Sayid: "I think Michael has been compromised."
This was more of a puzzle piece than an episode with a clear theme. We got some interesting new facts, some character development, and a whole lot of questions.
I wanted there to be brainwashing. I wanted there to be a reason for Michael to shoot Ana Lucia and Libby. Yes, that three minute scene with Walt was wrenching, but it still didn't explain Michael's actions. How could Michael possibly trust that Ms. Clue (the close captioning said "Klugh" but I like Clue) would keep her word after what Walt told him? Was Michael just angry with his former friends? Did he believe they deserted him? Or was Michael planning a counter attack with their unknowing help?
Jack didn't put together all the inconsistencies in Michael's stories, and wasn't even resisting Michael's plan of attack. Thankfully, Sayid still had a working brain. "I think Michael has been compromised." You think?
That list was so strange. In the first place, Ms. Clue named the four people who were right there in the Hatch with Michael after the deaths. Wasn't that an odd coincidence? It gave proper names: "Jack Shephard. Kate Austen. Hugo Reyes. James Ford." Michael didn't even know who James Ford was. Do the Others have a copy of the flight manifest? How could they have gotten it?
And why those four? What do they have in common? I've tried and tried, but for the life of me, I can't come up with one single unifying reason that makes sense. Jack recently pointed out that the Others don't want him or Kate, and they certainly wouldn't want Sawyer. Why didn't they ask Michael to bring them the "good ones?" It would have made more sense if the list consisted of Locke, Sun, Claire and Aaron, for example. But no.
Walt mentioned several things in the few moments he had with Michael: "They make me take tests." "They're not who they say they are. They're pretending." In other words, they don't have to live in tents, perhaps? And the brutal blood test that Pinkett gave Michael implied that there was a lab, and scientists to do tests. Walt mentioned tests, too.
In other news, I thought Vincent bringing a Virgin Mary right to Charlie was absolutely hilarious. Charlie, with an amazing show of emotional strength, threw them all into the ocean. Good for Charlie, but bad for anyone else dying in horrible pain. Those statues just won't stay gone, will they? I sort of expected them to swim back to the beach and jump into Charlie's arms.
At the last moment, the Lostaways saw a boat approaching. Is it the boat Michael requested? Is it empty? Piloted by some of the Others? Full of new cast members?
Character bits:
Michael is a good father gone bad. Are there any good fathers on Lost? Just think about the fathers of Jack, Sawyer, Locke, Sun, and Kate. So far, the only good father we've seen was Jin's.
Michael had no illusions; he said Ana Lucia and Libby were murdered. Miss Clue didn't order Michael to kill anyone, did she? Or didn't we see it?
Michael did tell the truth about the tents and teepees and the guards in front of the bunker.
My favorite scene was Sawyer telling Jack about his tryst with Ana Lucia, and his confession that he thinks of Jack as a friend. Sawyer's mind works in mysterious ways.
Eko mentioned that he'd worked in a small parish in England.
Eko was obsessed with pushing the button. He was acting as if it were a religious experience. And he noticed the magnet revving up before the countdown started.
Young Alex was friendly with Michael, and asked after Claire's welfare.
Claire and Charlie reconnected. I was happy for Charlie. Sort of worried for Claire.
Locke's leg appeared to have healed already. Where was he going?
Sawyer called Kate "Pippi Longstocking" and Hurley the "grape ape." And he called Sayid the "Red Beret" and "Captain A-Rab."
Neither Jack nor Sawyer are Irish.
Bits and pieces:
— This week's flashbacks all took place on the Island, just like "Maternity Leave." And we got to see the Michael, Kate and Alex part of the torch-lighting scene in "The Hunting Party."
— According to the flashbacks, it took Michael and the Others a day and a night to get to their camp.
— Eko's story about the dog and the boy afraid of finding the dog in Hell was very perceptive. Interesting, too, that while he was telling the story to Michael, they were both mopping up Libby's blood. It implied that Michael didn't want forgiveness; he just didn't want to be punished.
— Eko's church appeared to be on hold, and Charlie threw away the Virgin Mary statues. These two things were kinda related, if you think about it.
— Charlie gave Claire vaccine and told her to take a shot every nine days. This just struck me as weird.
— Tonight's Hanso commercial: http://www.letyourcompassguideyou.com/. Michael had a compass. I really should spend some time on these web sites. Maybe this weekend, before the finale.
— We got a glimpse of yet another bunker guarded by Others. It had a rectangle in the middle of the Dharma Initiative sign. Sort of looked like an upright domino piece. Hard to see.
— There were Playboys in Sawyer's stash.
— The Lostaways buried Ana Lucia and Libby. I've thought it before and now I'll say it: their graveyard is too close to the ocean. There's a reason for those above ground sepulchres in New Orleans.
— Malcolm David Kelley was back in the cast, and did extremely well with his brief scene. I was afraid he'd be six feet tall by now, but no.
— Gold acting stars to Harold Perrineau. I didn't like what they did with Michael and I had problems with his motivation, but Perrineau absolutely gave it his all.
Quotes:
Sawyer: "Yeah, well, 'him' says even though Pippi Longstocking and the damn grape ape are ideal candidates for the Dirty Dozen, I'm just gonna say we might want to bring the Red Beret."
Ms. Clue: "Did Walt ever appear in a place he wasn't supposed to be?" Huh?
Solid episode. Three out of four polar bears,
Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
Thank you, Sayid! I’ve spent two episodes wondering why no one seemed able to pick up on the fact that (a) of the three people shot, Michael was not only not killed, he was barely wounded and (b) why he was so insane about who would and would not come with him. For a group that lies so often to each other, they can be a trusting bunch.
ReplyDeleteIt is an interesting list that the Others have made and I, too, was wondering about the connection. I was intrigued that Locke wasn’t on it, nor was Sayid -- if they wanted the leaders. And, you’re right, the triangle would hardly qualify as the “good” people. Guess we’ll find out soon enough.
I just recently started re-watching Lost, and like you Chris, I was screaming the whole time - What's wrong with you people!!! Michael's gone a little bit off the deep end about their little excursion, and only Sayid picked it up?!?! And all I remember really from watching this episode when it aired, was that Michael was going to go completely insane, and end up running through the jungle for the rest of the show screaming "Walt!!!" non-stop. Continuously.
ReplyDelete"And all I remember really from watching this episode when it aired, was that Michael was going to go completely insane, and end up running through the jungle for the rest of the show screaming "Walt!!!" non-stop. Continuously."
ReplyDeleteMe, too. In fact, I thought Michael spent a lot more of Season Two screaming "Walt!" than he actually did. :-)
I love Naveen Andrews's acting in the scene with Michael, as Sayid gradually realizes Michael has been "turned." His spaniel eyes look so sad.
Sayid is a soldier,a strategist.
ReplyDeleteA bright mind.
Micheal becomes Judas.
Just recently started rewatching the series since it aired live and I'm left confused by this episode. Michael knocked out Locke and stuffed Jack in the armory (at gunpoint) 13 days ago, right? Why aren't they curious about this or pissed at him for doing so?? "Today," there's no word of this and Jack is eager to go with Michael to find Walt. It's like there's no memory on the part of Jack or Locke what Michael did to them.
ReplyDeleteWe've had too many trolls hitting this post, so I have had to close comments on this episode.
ReplyDelete