Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Lost in Thought

Yow!  What an amazing start for a final season.  Again, the premieres, like the finales, do not disappoint.

Serious spoilage after the break.






First, we now know the new narrative device--alternate timelines/parallel universes--one where the reboot worked and another which didn't but sent the folks from 1977 to 2007 to catch up with the timeline that the rest of the folks were on (the showrunners call it flash-sideways, but I hate that and will stick with alternate timelines/parallel universes/etc).  Is this having it both ways a dodge?  Or is it just simply fun to see how things could have happened either way?  I think the latter.  Of course, as we see below, this plays havoc with the prop bets I set up yesterday, and it does make it difficult to keep a Lost Body Count.  I guess I should have predicted it when I heard that there would be a new narrative device.

Second, we have some mysteries resolved:
  • The Smoke Monster is the man in black
    • the gray ash/sand's purpose is now clear--to keep Smokey out
  • We now know what the temple is (more or less) and this is where the other Others went (why they divided is either a mystery or something that I don't remember (help, please!).
    • So, this is where Flight Attendant Cindy and the kids went, and she is still serving food and drinks!
  • Richard's origins--clearly came off of the Black Rock (losing his chains reference), but not so clear why he is now immortal, more or less (there can be only one?).
  • And, of course, what would happen if the flight landed in 2004--a developing story.  
Before getting to 2004, some new mysteries:
  • What happened to Christian's body?  And the knives?  My guess is that the turbulence the plane experienced the second time was the teleporting of at least the body (if not the knives) to the island.
  • What happened to Desmond?  He appears and then he disappears from the plane?  Does that mean that he was teleported to the Island since the Island is not finished with him?
  • Hurley's luck has changed, but his bad luck preceded the flight--but I guess the numbers are cursed since he would not have had them since his asylum pal would not have had them?
2004 Lost: Quite a thrill to see some old folks return and the focal folks (Oceanic 6 plus Island survivors) in their original clothes/positions.
  • Great to see Aartz still be a dick!
  • Interesting that Shannon was not on the plane: casting or something more than that?
  • Kate escapes but has to take Claire for a ride?  A very interesting combo there
  • Sun uses US customs to separate from Jin--does not look like a happy ending for these kids.
  • Charlie: "I was supposed to die."  Um, I guess so.  
  • Locke and Jack meet at lost luggage--nothing symbolic about that, huh?
  • Sayid continues his quest for his love.
  • I guess this means that Rose dies pretty soon since she has inoperable cancer cured only by the Island.
2007 Lost:
  • We get to see Juliet die again.  Just so we can get "It worked" more or less and, of course, more Sawyer rage.
  • The temple and the ankh--the funkiness just continues but not out of place really with everythign before it.
  • Strange that the Island is now underwater, but no predicting (hee, hee) the effect of an h-bomb on a magnetic anomaly, I suppose.  What it does mean is that Jack is a mass murderer, having killed everyone on the Island.  Ben could say: "Welcome to the club!" (Did Bernard and Rose travel forward in time or did they die?).  See this discussion by the show-runners that directly addresses the egocentrism of Jack and the gang--that they didn't just change their histories but those of everyone who had any connection to the Island from 1977 onwards.
  • Sayid dead.  Then not.  Lots of resurrection on this island. 
  • Nice use of people's capabilities--Hurley seeing a ghost, Miles talking to the dead Juliet.  Jack screwing things up.  Oops.
 Key/great quotes:
  • "I can't believe I am watching this again."
  • Jack to Locke: "Nothing's irreversible"
  • Sawyer: "I ain't following nobody, Kate"  deliberate double negative?  Beyond his control?
  • "It worked"
  • Locke/Smokey: "Let's not resort to name-calling"

 A quick trip through the prop bets that were addressed at least sort of:
  • No resolution yet of the temporal focus of the season, but it might end up being a push with both 2004 and 2007 in play.
  • Same goes for location--LA and the Island thus far.
  • Dead: Sayid's death does not count since it did not last.  
  • Happy endings: Hmmn--two timelines is going to make this very hard.
  • Juliet remains dead--close enough.
  • Rebooting worked--seems to be the case, sort of.
  • Ultimate battle: not clear but it is certainly on.
  • Penny and Des--not looking good with Des on the plane.
  • Ben is doomed.  He knows not what he did. Well, now he does.
  • Satisfied with the show--very likely.
Your thoughts?  I may ruminate more after reading the various blogs (see here and here for a start or two).  Good times, though!!!

Oh, and here is Jimmy Kimmel talking to the Lost guys about the premiere.  Good questions (and more at EW.com):
 

2 comments:

Sara Mitchell said...

One interesting theory I heard was that when Sayid came back to life, he was actually Jacob reincarnated. I think Jacob, Locke (as the black smoke), and Richard are all aliens, which is why they do not age over time and why they (Jacob) said they wanted to go home. I'm not sure what the chains referred to; maybe Richard is some kind of servant for Jacob?

We also noticed who was absent from the plane, such as Shannon, Echo, Michael, and Walt. It will be interesting to see where the alternate time line takes folks.

Steve Saideman said...

People have mentioned the Jacob reincarnation. I think that is too predictable for Lost, but possible.
Richard came to the island on the Black Rock--the slave ship found at the end of the first season and seen approaching the island at the end of last season--FLocke (fake Locke) says to Richard that he has lost his chains--a pretty clear reference to the slave ship.

You raise the big question--FLocke wants to go home--is home out of this world?

All the tailies were missing except Bernard who made it back to the front of the plane.