Read "Season 4 Recap"
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38 Comments:
sigh, it took all of several sentences to dash my hopes of something new.
Hey great job...i really liked it..BRAVO!
Great read.
I guess you get an A for effort, but this seems more like a Josh Holloway fan site.
I think he's a good character and all, but these reviews are obviously skewed.
I LOVE your reviews. I can't wait for new ones. I still find it funny that ppl seem shocked by any anti-jackness.
I esp liked what you wrote about what kinds of heroes sawyer, locke and jack are. i hadn't thought of jack as being the tragic hero of lost but it makes sense. and actually i think this made me like (or at least understand) jack more.
I have already said it on your blog but it's worth mentioning again; you keep getting better and better with every.freaking.post so dont you ever stop writing these reviews, they are the best part of the Lost online fandom. ;)
Wow! Another thought-provoking look at the most complicated show in tv history. Keep these posts coming, it gives me so much to think about over the long hiatus.
The theme of constant loss.
Hurley has lost his mind.
Sun has lost her husband.
Sayid has lost his soul.
Jack has lost his dignity.
Aaron has lost his mother.
And Kate has lost her….
....pants.
Ge-ni-us. So true.
Just Awesome!!! You've mentioned many theories here that I had never comtemplated very thoroughly before. After the finale, I was a little put off by the fact that all of the new clues seemed so vague that they left us nothing fresh and interesting to ponder during this hiatus, but this essay has my mind spinning once again! Thank you for all the work you put into researching these theories. Anyone who lets their personal prejudices prevent them from taking the time to read this review thoroughly, will truely be missing out!
I already commented on your blog too, but this recap is just brilliant, Fish!!! I always learn something when I read your recaps. You must spend such a long time researching everything to gather all these scientific and religious facts together which coincide with what happened on the show. Then you add in a little sarcasm and you have another awesome recap! I hope you never stop writing!
I didn't even have to read to know that in fishbiscuit "personal opinion" Sawyer is a "true hero" and Jack isn't... so...
I rather read something that is more impartial... or that is written by someone who is less "jack-hater". Fishbiscuit website is more like a Sawyer fan club and Jack hater fan club.
But I read and must say that the writing is good. Just not believable…
It's a good thing the Top-Rated Articles thing is disabled. Otherwise, the Anna fans would be bombarding you with 1-star reviews.
Hrm, I tried to take a second look at Fish, but didnt get very far. Just the usual Jack hate and Sawyer worshiping. Didnt understand the point of the negativity, unless it was ment to be sarcasm, but i didnt read very far to find out.
Sorry, just not what im looking for in a recap.
Excellent recap, Fish! I especially loved the Atlantis theory. Oh, and the bit about the different kind of heroes. I say you nailed it pretty accurately.
There is so much more to this recap than an evaluation of Sawyer and Jack as the romantic and tragic heroes. It's unfortunate that with everything that is in here, some people choose to focus on just this, which I personally don’t think is exceedingly negative. (Well, yes referring to Jack as Dr. Druggy among other nicknames is not particularly nice, but it’s not wrong at this point either. I personally just overlook little things like that, but I know it’s hard for those that love Jack to.) For me, viewing Jack as a tragic hero actually makes him a more sympathetic and relatable character that I can route for. In the end, only TPTB know which hero will get the girl and which will even survive. FB believes the romantic hero survives and gets the girl. That's a good bet. At this point that could be Sawyer from a certain perspective. But who is the romantic hero in the end? With the toss of a coin, the romantic hero could become the tragic one and through his redemption the tragic hero becomes the romantic one. So who knows?
Lock as the classical hero? Okay, I’ll buy that. Ben as the monomythical hero? Well, I never even heard of that one. Learn something new everyday. (I suppose you have to define Ben as some type of hero especially if you are going to rename the show BEN.)
I loved the idea that Locke as the Chosen One is actually the forerunner of someone else who is the true Chosen One, who is perhaps the true Shephard. Perhaps Jack has a savior complex for a reason; he just has not yet realized his purpose and has even fought against it, but Locke is supposed to guide him to his true path. The picture of Jack floating face down with arms outstretched certainly seemed symbolic of a savior.
Of course, there is so much more here. I’ll probably have to go through it several times to digest it all. The final theory that “THE ISLAND IS A MYSTERY WRAPPED IN AN ENIGMA PASSED THROUGH A PARADOX BEING REVEALED TO US THROUGH SECRET CODES” might wind up being the one that gets my vote.
Said it before I.... love the way you use a visual means of expression.
Sigh... I hesitatingly clicked on the review with hopes that somehow this would be less fantasy--more actual Lost--and I was again disappointed. If I had never watched the show or even if I watched it on a shallow level I would enjoy your recaps 100% since you are a talented, witty writer. But since I do watch and analyze the show myself I am amazed at how your obsession with a minor character has tainted the tone of the show. Your opinion, I know but I've high hopes for you still!
Superb recap!
Okay the,
and Kate lost her...
pants, part was hilarious.
but what I think Kate lsot was her edge, her toughness.
But other than that, GREAT! 5 Stars!
It still bemuses me that people criticise Fish for being a Jack hater. It's really not that bad. I think not enjoying Fishbiscuits articles because of the Jack-bashing is a bit like not eating a four-course banquet because there are brussel sprouts on offer...
For those of you who expect Jack-hating in this article, you SHOULD read the analysis of the four heroes. It explains Fish's point of view fairly well. It actually makes her seem more sympathetic towards Jack too.
I agree golden, anyone who automatically puts down this review as focusing on bashing Jack, should read the Fish's analysis on heroes. It's hard to disagree on any of the points the Fish raised. Really excellent recap Fishbiscuit. You continue to outdo yourself! I can't dismiss any of your theories, they all seem so valid in the story of this show. From Shambahla, to the Legends of Hollow Earth, to Atlantis and the different types of heroes, the theme of loss, including the lack of humanity in the characters this season and the female characters' roles this season, to time travel, the apparent relevance of Eastern philosophy and the Vile Vortices theory... it all seems relevant to this show.
I think the words "clues and references and symbols and images, collected from every culture and every genre, all sucked down into a funneling maelstrom where they're reconstituted into this one of a kind story" sums it up very well. Your portrayal of this past season gives me lots to think about it and is the perfect read to put it all into perspective here.
This was one hell of a jam packed awesome review, but I'm not sure why you're still bothering with the crowd here, Fish. Seems there's just a close minded group that won't accept anything outside of their orthodoxy.
Obsession with a minor character? Whuh? I saw Sawyer (since when he's a minor character?) mentioned in about three or four places, all told. The review covered scientific ground, fantasy ground, the time travel questions, the spiritual things. You hit all the spots. Yet you've got people on here who claim their analysis puts yours to shame, and then say they don't read the recap, and of course no one ever sees any of their great analysis.
I love the stuff you write and it deserves to be appreciated, but a lot of your audience here doesn't seem to appreciate any sense of imagination about this cool show. Their loss. I know a lot more less vocal fans hope you keep it coming. Don't ever let small minds stop you, especially when they don't bother to read before they bash.
Wow that review really sucked. I dont like it when people who complain about jack fans not liking fishbiscuits reviews. They have a right to complain their just trying to defend him. Jack haters even have to admit that fishbiscuit makes nasty comments about him. Of course im wasting time because Jack is not a real person. To hate Matthew Fox though would be a shame because he is nothing like Jack. Not all jack haters hate matthew fox at least I think but a lot do.
When will Jack fans realize that his character is actually flawed....and that is the POINT?
You'd think we weren't all watching the same show. Fish isn't a Jack-hater, just tellin' it like it is, sorry to disappoint.
Great review, as usual - thank you! And nice to read a bit into the hiatus, actually. :) I liked all of the questions you raised, definitely some food for thought on just what the heck is really happening (and whether we'll truly know).
Keep it up! Hopefully you don't take all the negative comments to heart over here...seems to be the common sentiment but by no means speaks for everyone.
I really really enjoyed reading this review - great job! As others have mentioned the analysis of the different kinds of hero was excellent, and imho, spot-on.
As always, the guided analysis of the "clues and references and symbols and images, collected from every culture and every genre" was thoughtful and incisive. I liked the way you set out, explained and gave evidence for the various meta-theories. There's certainly a lot of food for thought there. And the bit about Kate loosing her pants literally made me laugh out loud.
As gary pointed out the proportion of sentences devoted to Jack bashing and Sawyer praising are actually minimal. I wish people would remember that these are not real people! Personally, I feel that there is a small section of the fan community who believe that those who don't think Jack is great and/or are big fans of Sawyer must be dim-witted and superficial, so of course they don't like to be presented with the evidence that contradicts this!
If a show is provoking love/hate responses to its characters then it's doing a good job. If it's engaging fans to the extent that they put what is clearly a good deal of time/effort into researching theories and preparing entertaining reviews like this then it's doing a truly great job.
In the UK there are a number of TV columnists who make their living out of sardonic reviews with "nasty" quips about various characters. I don't often agree with them but I personally find these more enjoyable and entertaining to read than those that are overly solemn and deferential.
Great Review! It has given me a lot to think about.
Thanks :)
This is an excellent review.
I feel sorry for the people who obviously only looked for the Jack parts and when they saw anything negative they decided to start crying.
Get over it.
If you can't realise that Jack's character has gone from hero to (sorry for the cheesiness) zero, then you are CLEARLY deluded.
It's all part of the Lost story.
Oh and it's fiction, so stop over-reacting.
FB is absolutely correct in her characterization of the heroes. that is how these characters were portrayed most during season 4. That section of her review was clearly unbiased. if you have watched season 4 you will have seen Sawyers character blossoming, Johns character growing into a leader, and Jacks character getting sad, selfish, and slightly crazy.
i will admit some of the "the island is" theories had my head swimming, but i really enjoyed your recap.
Thanks FB.
Thanks to FB, I'm officially onboard with the Vile Vortices theory. :-)
brilliant review fish. couldnt quite get my head around some of the theories but i'll have another read of them. lol. I loved your theory about the 4 heroes and i think you were spot on. keep it up!
Great as always!
After last season I'm more in the way that they are playing with us...they are going here and there leaving things unfinished (as pregnancy matter) cause the Lost's script is open, I mean the original theme is as versatile as they want....
Oh, please, I don't want a Ben or a O6's season, I miss 1,2 and 3 seasons :(
As usual I was impressed by the amount of thought and humour put into your recaps.
I'd like to read an analysis by other fans that is as accessible, entertaining and enlightening for us plebeians as yours are.
I really appreciated you articulating some of the big picture theories and putting them in the same place for me to digest.
I totally agree with the way the characters have been short-changed this year in terms of meaningful character development and agency -- in favour of hitting plot points on the road map of Lost, and cheap gotchas designed to surprise and shock.
I'd much rather be taken on an emotional journey with the characters that feels earned and plausible considering their natures and motivations. The Lost Writers could do well to look to Battlestar Galactica for examples of this.
Right now Lost feels more like a game of snakes and ladders. With plenty of snakes popping up when you least expect it. Characters doing inexplicable things simply because the plot demands a certain event to happen in order to move forward. Like Kate forgetting about her impending trial back home until she had to break out Miles so he could meet with Ben. It really had nothing to do with Kate's decision to go back to civilisation or not. And she could easily have asked Faraday, or Frank or Miles on the trek.
Which brings me to the disappointment about how the women have been handled on the show. Where are their big mythical important stories? How come they don't get to be major heroes be they romantic or tragic, or monomythical? Why do they always seem to be servicing some other male character's storyline? Kate was again the biggest casualty, but so was Juliet. The pregnancy curse plot was dropped like a hot potato. Very disappointing.
There were some highlights though. Sun taking over her father's company and plotting with Widmore. Kate finally kicking Dr Druggie to the curb for his borderline abusive behavior, lack of true caring for Aaron and narcisstic self-absorption. Hopefully her emergence from the shackles of being Jack's plaything, verbal-punching bag and yes-girl will stick and we'll see her be the independent, determined, kick ass and unpredictable woman she was in the beginning again.
The elaboration of the different types of heroes I thought was spot on, and remarkably sympathetic to Jack.
Don't let the naysayers shout you down. I too think that Jack's trajectory as an aristotlean tragic hero who finally learns to humble himself and accept his true fate will be his ending for this tale. And in the end it's a pretty grand, and noble journey to take. Why aren't the Jack fans more on board with this idea? Jack as the Oedipus, or the Hamlet? As Macbeth? Tragic heroes are nothing to sniff at.
And you have to admit that Dr Druggie does have some major problems with his hubris. Maybe now he will submit to Ben and the island's will and fulfill his epic destiny in a way that will be fitting and give us a catharsis.
Anyways, mad props to The Fish for giving us another tidbit to savour during this long hiatus. She should be applauded for putting so much time and thought into such an essay, and for making it palatable and easily digestible instead of a piece of dry old cabin bread that's had all the fun, snark and whimsy baked out of it.
Fantastic job once again Fish! Five stars and worth the wait.
I’m not sure I understand why The Fish should get ripped apart for anything she has to say about Jack’s behavior when so many entertainment writers have said basically the same thing:
From Jeff Jensen at EW:
Furious over learning he was still competing with Sawyer for Kate's mind, heart, and time, Jack raged: ''I'm the one who saved you!'' Does he actually love this woman, or does he view her as some reward for being a good boy? What you have is one really complicated guy whose savior complex not only is an expression of his damage but gets in the way of his own redemption. Jack might be a good man, but he's a control freak who hates himself and will sabotage any chance at happiness that he gets (see: driving Kate away). For Jack, there will never be ''something nice back home'' — both literally and spiritually — until he gets over himself.
From the WebBlog:
One final thought, Kate grew up in an abusive home where she killed her abuser. The last scene between them had some very icky qualities that looked as if Jack was being a controlling psycho/drunk freak in it. If Kate didn’t put up with it from stepdaddy Wayne, don’t you think that she’s going to shove Jackieboy to the curb because I do.
Meanwhile, back in the future, Jack, Kate and Aaron are living happily ever after. Except that Kate is running mysterious errands for Sawyer. ,So Jack starts popping meds, drinking too much and angrily reminding Kate that he rescued her from the Island, and she'd better not forget that. Matthew Fox continues make to Jack one of the most prickly, genuinely pig-headed heroes on TV.
Ben Piper 411 Mania:
There's also the fact that this episode is Jack-centric. I don‘t know about you, but over the last couple of seasons, I've personally started to dislike Jack. He's arrogant, thinks he knows everything (when he clearly doesn't), is a control freak, and yeah, I'll say it… He's a bit of a prick.
Don't get me wrong. I liked him along with everyone else back in the early stages of the show when he was the de facto leader and his choices weren't being made to spite somebody and oppose them just on general principle. He actually listened to others (no pun intended) back then, even if he didn't believe what he was hearing. I guess it's been kind of a natural progression, after being on the island for so long he finally could no longer tolerate Locke's tactics and beliefs to the point that he was ready to literally kill the man.
But it goes beyond just that. I no longer like or to a fuller extent really enjoy Jack as a character on this show. He's basically his own worse enemy with the choices that he's made, and he has his head so far up his own personal you know what that I wouldn't trust him to rescue indigenous sand crabs from the impending high tide. Okay, perhaps I'm overstating a bit, but you get my point.
There have also been a lot of media writers who have seen Sawyer’s character growth over four seasons and recognized that redemptive arc and his heroic actions in the season finale:
From TV Addict::
It’s official. Sawyer wins most romantic fictional TV character of the year by jumping out of the helicopter to save Kate. With Ted Mosby’s two minute date on HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER a close second. That said admit it, we’re all thinking the same thing. Firstly, Hurley probably would have been the ideal choice to lighten the load! And secondly, how many more episodes until we discover what Sawyer whispered to Kate? Damn you LOSTerminds Lindeloff and Cuse!
From TV Guide:
Cheers to Lost's thrilling season finale for showing us Sawyer's best side (and no, I'm not talking about his backside). I've never been sure if Josh Holloway's ex-grifter was a good guy — until he jumped off the 'copter to save enough fuel for the Oceanic 6 to reach the freighter before it exploded. (Wouldn't it have saved more fuel if Hurley had jumped? Just asking.) Before he leaped, Sawyer asked Kate to make a promise (any guesses?), then planted a sweaty, stubbly kiss on her. The producers' motivation for Sawyer's selfless act wasn't entirely noble: It allowed them to shoot a scene of a shirtless Holloway swimming ashore. Those guys are no dummies.
From The Washington Post:
Here's the interesting thing about Sawyer: He embraced the island and didn't feel the need to leave it. But when everyone else got on the chopper, he was ready to face his life back home, too. He is comfortable with himself in a way that Jack is not. I still love Jack, precisely because his flaws make him an interesting character. But I actually now believe Sawyer is the better man for Kate. I have switched from Team Jater to Team Skater.
Time Magazine:
On the other hand, Sawyer's self-sacrificing jump into the water—after making his unheard request to Kate—was a great moment, and further convinced me that Kate is mooning over the wrong guy in the future.
Others have compared the two alpha males:
Ana at The ODI:
By the way, I didn’t see Jack trying to fight with Sawyer over who would jump, like Charlie and Desmond wrestled over who would swim down to the Looking Glass Station in last season’s finale. So what, Sawyer doesn’t count when Jack says he has to get EVERYONE off of the Island? Sure does seem to be the case, doesn’t it? It doesn’t seem to matter that Sawyer had just risked his life to follow Jack back into the jungle after Hurley. However, what burns me up the most is that during this scene we learn Sawyer didn’t “choose” to stay on the Island as Jack said to Kate in “Something Nice Back Home”. He returned to the island to save the lives of everyone on that helicopter, including Jack who has just been revealed to be more and more of a selfish jerk as the season has progressed. Jack is all about Number One, as we once again witness once they reach the freighter.
From Cinematically Correct:
We then witnessed the second most heroic thing (first being Charlie’s death) to ever happen on “Lost”: Sawyer voluntarily jumps from the helicopter. There are certain moments that will always be remembered forever in entertainment history and this is one of them. Josh Holloway has created the greatest hooker with a heart of gold in history. His Sawyer is admired by women for obvious reasons and by men for, quite frankly, being the coolest tough guy in television history.
I believe this reviewer is seeing exactly what TPTB mean for us to see, that nothing on Lost is as black and white as some would like. That, at least for the moment, Jack is not the flawless hero in the white hat he was presented as and Sawyer has become more hero than bad boy, although retaining his snark, edge and dark side:
From Jordan Cumberland:
And how about Jack's tirade during his fight with Kate on how Sawyer somehow "chose to stay" on the island? When that episode aired and after the Drunken Doctor said that, the entire Jack-Kate relationship attempt made sense to me. Sawyer had decided to stay on the island rather than leave with Kate and try to build a life with her, and Kate's anger toward him led her to find some sort of comfort in second-best Jack. Hey, I can live with that.
But we have now seen the truth. Sawyer did not "choose to stay" on the island at all. In one of the most heartbreaking scenes in recent TV history, he sacrificed his rescue, his happiness, and almost his life, by free falling out of the low-on-gas chopper, therefore giving the woman he loved a chance at rescue.
Jack somehow sees this as Sawyer making the "choice" to not be rescued.
I see it as Sawyer becoming the true "hero" of this story.
Something Jack never was.
Some of the posters who come here every time and meltdown over what they perceive as The Fish’s unfounded bias against Jack and her fondness for the way the Sawyer character is being written might want to stop and think that maybe, just maybe she is seeing what is on the screen and exactly what TPTB want us to see, at this point in the story, because it doesn’t seem as if she is the only one seeing things that way.
Something to consider.
I know its a story but quite often real life is reflected in its telling.
In my admittedly limited experience Doctors are very prone to be drug-takers. Kinda goes with the territory. Jack is an Oceanic6 celeb and a DR. too. Enuff said.
We have ended up at this tipping point in the story entrophy where the writers have set up a tangled mesh of story clues and I agree it is not a particularly harmonious well balanced one, but I dont think its a gender issue.
For the denoument to be wholly satisfying for all viewers is going to be really difficult. It needs to appeal to both hemispheres of the brain. The anal detail side (more masculine) AND the holistic, creative ephemeral side.
I cant wait to see how it all pans out.
I just had to comment on well, comments that I happened to read on Fish's site. WOW!! There are quite a few DarkUFO haters there. Why the hostility?!?! Seems like there is so much hate among viewers (and recappers) that it takes the fun out of watching the show. Fun haters....
Thanks for all your hard work. Truly an enjoyable read. Awesome recap.
Over time I have come to find the garden variety responses to every single Fish Biscuit entry tedious.. more or less.
".. writings good, but no believable" -- what you on about? watch the show again. if a few jabs at a character is enough to rattle peoples bones to the point of dismissing something as thorough as this.. well, good luck in the real world buddy.
Great recap Fish.
so i had to go to her blog to read the darkufo bashing.
it used to always make me mad here when people would maul FB over her reviews, and i thought it was so excessive and stupid. but now reading the comments from her fans on her blog, lumping us all as "swine" and Jaters" and the stuff they say about Dark. i'm just mad at everyone now.
where oh were is the middle ground?