"Lost" spoilers coming up just as soon as I grab the nearest Jesus figurine for protection against prowlers..."There's No Place Like Home" is a bridge episode, the first hour of a three-hour finale (with the rest not airing for two weeks due to the "Grey's Anatomy" finale), and as such, it could have very easily contented itself with moving all the appropriate pieces into place. And, certainly, there was a lot of that -- though I'll be damned if I can figure out how Sun and Aaron are going to wind up with the rest of the Oceanic Six, who are all converging at The Orchid -- but the episode offered much more than that.
Last week, I was oddly unmoved by "Cabin Fever" because it offered lots of answers (or, at least, clues) without providing much of an emotional arc for Locke or anyone else. "There's No Place Like Home," on the other hand, was bursting with emotion, and with payoffs to character arcs dating back to season one. We had Sun taking out her righteous widowed(*) fury on her dad by buying out his company(**). We had Sayid reunited with his beloved Nadia (even though we know she'll be dead within a year). And, in maybe Matthew Fox's single best moment in the history of the show, we had Jack finally find out that Claire is his sister -- after he's already left her behind (and very possibly dead) on the island. For a long time, I was assuming that Ana-Lucia would give Jack the crucial bit of info, or Sawyer would somehow say the exact right thing in front of Claire about his time hanging out with Jack's dad, or Christian's reanimated corpse (or whatever the hell he is) would tell the two half-sibs himself. No matter the theory, I always felt certain that Jack and Claire would find out in each other's presence, and get to enjoy that wonderful discovery in the midst of all the horror that is life on Craphole Island. But to have Jack find out that way -- and after the Oceanic Six had, for reasons that I'm sure will be explained in two weeks, had agreed to a cover story that included Aaron being Kate's biological kid (which means no Aaron/grandma bonding, or the cover's blown) -- was a cruel, powerful twist on the part of the "Lost" writers, and Fox played Jack's anguish beautifully. Of all the members of the Six, he was the only one who seemed at peace with what had happened for most of the episode, and that just destroyed him. I knew Jack's "and you're not even related to him!" rant from "Something Nice Back Home" meant that Jack knew he was an uncle; I just didn't imagine it would come out this way.
(*) I'm still on board with the idea that Jin dies while the Six escape (which would make the season finale Daniel Dae Kim's last episode as a regular, unfortunately). Too many things about the way Sun carried herself both here and in "Ji Yeon" suggest a widow and not a woman separated from her husband by thousands of miles (and maybe years, depending on what The Orchid does), and there's no reason for her to tell her father that two people are responsible for Jin's death(***) if he's not dead. She's got plenty enough reason to hate the guy. Plus, I feel like there needs to be a payoff to Jin extracting the promise of Sun's safety from Charlotte, and we didn't get that here.
(**) Exactly how big could that Oceanic settlement be for Sun to buy a controlling interest in what's been portrayed as a huge conglomerate? Why do I have the feeling that Hurley took a lot of that unwanted lottery money and put it to good use here?
(***) The answer could turn out to be Ben or Widmore or Keamy or Michael or lots of other people, but I have a feeling the other person Sun blames is herself.
My point is, when "Lost" is at its best -- I'm talking "Walkabout" or "Through the Looking Glass" best -- it manages to balance revelations (shocking and otherwise) with great character moments. I don't know that I'd put this one in the pantheon (again, a lot of it was set-up for the finale, for which I have extremely high hopes), but it was definitely in the spirit of what I love about the show. We managed to flit around all these different locations and groups of people (including Richard and The Others coming back on the board and suddenly looking like they are, in fact, the good guys) without ever losing sight of them as people. The show is as much about Sun's relationship with her father as it's about the Numbers, as much about Sayid's globe-trotting quest for the woman of his dreams as about who's in the coffin, or as much Kate not having anybody to greet her on the tarmac as Jacob's true identity, etc.
There's already been quite a bit of clamoring over in "The Office" finale thread for me to get this thing posted already (whatever happened to all the "take your time, Alan! We want it right, not fast, Alan!" I was getting at the start of the season, anyway?), and since the episode left so much up in the air, I'm going to quickly look at some of the questions raised, open the floor for you all, and get some sleep.
- Again, how is Sun going to get from the explosives-laden freighter to the location of the rest of the Six? And while I wouldn't be surprised to see either or both of Michael and Jin die in an explosion (triggered by the dead man's switch that Omar strapped to Keamy last week), I'm not too worried for Desmond. They've made the Desmond/Penny love story such an important part of the show (both on its own and as part of the larger Ben/Widmore war) that I can't imagine Cuse and Lindelof killing the guy off just yet. (Then again, I also didn't see the Jack/Claire thing coming, so what do I know?)
- Unless Richard and The Others (sounds like a British Invasion band, no?) are really fast walkers in addition to being immortal, to whom exactly did Ben signal at the top of the mountain?
- How does Faraday know about The Orchid? And I still don't understand what specific roles Dan, Charlotte, Miles and Naomi (who, remember, was the key to Abaddon's plan for this mission) were supposed to play, either in concert with or in parallel to Keamy's bunch.
- Was that the raft from the freighter that the Six used to get to the nearby fishing island?
- What exactly would happen to a person who ate fifteen year old crackers?
- Does the return of The Numbers (on the odometer of Hurley's muscle car) mean that Lindelof and Cuse actually do have a plan to explain them, or was this just an easy way to set up Hurley's own mainland descent into madness?
- Does The Orchid come with a tutorial, or did Christian give Locke specific island-moving instructions when they were in the cabin together?
What did everybody else think?
Great episode - gonna be hard to wait two weeks.
ReplyDeleteRe: the raft, if you check out these screencaps it looks like the raft the Oceanic 6 arrive in at the island is much darker than the one Faraday is using the ferry people back to the freighter.
http://tinyurl.com/4pomm7
http://tinyurl.com/4e8c7r
Thank you for staying up late to write this, Alan. I know I appreciate it. My fave line was the Ben to Hugo "You know those are fifteen years old?" so you're bubblepoint made me laugh. Now it is time for bed. We all have 2 long weeks for endless speculation and then an even longer 9 months. Maybe I'll rewatch all of the shows before then....
ReplyDeleteThe answer could turn out to be Ben or Widmore or Keamy or Michael or lots of other people, but I have a feeling the other person Sun blames is herself.
ReplyDeleteMy money's on Jack. When Jin's death was mentioned at the press conference, she appeared to give Jack a pretty lengthy death stare.
whatever happened to all the "take your time, Alan! We want it right, not fast, Alan!" I was getting at the start of the season, anyway?
Isn't it obvious Alan? We want you to write brilliantly and immediately, and we don't give a shit if that's contradiction. Times are tough; you have to more with less.
Anyway, here's my prediction regarding the bomb. The bomb will be detonated, but not go off because Michael is on the boat, and the island still won't let him die. There will be a contrived reason for Michael to get off the boat, and it will then explode almost immediately. I refuse to believe that Michael is going to die, because killing after not even half a season back almost makes his whole return not even worthwhile.
I want you to know that I appreciate your efforts greatly. Living here in Australia we saw Cabin Fever last night and I was chomping at the bit to hear about this episode.
ReplyDeleteAll credit to you, I get the bones of the episode and still get to enjoy all the other stuff when watching later.
Cheers.
I'm afraid you're right about Jin's death, Alan, and for the reason you suggest. But I hate it. I hate the idea of Jin dying. Charlie's death I was pretty much OK with. He wasn't quite as important to anyone as Jin is to Sun, and the way he accepted his fate and turned from dumb jerk into cool hero made for a good couple of episodes. But I'm really sad for Sun and sad for Jin himself. Although why I'd care about anyone on a show that'd give us anything as stupid as the garbage and nonsense that was the trial of Kate Austin, I don't know.
ReplyDeleteExactly how big could that Oceanic settlement be for Sun to buy a controlling interest in what's been portrayed as a huge conglomerate? Why do I have the feeling that Hurley took a lot of that unwanted lottery money and put it to good use here?
ReplyDeleteTwo words, Alan: Leveraged buyout.
this episode was very boring. very, very boring. it felt like they filled in blanks that were already known to the audience over and over. claire is jack's sister. welcome to 2005!
ReplyDeleteWhat role do Dan, Charlotte, Miles and Naomi (who, remember, was the key to Abaddon's plan for this mission) were supposed to play, either in concert with or in parallel to Keamy's bunch.
ReplyDeleteI suppose if the 1st protocol went as planned and they got Ben out okay, then the 4 would have something to do with taking control/researching the island. But now with the 2nd protocol being slash and burn, they're just as expendable as the Lostaways. Nice to see Daniel not just trying to save his and Charlotte's skin as he ferried survivors.
Even with the shortened season, Lost sure improved over where it was last season - going into "Into The Looking Glass" with low to middling expectations after a disappointing season.
Maybe I watched too many soap operas in my teen years, but as soon as I saw the explosives I thought, ah, there is a way that Sun can believe Jin dies (nobody would survive the massive explosion she'll witness), yet of course he'll miraculously survive (no body found, plus maybe the island needs him, too, for something later.) I don't believe Jin is dead, although I believe Sun thinks he is. Their reunion will be one of the pay-offs in the series finale. Much the same, I think, as you view the Desmond/Penny storyline. It simply can't end this way.
ReplyDeleteI also thought the episode had a lot going on, but ultimately it did leave me somewhat cold - maybe because so much seemed crammed in, like we saw abbreviated versions of flash-forward episodes for all of the 6 (well, 5: poor Aaron had to share), just hitting the high points in contrast to the show's usual leisurely stroll. Jack's confrontation with Claire's mother was fine, but the Sayid/Nadia reunion felt rushed (two minutes in the airport and suddenly they are the smiling go-to couple in everyone else's storyline) and one mention of Kate's legal issues without any explanation of why it takes two years to even have a hearing? (Though I loved the reporter's question - how DID the marshall not report that when he found Kate, she was 6 months pregnant?)
Couple of thoughts I had while drifting off to sleep:
ReplyDelete-Now I understand why the Oceanic Six cover story is so different from what actually happened: they need to be consistent with the discovery of the faked wreckage near the Sunda trench, and so the story has to involve almost everyone being trapped on the plane as it crashed in the ocean.
-That also means, of course, that Ms. Decker's map of where the plane crashed tells us absolutely nothing about the island's real location, though it does raise the question of how the Six really got to the fishing village not far from the faked wreckage.
Did I miss something? Was there a scene where they showed the Six on a raft making it to some other island?
ReplyDeleteIf Oceanic is owned by Widmore, than Oceanic is probably complicit in the fake story, and may have helped fake the footage of the raft landing.
ReplyDeleteDid I miss something? Was there a scene where they showed the Six on a raft making it to some other island?
ReplyDeleteDuring the press conference, Ms. Decker claims that a fisherman in the village where the Six wound up snapped a photo of them arriving on the beach, which we saw -- because, of course, poor fisherman from island villages in Indonesia always bring high-quality cameras with them when they're out for a day's work. (In other words, it was staged.)
I was assuming Hurley, Jack, Kate, and Sayid get on the chopper and make it to the ship, with Jin/Aaron. Now: why they don't tell everyone there are other survivors of flight 815, why Kate pretends Aaron is her baby, why the story says two people died on the island (but not Claire giving birth or Jin getting Sun pregnant) I can't figure out.
ReplyDeleteDuring the press conference, Ms. Decker claims that a fisherman in the village where the Six wound up snapped a photo of them arriving on the beach, which we saw -- because, of course, poor fisherman from island villages in Indonesia always bring high-quality cameras with them when they're out for a day's work. (In other words, it was staged.)
ReplyDeleteCell phone with camera? But I agree with you. The Press Conference explains why the world accepts their survival - it fits in with the fake crash site. My take is that there are two bodies on that deserted island - maybe we do want to know who they are. But of course how the O6 get to the Sundra Trench and arrive on that fisherman's beach and what forces made that happen could give us a better idea if the O6 have a bigger role in saving the Island than just being a beard for it...
Puff
I expect that we are going to see another Oceanic survivor pop up soon. That question thrown to Sayid: "Could there be any more survivors?" seemed far too foreshadow-y to be just a throw away.
ReplyDeleteI expect that we are going to see another Oceanic survivor pop up soon. That question thrown to Sayid: "Could there be any more survivors?" seemed far too foreshadow-y to be just a throw away.
ReplyDeleteI think that was just an acknowledgment of what we've all known since the end of "Through the Looking Glass": that Jack and Kate and some others made it off the island while leaving the rest of the group behind, for reasons we'll understand in two weeks.
Nice to see all the familiar faces at the airport (Cheeeech!!), but it's been so long that I forgot Veronica Hamel is playing Jack's mom. And bonus as Michelle Forbes pops up - so is she 'just' the Oceanic press agent or another Widmore/Abadon employee? Now I'm wondering if Oceanic is "in" on the Widmore cover story? Does Widmore own Oceanic?
ReplyDeleteAnd now we know the Oceanic 6, just who were the other 2 who the press were told made it to the island but died there? And why justify having to say anyone died on the island, let alone 2 specific people who weren't Jin or Claire.
Loved the closing montage, especially Sawyer knowing he had to save Hugo.
Re: Sun's settlement - she would have gotten hers and Jin's share, but yeah, maybe some Hurley money helped.
I suppose if the 1st protocol went as planned and they got Ben out okay, then the 4 would have something to do with taking control/researching the island. But now with the 2nd protocol being slash and burn, they're just as expendable as the Lostaways. Nice to see Daniel not just trying to save his and Charlotte's skin as he ferried survivors.
ReplyDeleteI think I'll be a little frustrated if they never get around to explaining why the team needed to include a mentally-ill physicist, a medium, an anthropologist and a mercenary. I like the freighter folk, but I want there to be a reason why they were included in the series' bigger picture other than, "Hey, we need some characters from the freighter."
I thought it was a good episode, though felt a little too instrumentalist in getting the pieces in the right place for the finale.
ReplyDeleteI know that this is a petty complaint, but I can't imagine how Sun could have purchased a controlling interest in her father's company without him knowing (certainly this would be impossible in the US). Took me out of the show for a minute, but, in the end, worth it because I love to see Sun standing up to her father.
Couple of thoughts --
ReplyDelete1. Even Hurley's entire 156 million, plus an extremely generous Oceanic settlement for 2, shouldn't be nearly enough to buy a controlling interest in a company like PHI. It's not even close.
2. Alan, your reference to the _temporal_ ways in which Locke could "move" the island seems close to where we're going here. If in fact Locke moves the non-O6 people through time, Sun and others could legitimately believe they're dead, even if they're just in the past/future.
3. Not to completely geek out, but since I know Alan has a comic-book thing: I'm starting to get an "Uncanny X-Men 227" tingle here. In that 1987 comic book, the X-Men sacrificed themselves to create the necessary psychic energy for a spell to save the world (or some similar mumbo-jumbo). Could the O6's big bad secret be that they similarly sacrificed some of the other survivors? (For anyone interested in further reading on this, see the "Uncanny X-Men" section of this wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_the_mutants#Uncanny_X-Men)
-Russ
After the press conference questions about Kate being "six months pregnant" when she left Australia, I imagine Sun will have some serious 'splaining to do when it becomes apparent that she got pregnant on the island.
ReplyDeleteCarmichael -- I assume this is what Paik and his minions were discussing as Sun walked up (they were obviously upset about something that happened, and I believe one minion explained that it was accomplished using five different banks, etc.).
ReplyDelete-Russ
Thought it was a good episode and Jack speaking with Claire's mom made me not wish Jack had died for the first time in a long time, although I still hold out a tiny bit of hope that he gets an infection and dies...hey it can happen.
ReplyDeleteFinally something I know about, the two boats, the first one is just a little tender, to ferry people on and off, although not to be too nit picky a freighter that size would have a larger zodiac than that. The other raft is a survival raft, they are made with a thicker vinyl and are for the purpose of surviving should your boat go down, they automatically inflate when they hit water and have no motor, which would explain the drifting story, since that is all you can do in them. I am not 100% sure if I think it was staged or if they really did drift to the island.
One thing I liked about last nights episode was it was the perfect mix of island, freighter, back home.
Hurley's party-Island Tropic Theme, gotta love it.
Mr. Paik did know that something was happening. As Sun walked in, he was in a meeting with two suits who were freaked out, saying something like "we don't know how it happened! they routed it through 5 banks and we couldn't track it." Sun was very crafty in how she bought the controlling interest. Don't know how she had enough money to do it, but once she did she went out of her way to make sure she'd be the one to tell her father the identity of the new owner all by herself.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the “settlement”, I don’t think it’s a settlement in the way that we think of it. I think it’s more of a pay-off for the Oceanic 6 to keep their mouths shut. Hush money, if you will (and you will). Therefore, it would be much greater than a normal settlement. That’s my theory anyway because I had the same question about Sun buying 51% of huge a corporation.
ReplyDelete(oops, that's what happens when two people write the same comments at the same time....)
ReplyDeleteThe "five different banks" comment made me wonder if Sun was just tricksy or whether the other adult survivors may have contributed (though what would be their motivation other than looking for a good investment opportunity?)?
ReplyDeleteAnd bonus as Michelle Forbes pops up - so is she 'just' the Oceanic press agent or another Widmore/Abadon employee?
I agree that casting someone like Michelle Forbes makes me think we'll see more of her and that she may be more in-the-know than we think.
Another board, suggested that Sun might be getting help from Ben. The writer pointed out that Widmore and Paik companies both are tied to Hanso and we know that Ben has Sayid working for him, so I can easily see him helping Sun to acquire her fathers company, especially if he feels Paik is working with Widmore.
ReplyDeleteI have only one tick about the episode. Sayid takes a full day to return to the island from the boat and Faraday takes the first batch to the frieghters in a few hours?
ReplyDeleteLong-time reader, first-time poster.
ReplyDeleteAlan, I hear your frustration regarding the specificity of the freighter team. When Abbadon popped up in Locke's flashback the other week, pointing him in the same direction as Alpert, I started to wonder if maybe he wasn't a double-agent working to advance the island's interests within Widmore's side. If that's the case, he might have put the team together for specific reasons that go against Widmore's interests. They've certainly proven to be pretty helpful to the Losties so far.
Didn't Hurley's dad say that he gave his parents all "they money?" Now, whether that was his lotto money or the settlement, I don't know. But it explains the mansion when Hurley.
ReplyDeleteDan,
ReplyDeleteDuring the Oceanic press conference a photograph depicting the six survivors landing coming ashore on a boat is flashed on a screen.
I'm with you, Alan, this was a lot more satisfying than last week's.
ReplyDeleteWhat was Sun doing there at the end? She was carrying Aaron and sort of looking around furtively.
I'll be damned if I can figure out how Sun and Aaron are going to wind up with the rest of the Oceanic Six, who are all converging at The Orchid
At the press conference, it was implied that they'd been missing for 10 months. (I think? How old is Aaron when they get back?) It's only been a little over 3 months since they crashed, island-time, right? So either that gap has something to do with all this crazy timewarp crap I can never figure out, or there's 7 whole months between Island-now and Hey-We're-Back-now. Hell, that might even be Season 5 right there.
What exactly would happen to a person who ate fifteen year old crackers?
In Hurley's case, I'm not sure I want to smell.
At the press conference, it was implied that they'd been missing for 10 months.
ReplyDeleteThey actually specifically said they were on the island for 108 days (that number sound familiar?), so a little over three months.
They said Aaron was five WEEKS old (that's a big baby!).
I'm torn about whether Jin dies. In the episode where Sun and Hurley visited his grave (I'm not good with ep titles), I felt she was really a grieving widow.
ReplyDeleteBut in this ep, when she answered the question at the press conference, I felt she said he was dead as an angry and resentful liar, not as a grieving widow. I think at that point, he was not dead. And at that point, if he were dead, it would be much more fresh a wound and she'd be quite emotional about it. Plus, when she confronted her dad, I felt her anger stemmed more from her resentment at being separated from Jin than from the fact that he was really dead.
I agree, Alan, the the Jack-learning-about-Claire segment was fantastic. As was Kate having no one to greet her.
I'm curious what these last few eps would've been like without the need to condense them due to the strike. As emotional as some of the beats have been, I would've liked them to not be quite as crammed in together (Sayid/Nadia, etc.). And I'm also crazy curious about how there can be 2 more seasons! Seems like we're getting so many answers lately!
One last thing: Love this site, Alan!
Re: "I imagine Sun will have some serious 'splaining to do when it becomes apparent that she got pregnant on the island."
ReplyDeleteI figured this was why Sun was so upset when asked about Jin's "death" at the press conference. Whether or not Jin actually died, the fact that their story is that he died in the crash means that she will never be able to acknowledge that Jin is the father -- an especially harsh reality in light of their past difficulties in conceiving a child.
Aaron's growth must have been accelerated by the island for him to be that large and only five weeks old.
ReplyDeleteI also felt that Sun seemed more angry at Jack for being separated from Jin than sad that Jin was actually dead. This gives me hope because Sun and Jin are my favorite characters. Also loved when Claire's mom told Jack about his sister. Matthew Fox pulled that reeling look off beautifully. I went back to liking Jack and understanding why he's been such a ginormous tool in the flashforwards. Good stuff.
What is going to happen to Sawyer? He's changed quite a bit since he first hit the island. Hate to think that he will die or be otherwise sacrificed to save it. And poor Hurley! No wonder he drives that car so erratically later on :(
They actually specifically said they were on the island for 108 days (that number sound familiar?), so a little over three months.
ReplyDeleteIt was day 108 when that (fake?) picture was purportedly taken. At the time of Jack's dad's funeral (not the press conference, my bad), it's been 10 months since they crashed. Unless they waited over 6 months after getting back to get around to holding the funeral, I'm assuming there's a gap of several months.
Or wait, day 108 was when they supposedly set off on the raft. So who knows how long they were supposed to have taken to get to the fishing village.
ReplyDeleteLooks like Juliet and Desmond also do not get to leave the island, as there's no room in the cover story to explain why they'd be among the Oceanic Six.
ReplyDeleteI thought this episode was pretty satisfying all around, but the scene with Sun and her father really didn't work for me. First off, there is no way any settlement from Oceanic could be enough to buy a controlling stake in Mr. Paik's company. I wouldn't be surprised if Paik's firm was actually larger than Oceanic, and either way, Paik should realize immediately that Sun is not telling the truth. I also always thought that Paik was the controlling shareholder of his company. How else would he have the type of control and autonomy that he does? Certainly doesn't ever seem like he is accountable to a board, shareholders, or anyone else. So just the fact that Sun could acquire a controlling interest for any amount of money didn't work for me.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the real explanation must be financial backing from Widmore or some other entity, but even in this case, I'm not crazy about a vindictive Sun. I would much rather have seen her simply cut ties with her father forever now that he has no financial control over her. This sort of twist seems somewhat out of the blue and out of character for her.
Other than this, I look forward to the finale. Two things for which I eagerly await the resolution:
- I continuously think back to the flash-forward with Hurley playing basketball in the asylum when Jack visits. He emphasizes to Jack that he "never should have gone with Locke" to Otherville. I'm hoping there are some real teeth in that comment. I wonder if Hurley somehow unknowingly assists Locke/Ben in something at the Orchid that kills other people on the island. Something must still happen for him to show such regret.
- Really curious to see how Desmond is used as Faraday's constant. Clearly the Orchid plays a role in that based on his notebook. I'm guessing this again ties in with "moving the island" in the temporal sense.
Finally, where does the show go from here for the next two seasons? That's a lot of time to kill now that the original story premise is wrapped up. I wouldn't be surprised if next season leapfrogged a few years into the future. The flashback convention could still be used to show the events that happened in the interim (for both the O6 and those who stayed on the island). I wonder if the show simply ends with everyone back on the island. Sure seems like those seeds were planted with Jack's comments in last year's finale.
This sort of twist seems somewhat out of the blue and out of character for her.
ReplyDeleteYou're probably right about the financial aspect, but... she should be the exact same person after the island as she was before the island?
I found it very plausible that she blamed her father, and decided that she couldn't live the way she'd been living anymore.
Did anyone else feel that the reporters' questions at the press conference seemed surprisingly hostile? As if they suspect lies and a cover-up and are trying to trap the O6 in inconsistencies. Of course, we know they're lying, but I'd expect more fawning over and softball questions to the heroic survivors of a plane crash. Or am I just naive about what reporters are like?
ReplyDeleteJim T - Kate said that Aaron was 5 weeks old at the press conference, and agreed she was 6 months pregnant on the plane....so, that implies a 4-5 month gap.
ReplyDeleteSomeone mentioned Jin's infertility. Maybe that is why he couldn't be one of the people who survived the initial crash - they couldn't very well say they were on an island that gave people super sperm. So, it was sort of protecting Sun's honor.
What exactly would happen to a person who ate fifteen year old crackers
They would see dead people.
I'll be disappointed if the raft they get away on isn't the same raft we're seeing now. Especially since this episode made a point that only 6 people could fit (though, of course, I don't think Aaron counts as a full person). I like the idea suggested above that they use the chopper to go back to the boat and that's how they end up with Sun...
ReplyDeleteHmmm... I'm not sure how to reconcile Aaron being a month old with Christian's funeral taking place 10 months after the crash. Would Jack really wait that long? He was on 815 in the first place because he wanted to get it over with ASAP.
ReplyDeleteUnless Carlton & Cuse are just as confused as everybody else and it's just a mistake.
If Lance Reddick is on Fringe, does that mean we're going to be done with Abbadon for a little while? Or does it not matter since both shows are Bad Robot productions?
ReplyDeleteOr does it not matter since both shows are Bad Robot productions?
ReplyDeleteThat's what I'm assuming. It's not like Reddick is the lead on Fringe, and I think J.J. has more pull than the producers of Cane did with regards to CBS and Nestor Carbonell. If J.J. tells the Fox execs that he wants one of his actors to keep appearing on an ABC show, they'll listen.
My friend who is ahuge Lost but sent me this youtube video
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bTvAUVPyLI
It is the orchid training video, but the weird thing was as I was watching it for the second time I had to hit pause to take a call and where I paused it this message showed up that you cannot see when you play it, but if you watch it frame by frame you can see it, it says God loves you as he loves Jacob.
It is about 1/2 way through.
His theory is also 5 bank accounts because 5 adult survivors? They are all in on the take over??
* I had no problem with Sun having enough money to buy the company, although I also wondered if Ben was helping out.
ReplyDelete* I know she's been in much more, but did anyone else, upon seeing Michelle Forbes, cry out "Ensign Ro!" Guess it's just me.
* I like Faraday the best of the new cast, but I'll be very scared for him during the finale. I almost think he knows too much to survive very long.
* There's still too many missing pieces for me to work out the timeline of the O6 rescue (faked or real). I think next week should clear that up a bit more.
* Given the importance of the Sayid/Nadia storyline during the earlier seasons, it was disappointing to only get this taste of their reunion. This could have had the dramatic heft of the Penny/Desmond meetup had they had more time to play with it. (I'm guessing this plot drew a short straw because of the shortened season).
* Just because the cover story doesn't allow Desmond or Juliet off the island, that doesn't mean they didn't get off -- especially if Oceanic is in on the cover-up. All they have to do is have any non-planecrash survivors get to the mainland by another plane.
* For those of you wondering what the next two seasons will contain now that we're getting so many answers and the O6 have left the island... the producers have mentioned what each of the next two seasons entail -- no details really, just two sentences, one for each season, stating the overarching direction of that season. I'd tell ya, but I don't want to break Alan's spoiler policy. I'm sure if you really need to know you can track it down.
Very much looking forward to the finale!
Hey, just how much fuel is in that raft, anyway?
ReplyDelete3 things I am looking forward to learning 2 weeks from now:
ReplyDelete1. Who did Ben communicate with at the Orchid? Can't be Richard Alpert. Abaddon somehow? Some other Other we haven't seen in a while? What is the little girl's name from Ben's flashbacks?
(I can't believe there isn't a poster who knows morse code and can translate the mirror messages...)
2. Who are the 2 people who make it off the plane but die before the rescue in the Oceanic 6 story. One of them isn't Jin. Why do they need to add these 2 people to the fake story?
3. Who is in the coffin? Didn't the producers say we would find out before the end of this season? Lapidus? Miles? Michael?
Bjooks said...
* I know she's been in much more, but did anyone else, upon seeing Michelle Forbes, cry out "Ensign Ro!" Guess it's just me.
That's funny -- my wife cried out "Kate!"
Lastly, I know they don't really look the same, but I kept thinking about Starbuck's dream-drawing whenever I saw the Oceanic logo. Very distracting! Frak!
Darren
The whole baby business feels very sloppy in the writing to me. The acknowledgment of Kate having to be 6 months pregnant when she boarded flight 815 feels like a token wink at viewers, as in, yes we know how bullsh*t this is so let's acknowledge it once and move on. Likewise, would it be that difficult for a doctor to figure out when Sun became pregnant? (I'm legitimately asking here as I'm operating under the belief that this is something of a science)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure there is reason that Jin and Claire* couldn't "survive the crash" that we'll get next week or next season or whenever, but to be honest it all feels needlessly complicated.
*Perhaps Kate wouldn't get to keep Aaron, but again a lot of commotion for what's probably a simple solution.
Griping aside, felt a rush during the episode I haven't felt in weeks. The show really is at its best when it splits its characters up into small factions all working towards a common goal. Thought Giacchino's scoring in the last break was especially strong.
I thought maybe Christian's funeral thing would be some kinda memorial service, a year on?
ReplyDeleteWouldn't that make it like 10 months since they got off the island as he'd been dead for about 2 months then, when Jack went to collect his body from Australia?
Also I've got a vague idea about the 2 that died being related to Micheal and maybe Desmond or Jin (but probably not Jin, because Sun said it wasn't him at the conference...and probably not Desmond because he wasn't on the plane to begin with...)
OOH, maybe Sawyer? Wait, let me start again... Sawyer gets off the island on the chopper with the other 4 to meet up with Sun and Aaron on the freighter, and either gets left behind or dies with Micheal and Jin?
* I know she's been in much more, but did anyone else, upon seeing Michelle Forbes, cry out "Ensign Ro!" Guess it's just me.
ReplyDeleteNah, for me, it was "Admiral Cain!"
Hmmm... I'm not sure how to reconcile Aaron being a month old with Christian's funeral taking place 10 months after the crash. Would Jack really wait that long? He was on 815 in the first place because he wanted to get it over with ASAP.
Perhaps it was done on the one-year anniversary. That might be an appropriate time to do it, though I guess it wouldn't quite be that yet (I'm not good at all on timeline stuff of when he died, and how long Jack spent in Australia, etc. etc.)
I don't think it is so weird to wait for the memorial service. To make ten months since the crash, it would be about 6 months from the rescue. And Jack would have had a lot to deal with, what with coming back from being declared dead and all. I assume that since the crash his mother had some kind of service of her own (since she no longer had a body to bury). What we saw was probably a memorial so Jack could say good bye.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it did occur to me that Kate may be claiming to have been 6 months pregnant during the crash, but Claire was way more than that. And Aaron is ALREADY over 5 weeks old. So....um, I don't know what my point is. Just that I am confused.
My guess: The other person Sun holds responsible for Jin's death is herself.
ReplyDeleteDon't know why, but I got this weird idea last night that at some point, she takes the little dinghy that Faraday was using to ferry people. She basically steals it and she and Aaron take off and eventually somehow join up with the other Oceanic 6.
Don't ask me where that theory came from, except that she had a certain steeliness about her and I think she's capable of it. Maybe Charlotte at some point puts her in the dinghy and says, "Go." And Sun could have stopped and tried to save Jin (from whatever he needs to be saved from) but in the end didn't?
Maybe I got this idea from commenters on this site, and I'll fully admit I'm fuzzy -- aren't Ben and Richard Alpert enemies? Aren't the Dharma folks and Mittelos on opposite sides? Opposite sides of what I'm not sure, but if anyone can refresh me on whether Ben and Richard are buds or not, I'd appreciate it.
Anyone else think Charlotte and Faraday are/were lovers? She seemed to have a very worried look on her face when he took off again.
Dang, Michelle Forbes *and* Lance Reddick on the same show -- in the same secret club of fixers? Oh joy joy joy.
I thought the press conference was relatively sedate, myself. It seemed to me that they're implying that the press pretty much buys the implausible Oceanic cover story -- I hope not for good. All journalism needs is one more black eye. That cover story obviously has more holes than a pound of swiss cheese, and perhaps a future story line is how the press begins to question the entire Oceanic 6 cover story....
Word, Andrew, on the score by Giacchino. They're very lucky to have this guy scoring their show. He oftem makes a reasonably good scene much better, and he did especially good work on this episode.
I'm strongly with others here that found Sun's takeover completely unbelievable. Anyone following the Microsoft / Yahoo hostile takeover attempt (or knows just a small bit about business) will know it just doesn't happen by "5 different banks" - SURPRISE! A transaction that big isn't possible by just buying enough shares at market value all at once and not having anyone notice. Not even Trillionaires could do so without running into tons of regulations and poison pills. And Gates/Microsoft has more money than Charles Widmore. It's lazy writing for shock value, a first for Lost.
ReplyDeleteWhy not have the more realistic scenario of Sun buying out a lesser rival, infusing it with Widmore / O6 cash, and having her steal Dad's best company secrets and also reveal the inside murderous scandals to take down Dad's company and make it subservient to her new one?
Wow! Yet another brilliant Ben Linus Plan (tm) that involves him getting his face smashed in! Let's see, Sayid (via the Henry Gale Stupidest Most Unnecessary Plan Ever To Get Inside The Group (tm)), Jack, Locke, Russo, and now Keamy have all fallen for Ben's "I get off on S&M, you will beat me senseless Plan" (tm). I'm sure there are more that I am missing. It's hard not to think of Ben as the Genius Manipulator, good job writers. Next time I'm ever beating the crap out of someone for my sheer pleasure, I'll know I've been master-manipulated.
Something tells me this season finale will try to cut off as many loose ends, including lots of main characters, as possible so Lost can ignore most of it's confusing past and head towards the (mostly unrelated) conclusion they now have planned. Many will be "Russo-ed" (characters that were given such heavily implied meaning and importance only to be killed off with a whimper and no explanation of their past forthcoming). I can't wait to see if it's met with outrage or acceptance by the forgetful public.
Odds on Who is In the Coffin:
Ben 12-1
Juliette 9-1
Sawyer 4-1
Locke 3-1
Michael 3-1
Other 1-1
other 1-4
With Michelle Forbes I flashed back to one of her final scenes in Homicide: Life on the Streets where she is sitting on a chair in a large hall with huge white curtains billowing around her. Death scene, delusion? I don't remember but it seemed to be appropriate for Lost.
ReplyDeleteJust supposing Sun's father gave her, say, 3% of his controlling 51% upon her marriage, which he continued to vote being the domineering father. The she could, theoretically, buy up 48% to gain control. Just saying. I agree we shouldn't look too closely at this.
I agree completely with Undercover Asian Man's comments on the possibility of Sun's takeover. Such a thing is impossible in the real world. A change of control for a Company that size would require board approval, a shareholder vote, weeks or more of legal negotiations, etc. Even post-sale, there would be regulatory approvals and other closing conditions. Not to mention, international securities laws prevent significant holders from getting screwed like this. Not only would Paik need to consent to this sale in the first place, but he would certainly sue every selling shareholder and the takeover group afterwards.
ReplyDeleteOverall, there is no way Paik would not find out and no way Sun could make her dramatic revelation post-transaction. This point is so ridiculous that it really ruins the entire arc for me. Absolutely terrible writing.
Fellow Michelle Forbes fans: There's an unsold pilot for something called Global Frequency that Forbes starred in a few years back. It's on that Internet thingie if you look around abit. I wasn't that wild about it, but she was good in it.
ReplyDeleteMo, I'm not sure if Richard and Ben are buds, but they seem to be allies at least. Alpert was hanging out with Ben after they all left "New Otherton," and seemed to be deferential to Ben. (He also gave Locke the info about his dad ruining Sawyer's life, which Locke then put to good use.)
Christy: "I agree we shouldn't look too closely at this."
ReplyDeleteBut isn't this the show that WANTS its viewers to scrutinize things frame-by-frame? Isn't this the show that puts Dharma logos on sharks, hieroglyphic symbols at the end of countdown clocks, lets you 'view' Jacob if you have HD and frame-capture, encouraged deep analysis of the 'whispers' and the 'images' from the smoke monster, gives you a few seconds of that black-light Hatch Map to scrutinize, and other hardcore easter eggs? Isn't this the show that had hundreds of thousands if not millions of its fans obsessively clicking on little java applets on the web for months on end just so they can have "The Lost Experience" and see a few minutes of Dharma footage?
Talk about having your cake and eating it too - this show has purposefully encouraged its fans to obsessively analyze and categorize each little tid-bit, but now wants you to turn of your brain while watching it?
If we were talking about shows like Reaper or Chuck, I can understand the "it's just a show..." argument, but Lost created it's own ground rules for viewership and 'rewarded' obsessive behavior. That is why I call B.S. on Cuse and Lindelof now saying that "those fans" (the ones they encouraged to be obsessive with things like "The Lost Experience") who super-analyze Lost are "going down the road to madness" and are now openly saying that not everything can be explained. Just read their recent interviews, it's like they are surprised and didn't have a hand in creating such high expectations, and are now trying to wash their hands from it and blaming the audience for wanting too much. It's such a bait-and-switch job that should offend all writers.
To me, if things pan out as I predict, this is just as offensive as George Lucas blaming the fans for not embracing the last three Star Wars films as Unbelievably Great, instead of looking inward. You want to hype something - fine. Just deliver.
Regarding Faraday and Charlotte, I thought it was made pretty explicit a couple episodes back that Faraday has at the very least a crush on her. No previous relationship speculation required.
ReplyDeleteUndercover Asian Man said:
ReplyDelete"To me, if things pan out as I predict, this is just as offensive as George Lucas blaming the fans for not embracing the last three Star Wars films as Unbelievably Great, instead of looking inward."
I always agree with your analysis (though I still enjoy the show, but I never ever look too deeply into it - I just let it unfold and wash over me). However, I take issue with your SW comment - it's not the last 3 but the last 4!
The Aaron timeline works for me: If they're saying Aaron is five weeks old, then Kate would have given birth on Day 73, two-and-a-half months after the crash, or when she was eight-and-a-half/nine months pregnant. Of course, Aaron is really old, but they said five weeks to make their story work. Poor Aaron will never know his true birthday.
ReplyDeleteI've got nothing for Sun's takeover.
Little disappointed the Sayid/Nadia reunion was low-key - that should have been a "Desmond/Penny" level moment.
ReplyDeleteI put a screenshot up of the message hidden in the Orchid Video. For those who want to see, go to:
ReplyDeletehttp://travelswithlizbeth.typepad.com/travels_with_lizbeth/2008/05/the-orchid-vide.html
Alan, with Faraday and the Mercenaries it is obvious why they were brought to the island by widmore. Mercenaries: To capture Ben and kill everyone and Faraday: to find the correct bearing to the island and to disable the tempest station. With Charlotte and Miles it is a bit more complicated, I'm guessing they have been the casualty of the strike.
ReplyDeleteFretting about how the transfer was done is just ridiculous. If you wanna micro analyze something doing it with the blast door map is completely different then nitpicking over the kind of takeover, it is not a piece of the mythology. Unless you are a legal expert you cannot definitively say that it was unbelievable. Let me outline a scenario in which Sun could have done what she did: Perhaps Paik was giving some of his shares to companies in order for them to invest in his business, Let's just say there were 10 such companies. If Sun could have bought over these 10 smaller companies who had a certain share of Paik industries she could have taken over.
Anonymous said: "Unless you are a legal expert you cannot definitively say that [Sun's takeover] was unbelievable."
ReplyDeleteI am a "legal expert" and I am saying it was "unbelievable." And in a show where every detail matters, there is no case in which analyzing a particular detail is "ridiculous."
The only thing that truly bothered me about the whole Sayid/Nadia reunion was the fact that Sayid over the course of his stay on the island had "fallen in love" with Shannon....he got over her (both Nadia and Shannon) real quick.
ReplyDeleteI am a "legal expert" and I am saying it was "unbelievable."
ReplyDeleteWhat's your take on the column of sentient black smoke that can pick people up and kill them?
Anonymous: "Unless you are a legal expert you cannot definitively say that it was unbelievable."
ReplyDeleteStop. You really are embarrassing yourself. Especially if you think it takes stringent expertise to know how impossible Sun's takeover was. Your lucky you posted as "anonymous", you are really exposing how little you know.
I can't believe I need to spell this out, but here goes. Just because YOU are able to buy 10 or 100 or 1000 shares of Ford or Coca Cola or IBM, do you think that number of shares for sale in that particular company is 100% of the outstanding shares at all times? Really?
For every share bought, there must be a willing seller. This isn't a problem if you want to buy 100 shares in a company with 100 Million outstanding shares. Matching a buyer and seller for this level of volume is trivial. But if you wanted to buy 5 Million shares all at once, you will find the supply running out quickly, maybe running out as low as 2 Million or less. At that point, a few things will happen: 1) the price will go up rapidly to coerce previously reluctant sellers to sell to match the volume you seek 2) Wall Street will instantly know that stock is in play and it will be all over the business news. Note that this happened when you have acquired less than 2% of outstanding shares. 3) The company in question will damn well know about it and, if they control most of the shares, can simply refuse to sell, pass 'poison pill' bylaws, or demand an outrageous price. That is why you need to negotiate directly with them if you have any hope of gaining even 10%.
There are so many other obstacles that I feel ashamed of giving such a simple example, as others in the know will just KNOW how ridiculously dumb Lost was about this. But just imagining that 51% of GE or Samsung or any conglomerate is available for buying to anyone at any time is LUDICROUS. And to think it takes some kind of expert to know this is embarassing. Even those who just dabble in stocks and read a few WSJs should know.
Anonymous: "Let me outline a scenario in which Sun could have done what she did: Perhaps Paik was giving some of his shares to companies in order for them to invest in his business, Let's just say there were 10 such companies. If Sun could have bought over these 10 smaller companies who had a certain share of Paik industries she could have taken over."
Please. Stop. This one I will ignore, the absurdity is obvious.
I confess I stopped watching Lost closely some time ago. I wearied of the "where's Waldo" aspect when it didn't seem to matter where
ReplyDeleteWaldo was and we were getting no answers. Plus, I remember the final seasons of Alias and stopped expecting it to make sense.
Would it make a difference if the company were privately held rather than publically?
Jim Treacher,
ReplyDeleteI take your point, but there's a significant distinction here. Lost is a show involving elements of science fiction/fantasy, and it asks us to suspend our disbelief with respect to certain issues. But it also is a show that asks us to question everything we're told, and to think about how all the clues fit together. The second statement means that when we're outside the realm of the scifi/fantasy elements, we have to assume that what is done is done for a reason, and that it's useful to think critically about the information conveyed. So yes, the smoke monster is "unbelievable" too, but not in the same sense as the Paik takeover. The latter event may have just been an oversight, but maybe not. That's why people all over a lot of blogs and entertainment sites are examining what Sun said rather than taking it for granted, even though, in other realms, the show expects us to suspend our disbelief.
Hey everyone -- this is my first time posting here, but I just wanted to clear up something about Sun buying her father's company.
ReplyDeleteSun says that she purchased a "controlling interest" in Paik Heavy Industries. To have a controlling interest in a company simply means that you own the most shares, not necessarily the majority of the shares. Keep in mind, Mr. Paik does not own Paik Heavy Industries, he is just the CEO. As CEO, he has to answer to the Board of Directors, who are voted on every year / other year by the shareholders. With just a 5% stake in the company, Sun would have enough power and influence to, if not have full control of the board's actions, at the very least hold significant sway.
That's my interpretation anyway. Hope that helps somewhat
No way, JPU2, it's the worst thing that's ever happened on television, if not the whole of human history.
ReplyDeleteFrom Investopedia.com:
ReplyDelete"For the majority of large public companies (such as those that belong to the S&P 500), a shareholder with much less than 50% of the outstanding shares can still cause a lot of shake-up at the company. Single shareholders with as little as 5-10% ownership can push for their own seats on the board, or enact changes at shareholder meetings by publicly lobbying for them."
For the record, my second post was just meant to back up my first comment -- it was not meant as a response to jim treacher's farcical response.
ReplyDeleteThat said, he does make a good point that while we should analyze and ask questions, it is also important to allow yourself to suspend disbelief and to be confused by this show. While I don't believe that every mystery will be solved / explained, I do have to echo Alan's sentiments that from this point forward, the writers have a serious plan, and that the end payoff will be a good one.
Jim,
ReplyDeleteChill out. Nobody is saying this is a BAD thing -- just that it may be a MEANINGFUL thing. I.e., it may suggest something about who else is in league with Sun, and what that may mean. I don't see anyone playing gotcha with the producers. I for one assume that they're on top of this stuff and that there's a message here.
Chill out.
ReplyDeleteI do apologize for flying off the handle like that. That was really crazy.
One thing to keep in mind that I haven't seen mentioned, is that as far as the Oceanic 6 being the only people to get off the island, we also know that Ben gets off, too.
ReplyDeleteAnd since several key survivors wound up being on the same side of the fight against Keamy and co. as Ben was, maybe there's a chance that he could/would help non-O6 people get off the island, too.
I really enjoyed the episode and the season so far, just to add a comment or two-building on dsilver's comment-juliet and desmond can't be part of the oceanic 6 b/c they weren't on the flight manifest. So they can get off the island and be reunited w/ penny and juliet's sister and niece (I think she is still alive right?) and there not be a connection w/ the oceanic coverup. Not that I think Juliet will I think she either doesn’t get off or dies there, I am pretty sure desmond gets off and is reunited or JJ Abrams will be burned at the stake by different Lost fans-although not me since I find that relationship tedious and am hoping for several more episodes devoted exclusively to Jack and Kate’s relationship (jk).
ReplyDeleteThat said, I have had a pet theory about who is in the coffin: Miles. If I remember correctly the funeral home was in Inglewood, CA. When we are first introduced to Miles he visits a house in Inglewood. Coffin looks about the right size for him (or Michael) but I have to think even Michael's mom would show up (and Walt no matter how pissed he is at his dad) and the name in the obit column Jack showed Kate, and it elicited a shrug-you get the feeling Michael (or Walt or any other major character would not elicit a shrug). Thoughts?
Not to jump on the takeover story line some more, but I also laughed out loud when Sun announced that to her father because it was ludicrous. I was reminded of the last two Mission Impossible movies, and when the final (and ridiculous) revelation of the financial motives behind the bad guys actions (either stock options in II or post war no-bid reconstruction contracts in III) it elicited guffaws in the theater-considering J.J.A directed the last one not surprised to see something similarly idiotic appear in Lost as well but disappointed. I also think it is diff. than the smoke monster, in part b/c I am willing to suspend disbelief to a point in sci-fi, but don’t insult my intelligence when you don’t have to or go for unnecessary and artificial drama like the showdown between Sun and her dad-it seemed like a bad soap opera drama.
I also thought the press conference was unnecessarily combative-“you look remarkably healthy?” when usually the press would go w/ the soft(er) coverage of what would be an “amazing human experience”-I thought the question of “what was it like to give birth on the island” was closer to what the press conference would be like-and then they would be on Oprah or GMA or Today for even softer and questions and answers.
What about a hefty financial settlement/payoff and knowing who was going to win the next World Series and election? Would that be enough to purchase a controlling stake (which does not need to be 51% by the way) in such a large company?
ReplyDeleteWhile it is true that a 5% stake in a company has a lot of power, and can get you on the Board of Directors, it cannot get you control of the company, which is what Sun’s speech implied. If there are 9 members on the Board of Directors, having control of one seat while Dad has the other 8 makes Sun’s threats laughable. And since Paik Industries has hired thugs like Jin literally killing the competition, you can imagine that the BoD is VERY tightly nit and guarded to outsiders, and that Dad’s control of the company is more in line with having ABSOLUTE control rather than just “a say”. That is why, to me, controlling interest in this murderous company really means close to 100% since the skeletons are so big. Fifty-one percent is being generous.
ReplyDeletePaik Industries being a privately held company makes it even more unbelievable. Again, for something to be bought, there must be a willing seller. Those in control would have even more say on who gets to buy into the company.
Also, once you reach 5% or so for a public company, you need to register your intentions with the SEC (or the Korean equivalent) and your ownership becomes public knowledge. I think even the most fanatical Lost apologist recognizes that any settlement from Oceanic would be a pittance in this financial transaction, even if the O6 pooled it (maybe 10 Million a person?). The financing for even this 5% purchase would have to be examined. If Widmore or Ben or Jacob, all of whom seem to want secrecy in regards to the Island, are behind the financing, this is a terrible way to keep a secret. Investing in public companies is, well, a very public affair.
Really the whole thing is so ludicrous on so many levels – business, legal, financial, informational – that it’s sort of pointless to try to convince those who want to believe otherwise, since they are ignoring facts anyway. Lost will depend more and more on these types anyway as the explanations get coarser and dumber. Reminds me a lot of the Creation vs Evolution arguments.
As for the passive-aggressive comparisons of Sun’s takeover to smoke monsters (and who then get even more passive-aggressively hostile if a show that encourages scrutiny gets scrutinized, or if his p-a gets addressed), I think others have pointed out the difference nicely. We are willing to believe that the Island can heal and has mystical properties and plays by Island Rules. But when the drama happens in the ‘real’ world, we expect it to obey real world rules. It’s pretty simple.
It does make me wonder though how many Lost fans are following the template of accepting anything Lost tells them and how many are at least expecting a fair story, and how that will impact how Lost is viewed when it finally concludes. Science versus Faith indeed.
How do you figure that Mr. Paik controls 8/9 of the seats on the board of directors? He's the CEO, not the owner. The one role of the board of directors is to keep the managers -- the CEO, CFO, and so forth -- in line. Sometimes, though not always, the CEO has one seat on the board of directors.
ReplyDeleteI understand your point that Paik Heavy Industries has resorted to tactics of intimidation before, but I think that was with a rival, not an owner. Furthermore, there's nothing in Mr. Paik's character to suggest he would consider hurting his daughter.
And again, 5% can be a controlling interest of a large company. All she said was that she purchased a controlling interest. And I maintain that that is a very feasible proposition.
Also, there is no way they only got $10 million a person. Their plane exploded in mid-air, no rescue was forthcoming because of a massive cover-up / conspiracy, hundreds died (including Sun's spouse). If memory serves me, about 14 years ago, in the civil suit against OJ Simpson, he was forced to pay something on the order of $30 million to the families of his two victims. I would venture that we can assume that the Oceanic 6 payout was far, far more than that.
To echo some statements - Giacchino's score was brilliant - and not "brilliant" in that hackneyed, internet usage of the word, but actually brilliant. There's some great work being done on this show, by all parties. (Jack Bender's direction is often overlooked). That's what I love about Lost - everyone is doing their best work, bringing their A-game. It doesn't mean the show is perfect, but no one on it is coasting for a paycheck, and it helps that everyone is extremely talented to begin with.
ReplyDeleteOne overlooked little gem that I loved about this episode - after Ben scolds John with "I always have a plan," The look on Locke's face is fleeting, but hilariously indignant.
To clarify: It's one thing to think they screwed up, which as I've said they probably did. It's another to treat it like it's the worst thing that's ever happened to you. Lighten up.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Sun buying the company. In Korea most of the large companies are large conglomerates often owned privately by family members. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaebol
ReplyDeleteOne would assume this is the case here which makes Sun's takeover even more unlikely.
^Unless Sun's mother had a stake in the company and was able to convince other family members to support Sun? Yes, I'm fanwanking, and I'm proud of it.
ReplyDelete