Okay everyone, let’s take a deep breath.
There’s just not a whole lot to say after the type of sledgehammer-to-the solar plexus climax we got in the closing minutes of “The Candidate”. Then again, I wouldn’t be much of a television blogger if my thoughts amounted to, “Boy, that sure was sad,” would I?
But, really, that was pretty sad, right?
Last night’s cataclysmic bloodbath was, if nothing else, completely indicative of the tone that the show will employ in the final episodes. Namely, that no one is safe. It should come as no surprise that UnLocke’s true motive was to eliminate the slew of candidates as opposed to fleeing with them. He said as much in the closing minutes of “Ab Aeterno”. From a narrative standpoint, it seems logical that our favorite Korean couple would be the ones to go. The writers have sort of been struggling with what to do with them for the better part of two seasons. The best conflict they could come up with is “They’re apart! For a long time!” So, wouldn’t it make sense that on the heels of their anticipated reunion, they be among the first casualties of a climactic battle we all knew was looming? So, while I suspect the most tears were shed over the dearly departed Kwons, it is something that makes some sense. And of course, the heartbreaking Giacchino score/elaborate sinking ship metaphor was all executed to perfection.
What had me more than a little burned up (pun intended) is the unceremonious departure of Sayid. Notice i said “had”, not “has”. Upon further reflection, I realize that we actually bid farewell to Sayid alread this season, way back in the season premiere, as he lay dying, he lamented his own fate as an evil man to Hurley. The Sayid we’ve since then was nothing more than a shell of his former self, mostly doing the bidding of the Smoke Monster in a generally dispassionate fashion. The fact that he managed to off himself for good by doing something so heroic is somewhat cathartic.
As always, where Lost really let loose on me wasn’t in the actual sad event, but the manner in which the characters react to those events. I’m talking specifically about Jorge Garcia’s brilliantly understated weeping on the beach upon hearing that his friends were floating to a watery grave.
As thrilling as the final sequence was (pretty much everything from the boat shootout on), I was also very on board with the understated nature of the flash sideways story. It focused largely on Jack and his quest to find out how Locke found himself situated in that wheelchair in an effort extricate him from it. The heartbreaking reveal that Locke had piloted a plane that left himself paralyzed and his former deadbeat father completely catatonic was a prime example of how effective this method of story telling can be when it is used correctly.
On Monday’s inaugural IPTV LostCast, Jonathan Widro and I discussed the theory that the Monster was some sort of misunderstood wrongfully-imprisoned entity that would actually turn out to be the real source of good on the show. If any of you were still clinging to this foolhardy notion, is the senseless massacre of Sun and Jin (and the attempted slaying of the rest of the candidates as well) enough to convince you that we are dealing with a purely evil force?
There will be another installment of the aforementioned podcast up on Wednesday afternoon, in which Widro and I will discuss the events of “The Candidate” in greater depth. So, for now, I will leave you with some extra thoughts spooling about in my mind.
- So many Widmore flunkie deaths, and yet I don’t believe I saw Zoe among them. I mean, Sayid’s dead now, so she won’t be offed via head scissors/neck-snapping. I’m getting worried.
- The Jack and Locke exchanges regarding Locke’s rejection of the experimental surgery served as a superb coda to their exchange at the baggage claim way back in “LA X”, still probably my favorite scene of the season.
- Locke’s slight pause when Jack mentioned the very line from Locke’s suicide note “I wish you had believed me”, coupled with his half-asleep mumblings about the button, tell me that Locke is having a Desmond-esque glimpse of his Island self. He is resistant to it because he is one of the few Sideways inhabitants who actually seems somewhat happy with his rebooted existence.
- Only Kate could manage to take a non-fatal bullet to the gut.
So, that is where I leave you. We’re going to get through this, I promise. In fact, it’s better that we were given this sort of baptism by fire in “The Candidate”, as I think our future holds even more bloodshed for our beloved castaways.
Namaste.
