acting like it's season one, does a little doctoring. Can't really help her, but at least can diagnose her. Then who should return but Richard (with Hurley). It's the old, confident Richard, who's seen another (Jacob-related?) miracle and is on the path again. Pack your bags, we're leaving.
Flocke appears (Sayidless) on Hydra Island. The sonic fence is up. Widmore's commandos shoot at the dirt, though they could have shot in Flocke with the same result. Widmore shows up and says something very interesting. Not too long ago, he told Sawyer it was sad how little he understood. But how much does Widmore know? Is he like Ben, kept at arm's length by Jacob (and Richard), having vague ideas of the game, but not really understanding what's going on? Ben hardly knew anything about the "Monster," and Widmore sounds the same. He meets Flocke face to face, and says he's not John Locke, but "everything else I know is a combination of myth, ghost stories and jungle noises in the night." Very interesting. Widmore knows a war is coming, but does he know what it means?
In altaworld, Jin visits Sun's room. They're having an affair. Another surprise. Let me add at this point we haven't seen Sun speak English yet. In this new world, has she never had the chance to learn?
Island Sun is met by Locke. He offers to bring her back to Jin, but she doesn't trust him. She runs away and knocks herself out on a tree like she's Buster Keaton. Couldn't he go all Smokey on her when she runs? He can't kill her, but can't he pull her back? Sun doesn't trust him since the Temple massacre (but not the Statue?). Not quite sure why or how she got these feelings. Did Ilana tell her what to think?
After the loving, Sun tells Jin they should run away. She didn't come to America just for a shopping trip. She's got a secret account they could live off. There's a knock on the door. Jin hides in the bathroom. Sun stops and looks at herself in the mirror. Ha! She seems a bit unsettled, but we get our guaranteed weekly mirror shot. Keamy's at the door. He can't find Jin, whom he expected to see last night.
Ben finds Sun, knocked out. She can only speak Korean, even though she can understand English. Quite a bump. Is it aphasia, or is part of her head flashing to the sideways world, where she can't speak English?
Flocke returns to camp and wakes emotionless Sayid. He explains they've been attacked. Locke wants to know about Jin...
..who's now on Hyrda Island, in Room 23. We even get to see a little of the propaganda film. Turns out this was part of the experimentation of the DI, working on subliminal messages. (Very hippie era concept). Ben later coopted it, I guess, but since the film (if I recall) has messages about Jacob, did he do any reshooting?
Zoe comes in and explains to Jin he's safe, but Widmore's captive. He worked for the DI and they want him to verify some maps about electromagnetism. Convenient that he signed off on them. (And how did Widmore get them? I guess they're from the 70s originally, but wasn't he off the island before Jin took over?)
Flocke prepares to take the outrigger to Hydra Island with Sayid. (Still waiting for the outrigger scene.) But first there's trouble with Claire. Flocke's camp is full of unhappy campers (and Flocke is the camp counselor). Claire wants to know if she's a name on the wall--a Candidate. She's not. (I thought there was a "Littleton," but maybe it was crossed out.) She figures she isn't needed to get off the Island, but Flocke reassures her. She's also worried Aaron won't know her when they get home, and will think Kate's his mother. But Flocke tells her Kate name isn't on the wall, either--no longer, anyway. So once they're on the plane, "whatever happens, happens." (A lot of character speak gnomically this episode.)
Sawyer wonders why Flocke needs a boat to go over to the island--why not fly smokey express? He says he would if he could but he can't--yes, that would be ridiculous, Sawyer notes (in the funniest line of the night).
In altaworld, Keamy finds the watch, but no cash. Sun still can't speak English. If she could here, maybe she would. Keamy and his partner Omar find Jin hiding and decide to have a talk. But the two only speak Korean. (Keamy says it's like being in a Godzilla movie--another good, if uglyl, line). So they send for a compatriot who can speak a bunch of languages--a Russian named Mikhail (whom we knew was coming from the credits, alas). He looks a lot younger and, of course, well kempt here. He's also the fourth white character in the history of Lost who can speak Korean--who'd have thought it's that popular?
Sun says she'll go and get the money. Keamy takes Jin for safekeeping while Mikhail takes Sun to the bank. The two are separated. Will they ever see each other again?
No one believes Ben's story about finding Sun knocked out. Jack, acting like it's season one, does a little doctoring. Can't really help her, but at least can diagnose her. Then who should return but Richard (with Hurley). It's the old, confident Richard, who's seen another (Jacob-related?) miracle and is on the path again. Pack your bags, we're leaving.
Flocke appears (Sayidless) on Hydra Island. The sonic fence is up. Widmore's commandos shoot at the dirt, though they could have shot in Flocke with the same result. Widmore shows up and says something very interesting. Not too long ago, he told Sawyer it was sad how little he understood. But how much does Widmore know? Is he like Ben, kept at arm's length by Jacob (and Richard), having vague ideas of the game, but not really understanding what's going on? Ben hardly knew anything about the "Monster," and Widmore sounds the same. He meets Flocke face to face, and says he's not John Locke, but "everything else I know is a combination of myth, ghost stories and jungle noises in the night." Very interesting. Widmore knows a war is coming, but does he know what it means?
He won't admit he has Jin. Flocke says he guesses the war is now on. It now seems clear both Widmore and Ilana are fighting against the MIB, but are they on the same team? Ilana is definitely with Jacob, but waht does Widmore want?
Speaking of Ilana, Richard is taking over. (Ilana, Richard, Lapidus, Jack, Ben--the camp is full of leaders.) Richard knows MIB wants to leave the island on the plane (really?) and wants to destroy it. Sun can't believe it. She wants to get off the island with Jin, not destroy the plane and save humanity for some silly reason. She rants in Korean, and even with no one around who can understand her, they understand her.
At the altabank, it turns out Sun's account has been closed. Her dad found out. He's apparently known everything all along. You can't fool him (in this world, anyway). Not good. Does this mean he also knows about the affair?
They put Jin in the walk-in fridge, like we saw in the Sayid episode. The first time we thought they beat him up, but now (retrofit?) they just didn't handle him well. Before we're done, we get Jin reflected in the metal door--a double mirror day!
Keamy tells him (in a language he can't understand) the $25,000 (which didn't exist in season one) was payment for killing Jin. That's what you get for messing with the boss's daughter. But, as Keamy notes, "The heart wants what the heart wants."
Widmore has words with Zoe. Things are moving too quickly. They panicked when Jin was leaving the camp, and captured him too soon. So there's a timetable. Zoe notes she's a geophysicist, not a mercenary. I think she's done a good job for not being a commando, and anyway, she's working out better than Naomi.
He tells her to bring the "package" from the sub to the infirmary. She exits and Jin enters. BTW, it's interesting that in this show, for the first time, Jin is the one who knows English while Sun is stuck without it.
Widmore gives him Sun's camera, and he looks at his daughter for the first time. A moving scene. Widmore knows about lost daughters, too. Then he says the most interesting thing in the episode: "I understand thet one thing you want is to be reunited with your wife and daughter. But it would be shortlived if that...thing...masquerading as John Locke ever got off this island. Your wife, your daughter, my daughter, everyone we know and love, would simply cease to be. I came here to make sure that doesn't happen."
Wow. Didn't he send John back to the island to begin with--I thought that's what caused the trouble. (Or did he try to send back a live John, whom he thought was a candidate.) He certainly knew a war was coming, but didn't that hasten it?
But the bigger deal is what this may mean. He doesn't say everyone dies. He says everything Jin knows would "cease to be." Could this possibly mean if Flocke gets his way, and puts the whole island underwater, that we'd see this new world, this altaworld, where everything and everyone is different--all the old verities are gone? And if this is correct, by the way, is it such a bad thing? Is this alta-world a horrible place, and we just don't recognize it yet?
Widmore says it's time for him to see the package. As Flocke said abut himself earlier this season, it's not a what, it's a who. Two weeks ago, a lot of people surmised the hidden thing on the sub was Desmond. I think this verified it for most viewers.
Jin, tied up, hears Sayid shooting everyone. Sayid enters (as we knew he would) and doesn't know what to make of the situation. He gives Jin a blade to cut himself free, then leaves.
Not long after, Mikhail comes in with Sun and looks at the bloodbath in the other room. Keamy is hurt, but not dead (yet). Jin comes from behind and puts a gun at Mikhail's head. They tussle and he shoots Mikhail in the eye. He'll need an eye patch for that except, as Broadway Danny Rose had once noted, the bullet keeps going on into the brain, killing the person.
Sun was hit in the crossfire. Jin starts to carry her out. Looks like she could use a good spinal surgeon. Then she announces she's pregnant. (Wonder if Jin figured at this point he should just leave her there.) Guess it's not from her English teacher this time around.
In a beautiful shot, Sun is sitting near a fire on the beach at night. A reassuring Jack comes along, once again acting like it's season one. He talks to her about aphasia. He gives her a notepad and, sure enough, she can at least write in English. Ain't the brain a wonderful thing.
He asks her about Locke. She explains she didn't go with him because she didn't trust him (or I think she wrote that--the V countdown was in the way). Jack promises to help her find Jin. How many people have promised her that? He promised he'll get them off the Island. Last time he said that, Jin got blown up.
Back at Camp Flocke, Sawyer and Kate talk. I don't think he's forgotten about Juliet, but a man's gotta move on. Flocke returns, once again Sayidless. He's been left behind for recon work. He's gonna find out what the package is. Flocke hates secrets. (Certainly he hates them more than Jacob.)
Over at the Hyrda dock, the very still Sayid watches Widmore's commandos unload, in an unwieldy manner, a very knocked out Mr. Hume. If Sayid could feel anything, he'd probabloy be pretty amazed. (I think the last time they looked at each other was when Desmond refused to leave the freighter because he never wanted to go back to the Island.)
Speaking of Ilana, Richard is taking over. (Ilana, Richard, Lapidus, Jack, Ben--the camp is full of leaders.) Richard knows MIB wants to leave the island on the plane (really?) and wants to destroy it. Sun can't believe it. She wants to get off the island with Jin, not destroy the plane and save humanity for some silly reason. She rants in Korean, and even with no one around who can understand her, they understand her.
At the altabank, it turns out Sun's account has been closed. Her dad found out. He's apparently known everything all along. You can't fool him (in this world, anyway). Not good. Does this mean he also knows about the affair?
They put Jin in the walk-in fridge, like we saw in the Sayid episode. The first time we thought they beat him up, but now (retrofit?) they just didn't handle him well. Before we're done, we get Jin reflected in the metal door--a double mirror day!
Keamy tells him (in a language he can't understand) the $25,000 (which didn't exist in season one) was payment for killing Jin. That's what you get for messing with the boss's daughter. But, as Keamy notes, "The heart wants what the heart wants."
Widmore has words with Zoe. Things are moving too quickly. They panicked when Jin was leaving the camp, and captured him too soon. So there's a timetable. Zoe notes she's a geophysicist, not a mercenary. I think she's done a good job for not being a commando, and anyway, she's working out better than Naomi.
He tells her to bring the "package" from the sub to the infirmary. She exits and Jin enters. BTW, it's interesting that in this show, for the first time, Jin is the one who knows English while Sun is stuck without it.
Widmore gives him Sun's camera, and he looks at his daughter for the first time. A moving scene. Widmore knows about lost daughters, too. Then he says the most interesting thing in the episode: "I understand thet one thing you want is to be reunited with your wife and daughter. But it would be shortlived if that...thing...masquerading as John Locke ever got off this island. Your wife, your daughter, my daughter, everyone we know and love, would simply cease to be. I came here to make sure that doesn't happen."
Wow. Didn't he send John back to the island to begin with--I thought that's what caused the trouble. (Or did he try to send back a live John, whom he thought was a candidate.) He certainly knew a war was coming, but didn't that hasten it?
But the bigger deal is what this may mean. He doesn't say everyone dies. He says everything Jin knows would "cease to be." Could this possibly mean if Flocke gets his way, and puts the whole island underwater, that we'd see this new world, this altaworld, where everything and everyone is different--all the old verities are gone? And if this is correct, by the way, is it such a bad thing? Is this alta-world a horrible place, and we just don't recognize it yet?
Widmore says it's time for him to see the package. As Flocke said abut himself earlier this season, it's not a what, it's a who. Two weeks ago, a lot of people surmised the hidden thing on the sub was Desmond. I think this verified it for most viewers.
Jin, tied up, hears Sayid shooting everyone. Sayid enters (as we knew he would) and doesn't know what to make of the situation. He gives Jin a blade to cut himself free, then leaves.
Not long after, Mikhail comes in with Sun and looks at the bloodbath in the other room. Keamy is hurt, but not dead (yet). Jin comes from behind and puts a gun at Mikhail's head. They tussle and he shoots Mikhail in the eye. He'll need an eye patch for that except, as Broadway Danny Rose had once noted, the bullet keeps going on into the brain, killing the person.
Sun was hit in the crossfire. Jin starts to carry her out. Looks like she could use a good spinal surgeon. Then she announces she's pregnant. (Wonder if Jin figured at this point he should just leave her there.) Guess it's not from her English teacher this time around.
In a beautiful shot, Sun is sitting near a fire on the beach at night. A reassuring Jack comes along, once again acting like it's season one. He talks to her about aphasia. He gives her a notepad and, sure enough, she can at least write in English. Ain't the brain a wonderful thing.
He asks her about Locke. She explains she didn't go with him because she didn't trust him (or I think she wrote that--the V countdown was in the way). Jack promises to help her find Jin. How many people have promised her that? He promised he'll get them off the Island. Last time he said that, Jin got blown up.
Back at Camp Flocke, Sawyer and Kate talk. I don't think he's forgotten about Juliet, but a man's gotta move on. Flocke returns, once again Sayidless. He's been left behind for recon work. He's gonna find out what the package is. Flocke hates secrets. (Certainly he hates them more than Jacob.)
Over at the Hyrda dock, the very still Sayid watches Widmore's commandos unload, in an unwieldy manner, a very knocked out Mr. Hume. If Sayid could feel anything, he'd probabloy be pretty amazed. (I think the last time they looked at each other was when Desmond refused to leave the freighter because he never wanted to go back to the Island.)
So looks like next week will be Desmond-centric.
LOST
LOST
The episode had a lot of fun stuff, but even if The War has started we still don't know what the sides are, how the fighting works, what the goals are, or who's winning. We still don't understand the strategies of any of the players. We also still don't know what the altaworld is about, either. And there's only one more major player in the LAX world to deal with--Hurley. No doubt he'll come right after next week's Desmond (whom the Island certainly wasn't through with).
I don't know if this episode will resonate with fans the way "Ab Aeterno" did, but I thought it had a lot of good stuff and some curious intimations. Still, it's amazing with more than half this short season over, that there's still so much we don't know. The big mysteries are practically untouched, and a bunch of little mysteries abound. Plus, will we see certain characters again? Juliet? Shannon? Walt? And what about Naomi?
posted by LAGuy @ 12:07 AM
4 Comments:
I guess Flocke can't kill the candidates, but if any of them are knocked off for some other reason, I suppose he doesn't need them any more. So wouldn't it be just as good for him to convince them to kill one another?
Also, I'm surprised they're holding off the reunion of Sun and Jin this long.
I think Kate is still a candidate. Does that mean Flocke doesn't know about the lighthouse? Or is it that he's trying to mislead Claire?
The episode was about daughters. Not just Jin's daughter and Widmore's daughter. Jin was tied up in a room because he messed with someone's daughter, in the same way that Karl was tied up in Room 23 (where Jin ended up) because he messed with someone's daughter.
Other reflections. Jin and Sun's escape was blocked just as fake Locke's plan is being blocked by another powerful man.
Both Jin in sideways world and Sun on the Island suffered head injuries.
As for motives, you can't trust anyone. We really don't know what Fake Locke's plans are, though we have seen he can makes mistakes and be worried and bothered about them. Perhaps Fake Locke is bringing together all the candidates so he can kill the last ones and finally leave the island. Maybe he wants them to get on the plane and have Widmore shoot it down. Perhaps because he can't kill candidates directly (as long as they're candidates) he's drawing them all into a war where they'll be killed.
We have no idea what Widmore wants. He's interested in the geophysics of the island. It would seem likely he wants to harness them for his own gain--he's in the way of the Smoke Monster, but he's never really worked for Jacob.
Ilana doesn't even know what she wants to do, except serve Jacob however she's told.
As for Desmond, do we even know which Desmond this is? Perhaps Widmore has sideways Desmond, and this is what will bring the two worlds together. Maybe he needs to bring Desmond to the Donkey Wheel to do something.
Yes, the film contained the words "God loves you as He loved Jacob". They sure seemed to be in the same style (and font?) as the other crazy messages. Were there Jacob fans in Dharmaland? Or were the writers in Season Three not yet firm on the Dharma - Others - Jacob relationship (i.e., Dharma knows about the Others, and the Others know about Jacob, but there's no D to Jacob connection). (FWIW, most of the Others were candidates, but the Dharma folks were generally not.)
Post a Comment
<< Home