GROUP 3 ANALYSIS:
In Group 3 we begin to see some of the main Losties but Group 3 also includes a two characters who could see their importance rising in the series. Group 3 also seems to be the most well-rounded in terms of potential points offerings because it is the most evenly dispersed group in the Season 4 Fantasy League. Even, that is, to a point.
The most popular choice was not who I expected. To find out who that is, read on:
REMINDER: Do not post spoilers in the comments section. I have gone 90% spoiler-free during the hiatus and will not reveal anything that I know, so please do not let anything that you know slip. Let’s respect the fans that have gone 100% spoiler-free.
DANIELLE ROUSSEAUI was taken aback by Rousseau’s emergence as the most popular pick for the group. I thought for sure that one of the three series regulars would reign supreme so I am left trying to figure out why 31% of you picked her for your Fantasy teams.
The most obvious reason is that Rousseau has a rich back-story that has yet to be tapped. With only 48 episodes remaining in the series, a Rousseau flashback feels like it’s coming. But when? With so much going on and a reduced episode count, Season 4 may yet leave Rousseau high and dry on the flashback front. Still, she has a rich history of being a wanderer and discovering all kinds of things on the Island. That’s got to be good for something.
But the thing I keep coming back to in my mind is that Rousseau has a knack for dishing out the occasional hurt. With our zero-tolerance policy on violence, I think Rousseau is one of the most likely characters in the entire Fantasy League to rack up the injury deductions. She is obviously distrustful of the Others, so there may be some tense moments between her and Ben, Juliet and even her daughter’s boyfriend, Karl. As much good as she may do you with discoveries, her behavior lends herself to mixing it up too often. I view Rousseau as a case of two steps forward and one step back- she’ll get you points, but she’ll be her own undoing with violence. I think this was showcased pretty clearly in the Hiatus League.
JINWhen it came down to breaking the characters up into groups, we decided to put Sun and Jin in the same group. Obviously their stories are intertwined and they share many romantic moments. You didn’t think we’d let you pick both of them and double up on any kissing and sex points now did you? :-) As Sun and Jin grow closer, you can expect more affection between them.
Another big boost for Jin is that if a flashback focuses more directly on Sun, he can still get points for appearing in her flashbacks and even centricity points if the story includes him enough. The same goes for Sun really. There’s a symbiotic balance between them that enables each to benefit from an episode focusing on the other. Points abound in Kwon-centric episodes.
But Jin is another Group 3 surprise to me. I never would have thought Jin would be the more popular of the Kwons. He is just barely edging out his wife in episode count and has been roughed up more frequently than Sun. Despite being the more adventuresome of the two, Jin also has a bit of a temper and dishes out his fair share of punishment. His aggressive tendencies could come back to haunt 21.5% of you who selected him, but unless these setbacks really add up, I think Jin will still work out for you, just like he did in the Hiatus League.
SUNI was expecting to see Sun at the top of the list for Group 3 selections. Boy was I surprised to see her come in as the third most popular pick, just slightly behind Jin, appearing on 20.8% of Fantasy rosters. But I’m also glad that she wasn’t the top pick, because it means less competition for me when Sun scores the big points for my team. :-)
Sun has all the same benefits as I laid out for Jin. Unless a death occurs, I’d expect to see both of them in any Kwon flashforwards. Sun has been well-behaved for the most part. She was knocked around by Charlie and she killed Colleen, but that’s been about the worst of it for her. She’s got some spunk, but doesn’t do as many adventures as Jin. Still, she was our #3 points earner for the Hiatus League, so I expect big things from her.
Of course, performance in the Hiatus League is hardly indicative of how any of our characters will perform in Season 4. We saw little Jack action and out Season 2 and 3 buddies were largely ignored. Still, Season 4 will put Sun smack in the middle of all the action, and I’m sure she’ll be getting her kiss on when she and Jin are reunited once more. I can see Sun running away with this group.
CLAIREI was actually expecting Claire to come in last for Group 3, but 4th is close enough. Just over 14% of you felt like including her on your rosters and I can understand why. She is a main character and has had a flashback episode each season. She has also gone on a few adventures and discovered a few things and people while on the Island, so in theory it wouldn’t be a stretch to think that her consistency in appearing and activity would continue.
Having a baby didn’t slow her down, but what might slow down Miss Littleton’s momentum is the reduced episode count this season. While her centric episodes have provided some quality entertainment, I wonder if her story is going to be important enough to cover this season. She’s largely a Beachwarmer and, while she has had a few moments of glory, I have my doubts as to whether she’ll be at the forefront of the action. Another negative for Claire is Charlie’s death. Now that he’s gone, the odds of her scoring any romance points are slim to none.
But there may yet be hope for our Island mommy. She’ll start off Season 4 with Jack & company at the radio tower and will likely be at the center of any action for the first two or three episodes based on the fact that everyone is all grouped together. Also, if Desmond’s flashes hold true, Claire and her son will board a helicopter sometime in the near future and leave the Island, opening up flashforward potential for her. If nothing else, you can count on appearance points and the occasional kissing points for when she shows her baby boy some TLC.
JACOBJacob is by far the riskiest character to choose is Group 3. We don’t know much about him and cannot be certain that we’ll see him again in Season 4. I would like to think that Damon and Carlton would treat us to a little bit of Jacob this year, but he may turn out to be more like the 4-toed statue and not show up at all the season after being introduced to us.
The uncertainty about Jacob is reflected in the number of rosters he is on (298 or 12.5 % overall). While he is an enticing character and full of mystery, you have to wonder what the plan is for him. We know he is real because we saw him for a millisecond in “The man Behind the Curtain,” so further appearances are possible. We know he exists in the present and could also appear in flashbacks for Ben, so all is not lost for you Jacob pickers out there.
A few reasons why I would have stayed away from Jacob are as follows: he can’t get the big points for encountering himself like other characters can; he seems stuck in that little shack so I doubt he’ll be up for any exploring; and he has displayed a rather violent nature, throwing things around his little shack when Ben and Locke paid him a visit. These three things could cause Jacob to lose more points than he could potentially gain, a problem for any Fantasy team.
Only 36 more hours... The clock is ticking!
