If you haven't seen this week's Lost yet, turn back now!Still here?
Okay...
Holy crap!
I was somewhat intrigued, if not completely enthralled, with the revelation that Ana Lucia had traveled to Australia with Jack's father. Given how he keeps ending up in everybody else's flashbacks, it seems fairly inevitable that the daughter he was there to see must have some survivor connection as well, yet to be revealed.
I was entertained again, as I have been, by the antics of Henry Gale. Lately, I've found his plot the most enjoyable thing about the show. The actor has delivered an appropriately moody and creepy performance, and I've enjoyed watching him get under the skins of the main characters, chiefly Locke.
I was suffering the return of Michael. When the line came: "He's waking up," I made no effort to control my own Jack Bauer-esque "Dammit!"
Then, of course, we got to the ending. What can I say? They got me. I'm not sure what exactly to make of the latest developments. Michael appears to have been either converted or coerced by the Others during his time away. To learn which, stay tuned, I'm sure.
I don't really think this makes me like his character any more. On the up side, he finally did something in an episode that wasn't yelling at other characters or shouting to the jungle for Walt. On the down side, he frakking killed two other characters!
Ana Lucia, we hardly knew you. Libby, we never knew you. We didn't ever even get a flashback episode about you. Kinda seems like a suck gig for that actress, as it turned out. I wonder if she'd been told her fate going in? Or if this was some kind of horrible punishment from the writing staff for the DUI arrests those two women got on the same day in real life.
Given that Michael wounded himself at the end of the episode, it appears he's setting himself up to claim that Henry Gale arranged his own escape and killed the two women in the process. So, how long will Michael be able to keep up the lie and remain with the survivors?
How long do I want him to keep it up? I guess that depends on what happens next.
One thing's for sure... we're probably on course for a bummer of a cliffhanger that's going to make last year's "opening of the hatch, but what's inside?" cliffhanger seem like small potatoes.
9 comments:
My take:
(a) Michael's been brain-washed.
(b) Ana-Lucia finally found redemption... and then is killed - very similar to what happened to Shannon. That's CAN'T be a concidence.
(c) Michael will blame the shootings on Henry Gale (duh).
(d) Libby could still be alive. A wound to the stomach doesn't automatically mean death (though it will be painful) - especially with a surgeon around. She may be mortally wounded... maybe her flashback episode could be her death episode. Her being alive could also mean she could tell Jack or Locke about Michael.
(e) Eko better not die next episode (see teaser for next week)... even though he's sort of found redemption on the island too.
(f) Loved the humor with Sawyer this week ("et tu Brutus?", "want my number?", "guess that means cuddling is out of the question", and the part he runs into the car door) - all great stuff.
(g) Who was Henry Gale talking about to Ana-Lucia? Was it Jack's father, one of the Others who blended in to the tailies, or the leader of the Others? Help here needed.
Finally... the title of the manuscript may hold a clue: "Bad Twin" hmmm... interesting, especially following an evil twin episode of Alias.
I was quite surprised by last night's episode, although I saw the "turncoat Michael" a mile away. When Michael was first brought into the hatch and Locke asked about "coincidence" I knew that he had been brainwashed and that this was a setup.
What I didn't see coming was the death of Libby and Ana-Lucia. (However, they are not necessarily both dead.) I do wish that I had not watched the preview for next week though. For all we know, Michael could've killed himself at the end were it not for next week's scenes. That would have made for much better water cooler talk.
I should note that Evan makes a point not to watch the previews of the following week's episode. Yes, the previews do answer some questions about the final scene but not all.
I agree that Libby and Ana-Lucia being shot can't be a coincidence. But I think it has more to do with them being "baggage" for the writers than being reckless drivers in real life.
I doubt Libby is dead because the writers even gave a somewhat tangential line to Hurley in the same episode: "If I drink enough, maybe I'll remember where I know you from." She was shot behind some big thick folded blankets, so her wound might not be immediately fatal. I expect her to be comprised until the time Michael makes his move, whatever that is.
Comments on comments:
Jono -
a) I don't buy that, because he apologized to Ana Lucia before shooting her. I've seen Manchurian Candidate, and that Star Trek episode with Geordi, and I know that the brainwashed don't show remorse.
b) It certainly does strengthen the "island is purgatory" theme, doesn't it? You get closure on the emotional baggage from your pre-island life, and BAM, you're a worm feast.
d) Could be, but we've seen the "Jack fights to save someone from certain death and fails" episode last season with Boone, so I'm hoping for no re-tread here.
e) I *never* see teasers for next week's episode. Ever. I already know I'm going to be there watching it, so why have anything ruined for me?
g) You mean, "the man in charge?" That has been implied on occasion to be the same other who actually took Walt. ("We're gonan have to take the boy.") But in a particular episode, Gale implied there was a higher authority even above that guy. You can't take anythign Henry Gale says at face value anyway.
And if you want to find out exactly how much "Bad Twin" reflects on the plot of Lost, go read it. It was published in book stores just two days ago -- it's a pseudo-tie-in to the show, a real life book written specifically to be referenced in the series.
mkae -
See... further evidence why I do not watch "scenes from next week." Though in this case, I never thought Michael killed himself. It seemed pretty clear to me that he'd pointed the gun at his arm, not at his chest.
Now... everybody -- stop with the spoilers, please. :-)
giromide -
Michael Ausiello over at TV Guide has an interview with the creators today that explains the death of Ana Lucia:
http://community.tvguide.com/thread.jspa?threadID=700001362
If their comments in the interview are to be believed, then no, the writers didn't off anyone out of a sense of the character (or the actress) being "baggage."
I'm still keeping my expectations low for this show. It's not like last year when I bought the hype that "everything was going to be revealed when they opened the hatch" and then nothing happened.
Lost still entertains me, so I watch it. But since I know the writers tend to pull stuff out of their ass, I no longer have faith in it having a compelling story (or, you know, ever moving the plot along).
I know, I know, I'm being negative. I just don't want to be too disappointed.
Don't confuse Lost for Alias.
The writers aren't pulling too much out of their asses, and they aren't caving to the network. They have repeatedly stated that they have long-term plans. Ana-Lucia was meant to last just one season as Michelle Rodriguez only wanted to do one season. This kind of casting is usually poo-pooed by a network.
The Hatch was a big tease, but the first moments of the first episode this season featured events in the Hatch. In fact, our heroes were in the Hatch by the end of that episode.
The real problem with the finale is that the last-minute half-hour inflation ordered by ABC forced it to contain far too much filler. This year's will be two hours and was written as a two-hour episode.
The writers have already stated they're pulling this stuff out of their ass, which made me really lose a lot of interest in the show. In a TV Guide interview a few months ago, they said they have no idea what the "numbers" mean and hope they're never put in the position to try and explain it. WTF? So on that alone, they're just trying to stretch this as long as possible.
1) If you're a woman, don't have sex on the island, or you're dead.
2) I think Michael's been told (and I should note, I said this out loud to Tom right after Michael told his "we can take them" story) that he can have Walt back if he does something for them. My theories on what the something he's been told to do are: rescue "Henry Gale", cause unrest in the camp, or lead the more powerful adversaries of the "others" into a trap.
3) I'd read a rumor that the actress playing Ana Lucia got canned after the DUI arrest, but who knows about these crazy internet rumors...
I apologize about mentioning anything about next week's teaser. I didn't realize you stay away from those (I did knew you stay away from online spoilers though). I'll keep that in mind from now on.
as for (a) if he's not been brain-washed... maybe the Other in Charge (sound like a really bad sitcom title) told Michael you kill all the people who killed Others and you'll get Walt back...
and Kathy... yeah, I guess the island doesn't like for its inhabitants to make love.
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