THINGS I NOTICED - Everybody Loves Hugo
Everyone loves Hugo episodes. They always deliver a message, but they usually do it with an interesting mix of humor and sarcasm. This week, they even did it with darker and more shadowy overtones. Despite the increasing tension and imminent violence of the upcoming storyline, Hurley was still able to shine through. Things I Noticed:
Three... Is a Magic Number
LOST is playing out exactly as Locke predicted it would, way back in the Pilot episode. Two players, two sides, one dark and one light... things were a lot simpler back then, and ideas a lot more innocent. Perhaps this is why John neglected to take the additional force into account - the third grand master - the watchers, the whisperers, those who are apparently 'stuck' on the island through their deeds or misdeeds.
The bright red flower on Libby's grave this episode pointedly reflects the influence of a 3rd party. We've seen this all throughout the show - the use of the color red neatly implemented in some very key ways. Red has been used to make a point (by Eloise Hawking, showing Desmond the red-shoed man), and in scenes alongside the other two black and white forces (Locke's red WV bug alongside black and white sedans, the red hieroglyphics of the Swan's black-on-white countdown timer, etc...) - the list is pretty long.
Yet when it comes to people, red has been used mostly in conjunction with one key character on LOST: Michael. He's the guy wearing the red shirt as the raft launches in Exodus, standing next to Sawyer and Jin in their black and white ones. Mike's also the one who told us the season one joke: "What's black and white and re(a)d all over?"
Perhaps more than anyone else save John Locke, Michael's been the most manipulated pawn in LOST's whole game. You have only to watch the surprise on his face as Michael shoots Libby and Ana Lucia to know one thing: at that very moment, someone else had their finger on Mike's playing piece. He gets manipulated back to the island by forces beyond his control, and spectacularly disposed of once the island is done with him. As far as pawns go, Michael's unimaginative, single-sided approach to problem solving (i.e. bounding randomly into the jungle after Walt every ten minutes) probably made him an easy target. In essence, he was a good tool to use.
Michael is also the one 815'er who never really had a choice at all. From the moment we first see him, people like his ex-wife are making decisions for him. He's always been the victim, played the victim, and seen himself as a man taken advantage of. In that respect, it's only fitting that Michael would ultimately end up in an advisory role, trying to help Hugo make some very important decisions of his own.
Michael showing up in conjunction with the whispers, alongside Libby's red flower, really cements the theory of a third party on LOST. The watchers are the whisperers, and the whisperers are the ones who've been watching. When Mike steps up to Hurley here, it's not with vague hints or cryptic allusions. He flat out tells Hugo he's here to stop him from making a mistake, and then proceeds to tell him exactly what he must do. This is a much more direct influence than we've ever seen before, and it's probably because - one way or another - things are finally drawing down to a conclusion.
The whisperers aren't just watching anymore, they're getting involved. They have a stake in what happens, and they mean to protect it. Hurley's not exactly happy to see Michael, but he is happy to get some outside help. The insight Michael provides comes from outside the show's gameboard, and with some sort of advanced knowledge of what's going to happen. Hurley knows and understands this, and is smart enough not to question it. As he tells Miles later on: "Dead people are more reliable than the live people". At this point, it just makes sense.
I've Been Training My Whole Life For This!
Did you see Richard's face when he looked into Illana's satchel? That was some sweaty, nappy, nasty-looking dynamite! I should've realized what was going to happen here but I'm glad I didn't, because Illana's demise startled the hell out of me almost as bad as what happened to poor Arzt. Fool me once, shame on ABC. Fool me twice... I really should've seen that shit coming.
Sorry, but now that we've seen Illana's whole story arc I have to say that I'm less than impressed. She marched into LOST like she knew what she was doing, but backed it up with nothing but hard talk and a lot of rifle-pointing. She had a lame storyline, brought a very weak crew with her, and came to a totally useless ending. Ille qui nos omnes servabit my ass.
If Illana's only purpose was to tell our characters that they're candidates to replace Jacob, then maybe she should've just sent a telegram. I have a hard time believing Jacob would've taken someone he treated like a daughter and waste her in this way. Either Illana totally screwed up or Illana totally screwed up - as far as I'm concerned there's really no other possibility. If she were following the correct path and making the "right moves" (as Hurley questioned her earlier), there's no way she would've Arzt'd herself like that.
You could maybe convince me that the dark man offed Illana herself. If you examine her last words, she did just call him a 'thing'. We already know how badly the MIB hates that term, and maybe she really pissed him off. But a more likely scenario, I think, is that the writers are just trimming the fat. As the show winds down, we'll need to see more of our bigger heroes and less of Johnny-come-latelys like Illana and Frank (as much as I love that guy).
The only important thing Illana may have done? Burned down Jacob's cabin. Maybe this is what traps the dark man in John Locke's body for good. After all, in reference to the cabin Bram did mention that "someone was using it."
Stood Up On The Fahita Field Trip
Yes, it was good to see Libby again. Her character's exit was abrupt and her story unfinished, and it's always nice to see loose ends getting tied up. She also had some great interaction with Hurley, both this week and in past episodes, and going all the way back to the tail section gives her tons more street-cred than, say, Illana or Zoe.
Like Charlie, Libby remembers. She's not even fully sure what she remembers, she just knows that she feels it. Her revelation didn't happen by touch or even proximity to Hurley - interestingly enough it happened via the television. This screams back to the first time we saw Daniel Faraday, sobbing as he watched footage of the crash of Flight 815. Daniel cried back then without even understanding where those emotions were coming from - just as Libby does here - and this is just one of LOST's many cool tie-ins to past seasons.
Join The Dark Side... We Have Arts & Crafts!
What's whiny, ungrateful, mutinous, and impatient? Flocke's entire encampment, of course. Sawyer's certainly not one for inaction, and we all know how Kate feels about sitting in one place for too long. Carving sticks Eko-style without a care in the world doesn't seem to help smokey's image, and the latest polls indicate popularity has gone way down.
Yet despite all this, the dark man holds his position. He knows he needs the remaining candidates, and more importantly he knows they must come to him on their own. To appease Sawyer and Kate, the MIB makes up some nonsense about 'needing them all together' in order to be able to leave the island. Keeping Ajira in mind, this is something he knows they can understand. Temporarily, it serves as a great excuse to quiet their grumblings, so he can hear the wood when it speaks to him.
Many viewers already suspect that Flocke wants the candidates dead, and I'm jumping on board with them on this idea. Gathering the candidates together is the best way to accomplish the MIB's end goal, because I'm also assuming he can't harm them directly. He'll therefore need someone else to do it, and putting everyone in one place would make destroying them a hell of a lot easier for whomever he picks to do the job.
It's also important to note how John Locke's mannerisms have been shining through the MIB lately. He seems to have adapted John's hobbies as well as his slogans. Maybe he can't keep his hold on John's body forever. Maybe he can't suppress certain aspects of John's persona from exhibiting themselves. This sort of happens to Sayid too, as he let Zoe go last episode rather than shoot her dead. The smoke monster seemed fairly pissed about this, but avoiding any unnecessary killing seems to be something associated with 'good' Sayid.
It's Like a WalkAbout In Your Mouth!
Four days later, Desmond has gotten his greedy little hands on Oceanic 815's flight manifest. From here he takes on a very Jacob-like role, making it his own personal mission to plant seeds of enlightenment everywhere he goes. It's almost like he's recruiting here - bringing his fellow castaways' memories back for some ultimate purpose that only he knows about. First stop: Hurley's chicken shack.
Directly in line with the rules of the island, Desmond doesn't tell Hugo anything outright. He merely gives him a push, and leads him in the right direction. The Desmond we see here is almost omniscient - he's got his LAX memories, but he also has memories of being on the island. More evidence of this exists as Desmond's number is called: 42. Hugo on the other hand, has customer number 38 - indicative of his story in the sideways timeline.
Hospitals, Marinas, Mental Hospitals, Rec-Rooms...
Just like dialogue, names, faces and scenarios, there are certain places throughout LOST that are repeated time and time again. Here at Santa Rosa, we're once again treated to the same familiar people, objects, scenery and decor. I'm thinking Hurley's big donation won't change that fact one bit.
According to Dr. Brooks, Libby has "issues with reality". Unknown to him, he couldn't have put it better. As her mind slips between two different worlds, Libby has very specific memories of her island life, the plane crash, and even knowing Hugo in Santa Rosa during their stay in the previous timeline. We see dialogue identical to both worlds (i.e. "you're doing fine") that seem to jog Hurley's memory for a split second, but he still hasn't had that one big revelation that Charlie or Desmond have shared.
The connect four game dumps cargo a split second after this scene starts, but if you're quick enough to pause it, you'll see that red beats black. ;)
Dude, You've Got Some Black Rock On You...
Again, everything comes full circle. In Exodus, Hugo was running and waving his hands to prevent Locke from setting off dynamite. Here, Hurley is doing the same thing after setting off his own explosion. Hugo's even on the receiving end of another oft-repeated line: "Why did you do that?"
Hurley's a terrible liar, and it was easy to see his initial stutter while faking his conversation with Jacob. Jack caught onto it quickly, and so did Richard. Hugo sticks to his original plan however, which now includes talking to Locke. It's not clear whether he came up with the plan himself or got additional help from Michael, but it's safe to say Mike's okay with it because he later points out Locke's encampment.
"You can either come with me, or you can keep trying to blow stuff up." Great line. What's awesome here is the way Jack steps up to stand behind his friend. There was a point several seasons back where Hurley should've trusted Jack and went with him, but chose not to. Here the roles are reversed, only this time, Jack chooses the correct path. He puts all of his trust in Hurley... and by doing this, Jack lets go.
This is a very big moment for Jack. In his own words, Jack realizes he can't ever fix what happened in the past. With some help from his father, his friends, mirror-smashing therapy, and even Jacob, he's finally stopped trying to put his hands in everything. Totally and completely, Jack is now a man of faith.
This leads to our heroes being divided for what might (thankfully) be the very last time. Richard takes Miles and Ben to form the doomsday demolition team, where we'll probably get a requisite farewell tour of the barracks. Jack, Sun, and Frank agree to follow Hurley into the lion's den. Blowing up that plane seemed like a shitty idea anyway, and the more Illana pushed it the worse it looked.
RIP Black Rock. We had some good times.
Is That Your Brotha, Brotha?
We haven't had a Desmond/Locke scene in a while, and we've never seen Desmond with the man in black. The paring of these two characters, combined with Desmond's recent flash of insight, made for one of the best scenes in the episode.
Flocke doesn't know why Widmore brought Desmond to the island, but he knows he must be important. The electromagnetism thing seemed to bother him slightly, as he asked Desmond to specifically verify what happened. Desmond's honest, straightforward answers seem almost a little suspect, but for some reason he's unable or unwilling to lie about anything here. Flocke's most important question however, comes at the end of their interview: "Do you know who I am?"
This is a question asked all throughout the show. Identity is a huge theme, and I predict it will play a tremendous part in how LOST ultimately ends. Desmond however, answers the question simply and innocently (or does he?) when he responds with: "Of course. You're John Locke".
This pleases the dark man. I think he half-expected Desmond to identify him here, but chalks him up as unknowledgeable from this point forward. This will make it easier, or so he thinks, to faceplant Desmond in that ancient well. Des actually takes smokey's hand as he gets up, which may have enabled this to happen.
Later on however, Desmond slyly exhibits knowledge above and beyond what the MIB originally pegged him for. "Do you know better?" he asks him. "There's nothing special about me brotha. If you ask me, this island has it in for all of us." Desmond is decrying being special here for a reason: he's downplaying his significance. Immediately after that exchange though, he exhibits yet another important power: the ability to see the young boy in the jungle.
The boy sure as hell looks (and smirks) like Jacob. He's older this time, indicating a progression. Once again it angers the MIB, but he walks away this time rather than lose control. Is Jacob really there? Probably not. But the boy's image is a not-so-subtle reminder that he's still present on the island. And that their game is NOT yet over.
The Whispers... Explained in 31 Seconds
Okay, so from completely out of nowhere we get... an ANSWER to the WHISPERS!?!?!?
I was totally blown away... amazed that they answered this question right here, right now, and in such a short, rushed scene. The whispers turn out to be what many people have suspected since day one: the voices of the dead. These are the sounds of those stuck on the island and forced to watch things unfold, due to the actions (or inactions) of their previous lives.
As much as I hate to even say it, Michael's definition of being "unable to move on" jives a hell of a lot with the definition of Purgatory. He's trapped there because of what he did, and for some reason is offering Hugo his help. There's nothing Hurley can do for Michael, other than "don't get yourself killed". The way it looks now, Michael's final redemption lies in seeing that Hugo and his friends succeed.
This simple, easy, cookie-cutter answer to one of LOST's oldest mysteries just seemed way out of place for me. It's not that I didn't like the answer (I did - and it was pretty close to my own view of things), it was the hurried, nonchalant way it was thrown at us. Hugo stumbled off with a sudden "Hey, I think I know what these things are", and a minute later we were back on the way to Locke's camp again. Six years' worth of buildup and anticipation had a very weak, lame release.
Still, I think we'll get a deeper explanation of the whispers than Michael's simple nod. Who's back there? Why haven't they stepped forward before? What's changed that Hugo can suddenly see and even call the whisperers out into the open, asking for their help?
It's also cool to start thinking back and identifying when we've seen the whisperers before. I've always thought Harper (Goodwin's wife) was one of them. Maybe even taller ghost Walt. Ben's mother? She never even made it to the island, but it would make sense if she were among them. People have already pointed out that she appeared within the boundaries of the sonic fence, so her appearance couldn't have been attributed to the MIB.
There's a much bigger picture here, and I think Mike just gave us a small glimpse into it. I'm still holding out hope for a more thorough whispers reveal, so anyone who was unsatisfied like me shouldn't close that door just yet.
Everyone Loves Cheese
Hurley and Libby finally get their picnic, and if anyone deserved it, they did. Libby's memories get jogged even further here, to the point where both she and Hugo begin reciting more identical dialogue. The kiss happens, and that's the trigger... that's when Hurley's memory makes the (hopefully permanent) connection between the LAX and island timelines.
We're lead to believe that love is the bridge between these two worlds. In many ways, that's even true. But what's interesting to realize here is that Hugo didn't remember anything until he was placed into a situation familiar to the island timeline. Once he had the picnic, once he kissed Libby, that's when he remembered.
This is exactly what happened to Desmond last episode. His memory was triggered by an event that occurred in both timelines: seeing Charlie through a pane of glass, underwater. It's also what happened to jog Charlie's memory: doing drugs in the bathroom of Flight 815 was the connection for him, because it's something that happened in both the LAX and island worlds.
For Daniel Faraday, it was love at first sight. Maybe his connection happened because he fell in love with Charlotte immediately upon seeing her in both timelines. Love is important, but circumstances are important also, just as recreating the circumstances of Ajira 316 was crucial to getting back to the island.
Brothhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Flocke may be lying his ass off to get what he wants, but there is one thing I agree with him on. When he tells Desmond "Charles Widmore isn't interested in answers, he's only interested in power", I think he's dead on stating the truth here.
In a very awesome scene, the dark man regards Desmond curiously and asks "Why aren't you afraid?" It really seems to bother him that Desmond is so cool and collected. Maybe it's because the MIB is so used to ruling through fear and show of force. If we're to believe the hieroglyphics, the smoke monster is also used to being fearfully worshipped by followers for what may have been thousands of years.
Yet here's someone who's not only unafraid, he's totally casual about it. Desmond scares the dark man on some very new levels. His enemy, Charles Widmore, went through a lot of trouble to bring Desmond to the island, for one. He's resistant to electromagnetism - something the monster himself can't stand. And if Desmond can see the boy in the jungle, does that make him a candidate? If so, does the "sacrifice" Widmore mentioned last episode involve him taking Jacob's place?
Tossing Desmond into that well was a no-brainer, and Des should've seen it coming. From the sounds of that torch hitting the bottom, it seemed like it probably ended in some water. I'm sure Desmond's okay, just as I'm sure there's a donkey wheel on ice down there. Maybe Flocke expects him to turn it, or expects Desmond to be dead. Either way, he should've double-tapped.
I Know Who You Are... I Know What You Are
Not much to say about Hurley brokering his friends' safe arrival at Locke's camp, other than the Jack/Locke staredown at the end. As these two iconic characters exchanged looks, it really did give me the chills. Watch it closely, and Flocke's head cocks curiously, almost as if he sees something within Jack. Perhaps he sees who Jack "truly is", the way Achara did, because right afterward, the MIB smirks.
The School District Looks Fine Enough, But Desmond's Not a Big Fan of The Faculty
Sometimes the ending of an episode distracts you just enough to flick you right in the balls. That totally happened to me here, as Desmond happily and brutally introduces John Locke to several key surfaces of his moving car.
We know from his brief conversation with Ben that LAX_Desmond has memories of his island life. After lying about looking for a school for his son, Ben tries to catch him in that lie by immediately asking his son's name. Without even so much as a second's hesitation, Desmond instantly answers him: "Charlie".
As far as I see it, there are two possibilies here. In one, Desmond remembers Locke as Flocke. He knows he's the bad guy, and is now trying to kill him. Perhaps he thinks killing John in the off-island world will have an impact on the MIB's ability to maintain his dopleganger-like control over John Locke's emotional spirit, and maybe John can "take back" some of that control again. We've already seen mannerisms of the old John Locke bleed through from time to time, and we've also seen deceased characters in the island timeline transcend some of their memories to their LAX counterparts after they've died.
In the second scenario, Desmond is merely trying to induce the same type of revelation that he, Charlie, Daniel, and Hurley have already had. Somehow, Desmond knows about John's 8-story fall in the previous timeline. He realizes he needs to recreate that same type of hellacious disaster, and runs John down to accomplish this. Far-fetched and gruesome, but hey, this is LOST.
In the end, it's going to be interesting to see what happens here - both in the LAX timeline and on the island. I'm sure Locke's "accident" will be the deciding factor as to whether Jack fixes his spine or not, because I'd bet my ass that Locke's going straight to Shephard hospital. On island, I'm betting there will also be some impact on the MIB's side of things. We'll just have to see.
Crazy? Crazy About You! "Everybody Loves Hugo" - Recap by Robz888
Posted by DarkUFO at 4/14/2010 09:15:00 PM
Labels: Everybody Loves Hugo, Recaps, Robz888
BOOM! It was nice knowing you (briefly), Ilana. Hey Desmond, welcome back to the isla... DOWN THE WELL! And, for good measure, let's kill John Locke one more time. Pretty much sums up last night's surprisingly violent Hurley-centric, doesn't it?
But much like "Sundown", the shocking death toll was pretty entertaining, especially after all the lovey-dove stuff lately, though "Everybody Loves Hugo" wasn't lacking in that department, either.
This was an hour of Lost filled with potential answers, questions and moments meriting heavy discussion. I'll try to get through it as quickly as I can, but I have a feeling this will end up being a lengthy recap. Let's examine the on-island action first.
ILANA, WE HARDLY KNEW YE. BUT SERIOUSLY, WHO WERE YOU?
Is that the producers' favorite gag, or what? Some character starts shaking the dynamite, we all collectively groan,
oh don't do that, and BOOM, the end of said character.
From what I've gathered, most people expected Ilana to meet this fate the second she showed us the dynamite in her pack (and I'm guessing there must have been spoilers about this, though I truly don't know), but never in a million years did I think she would meet her demise tonight. Her character just never went anywhere. What was the point of her? Let's pretend for a minute that Ilana never existed. Bram and Co. were Jacob's only sworn protectors. They bring Locke's body to the Statue, and Flocke kills them all. Richard could have filled everybody in on the whole candidates thing. I fail to see what Ilana's character added, other than her shocking, semi-comical death.
At least Ben acknowledged this, pointing out that when Jacob is done with somebody, he's REALLY done with them. I warned in previous recaps that I didn't think Jacob cared about Ilana the way she cared about him, and that he was just using her. The moment she was no longer needed, she became cannon fodder. This doesn't reflect very well on Jacob. Sure, the Man in Black isn't exactly a saint lately, but Jacob's complete indifference to other peoples' lives seems almost as bad as Flocke's malevolent intentions.
In any case, I never felt very strongly about Ilana, and I don't think she had too much support among fans, so we can get over her pretty quickly. There are a lot of characters, and if Ilana's death frees up more time for the less-utilized people to get the spotlight (ahem, Miles and Frank), then maybe it's for the best. Still, the Beach Camp heroes scarcely had any time to mourn or process this loss before heading off on another seemingly hopeless mission.
HURLEY ABUSES HIS GHOST POWERS, AND THE WHISPERS EXPLAINED
Hurley has it on good authority that Ilana and Richard's plan to blow up the Ajira plane isn't going to turn out well. He's first warned by ghost Michael at Libby's grave. Hurley is less than thrilled to see Michael; he openly wonders why Libby is just about the only ghost who won't talk to him.
In the wake of Ilana's death, Richard is just as determined to put the dynamite from the Black Rock to good use. Hurley plays along at first, but then rushes ahead of the group and blows up the Black Rock before anyone can get their hands on more explosives. Farewell, pirate ship in the jungle. You've been a fan favorite for a long time.
Hurley then chalks his actions up to Jacob's invisible instructions, but Richard doesn't buy it. The gang then splits in two groups. Ben and Miles decide to follow Richard to the Barracks and gather more explosives. Jack, Sun and Frank agree to join Hurley in going to talk to Flocke.
The show has hinted at a close friendship between Ben and Richard, so I thought Ben's decision made sense. I was once again worried for Miles, though. Richard is basically wrapped up at this point, and Ben is currently at his most dispensable. If one of these factions ends up being the "Everybody Gets Killed" group, you know it's not going to be Hurley's. Then again, Ben, Richard and Miles should have a lot of island experience between them, right? I keep forgetting that Miles was Dharma security for three years, in addition to Ben and Richard's long careers as Others. Maybe they know what they're doing, after all.
Maybe Miles and Frank can score more screen time when they're apart. And I wonder if anybody has told Frank that Flocke killed his old buddy, Pilot Seth Norris, in Smoke Monster form all those years ago. Would he still want to talk to Flocke, then?
On the way to Flocke's camp, Hurley confesses to Jack that he hadn't spoken with Jacob. I enjoyed the conversation that followed, as Jack explains his new philosophy of letting go and seeing what happens. It's interesting how much Jack has come around to old John's way of thinking. I remember reading way back in season 2 that the producers had said Jack is both the "man of science" and the "man of faith". That's really come true as we head into Lost's final stretch.
In order to find the Flocke camp, Hurley has another chat with Michael, who confirms that the whispers are the voices of the dead who can't move on. I wish I had time to review every instance of the whispers over the course of six seasons, but here are my immediate reactions:
1) It was my understanding that, in some cases, the whispers were quotes attributed to still living people. I couldn't confirm this, but I thought we've heard Sawyer, Hurley and Richard's voices as whispers. Does this mean that they are going to die, or am I just way off?
2) This would explain why we do hear whispers from dead characters like Boone.
3) What about characters who died off the island but are somehow connected to the survivors? I'm thinking about Frank Duckett, here. His "whispering" was different than some of the others because it was louder and easier to understand, so maybe it doesn't count as part of the official whispers.
4) I'm still not sure why the whispers so often accompany the arrival of the Others or the Monster, but I have a guess. My favorite adaptation of Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol" is the one with Alastair Sim made in 1951. Just before the ghost of Jacob Marley departs Scrooge's presence, he bids Scrooge to look out the window. On the street below, a poor woman is freezing in the cold. She is surrounded by wailing ghosts who are throwing money at her, but she has no awareness of them or the money. Scrooge asks why the ghosts are so upset, and Marley replies, "They seek to intervene in the course of human affairs, but have lost their power to do so." The whispers are very similar. I think they appear right before the Others and the Smoke Monster because the dead people wish to warn the heroes of the coming danger.
5) I think Harper may have been dead after all when she appeared to Jack and Juliet in "The Other Woman". Juliet might not have known that she was dead, though.
Michael tells Hurley to apologize for him if he ever does see Libby again. And with events in the other reality unfolding in such a way, Hurley very well might be able to do just that. Then perhaps Michael can move on.
MY FLOCKE-IS-GOOD THEORIES GOT THROWN DOWN A WELL
Meanwhile, Sayid brings Desmond to Flocke, who is incredibly curious about the Scotsman. Desmond's exceedingly calm attitude is difficult to interpret. It's not exactly out of character for him, but he just seems so unshakable. Is this because he is now reassured that he is fulfilling his destiny, and only has to go with the flow? Or is it because his main consciousness is now stuck in the other reality?
I was also a little taken aback that Sayid would tie up Desmond like that. I mean, they were best buddies on the freighter! Sayid must be really, really gone. That, or he was just providing female Lost fans with one of their fantasies (see image below).
In any case, Flocke takes Desmond for a walk to the Orchid well. On the way, he asks Desmond how long he was down in the hatch in the exact same way that Locke did back in "Live Together, Die Alone". More deliberate Locke parallelism. Flocke was actually very John-like in a couple moments last night. One of those was when he was carving a stick, and replied to Sawyer that the stick would tell him what it was supposed to become.
On the way to the well, that mysterious boy appears again. I have to say, I thought it was a different boy. According to Lostpedia, though, the same actor played both. This boy seemed to have darker hair and may have been a bit older, but I really don't know. They wear the same outfit. Are they Jacob and the Man in Black as children? Does this mean Jacob and MIB originated as the same entity? I hope we find out soon.
Also noteworthy was that Desmond could see him. Sawyer could seem him, too, but as far as we could tell, Richard couldn't. I thought maybe only candidates could see the boy, but that would seem to be false since Desmond could see him. Flocke is certainly troubled by the apparitions of this boy, whereas the boy seems unafraid of Flocke, even possibly having authority over him. This could be because the boy reminds MIB of his younger self - a time before Jacob took his humanity and trapped him on the island - or because the boy is actually a higher entity.
At the well, Flocke explains that the people who dug it were looking for the energy pocket that was affecting their compasses. I wonder if these people installed the wheel, or if it was already there?
Desmond isn't afraid of Locke, for two reasons: 1) Desmond doesn't seem perturbed by anything anymore, and 2) he doesn't seem to know Locke is not Locke. The bald-headed bad guy responds by throwing him down the well - a plunge that John himself took last season.
Why did Flocke ditch Desmond? I can think of a couple reasons:
1) Flocke, like Randall Flagg/Walter O'Dim of Stephen King's novels, keeps his cool most of the time, but has a short-fuse when it comes to people not taking him seriously, not fearing him the way they should, or laughing at him.
2) Flocke intended to get rid of Desmond. He recognizes the potential for Mr. Electromagnetism to be a thorn in his side, possibly because MIB has something to do with the electromagnetism. Long have I thought that the Smoke Monster form might be a sort of energy pocket in and of itself. But because Desmond is special, the only way to dispose of him is to throw him into a pocket.
3) Flocke didn't necessarily intend to hurt Desmond, he just needs to use him for something. He knew that Desmond would survive the fall because the well leads to an energy pocket and pockets are Desmond's specialty. The well tunnel is the next step on Desmond's quest, and Flocke wants him to fulfill this quest.
I think option 2 constitutes the bulk of the answer, but some aspects of choices 1 and 3 might apply as well.
Flocke returns to camp, and is soon joined by Hurley's party. The long-awaited Jack/John reunion moment occurs, but we'll have to wait until next week to see what they say to each other. Flocke, at least, looks pretty pleased that he finally has all the candidates in one place, minus Jin (poor Sun!).
HAVE A CLUCKITY CLUCK CLUCK ALTERNATE REALITY
Didn't Pierre Chang's remarks about Hurley sound like a eulogy? Luckily, Dr. Chang is merely recognizing Hurley for his generous philanthropy.
The award made me laugh. Didn't Hurley think the Smoke Monster was a dinosaur at one point?
Anyway, Hurley is in most respects a lucky guy in the ATL, but he's still unlucky in love. Unsurprisingly, Libby soon crosses his path, and Hurley is immediately falling for her. Libby, for her part, has memories of her time on the island with Hurley - and these memories have landed her in Santa Rosa.
I thought this was a really brilliant way to build on the revelations in "Happily Ever After", with Libby expressing the same sentiments as Daniel and Charlie. It seems that love is very much the tool by which the ATL characters become aware of their other selves. It must be the intensity of the emotion of love that causes it to stretch across dimensions and connect these characters.
Desmond meets up with Hurley at Mr. Clucks, trying to nudge him to pursue Libby. We of course already know that Desmond has a hidden agenda of getting the 815 passengers to remember their other lives. Wasn't it funny that he was order number 42? In addition to being one of the numbers, 42 is the answer to "Life, the Universe, and Everything" in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy universe.
Hurley ends up bribing Dr. Brooks with a donation to fix up the rec room in order to see Libby. Though Hurley has never spent time in Santa Rosa in this reality, it's cool that he will be responsible for sprucing up the shabby room in which he spent so much time.
Hurley and Libby go on the beachside picnic that they never got around to on the island, and a kiss prompts Hurley to recall his time with Libby. Desmond watches, satisfied.
THE MAD SCOTSMAN STRIKES AGAIN
Taking his plans to the next level, Desmond heads over to Ben and John's school. He waits for John to wheel himself into the parking lot, and promptly runs him over at full speed.
Oh, Damon and Carlton. You guys just couldn't resist, could you? "It's been at least a couple episodes since we killed John," you must have thought. "Have Desmond run him over." We John fans are the perpetual punching bags of Lost. The show constantly crushes our John hopes, restores them, and then crushes them all the more brutally. Remember when John's body was just sitting out in the sun for a day? That's how John fans are treated. And then they bury us.
That said, I'm assuming John will pull through, and that the accident might trigger John's other memories, as it did for Charlie and Desmond during near-death experiences. I also wonder if Desmond could have planned the accident enough to know that John would be taken to Jack's hospital, and that the two of them interacting might bring on the flashes. So I'm excited to see what comes next for John, but come on Desmond, did you have to run him over
that hard?
He'll probably die on the operating table. Or better yet, Jack will revive him just long enough to tell him that his life is a lie. Then the alternate reality will disappear, and John will go back to being a dead failure whose form is possessed by a mocking, evil entity.
I still have hope for you, John. I know you're inside Flocke, deep down. Please make your presence known!
UNTIL NEXT WEEK...
So Flocke is definitely a bad guy. Jacob is no hero either, though. Everyone who has followed him ended up dead or seriously disillusioned. My hope is that both of these scheming, imperious entities will be rejected by a group of survivors who have become too smart to keep following orders. I hope they will learn that free will has its limits, just as destiny has its disappointments.
As always, thanks for reading! I can't believe how little time is left.
- Robby "Robz888"
Sean's Random Thoughts - Lost Recap - "Everybody Loves Hugo" Posted by DarkUFO at 4/14/2010 03:24:00 AM Labels: Everybody Loves Hugo, Recaps, Sean Furfaro
Here is Sean Furfaro's Recap of Tonight's Episode.
Jack Shepherd was the Man of Science, John Locke was the Man of Faith, but Hugo “Hurley” Reyes has always been the heart of Lost. Think back to the pure unfettered moments we’ve shared with Hurley over the course of Lost’s run, from building a golf course in Season 1, to his joyous cannonball into the ocean in Season 4, to his heartbreak over learning of the deaths of Libby and Charlie, to his self-convincing efforts to start the Dharma Van, and all the way to his current role as Jacob’s conduit. Hurley has arguably been the emotion of this show for 6 seasons (Sorry Desmond and Penny lovers, myself included)…he has been the voice, the conscience, the one who says what we’re all thinking as we watch. Tonight, with only 6 episodes left to go before we reach the end of this road that we all anticipate and dread with equality, we get our Hurley episode, “Everybody Loves Hugo.”
As the episode opened with what may have appeared to the naked eye as a eulogy, we quickly learned that in the Flash Sideways (FS) world, Hurley was being honoured as Man of the Year, partially due to his "lifelong love affair with chicken" as the owner of Mr. Clucks. Did you recognize the MC's voice as that of Pierre Chang before the visual reveal? How many Dharma Initiation tapes do you need to see to catch that one?
Yes, Hurley is overweight, and yes he has physical self-esteem issues, but is there anything more emasculating than having your mother set you up on a blind date with Uncle Tito's neighbour's daughter, Rosalita? Ouch.
On the Island as Richard and Jack ready the troops to head out, Hurley has a private moment on Boone Hill, talking to Libby. From the onset of this scene, I started crying just listening to him talk to her, womdering why she didn't appear to him the way that others did. As he explained to Ilana who Libby was, it was heartbreaking, and I was a mess. Jorge Garcia was fantastic in this scene, and I knew it was going to be a long, emotional roller-coaster of an episode.
Cue the whispers and the appearance of Michael, who told Hurley that he needed to stop him from blowing up the Ajira plane. As Hurley astutely asked "Why should I trust you? You murdered Libby and Ana Lucia", Michael responded with a dismissive "That doesn't matter right now." Well, I'm sorry, but if you murdered my girlfriend (and presumably my soulmate) and then just gave me a "doesn't matter" when I was hesitant to trust you, I'm not sure I would be ok with that. And as much as Michael gave a solid argument, I wasn't sure that Hurley would listen.
Back in the FS World, Hurley waited for his blind date at Spanish Johnny's, making me think that the only thing more emasculating than having your mom set you up on a blind date with your Uncle Tito's neighbour's daughter, Rosalita...is to have your Uncle Tito's neighbour's daughter Rosalita stand you up.
But then Libby arrived...
And that first moment between Hurley and Libby tugged on my heartstrings again, as Hurley's breath was taken away seeing her for the "first" time. As Libby tried to explain that she was connected to him, and that they were soulmates, you could see him wanting to believe it while not understanding it in the least. Then Dr. Brooks rained on everybody's parade and corraled her, herding the Santa Rosa Mental Health Institute crew into a waiting van outside.
Last week in Vozzek's recap of Happily Ever After, he suggested the theory that the ones that can trigger the memories in the FS World, the ones who are, as he put it "in the know", are the ones who have died on the Island. I loved the theory when I read it, and now after seeing this, it appears to be true. First Charlie, then Daniel, then Libby...who's next?
Ilana retrieved the dynamite from the Black Rock as they prepared their plan to blow up the Ajira plane. As she was explaining things to everyone, I watched her tossing bottles of water on top of the dynamite in her bag, and made a note that I would have to point it out as a problem. I mean, how could Arzt blow up from barely handling a stick, and she can use it as a cushion for her water?
Then...BOOM!
Ok, I have to admit, that was seriously unexpected. And as shocking as it was, I have to think that after establishing Ilana as a caring, protective, and sympathetic character, she probably deserved a better end than just to be blown to bits by being careless. But perhaps, as Ben stated, "The Island was done with her."
At Flocke's camp, Sawyer has once again morphed into Stompy McStomperson, the angry sarcastic guy who storms around camp demanding answers. He corners Flocke who explains that they are waiting for Hugo, Sun, and Jack. I had to note that he didn't mention Frank, which may possibly debunk my theory that he needs Frank to fly the plane, but perhaps he was just referring to the ones that arrived on the Ajira plane. But then again, he told Claire that he didn't need Kate, so that likely isn't it either.
Flocke then told then that the were going to "get off this godforsaken rock", which is the exact phrase that Sawyer used in Episode 7, "Recon". What is the significance of the phrase being exactly the same? It can't just be a coincidence, I think. Your thoughts?
Sayid then showed up at camp again with Desmond in tow...and "in tow" is an appropriate description as Desmond was tied to a tree. Why on earth was he tied up when he went with Sayid so calmly and willingly? That didn't make a lot of sense to me, and even though it was explained that Sayid was afraid he would run...it still didn't taste right to me.
Desmond and Flocke had a one-on-one conversation about Widmore, electromagnetism, and his time on the Island. But when Flocke asked if Des knew who he was, and Des answered "John Locke", I couldn't tell if Flocke reaction was happiness, disappointment, or simply confusion. But the key element of this scene may be the fact that as Flocke offered his hand to Desmond to help him up...Desmond accepted it, which Sun and Kate bothe refused to do in earlier episodes. Why did he take it, and what does it mean. Flocke's touch clearly means something, as Jacob's did, so did Desmond just get "affected" by whatever that is, or he exempt from this, too?
As Richard and Jack argued about whether to return to the Black Rock for more dynamite, a key turning point came for Hurley as he told Jack to trust him. Hurley has always been the one who looks to Jack for direction, and now he was taking the leadership role...as Michael pointed out in their first scene together.
So off the the Black Rock they went, and before you can say 'Tricia Tanaka is Dead", the slave ship we've come to know and love since Season 1 exploded at the hands of Hurley, who declared that he did it in an effort to protect everyone. At that point, despite this episode's title, I would say that Richard definitely did NOT love Hugo.
Richard had a drama queen tantrum after the Black Rock explosion (Oh, those 140-year old's can be so moody!), and we learned that Hurley did indeed heeds Michael's advice from the beginning of the episode. When asked why he listened to Michael, Hurley answered with what I feel is the core theme of this episode:
"Dead people are more reliable than live people."
In the FS World, Desmond waited at Mr. Clucks for order #42 (nice touch!), and ran into Hurley, who he recognized from the plane. Did you notice how happy and at peace Desmond was in this scene as he talked to Hurley about his girl troubles? "All women are a little bit crazy, brutha", Des told him with a smile, as he pushed Hurley in the direction of pursuing Libby and looking for answers...
Which led Hurley to Santa Rosa in an effort to find Libby again. And after asking about the "fajita field trip" and not being able to get Dr. Brooks to agree to allowing him in to see her, he resorted to old-school bribery. $100K later we were treated to the familiar images of a game of Connect 4 and a chalkboard that will be analyzed all week, and then Libby came out...
How poignant was it to watch an Off-Island scene with someone trying to explain that they're not crazy...and it wasn't Hurley. This time, he's the one with the sympathetic ear, listening...wanting to believe. And even though he doesn't remember or understand what Libby is trying to tell him about there being "a different life", he still wants to know more. As he asks about this "bizarro alternate universe", he once again echoes what we the viewers are thinking.
And as he asks her on a date, she looks at him and genuinely declares, "I'd love that." Hurley's face lit up again, and I reached for the Kleenex again.
I'm still not prepared to fully analyze the relevance of the Kid in the Jungle that Flocke saw again in this episode. I've heard the theories that it is a young Jacob, or a young Flocke, or Aaron...but I just don't know yet. All I know is that I found it interesting that Desmond was not shocked in the least, even when Flocke became visibly angry, and telling him to "ignore him." That smirk before the kid ran off had to mean something, like he was pleased that Flocke was aggravated.
The scene between Richard and Hurley was relevant because it signalled a peak for Hurley. All throughout the episode, his confidence had been building, in the Island World and in the FS World, and as he came to a standoff with Richard on what to do next, he invoked Jacob's name. As Richard tried to call Hurley's bluff, Hurley told him "I don't have to prove anytthing to you Richard. Come with me or keep trying to blow stuff up. Your call, dude."
So, as is the case in each season of Lost at some point, we saw a splintering of factions, as Richard, Ben, and Miles left for the Barracks to retrieve grenades, and Hurley, Jack, Sun, and Frank proceeded on to look for Flocke and a face-to-face meeting.
And now Sun's obligatory one-line question per episode has been relegated to being written instead of spoken? Tell me again why this she is relevant? Tell me again (as some commenters have done in the past) that Sun and Jin are Season 6's love story...after seeing Des and Penny last week, and Hurley and Libby this week.
Hurley: "How do you break the ice with a Smoke Monster?" Seems like a pretty fair question.
The scene with Jack and Hurley was a turning point for both of them, as Hurley admitted to Jack that while he appeared confident in his standoff with Richard, he was lying about Jacob and had no idea where to go next. Jack reassuringly told him that he did indeed trust him, and went on to give us the most un-Jack-like speech in 6 seasons, as he explained that he can't fix everything, and that Hurley has no idea how hard that is for him. (But we viewers sure do, don't we?)
And then we heard the whispers again, and the next arrival of Michael. It was a scene in which I interpreted Hurley apparently silently forgiving Michael, but more importantly it gave us one of the answers to a long-held mystery: the whispers. Michael explained that he's stuck on the Island, with others, "who can't move on." (Good God, not the Purgatory Theory again!)
That's it?
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy we got the actual answer, which had been suspected for quite some time, but it seemed to just be a toss-aside answer to appease the viewers, like a casual "Jacob had a thing with numbers."
Back the FS World as Libby and Hurley prepared for their date. It was eerily reminiscent of the planned date on the Island, with a picnic on the beach. Libby declared to him how familiar it was, like a date they never had, and when she leaned over to kiss him, it happened...
With that one kiss, Hurley saw the same flashes that Desmond saw last week, and he knew that she wasn't crazy, that it had all actually happened...and now he remembered. I did a major fist-pump at the moment he flashed to the Island.
Then we panned back to see Desmond in his car watching them. And as he smiled and fixed his glasses in a move that would make Horatio Caine proud, all of a sudden, the end of last week episode made sense.
The reason he wanted to get the Oceanic 815 manifest, is to find the passengers and push them towards their own individual triggers that would allow them to see and feel the OTHER world. That's what he meant when he said "I need to show them something."
With only 5 episodes left after this one, I didn't think we were up for much more Island Mythology, but as Flocke explained to Desmond about the well, and the people who dug it, and Widmore's quest for power, I was trying to figure out what it all meant. And even though I saw his imminent fall coming, when Desmond declared "What's the point in being afraid?", I knew that Desmond had it all under control somehow. I don't know how, but I'm confident. This scene reminded me a lot of the end of "The Man Behind the Curtain", where Ben left Locke for dead in the Dharma Mass Grave.
Upon his return to camp, Flocke declared that "we don't have to worry about him anymore." And quicker than Angry Sawyer can say "son of a bitch", Hurley showed up and cut a deal with Flocke to talk and not have any weapons or violence. As Flocke handed over his knife and told Hurley "you have my word", did you believe him?
Then Flocke said "Hello Jack", and with his tone of voice, and Michael Giacchino's score, we're clearly in for something intense next week.
The final scene was an overload for me. I watched Ben act as the protector, and Desmond run down a wheelchair-bound John Locke. It all just seemed so wrong...and as I write this only 2 hours from the end of the show, I still don't know whatit all means in terms of timelines and ramifications, but Desmond is clearly working at something. Help me out in the Comments section and let's figure this out together.
Now, a couple of quick notes. I know that part of the appeal of my posts is that they get posted on the same night due to the fact that I can watch the show 2 hours early here in Canada. Next week, Lost will not be shown at 7 pm here, so my post will be a little later. It should still be up by midnight, but not as early as usual.
The second note that next week’s episode will be on Tuesday night as usual, but then there is a 2-week hiatus until the first of the final 4 episodes airs on May 4th. Also keep in mind that the series finale will be airing on May 23rd, which is a Sunday night. If you live in Canada, that’s the Victoria Day weekend, so you Lost Junkies had better make sure to plan in advance so that you are prepared.
