Oh where to start, where to start... maybe by watching the episode another 5 times? I gotta do this in point form or I'll never get any thoughts out. I'll re-watch and write at the same time for the bonus of added details and extra time wasting. Ok here goes..
- Opening scene: I had heard beforehand that it would be orchestrated to Downtown so I had kind of figured out what was coming. Actually, my exact prediction was: camera moves at a quick pace through the jungle (like it was being chased by something), music starts up quietly in the background, and as soon as it gets to the big chorus line "Downtown!" the camera emerges from the jungle onto a suburban street lined with pretty trees and houses where the Others live. Of course this isn't exactly how it went down, but I didn't really get the same "shock and awe" factor from this scene as most people probably did. However, I definitely loved the muffins and Elizabeth Mitchell's superb acting (why is she so sad?)
- Speaking of this new cast member, who got more on-screen time than anyone but Jack in this episode (!), I like her. I was majorly apprehensive at first of course, because new characters generally frighten me, but I think it was a good choice to have her introduction be full of empathy-inducing moments. Get away from Jack though missy! I know you like him already, I can tell. I will not have you two become romantically involved. I just will not have it.
- Anyways, going back to the first scene: doesn't it seem like Juliet is a nice girl? And yet we see later that she is fully involved with the initatives and manipulation of the Others, so that's interesting.
- So Henry Gale/Ben runs the Others... "here I am thinking that free will still actually exists". Not sure how I feel about this. Of course I love Henry Gale and think that his subplot was what really turned around the second season but when he was a prisoner in the hatch he eluded to someone much more powerful than Mr. Friendly, which I guess now was actually himself. This is kind of creepy, and kind of disappointing. I think I can accept this though.
- It was nice seeing Ethan and Goodwin again, and the plane crashing for oh the third time. Henry's (err Ben's) remarkably quick reaction was nothing short of petrifing.
- I still don't know what book the book club was reading - something by Stephen King, presumably? Why is Henry out of the book club? Why is the Others' camp so small when compared to the size of the island? Why have the Lost people not found them yet? Maybe I just answered my own question.
- I seriously laughed out loud when Jack ran into the glass wall and couldn't stop giggling for the rest of that scene.
- Oh I love Mr. Friendly... is he gay? "You're not my type."
- Ouch! What did they stick our kids with? Were they injecting something or taking out blood to test? Possible theories: they injected the virus, which will take two weeks to activate. They injected the antidote to the virus. They're testing their blood to make sure they are ideal candidates for their new gene pool thingy. This is also why they love kids. Their whole 'wysteria lane' colony seems to suggest that they are trying to create a new, better society. Though some of their housing looks a little more rugged (mainly what you see in Sawyer's scenes). Maybe this is just the Dharma testing facility remnants.
- Who is that other kid in the cage that tried to escape? Why was he in trouble?
- Loved Sawyer getting the biscuit and later sharing it with Kate. Cute. I wonder if it tastes like fish?
- Jack's flashback scene in the lawyer's office: "I just want to know his name" --- I feel for you. I think this is undoubtedly the best Jack flashback yet. Never have I empathized or cared more for him. We finally get to see some flaws, asides from the way-too-repeated 'I need to fix things' issue. I love that Jack is obsessive and jealous. I actually cared more about the flashback in this episode than what was going on on the island - definitely a first for me! I also love that we get some more insight into his papa issues. PS. Why is Sarah smirking as she walks away in the lawyer's office? You can just barely see it, but it's there. Odd. Maybe it was just Julie Bowen thinking "man, I nailed that scene!" or maybe it was something more?
- Oh Kate, you look so cute in your sundress. Your arms are far too muscular for a proper lady though. The scene with Kate and Henry (Ben! damnit) on the beach was my favorite of the entire episode. Such an interesting, scary twist to what seemed like a fairly straight-forward scene (did anyone else think Kate was just going to have to mate with him?! lol).
- She asks about Sawyer first. I wonder who she'll pick. I think probably Jack. Future episode spoiler (highlight with your mouse to read): I heard she will actually pick very soon.
- I desperately want a grilled cheese sandwhich.
- Whoa whoa whoa how did they get a copy of his father's autopsy report? Either they still have connection to the outside world, or they performed the autopsy? Actually I guess the latter is fairly feasible considering his body was on the island. But even still, I don't think they could find out everything else simply from the contents of the plane so they must have contact with the real world. If so why are they choosing to live on the damn freaky island... especially if the Dharma Initiative was a long time ago?
- I always thought that Sarah's new lover would be someone significant that we'd seen before, like maybe Goodwin or something. I never bought that it was Jack's dad. Are we now suppose to assume it was just some random guy?
- "It doesn't matter who he is, it just matters who you're not" --- best line ever. Did she really need to throw in the "now you have something to fix" part though? That just seems cruel.
- End episode. Overall pretty good, 9.0.
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3 comments:
So did you like it?? ;-)
Re: not being surprised by the opening... THAT'S what you get for listening to or reading stuff about the episode beforehand! I went into it completely cold (the only thing I'd heard was that Season 3 would have more sex in it, which didn't seem to factor into last night's episode). If you like being surprised, try avoiding spoilers, why don'tcha!
Some additional thoughts:
- maybe now we know why there was a polar bear on the island?
- it's possible Ben/Henry was referring to himself (as you theorize) but it's also possible there's still a fearsome man behind it all... we could still see some of the mysterious Dharma figures that show up in the Orientation videos
- I like your 'best line' choice but personally enjoyed the 2 bear lines more (Sawyer's "But how many bears were there?" probably topped Mr Friendly's zinger)
- Juliet is soooo going to be a love interest for Jack! She's fantastic and more along the lines of what he needs than Kate will ever be
- Did you wonder if "the kid" was really a plant, put in place to win the trust of Sawyer? I have to think that's at least a possibility, especially if Sawyer ends up confiding in him at any point
- Didn't it seem like Juliet was doing Interrogation 101 tricks on Jack throughout most of the episode: ask him innocuous questions that he'd have no reason not to answer ("What did you do before you came here?" "Were you ever married, Jack?") to get him used to providing answers; get him to follow simple instructions with promise of reward, and then arbitrarily withhold the reward after he does it; offer him food and then when he refuses, eat some yourself to demonstrate it wasn't drugged (next time he'll be way more likely to eat it)... should have reminded the observant of a certain Babylon5 episode that featured a merciless interrogator and a certain legendary captain.
The only bad thing about the episode last night, for me, was the realization that we're going to get a handful of new ep's and then NOTHING for several months!! That's going to be one long wait we've got ahead of us (having just come off a long wait)... maybe they should've gone the "24" route!
Oh, and I forgot to ask: did you pick up on how similar the opening this year was to last year's? Substitute Juliet for Desmond (characters we'd never seen before), the faux houses for the hatch (both of which, by their interiors, made us think we were seeing something off-island), CDs for LPs, burned muffins for whatever Desmond made up in that blender of his, and the 'earthquake' from the plane overhead for the disturbance in the hatch that set Desmond off. Amazing parallel that really, really worked (IMHO).
Ah, bears as in polar bears. Hadn't thought of that. I would think maybe the Dharma people from the video are dead by now? But maybe Hanso leader guy is still here. OR maybe his soul is buried on the island and the island is ALIVE. Haha.
I hadn't considered the kid being a plant, but that was a favorite internet theory that I read today. I could definitely see that happening.
I don't think it's several months in between breaks, is it? Hopefully more like 1.5.
Yeah I thought the opening's similarity to last year was a bit too obvious.
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