Uniquely, Miraculously: Cultural Bridges in LOST 6.11 by Pearson Moore
LOST Theories, Recaps/Reviews, Season 6 View Comments
Tonight we witnessed unopposable force.
I am not speaking of Desmond’s ability to endure a magnetic field of several million Gauss, or his ease of movement from one spacetime to another. I do not refer to the virtually infinite energy locked in the Island’s depths or in the Monster’s smokey cloud. The force I speak of has nothing to do with personal triumph over adversity, nor does it concern the victory of good over evil.
It is stronger than any physical force. It is more powerful than love. Can a mother forget the child at her breast, lose compassion for the infant she has borne? Yet even if love be abandoned, this remains: Humanity will overcome any obstacle. Tonight we witnessed the unopposable power of human civilisation.
For the Sake of the Island
The Island is no “cork” holding evil incarnate at bay. It is and it holds an intrinsic good, worthy of great sacrifice. Widmore has sacrificed much already: estranged from his wife and his daughter, not permitted to see his own grandson. But the Island asked even more of Charles Widmore, and more than most fathers could ever bear, when he gave his own flesh and blood, his son, for the sake of the Island. Is a “cork” worth all this?
We know Daniel Faraday was not the only “sacrifice the Island demanded.” Jacob’s experiments alone have cost the lives of over three hundred souls–and those are only the ones recorded in his lighthouse and on the (Man in Black’s?) cave walls. Likely there have been many, many more whose lives were deemed of lesser import than the secrets of the Island.
The Island heals. Locke and Rose were cured of their afflictions. Bruises and wounds and even broken bones mend themselves at accelerated rates unthinkable to medical science. Its agent (or abusive overlord), Jacob, has the power in his strong fingers to confer immortality. The Island is no “cork”. The wine in Jacob’s corked bottle is not evil. The Island is the repository of great physical power, not inherent evils. Physical power is not evil. Nuclear energy is the stuff of bombs to wipe out entire cities, but it is also the stuff of solar energy, of the warmth that brings joy to a summer day. In the same way, the great pockets of energy on the Island are morally neutral in their essence, but may be bent toward evil or salutary ends at the discretion of those channeling their power.
The Island is not a cork. It is not the prison in which evil is locked away for the benefit of an innocent and pristine world. The world, and the Island, contain limitless examples of good and bad, right and wrong, fair and unjust. But the Island is something more. Something beyond. It is, as the late John Locke said, “A place where miracles happen.”
The Smoke Monster must be tamed, neutralised, or destroyed. Jacob must be removed from power. Widmore–if his agenda is personal and not communal–will have to be removed or destroyed. When these objectives are fulfilled the story will not end, and the highest goal will not have been attained. Mere maintenance of the centuries-long status quo will not suffice. The full potential of the Island, the full realisation of its ability to benefit from and serve the needs of humanity is the final goal. This is Jack’s destiny, and the fate of all who choose to follow him.
Odysseus: Physis v. Pneuma
The Odyssey is the world’s greatest adventure story, and Odysseus the world’s greatest hero. Son of a god, Odysseus inherited deep masculinity and strength of purpose. He carried himself in the manner of all men aware of their abiding dignity; in Homer’s words, he was “in bearing, like a god.” The great king and hero of the Trojan War took a torturous ten years to return to Ithaca, facing every manner of physical test of his crew and himself. But we know Odysseus not for his great physical strength, rare masculine beauty, or dignified bearing. We know Odysseus as the resourceful fighter, the cunning leader, the man who, by guile and force of character finds a way out seemingly impossible situations. During the war, he thought up and fashioned the Trojan Horse. To defeat the Sirens, Odysseus had his men pour wax in their ears so they could not be lured by the seductive devils’ irresistible song. Captured by the giant Cyclops, facing certain death at the hands of the one-eyed cannibal, Odysseus plied the monster with wine, waited until he fell asleep, then burned out his single eye. After ten long years, he returned to his Penelope.
Desmond endured physical challenges of space and time in his quest to return to his Penelope–to his Penny. Shipwrecked, like Odysseus, spending long years on an island, like Odysseus, he never gave up hope of finding her. Most of all, like Odysseus, we know Desmond not for any physical ability, not even for the rare capacity to resist the terrible physical effects of unearthly magnetic force, but rather for his strength of character, for strength of spirit. Desmond deserves Penny not for any physical prowess or superhuman ability, but for entirely human reasons: for faith in their sharing, for hope of finding her, for love of her as soul mate, friend, wife. Most of all, for never giving up, for applying every resource he could muster to find her and keep her.
Desmond–the Island’s Odysseus–is made hero because of his humanity, because of the choices he has made, because of his relentless drive to share love with Penny. The awful force of the magnetic chamber–sufficient to kill ordinary mortals–is no challenge to our Odysseus. His easy triumph over the normal constraints of the physical world, and in fact his triumph over the very fabric of space and time, is not the message of the first part of the episode. The lesson driven home here is that Desmond’s unrelenting focus on Penny has allowed him to achieve in the spiritual realm feats that far outshine even the superhuman abilities he demonstrated with so little effort in the magnetic chamber.
Desmond’s humanity is more important, and more powerful, than the greatest of superhuman abilities. This is an important revelation, and quite possible the single most critical truth of the episode. Desmond is the physical embodiment of the great truth of LOST:
Humanity is more important, more enduring, and stronger than anything in the physical world.
Odysseus’ physical body expired thirty centuries ago. But his spirit lives on, and can never be vanquished. On the Island there is nomos (law) and physis (nature). The forces at play are stronger than anything known in the physical world. But the force above all forces is the only one that is truly irresistible and unstoppable: Pneuma. Desmond may perish in the attempt to serve the Island, but his spirit will live on. Eventually, inevitably, he or his successor will be found equal to the task, not because of Jacob’s “progress”, but because this is how we are made. This is who we are, as human beings, as those aware of innate, abiding dignity, carrying ourselves in calm possession of every faculty of mind and body, in bearing, like a god.
Strength
I like Zoe. I like the fact that hers was the first face Desmond saw when he woke up on the Island. Zoe is a woman of character, a woman of inner strength. She shares much with Desmond, I think. In bearing and purpose she seems to have much in common with another woman of inner resolve, Kate Austen. I have to hope she will apply her unusual strength for the good of the Island and not for her own personal gain or in service of selfish agendas. We will know soon enough. If, as I continue to believe, Charles Widmore is pursuing his own designs, Zoe will almost certainly find a way to thwart him. If, on the other hand, Widmore is truly acting on behalf of the Island, I fear for him having so capable a first lieutenant. Zoe’s strength may turn out to be a potent force against Jack’s team. For now, I want to believe she’s fighting for the Island. Could Gwen Taylor (Sheila Kelley’s character in “L.A. Law”) succumb to evil intent? Could Stormy (“Dancing at the Blue Iguana”) sacrifice inner strength for goals beneath her dignity? Zoe is a Greek word meaning “life”. For now at least, I am going to put my faith in the producers’ desire to make full use of this actress’ unusual skill in rehabilitating images and ideas, reworking them into pursuits worthy of our complete engagement. If LOST has as its goal a fresh examination of the question of humanity, I think it could find no better means of achieving this end than by creating in Zoe a good example for us all.
Something Real
“A woman, blonde. Rapturously beautiful. And I know her. We’re together, always will be…. I’ve seen something Real. I’ve seen the Truth.”
We know from Charlie’s description, and from his difficult hundred days in paradise, that he is describing Claire, his Constant. Later, when Daniel Widmore (Faraday) describes his blue-eyed, red-haired vision of Truth, we know her name is Charlotte. And of course Desmond and Penny are Something Real. As the title of the episode states, everyone will live happily ever after. I hear Mary O’Brien (the narrator of “Lost in 8 minutes 15 seconds”) in my head: “Ahh, the circle of life. Ahh, love conquers all.”
The Truth is not romantic love. We may find over the course of the next several episodes that Love is held up as the ideal to which all on the Island aspire, that Love is the unifying factor that brings final coherence to the hierarchy of values on the Island. I continue to believe that Trust and Risk are the focus of LOST, but Love could become more important. However, even if this does happen, I think interest will not focus on love itself, but on the particular attributes of human love that illustrate the thesis of the show. “Love conquers all” may work for a half-hour sitcom or a two-hour Sandra Bullock movie, but it’s not going to form the thesis of a question that requires six years and 118 chapters to pose. “True love” and “love at first sight” are not ends in themselves for Charlie. Rather, they are crude expressions of what he was really trying to say: “I’ve seen something Real. I’ve seen the Truth.”
Love is only the most recent attribute of our humanity that allowed a character to transcend the limitations of place and time. Last week, in “The Package”, a knock on the head in Island spacetime and a knock at the door in sideways spacetime caused Island Sun to lose the ability to speak in English. Physical pain and psychological fear were sufficient catalysts to sideways Sun’s piercing of the Island reality. Sideways James Ford’s strange attraction to fugitive Kate Austen is another example of spacetime instability. Jack Shephard has been plagued by inexplicable wounds: a nick under the collar, the scar from an appendectomy that he should have remembered but could not.
The connection between sideways reality and Island reality has been established in many ways, and only rarely through the pleasantries of romantic love. But it is the connection, not the particulars of that connection, that is important. Desmond’s intervention may be required, but eventually sideways Jack is going to realise that his wounds are shared with his Island self. No revelation of his eternal love for Kate will be required. He will suffer no nightmares over a hydrogen bomb dropped in hopes of one more crack at earning her love. Love may be a sufficient or even preferred means of connecting with the Island, but it is not an obligatory pre-requisite to this form of enlightenment.
Indivisibility
The connections between one spacetime and another are not physical, but spiritual. The importance of Jack’s wounds is not at his neck and on his abdomen, but in his heart. Charlie was willing to risk his own life to allow Desmond the gift of understanding this truth. There is a reality out there–and inside us–that carries greater truth and deeper significance to our lives than anything we can sense with eyes, ears, nose, or tongue. The world present to our senses is a pale and insignificant illusion compared to the bright and engaging reality of enduring human truth.
As I wrote last week in “Subliminal Aphasia”, the human soul is indivisible. While Desmond’s body and mind may enjoy existence simultaneously in two different spacetimes, he has only one soul among the many realities. Desmond is not Desmond without Penny; indeed, he literally cannot live without her. Penny is in Desmond’s soul, whether he’s on Island or off. Sensing her, knowing her presence, Desmond crosses from one reality to the other, becoming a bridge between worlds.
In the world of LOST, exact physical duplicates, even perfect duplications of human minds and bodies, may exist simultaneously in two or more spacetime realities. But human souls are indivisible. This is the nexus of the power of our humanity as LOST would have us understand it. Human beings can supersede the normal constraints of physics and chemistry, we can exceed the bounds of even supernatural capabilities, because we are unique, not subject to replication.
The Constant
Desmond’s trans-spacetime experiences of Penny have relevance to him because of the constancy of their relationship. Regardless of any of the particulars of the reality around them, they are destined to recognise in each other something essential to their being. In the sideways reality or on the Island, they find the completion of themselves in each other.
“The Constant” and “Happily Ever After” go far beyond the low denomination of “Love conquers all”. Taken together, the events in these episodes can be considered proof of the constancy and indivisibility of the human spirit across spacetime. Throughout the sixth season, we have seen by now a couple dozen examples of trans-spacetime recognition. This recognition is possible only because a single essence of self-the soul-transcends space and time. This human singularity allows self-recognition, even if multiple copies of the physical self are in play at different locations in spacetime.
Constancy of character is not a proof of immutability. On the Island, Locke was the Man of Faith. In the sideways reality, though, Locke believes any meeting with the spinal surgeon, Jack Shephard, would be a waste of time because “there’s no such thing as miracles.” The change in Locke’s attitude simply means that something other than faith in miracles is at the centre of his being.
Constancy of character does not guarantee or impede spiritual redemption or moral volition. The Island version of Ben Linus spent most of his life honing robust skills in deception, manipulation, and betrayal. The sideways Ben had inclinations toward this type of life, but any gains he realised in this manner were small, and the prospect of benefit to others (Leslie Arzt, Alex Rousseau, his father) more often than not weighed heavily in the array of factors that informed his eventual decisions. “Dr. Linus” showed us that Ben is not manipulative at heart, that a firm desire to do good is at the core of his being.
The Bridge
Almost all of the main sideways characters, at one time or another, have puzzled over events or images familiar and yet beyond understanding. Kate lingers over a photograph of Claire carrying a black-and-white stuffed animal. Claire spontaneously names her unborn baby Aaron. Jack has a mid-air conversation with a man he seems to recognise but cannot identify.
The two realities grow less stable, allow more cross-time connection, with each passing episode. But so far only one person has become fully conscious of situations, images, people, and events in both timelines. We have known for four years that Desmond is “uniquely, miraculously special” in that he is not subject to the normal rules of time travel. “Whatever happened, happened” does not apply to him. He is the most dangerous of wild cards, and no matter where he goes, he is monitored. In the sideways reality, Eloise and Charles have given him the perfect, carefree life. He has no monetary concerns, no lack of emotional support from his adoptive parents. The only rule he must obey, at risk of losing the benefits of his comfortable life, is the imperative to stay clear of Penny.
Eloise is something of a witch at heart. She has no patience for those without adequate breeding, even though she spent most of her life living in yurts and walking the jungle in bare feet. The butter knife must be placed just so on the plate, and anything less than perfection is cause for a dressing-down in front of everyone. But with the appearance of Desmond, her entire demeanor changes, her features soften, her face lights up in a broad smile. The news that Charlie escaped Desmond’s custody is of no consequence to Eloise. Desmond could have said, “I accidentally ran over your two prize-winning Collies. Their mangled bodies are at the edge of the driveway.” Eloise would have smiled. “Oh, Desmond, don’t you worry about that. We were planning on giving them away, anyway; you just saved us the trouble. Now,” she’d say with a sparkle in her eye, “tell me all about your trip to Australia.”
But when Eloise learned of Desmond’s forbidden interest in Penny, she became as stern as we have ever seen her. How could he even have found out about Penny? She was Penny Milton in this reality, not Penny Widmore. Yet somehow Desmond had become aware of this forbidden bit of knowledge; worse, he was apparently smitten, even though he had never met the woman. Eloise understood the problem immediately. Someone had transgressed the spacetime rules of engagement. “It is, in fact, a violation,” she said.
She should have known the violator. It was because of Charlie, or rather because of Desmond’s interference with Charlie’s fate, that events went awry back in 2004. Charlie was supposed to die, not in the Looking Glass Station, but well before that. Desmond saved him from death at least four times. He must have thought his intervention only for the good, but it was this unintended meddling and bending of the normal course of spacetime that brought about the current state of affairs, in which an evil entity is only days away from controlling all human life on the planet.
Do sideways Eloise and Charles know of Island Charles’ intentions for Desmond? Has their game plan changed now that the Smoke Monster is sole ruler of the Island?
It is not clear to me that Island Widmore understands Desmond’s full potential, that he can act as a conduit of consciousness between the two realities. By the end of the episode, though, Widmore’s level of understanding is almost a moot issue. “George,” Desmond said, ” can you get me the manifest from my fight from Sydney, Oceanic 815, just the names of the passengers?”
He understood from his talks with Charlie and Jack–or maybe from his reflection in the Oceanic arrivals and departures display–that the passengers of 815 were important to his mission. “I just need to show them something,” he told George. Sideways Desmond understood already–maybe from the time he spent consciously aware of the Island after passing out when he took Penny’s hand at the stadium–that his assigned task involved more than a meeting with Penny in a coffee shop. His mission encompasses the entire roster of passengers and crew on Flight 815.
Desmond is building a bridge. I get the feeling that this bridge will soon move beyond the mere transfer of consciousness from one spacetime to another. He is going to become the architect of a physical link between Island and sideways Los Angeles. An event or condition or person present in the sideways spacetime is necessary for the end game. Desmond will allow the transfer to occur.
Does Widmore understand the mission Desmond has assigned to himself? I have to wonder whether Widmore has relevance for Desmond anymore. I was at first confused when he was so nonchalant about seeing Sayid appear out of nowhere, snap a man’s neck, and tell Zoe to run. “Come with me, Desmond.” Desmond’s happy response seemed at first the sure sign that his mind had been “fried” as Zoe said. But his single-mindedness, on the Island and in Los Angeles, finally brought focus to the end of the episode. Whatever it is Desmond must do, it appears he can accomplish the task independent of the people around him.
Trust
Much of the episode focussed on romantic love as the sure sign of Truth. It was obvious, even as Charlie described Claire and Daniel described Charlotte, that the love itself was not the ultimate objective. At the pivotal scene in the stadium the camera was positioned so as to capture an almost mundane event. The handshake that Desmond and Penny shared was no first touch between future lovers. The image would have served most appropriately at a business meeting or a gathering of social acquaintances. This simple action became the focal point of the scene, yet the image had nothing at all to do with romantic love.
We’ve seen many people this season extend a hand toward another. Jack even posed the usually unspoken question last week as he extended his hand to Sun: “Do you trust me?” he asked. He held out his hand. Sun paused for a moment, but then she smiled, took his hand, and said, “Yes.”
Jack is building a coalition of trust. Desmond, even though he loves Penny, will always love Penny, is first of all offering and requesting not love, but trust. Whatever else Desmond may do, sideways or on the Island, I feel he is going to become an active collaborator with Jack in the building of this coalition of trust.
The civilisation that Jack, Desmond, Sun, Hurley, and Richard are building will be based on trust. It will become the foundation for Desmond’s love, Jack’s faith, Richard’s redemption, and Hurley’s ethics. It will provide the enlightened, humane Island leadership that Jacob in his splintered and warped vision of humanity could never have given. It seems to me more than ever likely–virtually inevitable–that at the pinnacle of this coalition of trust will stand the great progenitor of trust in its fullest human expression: John Locke.
Regardless of the final disposition of Locke, the civilisation being formed on the Island will stand every test, endure every challenge, rise above darkest adversity. Grounded in trust, faith, and love, the Island will become the place it was always intended to be: Paradise.
PM
Related posts:
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Reconvergence: A Cultural Interpretation of LOST 6.08 “Recon” by Pearson Moore - Risk: A Cultural Thesis for LOST 6.03 “What Kate Does” by Pearson Moore
- Siempre Juntos (Part II): Cultural Inversions in LOST 6.09 by Pearson Moore
Tags: Desmond, Episode 6.11, LOST Theories, Pearson Moore, recaps&reviews, Season 6
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April 9th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Just a random though to throw out there…
Did you know that Henry Ian Cusick, the guy who plays Desmond Hume, played the part of Jesus in a Gospel of John movie a few years ago. Ever since I seen this a few weeks back, I decided and declared that Desmond was the one who was going to come to the Island, save The Island, and bring everyone and the timelines together. Last night this theory of mine was kinda proved. hah.
April 9th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
Awesome! I look forward to reading your posts every week almost as much as I do watching LOST itself!
April 9th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
Hi Tehtonyism,
Thanks for your comments! Interesting note about Henry Ian Cusick–didn't know he's played Jesus.
I agree with you on the importance of Desmond. He, and several others in the Coalition of Trust, will play critical roles in the coming days in wresting the Island from the MIB and Jacob. It will be a truly collaborative effort, a demonstration of the unbreakable strength of the Coalition.
PM
April 9th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
Hi Kamaakestad,
Thank you for your kind words. And thanks for joining the discussion!
PM
April 9th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
Brilliant analysis. I specially liked your spot-on definition of Desmond as LOST's Ulises. I finally understand why Penelope's name.
Anyway, I have to say my faith in our John Locke theory is trembling. Not in its direction, but in its shape. In the last few weeks we've seen glimpses of other characters becoming what Island Locke once was: think of Island-Jack talking to Sun in the garden or Flocke remembering Jeremy Bentham's conversation with Widmore in last week's episode.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FENKu6hF-ek (cool parallelism)
Now, Alt-Timeline Desmond is basically going to be Jeremy Bentham for the ALT-815ers in their universe.
It seems the writers are slowly “lockefying” some of the main candidates. I wonder what it means. I assummed they were subtly foreshadowing his return and victory (and that's very possible now that we understand better the ALT-timeline), but, if so… I think they would have made it more obvious by now… we're only 5 episodes from the end.
They're maybe just making some of the main candidates –Jack, Desmond…– personify Locke's role. But then again… two universes will collide, and he's alive in one of them…
I loved the New-Born Desmond persona at the end of the episode. He's enlightened -he knows the truth- and he has no fear anymore. That makes him EPICLY powerful, a serious threat for both MIB and Jacob.
April 9th, 2010 at 5:45 pm
Hi Rich,
Thanks for your kind comments on my analysis.
I share with you a sense of… nervousness, I guess, regarding the fate of John Locke. He is one of the few this season to have ignored his image in the mirror. The mirrors are critically important, as we have known now for some time. Those who see their reflections clearly seem to be clustering around Jack, and those who see distorted images are clustering around Smokey. And those who don't acknowledge their reflections? I am not at all sure what it means, honestly. I am chagrined at the lack of support so far for my now almost year-old speculation that Locke will be resurrected, reincarnated, or in some other way bring his presence to the Island and take a leadership role. It still seems a possibility, but I have to admit it is a weaker possibility with each passing episode. But much can happen in the next seven hours, and something spectacular is GOING to happen in the sideways reality. Seems to me transporting Locke to the Island, or having him raise the Island from the ocean floor, or accomplishing some equally amazing feat would probably constitute this requisite spectacular event. We shall see!
PM
April 9th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
Thanks Pearson for another mind-blowing article, in fact as great as this weeks episode of LOST. So far in Season 6 there were only two episodes during which I was watching the episode while I was stretching my arms to the ceiling, shouting like a kid at Christmas, being totally blown away with what I just saw, so excited that anyone who would see me watching the episode would think I'm totally and utterly nuts…
The first one was Dr. Linus, for two reasons: One being the scene in which Jack convinced Richard in the Black Rock that Jacob actually had a plan. So long had I been waiting for the moment in which Jack finally starts acting as leader-Jack again. Second Ben's speech was simply the most moving and dramatic scene in TV history.
Todays episode was the second one that had a similar effect on me, interestingly for very similar reasons as it was the case in Dr. Linus: Desmond had his moment of enlightenment too. The scene where he almost tries to kill Widmore becomes so much more important if you watch the episode a second time: It shows the dramatic change within Desmond. The scene in season 5 in which he says to Penny: Why should I ever want to go back there? (the island) must also be considered. Desmond was convinced by himself: He now knows that he's absolutely important. In tonight's episode the one scene that made me cream was the last one: His smile while saying he needs to show “them” something was so great, it underlined the fact that he is 1000% sure of doing the wright thing.
again a couple of things seem to be unclear, in the old LOST-fashion. Why does Eloise seemingly oppose Desmond's attempt of trying to find Penny? She probably knows that one thing will lead to another. Could it be that she is aware of this “reality” not being real? And could the reason for this be that she knows that her son is dead in the other reality? Which would make her the one person knowing everything (even more than Desmond knows at the moment) and yet trying to keep things as they are.
What exactly did Desmond mean by “show them something”??? What is it he wants them to see? Did this comment refer to the passenger list (he wants to show them something on the list) or was it mean symbolically: He wants them to start understanding / realizing that the world they live in is not real?
According to Widmore the “test” he run on Desmond was only the first one. So what is it that Desmond needs to do now?
The scene with Sayid: Why is Desmond 100% ready to follow Sayid, who just murderer someone in front of his eyes? Could it be that Desmond can swap from one universe to the other now without electromagnetism anymore? Did Widmore start something that cannot be stopped anymore, whithin Desmond? Is it the case that he can wander the island now and SIMULTANEOUSLY go on living his other life in the flash-sideways? It somehow wasn't clear if he came back at the same moment when he was shaking Pennys hand.
Another question on that: Was everything we saw Desmond doing in the flash sideways in this episode everything that happened? Or was Desmond much longer “away” that we saw? Could it be that most of the things that he will do in the next couple of episodes in the flash-sideways already happened and he knows it already?
And then another thing to you Pearson: When wtaching the episode I always thought: Yes, your were right, Pearson. This stuff that we saw this week clearly points to the fact that John Lock is going to be amazingly important and I also start believeing in the theory that he will be brought back somehow.
Don't want to sound too boring: But one more time this episode was better than anything we saw in the total history of LOST. This was one hell of an episode, so much was revealed and as the producers said: This episode started a new chapter in Season 6. I believe that act III is now over and the next episodes will already be act IV. Probably the episode before the 2-week-break is going to be the end of act IV, and after the break we will start with the endgame and act V.
Thank you once more for your massively amazing article. One last question: Will you write another article once LOST is over, after the finale? Would be amazing to read your thoughts / comments on that one…
April 9th, 2010 at 6:41 pm
Beautiful analysis. It's unfortunate that many fans of Lost don't see the underlying messages as clearly as you do. Admittedly I'm one of them (most of the time). I envy the way you enjoy Lost the way it should be enjoyed. Keep the analyses coming!
April 9th, 2010 at 7:12 pm
Brilliant analysis as always, thank you Pearson.
I find double meaning in the episode title; one you mentioned, the other I think is that: everyone's lives in the Sideways world appears to be the best it could get & without few exception they seem to be experiencing the happily ever after feeling, but deep within they feel that this life is not worth it, & they need to go for adventure, challenge, cheers & sorrow, in other words; they need 'the island' experience in order to feel whole. It doesn't necessarily have to end happily ever after, it's the 'progress' that makes it worthwile, & that progress is their life on the island, & a whole unpredictable 'ending' Jacob was referring to. Another thing I found interesting is that there's seems to be need for some kind of unconscious state or a near death experience in order for people to travel back & forth (I mean their subconscious, not their body) between the two timelines. Desmond shook hands with Penny, then he woke up in Widmore's experiment room on the island, & then we saw that Desmond's life in the Sideways progressed, eventhough on the island he was walking with Sayid. A similar thing happened in “flashes before your eyes” in my opinion, where Desmond experienced a 'realm' which appeared almost exactly like his past life, until the moment he met Eloise in the jewelery store & his view of life changed; but unlike to what Eloise warned about the course-correcting fact, Desmond decided to 'change' things by jumping between the bartender & the attacker. As soon as Desmond got hit on the head (& possibly went unconcious in that realm) he was sort of respawned on the island timeline. What I think is, the 'flashes' episode just like this episode wasn't simply showing us a flashback, cause if all the meeting with Eloise had happened previously in Desmond's life, then he wouldn't have acted surprised upon meeting Kelvin in the hatch.
Again, thanks for your amazing recap, looking forward to next week.
April 9th, 2010 at 11:36 pm
Hi Willieworkman,
Thank you for your kind words. After I read Doc Jensen and Vozzek69 I am repeatedly surprised at the almost obvious things I miss, and the amazing things Jensen and Vozzek see. Lost is one of those multi-faceted creations that almost demands repeated viewings, because a single session will never suffice to reveal all the juicy nuances. It is a wine to be savoured and appreciated.
PM
April 9th, 2010 at 11:41 pm
Hi Hygoniz,
Thanks for your kind comments. As always, you bring thought-provoking ideas to the discussion. I like this idea of yours that the Island is not only their destiny, but somehow the intensity of experience accelerates their movement toward the people they are supposed to be. This is intriguing and maybe part of the mix of ideas that must be brought to bear in trying to decipher the likely end game. Interesting!
PM
April 10th, 2010 at 12:10 am
Hi Adrian81,
You write the most amazing comments. Thanks for contributing so much to the great discussion of our favourite programme.
You ask so many challenging questions. I wonder, also, about the object or event Desmond wishes to show the 815ers. The most obvious possibility, I suppose, is that he is somehow going to reveal to them–through their own spiritual connections–the fact of the Island's existence and their duty to take some kind of action to ensure its survival or prevent Smokey from achieving his evil ends. But this might be too direct. Maybe Desmond is aware of something yet to be revealed. I don't know.
I can tell you I was mighty pleased at the kinds of revelations that appeared in this episode. I've been certain ever since Episode 1 that the sideways reality was going to crash into the main reality, but so many out there in cyberspace were throwing out all kinds of nonsense, completely ungrounded in anything we've seen (e.g., the ALT timeline is the future, after the end of the series. It's a fairy-tale world, a what-if world, with no bearing on the Island. And so on.). I know I've lost readers because of my adherence to the idea that the sideways spacetime is necessary, that it will have huge impact on the Island. It didn't seem to me, either, that I was going out on any limbs two weeks ago when I said Desmond was going to be the bridge between the two realities. But I guess many never saw that coming, either.
I know I'm losing the most readers, though, when I continue to insist that Jacob is not the closest thing ever to Jesus of Nazareth. Oh, the emails I receive when I say Jacob is “evil”. Yikes! If he's not evil, he's at least not completely human in outlook–he lacks important elements of our common humanity. I'm pretty confident of this, too, but I can tell you very few share my views in this particular.
I'll certainly be writing a summary, probably in three or four parts, at the conclusion of the series. It's probably too late for me to write a retrospective or companion guide to Lost, unless someone out there believes I can put a novel spin on the series. I know my words are read by more than the few who comment here. I've seen some of my articles translated into Spanish, French, and Polish. Amazing! I'm just a scientist, a lab rat, more comfortable with beaker and buret than with paper and pen.
Thanks again for your excellent insights and your difficult questions!
PM
April 10th, 2010 at 2:14 am
Just wonderful! I look forward to you insightful reviews.
April 10th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
Hi Inthedale,
Thank you for your kind comments!
PM
April 10th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Thank you Pearson, it is your insightful recaps that opens our minds to new aspects of the show.
I agree with your opinion, I think at the very core, Jacob is the accelerator toward what the characters are supposed to become, like Desmond, who was supposed to become Odysseus as you mentioned, instead of a 'coward' which he believed himself to be, or Jack to become a man of 'science+faith'. On the contrary, MIB clutches people to their old, jaded nature; in season5 he judges Ben & tries to convince him that he has always been cruel, he brings out Sayid's true torturer nature, he convinces people that Claire is crazy, & encourages Sawyer in implementing his conman skills more. Sayid was a trusted companion & a confident group leader among the survivors, but as Dogen mentioned the darkness grew in him & reminded him of the dark nature of his he was trying to escape from.
April 10th, 2010 at 3:46 pm
Excellent work here. I really enjoy reading your postings and wish I had found you earlier! The following line strikes a chord with my own strong belief in John Locke's significance as the one who will, at the very least, connect them all.
“seems to me more than ever likely–virtually inevitable–that at the pinnacle of this coalition of trust will stand the great progenitor of trust in its fullest human expression: John Locke.”
I wonder what you think about the following ideas/theory; perhaps you have similar thoughts on Locke–so forgive me if I just haven't read them yet! (this is an excerpt from a longer piece):
The foundation of this proposal rests on the fact that each character faces himself as the ultimate judge. That is the basis of my theory, but here’s how I think it will be played out: John Locke will either defeat the Smoke Monster in a face to face confrontation (either by traveling between splintered universes or by rising from the dead) or he will overcome the Smoke Monster from within. There are signs that a component of John Locke dwells somewhere inside the monster, even if the two never actually shared the same body. Not only does he seem to have John Locke’s memories, but he also uses John’s catch phrase “ don’t tell me what I can’t do.” In any case, it doesn’t matter if Locke materializes as an external force or an internal one; the idea is that 1.) John will be the savior by balancing or overcoming the destructive forces of the Smoke Monster, 2.) John will face himself as a judge, and 3.) John will finally be redeemed.
This is the gist of it, but my full theory is posted on DocArzt: http://www.docarzt.com/lost/self-as-savior-a-th...
My other question is about Jacob–I see that you have addressed concerns about your Jacob comments already, so I won't reveal any protestations here. In fact, recently I've been comparing his “leadership” of the island to a detached laissez-faire type of parenting. He claims to care about “his people” but yet he shows no intimacy, save for his interactions with Richard and now Hurley. Anyway, not sure where I'm going with this but I just want to let you know I don't fully have faith in the guy either!
April 10th, 2010 at 5:57 pm
Hi Sarah,
Thank you for your comments!
I share your intense interest in the rationale (the “why”) for character interactions and conflicts and your lesser interest in the mechanism (the “how”). I have been speculating for some time that Locke will have to come back to the Island, but I have not tried to understand how this might occur. Whether through resurrection or reincarnation or from within the Smoke Monster, as you and a few others are starting to say, he will return.
You've asked for my opinion on your speculation regarding the mechanism of Locke's return. I think it has merit, and here's why I think this is so. First, we have Claire's dream from Season One, in which Locke has one black eye and one white eye. Black for MIB, white for Jacob. They have been opposed since the beginning, maybe since Mesopotamia, as Locke told Walt when he was explaining backgammon. If the writers wish to indicate that the opposition of black and white, the balance, must invariably lead to imbalance and that the only way to achieve true harmony is to incorporate black and white into a single essence, then your prediction of Locke's reappearance would probably make the most sense. Added to this, we have the very curious fact that MIB yelled to the boy he was chasing, “Don't tell me what I can't do!” That phrase is as good as a notary-witnessed signature for John Locke. The implication is that Locke, or at least some critical part of Locke, is somehow trapped inside or maybe even collaborating with the MIB. Interesting, and more than valid, it seems to me.
I'm not convinced, though. Even if there is some partial essence of Locke inside the Monster, I think there will be more to this than a simple juxtaposition and melting together of Black and White, from partial opposites the complete person. I see neither Black nor White exhibiting anything I could call compassion or love. Constancy, and therefore our deepest humanity, would seem to be grounded in love, in the Darlton view anyway, if we can trust their establishment of Rose/Bernard, Penny/Desmond, Claire/Charlie, and Charlotte/Daniel as the ideal. Therefore, love or compassion or giving of self for the greater good or agape or whatever label we might wish to apply to this powerful state of being would appear to be high in the Darlton hierarchy of values. If so, it doesn't seem to me that a unification of opposing players, neither of which appears to have any interest in compassion, would suffice as final resolution. I continue to see trust at the pinnacle, with love (Desmond), law (Hurley), judgment (Sayid), and faith (Jack) as supporting ideals. Neither Black nor White is sufficient, and if there is a pure Black/White, as in Claire's dream, Black/White will require the support of the representatives of all of the supporting ideals in order to bring true freedom to the Island. This is the crux of my Seven Samurai theory (see http://www.sl-lost.com/2010/02/07/magnificence-... and http://www.sl-lost.com/2010/02/14/impartial-ris... and also my statement of thesis here: http://www.sl-lost.com/2010/02/10/risk-a-cultur...). As one of my favourite politicians said some years ago, before the dark days of Cheney and Bush, “It takes a village.” It takes a lot of people working together for the common good for any venture worthy of our time to find success. A lot of people working together on the Island are going to remove MIB and Jacob, I feel.
In the end, the way in which Locke reappears will have to support Darlton's vision of our humanity. I think your idea not only has merit, but based on everything we've seen over the last six years, I would guess has a pretty good chance of playing out in front of our eyes before May 23. I could be entirely wrong about every single speculation I've made. But, remember, the journey's the thing. I guess you like that idea. Geeky minds think alike, perhaps?
Thanks for bringing your very well-thought-out ideas to the discussion. You're making this a lot of fun!
PM
April 10th, 2010 at 7:23 pm
Thanks, Pearson. What a fantastic discussion.
I've always thought a very significant key to Lost was “redemption through community” and your ideas seem to support this. However you put it–”it takes a village,” “live together, die alone”–things always return to sacrificing the individual to the group.
April 10th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
Hi Sarah,
Yes, sacrifice, but not sacrifice for the sake of sacrifice, but for the perpetuation of the ideals that form the strong core of our humanity. The most meaningful sacrifices affect not only the small groups directly involved, but change attitudes and have deep effect on the thought processes of many, even those distant geographically and in time. Thirty years ago I don't think I ever would have considered reading the diaries or homilies of an obscure bishop in a small Central American country. But now, beginning a reading of “La Violencia Del Amor” by Archbishop Oscar Romero, I feel every word imbued with tremendous, vitally important significance. His blood is, of course, the blood of El Salvador itself, the blood of his people, and his elevation to sainthood (even if not recognised by the institutional church) is an elevation of his people, too. Oscar Romero, dead? He will live forever now. Sacrifice elevates us all, calls us to recognise in ourselves the Truth for which people like San Romero willingly give their lives. I would imagine something like this will happen on our favourite Island. It ought to be quite an emotional last few minutes of our show.
PM
April 10th, 2010 at 9:33 pm
“his elevation to sainthood…is an elevation of his people, too” Wonderful! You have such a hopeful and meaningful perspective on life (and Lost). I'm inspired.
April 11th, 2010 at 5:05 am
random thought, if Jacob's whole thing is about how man has a choice when it comes to decisions and corruption, then isn't it totally contradictory what he's been doing? “Bringing” people to the island and telling them what to do? even if he just speaks through Richard or whomever I find it weird
April 11th, 2010 at 12:14 pm
Indeed, I think it' really safe to say that the MIB brings out the worst in people, and in that sense, he could be considered “evil”. Jacob, on the other hand, manipulates people too but it looks as if he does it for a greater good, or at least tries to bring the good in people. But I do believe that the good/evil line is quite thin, I'm sure we will learn towards the end of the series that things are much more complicated than that.
April 11th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Hi Turbocowboy,
Thanks for contributing. I like your idea that the difference between good and evil may be difficult to distinguish. I wonder if part of our task is to decide for ourselves the necessary attributes of good and evil?
PM
April 11th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Hi Tcaresset,
Thanks for joining the discussion!
I'm with you regarding Jacob. Over three hundred have died for the sake of his experiments in culture-building–over six hundred if we include those who died on Flight 815–and probably many more than that over the centuries. How many remain? Two dozen? So the chance of surviving Jacob's experiment is about… four percent? In my mind those kinds of odds represent neither compassionate nor even competent leadership.
PM
April 14th, 2010 at 12:19 am
I think that when Desmond shook Pennys hand, he lived a whole life with her and their son Charlie. So he has already seen what his happy life could have been or actually was. Remember he was only out a couple of seconds. He woke knowing he had to do something to keep that a reality. I think their is a third timeline happening. Kinda like “Flashes before eyes”
One other thing I have noticed the whole season mib has constantly tried to shake the hands of every one of the losties and no one has shook his hand. Kate didn't after Claire attacked her, Sun didn't. What do you guys think?
Thanks for another great report.
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