Hey All,
Last week we decided to add my good friend Anna's recap to the front page here. Most of you loved the recap and her style of mixing various components from theories, notes, and screencaps.
Her post is currently the 3rd highest post on this site and she was extremely honored by all the love and feedback from all of you.
Well here is her new recap and boy, for recapping a setup episode she has done a great job again.
Enjoy and namaste.
INTRODUCTION: HOMEWARD BOUND
A couple of weeks ago when I wrote about “Something Nice Back Home”, I likened it to the classic season-finale set-up episode. Well, little did I know that the first hour of the finale “There’s No Place Like Home” would be the actual set-up episode. So now I suppose the former would be the set-up to the set-up episode?
Honestly, I don’t think it was entirely necessary, especially during a season where due to the writer’s strike the storyline had to be condensed into a shorter length of time. The plot just seemed to eek itself forward in this installment, as about half of the time was spent off-island after the Oceanic 6 settle in. Nonetheless, this is LOST, and there is always some meaty pulp which can be strained from the juice.
MOTHER AND CHILD REUNION
As the airplane doors parted, for a brief second I saw the Swan Hatch opening, and wondered if we would see John Locke peering in with a lit torch. One begins to expect such things on a show such as LOST, but what I did not expect was to be reaching for the tissues so early in the episode.
The music and lack of dialogue made the reunion scene quite emotional, as Jack greeted his mother, Hurley greeted his parents, and Sun greeted her mother, while avoiding her father. As Sayid was then pulled aside by Hurley to also be welcomed by the folks, it got to me even more. But the final kick to the heart was when I saw Kate and Aaron all alone, looking around, wind-blown, both of them now without their true parents. It was a very poignant scene when we consider how the theme of parent issues permeates the show.
KEEP THE CUSTOMER SATISFIED
Although the Oceanic press conference was a bit unbelievable, it was also a bit revealing in the way that the O6 answered their questions. We all know they are given a large sum of money by Oceanic Airlines. We also know they are hiding something huge but still don’t know why. Was this their own idea, to fabricate a story to possibly protect the Island and their friends left behind? Did Oceanic actually bribe them to stay quiet with the settlements given out? Or did some representative of Widmore possibly orchestrate their rescue and subsequent cover-up? Who was that mysterious person on the plane that Karen Decker said hello to before she tells the O6 they are about to land?
I found it interesting that the name for the island the O6 first supposedly came to is named ‘Membata’. According to Lostpedia, it means ‘doubt’ in Indonesian, as in, “I doubt that’s what really happened!” In addition, I am wondering if they’re referencing the tsunami of December 2004 when Ms. Decker explains to the press that a typhoon had washed up a small Indonesian fishing boat to the island. It seems to me that we are close to the date in our timeline. I could be totally off with this, however, as time and dates on and off the Island are a bit difficult to pinpoint.
LOVES ME LIKE IRAQ
Sayid is an extremely passionate character, and to me his love story with Nadia is just as iconic as Desmond and Penny, or Sun and Jin. After searching for her for 7 years and returning from the Island, the two are finally reunited in another highly emotional scene.
One complaint that I have heard in my own circles is the frustration with knowing who gets off the Island and what happens in the flash-forwards, as some people believe that this has somewhat ruined the suspense for them. Sometimes I tend to agree, and sometimes, I disagree. I think what the writers are giving us is a very different way of telling a story that we are only beginning to learn the implications and complexity of.
For instance, if we did not know the events that lead up to Sayid being recruited by Ben, this scene would be just a very moving reunion of lovers. However, because we know that sometime not long in the future after they are married Nadia is murdered, another level is added to their meeting. Now the scene evokes emotions that are bittersweet and deeply heartbreaking, as we are already aware that their bliss will unfortunately be short-lived.
FATHER AND DAUGHTER
At this point, I can’t help but wonder if Sun happens to shop at ‘Black and White Maternity Dresses R Us’. But aside from her lack of color, she is certainly not for lack of fire.
Sun marches into her father’s office and does not hesitate to give him a verbal lashing that I doubt anyone saw coming. She defiantly accuses him of hating Jin and being one of the two people responsible for his “death”. In a final, grand act of revenge, she reveals that she used her Oceanic Airlines settlement to purchase a controlling stock in Paik Heavy Industries, her father’s own company.
I am not really concerned with the question of how she had enough money to buy such a large part of the company, even if there does seem to be a plot hole here. What does fascinate me is that the Island, and what happened when she left it, has really changed Sun. Having to part with her husband (whether alive or dead) has given her this edge that has allowed her to confront this hugely oppressive force in her life. It was honestly just plain fun to cheer Sun on and watch Mr. Paik squirm.
I also do not think this is the last we will be seeing of him, as if you remember from The Lost Experience his company is linked to Charles Widmore and most likely to the Island as well. Could this be another reason why Sun bought into Paik? It would be a nice turn of events if we later find out that Sun’s newly acquired resources do indeed come into play in the O6’s return back to the Island.
WHEN NUMBERS GET SERIOUS
I was very moved when Hurley’s father revealed to him the fully-restored Camaro that they had once worked on together when Hurley was just a boy. I almost cried again when Mr. Reyes told him that he felt as if Hurley was with him when he was restoring it. Unfortunately, however, the white rabbit’s foot on his keychain was of no service. As soon as Hurley gets into the car he immediately discovers the NUMBERS on his speedometer and subsequently freaks out. Heck, it even freaked me out, so I give my kudos to the writers for another great ‘whoa’ moment. It would seem that the Island wasted no time in its assault on Hurley’s heart and mind, as he is the first of the O6 to become terribly affected after leaving.
THAT WAS YOUR MOTHER
Although the funeral service for Christian Shepherd seemed a bit forced and untimely, it did serve the purpose of bringing Carole Littleton, Claire’s mother, into the storyline again. Apparently, Ms. Littleton had awakened from the comatose state that Claire had left her in before crashing on the Island. In a very “Star Wars” moment where I could almost hear Emperor Palpatine’s voice speaking over her, Carole reveals to Jack that he has a sister.
Finally, we now know for sure that Jack is aware that Aaron is his nephew. However this now makes his aversion to Aaron even stranger, as there must be some reason that Jack does not want to see this child later on in the future timeline. Even if it is somehow tied to his own manufactured guilt from his failed plan to get everyone off the Island, it seems harsh to me that he would not want to see his own nephew, or provide him with love in memory of the mother who cannot be with him.
There are many cases of character connection on the show, but rarely do the characters themselves actually find out. In a final moment of irony, Carole walks over to Kate and Aaron. She is not at all aware Aaron is actually Claire’s child, and she looks at him admiringly for a moment before telling Kate that he is beautiful. There must be some very big reason the O6 are keeping to their story if they cannot even allow a grieving grandmother to know her only grandson.
ONE TRICK PONY
Poor Jack. He really hasn’t been making the best decisions lately. Make that all season. His heart is in the right place, but his mind is still stuck in hero mode. So it is only fitting that he decides to go traipsing off into the jungle after helicopter pilot extraordinaire Frank Lapidus and the Agents of Doom he doesn’t know are flying with him. Perhaps if Juliette had done a better job of stitching him up, maybe we wouldn’t need to worry about his guts falling out. Kate doesn’t seem overly concerned, though. I think she takes any opportunity she can get to spend some alone time with the Doc, even if he is bleeding profusely from an open flesh wound. That’s just love juice, baby.
Enter one overly casual Miles and one overly distressed Sawyer with child. I give this scene entirely to Josh Holloway, as once again my heartstrings were totally tugged upon. He did a brilliant job of expressing extreme exhaustion, disbelief, sadness, and fear all within a few seconds and all without saying a word.
However, it doesn’t take long for him and Jack to begin arguing about their previous decisions and about what to do next. In a classic Sawyer and Jack game of verbal table-tennis, Sawyer calls Jack out on how he constantly feels like he has to get everyone off the Island saying, “You’re like a damn broken record!” Jack then spins right round and decides to continue the trek alone to Kate’s dismay. I can’t tell if the look of shock on her face is for fear of Jack’s life, or for fear of sudden motherhood.
Nonetheless, the scene is closed with another classic line as Sawyer begrudgingly stomps off after Jack yelling, “Hold up! You don’t get to die alone!” Sawyer is now in hero mode as well, and the two of them disappear into the greenery to more than likely join the party that’s about to go down at the Orchid Station.
SAVE THE LIFE OF MY CHILD
Meanwhile, back at the beach, Sayid arrives with the zodiac boat he borrowed from the freighter to further separate the survivors and make us have to speculate even harder about how the O6 actually get back together and escape the Island. Kate also returns and plays hot-potato with Aaron, passing him off to Sun with a quickness so that she can run back into the jungle after Jack.
And who would have thought that Daniel Faraday, the lying, time-traveling physicist with memory issues, would step up and actually participate in trying to save the Islanders? Somebody mentioned the Orchid and that freaked Danny boy the heck out. As Sayid and Kate run off into the jungle after Sawyer and Jack, Dan starts the first ferry of 6 back to the freighter. This first batch includes Jin, Sun, Aaron, and some redshirts to mix it up and make it seem more natural. When Dan starts to pull away, he turns back to Charlotte who is watching from the shoreline and gives her a look that I could only interpret as, “I sure hope I don’t die!” Charlotte also gives him a look in return that I interpreted as, “I’m sure glad Jin isn’t going to break your fingers now!”
THE BOXER
Well it didn’t take long for Ben to be back to his old, cryptic self. I wonder if his moping around in “Cabin Fever” was indeed just an act in order to manipulate Locke. Once they learned they needed to move the Island, Ben seems to have sprung back into his ‘game-master’ role, and even makes a pit stop to uncover a conveniently placed BOX of supplies hidden under a rock. Even more convenient is the person perched on the mountainside already prepared to send messages to Ben via a signaling mirror. Who was Ben communicating with and what was he saying that he had to keep secret from Locke? Was he telling the Others, who had sought refuge at a place called the Temple, to now meet them at the Orchid? What does he know that made it so easy for him to turn himself over to Keamy and Co.? And why do I have that feeling again that somehow Ben has experienced all of these events before?
OLD FRIENDS
I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see the Others, and when Kate first mentions the tracks she found had doubled back behind them, I just knew we were going to have another reference to “The Hunting Party”. When Kate and Sayid wouldn’t put down the guns they had aimed at Richard, another “Light ‘em up” moment occurs and the sounds of guns being aimed at our two O6’ers can be heard as the Others pop out of the jungle from all directions.
After realizing they are totally surrounded, Kate and Sayid surrender and are marched along with the shabby-clothed company towards some unknown destination. If my previous thought that Ben was communicating with them earlier via the mirror is indeed correct, I have a feeling they may indeed also be heading to the Orchid.
THE BIG BRIGHT GREEN PLEASURE MACHINE
The Orchid Station has been one of my biggest curiosities and source for theories about the show since it was first shown to us in the form of an orientation film released last summer. In this film, Dr. Halliwax briefly mentions the purpose of the research being done there saying, “The unique properties of this Island created a kind of Casimir effect”, which is an actual force in quantum physics involving electromagnetic fields.
Exotic matter with negative energy density is required to stabilize a wormhole. Morris, Thorne and Yurtsever pointed out that the quantum mechanics of the Casimir effect can be used to produce a locally mass-negative region of space-time, and suggested that negative effect could be used to stabilize a wormhole to allow faster than light travel.
-- from Wikipedia
He also describes their studies as “highly volatile and potentially dangerous”. This seems to correlate with what Ben tells Hurley about moving the Island, as he says, “doing it is both dangerous and unpredictable. It's a measure of last resort.”
With everything that we have learned so far, I have a hunch that moving the island is going to involve creating another kind of purple-sky event like we witnessed during the Swan Hatch implosion. The best I can describe what I believe will happen is that entire “snow globe” around the island is going to be manipulated along with its naturally-occurring electromagnetic forces to basically create a wormhole around the entire Island, allowing it to slip slide away…
CONCLUSION: EVERYTHING PUT TOGETHER FALLS APART
Yet another level of duality can be discerned in this installment, as we have now seen both reunions and separations. As soon as I thought everyone was going to be meeting up in one place, the writers throw us a curveball of chaos, and our O6 become scattered even further apart than before. At least in the previous episode they were all on the Island. However, now we have some of our cast still on the beach and some of them at the Orchid. In addition, Kate and Sayid have now been captured by the Others, though I believe they too are headed to the former greenhouse station. Finally, we even have some of our O6 seeking refuge on the freighter which seems doomed to explode at any moment via that truckload of C4 that’s somehow connected to the device strapped around Martin Keamy’s arm.
The beginning of this episode is also the end product of the events that are about to take place. Sun didn’t even need to tell Jack that they were in shock, it was obvious. One can only guess that the group left in a hurry and under extremely extenuating circumstances. Whatever we are about to see the Orchid do, it is going to quite possibly make true a small, two-word mantra we first learned from that creepy brainwashing video in the notorious Room 23.
Everything changes.
a.N
*I write about LOST because I love the challenge of deciphering the clues and adding the pieces together. My thoughts are based solely on the show, the LOST Experience, and random research, as I try to avoid spoilers, promos, and even future episode titles. I love to guess what is going on, but I also like to do so in a way that leaves some of the conclusions still up to you. I do not know the answers and am often wrong. Whatever the truth turns out to be, it has been the journey that has meant the most to me.*
Posted By: The ODI
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21 Comments:
Ho, we have our insighter lady back on recaps !
Although I think this recap was not your best shot, it may be all about the ground-providing nature of the episode for the things to come.
I have a couple of things to relate to your recap:
About the "scattered O6" part, I'm pleased (but not really surprised after getting assured that both of us share similar thoughts on the show regarding your previous recap) to see that you were intrigued with the same thing. Here I'll link to my thoughts about the "how the hell will these come together" situation:
http://www.spoilertv.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1017&start=50#p10578
Also, one point that I strongly disagree with "this should have a meaning!" fans is about the "mysterious man" greeted by Mrs. Decker on the plane. He obviously is one of the crew on the plane. Here are caps to it:
http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/4990/notwtfindeed1so4.jpg
http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/4990/notwtfindeed1so4.jpg
http://gallery.lost-media.com/albums/ep-caps/season4/4x12/4x13-cap-067.jpg
No mysteries there, precisely.
Thanks for taking time to writing those recaps. Looking forward to your final shot.
Superb write-up again. Your writing has substance, humour and wit in equal measure. Well done.
Recap is good =), but there is something I disagree with.
I think the episode was one of the best episodes ever, I do not see it only as a set-up episode and I'm really glad with it =)
Second thing is Sun. I don't think she has changed so much only after leaving the Island.
This whole season I was wondering how often she steped up - she started to question Jack's decisions, planned on her own to go to Locke's camp etc.
That made her one of my favourite characters.
Great recap Anna. Great to av u back again.
hi everyone thanks again for the great response!
*l.e.n.> haha thanks for reading again! this was definitely not my favorite article either. kind of hard to follow Cabin Fever!
about the man in the plane i think you may be right. i really looked hard at the screencaps i had and what i first thought looked like a man in a suit might very well be the same man you pointed out in your pics who is wearing a flight uniform.
http://www.fourtoedfoot.com/blog/S4E12_sample1.jpg
i might still keep an open mind on this one...at least for now. ;)
*crikey> wow you are too kind! :D
* nodecode > thank you so much for reading! i understand what you are saying about Sun, i love her as well. ever since "the glass ballerina" i think my view of her as being timid was shattered. however, my main focus is that something dramatic must have happened to make her stand up to her father of ALL people...she has always been somewhat subservient to him in the past. and maybe that one thing was simply being separated from, or even worse, losing her husband.
A bit less literature and irony than other recappers allows laying facts and connections a bit better. It also makes it easier to understand for us, non-English speaking readers... :-)
BTW, it seems that most of as loved seeing Sawyer back to Jack's. It is the sense of camaraderie that, to some extent, built along the first season, that I long for so much. It was aborted as the writers decided to keep on adding more ingredients, castaways, others, freighters, conspirators, plotlines, etc., instead of deepening the relationships between the survivors.
I want to mean: my brother's greatest moment, and one of the best of the whole series for many people is that conversation between Sawyer and Jack ending with that 'Small world, Jack' that Sawyer uttered after telling Jack about him having met Christian in Australia. Many times I've wondered how things had been different if the survivors had shared much more info between themselves. I know: it's not easy with someone like Locke on the group, but...
Thanks for your writing.
That’s just love juice, baby.
EWWWWWWW [frantically reaches for brain bleach] Um, ewwwwww.
I am not really concerned with the question of how she had enough money to buy such a large part of the company, even if there does seem to be a plot hole here.
Possibly, but there's a key line of dialog in the scene before Sun shows up:
MR. PAIK: (In Korean) How could this happen?!
UNDERLING: (In Korean) Whoever did it, sir, used five different banks.
MR. PAIK: (In Korean) Get Yoon up here right now! NOW!
Hmmm...I'm sure those accounts will read: S. Kwon; H. Reyes; J. Shephard; K. Austen and S. Jarrah. :-)
Charlotte also gives him a look in return that I interpreted as, “I’m sure glad Jin isn’t going to break your fingers now!”
Hahaha, I thought the same thing.
Well it didn’t take long for Ben to be back to his old, cryptic self. I wonder if his moping around in “Cabin Fever” was indeed just an act in order to manipulate Locke.
Nah, I think he was genuinely bummed, but Ben's not like Jack and the rest of them, he doesn't dwell on emotions, there's more important things to do.
even makes a pit stop to uncover a conveniently placed BOX of supplies hidden under a rock
BEN: You know, those are 15 years old.
Hahaha, I think Ben is losing patience with the Losties and their foibles.
BEN: None of your business, John.
Hahahaha, you go Ben. I instantly flashed on this exchange from Cabin Fever:
BEN: He actually thinks staying was his idea. Not bad, John. Not bad at all.
JOHN: I'm not you.
BEN: You're certainly not.
Zing! Ben needs John but he doesn't respect him yet:
BEN: How many times do I have to tell you, John? I *always* have a plan.
Take *that* Chosen One! I love Ben so. damn. much.
From another thread:
They said 5 banks. Oceanic 6 minus aaron is 5.
Jack is a successful doctor, doesn't really need money.
Hurley doesn't really want any money (and has 100 million to give away). Kate is mooching from Jack. And Sayid seems more than willing.
So, there's plenty enough just from Hurley alone. But add in Jack's share and possibly Sayid's (and her own)... you have tons of cash.
yes, i have indeed heard all of the theories as to how it is possible Sun could have acquired the money from the rest of the O6, used 5 banks, etc. etc....
i just don't necessarily buy into it.
;)
Nice recap Ana! I agree that Ben seems to know what will happen next and I am guessing it has something to do with his trip to Smokey's lair after Alex's death. I think the flashforwards are meant to give the audiance a glimpse of what it is like to see the future and they certainly do add such depth to the story. Brilliant technique. I imagine the reason only 6 get off the island is that it changes location before more can be rescued. Having someone disappear is liable to leave you shell shocked indeed. It will be interesting to see how the C4, Keamy's bunch and the Others all play into the big move. I wonder if Hugo shares his knowledge with the O6 later on or if the reason he is "contacted" first can be connected to the time/space shift. Everything certainly will change and I am guessing it will rock!
Great recap!! Thank you!!
I've been thinking over the weekend. I can't think of any moment earlier in my entire life watching TV och movies that so short into an episode having to "reach for the tissues".
Lost grabs your emotions from the beginning, every single episode.
Robert - Stockholm
"TV och movies", sorry, och is a swedish word; TV or movies.
Robert - Stockholm
Anna,
I enjoyed the recap very much, and I would like to comment on the part about how some consider knowing future events spoils the suspense.
I actually think that the way the show allows you a glimpse into the future here and there, creates an even more complex type of anticipation. I also think their method of presenting us with fleeting plays from the past, present, and future and not necessarily in order, is contributive to the themes of the show itself.
Time and space on the show have been implied to be manipulated by some of the characters and in a few cases we are led to believe that all events are happening simultaneously, so why not view everything simultaneously?
Consequently, the delivery of the show actually mimics the themes and stories in the show itself, and you can't knock that kind of creativity for a dull stock story done in chronological order.
I like to think of it as a concert given to you in different parts and the listener has to put the concert together to make sense of it.
Another theme I noticed in this episode was the "Birth, new life" aspect when the doors of the airplane were opening for the O6 to begin anew and start over. This was a big part of the overall feel of the episode, especially when we saw Sun stand up to her Father as if she was a different person or like you pointed out Anna, everything changes and Sun changed into new-Sun.
I thought Fox did a nice job when he heard that Claire was his sister in that you could read the sorrow on his face. This appears to be the onset of the descending slope for Jack, just like we witness Hurley's downhill slope with the car numbers. Apparently starting anew is not always easy when there are loose ends left and umbilical cords un-severed.
Keep writing these Anna, they are so inspirational and best of all, very entertaining.
Another excellent recap!
I, too, was crying at the very beginning of the episode. There were soooo many great parts to this episode, but my favourite was when Jack found out about Aaron.
I thought Matthew Fox did a superb job of acting out the shock and dismay of what he had just heard. he looked like he had been physically hit with a sack of bricks! LOL!
I loved this episode. I found it to be much more than a "set up the characters" show.
Thanks for the recap! :o)
Nice recap, although short... not as well thought out and explained as others on this site... why does every episode have to be the be-all end-all episode? We needed this informtion and drama to get to the next episode, which gets us to the next season, which is a setup for the final season, leading to the final episode... it is all a set-up for that final episode. Enjoy the storytelling on the way there.
Anna,
I think one of my favorite aspects of Lost is the character relations to other classic characters from movies and literature. You mentioned being reminded of Star Wars when Jack finds out about his sister. I was also reminded of Star Wars later in the episode when Ben gives himself up to the freighter folk. It was kind of like when Ben Kenobi allowed himself to be killed by Vader while Luke (Locke)watched. Obi-won had an ultimate plan in mind when he did this and it gave our Star Wars heroes time to escape via the Millenium Falcon. Perhaps our own Ben has a master plan to save our Lost heroes (including the island) and give them time to escape via the Orchid.
Ben Linus = Ben Kenobi
Locke = Luke
The Orchid = The Falcon
Might be a stretch but fun to ponder just the same. We do know the writers have a fascination with Star Wars (didn't Jack just step on a falcon toy 2 episodes ago?). Keep on Bloggin, see ya after the finale.
*lesley > "Having someone disappear is liable to leave you shell shocked indeed. It will be interesting to see how the C4, Keamy's bunch and the Others all play into the big move."
can't agree with you more
*maryland 11849> *sniff* i know, man... :)
*tiffany> you nailed it. the way that LOST is being presented itself is another level of symbolism and meaning in the show. the writers are also similar to montage artists (to go with the musical analogy). they combine several themes with their own inherent meaning to create an entirely new meaning...and we are left to decipher that meaning. or in this case, the timing as we try and work out of it some sort of linear series of events, because this is what our minds are trained to do.
i agree that fox did a great job with that scene.
"Apparently starting anew is not always easy when there are loose ends left and umbilical cords un-severed."
why aren't YOU writing blogs? ;)
*marisa/lisac > if i did not love EVERYTHING about this show i would not be doing what i do. in addition, i don't think "set-up" episode is a curse word. it's a method of the medium and does not at all reflect the quality of storytelling. :)
*damosh> thats also a great observation, and i LOVE thinking of the Orchid as being somewhat akin to the Falcon...hahaha! here's my dreamteam:
Ben = Ben
Jack = Luke
Claire = Lea
Christian = Anakin
Jacob? = the Emperor
Sawyer = Solo
Hugo = Chewbacca
Excellent recap! You seem to actually write without some sort of fan-girl/shipper agenda that is really pleasing and refreshing to read. Keep up the great work.
"I wonder if his moping around in “Cabin Fever” was indeed just an act in order to manipulate Locke. Once they learned they needed to move the Island, Ben seems to have sprung back into his ‘game-master’ role, and even makes a pit stop to uncover a conveniently placed BOX of supplies hidden under a rock. Even more convenient is the person perched on the mountainside already prepared to send messages to Ben via a signaling mirror."
He's the master manipulator...
Remember: "He's exactly where he wants to be."