I had intended on writing this column late last week, but got held up. Ultimately I’m glad I put it off, because some rather huge Lost news came about this morning, as ABC has revealed that there will be 48 episodes left of the series. The show will air for three more seasons, with each season containing 16 uninterrupted episodes. For the full story, check out this link:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/05/07/television.lost.reut/index.html
Personally, I think this is fantastic news, for all involved. The creators/writers now have a distinct end point in mind, so they know how to pace themselves for telling the remainder of their story.
Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, the actors now know the extent of their commitment to the show. Despite being on a hit-show, filming and living in Hawaii prevents them from appearing in movies (where the big money is), most of which are filmed in California. I hate seeing a character that you’ve grown attached to get killed off of a show because the actor wanted out, only for the show to end later that season. Now that the actors know how much longer the series will last for, this can now be avoided.
Anyway, onto last week’s episode The big reveal, which wasn’t so surprising (intentionally so) was that Locke’s dad is the original Sawyer, who was responsible for Sawyer’s father killing his mother, and then committing suicide. As I noted, this reveal wasn’t so much for shock value as much as it was for closure and confirmation, so I find it absolutely acceptable that it wasn’t surprising in the least. Quite simply, it wasn’t meant to be surprising to the viewer.
I would also like to note the marvelous performance by Josh Holloway, who portrays Sawyer. I honestly don’t think we’ve ever seen such a powerful show of emotion from Sawyer. We’ve seen him get angry, we’ve seen him upset, but this was an entirely new level of emotion. From when he attacked Locke for reminding him of his mother and father’s fate, to his entire interaction with Locke’s dad after discovering who he really was, I was completely enthralled with his display. From the tears in his eyes, the subtle shake in his voice, and the fact that he was induced to vomiting after committing the deed. Undoubtedly, the best performance we’ve seen from this actor (and character) since the start of the series.
A while back I was planning on writing a column about how the show might need to rethink or abandon their use of the flashback story-telling formula. Ironically, since then, I’ve really found nothing wrong with their use of flashbacks, since they have, for the most part, tinkered with the formula. This past episode, where we got a glimpse of Locke’s week or so with The Others, was the perfect way to tell the story. The alternative, which would be a flashback of Locke or Sawyer’s history/connection with the former’s dad, would have been redundant and forced.
Instead, we had the opportunity to take a look at the inner mechanics of The Others. Perhaps most interestingly, we learned of Ben’s insecurities, as he wanted to knock Locke down a few notches due to people’s amazement of his healing abilities. We also saw inklings of the turmoil within the group, as Alpert revealed to Locke the truth about Ben’s intentions, and his apparent frustration with the emphasis on fertility studies.
I also enjoyed the simplicity of the explanation of how Locke’s dad to go the island. The way I interpreted it was, basically, one of The Others hit his car, causing him to crash into the road divider (strikingly similar to Sara’s accident, by the way). Then another Other, as a paramedic, drugged him and took him to the island. Perfectly adequate and believable, given what we’ve seen in the past.
Another interesting tidbit: I read in a recent EW.com article the idea that Naomi is lying about the plane crashing and them finding no survivors. We now know that that’s an impossibility, as Locke’s father also mentions that Locke is “dead,” referencing the plane being found.
I do find the abrupt non-trusting of Jack interesting. The whole scene with Jack, Kate, and Juliet played out very, well, interestingly. I enjoy the fact that Kate still trusts Jack (unlike the rest of the crew), however I did find it odd that he was so insistent that Kate make her revelation in front of Juliet. Why, exactly? Was it a show of faith, proving to her that he trusts her and everyone else should too? Or did he want her to hear whatever Kate had to say?
On top of that, what exactly do Jack and Juliet know? My prediction: Apparently the season finale is a Jack-centric episode, in which we find out what happened during his extended stay with The Others. I predict that Juliet told Jack Ben’s plan to have her infiltrate their camp as a mole, with The Others planning on raiding the camp after a week. Perhaps Juliet wanted for him to tell Kate about their knowledge, with Jack insisting that they not do that yet. How the communicator ties into this, I do not know. I just feel like, in the end, Jack is supposed to be the hero, and we’re supposed to like Juliet, and this accomplishes both.
This upcoming episode is a Ben-centric one, appropriately titled “The Man Behind the Curtain.” I find it a bit curious that they’d have the Ben episode so soon, or at least before the season finale (or, at the very least, the episode before the season finale). I’m sure a lot of the more high maintenance fans will complain about the lack of answers at the conclusion of the episode.
