tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post2140559934458941118..comments2024-03-28T18:01:28.997-04:00Comments on What's Alan Watching?: Lost, "Sundown": A history of violenceAlan Sepinwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comBlogger185125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-28229032697768996572010-03-08T11:00:21.236-05:002010-03-08T11:00:21.236-05:00Alan--love your reviews, and I appreciate your sen...Alan--love your reviews, and I appreciate your sentiment that Lost is for entertainment, not necessarily answers. I think we all made a deal with ourselves to suspend disbelief in the show as soon as we saw the smoke monster in Season 1, since at that point nothing could ever be reasonably explained. So I'm excited to see where it takes us, and less interested in the perfect answer (because I don't think there is one).<br /><br />Also love the great comments on this board. Two things to add--I think the Temple storyline was useful regardless of what happens going forward, since it showed where the Others were hiding, who the greater powers on the island were (Dogen in service of Jacob), and added some religious/cult feel to the whole Jacob service, which makes sense given the ridiculous lengths he puts people through.<br /><br />I disagree that the Flash Sideways is an epilogue in the sense that it's a reward after the conclusion of Smokey vs. Jacob. I think it's exactly as it was presented in the first episode of this season--this is how their lives would have played out if the island never interfered with their lives. I think it's fascinating to see how they would end up, and it is a resolution of the question of what they're trying so hard to get back to. The main hole in this theory though is the subtle hints that this timeline is being affected by the previous timeline (blood on Jack's neck, etc.) If that's the case, I'm hoping Alan is onto something in that those who serve Jacob get some redemption in their lives (Jack, Locke so far), and those that serve Smokey live out their lives in a loop of the same trouble they were in before, sort of a mild hell/purgatory (Kate, Sayid, Claire). Jin is an open question...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-55682924931077968992010-03-08T06:02:40.061-05:002010-03-08T06:02:40.061-05:00@drbristol: "If Lennon mentioned an ex-wife ...@drbristol: "If Lennon mentioned an ex-wife or a cat I would have lost it."<br /><br />Thanks, dr. I'm looking forward to a terrible day at work and you just made me start it with a laugh. I needed that. <br /><br />The only problem I have with the epilogue scenario is this: If the hydrogen bomb did explode and reboot everything, why are the houses and swingset of New Otherton still standing?Jillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03865082576641051315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-25702154295472065472010-03-07T16:09:56.045-05:002010-03-07T16:09:56.045-05:00I forgot about Miles... His mother tells him his f...I forgot about Miles... His mother tells him his father is dead and doesn't care about him.JLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01510341219144845275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-71896631843569089222010-03-07T14:44:29.728-05:002010-03-07T14:44:29.728-05:00This occured to me a few seasons ago but never rea...This occured to me a few seasons ago but never really seen it discussed. Does anyone think there is significance to the fact that so many of the characters seem to have some kind of issue with their father? <br /><br />Kate - killed her father<br />Lock - Grew up in foster home, gave his father kidney then father didn't want him<br />Sawyer - father killed mother then himself<br />Jack/Claire - Father dies, we know about the rocky relationship<br />Desmond - Its known he raised his 3 brothers when something happened to his father<br />Benjamin - Killed father<br />Jin - Father was a fisherman, questionable whether or not he is actually the dad<br /><br />Does this somehow play a role in the overall plot? Will this somehow intertwine with how Walt will supposedly play an important role?JLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01510341219144845275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-26781240569175079592010-03-06T12:17:30.746-05:002010-03-06T12:17:30.746-05:00Isn't it clear now that before Smokey possesse...Isn't it clear now that before Smokey possessed Locke's body, he possessed Christian's? He's got the same M.O. as Jacob... leading people around and getting them to do things without them knowing it.Ben Bowman (The Producer)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07513578166083661865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-75347506723405651322010-03-06T09:19:08.875-05:002010-03-06T09:19:08.875-05:00I suppose I should start off by saying that I enjo...I suppose I should start off by saying that I enjoyed this episode. Like a few other posters, I have maded the decision to just sit back and enjoy the last season of my favorite show and not worry so much about getting answers to specific questions. To be honest, I'm fighting depression over the loss of this epic series and just want to enjoy what time I have left with these characters and the island.<br /><br />All that being said, I have to admit that my enthusiasm has waned over the last couple of years. I miss the Lost of season 1 and 2. Don't get me wrong, I know there were some really weak episodes in season 2. Its not the specific stories that were told in those seasons that resonated so much with me as much as it was the style of the show. The cinematography, the directing, etc. Go back and watch the last 5 minutes of so many of the episodes in the first 2 seasons and you will see what I mean. So often, they would end the episode without any dialogue, just music and various images of the lostaways. The clip of Hurley handing out Darma food cutting to Sun burying the bottle from the raft, or the clip of Eko reciting the 23rd psalm, or all the lostaways seeing Aaron for the first time then Jack having to walk down to tell Shannon about Boone's death ... THAT'S what made Lost incredible to me.<br /><br />I don't really care that much about what the endgame of the series is, just as long as they give me one or two more beautiful moments.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-63255290566056911112010-03-05T14:56:39.255-05:002010-03-05T14:56:39.255-05:00If our Lost Characters really do mirror, I wonder ...If our Lost Characters really do mirror, I wonder if Hurley is supposed to be a fully mentally capable Tom Cullen, unreachable by evil, able to communicate with the dead and Jack is more or less Stu Redman. If so, I really hope the ending for those two characters proceeds like Stu's and Tom's did in the book after Tom finds Stu with his broken leg. Those last fifty pages of The Stand equal almost any other work of literature ever produced in satisfaction, IMO.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09944235452592940784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-65878793160977198532010-03-05T14:07:17.453-05:002010-03-05T14:07:17.453-05:00The second I saw Keamy, my brain screamed "Jo...The second I saw Keamy, my brain screamed "Joshua!" But that aside..<br /><br />I've seen a whole lotta JAC (a Japanese group of stunt(wo)men - founded by Sonny Chiba and including Hiroyuki Sanada - who produced martial arts themed movies in the '80s...good times...) stuff, so it was nice to see Sanada fight again. It's been a while since he did that on film!!<br /><br />Also, 'Dogen' is not a real name. It depends on what Kanji one uses, but the most intuitive meaning would be 'power source', as in FUEL. Thoughts?hash1978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-55396659637673118572010-03-05T08:58:30.707-05:002010-03-05T08:58:30.707-05:00I'm really hoping Andrews' more pronounced...<i>I'm really hoping Andrews' more pronounced British accent - both in the Temple and as Alt-Sayid - is a deliberate choice with a meaning</i><br /><br /><br />Speaking as a Brit, surely English accent = evil man?Gridlockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13959099751063828174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-77588632053012201702010-03-05T07:09:39.829-05:002010-03-05T07:09:39.829-05:00"Japanese business man? Drunk driving? Lame.&..."Japanese business man? Drunk driving? Lame."<br /><br />Karen, remember that Dogen in the sideworld was a well dressed guy who was sending his kid to an expensive school (you saw Jack's apartment - perhaps Dogen lives nearby). Perhaps that's the life he had to leave, or the life he gets to go to if he does good here?<br /><br />Scott, "sickness" = blind obsession...I like it. Makes a lot of sense.<br /><br />Jill, you are not alone. I'm a huge Marc Maron fan and could not focus on Lennon because all I could see was Maron. If Lennon mentioned an ex-wife or a cat I would have lost it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-37282189971263999372010-03-05T06:36:15.975-05:002010-03-05T06:36:15.975-05:00I keep thinking that Keamy is Quinn from Dexter; t...I keep thinking that Keamy is Quinn from <i>Dexter</i>; the two actors both look and sound as if they could be brothers.<br /><br />And I'm probably alone in this, but I think the character "Lennon" looks a lot more like comedian Marc Maron than like John Lennon.<br /><br />Interesting theory about the alt-world being an epilog. It makes sense.<br /><br />Now...remember that Jacob wanted Hurley to go to the lighthouse to make sure that the "someone" who's coming gets there. . The one loose end in the story is....Walt. "Very special boy, that Walt." Now the only question is why.Jillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03865082576641051315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-40644835644026972852010-03-04T18:11:40.311-05:002010-03-04T18:11:40.311-05:00The direction that this season is going, I'm b...The direction that this season is going, I'm begining to think that the Lost is in the mind of some retarded kid who's pissed off at a snow globe.JakeTheFatMannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-79558751343929164052010-03-04T17:28:28.304-05:002010-03-04T17:28:28.304-05:00Going on the epilouge theory, you can start to see...Going on the epilouge theory, you can start to see what happens to people who side with Jacob vs. Smokey.<br /><br />Jack - gets closure on his dad problems, mends bridge with son persumably goes on happily ever after<br /><br />Hurley - now luckiest man alive, enjoying his lotto winnings and doing good<br /><br />Locke - (remember Jacob came to him first) getting married, content with his life.<br /><br />Sayid - Assuming he went with Smokey, gets promise delivered, but continues to suffer since Nadia is not his, and he is trapped having to do the dirty work.<br /><br />Dogen - In LA enjoying his son, who previously he had to agree to never see again...<br /><br />In essence, the show seems to be setting up that doing good is painful in the short term but pays dividends long term. Going for the false promise gives you hope in the short run, but long term suffering.Georgenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-74963942116211767252010-03-04T16:46:15.989-05:002010-03-04T16:46:15.989-05:00Best ep of the season so far imho, and it will pro...Best ep of the season so far imho, and it will probably go down as one of my favorite all-time Lost episodes.<br /><br />Sayid centric episodes have always been amongst the strongest in the series. <br /><br />The fighting in this ep was superb. The Dogen/Sayid fight was epic.<br /><br />This was Lost in it's finest form.Kujohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10078809694509169496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-26795421486771904422010-03-04T15:48:19.640-05:002010-03-04T15:48:19.640-05:00Kevin Durand as Keamy is perfect in his role becau...Kevin Durand as Keamy is perfect in his role because smiling makes villains all the more villainous. He channels Christopher Walken, but he also has Busey teeth, so his smile is unsettling because all bets are off as to what will happen next (The Busey Effect).Randall S.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-65391225086690411822010-03-04T14:55:52.081-05:002010-03-04T14:55:52.081-05:00Anonymous @ 12:11,
I think we can all agree that ...Anonymous @ 12:11,<br /><br />I think we can all agree that the alternate timeline scenes are showing a world that is the "butterfly effect" of some change in the show's past (which has at least strongly been implied to be the detonation of Jughead). What I believe Alan and myself are struggling with is not the "what" of the alternate timeline, but the "why." <br /><br />In theory, any show could take a major turning point in its plot and spin out two "alternate universes" based on two separate outcomes related to that point, but what would the purpose be? Alan has started to hypothesize that the alternate timeline is some kind of epilogue. I personally have no idea what to believe it is, other than to note that the "appendix scar" scene from last week strongly implies a far greater connection between the alternate and primary timelines than simply as "alternate universes".<br /><br />The main problem with all of this, however, is that whatever the alternate timeline is, it hasn't been explained yet by the show, and that leads almost inexorably to the feeling that the show is only delivering 22 minutes of Lost per week with a side of 22 minutes of weightless dream sequence.<br /><br />I think Alan has covered this problem quite well here, but if you'd like to hear more, I also cover the issue in great detail at my blog (linked through my name).<br /><br />Hope that helps.Rickhttp://ricksflicks.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-30412291685258397152010-03-04T14:45:57.478-05:002010-03-04T14:45:57.478-05:00Wow, I have just spent a ridiculous amount of time...Wow, I have just spent a ridiculous amount of time reading these comments. A lot of interesting theories here. Hey, does anyone agree that they should give us one full Richard episode. Very cool character, and it seems like there could be a lot of questions answered in an episode devoted to him, how he got to the island, how he never ages, etc.,Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17574493923381917843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-2039086315761990132010-03-04T14:35:23.322-05:002010-03-04T14:35:23.322-05:00Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like the...Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like the people who have different alt-realities (Jack has a son, Sayid translates contracts, etc) are the same people who Jacob designated as 'candidates'. I don't remember seeing Kate or Claire's names on the ceiling and their alt-realities seem the same, Kate is on the run, Claire is hoping to give the baby up for adoption.Emilyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16220251530627750472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-49273217730188628632010-03-04T12:11:55.043-05:002010-03-04T12:11:55.043-05:00okay .....
the flash sideways is not dream sequen...okay .....<br /><br />the flash sideways is not dream sequence-like or weightless ...<br /><br />the flash sideways is an alternate universe in which the island blew up in 1977 ... remember, the most critical scene ever ?? last season's finale ?? juliet and the bomb ?? the island blew up (and "sunk" as we saw in this season's premiere)<br /><br />also in this season's premiere, juliet tells sawyer that "it worked" .. the island is gone and that was done in 1977, so the island has not existed since 1977 ..<br /><br />i know its confusing but its all about alternate universes, not basic "time travel" .. dont think of it like 'back to the future' .. think of it as 2 completely different worlds .. 2 different lives .. 2 different universes ..<br /><br />with the island gone since 1977, the "butterfly effect" of this takes place .. think of all the stuff that would be different if the island blew up in 1977 .. <br /><br />just from an isalnd perspective, widmore would have no reason to find it and therefore desmond wouldnt be there and therefore he wouldnt cause the flight to crash etc etc etc etc .. and our losties lives are drastically different ..<br /><br />yes LOST is about all those things you mention in your 1st paragraph but i think you are missing a HUGE point .. LOST is also about alternate universes .. 1 of the most important sentences ever said in this show, "i'll see you in another life, brotha" ..<br /><br />and with that said, i could be totally wrong but i think i'm right (for now ...)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-64139104788444734112010-03-04T11:57:46.913-05:002010-03-04T11:57:46.913-05:00I don't think the flash-sideways are supposed ...I don't think the flash-sideways are supposed to be the epilogue or actual ending to the show. I think its supposed to be more of a what if the island never altered the lives of these characters, a parallel universe where the island never existed. <br /><br />For me, they are the best part of this season and one of the great things the show has ever delivered to its audience. For now, its fascinating...and when the exact nature of what we've been watching is revealed, I'm sure it will add even more meaning to them.<br /><br />I'm all in with this series and enjoying every moment of it, not questioning it. <br /><br />Then again, I felt the same way with BSG and ended up hating their choices in retrospect...but as a week to week watcher, I think that's the only way to really watch and enjoy the show...with some faith.Mike Fnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-27320167878266542792010-03-04T10:22:35.082-05:002010-03-04T10:22:35.082-05:00Remember that Jack met Desmond prior to being on t...Remember that Jack met Desmond prior to being on the island - while they were running stairs - so it would make sense for him to kind of remember him on the place during the flash-sideways.Mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-42724835420324191502010-03-04T05:06:44.536-05:002010-03-04T05:06:44.536-05:00However bad you think Sayid has it in the happyeve...However bad you think Sayid has it in the happyeverafterverse, Jin has it worse!Huddershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00766481321579592386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-89667293353203246132010-03-04T04:28:02.371-05:002010-03-04T04:28:02.371-05:00one of the best episodes of lost ever.
Keamy: For...one of the best episodes of lost ever.<br /><br />Keamy: Forget it, okay?!<br /><br />Sayid:....I cant. BAM BAM BAMChucknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-53440698975659163542010-03-04T02:18:49.072-05:002010-03-04T02:18:49.072-05:00Another thought I'm having that I haven't ...Another thought I'm having that I haven't really seen anyone touch upon over the last two weeks (I'm new to the site) is what role Jacob plays in Sayid's situation. If he doesn't tell Hurley to bring him to the temple to save him then he simply dies right? Did Jacob know he'd get infected? Was it a risk he had to take? Is it all part of a plan?Danonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-38674181446931702242010-03-04T02:15:06.787-05:002010-03-04T02:15:06.787-05:00I know this show has always been vague and mysteri...I know this show has always been vague and mysterious, but this season I can't take it anymore. Darlton haven't even given Flocke a name. <br /><br />Alan, I know you have touched on the fact that if Jacob and Flocke are indeed these masterminds and puppet masters you might be disappointed.I keep thinking about this because if this is true, why are we just know finding about them now? Most everyone agrees we watch for the characters but the two characters we talk most about, we know next to nothing about. <br /><br />I am a huge fan of the flash sideways mostly because we get back to the root of the characters. While at the same time this chunk of the season is being used for something we know nothing about. I will rewatch the series when it is finished but it kinda upsets me that this huge part of the season is going on unexplained probably until the finale.compain87https://www.blogger.com/profile/03808882704913171688noreply@blogger.com