"As they passed the rows of houses they saw through the open doors that men were sweeping and dusting and washing dishes, while the women sat around in groups, gossiping and laughing.
"What has happened?" the Scarecrow asked a sad-looking man with a bushy beard, who wore an apron and was wheeling a baby-carriage along the sidewalk.
"Why, we've had a revolution, your Majesty -- as you ought to know very well," replied the man; "and since you went away the women have been running things to suit themselves. I'm glad you have decided to come back and restore order, for doing housework and minding the children is wearing out the strength of every man in the Emerald City."
"Hm!" said the Scarecrow, thoughtfully. "If it is such hard work as you say, how did the women manage it so easily?"
"I really do not know," replied the man, with a deep sigh. "Perhaps the women are made of cast-iron.""
- L. Frank Baum, "The Land of Oz"
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Some random thoughts/impressions/theories about Lost. Feel free to add to in the comments.
Spoiler-ish stuff below the fold
- Have you noticed that, among the long-time cast (other than Josh Holloway, who always seems to be on) you can almost sense a little bit of weariness? It's almost like you can see that they know the show's almost over and that they're already thinking about what they are going to do next. I notice this particularly in Evangeline Lily and Matthew Fox, and somewhat in the actors who play Miles, Lepidus, Sun, and Jin.
- DeadLocke is the angel of death. He would like to kill everyone on earth, because his experience is that all people are sin-filled and unredeemable. Doesn't make him *evil*, per se, because I don't think our concepts of evil/good translate very well to Jacob and MIB.
- Jacob believes people can be good on their own. So he's naive.
- Widmore telling Jin that his wife, daughter, etc would "cease to exist" I think means more than that they'd be killed. Maybe if Smokey makes it off the island, time itself changes and they really do cease to exist? Or, maybe because the island is gone in the Alternate Reality, and Jin and Sun aren't married, his daughter ceases to exist (because she never was). My head hurts. But I do think it has something to do with time-travel and alternate realities, because Desmond (who is unstuck in time) has some important part to play.
- I'm not sure what Sayid's zombie-state means, but somehow I think it's pretty cool . . . the fact that he feels nothing - not anger, not fear, no emotions - fits with his tragic character arc.
I had more but now my head hurts. So that is all. Somehow they're going to pack a resolution into only six episodes . . . Good luck.
Update: - I forgot an important point/question: Which of the Losties are going to die? Who will go first? I think Jack is not long for this world, because they are resolving his character arc early here, and he also just has that aura of someone who's going to sacrifice himself for everyone else. Thoughts?
Update 2: - Are Jacob and Esau the top dogs? Or is this one of those 24-like worlds where there's always a higher level. Remember back in Season 2 when we thought Tom Friendly was the leader of the Others. Then we thought Ben was. Then we started hearing about this Jacob guy, and Paik, and Widmore.
I'm nervous that the little blond haired kid is the puppet master. That'll be dumb.
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Comments on "Random Lost Thinkage":
3. stroke
- 04/02/2010 12:34 am CDT
the fact that he feels nothing - not anger, not fear, no emotions
he's ready for jedi training!
4. damien
- 04/02/2010 8:00 am CDT
how this show manages to leave its viewers confused, intrigued, and guessing ahead after each episode, for several years now...?
5. Quaid
- 04/02/2010 8:11 am CDT
Point 1: I wonder if they've been told, as a cast, to act weary and tired this season and maybe that's effecting your perception?
Fox had one of his greatest acting eps ever this season, Sun & Jin haven't seen each other for years, yet know (believe?) that they're only minutes from each other and are frustrated. Ben is still strong and I don't see what you are noticing in Hurley. And, let's face it, you wouldn't be happy with Kate if she announced you had just won ten million dollars. You're filled with Kate-hate.
So - I see the tiredness, but I don't view that as them checking out or phoning it in. I see that as part of their characters losing hope while maturing.
In the flash-sideways, for example, I feel that everyone's still on their game. Ben still rocks the teacher's lounge, Sayid kicks butt, Jin & Sun are still . . . uh . . . going at it, and Kate's still running from anything that moves slightly toward her.
6. Bill
- 04/02/2010 8:20 am CDT
Well, if you'll notice, I didn't list Ben in the list of actors that are phoning it in :-) - he rocks.
As does Hurley - I probably shouldn't have had him on the list.
I've updated the post, as I've added a crucial question I forgot about.
8. Manders
- 04/02/2010 10:20 am CDT
I am sorely afraid for Desmond's fate. And Sideways-Sun (and perhaps island-time Sun, too...). Ben will complete his redemption (in a Lostian sense, not in a proper theological one, of course) by giving up himself for them all. Jack, too. If they do something completely random like kill off Hurley, I think I might throw something.
Aaron's going to be super-important in this, I think. Maybe Sun and Jin's daughter, too. (I don't think it's an accident that 1) there are two babies about, 2) they're a boy and a girl, 3) there's some mystery surrounding them--i.e., why does Aaron have to be raised by Claire, how was Ji-Yeon conceived on the island, anyway? But I may be reading too much into this.)
9. Shrode
- 04/02/2010 10:32 am CDT
I've been thinking that there is NO WAY they are going to resolve everything in the time remaining. I think they are going to leave some major questions unanswered such as:
-What's the deal with Hurley's luck.
-Why Walt and Aaron were "special".
-Why the kids were kidnapped and their fate.
-Why women can't conceive on the island.
-Why Ben was seemingly able to control/summon the smoke monster to kill Keamey's men.
-Why all these characters are interconnected both pre-island in the flashbacks and post-island in the flashsidewayses.
-What/who is Christian Shepherd that appears on the island?
-Why the Dharmacide and who was behind it?
What else do you all think the producers are going to leave unanswered?
What mysteries are you dying to know about?
10. Quaid
- 04/02/2010 11:48 am CDT
Who is the little blond-haired kid?
Shrode - I think Island-Christian was the smoke-monster posing as a dead dude (just like he is doing with Locke).
I think it depends a little on what you mean by die. If the flash-sideways is the new reality, then someone can be both dead (island) and alive (flash-sideways). Locke would be the best example.
So - Jack and Hurley could die in the next ep and still live.
11. Michele
- 04/05/2010 3:38 pm CDT
Quaid--I don't think Christian is the Smoke because he appeared to Jack at the hospital. The Smoke doesn't seem to be able to leave the island.
More to add to this later, I'm babysitting and trying to actually pay attention to the kids.
Good idea, Bill. I think everyone is rambling stuff around.
12. Michele
- 04/08/2010 3:14 pm CDT
OK-here's some things I want answered:
What was up with that horse appearing to Kate?
What's special about the numbers?
Who are Adam and Eve?
What was up with those food drops and did they stop?
Why didn't Hurley lose weight? (They've brought that up more than once.)
Why did Boone have to be sacrificed? Was it in exchange for the Hatch opening?
Why do they begin to develop characters, then drop the whole arc? (Horace, his wife, Cesar) It seems a funny way to tell a story.
What's up with so many allusions to: Games, eggs, chickens, the Geronimo band, parental issues, name changes, etc...
Who was in the Shack rocking, and guarding, what was going on there?
Why do seeming "enemies" seem to work for the same end--(Ben/Whidmore want to stop the MIB, Hawking/Ben gathering everyone to return to island, Smoke monster against the Others, yet does Ben's bidding, etc.)
Why do certain characters not die? (Patchy, Tom, etc.?)
What was Dharma doing that archeological work for?
If Jacob is good, why is he a jerk? (Killing all of Dharma, separating families, Yoko and son, Penny and Des, The Kwons and Yeon, Alex and Danielle, Walter and Michael)
Why were sharks tatood?
This is also a question from way back, and may not need to be answered--but do you think Boone was gay? When he and Shannon had that tryst, do you think they had sex? It seemed like something went "wrong" during their creepy-sex time--maybe more than just shame on their faces. (Hope that's not too perverted to bring up, I've just always wondered.)
Quaid, some of the character's personalities do seem to have changed a bit; Kate seems very subdued. I think the writers don't know what to do with her--she seems to annoy people when she's strong, tomboyish, roguish, and ultra-annoy people when she's portrayed as a good-hearted victim. They seem to have made her just nothing this season. Although I'm glad Ben is in redemption-mode, I so miss evil, lying Ben.
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Jacob believes people can be good on their own. So he's naive.
Somehow, I still prefer naivete to just killing everybody because they are corruptible. :-)