On the 108th episode of LOST we were treated to an always frustrating Jack Shepherd centered episode. Man if this guy was ever supposed to embody the 'heroic' persona of this tale than he's the most annoying hero I've seen since the 'Subway' tuna sub I had last summer that left me with the shits for the weekend.
Our 'Flash Sideways' takes us into a day in the life of Jack-X who's living alone in Cali but has visitation rights with his teenage son 'David'. (Yet another biblically named Shepherd family member?) David kinda reminded me of the son of Marc Singer's character on the original 'V' who was taken by the Visitors when he was much younger and returned to his father after aging a bit. It was the strange faceless indescript face both young actors had. Creepy kids.
Who's the mom?Who's the mom!? So Jack-X has a weird moment in his bathroom pondering his appendix scar. Probably should have been pondering why his body hair is so oddly shaven, but nevertheless, he can't recall getting that dang appendix removed. Quick-thinking LOST geeks recall Juliet removing hat ruptured appendix for Jack 1.0 on the island fairly recently, but Jack-X is told by his momma that HIS appendix ruptured when he was 6 or 7. It might be worth noting that Christian-X wanted to do the procedure on his child but was stopped from doing so. By whom? Is this important at all or is it just to remind us that there are some specific differences still between Universe-X and Universe 1.0? All that aside, Jack-X is a lot calmer in this universe than his doppelganger. HE is the one soothing his mom as she gets frustrated looking for Christian Shepherd's last Will and Testament. He even passes up on another drink offer. This isn't like Jack 1.0, who would probably drink paint thinner if it were prepared properly. Especially
in dramatic times like these. He surely would have drank some of that 'McCutcheon' Mrs. Shepherd had on the liquor counter. (Notice the bottle?)There was a funeral held for Christian-X in this universe. The funeral at which, according to Mrs. Shepherd, David was having a rough time at. Did Mrs. Littleton-X attend, though? No way to tell, yet, whether or not Jack-X had any knowledge of his half sister Claire-X before Margot-X finally found the will and inquired 'Did your father ever mention a 'Claire Littleton' to you?' ...Doh! Looks like some one's splitting their inheritance! David has snuck out while his his father was busy being an absentee dad, So Jack-X stops by the boy's mom's house to see if he went there while she was away. Who's the mom? Who's the MomMMmm!?
***Note the spare house key in the rabbit near the doormat. All this 'rabbit', 'Alice in Wonderland' 'Looking Glass' stuff always tends to pop-up in Jack centered episodes. (Side thought: The 'Looking Glass' Dharma complex was in a Jack centered episode with a rabbit as it's center emblem. Is it possible that each Dharma complex somehow corresponds to each of the 7 main 815ers that we now know are 'candidates'. I'd love to see that tied together somehow. Let's get back to some Dharma soon!)
A quick B&E into his ex's home and Jack-X finds out that his son has ducked out on Dad day for a youth piano competition in which he has been entered. David's a young piano virtuoso (to my standards) and has
neglected to tell his pop in fear of failing in front of him had he attended. Shades of the old Shepherd pep talk 'Maybe you don't have what it takes, son'. Christian's old line for him every time Jack tried to excel at something. Did you kids notice the sign outside the music hall 'Youth Conservatory...all CANDIDATES welcome' (a nod at Jack, one would think.)
Jack-X is proud of his son and so is another parent....the Other temple leader 'Dogen' or in this case 'Dogen-X' who apparently has a son of his own entered into the competition. This story builds up to a tearful moment in which Jack-X verbalizes to young David how proud he is and will always be of his son. Something Christian always fell short of with HIS boy. All-in-all, yet another happy 'Flash Sideways'. All is wine and roses in Universe-X it seems.
Back on the island in Universe 1.0, Jin is caught in Claire's (polar bear trap, his leg a bloody ham. Is it just me or do you kids also notice how graphic Lost is for a prime time network show? Behandings, bloody ham legs, people being mowed down in traffic. Is any other show on TV allowed to get away with this kinda stuff? Gruesome! Claire's as creepy as we imagined. That has come with 3 years of solitude and random torturing....um....err....'infection testing'. Now, not only is she going to sew Jin up and nurse him back to health but she's also nursing a make shift bay-bee in a bassinet complete with dead animal skull head, button eyes and doll body. Creeptastic!
Claire's been wiggin' out on her own the past 3 years with a little help from a 'friend' and her dad, one Christian Shepherd....DE-ceased! Claire interrogates her Other captive, Justin, wanting to know where her bay-bee is. 'Kate TOOK him!', Jin announces, in a bid to save this Other who's about to get the business end of Claire's tree choppin' axe. 'TOOK' Jin? 'TOOK' ...really? Really? I'm gonna blame Jin's dense knowledge of the Engrish language here, because surely there would have been a less harsh word to describe the whereabouts of a deranged, 'infected' crazy lady's only reason to stay alive on this bloody island. Too bad the revelation didn't help Other Justin, though. Justin...meet the business end.....Business end, this is Justin. Goodbye.
Jin recants his outburst with a lie: 'Kate didn't take Aaron' he exclaims. Jin saw Aaron himself back at the temple. This IS a lie, yes? What's Jin's angle here? Is he just hoping to get that bloody stump of his into the temple healing pool? Does he want to get Claire into a position in which she's outnumbered by friends? Speaking of 'friends' Did I mention who Claire's only friend of 3 years is? Ummmm THE SMOKE MONSTER! I would venture to guess that Smoke Monster has been manipulating Claire all this time in his Dr. Shepherd suit as well. Add crazy Claire to team Smoke Monster with Sawyer if you will...either way I guess we're seeing how Smokey might finally get on the temple grounds in the next coming weeks. With the help of his friend Claire and Gimpy Jin's secret entrance knowledge.
On a side note... How great is this 'Old Spice' commercial. "Look at your man. Now back to me. Now back at your man....now back to me! He isn't me"......"Look down. Now look up. Now look down! Where are you? You're on a boat!". I love this guy. This has become an integral part of LOST viewing for me. And you say you like to watch LOST on DVD without commercials? You're missing some good stuff, mister! Look, where am I ? I'm on a horse...
Sorry, back to the temple..... Hurley sees Jacob screwing around with the pool of life. Did he do anything to it. Looks like he's stirring around in it with a stick. Is he just pondering it's merkyness? Testing it's PH balance. I hate when the Smoke Monster pees in the community pool! Jacob's got a mission for the present head of the 815ers. Hurley, jot this shit down on your that side of beef you call a forearm. First you'll need to shut Dogen down by having him mind his own business because YOU'rrrrre a 'candidate' and YOoooooou can do as you please. Next locate the secret side entrance/exit. Than convince Jack to tag along by telling him Jacob says you have 'what it takes' (gulp, that hits home).
Done, done....aaAAAaaand Done!
Jack is reminding me a lot of Locke from season one. Sitting in solitude. Pondering. Eating island fruit. If he can just stay THIS way through just one whole episode. Just one hour long show! Jack and Hurley are off and first encounter Kate. (who'll you'll remember wasn't listed on the portions we saw of the cave ceiling as a
numbered candidate last week) Kate, who's flying solo in search of Claire. They catch each other up on....well...absolutely NOTHING they've learned while apart as per usual and go about their merry way.
Next stop. Adam and Eve cave, site of 815er camp #2 from season 1. Outside they find what Hurley suggests is Shannon's inhaler. (Foreshadowing of another former cast member's future appearance?)
Once inside the cave Hurley ponders the skeletal couple in relation to the passenger's time travel. What if some of them time travelled back to prehistoric times and died 'Dude, what if those skeleton's are us!?' (Wink). Jack is consumed with the coffin of his missing pop, though, and doesn't pay much attention to the probable genius that is Hurley's ramblings.
Enough reminiscing. Team Hurley-Jack is back out on their walk-about. Behold!! The lighthouse in all it's erect glory. (Shwing). Another quick B&E and the duo is inside. Atop the lighthouse rests the biggest revelation of the episode. An old skool pre-electric lighthouse homing device. Mirrors, pulleys, and a 360 point dial used to hail-in seaward ships. Hurley's arm inscription says to rotate the dial to 108 degrees to help lure in the next island visitor. As he does so, we the viewers realize that each point on the dial is marked with a lot of familiar names similar to the way names and numbers were assigned on the cave's ceiling in the previous episode. Fans will notice 2 majors names on that dial. Besides the #108 which is assigned to the crossed out candidate 'Wallace' who is the number Hurley is supposed to rotate to and presumably help manipulate to the island, there's also the name of one 'Austen'....Kate Austen #51!
Jack's not interested in those names and numbers SOoo much. What he is preoccupied by is that as Hurley yanks the lighthouse pulley system which spins the dial past it's candidate notations, the mirrors reveal images of the towns and specific structures attributed to the lives of said candidates. 42 KWON reveals what probably is Sun's parent's home, the site of her wedding to Jin. 15 FORD reveals what appears to be the
chapel whose steps one day sat a vengeful little James Ford writing his note to the real 'Sawyer'. 23 SHEPHERD....the family house in which Jack was raised!
Now here's where I wanted to jump up and punch Jack right in the TV screen. 'He's been watching us all this time...all of us?' Jack rages 'Why was he watching us??' Jack demands. And for a moment, Jack is back to
being Jack and eager to fuck shit up for everyone including us, the viewers, as we prepare to finally get a healthy dose of 'answers'. In an angry tirade, Jack destroys the mirrors. MUTHA FUCKA!!
SCORE:
Team Smoke Monster=2
Team Dead Jacob=2
Another tie, just like in a game of LOST Island
TIC...TAC.....TOE
....a tie for them. But for me, I've just LOST.
Things I'm pondering:
- Who's this 'Wallace'? Is he really coming to the island even though his name is scratched out or was this all just a clever manipulation to make Hurley turn the dial in Jack's presence so that Jack could see what he saw? A little of both? If we're gonna seriously talk 'Wallace', my mind just thinks of the Scot William Wallace in 'BraveHeart' portrayed by Mel Gibson...and than I think of the Scot Desmond Hume. But, he's of clan 'Hume' not 'Wallace'...so there goes that theory.
- Who exactly does Claire think Smoke Monster/Locke is? She appears to see right through him as Sawyer did. Does she know he's the Smoke Monster? Does she know he shape-shifts? Fess up, bitch!...and If you get to the temple borrow Jack's comb. He's always got that shit parted like the red sea.
- Oh Kate, I didn't count you out. You have a number, it seems, as well. Maybe you're not a worthless ho-bag blowjob after all. #51....51!! Can you imagine watching LOST again from season 1 episode 1 and the number 51 has been just as prominent as all the other important numbers and we just weren't looking for it at the time? Mah Gawd. Somebody check that. I'm too exhausted.
- Jack-X realizes David is reading the childhood favorite 'Alice in Wonderland' and is in the middle of talking about 'Kitty and Snowdrop' Alice's BLACK kitten and WHITE kitten before cutting himself off. Later those kitten's are represented in the fantasy world Alice travels to as the Red and White Queens. Any thoughts?
- What's up with Jack-X's visitation rights? He sees David once every 2 months?! That's worse than weekends and holidays. Is Davey just exaggerating a bit to fuel his point that Jack-X is 'never' around for him. And just who is David's mom anyway? The 'X' version of the woman we knew to be Jack's ex-wife? Is it Juliet? Does it NOT matter?
- Here's a thought: Bodies on the island should be properly buried. Why? So that Smoke Monster doesn't get to them and use them to make meat suits for himself. Is it possible whomever those 2 skeletons in Cave Camp were, Smoke Monster has already used to embody himself in prior scenes were we thought all of the characters to be amongst the living. Could be anyBODY!
- Speaking of Davids. What about Hurley's imaginary bald friend Dave from his psycho ward days? I never really relived that episode since we are now led to believe that Hugo talks to the dead rather than has imaginary friends. Was Dave once a real living human? If so, is his body on the island somehow? Was Hurley speaking to a dead Dave or was the Dave we saw just the Smoke Monster in a Dave suit back than? Remember 'Dave' trying to prove something to Hurley by having him throw himself off of the cliff!? Sounds like that might be the handy work of a candidate killer to me. I CANNOT wait to watch all these older episodes after I finally find myself truly 'in the know'. I get giddy at the thought of actually knowing what I'm watching unfold every episode.
- It's beginning to appear as if the cave from last week wasn't Jacob's getaway at all, but the secret hideaway of the Smoke Monster himself. One might infer, from what we saw this week, that Smoke Monster has been making regular pit stops at Jacob's lighthouse memorizing the names of the candidates as Jacob marks them down on the dial...than flying back to his hole in the wall and writing those names and numbers on the ceiling to begin the slow takeover of each said candidate. After all this was Jacob's 'light' house we were in this week. Wouldn't it make sense that last week we were in Smokey's 'dark' cave.
-JB
Arrrghhh!! Where to begin? First, since I hate Kate, I will have to say I laughed my ass off at your blowjob description of her. Very succinct!
ReplyDeleteSecondly, when are we getting to the meat and potatoes of this LOST shit! Jack, schmack. He better not be THE hero of the day. That would suck more than what Kate did, does or whatever.
We found out nothing except perhaps that there are 360 names. Big whoop.
I am starting to get mad. But, like what Locke told James last week, we are so close to answers. I can't shoot him now. Onto next week, a Sayid centered episode. I like Sayid, a take-no-prisoners type of guy, or if he does, he tortures them. Guy after my own heart. Hope he tortures Dogen before this ends. I hate cryptic assholes.
Just one thing...I think Hurley's imaginary friend Dave is Libby's deceased husband who left here the nice boat that she eventually gave to Desmond.
ReplyDeleteGreat post as always!
Good job again Jeff... keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteNow for the comments on The Lighthouse. When I heard Jacob tell Hurley he needed to help get somebody to the island, I though back to my comments from last week. What the fuck happened to Whidmore, Desmond, Faraday (Both Mom n Son)and Walt??? When was the story going to come full circle and get back to these characters. With that one setence, I think my wishes will be coming true. We probably won't hear from all of the "Lost" (Pun Intended) characters, but i'm sure a few of them are the ones coming. Unless we will be getting introduced to even MORE NEW CHARACTERS, which also would not shock me.
As far as what you said about watching this show all ove again... I can't wait. Its like the movie the 6th Sense. Nobody new Bruce Willis was dead the first time they saw that movie... I don't care what some people say they new... but everytime I watch that movie I still catch new shit that points to the fact that he is the dead person. I am also anticipating a wrap up because I want to know just how much stuff will get rapped up... Did JJ, Lindehoff and the gang really have all the angles played out on paper, or did they just kinda of wing it??? The more unresolved plot lines there are left at the end, the more we will know that they changed their minds as they went.
And as far as Kates number... lets just wait and see. There were a lot of names on that wall, and no matter how many screenshots a nerd blows up, maybe you just couldn't see her fucking name in the scene. It wasn't like they were in numerical order and she was left out... maybe we were not shown it. Is that so hard to fathom... hundreds of names scrawled on a wall, most of them with lines through them, and you want me to believe I should form an opinion on WHOSE NAME I COULDN"T SEE??? lets stick the ones we did see...
I think Jack wife in universe X will matter, cause if it didn't they would have revealed it. The fact that they moved all about HER house without ever giving you a clue as to who SHE is (no photos on the wall) leads me to believe they will come back to this. My money is on Juliet, or the chick he was married to in former flashbacks. we know it isn't Kate cause they saw each other at the airport and were clearly strangers... but wouldn't it be dope if David's mom was Bai Ling from when Jack went to Thailand and got Tatted up...
Finally, am I the only one who is pissed that in two consecutive weeks they have introduced two never before discussed locations on the island (The cave by the sea and the lighthouse) C'mon, these motherfuckers have walked, swam, boated, helicoptered, time traveled, rafted and ran all over this island... and not only have they done this, but they have done it over like 50 years between all the time traveling, and nobody, NOBODY CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF THESE LANDMARKS. Awww WTF!!! I CALL BULLSHIT. I mean, we still don't know what the fuck "The Foot" statue is, and we didn't get to see in the Temple till just recently, so I am ok with mystery. But you want me to believe that NOBODY HAS EVER SEEN IT IN THERE TRAVELS AROUND THE ISLAND... I just can't do that.
Thats all for my rant. Can't wait to see what everyone has to say. Lets get the comments going!!!
I wonder... was Claire time travelling for those 3 years she remained on the island?
ReplyDeleteJeff, thank you for this!
ReplyDeleteGood Point Joe... that would explain her crazy ass hair. Time traveling does a number on your doo...
ReplyDeleteLast night I had some insomnia and thought of something regarding the Lighthouse. I don't know if it contributes to the overall LOST theories, tho.
ReplyDeleteSo we know that Jacob has been on that island for a very long time. And if he has been watching people through the mirror at the Lighthouse for a long time and there are names next to each degree, what if the names are family names and he has been watching entire families grow old and have children until he finds the right family member to bring to the Island? Maybe that's why children seem to be so important on this show. Maybe the names that we see that could have double meanings like KWON, means the latest KWON - Ji-Yeon? and so forth.
Just a thought at 4am.
Something that always bothered me was Jack's Tattoos. I feel like they must be important because they devoted a whole episode towards it back in the day, yet they never brought them up again. Did a little research over at Lost-a-pedia, and turns out that jacks tattoo has a number in it. The number is 5. Now this didn't mean much to me, till I realized that Jack was #23 on Jacobs list... 2+3=5. Also, Bai Ling (The chick who tatted him) says that she sees what people truly are and then marks it on them.
ReplyDeleteLater, at the Hydra station, Isabel tells jack his tattoo is ironic. She says it means "He walks amongst us, but he is not one of us". Jack Responds "Thats what it says, but thats not what it means." I think this saying refers to jacob and smokey, either one or both of them. It just seems so obvious. But why the fuck would Jack have that tatted on him??? Perhaps a warning for Dogen when he sees Jacks Tatts. Like a message planted on Jack for Dogen to see later in the future??? I don't know... everytime I try to figure something on this show out, I end up with 3 more questions. WTF... Anyway, lets get some comments going. This week is not popping off like usual. Lets go people...lol.
Ok, first I totally agree with u guys, can't wait to see this show from the beginning.
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff on Jack-X and the wife theory.. I totally forgot that jack had those tats and that chick! (Does anyone know what episode that was?) Also, a friend of mine told me that psalm 23 is "And the lord as my Shepard..." Which is quite interesting to me but also did anyone notice that Shepard" on the dial was very dark? Everyone else's name looked like it was written in pencil, his name looked like it was written in marker.. Now is that because of jack alone or the whole family? And why the f*ck are they so important!
This show is aggravating as hell, but I can't front like I don't love this sh*t!
Side question, why does it seem like some people in universe-x have totally opposite lives (jack, hurley) and others like our "beloved" kate seem the same? Or am I jumping the gun here?...and what's all this talk about Kate's #? I don't know what u guys are referencing here...
@ Mike D
Yes I too am pissed that this lighthouse just appears outta no where and fatty talking about "maybe we weren't looking for it" WTF?! It's a big ass lighthouse! Even Jack commented on how they never saw it before! Ok, just had to let that out..
Ah yes! And Claire and the time travelling! That would make total sense why she's crazy and perhaps why she considers Smokey/MIB her "friend". Perhaps he's been her only constant in those 3 yrs... But in different bodies (or not) and that's why she know's it's not Locke...
@ Jeff - the beat up bronco bothered me too, and I didn't notice the sounds I'll have to pay more attention to that..
And to just get off my chest our side convo the other day.. SOOOOO.. What if jacob/nemisis are the same person.. Jacob figured out the electromagnetic energy on the island and time travel somehow..
JB "Has he time jumped so much that he's now just some kind of infinitely jumping being, Maybe that would have an effect on ones appearance"
And maybe it actually split aspects of his personality creating MIB, lil Jacob and god knows who else!
JB "Maybe he would even begin to start playing a GAME against himself to pass the time...luring people to the island as pawns"
So in this vein, maybe all these people are somehow related to him.. I mean if he's been around a millennia it's propable he could have offspring all over the world..
Honestly I don't even know what that's about, it was in my head and had to get it out! :)
Ok, that's it for now, my Losties!
Totally irrelevant but I thought Jack's beat up old car was an International Scout from the 60's. He did also drive this same car off-island in universe 1.0.
ReplyDeleteJeff wanted me to post this for him because he was having trouble making a comment from his phone.
ReplyDelete"Here's some of the stuff I said to Frances personally regarding the idea that Jacob and Smoke Monster/MIB might be parts of the same entity.....
I think we've been barking up the wrong tree trying to figure out who's bad and whose good between Jacob and Nemesis. If there's one thing this show has stressed from day one is that there's good and evil in us all. Dark and Light. Unfortunately for Jacob I think his dark and light are OUT of him.....
Man in Black = Nemesis = Smoke Monster = Teen Jacob (from 'The Substitute') = JACOB
They're all one in the same!
This 'guy' has been alone and going mad, for god knows how long, on an island with time travel properties bending and manipulating those properties for quite some time now. (Wouldn't you given the lonely circumstances and the time travel gift?) Now. He's knee deep in the time travel paradox and he's now dealing with it's reprecussions. He's time travelled so much that there multiple versions of himself in certain time frames. I'll be the first to admit that the man we saw Jacob speaking to on the beach in last season's finale and Jacob look nothing alike...but let's not forget his ability to live live on by duplicating the bodies of the newly deceased. Their conversation always seemed oddly cordial for 2 people that are at eachothers throats. This is because, in essence, he's speaking to HIMSELF!
I believe one of the reprecussions of the overuse of island time travel or coming into contact with oneself too many times is somehow causing Jacob to be flitttering around as the gaseous 'smoke monster'.
Would also explain why Jacob doesn't age or up until recently, truly die. Because he's able to manipulate time to correct anything that goes wrong. If he cuts off a finger accidentally...he can just go back in time and tell his younger self not to chop at any trees that day.
I also feel like he probably has kept a version of himself in a timeline (the present) he felt comfortable in for companionship. Jacob has somehow course corrected his own death for himself, probably yet again, using the time travel properties and he is is wandering around the island's present existance as teenage Jacob from the past. Smoke Monster/Locke-Jacob is surprised to see that time travellin' Jacob-Jacob has returned yet again when he sees this teen Jacob wandering around annoying him about the rules he himself imposed on Smoke Monster Jacob so that some sort of order could be maintained. Smoke Monster Jacob is trapped in Locke suit because Jacob -Jacob is the only one with the time travellin' knowledge to allow him out of it....but Ilana doesn't know Jacob-Jacob is back yet! Smoke Monster Jacob is amazed to find out Sawyer can see Jacob-Jacob. But all candidates can! They saw him in their pasts. This is what helps MAKE them candidates. Jacob-Jacob allowed them to see him because he needs there help cleaning up his paradox mess he has created for himself on the island.
Jacob's cabin, the Lighthouse, the hideaway in the statues foot and even the dark cave. They are all property of the island but residents of both Jacob and MIB...the same being! Forgive him if he speaks about his other selves in 3rd person. Technically they are."