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Lost: Cabin Fever

Ben: "Destiny, John, is a fickle bitch."

I guess I just got the answer to the question, how weird can Lost actually get? Lost isn't just the name of the show. It's also the permanent condition of the audience.

Apparently, Claire is now one of the walking dead. Surviving that explosion was really unlikely, after all. Or she could have died from her head injury while she was sleeping, which would explain why Christian came for her and why she left the baby. (As well as why ghost-sensitive Miles let her leave without waking Sawyer.) But why Claire? Why Charlie? Why Christian, who didn't even die on the Island? It appears that the Island uses the walking dead to communicate with the living, but is that all there is to it? It feels like there's some sort of framework to the vast Lost story and they keep giving us glimpses of the underlying structure, but it still doesn't make sense to me.

Christian and Claire sitting in that cabin in the dark was just incredibly creepy, and the way they smiled at Locke was even creepier. A major contrast to Locke, Ben, and Hurley wandering around the jungle, which had a Three Stooges feel. Dan thinks that, while Ben's methods are questionable, he might be on the "right" side. I don't know. But we both loved the Ben and Hurley candy bar scene. Dan said, "That may have been the coolest moment in the entire series."


Miracles are key. Locke was "chosen" because he cheated death several times. He originally got on Richard Alpert's radar when he was born a six-month preemie and miraculously survived. Abaddon showed up after Locke survived his trip out an eighth story window. (Was it Cooper both times? Was he trying to kill his way out of a problematic got-a-teenage-girl-pregnant situation?) Locke was a "special" child, like Walt, but he refused to be what they wanted him to be, which was a scientist like Juliet. Locke wanted to be a superhero. And he won, didn't he? Locke became the man of adventure he always wanted to be. And now the Island wants him, anyway.

Richard Alpert may be the most interesting peripheral character on the show. Who or what is he? Is he immortal? A clone? There's time travel, of course. Maybe Richard bounces around in time and space, using the device Ben used to get to Tunisia. Yeah, that's probably the best fit for the circumstances.

But Abaddon was apparently recruiting Locke, too. He showed up after Locke's accident, talked about miracles, and encouraged Locke to go on walkabout. Doesn't Abaddon work for Widmore, though? Did Widmore originally want Locke on the Island, but now Widmore wants to torch the Island? It doesn't make sense.


And man, that freighter. People are dropping like flies. (Except Michael, who still can't get shot and can't die.) Keamy, who may be suffering from time sickness, killed the doctor who was already dead. Faraday's "payload" took an extra half hour to reach the Island, but the doctor's body washed up on shore two episodes ago before the doctor died. Can a time slip work both ways?

Finally, the "moving island" snowglobe theory has just been sorta confirmed. Christian wants Locke to move the Island. I bet there's a hatch for that.

Character bits:

John Locke's mother's name was Emily Locke. She didn't want him. Nobody did. No wonder Locke spent his life looking for a family, and was so desperate for his father's love.

Locke and Ben both had a mother named Emily, which suggests that they might be half-brothers. But Ben's mother died in childbirth, and Locke's showed up at the toy store, so it's not possible. But... what if toy store woman was just a fellow con artist sent in by Cooper, who wanted Locke's kidney?

Richard offered Locke the choice of a catcher's mitt, a 'Book of Laws,' a tube of grit, a compass, a comic book, and a knife. "Which of these things belongs to you already?" I knew Locke would choose the knife. What was he supposed to pick?


Locke told Abaddon that there was a 98% chance he wouldn't get the feeling back in this legs. Suggesting that Locke's recovery might not have been completely miraculous.

Ben was once what the Island wanted, but no more. Which was why Ben got so sick. That would also explain why Jack got sick. Ben and Jack both had illnesses that required surgery, come to think of it.

Locke dreamed of Horace Mathematician, the guy who recruited Ben's father. Horace knocked over the same tree three times. What did that mean? I'm symbolismed out.

Sayid decided to jump ship and go back for the Losties. Desmond decided to stay on the freighter and wait for Penny. I'd really love it if Desmond and Penny were reunited in this season's finale and we didn't have to wait for the end of the series.

Bits and pieces:

— Locke got an eye scene: the left. Jack, Claire, and Locke are the only ones who have gotten both eyes. For what it's worth.

— "Cabin Fever." Perfect title. It captured both the literal search for the Brigadoonish cabin as well as the whole being trapped in something and going crazy thing.

— In the opening scene, Locke's mother Emily was playing something that I think was by Buddy Holly, who died in a famous plane crash.



— Yet another car accident.

— Cowin Heights Knights. Delerue Center for Rehabilitation. I feel an anagram or two in there.

— Locke's foster sister was named Melissa. In season one's "Outlaws," Locke mentioned a sister named Jeannie who broke her neck. Was she the little one?

— Backgammon again. In season one, Locke played backgammon with Walt. And the comic book again evoked Walt. Its title was: "Mystery Tales: What was the secret of the mysterious Hidden Land?" and the illustration showed a man looking at a city in the clouds.

— As a little kid, Locke drew a picture of the Smoke Monster. That was just bizarre.

— Jack is a bad patient. What a surprise.

Quotes:

Hurley: "I have a theory as to why we're the only ones who can see it."
Locke: "I'd love to hear it."
Hurley: "I think we can see it 'cause we're the craziest."

Hurley: "Whoah. What happened to them?"
Locke: "He did."

Teacher with big glasses: "You might not want to be that guy in the lab surrounded by test tubes and beakers. But that's who you are, John. You can't be the prom king. You can't be the quarterback. You can't be a superhero."
Teenage John: "Don't tell me what I can't do!"

Locke: "I'm not you."
Ben: "You're certainly not."

Hurley: "Guys. Cabin."

Locke: "I don't believe in miracles."
Abaddon: "You should. I had one happen to me."
Now, that's interesting. Plus, it felt like Abaddon was going to push Locke down the stairs. Why? Or why didn't he?

Christian: "The baby's where he's supposed to be. And that's not here."
But... but... Claire is supposed to raise the baby, right?

Four out of four polar bears,

Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.

3 comments:

  1. Now, I'm confused! I just can't completely wrap my head around those that are dead, maybe dead, sort of dead. I agree with you, Billie, that I can't see what the "rules" are.

    Is Michael dead? Is this why he survives car crashes and jammed guns?

    I'm still wondering about the genetic stuff. Christian and Claire are the walking dead, yet Jack is getting sick. Why would Claire be more special than Jack? Or, is making him sick the way to get Jack to act differently?

    Lots and lots of questions!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow, it's almost completely impossible to comment on all the best parts of this episode without spoiling later events. If we ever do an official site rewatch, we're going to have to create a separate spoiler thread.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Christian didn't die on the island,but his body would be on the island somewhere.
    Jack tracking across the jungle with Kate after the surgery is funny,so in character.
    Questions and mysteries.
    A lot of mysteries:moving island,Claire's destiny,forever young-Richard,Locke's mission,creepy Abbadon.

    ReplyDelete

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