Sat., Feb. 27, 2010 9:31 AM PST by Kristin Dos Santos
UPDATE: Good news! The tsunami warning has been lifted with no apparent damage.
________
Hours after a massive 8.8 earthquake hit Chile, the residents of Oahu, Hawaii, have been bracing for a predicted tsunami, and the stars of Lost, who live and work on the island, are among them.
We've just heard from star Daniel Dae Kim—whose trip to Los Angeles today for a fan event was derailed because of the tsunami warning—and also Lost boss Damon Lindelof, and here is the good news they shared...
"All our cast and crew is accounted for and safely away from coastal areas," Damon tells me this afternoon. "Jorge Garcia continues to thrash me in Scrabble via iPhone from Ken Leung's house. Our entire team in Hawaii appreciates all the positive energy being sent their way."
Daniel decided not to fly to Los Angeles this morning for tonight's Paley Festival fan event to stay with his family druing the tsunami warning. "My family and I are doing fine," Daniel told me less than an hour ago. "We've moved to high ground and are staying with friends who generously opened their home to us. All that's left to do is wait. Heartfelt thanks to everyone who sends their thoughts and good wishes."
According to the show's ABC rep, the other cast members expected at tonight's Paley event—Michael Emerson, Terry O'Quinn, Nestor Carbonell and Zulheika Robinson—are already in Los Angeles, so Daniel is the only cast member whose plans have changed because of the tsunami warning. The rest of the cast is still in Hawaii and were unable to attend tonight's event because they were working on Lost, according to a rep for the show.
Meanwhile, Modern Family boss Steve Levitan told me last night that the cast was planning to fly to Hawaii to shoot a family vacation episode within the next 2 weeks. No word yet from ABC on whether the expected tsunami might change those plans.
Damon and fellow Lost boss Carlton Cuse have taken to Twitter today:
@DamonLindelof: Praying for Chile and all the islands of Hawaii. Please send our cast and crew all your positive energy.
@CarltonCuse: To ALL on the LOST crew -- responding to the Tsunami warning -- safe refuge is available at the studio.
@CarltonCuse: Waves to reach Hawaii just after 11 AM.
Read more: http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b169274_lost_cast_prepares_predicted_hawaii.html#ixzz0gtvxXcGf
Read more: http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b169274_lost_cast_prepares_predicted_hawaii.html#ixzz0gtvxnkHA
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b169274_lost_cast_prepares_predicted_hawaii.html
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
The LOST ARGs
Zort70 of The LOST ARGs was kind enough to plug Room 23 store and my designs. http://www.lostargs.com/ I have been following Lost ARGs ever since Damon, Carlton and a Polarbear ARG first started and off and on before that. This blog is THE best resource for Polarbear related prints and all of the previous ARGs. The comments area is also an awesome place to just hang out and discuss Lost Prints and other Lost related stuff!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse on Lost
The Lost show runners (Darlton) on the final season.
by Fred Topel
Feb 26, 2010
This is the end of an era. Not only is the series Lost coming to an end, but this is probably the last time Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse will give us vague non-answers about what’s coming up on Lost. Thanks for this last press conference, guys. We’ll miss you.
Q: When exactly did you figure out how this all ended?
Carlton Cuse: You know, there isn't really a completely definitive answer to that. I mean, we came up with the final image of the show a long time ago back when we were first plotting out the mythology in the first season, and then we started adding elements to that as we went along. Really, between the first and the second season is when we cooked the mythology. We kind of knew what the end point was, but as you move towards the end point, you add elements. And obviously, the end is not yet written, and there are certain sort of mythological, architectural elements that are intact for that ending, but a lot of character stuff will get worked out as we go along. I mean, that's part of the discovery process of writing. Obviously, for instance, like Michael Emerson wasn't on the show at that point, and it's a fun process because we sort of have a concept of where we're going to end the show but there is still the process of actually executing it and there still is the process of discovery, particularly on a character level, that will come into play as we finish the show.
Damon Lindelof: So if you guys have any ideas, we are open-minded.
Q: In recent interviews, you've said that of all the seasons, the upcoming season of Lost will be closest to the first season. Can you at least explain sort of in what way the coming season will refer back to the first season more than any others?
Damon Lindelof: One of the things that I think we are trying to do, all of us, the actors and the writers, as well, in the sixth season is to show the audience the before so they have some sense of, oh, this is what he used to be and who they are now so you really get a sense of how far that person's come. And obviously, the process of doing that, not just thinking about it, but doing it on a story level, really makes you feel like we felt in Season 1.
Q: Was it really important all along to keep the actors from knowing what happened to their characters in advance?
Damon Lindelof: That's a great question. Our dialogue with the actors, it's one of those things where, quite honestly, we just don't speak to them at all.
Carlton Cuse: It's better that way.
Damon Lindelof: But with Terry, it's kind of one of those things where the actor reads the script, and they decide what they need in order to play the scene and they know that we are completely available to answer any questions. But I do feel like the fun of the show for us as writers and producers is to send these scripts down to Hawaii and then see what we get back as opposed to trying to micromanage it.
Carlton Cuse: And for the actors, I think, the fact that they don't know where things are going kind of makes them very present in performing those given scripts, and I think that's actually a good thing. I mean, I think they do a remarkable job basically reading the next week's episode and basically kind of bringing it to life, and there's that immediacy that's part of that process.
Q: Have you given any thought to a Lost spin-off, like the further adventures of Sawyer?
Carlton Cuse: They have not pressured us at all. I mean, the network has been fabulous, and we owe a great debt of gratitude to Steve McPherson again just for this whole notion of ending the show. We are definitively ending this story of these characters and the show that we wanted to tell in May, and there's not going to be an implanted sequel. There's not going to be a secret back-door pilot embedded in that. The story of Lost that we've been telling for these six seasons is coming to a close this May.
Q: What have been your most memorable moments in the six years of Lost?
Carlton Cuse: The raft launch in the first season was such a great example of the kind of collaborative way in which this show is made and that's, I think, the thing that really distinguishes and makes it special. It wasn't enough that we just wrote that raft launch. It was also what all the actors brought to bear. It was Jack Bender who actually came up with the idea of the dog swimming out and then turning back. And then, I remember sort of most vividly being on the scoring stage, and the orchestra that plays the music for the show was playing Michael Giacchino's cue for that and they sight-read and they hadn't played it. And after they played it the first time, it was so moving and beautiful that they all just started spontaneously applauding, tapping their bows across their instruments, and everybody was crying and it was just this moment where you realize that the show is so much larger than any one individual, and collaboration on this show is really, truly probably the most special thing that will happen for all of us.
Q: How will the events of the season finale cliffhanger wit the bomb impact the characters?
Carlton Cuse: The season premiere picks up right after the finale, and we really don't want to say too much about it. We've obviously been very circumspect about the sixth season, and primarily because there's this big cliffhanger. Juliet hits this bomb. There's a white flash. What happened? Jack and Faraday were postulating that that was going to reset the clock and the Oceanic 815 would fly along and land in Los Angeles. If she taps that bomb and something else happens, maybe they're still stuck on the island. We don't really want to kind of give away what the show is going to be this season, so that's why we've been very circumspect about what we said and why we haven't shown any new footage.
Q: Even though you set the end date and decided on the story, how do you deal with the inevitability of die hard fans having issues with the finale you wish to give them?
Damon Lindelof: It would be great to cover my bases and guarantee everybody a sh*tty ending of Lost. Now you're actually going to see the ending to Lost, and all we can do is, basically, put our best foot forward. We do feel like the worst ending that we could possibly provide everyone who has invested this amount of time and energy into watching the show is the safe ending. You know, the ending that is basically sort of like, "What's going to be the most appealing to the most number of people?" At some point, you can't take a risk just to take a risk because that's a betrayal in and of itself.
Carlton Cuse: Obviously not every question's going to be answered, so obviously, some people are going to be upset that those particular questions don't get resolved. We felt if we tried to just answer questions, it would be very pedantic. Apart from that, we also really embrace this notion that there's a fundamental sort of sense of mystery that we all have in our lives, and certainly that is a huge part of the lives of these characters, and to sort of demystify that by trying to literally explain everything down to the last little sort of midichlorian of it all would be a mistake in our view. So I think there would be, hopefully, a kind of healthy cocktail of answers, mystery, good character resolutions and some surprises.
http://www.craveonline.com/entertainment/tv/article/damon-lindelof-and-carlton-cuse-on-lost-97097
by Fred Topel
Feb 26, 2010
This is the end of an era. Not only is the series Lost coming to an end, but this is probably the last time Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse will give us vague non-answers about what’s coming up on Lost. Thanks for this last press conference, guys. We’ll miss you.
Q: When exactly did you figure out how this all ended?
Carlton Cuse: You know, there isn't really a completely definitive answer to that. I mean, we came up with the final image of the show a long time ago back when we were first plotting out the mythology in the first season, and then we started adding elements to that as we went along. Really, between the first and the second season is when we cooked the mythology. We kind of knew what the end point was, but as you move towards the end point, you add elements. And obviously, the end is not yet written, and there are certain sort of mythological, architectural elements that are intact for that ending, but a lot of character stuff will get worked out as we go along. I mean, that's part of the discovery process of writing. Obviously, for instance, like Michael Emerson wasn't on the show at that point, and it's a fun process because we sort of have a concept of where we're going to end the show but there is still the process of actually executing it and there still is the process of discovery, particularly on a character level, that will come into play as we finish the show.
Damon Lindelof: So if you guys have any ideas, we are open-minded.
Q: In recent interviews, you've said that of all the seasons, the upcoming season of Lost will be closest to the first season. Can you at least explain sort of in what way the coming season will refer back to the first season more than any others?
Damon Lindelof: One of the things that I think we are trying to do, all of us, the actors and the writers, as well, in the sixth season is to show the audience the before so they have some sense of, oh, this is what he used to be and who they are now so you really get a sense of how far that person's come. And obviously, the process of doing that, not just thinking about it, but doing it on a story level, really makes you feel like we felt in Season 1.
Q: Was it really important all along to keep the actors from knowing what happened to their characters in advance?
Damon Lindelof: That's a great question. Our dialogue with the actors, it's one of those things where, quite honestly, we just don't speak to them at all.
Carlton Cuse: It's better that way.
Damon Lindelof: But with Terry, it's kind of one of those things where the actor reads the script, and they decide what they need in order to play the scene and they know that we are completely available to answer any questions. But I do feel like the fun of the show for us as writers and producers is to send these scripts down to Hawaii and then see what we get back as opposed to trying to micromanage it.
Carlton Cuse: And for the actors, I think, the fact that they don't know where things are going kind of makes them very present in performing those given scripts, and I think that's actually a good thing. I mean, I think they do a remarkable job basically reading the next week's episode and basically kind of bringing it to life, and there's that immediacy that's part of that process.
Q: Have you given any thought to a Lost spin-off, like the further adventures of Sawyer?
Carlton Cuse: They have not pressured us at all. I mean, the network has been fabulous, and we owe a great debt of gratitude to Steve McPherson again just for this whole notion of ending the show. We are definitively ending this story of these characters and the show that we wanted to tell in May, and there's not going to be an implanted sequel. There's not going to be a secret back-door pilot embedded in that. The story of Lost that we've been telling for these six seasons is coming to a close this May.
Q: What have been your most memorable moments in the six years of Lost?
Carlton Cuse: The raft launch in the first season was such a great example of the kind of collaborative way in which this show is made and that's, I think, the thing that really distinguishes and makes it special. It wasn't enough that we just wrote that raft launch. It was also what all the actors brought to bear. It was Jack Bender who actually came up with the idea of the dog swimming out and then turning back. And then, I remember sort of most vividly being on the scoring stage, and the orchestra that plays the music for the show was playing Michael Giacchino's cue for that and they sight-read and they hadn't played it. And after they played it the first time, it was so moving and beautiful that they all just started spontaneously applauding, tapping their bows across their instruments, and everybody was crying and it was just this moment where you realize that the show is so much larger than any one individual, and collaboration on this show is really, truly probably the most special thing that will happen for all of us.
Q: How will the events of the season finale cliffhanger wit the bomb impact the characters?
Carlton Cuse: The season premiere picks up right after the finale, and we really don't want to say too much about it. We've obviously been very circumspect about the sixth season, and primarily because there's this big cliffhanger. Juliet hits this bomb. There's a white flash. What happened? Jack and Faraday were postulating that that was going to reset the clock and the Oceanic 815 would fly along and land in Los Angeles. If she taps that bomb and something else happens, maybe they're still stuck on the island. We don't really want to kind of give away what the show is going to be this season, so that's why we've been very circumspect about what we said and why we haven't shown any new footage.
Q: Even though you set the end date and decided on the story, how do you deal with the inevitability of die hard fans having issues with the finale you wish to give them?
Damon Lindelof: It would be great to cover my bases and guarantee everybody a sh*tty ending of Lost. Now you're actually going to see the ending to Lost, and all we can do is, basically, put our best foot forward. We do feel like the worst ending that we could possibly provide everyone who has invested this amount of time and energy into watching the show is the safe ending. You know, the ending that is basically sort of like, "What's going to be the most appealing to the most number of people?" At some point, you can't take a risk just to take a risk because that's a betrayal in and of itself.
Carlton Cuse: Obviously not every question's going to be answered, so obviously, some people are going to be upset that those particular questions don't get resolved. We felt if we tried to just answer questions, it would be very pedantic. Apart from that, we also really embrace this notion that there's a fundamental sort of sense of mystery that we all have in our lives, and certainly that is a huge part of the lives of these characters, and to sort of demystify that by trying to literally explain everything down to the last little sort of midichlorian of it all would be a mistake in our view. So I think there would be, hopefully, a kind of healthy cocktail of answers, mystery, good character resolutions and some surprises.
http://www.craveonline.com/entertainment/tv/article/damon-lindelof-and-carlton-cuse-on-lost-97097
Locke and Ben as Hitmen?
After Lost's final season, we might see O'Quinn and Emerson team up again.
by Matt Fowler
February 25, 2010 - Lost's Terry O'Quinn (Locke) and Michael Emerson (Ben) will no doubt go down as one of the best pairings in TV history. And while it's true that Lost producers Damon Lindelof and Cartlon Cuse have been adamant about the fact that there won't be any Lost spinoffs (although our fingers are still crossed for CSI: LAPIDUS!), there's a chance that we might see O'Quinn and Emerson back together on the small screen. What whaaat?
According to TVGuide.Com, Terry O'Quinn has been writing up ideas for a new series and shopping around a show bible (outlines of characters and stories) for it. Envisioning it as a TNT-style show, O'Quinn told TVGuide.Com that the show would re-team him up with Michael Emerson, with the two of them playing suburban hit men juggling family issues.
SO IN!
While we don't know any more specifics, O'Quinn has spoken to Lost creator J.J. Abrams about it and said "I really hope this works out because Michael would be in his prime in this. We'd play kind of awkward partners."
In response to the idea, Emerson stated "It's very sweet of him. I'm all in favor of it. Any reason to work with Terry again."
http://tv.ign.com/articles/107/1072457p1.html
by Matt Fowler
February 25, 2010 - Lost's Terry O'Quinn (Locke) and Michael Emerson (Ben) will no doubt go down as one of the best pairings in TV history. And while it's true that Lost producers Damon Lindelof and Cartlon Cuse have been adamant about the fact that there won't be any Lost spinoffs (although our fingers are still crossed for CSI: LAPIDUS!), there's a chance that we might see O'Quinn and Emerson back together on the small screen. What whaaat?
According to TVGuide.Com, Terry O'Quinn has been writing up ideas for a new series and shopping around a show bible (outlines of characters and stories) for it. Envisioning it as a TNT-style show, O'Quinn told TVGuide.Com that the show would re-team him up with Michael Emerson, with the two of them playing suburban hit men juggling family issues.
SO IN!
While we don't know any more specifics, O'Quinn has spoken to Lost creator J.J. Abrams about it and said "I really hope this works out because Michael would be in his prime in this. We'd play kind of awkward partners."
In response to the idea, Emerson stated "It's very sweet of him. I'm all in favor of it. Any reason to work with Terry again."
http://tv.ign.com/articles/107/1072457p1.html
Candidates Numbers compared to verses from Psalms
One of our great readers and also one of the Talkbackers at Ain't It Cool sent thins interesting theory to me, which I thought that I'd pass along. He compares the candidates numbers with Biblical Psalms of the same number and finds some interesting similarities. Thanks Brent!
Paul-
Ive never written on a message board or even e-mailed anybody Lost stuff other than my friends. I'm sure you have run into this now that the names and # have been revealed on who they correspond to...BUT. My wife did some digging. Though you might be interested just in case you have NOT been sent this. Take a look at the following psalms and how they match up with the individual we know of:
Psalms in the Bible:
#4 Locke - Psalm 4 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+4&version=KJV )
#8 Hurley - Psalm 8 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%208&version=KJV )
#15 Sawyer - Psalm 15 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2015&version=KJV )
#16 Sayid - Psalm 16 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2016&version=KJV )
#23 Jack - Pslam 23 ("The Lord is my Shepherd" http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2023&version=KJV )
#42 Kwon - Psalm 42 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2042&version=KJV )
Psalm 108 - Psalm of David ... very interesting verses here http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20108&version=KJV
#51 Kate - Psalm 51 ("Create in me a Clean Heart" ... http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+51&version=KJV )
There was a post on AICN talk backs that mentioned some "spoilers" and that the island was a 4 letter word that didnt include an A or an E
ZION? 4-letter word?
Sorry to bug you..Love your site and thought I might try and contribute something!
Brent Sander
Paul-
Ive never written on a message board or even e-mailed anybody Lost stuff other than my friends. I'm sure you have run into this now that the names and # have been revealed on who they correspond to...BUT. My wife did some digging. Though you might be interested just in case you have NOT been sent this. Take a look at the following psalms and how they match up with the individual we know of:
Psalms in the Bible:
#4 Locke - Psalm 4 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+4&version=KJV )
#8 Hurley - Psalm 8 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%208&version=KJV )
#15 Sawyer - Psalm 15 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2015&version=KJV )
#16 Sayid - Psalm 16 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2016&version=KJV )
#23 Jack - Pslam 23 ("The Lord is my Shepherd" http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2023&version=KJV )
#42 Kwon - Psalm 42 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2042&version=KJV )
Psalm 108 - Psalm of David ... very interesting verses here http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20108&version=KJV
#51 Kate - Psalm 51 ("Create in me a Clean Heart" ... http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+51&version=KJV )
There was a post on AICN talk backs that mentioned some "spoilers" and that the island was a 4 letter word that didnt include an A or an E
ZION? 4-letter word?
Sorry to bug you..Love your site and thought I might try and contribute something!
Brent Sander
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Sangria Thursdays? LOST Cast Secrets!
Lost: Preparing for The End
IGN | MySpace Video
The LOST cast talks about their feelings entering into Season 6, how they felt about the Time Travel storyline from Season 5, returning cast members, the mysteries THEY want to see solved, and how this season feels like Senior Year in High School.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
'Lost' recap: Mirror Image
Jack's Sideways life echoes his Island life as he continues to wrestle with his daddy issues
By Jeff Jensen Feb 24, 2010
In the season premiere of Lost three weeks ago, Jack Shephard looked at himself in the mirror and saw a small cut on his neck that left him baffled. He wondered: How did that get there? We wondered: What does it mean? In last night's episode, ''Lighthouse,'' Jack's man-in-the-mirror season continued with a series of peculiar looking glass encounters. On the Island, Jack's story began with a shot of the flawed and fallen castaway leader scrutinizing his reflection on the surface of Temple Lake like a seer trying to discern his fate in a scrying pool. It ended with Jack smashing the enchanted glass inside the Lighthouse after peering into it and seeing the haunted manse of his unhappy childhood home. He was left to ponder the implications while gazing out on the ocean; here's hoping his deliberations will include the epiphany that his paranoid conclusions about what he saw inside the Island's derelict divination tower were all wrong. (That's my theory, at least. More on that in a little bit.)
By Jeff Jensen Feb 24, 2010
In the season premiere of Lost three weeks ago, Jack Shephard looked at himself in the mirror and saw a small cut on his neck that left him baffled. He wondered: How did that get there? We wondered: What does it mean? In last night's episode, ''Lighthouse,'' Jack's man-in-the-mirror season continued with a series of peculiar looking glass encounters. On the Island, Jack's story began with a shot of the flawed and fallen castaway leader scrutinizing his reflection on the surface of Temple Lake like a seer trying to discern his fate in a scrying pool. It ended with Jack smashing the enchanted glass inside the Lighthouse after peering into it and seeing the haunted manse of his unhappy childhood home. He was left to ponder the implications while gazing out on the ocean; here's hoping his deliberations will include the epiphany that his paranoid conclusions about what he saw inside the Island's derelict divination tower were all wrong. (That's my theory, at least. More on that in a little bit.)
Stream of Consciousness: The Lost Blogging Collective #3
This has been really fun doing this and reading everyone else's comments!
Week 3!
This week's questions are:
- Do you think any of the candidates (Hurley, Sawyer, Jin, Sun, Jack, Locke) will become the next 'Jacob'?
- Who/what is Richard?
Now, on with the Answers!
Week 3!
This week's questions are:
- Do you think any of the candidates (Hurley, Sawyer, Jin, Sun, Jack, Locke) will become the next 'Jacob'?
- Who/what is Richard?
Now, on with the Answers!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
'Lost' secret revealed: Darlton discuss how their history-making partnership began
February 23, 2010 6:00 am
By now, the story about the "Lost" pilot is the stuff of Hollywood legend. What Lostie doesn't know about former ABC President Lloyd Braun's half-baked idea about castaways on an island and his brilliant move to give J.J. Abrams a whack at writing the pilot after twice being disappointed by other writers?
It was late January 2004 -- very late in the development cycle -- when Braun introduced Abrams to Damon Lindelof, a writer and producer on "Crossing Jordan," to give him some help. Abrams and Lindelof hit it off and four days later they had the 25-page outline that was used to cast and begin production on the two-hour pilot.
Twelve weeks, a global casting search, and an estimated $11 million later, the "Lost" phenomenon was in the can, waiting for that ominous Sept. 22, 2004, premiere date.
But do you know the rest of the story? When was Darlton born? What prompted Carlton Cuse to join the series in October 2004 as an executive producer and co-show runner?
Cuse, creator of "Nash Bridges," had given Lindelof his first writing job on that series, but let's let Darlton tell you the rest of it for themselves:
-- Maria Elena Fernandez (follow me on Twitter @writerchica)
Video: Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse interviewed in the appropriately named Orchid Suite of the Halekulani Hotel in Oahu last month. Credit: Maria Elena Fernandez
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/02/lost-secret-revealed-darlton-discuss-how-their-tvhistorymaking-partnership-began.html
By now, the story about the "Lost" pilot is the stuff of Hollywood legend. What Lostie doesn't know about former ABC President Lloyd Braun's half-baked idea about castaways on an island and his brilliant move to give J.J. Abrams a whack at writing the pilot after twice being disappointed by other writers?
It was late January 2004 -- very late in the development cycle -- when Braun introduced Abrams to Damon Lindelof, a writer and producer on "Crossing Jordan," to give him some help. Abrams and Lindelof hit it off and four days later they had the 25-page outline that was used to cast and begin production on the two-hour pilot.
Twelve weeks, a global casting search, and an estimated $11 million later, the "Lost" phenomenon was in the can, waiting for that ominous Sept. 22, 2004, premiere date.
But do you know the rest of the story? When was Darlton born? What prompted Carlton Cuse to join the series in October 2004 as an executive producer and co-show runner?
Cuse, creator of "Nash Bridges," had given Lindelof his first writing job on that series, but let's let Darlton tell you the rest of it for themselves:
-- Maria Elena Fernandez (follow me on Twitter @writerchica)
Video: Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse interviewed in the appropriately named Orchid Suite of the Halekulani Hotel in Oahu last month. Credit: Maria Elena Fernandez
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/02/lost-secret-revealed-darlton-discuss-how-their-tvhistorymaking-partnership-began.html
Anna Naranja's The 4TF CafePress Store
I made friends with Anna Naranja a year and a half ago and have been following her great blog ever since. She always has insightful episode reviews and has helped me a number of times here at Room 23. She is also a great Graphic Designer. She opened a CafePress store with a rotating stock of designs that can be ordered on shirts, mugs and many other things. Go check out her great store and keep returning because everything is there for only a limited time before its gone and replaced by something new. The first design is this one.
"John Locke's Blow Up Everything That Can Get Us Off The Island Tour Shirt"!
http://www.cafepress.com/LockeShop4TF
"John Locke's Blow Up Everything That Can Get Us Off The Island Tour Shirt"!
http://www.cafepress.com/LockeShop4TF
"The Substitute" Poll Results
What did you think of "The Substitute"?
The writing was on the wall it was AWESOME! 26 (81%)
So GOOD because it didn't have Kate!!!! 5 (15%)
OK, it felt like I was back at school though 1 (3%)
So BAD, I wish that I could have had a Substitute to have watched it for me. 0 (0%)
So HORRIBLE I wish that I would have been buried in John Locke's place 0 (0%)
Votes so far: 32
What were the best parts about "The Substitute"?
Rose as a Temp Agency Manager 2 (7%)
Ben as a Teacher 14 (53%)
Hurley as the owner of Locke's Box company 6 (23%)
Randy as Locke's Boss 3 (11%)
Helen!!!!!!! 9 (34%)
Richard telling Sawyer to get out of there 8 (30%)
MIB and Richards conversation 4 (15%)
Saywer and FLocke's cliff diving 5 (19%)
Sawyer's Of Mice and Men reference 5 (19%)
Locke's funeral 9 (34%)
Franks funeral comment 10 (38%)
Ben and Ilana's conversation 1 (3%)
Finding out that the Numbers are connected to the Castaways 19 (73%)
Finding out that Jacob wanted the Castaways to be his replacement 11 (42%)
Something else 0 (0%)
Votes so far: 26
Was that enough answers for you?
YES, YES, YES!!!! 6 (54%)
No Way! 5 (45%)
Votes so far: 11
The writing was on the wall it was AWESOME! 26 (81%)
So GOOD because it didn't have Kate!!!! 5 (15%)
OK, it felt like I was back at school though 1 (3%)
So BAD, I wish that I could have had a Substitute to have watched it for me. 0 (0%)
So HORRIBLE I wish that I would have been buried in John Locke's place 0 (0%)
Votes so far: 32
What were the best parts about "The Substitute"?
Rose as a Temp Agency Manager 2 (7%)
Ben as a Teacher 14 (53%)
Hurley as the owner of Locke's Box company 6 (23%)
Randy as Locke's Boss 3 (11%)
Helen!!!!!!! 9 (34%)
Richard telling Sawyer to get out of there 8 (30%)
MIB and Richards conversation 4 (15%)
Saywer and FLocke's cliff diving 5 (19%)
Sawyer's Of Mice and Men reference 5 (19%)
Locke's funeral 9 (34%)
Franks funeral comment 10 (38%)
Ben and Ilana's conversation 1 (3%)
Finding out that the Numbers are connected to the Castaways 19 (73%)
Finding out that Jacob wanted the Castaways to be his replacement 11 (42%)
Something else 0 (0%)
Votes so far: 26
Was that enough answers for you?
YES, YES, YES!!!! 6 (54%)
No Way! 5 (45%)
Votes so far: 11
'Lost': Terry O'Quinn will take you behind the smoke and UnLocke a few secrets about his character
By Dan Snierson
Hello??? Are you in there??? C’mon, it’s time to get out of the cave. I agree—it was fun and educational to spend a few minutes in another one of Jacob’s lairs, courtesy of UnLocke (Terry O’Quinn), but you’ve got to start preparing for Tuesday’s episode of Lost, titled “Lighthouse.” To get the scoop on what to expect in the show’s final season, skedaddle over to your nearest newsstand and pick up the latest copy of Entertainment Weekly, which features stars Matthew Fox and Emilie de Ravin on the cover. Inside, Jeff Jensen and I whisk you to the show’s set in Hawaii and satisfy your thirst for knowledge with juicy quotes from the show’s stars and producers. And we don’t come to this post empty-handed: Here’s a bonus mini-Q&A with man-of-the-hour O’Quinn, who shares his thoughts about playing the Man in Black and the Smoke Monster. After you read it, use the space below to spill your thoughts—and theories—about UnLocke.
EW: Any hints you can provide about where we’re headed in the next chunk of episodes?
TO: My guy—Smokey, as I call him—has a plan and he has an objective, and he’s working toward it. The question is, ‘Is it for his own good or for the good of everyone?’ That’s still up for debate.
EW: The Man in Black/Locke/Smokey revelation was a major advancement of the Lost mythology. How did you feel about that twist?
TO: I thought it was one of the biggest leaps that people were going to have to take, in terms of suspension of disbelief. Like, “Okay. All right then.” But they’d already been set up because you knew Christian, Jack’s dad, was walking around and things like that. Somebody said, “Did Lost jump the shark?” and I said, “Either they always have or they didn’t.” You know? It’s just one more giant leap. People seem to have taken it in stride. I was afraid that it might be asking too much of an audience to accept that, but everybody seems to be dealing with it all right, so I’m real happy with that.
EW: Is it an honor to be the Smoke Monster?
TO: Oh, yeah. It’s fun to play. I mean, it’s just totally different from whatever John Locke was. Bad guys have better secrets. And if he’s a bad guy, he’s got a lot of secrets. And that’s what frustrates people. When [Sawyer] says, “What are you?” and Smokey says, “What I am is trapped,” okay—you don’t pursue that question. Everybody else will go, “Well, what the hell does that mean? Who are you? Come on, man!” But we’re going to have to wait until another week to find that out.
EW: How did you go about playing this new character? It seems like a tricky needle to thread—as you’ve said, it’s “hard not to load things up, become arch.”
TO: Well, it is. Not because of any instruction, I chose to…. In the scene, for example, right after I told Ben I was Smokey – “I’m sorry you saw me like that”— occasionally there’s residual Locke emotions or feelings that Smokey gets that may surprise him, may irritate him, that he can’t completely control, so he’ll be smug or make fun of John Locke. Or say he was a loser and he was pathetic and he was broken. But for my own edification, I keep a little spark of John Locke alive in this being, whatever he is… so that if for any reason, anybody wants to summon that spark, it’s there. And I think sometimes Smokey’s indifference is my choice. Smokey’s puzzled by it: What is this persona he’s inhabited? Maybe it’s stronger than he thought it was. But that just gives me things to play in the scene, gives a little bit of color to a scene. And I enjoy it. He was moved when he told Ben that John Locke’s last thought was, “I don’t understand.” And he was surprised to be moved.
EW: In last week’s episode, Ilana said that Smokey is “recruiting,” and we saw him go after Richard Alpert and Sawyer. Is his first order of business to recruit all of the castaways?
TO: There’s some recruiting that goes on. We’re doing an episode now called “The Last Recruit.” He has a purpose. As you know, all of a sudden, they’re establishing all these rules. “You can’t do this unless this…” It’s like a children’s game. We keep making up new rules [laughs]. So the recruiting has to do with fulfilling the rules.
EW: What feedback are you getting from fans?
TO: People tell me they like Bad Locke: “I like the new dark guy.” And I say, “Well, that’s good. I’m having fun playing him. I don’t know if you’re going to like him when it’s all over, but as long as you’re liking watching.” It’s amazing to me—what is this love affair we have with bad guys? With the bad boy in high school, with the anti-hero, et cetera, et cetera? Because I was always just a very nice boy. I didn’t get it.
http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/02/21/lost-terry-o%E2%80%99quinn-smoke-monster-man-in-black-season-smoke-and-unlocke-a-few-secrets-about-his-character/?ew_packageID=20313460?xid=email-alert-lost-20100222-item1
Hello??? Are you in there??? C’mon, it’s time to get out of the cave. I agree—it was fun and educational to spend a few minutes in another one of Jacob’s lairs, courtesy of UnLocke (Terry O’Quinn), but you’ve got to start preparing for Tuesday’s episode of Lost, titled “Lighthouse.” To get the scoop on what to expect in the show’s final season, skedaddle over to your nearest newsstand and pick up the latest copy of Entertainment Weekly, which features stars Matthew Fox and Emilie de Ravin on the cover. Inside, Jeff Jensen and I whisk you to the show’s set in Hawaii and satisfy your thirst for knowledge with juicy quotes from the show’s stars and producers. And we don’t come to this post empty-handed: Here’s a bonus mini-Q&A with man-of-the-hour O’Quinn, who shares his thoughts about playing the Man in Black and the Smoke Monster. After you read it, use the space below to spill your thoughts—and theories—about UnLocke.
EW: Any hints you can provide about where we’re headed in the next chunk of episodes?
TO: My guy—Smokey, as I call him—has a plan and he has an objective, and he’s working toward it. The question is, ‘Is it for his own good or for the good of everyone?’ That’s still up for debate.
EW: The Man in Black/Locke/Smokey revelation was a major advancement of the Lost mythology. How did you feel about that twist?
TO: I thought it was one of the biggest leaps that people were going to have to take, in terms of suspension of disbelief. Like, “Okay. All right then.” But they’d already been set up because you knew Christian, Jack’s dad, was walking around and things like that. Somebody said, “Did Lost jump the shark?” and I said, “Either they always have or they didn’t.” You know? It’s just one more giant leap. People seem to have taken it in stride. I was afraid that it might be asking too much of an audience to accept that, but everybody seems to be dealing with it all right, so I’m real happy with that.
EW: Is it an honor to be the Smoke Monster?
TO: Oh, yeah. It’s fun to play. I mean, it’s just totally different from whatever John Locke was. Bad guys have better secrets. And if he’s a bad guy, he’s got a lot of secrets. And that’s what frustrates people. When [Sawyer] says, “What are you?” and Smokey says, “What I am is trapped,” okay—you don’t pursue that question. Everybody else will go, “Well, what the hell does that mean? Who are you? Come on, man!” But we’re going to have to wait until another week to find that out.
EW: How did you go about playing this new character? It seems like a tricky needle to thread—as you’ve said, it’s “hard not to load things up, become arch.”
TO: Well, it is. Not because of any instruction, I chose to…. In the scene, for example, right after I told Ben I was Smokey – “I’m sorry you saw me like that”— occasionally there’s residual Locke emotions or feelings that Smokey gets that may surprise him, may irritate him, that he can’t completely control, so he’ll be smug or make fun of John Locke. Or say he was a loser and he was pathetic and he was broken. But for my own edification, I keep a little spark of John Locke alive in this being, whatever he is… so that if for any reason, anybody wants to summon that spark, it’s there. And I think sometimes Smokey’s indifference is my choice. Smokey’s puzzled by it: What is this persona he’s inhabited? Maybe it’s stronger than he thought it was. But that just gives me things to play in the scene, gives a little bit of color to a scene. And I enjoy it. He was moved when he told Ben that John Locke’s last thought was, “I don’t understand.” And he was surprised to be moved.
EW: In last week’s episode, Ilana said that Smokey is “recruiting,” and we saw him go after Richard Alpert and Sawyer. Is his first order of business to recruit all of the castaways?
TO: There’s some recruiting that goes on. We’re doing an episode now called “The Last Recruit.” He has a purpose. As you know, all of a sudden, they’re establishing all these rules. “You can’t do this unless this…” It’s like a children’s game. We keep making up new rules [laughs]. So the recruiting has to do with fulfilling the rules.
EW: What feedback are you getting from fans?
TO: People tell me they like Bad Locke: “I like the new dark guy.” And I say, “Well, that’s good. I’m having fun playing him. I don’t know if you’re going to like him when it’s all over, but as long as you’re liking watching.” It’s amazing to me—what is this love affair we have with bad guys? With the bad boy in high school, with the anti-hero, et cetera, et cetera? Because I was always just a very nice boy. I didn’t get it.
http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/02/21/lost-terry-o%E2%80%99quinn-smoke-monster-man-in-black-season-smoke-and-unlocke-a-few-secrets-about-his-character/?ew_packageID=20313460?xid=email-alert-lost-20100222-item1
Monday, February 22, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
'Lost': Meet Hiroyuki Sanada
By Rick Porter, Zap2it Friday, February 19, 2010, 12:13 PM
Hiroyuki Sanada plays Dogen on "Lost."
Dominique Charriau/WireImage.comHiroyuki Sanada is new to the "Lost" universe, but he handles press questions like an old pro.
Which is to say, you won't be reading a whole lot of spoiler information in the Q&A below about his character Dogen's role in the events of Season 6. "He's mysterious," Sanada says with a laugh.
But we did talk about how Sanada — a veteran of dozens of films in his home country of Japan, as well as American movies like "The Last Samurai," "Rush Hour 3" and "Speed Racer" — grilled "Lost" executive producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof about his role, about the show's popularity in Japan, and just a little bit about what to expect for the rest of the season.
Zap2it: How did this part come to you?
Sanada: The producers called me and offered me the role of Dogen, a Japanese guy who lives on the island. I was very surprised, because I had never done a TV show in the U.S. ... I knew ["Lost"] had high-quality scripts and cast, so it was a surprise, but it was very exciting.
I didn't know about my character — I didn't have a script yet [when the offer came]. I met with Carlton and Damon at the Disney studio, and they explained about my character's background. And also I asked them a lot of things, because some Japanese characters are stereotyped for misunderstanding of other cultures. So I had to check. As an actor who grew up in Japan, it's so delicate for us. I asked them a lot, and they answered me immediately. ... So I thought, I can believe them about the script, and I said yes. It was a long time until I got the scripts — I spent a month and a half watching the whole series. I saw everything during the wait for the scripts.
Zap2it: Did that help you? I would think that would help you understand your character, since he seems to have history on the island.
Sanada: Yeah. My character knows some secrets, so I had to learn before I read the scripts. That was great. And I reexamined how great a show it is. The quality is so great.
Zap2it: Is "Lost" popular in Japan?
Sanada: Very much. I just came back from Tokyo last night. I did a big event with Carlton — talk shows, press conferences. We got a great reaction there. I was surprised at how big it is in Japan. There is a big audience for "Lost."
Zap2it: How many more episodes are you in this season?
Sanada: I can't tell you exactly how many, but I've already finished my shooting.
Zap2it: But you'll be in a few more, correct?
Sanada: A few more, yes.
Zap2it: What is your read on Dogen and his motivation?
Sanada: He grew up in Japan, and somehow he came to the island. He has a mission, which is studying the island. He's very — he has a lot of loyalty to the mission [and is willing] to sacrifice. I think that's the most important thing to him. And he knows something [laughs].
Zap2it: Do you have a sense of where Dogen fits into the hierarchy of the Others? Does he have any more authority than, say, Ben (Michael Emerson) or Richard (Nestor Carbonell)?
Sanada: I don't know if he's equal, or who knows more or is more important. But he's an important person on the island. Yeah, he's mysterious. [Laughs] He was mysterious for me, too. Every week I'd read the script and realize, "Oh — oh my gosh." I really enjoyed reading the script every week.
Zap2it: Do you think Dogen's view of Jack (Matthew Fox) changed after he was willing to swallow a poison pill in "What Kate Does"?
Sanada: Yes. ... I have many scenes with Jack, and also Sayid [Naveen Andrews]. The two of them are the most important people [to Dogen].
Zap2it: They're who you deal with the most?
Sanada: Yes. And they're great actors, so I was very lucky. I had a great time with them.
Zap2it: Do you know how long Dogen has been on the island?
Sanada: He's been living on the island for about 20 years.
Zap2it: And, without giving too much away, what can we look forward to with the character?
Sanada: It will be clear why he came to the island and what his mission is
http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/lost-meet-hiroyuki-sanada--1003
Hiroyuki Sanada plays Dogen on "Lost."
Dominique Charriau/WireImage.comHiroyuki Sanada is new to the "Lost" universe, but he handles press questions like an old pro.
Which is to say, you won't be reading a whole lot of spoiler information in the Q&A below about his character Dogen's role in the events of Season 6. "He's mysterious," Sanada says with a laugh.
But we did talk about how Sanada — a veteran of dozens of films in his home country of Japan, as well as American movies like "The Last Samurai," "Rush Hour 3" and "Speed Racer" — grilled "Lost" executive producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof about his role, about the show's popularity in Japan, and just a little bit about what to expect for the rest of the season.
Zap2it: How did this part come to you?
Sanada: The producers called me and offered me the role of Dogen, a Japanese guy who lives on the island. I was very surprised, because I had never done a TV show in the U.S. ... I knew ["Lost"] had high-quality scripts and cast, so it was a surprise, but it was very exciting.
I didn't know about my character — I didn't have a script yet [when the offer came]. I met with Carlton and Damon at the Disney studio, and they explained about my character's background. And also I asked them a lot of things, because some Japanese characters are stereotyped for misunderstanding of other cultures. So I had to check. As an actor who grew up in Japan, it's so delicate for us. I asked them a lot, and they answered me immediately. ... So I thought, I can believe them about the script, and I said yes. It was a long time until I got the scripts — I spent a month and a half watching the whole series. I saw everything during the wait for the scripts.
Zap2it: Did that help you? I would think that would help you understand your character, since he seems to have history on the island.
Sanada: Yeah. My character knows some secrets, so I had to learn before I read the scripts. That was great. And I reexamined how great a show it is. The quality is so great.
Zap2it: Is "Lost" popular in Japan?
Sanada: Very much. I just came back from Tokyo last night. I did a big event with Carlton — talk shows, press conferences. We got a great reaction there. I was surprised at how big it is in Japan. There is a big audience for "Lost."
Zap2it: How many more episodes are you in this season?
Sanada: I can't tell you exactly how many, but I've already finished my shooting.
Zap2it: But you'll be in a few more, correct?
Sanada: A few more, yes.
Zap2it: What is your read on Dogen and his motivation?
Sanada: He grew up in Japan, and somehow he came to the island. He has a mission, which is studying the island. He's very — he has a lot of loyalty to the mission [and is willing] to sacrifice. I think that's the most important thing to him. And he knows something [laughs].
Zap2it: Do you have a sense of where Dogen fits into the hierarchy of the Others? Does he have any more authority than, say, Ben (Michael Emerson) or Richard (Nestor Carbonell)?
Sanada: I don't know if he's equal, or who knows more or is more important. But he's an important person on the island. Yeah, he's mysterious. [Laughs] He was mysterious for me, too. Every week I'd read the script and realize, "Oh — oh my gosh." I really enjoyed reading the script every week.
Zap2it: Do you think Dogen's view of Jack (Matthew Fox) changed after he was willing to swallow a poison pill in "What Kate Does"?
Sanada: Yes. ... I have many scenes with Jack, and also Sayid [Naveen Andrews]. The two of them are the most important people [to Dogen].
Zap2it: They're who you deal with the most?
Sanada: Yes. And they're great actors, so I was very lucky. I had a great time with them.
Zap2it: Do you know how long Dogen has been on the island?
Sanada: He's been living on the island for about 20 years.
Zap2it: And, without giving too much away, what can we look forward to with the character?
Sanada: It will be clear why he came to the island and what his mission is
http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/lost-meet-hiroyuki-sanada--1003
Lily Ford: Lost cast members nominated for Saturn Awards !
thanks @twitter MchlEmrsnNews for the head up
WOW a lot of our LOST actors nominated for Saturn awards ! and Josh Holloway in the actor category and not support actor, that's something we never saw lol congrats and good luck LOST !! The 36th Annual Saturn Awards will take place on June 24 in Burbank, California.
TELEVISION: Best Network Series
* "Lost"
Best Actor in Television
* Josh Holloway, "Lost"
* Matthew Fox, "Lost"
Best Actress on Television
* Evangeline Lilly, "Lost"
Best Supporting Actor on Television
* Jeremy Davies, "Lost"
* Michael Emerson, "Lost"
Best Supporting Actress in Television
* Elizabeth Mitchell, "Lost"
Best Guest Starring Role in Television
* Mark Pellegrino, "Lost"
http://lylyford.blogspot.com/2010/02/lost-cast-members-nominated-for-saturn.html
WOW a lot of our LOST actors nominated for Saturn awards ! and Josh Holloway in the actor category and not support actor, that's something we never saw lol congrats and good luck LOST !! The 36th Annual Saturn Awards will take place on June 24 in Burbank, California.
TELEVISION: Best Network Series
* "Lost"
Best Actor in Television
* Josh Holloway, "Lost"
* Matthew Fox, "Lost"
Best Actress on Television
* Evangeline Lilly, "Lost"
Best Supporting Actor on Television
* Jeremy Davies, "Lost"
* Michael Emerson, "Lost"
Best Supporting Actress in Television
* Elizabeth Mitchell, "Lost"
Best Guest Starring Role in Television
* Mark Pellegrino, "Lost"
http://lylyford.blogspot.com/2010/02/lost-cast-members-nominated-for-saturn.html
'Lost': Michael Emerson says teacher role 'has a big meaning'
by Wendy Mitchell
If you missed Michael Emerson on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night, check out the video below. The man who plays Lost’s Ben Linus (or, as Kimmel suggests, ‘Ben Lini’) says that last night’s appearance as a history teacher in the Sideways world wasn’t a throwaway. “I don’t think it’s just some mild departure. I think it has a big meaning that will play out as we go,” Emerson told Kimmel, before adding: “You have no idea what’s coming in that particular storyline.” Oooh, juicy! Despite not having read the final scripts, Emerson assured fans: “You’re going to have a satisfying conclusion to the series.”
I can usually keep an actor separate in my mind from his or her character, but I can’t do this with Emerson — he IS Ben Linus to me. If I saw him on the street I might have a panic attack. Anyone else think that Emerson will forever be associated with creepy Ben?
http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/02/17/lost-michael-emerson-teacher/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ew%2Fpopwatch+%28Entertainment+Weekly%27s+PopWatch%29
If you missed Michael Emerson on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night, check out the video below. The man who plays Lost’s Ben Linus (or, as Kimmel suggests, ‘Ben Lini’) says that last night’s appearance as a history teacher in the Sideways world wasn’t a throwaway. “I don’t think it’s just some mild departure. I think it has a big meaning that will play out as we go,” Emerson told Kimmel, before adding: “You have no idea what’s coming in that particular storyline.” Oooh, juicy! Despite not having read the final scripts, Emerson assured fans: “You’re going to have a satisfying conclusion to the series.”
I can usually keep an actor separate in my mind from his or her character, but I can’t do this with Emerson — he IS Ben Linus to me. If I saw him on the street I might have a panic attack. Anyone else think that Emerson will forever be associated with creepy Ben?
http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/02/17/lost-michael-emerson-teacher/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ew%2Fpopwatch+%28Entertainment+Weekly%27s+PopWatch%29
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
'Lost' recap: The Man With the Plan
Fake Locke gives us clues to Island mythology (maybe), and we check out all that's right with Sideways Locke's life
By Jeff Jensen Feb 17, 2010
Here lies John Locke, and in more ways than one. In fact, in last night's Now the season has REALLY begun episode of Lost, ''The Substitute,'' we were given three different John Lockes. (Maybe even four, if you believe my contention that Sawyer has become a surrogate Locke in the story. More on that later.) Officially, there was John Locke the Island adventurer, now a ripe, sun-bleached corpse buried six feet under on Boone Hill after Captain Frank Lapidus declared the impromptu graveside service ''the weirdest damn funeral'' he'd ever been to. There was ''John Locke,'' aka the Locke-ness Monster, the fearsome Island entity now wearing the Ben-murdered castaway's visage, who oozed sincerity as he/it/whatever downloaded oodles of noodle-expanding mythology... although can we really trust him/it/whatever? And there was Sideways John Locke, a tough and tender man, so superior to his dead Island doppelganger in many ways, save possibly one. We met him as he fell flat on his face, yet another humiliation for a soul who seems to be destined to suffer a daily diet of humiliations no matter which ''island universe'' he happens to reside upon. But this John Locke can laugh when the fates make fun of him. This John Locke has the self-awareness and strength to grow and change. And this John Locke is loved, and better, he knows it, and we were reminded last night how much we need that kind of love, both to flourish and survive. Especially if you have to spend long days at work enduring the prickly interoffice machinations — severe coffee making retinue — of Benjamin Linus. (Who would win in a sneer-off: Professor Snape or Professor Linus? Debate!)
Fittingly, ''The Substitute'' came to us during Valentine's Day week, and it played like a love letter to Locke. Allow me to give some love right back. Terry O'Quinn is the man, and big hugs to him and everyone who made ''The Substitute'' the first truly great episode of the season, a moving mythapalooza that framed and galvanized the Island story line and proved that the Sideways storytelling device is capable of producing powerful, poignant yarns... even if we still have no freakin' clue what the hell is going on over there in Otherworldland.
At the very least, it was totally better than last week's episode.
The Other(s) World
A Serious Man, Part One: The Parable of the Parking Lot
''Can I share something with you? Because I too have had the feeling of losing track of Hashem, which is the problem here. I too have forgotten how to see Him in the world. And when that happens you think, well, if I can't see Him, He isn't there any more, He's gone. But that's not the case. You just need to remember how to see Him. Am I right? I mean, the parking lot here. Not much to see. It is a different angle on the same parking lot we saw from the Hebrew school window. But if you imagine yourself a visitor, somebody who isn't familiar with these autos and such, somebody still with a capacity for wonder, someone with a fresh perspective… you can see Hashem, you know, reaching into the world.''
— Rabbi Scott, speaking to faith-challenged Larry about the existence of God/the divine (aka Hashem), A Serious Man
Who was the late John Locke? Who was he really? ''The Substitute'' offered at least three opinions on the matter. One came from Sawyer, who drunkenly pissed on dead Locke's memory: He remembered him as someone who was always scared even when he was pretending he wasn't. (Personally, that sounds like a better description of… Sawyer himself. And, I suspect, this monstrous, little boy-spooked UnLocke thing.) Another interpretation came from his killer, Ben, who eulogized him with a speech that somehow mixed two unlikely sentiments: heartfelt appreciation and snarky glibness. ''John Locke was a believer, a man of faith, and a much better man than I will ever be,'' Ben said adding, ''And I'm very sorry that I murdered him.'' Classy, Ben. And a classic Lost moment.
A third point of view on John Locke came via the Sideways, and I would sum up the assessment by using a line from last night's literary reference, John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men: ''A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody.'' Now, the Sideways story line didn't actively portray its John Locke as destroyed by loneliness or abandonment. On the contrary: Sideways John Locke had self-confidence, self-awareness, and a genuine self. He also enjoyed the security of knowing he was loved by his soulmate, Helen. But I wonder if that's part of the important point of these parallel world stories. Lost is creating the means for us to see these too-familiar people with fresh eyes. By presenting them as something profoundly different, as profoundly ''Other,'' the castaways are revealed anew, or perhaps even for the first time, by the comparison.
''The Substitute'' gave us one of the best cold opens of Lost ever. We saw Sideways John Locke pulling into the driveway of a house on a street that resembled one we saw in Season 2's ''Lockdown,'' when pre-wheelchair Locke was working as a house inspector and checking out a home in Irvine being purchased by Sayid's lady love, Nadia. (Maybe Sideways Nadia is Sideways Locke's neighbor. Might Sideways Sayid be on his way?) I loved the pensive look on Locke's face as he rode the lift down from his van. Then the lift jammed, leaving Locke stuck. He fiddled with controls, then tried rolling off the platform, hoping to stick the landing like an Olympic ski jumper. Nope. Locke dropped from his place in the sky and belly-flopped onto his lawn — a mundane suburban analog to one of his several mythic Island falls, none more monumental than his plummet from the heavens in the pilot episode. Then, the insult to injury: the sprinkler system activated, dousing Locke in the face. Lost's perpetual Job figure responded by.. rending his hairshirt and cursing God? Nope. He laughed. This totally surprised me. I expected an explosion of ''Don't tell me what I can't do!'' outrage. But this John Locke is a man who can roll with the joke when the cosmos decides to treat him like a punchline.
My heart rejoiced when I saw Helen bound out the front door and rush to Locke's side and laugh with him as she helped him to his figurative feet. I always liked their relationship, and I hated that Locke had squandered her love to chase after his bad dad's affection, and I must admit I watched last night's episode in a state of dread that this Locke was going to do something really stupid to scare this Helen away, too. We were told nothing about how this Locke and Helen met. But we were told they have an October wedding date, and given that it's late September in the Sideways world, I'm predicting that their Big Day will serve as a key moment for the entire Sideways arc — perhaps the time and place when all the disparate story lines will converge. Does Sideways Locke have a better relationship with his father than Island Locke had? It's possible. When Helen suggested they elope after a frustrating phone call with a caterer, she pitched him on the idea of bringing Papa Locke along for the ride. John didn't respond to the mere mention of his existence by involuntarily punching her in the face, so I'm guessing Sideways Anthony Cooper had nothing to do with crippling his son. ARE YOU THINKING WHAT I'M THINKING? We know from season 1 that Boone Carlyle's mother, Sabrina Carlyle, owned a massively successful wedding business, and that Boone served as the company's chief operating officer. Methinks the Carlyle family biz will play a role in solving Helen's catering crisis….
I know a fair number of women who think John Locke is all kinds of hot, so I'm thinking they appreciated Locke's bath, warmly flirting with Helen over color swatches, and then getting smooched on his bald head. Personally, I was more distracted by Locke's reaction to Helen's destiny talk. He told his fiancé that he encountered a certain spinal surgeon at the airport named Jack Shephard who offered him a free consult. Helen sparked to the story. ''What are the odds of you just running into a spinal surgeon?! Who knows? Maybe its destiny?'' Locke was clearly intrigued by the prospect, but he didn't seem all that dazzled by Helen's semi-mystical mumbo jumbo. He parroted the word back to her with a hint of incredulity. He wasn't rude about; I got the sense that part of being ''a sweet man'' to Helen involves not crapping on her worldview, not to mention her curious ''Peace and Karma'' shirts. But this was a clearly a Locke who didn't believe in higher power-directed fate like his dead Island world counterpart. I thought it was interesting the way he described the walkabout later in the episode. He called it ''an adventure'' about ''man versus nature.'' By contrast, when Island Locke described the Walkabout in the classic season 1 episode of the same name, he called it ''a journey of spiritual renewal, where one derives strength from the earth and becomes inseparable from it.'' Island Locke wanted to be feel connected to the world, to something bigger than himself; Sideways Locke wanted to feel his own strength, to feel whole again — to feel like a man.
How to account for the discrepancies between the two Lockes? There were a couple moments when I wondered if Sideways Locke had learned a thing or two from the experiences of his Island doppelganger via… quantum entanglement? Psychic connection? Past-life memories? (''When we're puzzled we have all the stories that have been handed down from people who had the same problems.'' — A Serious Man) Still, this matter of cross-universe connection was hard to say this week. For the third straight episode, the episode's lead character was given a conspicuous moment in the bathroom, looking long and hard in the mirror. Where Jack saw an explicable (continuity) flaw on his skin and Kate watched herself flutter through the déjà vu blinky-blinkies, Locke struck a more conventional, contemplative pose, absent of any hint that he might be aware of his Island self. Which makes sense, given that Island Locke is, like, dead. But two simpler explanations for Locke's apparent agnosticism/atheism are (1) It might be too painful for him to consider divine possibilities (If there really is a God or grand design to my life, why the hell did He/She/It cripple me?); or (2) this Locke is a product of different influences, none of which have produced a yearning for divine connection or eyes to see the divine in the world. Might his life be richer if he were to allow himself to reconsider his spiritual perspective? Or might his life become worse? Processing… processing….
Like his Island alter-ego, Sideways Locke worked at a box company owned by Hurley. The pictures in Locke's cubicle were interesting. There was a photo of Locke (with hair) with his father, Anthony Cooper; they looked to be hunting, as we saw them back in ''Deus Ex Macina.'' There was also a photo of Locke with Helen in a tropical setting, presumably Hawaii. The curious thing about both photos: Locke appeared to be standing. When and how did Locke become dependent on a wheelchair for pedestrian perambulation? TBD. Island Locke didn't get thrown out of that eighth-floor window by Bad Dad leaving him below-the-belt paralyzed until after Helen dumped his father-fixated ass. So it appears that Locke's loss of lower legs was a trauma that he and his soul mate experienced together.
We were reintroduced to Locke's jerk boss, Randy. He derisively called Locke ''colonel.'' If that confused you, remember that Island Locke played a military strategy board game Axis and Allies during his lunch break with a friend/colleague (not seen last night) and liked to be called ''colonel.'' In this world, Locke was supposed to have gone to Australia for a conference. According to Randy, Locke blew it off to attempt his walkabout. Oops. And Randy fired him with ice cold terseness. Locke's face: priceless. Not just shock, but maybe… emasculation, too? That may sound heavy, but bear with me: I think it works with what followed.
We then got the very interesting scene in the parking lot. Locke rolled to his car and found his wheelchair-equipped van inaccessible because a very large hummer had parked much too close. Locke snapped. This time, the insult to injury was too painful to not ignore. He could have avoided the sitch had he parked in the handicapped stall, but as Locke would explain, he didn't want to. Locke then had an encounter with Hurley, who in the Otherverse is large and in charge and not at all the fatalistic scaredy-cat Island dude we met in season 1. Was it just me, or did you get a Jacobesque vibe from Hurley, all empathetic benevolence as he responded to his ex-employee's prickly anger with patience and grace and supreme knowingness and the hooked him up with a new job via his temp agency, another division of Hurley's financial empire? Watching this scene, I couldn't help but think about Helen's earlier line about destiny. And I found myself flashing back to this scene later in the episode, when Helen challenged Locke's incredulity about miracles. Was the Locke-Hurley crossing total coincidence, quantum synchronicity, or divinely orchestrated appointment? An elemental faith/reason debate worthy of old school Lost. But I am reminded of the old adage that our world is chockablock with everyday miracles — they just don't look the way we expect them to. What we expect is something like, say, miraculous healing for crippled legs after falling from the sky. But a miracle could be other people, too — like meeting a guy who can give you a job after getting fired, and better than that, a guy who sets you upon your true destiny. But we'll get to the school in a minute.
PS: Did you see what was in Locke's box of stuff in his lap? Was that a polar bear figurine in there?
The Sideways scenes just rolled, one great scene after another. The moments in the temp agency hit me emotionally. It started funny-surreal, like a moment from a Coen brothers film, when Locke got processed by a decidedly quirky clerk who first tried to get into his mind and figure him out. But Sideways Locke is not a man who wants or needs to be cracked open and explained. But he did want a job, and he seemed to want something more than a good income from it, too. He wanted a job that made him feel strong again — that made him feel like a man. The posters on the wall bore slogans like ''Live your dream job!'' The subtext: Your self-worth, your very identity, is measured by your profession, by what you produce....
And then Rose, beautiful Rose, the Island's woman of faith, walked in and blew that bulls--- up. Locke wanted a job as a construction site manager. He wanted be in charge. He wanted to build stuff. He wanted be a serious man, taken seriously. And Rose said: Really? Seriously? She said she'd be happy to give him the job but he'd only be back in her office looking for another job the next day. Why? Yes, because the wheelchair thing was going to be a problem. But after he pushed back on that, she told him about her cancer, a cancer that was killing her, and how she had to struggle to fight through her denial and embrace the brutal truth of her finitude — and how doing so had brought her peace. She encouraged him to do the same — to find meaning not in what he can or can't do, but in who he is, and who he loves.
That last part was hammered home by Helen when Locke finally came clean with her about his Australian walkabout — or rather, his aborted Australian walkabout. Yep, he lied to Boone on the plane. Like his Island counterpart, Sideways Locke was denied his outback adventure. And like his Island counterpart, Sideways Locke raged in response: ''Don't tell me what I can't do!'' But this John Locke is capable of reflecting upon moments and realizing: My god, I must have sounded like… a big douche! Interesting that in an episode that saw the Locke-ness Monster spout Locke's famous catchphrase, Sideways Locke came to the same conclusion about his situation that Smokey articulated in the premiere. They were right to deny me the walkabout, because it's true — there are things I simply can't do. He told Helen he was sick of daydreaming about life outside his chair, tired of imagining himself walking her down the aisle on their wedding day. He wanted to move into the liberating grace of brutal truth about himself and move on with his life. He asked Helen to do the same: ''I don't want you to spend your life waiting for miracles, Helen, because there is no such thing.''
Helen was more than prepared to join him on that journey, but on one condition: She wasn't buying into his worldview. ''There are miracles, John,'' she said. ''And the only thing I was ever waiting for was you.'' And then she kissed him. The moment between them seemed to suggest that for all his maturity, humility and strength, John Locke could learn a thing or two by becoming a man of faith. Their moment together reminded me of yet another exchange in A Serious Man:
Rabbi Scott: You can't cut yourself off from the mystical or you'll be-you'll remain-completely lost. You have to see these things as expressions of God's will. You don't have to like it, of course.
Larry: The boss isn't always right, but he's always the boss.
Rabbi Scott: That's right! Things aren't so bad! Look at the parking lot, Larry. Just look at that parking lot.
For now, though, John Locke is a man of science. Literally. You caught that, right? He accepted a job as substitute teacher. Subject: Biology. First lesson: the human reproductive system. It also looked like he was either teaching physical education or coaching basketball. There were some deeply embedded ironies here. FLASHBACK WHOOSH TO… the season 4 episode ''Cabin Fever,'' in which Teenage Locke was encouraged by a teacher to cultivate his natural talent for science by attending a summer camp run by Mittelos Biosciences, the Others' company that recruited miracle-grow fertility doc Juliet Burke to The Island. But Locke didn't want to hear that. He wanted to drive fast cars and play sports. When he was told his dreams were unrealistic, Young Locke bellowed, ''Don't tell me what I can't do!'' What a difference a (Jughead-spawned?) parallel reality makes. Here in the Sideways world, Locke is teaching science, teaching sports, and looking very much like a man who just found his niche. Of course, there's still ample time for his born again life to go horribly wrong. After all, he's now working with Benjamin Linus….
In the wake of the episode, we were left this to wonder about the Sideways story line: Was this the life Island Locke was always supposed to have? That seemed to be the implication of the Locke-ness Monster's blockbuster allegation/revelation that Jacob had tampered with the lives and destinies of Locke and five other castaways, all in hopes of grooming one of them to replace him as protector his worthless little rock in the Pacific. Which brings us to….
This Island Earth!
A Serious Man, Part Two: The Uncertainty Principal
''The Uncertainty Principle. It proves we can't ever really know... what's going on. So it shouldn't bother you, not being able to figure anything out--although you will be responsible for this on the mid-term.''
— Physics professor Larry Gopnik to his students, A Serious Man
What a gift this episode must have been for Terry O'Quinn. The Sideways story allowed him to play a complex human being shaded with nuance, while the Island world story line allowed him to play a deadly serious man, a force of nature superman, but not without his own complications and shadings. I loved the little moments when Smokey incarnate took time to enjoy being flesh and blood and muscle — picking up the machete and feeling the strength in his arms, licking the booze off his fingers. Behold! The Superman John Locke always yearned to be! But be he hero or be he totally bizarro? Still too soon to call, but last night left me leaning back toward bad guy.
I thought this was an interesting newsflash from Ilana: Smokey is losing his shapeshifting mojo. By choosing Locke has his avatar, he's becoming stuck with it, and you really got the sense that this god-like entity was settling into his new skin, his new home. But I also wondered what else Smokey might lose as he becomes more human. Will he lose the ability to turn to smoke and snake and coil through the jungle? Too bad, because that effect was pretty damn neat. But did you wonder as I did if perhaps some vestige of John Locke that got absorbed by Smokey along the way might be ''infecting'' him to ironically appropriate some Island parlance? I got that latter vibe from the moment when we heard Un-Locke bellow, ''Don't tell me what I can't do.''
I was equally impressed by Josh Holloway last night, too. It seemed to me that Sawyer has taken John Locke's place in the Lost narrative, albeit a warped variation of what Locke represented. Enthralled by The Monster's ''raw power'' (to borrow the title of The Stooges record Sawyer was listening to); lured by the Monster's promise of answers and revelation; given mission and purpose by the Monster — Sawyer became a dark knight of faith, a sinister ''substitute'' for the deceased Locke. Or so I think the show made it seem....
The Fake Locke/Sawyer story line — in which the Monster led Sawyer to a remote cave which he promised would contain MUCHO MYTHOLOGICAL ILLUMINATION — echoed previous episodes of Lost. I'll cite just two in particular. (1) ''The Brig,'' in which the real John Locke led Sawyer across the Island to the Black Rock for a bloody date with Anthony Cooper; and (2) ''Every Man For Himself,'' in which Ben snowed Sawyer into thinking he'd implanted a killer pacemaker in his chest, then hiked him up a hill to reveal he was no longer stuck on the Island, but actually trapped on another. It was in that episode that Sawyer first told us about the book that he cited again last night, John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, though Ben trumped him with it. Explaining why he was able to successfully manipulate Sawyer, Ben cited the book in his answer: ''We did all this because the only way to gain a con man's respect is to con him.... Funny thing is, us telling you about the pacemaker wasn't what kept you in line. It was when I threatened [Kate.] You work so hard to make her think you don't care, that you don't need her, but, ‘A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. It don't make no difference who the guy is, long as he's with you. I tell you, I tell you a guy gets too lonely and he gets sick.''' I remind you of this for two reasons: (1) Sawyer may have told Kate last week that he was meant to be alone — but he's not. And in fact, by isolating himself and insulating himself as he tried to do in Dharmaville, Sawyer may have made himself vulnerable to Smokey's manipulations; (2) I think it's very possible Locke-ness was pulling a con on Sawyer. That cave he claimed belonged to Jacob? All those names and numbers that he said Jacob scrawled on the ceiling? All of that could have been planted and fabricated by Un-Locke to paint Jacob as Sawyer's newest Anthony Cooper-ish scapegoat for everything wrong in his life. Then again, Smokey could have been telling the truth, too. Either way, the effect was the same: He had hooked and reeled in Sawyer. We'll see what Un-Locke does with that.
We learned several things about Un-Locke in this episode. For example:
UnLocke is old
He told Sawyer that he was a reader — but that Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, published in 1937, was after his time.
UnLocke used to be a man
''What I am is trapped,'' Fake Locke told Sawyer at one point when James grew frustrated and pulled a gun on the Monster. (I was like, SHOOT HIM! Just see what happens!) ''I've been trapped for so long I don't even remember what it feels like to be free. Maybe you understand that. But before I was trapped I was a man just like you. I know what its like to feel joy to feel pain, anger, fear, to experience betrayal. I know what it's like to lose someone you love....'' My gut is that hardcore Lost theorists will be pulling these lines apart, looking for clues they can research in hopes of ascertaining the Monster's true identity. My guess is that we won't find it in a book... but if we could, I'm betting that Un-Locke is either... Cain or Abel. I'll explain why next week in my Doc Jensen column.
UnLocke and Richard have a special relationship
The Monster stated again that he wants to leave the Island and go home. He told Richard that he wanted him to come along. Richard adamantly refused. More than that, Richard was pretty damn confused by almost everything FLocke was telling him, most importantly the whole concept of ''candidates,'' Jacob's picks for replacing him as Island protector (again, provided we can trust Un-Locke). I loved how the Monster was again explosively apoplectic on behalf of anyone kept in the dark by his rival. ''Jaocb didn't tell you? He never said why? I never would have done that to you! I never would have kept you in the dark! I would have treated you with respect!'' Smokey appears to be anti-secrecy and pro-full disclosure; he's the patron deity of frustrated Lost fans! Later, when Alpert encountered Sawyer in the jungle alone, he implored Ford to stay away from FLocke. He told him that Un-Locke would tell him nothing. He told him he was going to kill him and everyone he loves. He told him that the Monster was on a mission to ''search and destroy'' (to use the specific Stooges song we heard), like, everything in its path... but before Alpert could expand, Un-Locke came back, Alpert had to flee. My theory? Richard Alpert is Smokey's son. Somehow. I know! Crazy! Not sure how smoke monsters procreate, but they do, and they make little Richards. That's where he gets the dark eyelashes.
UnLocke is haunted by a ghost
Smokey saw and was deeply ruffled by a vision of a sandy-haired boy with bloody hands wearing Others garb. He was also deeply bothered by the fact that Sawyer could see him, too. (If the boy is dead and appearing in spectral form, does that man that Sawyer has developed Hurley-like see dead people powers?) The boy later ventured close to Un-Locke, this time with no blood in his hands, and warned him that he could not kill him. THEORY: The boy functions as a referee in the Jacob-Man In Black skirmish. He got that honor because the boy represents the first person the Man In Black ever killed. ADDENDUM: Allow me to acknowledge some thoughts flying around this kid. I know some people are saying his eerie demeanor reminded them of Walt. (A lot of people are wondering if Lost was deliberately trying to evoke Walt in the flash-sideways scene when Locke stopped a young black man and asked for directions at the school.) I was more intrigued by his resemblance to both Jacob and Sawyer. More on why I think this was intentional and important in a minute.
The Descent
Or in the words of The Stooges: Sawyer, your pretty face is going to hell!
Jacob's cave reminded me of that seaside cavern in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince where Voldemort had allegedly hidden an shard that contained a fragment of his soul, a horcrux. And we got two ladders leading down to Jacob's cave; starting from the top of the cliff, you descended to its termination halfway down the cliff face, then crossed over to the top of the other ladder and continued down. The parallel ladders could be a symbol for Jacob's Ladder, which I invite you to investigate on your own this week, or it could be a metaphor for the show's parallel worlds cosmology. Are we building a point to where characters will cross over from one timeline to the other? We shall see.
Question: Did you think Un-Locke rigged the ladder so Sawyer would fall? If so, do you think he was trying to kill Sawyer or save him to further draw him close?
Question: Did you find yourself wondering if I was going to spend 1000 words forging a connection between Jacob's cave and Plato's ''Allegory of The Cave,'' and how the castaways are like the prisoners of the cave, shackled to their (mis)perceptions of reality ? Were you worried I was going to use it as a springboard to suggest that the supernatural, unchanging Island world is equivalent to the ideal world of Forms and that the Sideways world represents a corrupted, inferior realm made out of the pattern of the Forms — unless I'm getting it backwards, and the Island world is the corrupted world and the Sideways world the ideal one? Well, you needn't worry, because I'm not going to be doing any of that! But what I do intend to do is go through some of what we saw and learned inside Jacob's cave, PLUS venture a guess on the chances that Locke-ness was lying. Because even though it felt like a yummy, filling download of mythology, I remain most uncertain. (If you share that feeling, worry not: I have some news for you at the end of the column.)
The White and Black Rocks
What Smokey Said: Upon arriving in Jacob's cave, Un-Locke spotted two large stones, one white and one black, sitting on a scale. He grabbed the white rock and threw it out into the sea. Sawyer asked: Huh? Un-Locke replied, ''Inside joke.''
Percentage Chance I Believe Smokey: 100% Or maybe 0%, because I got the sense from Smokey's angry toss that this so-called ''inside joke'' wasn't all that funny for him. My guess is — obviously — that the white rock represented Jacob, and that tossing that rock was symbolic of Fake Locke's (apparent) victory, and, perhaps, his rejection of the white/black categorization of his morality and his relationship with Jacob. My guess is also that whenever and whatever was decided between Jacob and his nemesis — the nature of their conflict/game; the roles they would play; the rules they would play by — it was all hashed out and settled in the cave, and the deal was sealed with some ceremonial putting-rocks-on-a-scale thing.
The Castaways Were Brought To The Island For A Reason
What Smokey Said: Jacob had picked six castaways — Locke, Hurley, Sawyer, Sayid, Jack, Jin or Sun — and meddled with their lives and subverted their destinies and free will in order to corral them to The Island and groom one of them as his replacement as Island protector.
PCIBS: 91% What I didn't believe, though, was this:
The Island Is Meaningless
What Smokey Said: When Sawyer asked why the Island would need protection, Locke snapped: ''From nothing, James. That's the joke. There's nothing to protect it from. It's just a damn island!''
PCIBS: 0% My rejoinders to Smokey would include the following: (1) The Temple's magic healing spring. (2) Frozen donkey wheel time travel magic. (3) That Ghost Kid. (4) Oh, and uh… freakin' YOU, Smokey! Bottom line: The Island is totally special, and my guess is that whatever makes it special will prove to be Jacob's primary defense for playing god with castaway lives.
The Numbers
What Smokey Said: Lost fans, prepare to rethink your Valenzetti Equations. With a dramatic reveal of the cave's ceiling, we learned that Jacob assigned each of his potential replacements a number. He wrote their digits next to their last names on the ceiling of his cave with chalk. Locke: 4; [Hurley] Reyes: 8; [James ''Sawyer''] Ford: 15; [Sayid] Jarrah: 16; [Jack] Shephard: 23; [Jin or Sun?] Kwon: 42. Why? Un-Locke shrugged. ''Jacob had a thing for numbers,'' he said.
PCIBS: 49% It's not that I think Jacob doesn't have a thing for numbers — I just think that Jacob has good reason for assigning numbers to his candidates, and more, that Un-Locke knows what that reason is and isn't telling Sawyer. DEBATE! Where's Kate?
Sawyer's Three Options
What Smokey Said: (1) Sawyer could do nothing, see how the drama plays out, and possibly get his name crossed off the list of candidates. (2) He could accept the job. (3) He could leave the Island with Smokey.
PCIBS: 100% I actually believe he's 100% truthful about the three options, although I'm also 100% sure he didn't tell Sawyer everything he needed to know about each of those options for him to make the most informed choice. Here's what I think Smokey omitted. Option 1: The reason why the names get crossed off when that candidate dies? It's probably because of Smokey's conspiratorial machinations. Option 2: If Sawyer took the job, Smokey would move heaven and hell to find some way to kill him. Option 3: Leaving the Island will obliterate the entire Island world reality, or delete from the history of the world the specific lifelines of the castaways that lave, PLUS the lifelines of anyone inextricably intertwined with those lifelines. Whatever Smokey has up its butt, I think he has a (quantum) suicide wish.
Sawyer's Response To Smokey's Offer
What Was Said: ''So what do you say, James?'' Smokey asked. ''Are you ready to go home?'' Sawyer replied, ''Hell yes.''
Possible Chance I Believe Sawyer: 0% Because I believe as heartbroken and furious as Sawyer may be… he ain't betraying the castaways to this monster. I think the minute Sawyer saw that ghost kid — that dead ringer for himself when he was a kid — and saw Un-Locke chase after him and then return without him, Sawyer made up his mind that this Fake Locke was one freakin' scary creep and needed to be brought down. Why didn't Sawyer put a bullet in him when had a chance? Because he needs to do what the Monster did to Locke: study him, observe him, figure out his weaknesses and how he can be mortally attacked, and then do so. In other words, Sawyer is doing what Sawyer does best: he's pulling a long con, the riskiest con he's ever pulled: fooling the devil into thinking he has an ally — and then stabbing him in the back with his own pitchfork. [Editor's note: my ''Totally Lost'' co-host Dan Snierson just informed me that my 0% assessment was ''crazy talk'' and demanded I increase my percentage to a more plausible... 2.7%. DONE!]
And on that note, I sign off. I know there's tons of stuff I forgot, from the Jacob ash that Ilana scooped up out the Four Toed fire pit to commenting on Sideways Locke's alarm clock, which sounded just like the klaxon in the Hatch. See? I mentioned it! But perhaps we can talk about it some more on Twitter today around 12 PM PST/3 PM EST @ewdocjensen.
Until then: Namaste!
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20313460_20344822,00.html?ew_packageID=20313460?xid=email-alert-lost-20100217-item1
By Jeff Jensen Feb 17, 2010
Here lies John Locke, and in more ways than one. In fact, in last night's Now the season has REALLY begun episode of Lost, ''The Substitute,'' we were given three different John Lockes. (Maybe even four, if you believe my contention that Sawyer has become a surrogate Locke in the story. More on that later.) Officially, there was John Locke the Island adventurer, now a ripe, sun-bleached corpse buried six feet under on Boone Hill after Captain Frank Lapidus declared the impromptu graveside service ''the weirdest damn funeral'' he'd ever been to. There was ''John Locke,'' aka the Locke-ness Monster, the fearsome Island entity now wearing the Ben-murdered castaway's visage, who oozed sincerity as he/it/whatever downloaded oodles of noodle-expanding mythology... although can we really trust him/it/whatever? And there was Sideways John Locke, a tough and tender man, so superior to his dead Island doppelganger in many ways, save possibly one. We met him as he fell flat on his face, yet another humiliation for a soul who seems to be destined to suffer a daily diet of humiliations no matter which ''island universe'' he happens to reside upon. But this John Locke can laugh when the fates make fun of him. This John Locke has the self-awareness and strength to grow and change. And this John Locke is loved, and better, he knows it, and we were reminded last night how much we need that kind of love, both to flourish and survive. Especially if you have to spend long days at work enduring the prickly interoffice machinations — severe coffee making retinue — of Benjamin Linus. (Who would win in a sneer-off: Professor Snape or Professor Linus? Debate!)
Fittingly, ''The Substitute'' came to us during Valentine's Day week, and it played like a love letter to Locke. Allow me to give some love right back. Terry O'Quinn is the man, and big hugs to him and everyone who made ''The Substitute'' the first truly great episode of the season, a moving mythapalooza that framed and galvanized the Island story line and proved that the Sideways storytelling device is capable of producing powerful, poignant yarns... even if we still have no freakin' clue what the hell is going on over there in Otherworldland.
At the very least, it was totally better than last week's episode.
The Other(s) World
A Serious Man, Part One: The Parable of the Parking Lot
''Can I share something with you? Because I too have had the feeling of losing track of Hashem, which is the problem here. I too have forgotten how to see Him in the world. And when that happens you think, well, if I can't see Him, He isn't there any more, He's gone. But that's not the case. You just need to remember how to see Him. Am I right? I mean, the parking lot here. Not much to see. It is a different angle on the same parking lot we saw from the Hebrew school window. But if you imagine yourself a visitor, somebody who isn't familiar with these autos and such, somebody still with a capacity for wonder, someone with a fresh perspective… you can see Hashem, you know, reaching into the world.''
— Rabbi Scott, speaking to faith-challenged Larry about the existence of God/the divine (aka Hashem), A Serious Man
Who was the late John Locke? Who was he really? ''The Substitute'' offered at least three opinions on the matter. One came from Sawyer, who drunkenly pissed on dead Locke's memory: He remembered him as someone who was always scared even when he was pretending he wasn't. (Personally, that sounds like a better description of… Sawyer himself. And, I suspect, this monstrous, little boy-spooked UnLocke thing.) Another interpretation came from his killer, Ben, who eulogized him with a speech that somehow mixed two unlikely sentiments: heartfelt appreciation and snarky glibness. ''John Locke was a believer, a man of faith, and a much better man than I will ever be,'' Ben said adding, ''And I'm very sorry that I murdered him.'' Classy, Ben. And a classic Lost moment.
A third point of view on John Locke came via the Sideways, and I would sum up the assessment by using a line from last night's literary reference, John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men: ''A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody.'' Now, the Sideways story line didn't actively portray its John Locke as destroyed by loneliness or abandonment. On the contrary: Sideways John Locke had self-confidence, self-awareness, and a genuine self. He also enjoyed the security of knowing he was loved by his soulmate, Helen. But I wonder if that's part of the important point of these parallel world stories. Lost is creating the means for us to see these too-familiar people with fresh eyes. By presenting them as something profoundly different, as profoundly ''Other,'' the castaways are revealed anew, or perhaps even for the first time, by the comparison.
''The Substitute'' gave us one of the best cold opens of Lost ever. We saw Sideways John Locke pulling into the driveway of a house on a street that resembled one we saw in Season 2's ''Lockdown,'' when pre-wheelchair Locke was working as a house inspector and checking out a home in Irvine being purchased by Sayid's lady love, Nadia. (Maybe Sideways Nadia is Sideways Locke's neighbor. Might Sideways Sayid be on his way?) I loved the pensive look on Locke's face as he rode the lift down from his van. Then the lift jammed, leaving Locke stuck. He fiddled with controls, then tried rolling off the platform, hoping to stick the landing like an Olympic ski jumper. Nope. Locke dropped from his place in the sky and belly-flopped onto his lawn — a mundane suburban analog to one of his several mythic Island falls, none more monumental than his plummet from the heavens in the pilot episode. Then, the insult to injury: the sprinkler system activated, dousing Locke in the face. Lost's perpetual Job figure responded by.. rending his hairshirt and cursing God? Nope. He laughed. This totally surprised me. I expected an explosion of ''Don't tell me what I can't do!'' outrage. But this John Locke is a man who can roll with the joke when the cosmos decides to treat him like a punchline.
My heart rejoiced when I saw Helen bound out the front door and rush to Locke's side and laugh with him as she helped him to his figurative feet. I always liked their relationship, and I hated that Locke had squandered her love to chase after his bad dad's affection, and I must admit I watched last night's episode in a state of dread that this Locke was going to do something really stupid to scare this Helen away, too. We were told nothing about how this Locke and Helen met. But we were told they have an October wedding date, and given that it's late September in the Sideways world, I'm predicting that their Big Day will serve as a key moment for the entire Sideways arc — perhaps the time and place when all the disparate story lines will converge. Does Sideways Locke have a better relationship with his father than Island Locke had? It's possible. When Helen suggested they elope after a frustrating phone call with a caterer, she pitched him on the idea of bringing Papa Locke along for the ride. John didn't respond to the mere mention of his existence by involuntarily punching her in the face, so I'm guessing Sideways Anthony Cooper had nothing to do with crippling his son. ARE YOU THINKING WHAT I'M THINKING? We know from season 1 that Boone Carlyle's mother, Sabrina Carlyle, owned a massively successful wedding business, and that Boone served as the company's chief operating officer. Methinks the Carlyle family biz will play a role in solving Helen's catering crisis….
I know a fair number of women who think John Locke is all kinds of hot, so I'm thinking they appreciated Locke's bath, warmly flirting with Helen over color swatches, and then getting smooched on his bald head. Personally, I was more distracted by Locke's reaction to Helen's destiny talk. He told his fiancé that he encountered a certain spinal surgeon at the airport named Jack Shephard who offered him a free consult. Helen sparked to the story. ''What are the odds of you just running into a spinal surgeon?! Who knows? Maybe its destiny?'' Locke was clearly intrigued by the prospect, but he didn't seem all that dazzled by Helen's semi-mystical mumbo jumbo. He parroted the word back to her with a hint of incredulity. He wasn't rude about; I got the sense that part of being ''a sweet man'' to Helen involves not crapping on her worldview, not to mention her curious ''Peace and Karma'' shirts. But this was a clearly a Locke who didn't believe in higher power-directed fate like his dead Island world counterpart. I thought it was interesting the way he described the walkabout later in the episode. He called it ''an adventure'' about ''man versus nature.'' By contrast, when Island Locke described the Walkabout in the classic season 1 episode of the same name, he called it ''a journey of spiritual renewal, where one derives strength from the earth and becomes inseparable from it.'' Island Locke wanted to be feel connected to the world, to something bigger than himself; Sideways Locke wanted to feel his own strength, to feel whole again — to feel like a man.
How to account for the discrepancies between the two Lockes? There were a couple moments when I wondered if Sideways Locke had learned a thing or two from the experiences of his Island doppelganger via… quantum entanglement? Psychic connection? Past-life memories? (''When we're puzzled we have all the stories that have been handed down from people who had the same problems.'' — A Serious Man) Still, this matter of cross-universe connection was hard to say this week. For the third straight episode, the episode's lead character was given a conspicuous moment in the bathroom, looking long and hard in the mirror. Where Jack saw an explicable (continuity) flaw on his skin and Kate watched herself flutter through the déjà vu blinky-blinkies, Locke struck a more conventional, contemplative pose, absent of any hint that he might be aware of his Island self. Which makes sense, given that Island Locke is, like, dead. But two simpler explanations for Locke's apparent agnosticism/atheism are (1) It might be too painful for him to consider divine possibilities (If there really is a God or grand design to my life, why the hell did He/She/It cripple me?); or (2) this Locke is a product of different influences, none of which have produced a yearning for divine connection or eyes to see the divine in the world. Might his life be richer if he were to allow himself to reconsider his spiritual perspective? Or might his life become worse? Processing… processing….
Like his Island alter-ego, Sideways Locke worked at a box company owned by Hurley. The pictures in Locke's cubicle were interesting. There was a photo of Locke (with hair) with his father, Anthony Cooper; they looked to be hunting, as we saw them back in ''Deus Ex Macina.'' There was also a photo of Locke with Helen in a tropical setting, presumably Hawaii. The curious thing about both photos: Locke appeared to be standing. When and how did Locke become dependent on a wheelchair for pedestrian perambulation? TBD. Island Locke didn't get thrown out of that eighth-floor window by Bad Dad leaving him below-the-belt paralyzed until after Helen dumped his father-fixated ass. So it appears that Locke's loss of lower legs was a trauma that he and his soul mate experienced together.
We were reintroduced to Locke's jerk boss, Randy. He derisively called Locke ''colonel.'' If that confused you, remember that Island Locke played a military strategy board game Axis and Allies during his lunch break with a friend/colleague (not seen last night) and liked to be called ''colonel.'' In this world, Locke was supposed to have gone to Australia for a conference. According to Randy, Locke blew it off to attempt his walkabout. Oops. And Randy fired him with ice cold terseness. Locke's face: priceless. Not just shock, but maybe… emasculation, too? That may sound heavy, but bear with me: I think it works with what followed.
We then got the very interesting scene in the parking lot. Locke rolled to his car and found his wheelchair-equipped van inaccessible because a very large hummer had parked much too close. Locke snapped. This time, the insult to injury was too painful to not ignore. He could have avoided the sitch had he parked in the handicapped stall, but as Locke would explain, he didn't want to. Locke then had an encounter with Hurley, who in the Otherverse is large and in charge and not at all the fatalistic scaredy-cat Island dude we met in season 1. Was it just me, or did you get a Jacobesque vibe from Hurley, all empathetic benevolence as he responded to his ex-employee's prickly anger with patience and grace and supreme knowingness and the hooked him up with a new job via his temp agency, another division of Hurley's financial empire? Watching this scene, I couldn't help but think about Helen's earlier line about destiny. And I found myself flashing back to this scene later in the episode, when Helen challenged Locke's incredulity about miracles. Was the Locke-Hurley crossing total coincidence, quantum synchronicity, or divinely orchestrated appointment? An elemental faith/reason debate worthy of old school Lost. But I am reminded of the old adage that our world is chockablock with everyday miracles — they just don't look the way we expect them to. What we expect is something like, say, miraculous healing for crippled legs after falling from the sky. But a miracle could be other people, too — like meeting a guy who can give you a job after getting fired, and better than that, a guy who sets you upon your true destiny. But we'll get to the school in a minute.
PS: Did you see what was in Locke's box of stuff in his lap? Was that a polar bear figurine in there?
The Sideways scenes just rolled, one great scene after another. The moments in the temp agency hit me emotionally. It started funny-surreal, like a moment from a Coen brothers film, when Locke got processed by a decidedly quirky clerk who first tried to get into his mind and figure him out. But Sideways Locke is not a man who wants or needs to be cracked open and explained. But he did want a job, and he seemed to want something more than a good income from it, too. He wanted a job that made him feel strong again — that made him feel like a man. The posters on the wall bore slogans like ''Live your dream job!'' The subtext: Your self-worth, your very identity, is measured by your profession, by what you produce....
And then Rose, beautiful Rose, the Island's woman of faith, walked in and blew that bulls--- up. Locke wanted a job as a construction site manager. He wanted be in charge. He wanted to build stuff. He wanted be a serious man, taken seriously. And Rose said: Really? Seriously? She said she'd be happy to give him the job but he'd only be back in her office looking for another job the next day. Why? Yes, because the wheelchair thing was going to be a problem. But after he pushed back on that, she told him about her cancer, a cancer that was killing her, and how she had to struggle to fight through her denial and embrace the brutal truth of her finitude — and how doing so had brought her peace. She encouraged him to do the same — to find meaning not in what he can or can't do, but in who he is, and who he loves.
That last part was hammered home by Helen when Locke finally came clean with her about his Australian walkabout — or rather, his aborted Australian walkabout. Yep, he lied to Boone on the plane. Like his Island counterpart, Sideways Locke was denied his outback adventure. And like his Island counterpart, Sideways Locke raged in response: ''Don't tell me what I can't do!'' But this John Locke is capable of reflecting upon moments and realizing: My god, I must have sounded like… a big douche! Interesting that in an episode that saw the Locke-ness Monster spout Locke's famous catchphrase, Sideways Locke came to the same conclusion about his situation that Smokey articulated in the premiere. They were right to deny me the walkabout, because it's true — there are things I simply can't do. He told Helen he was sick of daydreaming about life outside his chair, tired of imagining himself walking her down the aisle on their wedding day. He wanted to move into the liberating grace of brutal truth about himself and move on with his life. He asked Helen to do the same: ''I don't want you to spend your life waiting for miracles, Helen, because there is no such thing.''
Helen was more than prepared to join him on that journey, but on one condition: She wasn't buying into his worldview. ''There are miracles, John,'' she said. ''And the only thing I was ever waiting for was you.'' And then she kissed him. The moment between them seemed to suggest that for all his maturity, humility and strength, John Locke could learn a thing or two by becoming a man of faith. Their moment together reminded me of yet another exchange in A Serious Man:
Rabbi Scott: You can't cut yourself off from the mystical or you'll be-you'll remain-completely lost. You have to see these things as expressions of God's will. You don't have to like it, of course.
Larry: The boss isn't always right, but he's always the boss.
Rabbi Scott: That's right! Things aren't so bad! Look at the parking lot, Larry. Just look at that parking lot.
For now, though, John Locke is a man of science. Literally. You caught that, right? He accepted a job as substitute teacher. Subject: Biology. First lesson: the human reproductive system. It also looked like he was either teaching physical education or coaching basketball. There were some deeply embedded ironies here. FLASHBACK WHOOSH TO… the season 4 episode ''Cabin Fever,'' in which Teenage Locke was encouraged by a teacher to cultivate his natural talent for science by attending a summer camp run by Mittelos Biosciences, the Others' company that recruited miracle-grow fertility doc Juliet Burke to The Island. But Locke didn't want to hear that. He wanted to drive fast cars and play sports. When he was told his dreams were unrealistic, Young Locke bellowed, ''Don't tell me what I can't do!'' What a difference a (Jughead-spawned?) parallel reality makes. Here in the Sideways world, Locke is teaching science, teaching sports, and looking very much like a man who just found his niche. Of course, there's still ample time for his born again life to go horribly wrong. After all, he's now working with Benjamin Linus….
In the wake of the episode, we were left this to wonder about the Sideways story line: Was this the life Island Locke was always supposed to have? That seemed to be the implication of the Locke-ness Monster's blockbuster allegation/revelation that Jacob had tampered with the lives and destinies of Locke and five other castaways, all in hopes of grooming one of them to replace him as protector his worthless little rock in the Pacific. Which brings us to….
This Island Earth!
A Serious Man, Part Two: The Uncertainty Principal
''The Uncertainty Principle. It proves we can't ever really know... what's going on. So it shouldn't bother you, not being able to figure anything out--although you will be responsible for this on the mid-term.''
— Physics professor Larry Gopnik to his students, A Serious Man
What a gift this episode must have been for Terry O'Quinn. The Sideways story allowed him to play a complex human being shaded with nuance, while the Island world story line allowed him to play a deadly serious man, a force of nature superman, but not without his own complications and shadings. I loved the little moments when Smokey incarnate took time to enjoy being flesh and blood and muscle — picking up the machete and feeling the strength in his arms, licking the booze off his fingers. Behold! The Superman John Locke always yearned to be! But be he hero or be he totally bizarro? Still too soon to call, but last night left me leaning back toward bad guy.
I thought this was an interesting newsflash from Ilana: Smokey is losing his shapeshifting mojo. By choosing Locke has his avatar, he's becoming stuck with it, and you really got the sense that this god-like entity was settling into his new skin, his new home. But I also wondered what else Smokey might lose as he becomes more human. Will he lose the ability to turn to smoke and snake and coil through the jungle? Too bad, because that effect was pretty damn neat. But did you wonder as I did if perhaps some vestige of John Locke that got absorbed by Smokey along the way might be ''infecting'' him to ironically appropriate some Island parlance? I got that latter vibe from the moment when we heard Un-Locke bellow, ''Don't tell me what I can't do.''
I was equally impressed by Josh Holloway last night, too. It seemed to me that Sawyer has taken John Locke's place in the Lost narrative, albeit a warped variation of what Locke represented. Enthralled by The Monster's ''raw power'' (to borrow the title of The Stooges record Sawyer was listening to); lured by the Monster's promise of answers and revelation; given mission and purpose by the Monster — Sawyer became a dark knight of faith, a sinister ''substitute'' for the deceased Locke. Or so I think the show made it seem....
The Fake Locke/Sawyer story line — in which the Monster led Sawyer to a remote cave which he promised would contain MUCHO MYTHOLOGICAL ILLUMINATION — echoed previous episodes of Lost. I'll cite just two in particular. (1) ''The Brig,'' in which the real John Locke led Sawyer across the Island to the Black Rock for a bloody date with Anthony Cooper; and (2) ''Every Man For Himself,'' in which Ben snowed Sawyer into thinking he'd implanted a killer pacemaker in his chest, then hiked him up a hill to reveal he was no longer stuck on the Island, but actually trapped on another. It was in that episode that Sawyer first told us about the book that he cited again last night, John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, though Ben trumped him with it. Explaining why he was able to successfully manipulate Sawyer, Ben cited the book in his answer: ''We did all this because the only way to gain a con man's respect is to con him.... Funny thing is, us telling you about the pacemaker wasn't what kept you in line. It was when I threatened [Kate.] You work so hard to make her think you don't care, that you don't need her, but, ‘A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. It don't make no difference who the guy is, long as he's with you. I tell you, I tell you a guy gets too lonely and he gets sick.''' I remind you of this for two reasons: (1) Sawyer may have told Kate last week that he was meant to be alone — but he's not. And in fact, by isolating himself and insulating himself as he tried to do in Dharmaville, Sawyer may have made himself vulnerable to Smokey's manipulations; (2) I think it's very possible Locke-ness was pulling a con on Sawyer. That cave he claimed belonged to Jacob? All those names and numbers that he said Jacob scrawled on the ceiling? All of that could have been planted and fabricated by Un-Locke to paint Jacob as Sawyer's newest Anthony Cooper-ish scapegoat for everything wrong in his life. Then again, Smokey could have been telling the truth, too. Either way, the effect was the same: He had hooked and reeled in Sawyer. We'll see what Un-Locke does with that.
We learned several things about Un-Locke in this episode. For example:
UnLocke is old
He told Sawyer that he was a reader — but that Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, published in 1937, was after his time.
UnLocke used to be a man
''What I am is trapped,'' Fake Locke told Sawyer at one point when James grew frustrated and pulled a gun on the Monster. (I was like, SHOOT HIM! Just see what happens!) ''I've been trapped for so long I don't even remember what it feels like to be free. Maybe you understand that. But before I was trapped I was a man just like you. I know what its like to feel joy to feel pain, anger, fear, to experience betrayal. I know what it's like to lose someone you love....'' My gut is that hardcore Lost theorists will be pulling these lines apart, looking for clues they can research in hopes of ascertaining the Monster's true identity. My guess is that we won't find it in a book... but if we could, I'm betting that Un-Locke is either... Cain or Abel. I'll explain why next week in my Doc Jensen column.
UnLocke and Richard have a special relationship
The Monster stated again that he wants to leave the Island and go home. He told Richard that he wanted him to come along. Richard adamantly refused. More than that, Richard was pretty damn confused by almost everything FLocke was telling him, most importantly the whole concept of ''candidates,'' Jacob's picks for replacing him as Island protector (again, provided we can trust Un-Locke). I loved how the Monster was again explosively apoplectic on behalf of anyone kept in the dark by his rival. ''Jaocb didn't tell you? He never said why? I never would have done that to you! I never would have kept you in the dark! I would have treated you with respect!'' Smokey appears to be anti-secrecy and pro-full disclosure; he's the patron deity of frustrated Lost fans! Later, when Alpert encountered Sawyer in the jungle alone, he implored Ford to stay away from FLocke. He told him that Un-Locke would tell him nothing. He told him he was going to kill him and everyone he loves. He told him that the Monster was on a mission to ''search and destroy'' (to use the specific Stooges song we heard), like, everything in its path... but before Alpert could expand, Un-Locke came back, Alpert had to flee. My theory? Richard Alpert is Smokey's son. Somehow. I know! Crazy! Not sure how smoke monsters procreate, but they do, and they make little Richards. That's where he gets the dark eyelashes.
UnLocke is haunted by a ghost
Smokey saw and was deeply ruffled by a vision of a sandy-haired boy with bloody hands wearing Others garb. He was also deeply bothered by the fact that Sawyer could see him, too. (If the boy is dead and appearing in spectral form, does that man that Sawyer has developed Hurley-like see dead people powers?) The boy later ventured close to Un-Locke, this time with no blood in his hands, and warned him that he could not kill him. THEORY: The boy functions as a referee in the Jacob-Man In Black skirmish. He got that honor because the boy represents the first person the Man In Black ever killed. ADDENDUM: Allow me to acknowledge some thoughts flying around this kid. I know some people are saying his eerie demeanor reminded them of Walt. (A lot of people are wondering if Lost was deliberately trying to evoke Walt in the flash-sideways scene when Locke stopped a young black man and asked for directions at the school.) I was more intrigued by his resemblance to both Jacob and Sawyer. More on why I think this was intentional and important in a minute.
The Descent
Or in the words of The Stooges: Sawyer, your pretty face is going to hell!
Jacob's cave reminded me of that seaside cavern in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince where Voldemort had allegedly hidden an shard that contained a fragment of his soul, a horcrux. And we got two ladders leading down to Jacob's cave; starting from the top of the cliff, you descended to its termination halfway down the cliff face, then crossed over to the top of the other ladder and continued down. The parallel ladders could be a symbol for Jacob's Ladder, which I invite you to investigate on your own this week, or it could be a metaphor for the show's parallel worlds cosmology. Are we building a point to where characters will cross over from one timeline to the other? We shall see.
Question: Did you think Un-Locke rigged the ladder so Sawyer would fall? If so, do you think he was trying to kill Sawyer or save him to further draw him close?
Question: Did you find yourself wondering if I was going to spend 1000 words forging a connection between Jacob's cave and Plato's ''Allegory of The Cave,'' and how the castaways are like the prisoners of the cave, shackled to their (mis)perceptions of reality ? Were you worried I was going to use it as a springboard to suggest that the supernatural, unchanging Island world is equivalent to the ideal world of Forms and that the Sideways world represents a corrupted, inferior realm made out of the pattern of the Forms — unless I'm getting it backwards, and the Island world is the corrupted world and the Sideways world the ideal one? Well, you needn't worry, because I'm not going to be doing any of that! But what I do intend to do is go through some of what we saw and learned inside Jacob's cave, PLUS venture a guess on the chances that Locke-ness was lying. Because even though it felt like a yummy, filling download of mythology, I remain most uncertain. (If you share that feeling, worry not: I have some news for you at the end of the column.)
The White and Black Rocks
What Smokey Said: Upon arriving in Jacob's cave, Un-Locke spotted two large stones, one white and one black, sitting on a scale. He grabbed the white rock and threw it out into the sea. Sawyer asked: Huh? Un-Locke replied, ''Inside joke.''
Percentage Chance I Believe Smokey: 100% Or maybe 0%, because I got the sense from Smokey's angry toss that this so-called ''inside joke'' wasn't all that funny for him. My guess is — obviously — that the white rock represented Jacob, and that tossing that rock was symbolic of Fake Locke's (apparent) victory, and, perhaps, his rejection of the white/black categorization of his morality and his relationship with Jacob. My guess is also that whenever and whatever was decided between Jacob and his nemesis — the nature of their conflict/game; the roles they would play; the rules they would play by — it was all hashed out and settled in the cave, and the deal was sealed with some ceremonial putting-rocks-on-a-scale thing.
The Castaways Were Brought To The Island For A Reason
What Smokey Said: Jacob had picked six castaways — Locke, Hurley, Sawyer, Sayid, Jack, Jin or Sun — and meddled with their lives and subverted their destinies and free will in order to corral them to The Island and groom one of them as his replacement as Island protector.
PCIBS: 91% What I didn't believe, though, was this:
The Island Is Meaningless
What Smokey Said: When Sawyer asked why the Island would need protection, Locke snapped: ''From nothing, James. That's the joke. There's nothing to protect it from. It's just a damn island!''
PCIBS: 0% My rejoinders to Smokey would include the following: (1) The Temple's magic healing spring. (2) Frozen donkey wheel time travel magic. (3) That Ghost Kid. (4) Oh, and uh… freakin' YOU, Smokey! Bottom line: The Island is totally special, and my guess is that whatever makes it special will prove to be Jacob's primary defense for playing god with castaway lives.
The Numbers
What Smokey Said: Lost fans, prepare to rethink your Valenzetti Equations. With a dramatic reveal of the cave's ceiling, we learned that Jacob assigned each of his potential replacements a number. He wrote their digits next to their last names on the ceiling of his cave with chalk. Locke: 4; [Hurley] Reyes: 8; [James ''Sawyer''] Ford: 15; [Sayid] Jarrah: 16; [Jack] Shephard: 23; [Jin or Sun?] Kwon: 42. Why? Un-Locke shrugged. ''Jacob had a thing for numbers,'' he said.
PCIBS: 49% It's not that I think Jacob doesn't have a thing for numbers — I just think that Jacob has good reason for assigning numbers to his candidates, and more, that Un-Locke knows what that reason is and isn't telling Sawyer. DEBATE! Where's Kate?
Sawyer's Three Options
What Smokey Said: (1) Sawyer could do nothing, see how the drama plays out, and possibly get his name crossed off the list of candidates. (2) He could accept the job. (3) He could leave the Island with Smokey.
PCIBS: 100% I actually believe he's 100% truthful about the three options, although I'm also 100% sure he didn't tell Sawyer everything he needed to know about each of those options for him to make the most informed choice. Here's what I think Smokey omitted. Option 1: The reason why the names get crossed off when that candidate dies? It's probably because of Smokey's conspiratorial machinations. Option 2: If Sawyer took the job, Smokey would move heaven and hell to find some way to kill him. Option 3: Leaving the Island will obliterate the entire Island world reality, or delete from the history of the world the specific lifelines of the castaways that lave, PLUS the lifelines of anyone inextricably intertwined with those lifelines. Whatever Smokey has up its butt, I think he has a (quantum) suicide wish.
Sawyer's Response To Smokey's Offer
What Was Said: ''So what do you say, James?'' Smokey asked. ''Are you ready to go home?'' Sawyer replied, ''Hell yes.''
Possible Chance I Believe Sawyer: 0% Because I believe as heartbroken and furious as Sawyer may be… he ain't betraying the castaways to this monster. I think the minute Sawyer saw that ghost kid — that dead ringer for himself when he was a kid — and saw Un-Locke chase after him and then return without him, Sawyer made up his mind that this Fake Locke was one freakin' scary creep and needed to be brought down. Why didn't Sawyer put a bullet in him when had a chance? Because he needs to do what the Monster did to Locke: study him, observe him, figure out his weaknesses and how he can be mortally attacked, and then do so. In other words, Sawyer is doing what Sawyer does best: he's pulling a long con, the riskiest con he's ever pulled: fooling the devil into thinking he has an ally — and then stabbing him in the back with his own pitchfork. [Editor's note: my ''Totally Lost'' co-host Dan Snierson just informed me that my 0% assessment was ''crazy talk'' and demanded I increase my percentage to a more plausible... 2.7%. DONE!]
And on that note, I sign off. I know there's tons of stuff I forgot, from the Jacob ash that Ilana scooped up out the Four Toed fire pit to commenting on Sideways Locke's alarm clock, which sounded just like the klaxon in the Hatch. See? I mentioned it! But perhaps we can talk about it some more on Twitter today around 12 PM PST/3 PM EST @ewdocjensen.
Until then: Namaste!
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