A Second Look at "Every Man For Himself"

We're the Good Guys:

Much like LOST, another question needs to be presented before one can answer whether the Others are good.

First, who defines this ethical qualifier? And on what basis is morality judged? For thousands of years, the greatest philosophical minds - from Socrates to Kant to Mills - have pondered this question of moral theory.

As a result, there are numerous thoughts and theories on ethics and morals. We have Aristotle’s virtue ethics and his theory of the golden mean, Kant’s categorical imperative, Bentham and Mill’s utilitarianism, and so on and so on. But to get an idea of how to answer the original question, we need to look at two theories that land on the opposite spectrum.

First, we have absolutists that see morality as non-conditional upon human perception. Values are absolute - morals are inbuilt in the laws of the universe, the will of God, or some other deep-seated source.

However, those opposed to the absolutists’ theory on morality feel that the making of ethical decisions does not take place in a vacuum. Moral agents must understand the context within which the dilemma has arisen. Before their powers of reason can operate at optimum efficiency, they must understand the issue itself, the facts of the situation, and the values, principles, and moral duties inherent in the case. In other words, the context consists of all of the factors that might influence an individual’s resolution of a moral dilemma.

An extreme line of this type of thinking is often associated with moral relativism, which is a belief that moral truths are entirely dependent on an individuals’ social, cultural, historical or personal backgrounds as well as the context in which a specific ethical choice is made.

Relativists believe that what is right or good for one is not necessarily right or good for another, even under somewhat similar circumstances. In other words, moral agents determine what is right or wrong from their own point of view but will not judge the adequacy of others’ ethical judgments. Relativists have the attitude that “I’ll determine what’s right for me, and you can decide what’s right for you.”

Now, carried to its outer limits, relativism can lead to moral anarchy by which individuals lay claim to no ethical standards at all (such examples are seen throughout wars such as Hitler and the Nazis reign). A less extreme view, however, is held by those who believe in certain moral principles, such as telling the truth, but are willing to deviate from them if certain circumstances warrant. Thus, the term situation ethics has entered our moral lexicon. Situationists decide on a case-by-case basis whether it is expedient to deviate from the rule. This is ad hoc decision making at its worst and can hardly be used as a model of ethical decorum.

And so, this brings us to the Others (finally!) and their situational ethics. To be fair, we don’t know their motivations – is it survival, are they seeking a greater good – but based on what we have seen so far, we can determine a few things. In their eyes, they most certainly can see themselves as good. Because of the existing theory of situational ethics, it is not difficult to see how they can use it to rationalize, either consciously or unconsciously, decisions and actions that stem from evasive origins.

The Others’ idea of morals can be completely dissimilar from us (and our survivors). To them, being a killer is relative to the circumstances. Torture and psychological manipulation can be justifiable – according to their situational ethics. The Others will exploit a situation to their own ends and feel morally correct doing so because they are situationists to the nth degree – their moral truths cultivate from the societal tree they sprouted from, so to speak.

Our perception of them is poles apart because we (and the survivors) live or lived in a different world. To us, the Others’ can’t be good.

A common notion bounced around by the fandom (which was originally perpetuated by Executive Producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof) is that our view of the Others will change – that once fully revealed, their motivations will not be nearly as diabolical and their actions may, indeed, justify the means. While I believe this may end up being the case to some degree, I hope, for the betterment of the show, that they don’t throw us some farcical and illogical idea that the Others are serving a greater good.

Can there be a greater evil? Sure. Can they make our survivors more reprehensible (and it’s not like they don’t have their own moral baggage already)? I suppose. But right now, the writers have crafted the ultimate bad guys – flipping it around on the viewers would be a dangerous task that might be tough to buy no matter how brilliantly they pull it off.

Perhaps if there was an inkling of compassion shown by most of the Others in their decisions (certainly Alex is an odd case), we could prepare ourselves better for the ethical twist that the writers are possibly going to throw at us. But we will side with our survivors because we have seen their compassion – even from the darkest characters – and in the end, compassion is a crucial element in genuine goodness.

A (Yellow?) Submarine:

The reveal, by Ben, that the Others’ possess a sub, presumably named Galaga, clears up a few ambiguities.

For one, we can now better understand how easily the Others were able to stealthily evade the “trap” by Sayid and quietly seize the sailboat – until Colleen was shot, of course.

Secondly, one could assume that when Ethan, from season one, killed Scott (or was it Steve?), he “came from the water” via an underwater vessel.

Perhaps, even, the long-forgotten Joanna, the victim of a drowning accident, was no victim at all – after all, she was an experienced diver. There is a chance, during the Others’ surveillance of the survivors, that Joanne spotted the sub and was subsequently taken (granted, I’m not a submarine expert and I’m not sure if, while submerged, divers could exit through an airlock.)

Obviously, the availability of a submersible craft allows the Others to travel between islands at a quick pace, and doing so without warning to our survivors.

Preferential Treatment:

Tom has been very accommodating towards Kate – well, at least as far as the Others’ usual treatment of their captives goes. We have seen Tom concerned about Kate’s cut up wrists from the handcuffs and, in this past episode, we have him telling Kate that if she has a problem with the clothes, to just give old Tom a “holla.”

It seems as though the Others, or at least Tom, are trying to make her comfortable. It may be that they are “pampering” her now because many hardships are impending, or they have an entirely different plan for her apart from physical labor or mental torment. Then again, the change of clothes and dresses likely are a form of psychological manipulation – the Others’ small offerings of kindness may act as the starting point towards Kate developing a form of mind-control syndrome or Stockholm syndrome.

It’s Not Broken:

So what’s going on with the supposedly broken intercom in Jack’s holding area? It was weird enough when Jack heard his father, but we chalked it up as a hallucination. But in “Every Man For Himself,” Jack hears voices through the intercom on two separate occasions.

First, he is startled by the shouts of Sawyer as the Others “operate” on him. But then, in an even more eerie moment, Jack picks up a conversation between two unidentified speakers (one may have been Tom) discussing Karl and how “them two shouldn’t have been brought here.” Who are “them” two? Sawyer and Kate, or Karl and Alex? This also echoes back to Alex’s brief exchange with Kate during “sweatshop” duties – “shouldn’t even be in there” – though again, it wasn’t clear who shouldn’t be there. One thing is for sure, Karl seems to be in the Others’ doghouse.

But the main point here is that this couldn’t have been a figment of Jack’s imagination – he doesn’t even know Karl. One answer is that Juliet lied about the intercom being broken. But still, why have Jack hear these two specific things? Another possibility is that the “purple lit sky” from the implosion of the Swan station caused a short circuit and a form of high RF interference.

I’m Not Used To Death:

From this past episode, we learn that Juliet is a fertility doctor – which symbolically fits her “I’m not used to death” comment later.

Of course, a fertility doctor’s presence on an island that houses or did house several research stations that were endeavoring in electro-magnetic experiments, zoological trials, psychological tests and advanced medicinal methods brings to the forefront a few ideas.

The thought that the Others could be infertile – the byproduct of experimentations – is an interesting one, especially given their interest in child-napping. The ideas of human cloning have to be acknowledged as well, along with potential embryonic research.

Needless to say, Juliet’s age (which is likely around 35-40) makes it doubtful that she was an original member of the DHARMA Initiative. Perhaps, like Jack the spinal surgeon, Juliet the fertility doctor was somehow “drawn” to the island out of need.

A Corny Concerto:

The cartoon Jack was watching in the beginning of the episode is entitled A Corny Concerto, a Warner Bros. production that was a parody of Disney's Fantasia.

One part of the story deals with a black duckling attempting to assimilate with the family of a white swan – and at the same time, a large vulture is aiming to snack on the wedge of swans.

In relation to LOST, the themes seem to touch upon black and white imagery, and the vulture (the Others) as a threat to children. The idea of assimilation is of note, though this isn't a forced method in the cartoon. There is also the obvious link between the white swan and the Swan station.

White Rabbit:

The white rabbit with the number eight painted on its hindquarters is seemingly another nod to Stephen King.

King penned a writing guide and autobiography entitled On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, and within its bindings is a passage where he describes an encaged white rabbit with an eight stenciled upon its fur. King used this imagery as an illustration of how words have the capability to send and imprint clear pictures and impressions inside a person’s mind.

A white rabbit also has other connotations as well within LOST folklore. The fifth episode of season one was titled “White Rabbit,” and in it, Jack chases a figurative white rabbit (the “ghost” of his father) through the jungle.

Additionally, Sawyer was quite fond of Watership Down – a Richard Adams’ novel about a group of rebellious rabbits in search of a new warren.

And finally, in Of Mice And Men, which was notably featured in “Every Man For Himself,” the character of Lennie is fixated on being in charge of the rabbits on his (and George's) dream farm.

Season 3 - Ep. 4 - "Every Man For Himself"

Initial Episode Reaction:

The fourth installment of season 3, entitled “Every Man For Himself,” was a Sawyer-centric episode in which the Others attempt to earn the con man’s respect by, what else, conning him. We also learn whom Kate chooses (for the moment, at least), what Jack is going to be asked to do, and that the Hydra is on a separate island.

Sawyer’s flashback fed the theme of “every man for himself” quite nicely. Aside from putting a few plot threads into motion, this episode also planted the potential seed that Sawyer will be the one to sell out his “team.” In the end, even despite Sawyer’s resistance to authority, he will work for whoever benefits him the most. In this case, it was the government. Couple this with Ben’s con of Sawyer and subsequent statement of “earning” the con’s respect, and one is left with a feeling that the Others want Sawyer to help them. In return for cooperation, just like in his flashback, it is possible that Sawyer could find an early exit from the island. Whether Sawyer would turn on his “team” is another question. Certainly it is in his nature, and a tiger doesn’t change his stripes. Although again, we witness Sawyer’s softer side in his flashback as he asks for a fund to be setup in the name of his supposed daughter. He prefers loneliness (and Of Mice And Men will be tackled later), yet he often demonstrates compassion for those he cares about. But this is clearly getting ahead of the game.

Of all things, the spinal X-rays were the biggest reveal. Jack is able to quickly decipher a diagnosis from them as he is on his way to the operating room where a wounded Colleen awaits. Putting one and one together, Jack realizes that he will be asked to "save" someone from a potentially fatal tumor located on the vertebrae (the previews elude to that "someone" being Ben). Is this going to be Ben’s request?

Another element this episode brought forth was the humanizing of the Others to some extent. The death of Danny’s wife, Colleen, and his reaction shows us that, for all we perceive about them, the Others are not mindless robots. There’s a disconnect somewhere, no question, but they have loved ones, and they mourn, cry, hurt, will be irrational in the face of grief as well as flinch at the sight of blood or needles. They are flawed like anyone else.

Overall, in spite of pacing issues and some questionable believability in regards to Sawyer’s flashback (which will be addressed later), the episode still worked within the flow of the story arc. There were enough subtle clues regarding the Others (such as their lack of “in the field” experience, Juliet’s profession, etc.) to keep things intriguing while also handing us the likely decision that Jack will have to make. Furthermore, we now see Ben beginning to “work on” Sawyer – the toughest to crack – and winning the first battle. The question of who will be aligning with whom continues to reach a boiling point.

Analysis:

Sawyer certainly is complex, isn’t he? In this episode, he’s a walking, talking contradiction – from “every man to himself” to a heart of gold, both on island and in his flashback. This was another well-layered Sawyer-centric tale that bared his compassionate side for those he cares about, while still maintaining that, at any point, he could sell someone down the river if he sees it as personally advantageous.

From his flashback, we find out that Sawyer spent time in prison, where, at some unknown point, he eventually cut a deal for an early release by helping the government with his conning expertise – his target this time was the hapless Munson, who swindled 10 million from the U.S. Treasury Department. Whether Munson’s gullibility in all this is entirely believable is a minor quibble – he was, after all, smart enough to steal and hide money from the government – but the story did serve the title of the episode well. The idea that Sawyer could turn on anyone for literal or figurative freedom is always a possibility, and one that the audience needs to keep in mind.

And that brings us to Cassidy – the reason Sawyer was jailed. Cassidy very much represents something that James Ford loved, but still cheated. Sawyer feels as though he has a role to uphold – his self-hatred and desire to be hated is almost empowering to him. In part, he may feel that Cassidy is better off without him – at least this is how he rationalizes it – but more than anything, Sawyer is punishing himself with loneliness, as if he deserves it. He was abandoned by his family after a murder-suicide and has always felt abandoned since. It’s his niche, his safety net. He'd rather remain alone so he never has to suffer the loss of anything again.

So when Cassidy informs Sawyer that he is the father of her child, his reaction just further epitomizes his need for “no strings attached.” It’s not exactly responsibility that he is fearful of, but what a likely harmful influence he would be to anyone around him over a long time period - thus driving them away, losing those he cares about. He has sympathy for Cassidy, and because of that, he feels as if he is accountable for the child, who may or may not be his. Sawyer shows his compassion for Cassidy (and baby Clementine) by using the compensation money earned from the government to set up a fund for his alleged daughter. But the key here, again, is that he doesn’t want credit for it – he makes sure to tell the treasury agent that the originator of the fund is to be completely untraceable. No strings attached. The action is not carried out for credit, but more so for Sawyer to keep his humanity to a degree – it’s what keeps him from becoming an entirely irredeemable person, both to himself and the audience.

(Before Sawyer's release from prison, the warden delivers a smoothly ironic line: "Congratulations James Ford, you just lied and cheated your way out of prison. You’re a free man." Freedom is relative in the case of Sawyer - behind bars or not, he has always been imprisoned by his isolation.)

As usual, the flashback ties in directly with the episode’s concurrent island story - though elements get flipped. This time, it is the Others conning Sawyer with the pacemaker ruse. Perhaps the con was predictable, like most of the episode, but it was entirely believable that Sawyer would fall for Ben's ploy - the Others have well-established their diabolical ways (Ben may spout off the party line of how they aren’t the killers, but they are far from innocent). During these island scenes, we see more and more how Sawyer’s actions contradict his words. It must have been three times that he said “every man for himself,” yet he tries to protect Kate. Sawyer believes Ben’s threat that harm will come to her if he discloses what happened, and so he follows his orders, knowing that they are watching and willing to do anything. Again, this reiterates the reason why these two were caged together in the first place.

The final scene of the episode has many interesting aspects and bits of dialogue. Ben tells Sawyer that there was no pacemaker implanted in his chest, that all they put in there was doubt. A great line - which was surpassed only moments later with Ben saying "the only way to earn a con man's respect is to con him." He does complement Sawyer as a con artist… sort of – “you’re pretty good, but we’re a lot better.” But the big reveal to Sawyer is that they are on a separate island, which promotes the idea of Alcatraz, that there is no escape or anywhere to run - the only way off is through the Others. And finally, Ben quoting lines regarding the theme of loneliness from Of Mice And Man nicely caps off Sawyer’s story.

"I tell ya, a guy gets too lonely and he gets sick."

Meanwhile, the B story focused on Jack, and in his first scene he begins to play the role of Ben as he questions why he is talking to Juliet – “you only bring me food” – when Ben is giving the orders. This greatly parallels Ben and Locke from last season – leadership struggle, trust issues, etc. It is clear to Jack, and the viewers, that Ben is atop the Others’ hierarchy. Juliet may think that they make decisions together, but there hasn’t been much indication of this being the case so far. On cue, Ben storms into Jack’s cell and gives an order to Juliet. There’s a situation that needs to be addressed – Ben says the “sub is back” and we learn that Colleen is in critical condition. Later on, Jack is asked to operate on Colleen by Juliet, who we find out is a fertility doctor, not a surgeon. But Jack is unable to save Colleen, the wife of Pickett (nice touch by the writers with Jack beginning to call the time of death - old habits).

(As a result, Pickett takes his anger out on Sawyer – this parallels Sayid taking revenge on Ben for the death of Shannon even though he wasn’t responsible. Pickett doesn’t stop beating Sawyer until Kate says she loves him, which we later learn was only said because, according to Kate, she wanted Pickett to stop hurting him. The writers take a rather cliché and heavy-handed approach with Kate later echoing Jack’s comment from the past about “living together, dying alone," which opposes the “every man for himself” mantra. In turn, this exchange seems to indicate a chasm in the Kate/Sawyer relationship and a point for Jack, so to speak.)

The significant plot point in all this is that before Jack even enters the operating room, he notices a series of X-rays. Jack, who is able to come to a quick diagnosis, places the pieces together. He just happens to be a spinal surgeon and there just happens to be a 40-year-old man with a tumor on his spinal column. The scene ends with Jack asking Juliet whom he is here to "save." The likely candidate is Ben, who is seemingly around the age of forty. Of course, this is LOST, and that is the simple and obvious answer, so it may be wrong.

On the lighter side of things, Desmond, filling the brief C story, continues to exhibit his foresight. This time he not only predicts a lightning storm, but also the exact spot a bolt of lightning would strike. Early on, his actions are shrouded in ambiguity. He first tries to get Claire and her child to move from their shelter by offering to fix up their “roof.” Claire is insistent that they’ll be fine and Charlie interjects by telling Desmond that if it needs to be repaired, he could do it. Desmond then borrows a golf club from Paulo and proceeds to construct a makeshift lightning rod. “It’s an experiment,” he says to Hurley, just seconds before lightning strikes the rod. Did Desmond just save the lives of Claire, Charlie and baby Aaron? Again, is Desmond seeing future events, or is he reliving the past?

With the groundwork now underfoot, the final two episodes will serve as the climax, falling action and resolution of the story arc. Who Jack will “save” and the question of whether he will do it and what he gets out of it will be answered. Could he really leave his friends behind? In addition, the revelation of two individual islands not only makes escape improbable for Jack, Kate and Sawyer, but it also decreases the chance of a rescue attempt by Locke and company. And while the precise roles of Sawyer and Kate in all this continue to remain obscure, along with the Others’ main objective, this episode livened the pace – a pace that should lead to two enlightening episodes, from both a mythology and character perspective.

A Few Observations:

When the Others awaken Sawyer, Tom is talking about how they have been “blind” since the sky lit purple. Paraphrasing: “It’s been two days since the sky went purple. We’ve been blind since then, all our coms are down.” This seems to indicate that the Others have a monitoring system setup throughout the island, but that the turning of the failsafe in the Swan station has limited their security and communicative abilities. It could be that the main island - possibly bugged with hidden cameras and audio mics - is currently lacking operational surveillance. The other obvious possibility is that whatever outside communication they had is now offline.

Before Sawyer is given the hypodermic needle, the young Other is unsure, almost nervous, about the shot. He is reminded by a fellow Other that he needs to place the shot right into the sternum, just “like in the moo…” He’s interrupted, but it seemed as though the word would have been “movie” (hey, maybe it was Pulp Fiction). This seems to indicate a lack of procedural experience – maybe they have read the medical books and seen the training films, but they have no practice in the field. Pair this with Sawyer previously saying that most of the Others didn’t have any real experience in combat. And in addition, we have Juliet, when faced with the shooting of Colleen, not acting like the confident woman she was in the prior three episodes. “We haven’t had anything happen before,” she says. I guess so, because I'd think a working crash cart defibrillator would be on my next supply drop list.

Of Mice And Men was prominently referenced throughout the episode as it was the reading material for Sawyer in prison and quoted in the final act. The Steinbeck novel brings forth a few ideas. The character of George serves as disciplinarian to Lennie, which parallels Ben as the disciplinarian to Sawyer and the rest of the “mice.” Another analogy stems from the themes of the novel – loneliness and isolation, failed hopes and dreams, twists of fate, and the plight of mankind. All of these fit well within the motifs of LOST, but more specifically, they suit Sawyer’s ill-fated life to a tee.

“The best-laid schemes of mice and men often go awry."

Is It Him, Brother?

Desmond Resembling Jesus:

There were religious connotations throughout “Further Instructions,” and the Desmond/Jesus parallelism was most apparent.

Desmond met the criteria of common Jesus depictions - longhair, beard, long tie-dye shirt (similar to a long robe?) leaving his legs bare, no footwear (symbolize holiness; feet on holy ground?) and even the way the sunlight created a rather obvious nimbus/halo around his head (see image below).

Even the imagery of Desmond casting stones into the ocean brings forth Biblical sayings such as “he who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone.”

I suppose the clincher would be Desmond having a background in carpentry.

It’s not that Desmond is the Second Coming or anything, just that - I believe - the writers might have been hinting that he will become the survivors’ messiah/savior of sorts, with his foresight and Penny Widmore's ongoing quest for the island's location leading to rescue.

A Second Look at "Further Instructions"

Blast from the Past:

My original take on Desmond was that the implosion from the hatch somehow imparted an extrasensory gift to him; however, perhaps Desmond is not predicting the future, but recalling the past. Not sure how psychics usually operate, but the manner in which Desmond delivered his prophecy was not so much a prediction – it was more like he had already experienced it in the past. Hurley, of course, brings up the idea of déjà vu, a term founded by a French psychic researcher in the late 1800s.

In the science community, this experience of déjà vu is often related to a neurological anomaly from an irregular electrical discharge in the brain. Desmond obviously faced the most exposure to the electro- magnetic anomaly in the Swan station. But that doesn’t quite explain exactly how he knew of Locke’s rescue “speech” beforehand.

Now, there are three types of déjà vu, but the one most similar to what we witnessed with Desmond is called déjà vécu – translated as “already seen.” Interestingly enough, Desmond’s favorite author, Charles Dickens, writes briefly about déjà vécu in his book David Copperfield.

The passage reads as followed:

“We have all some experience of a feeling, that comes over us occasionally, of what we are saying and doing having been said and done before, in a remote time - of our having been surrounded, dim ages ago, by the same faces, objects, and circumstances - of our knowing perfectly what will be said next, as if we suddenly remember it!”

Certainly, the idea of a prophet has spiritual connotations as well. In religion, a prophet is an individual that has contact with God, and then foretells the intentions of God. From this concept, I hark back to what Ben said to Locke while in captivity – "Not even God can see this island." As Ben and his group seemingly play gods on the island, has Desmond, since the hatch implosion, somehow already seen the outcome? Has Desmond come in contact with a greater power, has he lived the future, is he psychic, or was it just a fluke? One thing is for sure – nothing is a coincidence in the LOST universe.

Skeletons, Eko, Toy Trucks, Oh My:

The polar bear cave is a prime example of how the DHARMA Initiative has gone fatally wrong. While Sawyer and Kate shack up in the bear cages, the polar bears have broken free from imprisonment and experimentation, even taking revenge on their former captors. The bone-filled den, accompanied with DHARMA-issued t-shirts, shows us the figurative and literal remains of the Hanso-sponsored group. Apparently, trying to achieve the betterment of humanity is quite dangerous for some, and tasty for those with fur.

This scene reminded me of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. The idea of barbarism versus civilization quickly comes to mind. The polar bear’s revolt, so to speak, echoes Conrad’s concept of dark motives found in improving civilization and the free will of an uncivilized nature. It also puts forth a thought that this “great man” that Ben speaks of, has lost his way – similar to the character of Kurtz in Heart of Darkness.

And what was up with that Tonka dump truck? Maybe it was Ben’s?

Locke Parallels Key:

It seemed intentional by the writers that the last two episodes had similar situations between two characters – though one on-island and the other pre-island. In “The Glass Ballerina,” Sun is faced with the threat of Colleen. Using classic Others-speak, Colleen tells Sun that she is not a killer. Of course, Sun shoots her, showing us that the Others’ perception of people can be incorrect, despite their intel. Granted, Sun was startled by the start of the boat engine, but I never sensed that Sun would submit to Colleen.

Contrast this scene with Locke and Eddie in the woods from “Further Instructions.” Though Eddie is not an Other (at least for now), his words to Locke were similar to the Others’ mantra of good and bad. Eddie says Locke is not a murderer and a good man, and he is right – Locke cannot pull the trigger. The moralities of all the characters, or an assessment concerning one’s morality by another person, are constantly questioned throughout flashbacks and on-island decisions. It is one of the great motifs in the LOST mythos.

Another parallel derives from Eddie and Ben, who both serve as infiltrators to Locke’s “family.” As we know, Locke is always far too entrusting. Believing Ben in regards to the button was just another case of Locke playing the patsy. The same can be said for inviting Eddie into the commune. Locke’s morality seems to make him susceptible to believing that others have good intentions. And of course, Locke is continuously looking for companionship since his childhood was emotionally empty. He is willing to place faith in people (or things) easily – and unfortunately for Locke, it has came back to bite him more often than not. Even when he begins to question his faith (such as in the island), he makes the wrong choice. In the end, his flaw is not that he puts faith into erroneous things, but that he puts all his faith, hopes and dreams into something that may or may not ultimately fail him. Locke needs faith within himself before anything else – the rejuvenation of “the hunter” tells us that he has regained just that.

And You Are:

Television writers, in general, seem to struggle with expository dialogue/scenes that explain what has happened to other people. So when the writers of “Further Instructions” decided to use the introduction of two new characters as a way to deliver information to the camp, it was in trouble from the get-go.

The entire Nikki and Paulo scene was awkward and forced.

First, it almost seemed as if those two characters were supposed to be introduced earlier in the episode. Secondly, the dialogue they were given will not endear them to the audience. Unless they want the viewers to see her as a whiny, brat, Nikki shouting down Hurley was a poor idea. Paulo, meanwhile, was handed dialogue that made it seem he showed up on the island about three days ago. “Who are ‘they’?” he says in response to the capture of Jack and Co. Are you telling me he doesn’t know who the Others - those rag-wearing, murderous, child-nappers - are despite Locke’s speech from season one?

Dr. Arzt may have been a whiny know-it-all like Nikki, but at least it felt like he was there from day one. His first scene wasn't annoying or forced - it was important to the plot. Hmm, where’s that dynamite by the way?

In the grand scheme of things, this is a fairly minor nitpick (a better nitpick would be Charlie's relatively quick forgiveness of the Locke beatdown), but sloppiness and laziness in the LOST writing department should not happen – not from these guys.

Season 3 - Ep. 3 - "Further Instructions"

Initial Episode Response:

“Further Instructions,” the third episode in season 3 of LOST, was a mythic tale concerning a temporarily mute hunter’s clash with a menacing polar bear, and the birth of a modern-day oracle on the island. One wonders if Carlton Cuse and Elizabeth Sarnoff channeled the spirit of Euripides when penning this Locke-centric episode.

The writers have taken their time with the first three episodes this season by reintroducing the characters’ situations and, with this chapter, setting the stage for a rescue attempt by Locke and company, among other things.

This particular episode, filled with religious overtones and ancient mythology, felt very much like a Greek narrative. Boone as the male version of the Sibyl – an underworld being guiding lost souls. Locke as the hunter – maybe not on Hercules or Orion’s level, but his resurrection to tribal shaman is complete. And finally, we witness Desmond’s precognitive abilities – seemingly reborn into a prophet of sorts (hence the nakedness).

(Whether Eko has some form of retrocognition or if it was simply Locke hallucinating when Eko called him a hunter remains to be seen.)

This was a self-contained episode. It had a beginning and an end, while slowly moving the general idea of what is to come. This may be frustrating to viewer that is seeking answers or, at the very least, more questions to solve. While the episode did serve as a strong but subtle character piece (leaving us with a bundle of Locke psychology to explore), “Further Instructions” was more exposition – more setup to overall arc.

Given that at the end of season two our survivors were separated into three distinct groups, it was foreseeable that it would take three episodes to find balance, so to speak. While not ideal, the writers didn’t have much of a choice, and they did an adequate job setting up the story arc. However, they now need to climatically deliver and resolve the arc in a satisfying manner that not only answers questions but also opens up new possibilities that will hold the viewership over the long hiatus.

Analysis:

It seems as if the hatch implosion from last season was a source of rebirth, not death, for Locke, Eko and Desmond. Although we don’t know for sure how Eko has changed (though a safe bet to assume he did), it is quite clear from “Further Instructions” that Desmond and Locke have transformed, but in different ways. Locke has reverted on a spiritual level – back into the hunter, seemingly the id of his psychology. Desmond, on the other hand, has changed in a more paranormal way – apparently reincarnated into a prophet. Both “weapons” will be key in saving Jack, Kate and Sawyer, or as Boone said, “putting the family back together.”

But before touching on the return of Boone, let’s begin from the beginning – to borrow a phrase from Mr. Eko.

The episode opens with a close up of an eye and pans from there out to Locke, who rests in a field of green. The scene was reminiscent of Jack in the very first episode of LOST, where he also awakens in an odd place given the proceeding situation.

As Locke sees a naked Desmond wondering around in his peripheral vision, he realizes he can’t speak as he attempts to call for help. As Desmond’s nudeness symbolizes a form of rebirth, the same could be suggested for Locke’s inability to speak at first.

With the help of Charlie, Locke builds a “sweat lodge” - a ceremonial type of sauna originally used by Native Americans - and it is later explained in his flashback that this steam hut is a place for meditation where one can find a true role in life. Native American “sweat lodge” traditions would often have a person protect the hut as the participant meditates within. In this case, Charlie serves as the “dog soldier” as he remains outside the lodge.

This experience, along with some classic "wacky paste," leads Locke to one of the more interesting elements in the episode – a very trippy vision quest that is guided by old-friend, Boone.

(Many viewers see expository dreams and hallucinations as a crutch used by lazy writers. However, these elements have been a staple in the LOST universe, in part because of the idea that the island itself is bringing forth these visions. The writers have generally been fair and imaginative when using these hallucinations – perhaps the lone exception being “Hearts and Minds,” a season one episode in which, oddly enough, Boone saw his sister, Shannon, killed by the monster. When dreams are used for cheap thrills, you have deceived the audience – a cardinal sin in writing for television or any creative medium.)

Within Locke’s psychedelic trance, he learns that Mr. Eko is in danger, held captive by an angry polar bear. But more revealing than Boone’s prophecy concerning Eko were his comments on the other characters parceled about the airport mirage.

Boone says that Charlie, Claire and Aaron will be fine… for a while. He also relays to Locke that there is nothing he can do for Jack, Kate and Sawyer… at least not yet, thus insinuating that Locke will plan a rescue attempt.

The imagery of Desmond as the pilot may refer to his involvement in “crashing” the plane because of his failure to press the button. Ben as the security guard takes the role of an authority or controlling force that is stripping away Jack and Co.’s possessions/psychology. The sequence itself was dark and blurred with cheerful expressions upon the faces of discontented individuals – very David Fincher-like.

Boone’s overall message to Locke, which analogizes to the flashback, is cleaning up a self-created mess. Locke did not allow Eko to push the button, which put everyone in danger – and as Locke goes on to say later, if he let Eko be, he could have “saved” Jack and Co. Locke has maybe put too much burden on his shoulders; however, his nature in season two was very self-serving when contrasted with his season one demeanor. This realization of assuming blame and understanding past mistakes in order to avoid them in the future is critical for Locke to succeed in “putting the family back together,” as Boone stated.

And this theme of family was central in Locke’s flashback. We learn, evidently, that after his father's betrayals and losing Helen, Locke has fled his current life and hooked up with a bunch of hippy-like commune folks in Humboldt County, California. On the surface it seems out of character, but in reality, the population of the commune was likely full of people from broken families. As Eddie, the undiscovered, undercover cop, says about one particular girl, “she needs a daddy.”

In this family setting of nature and humanity, Locke feels reborn – he’s a hunter, not a farmer. His days of being easily manipulated are long gone.

But as we watch the flashback unfold, we witness yet another “con” of Locke – this time by Eddie, a young officer just out of the academy working a (likely) drug sting against the commune (it's also possible that the undercover operation was actually investigating a potential bombing threat as people that purchase large amounts of fertilizer will trigger police interest post-Oklahoma City). In the flashback’s pivotal scene, when Locke is faced with a choice to “clean up his mess” by shooting Eddie in the woods, Eddie reveals what we already know about John Locke.

“You’re a good man,” he says. “The psych profile said you were amenable to coercion,” Eddie continues.

Locke once again befriends someone, only to see that person use him in the process of a greater scheme. It fits perfectly with his character. I’d imagine the cop pulling over Locke in the beginning was a part of the undercover operation – allowing Eddie to use the uncle comment, i.e., to endear himself to Locke. Same with Eddie’s background – dead mom, drunk father equates to Locke’s nutty, nowhere to be found mom, and conning, hurtful father.

Although he contemplated it, Locke is not a murderer. This was one mess that he could not clean up because Locke is morally good. In the end, he may have lost his new “family,” but he would have lost much more if he had shot Eddie, an officer simply doing his job.

Another interesting aspect was "the hunter" versus "the farmer." Locke always aspired to be "the hunter" in his life. When he got to the island, he, in fact, became what he dreamed about. But then, just like in his pre-island life, he felt conned and was forced to be "the farmer" again by the button (and by Ben). Yet, since the button turns out to be real, Locke regains his faith in himself (and the island), and he is now "the hunter" again. We can see this struggle within himself from the flashback when Eddie calls Locke a farmer. At first Locke says he "was" a hunter and then, rather meekly, says he "is" a hunter. Locke’s right to choose to be "the hunter" almost acts as a form of protection against manipulation. But really, he is being used either way – by his pot-growing family or by the cop. The decision to let Eddie go was an easy one - it doesn't make him "the farmer" because he already is one.

Certainly Locke’s mistake was bringing Eddie into the commune in the first place, but then again, Mike and Jan never rejected his presence. They were as much to blame as Locke.

With the conclusion of Locke’s flashback and his defeat of the polar bear and rescue of Eko on island, the viewer finally feels that the hunter has returned. Eko’s reassurance to Locke only serves as further confidence to his new role as leader. Locke’s “state of the camp address,” which was foretold by Desmond to Hurley, is similar to that of Jack’s in “White Rabbit” from season one. The tables have certainly turned since then.

While the A story took up most of the episode, the briefly touched upon B story involving Desmond was important. As already mentioned, his potential psychic gift is of great importance to both our survivors as well as the Others. After all, the Others’ interests in Walt were in part because of his paranormal abilities. Certainly Hurley was very intrigued as shown by his almost child-like glee as he watched a stoic Desmond tossing stones into the ocean at the episode’s conclusion. What will Desmond foresee next?

Again, this episode will most likely frustrate mythology-seeking viewers. But this six-episode arc is less about mythology and more about character drama. The theme heading into the season was finding out the true roles of Locke, Jack, Sawyer, etc., on the island, and what decisions they will make – some of which that will most assuredly put lives at risk.

We know from this episode that Locke has solidly confirmed his role as the hunter and tribal shaman – maybe he will “save” them all in the end, as Charlie alluded to in the first season.

It’s tough to preach patience with a television show that is constantly met with comparisons to Twin Peaks and The X-Files and their subsequent downfalls. But painting a portrait or weaving a tapestry requires many individual brushstrokes or threads. In the end, the writers do have a plan and are telling the story at a selected pace. Hopefully they can complete the painting the way they envisioned it when the canvas was blank. Time will tell.

A Second Look at "The Glass Ballerina"

Complete 180:

The development of the Sun/Jin dynamic over 2+ seasons has been interesting to watch. Not only have the viewers witnessed Sun and Jin’s social and psychological transformations, but also, they have their opinions challenged every time more of Sun/Jin’s story is brought to light. Like a mosaic, the pieces in this collection have been slowly placed together through flashbacks and on-island interactions, giving us a clearer representation of their characters.

In the beginning, we saw Jin as a repressive husband and a cold-blooded hit man for Sun’s father. The audience despised Jin’s domineering nature. At this same time, we saw Sun as the loyal but sad and empty spouse looking to escape an oppressive marriage. The audience felt sympathy for Sun every time Jin tried to repress her, whether in flashback or on the island. Now, so much more has been learned about these two characters, leaving us to consider how unreliable first impressions can be, especially on LOST.

The Red Sox Clip:

Besides its personal significance to Jack, one can take it a bit deeper. It's a real event and it reminds the viewer, and Jack, that there is still a functioning world out there. The disconnection in this scene – from the unbelievable circumstances on the island to the “miraculous” comeback by the Sox in the outside world – paints an eerie picture for Jack on many levels. It obviously challenges what his father believed. But it also becomes easier to understand how Jack could seize the opportunity to go home, even if it meant leaving others behind. As Ben says, “on the other side of this glass is home, and I can take you there.” It was actually unsettling to see Jack's reaction to the video clip and Ben’s subsequent statement. Jack may be close to changing his perspective, just like Ben had hoped.

The Boat:

Ben was unaware of Desmond’s sailboat. Presumably, he did not know about Desmond, and perhaps Kelvin as well. Despite possibly not knowing the names, he must have known someone was residing in the Swan station, pushing the button ever so blindly. From Ben’s point of view, it was probably best that whoever was in the Swan station was concerned with the timer, and not the landscape of the entire island. It seems, though, that Ben’s ultimate objective was for system failure of the electro-magnetic regulator, or even for the failsafe to be activated. Ben certainly led Locke into believing that the button did zilch. The ‘”why” in all this remains a mystery.

Jae Lee - suicide or murder:

My initial thought was that the Man In White (from season one) tailed Jin, just to make sure the “message” was delivered. However, with the pearl necklace, a gift refused by Sun, in Jae’s hand, it seems that it was suicide. Then again, it was odd that Jae never let out the slightest scream as he plummeted from the balcony. Was he already dead and tossed out like garbage? Ambiguity is good – the writers don’t have to answer this question, though I am fairly convinced poor Jae couldn’t live without Sun and took the leap.

Island Life:

"My name is Benjamin Linus and I've lived on this island my entire life," said Ben.

The actor who plays Ben is 50-years-old; even giving the benefit of the doubt that his character is around 40, wouldn't he predate DHARMA? Going by the Alvar Hanso video from The Lost Experience over the summer, I am left to believe that the initiative didn't start until around 1970 at the earliest, though maybe I assumed wrongly.

But if true, one possibility is that Ben was being metaphorical, i.e., he was "born-again" on the island, and his life pre-island was irrelevant.

Another thought is Ben being a descendant from the original island-dwellers, or whatever came before DHARMA.

A final guess, which conveniently meets Occam's Razor, is that Ben is lying ... again. This isn't really a stretch given past precedence. In fact, it's the most logical explanation. However, I believe Ben was being forthright - call me an easy mark.

Hopefully more will be revealed in due time.

Throwaway Line:

Sawyer tells Kate that she tastes like strawberries soon after their ruse kiss. Maybe she has become Ben’s regular dinner mate? After all, strawberries were readily available at the beachside breakfast. Either way, Kate is acting somewhat strange. There doesn’t seem to be much fight in her, as evidenced by Sawyer’s jailbreak attempt. Plus, there is lost time between Ben meeting with her and when she checks into Le Bear Hôtel – her wrists were cut up from the handcuffs; what happened? Of course, sometimes a fish biscuit is just a fish biscuit.

Season 3 - Ep. 2 - "The Glass Ballerina"

Initial Episode Response:

In “The Glass Ballerina,” the second episode in season 3 of LOST, we watch as Sun acts in her own morality play, we learn that Jin is not a killer, that slave labor is alive and kicking on DHARMA Island, and that the Others have contact with the outside world. We also discover that Ben has lived on the island his entire life, or so he says.

For what the episode lacked in bulks of information, it made up in some much-needed tension.

It featured classic Sawyer, who delivered quick one-liners and a few solid right hooks before facing another shock-inducing punishment – an effective but non-lethal form of negative reinforcement seen throughout animal and human conditioning experiments.

The Others’ labor camp seemed to be occupied by several manual workers – the question to ask is if these are the tail section abductees. And with Sawyer getting a feel for the strengths and weaknesses of the guards, an old-fashioned uprising can’t be far behind. Though any rebellious plans that Kate and Sawyer could conjure up would quickly be identified as the bear cages are wired with microphones and cameras, which bring feedback to a small room that Ben occupies inside the aquarium.

The writers/the Others also took care of that boat problem. Certainly if they had not, we’d have clamoring from the beach survivors about who would try to find rescue next. More importantly, we have Sun shooting Colleen, an Other introduced in the episode, who is the love interest of fellow Other, (Danny) Pickett. Her shooting was probably predictable from the outset; however, the implications from her potential demise may be important. Before she was shot by Sun, Colleen tells her that they are not enemies, but would be if Sun pulled the trigger. Of course, Charlie emptied a chamber into Ethan with no ramifications as of yet.

Also, the stage is set perfectly for Jack to save Colleen. The angle of the shot Sun fired appeared to enter Colleen's right lower abdomen. It would kill her if untreated, but staunching the blood flow and applying a makeshift tourniquet would hold her over until she got into better hands. Whether Jack chooses to operate or not will probably go a long way ... he's already on the verge of hedging his bets.

Fittingly, we end with a pivotal scene between Ben and Jack. The Others’ leader brings forth what many had expected – they want Jack to do something for them. Ben will not tell him what it is yet, but he says that at the right time, he will. And if Jack complies, he gets to go home. It is also in this scene that we confirm that the Others have outside contact, that Ben has been on this island his whole life, and that the one thing that can get Jack out of his sedated state is the Boston Red Sox winning the World Series.

Analysis:

First we have the labor camp. The “job” Sawyer and Kate are employed to do is seemingly of no real value. The conditioning, on the other hand, is the focal point here. Like animals, the Others are controlling their subjects, forcing them to participate in a gradual training process. And if they don’t obey, they face discipline. Of course, Sawyer, playing the role of Cool Hand Luke, and Kate are not ones to conform. The Others have a challenge on their hands. The good cop act from Juliet may work on Jack, but Sawyer - as demonstrated by his dumping of the water from the canteen - has defied authority and order his entire life.

A quick, subtle point: we also have a better understanding as to why the Others put Kate and Sawyer together. As Sayid put it, it's to make sure that the other complies. Kate breaks the “rules,” and Sawyer receives a shock. Sawyer fights the guards, and Juliet threatens to shoot Kate.

Alex briefly shows up in this episode, only to reveal information very slowly and in a confusing manner. She asks Kate about Karl, Sawyer’s former nearby cellmate. A relationship between Alex and Karl is evident. Her motivations are unclear, but she is compassionate to Kate and Sawyer’s situation. Exactly why she is “different” than the rest is also murky.

The writer’s knocked Sun/Jin's backstory out of the park. They could have taken the easy way out with Sun, a character who comes across as pure, but she is morally complex.

We find out that Sun is a liar, and always has been. A young Sun breaking the glass ballerina and then passing the blame to the unwitting maid serves as an early look at how she avoids truth, even when she is well aware that the consequences others around her will suffer are much greater than any punishment she would face. A maid loses her job. Jae Lee loses his life. It’s a harsh statement. But it is also true. If Sun had been honest with Jin, her father would not have interacted. Honesty isn’t easy, of course, particularly when it comes to adultery, but this was her own doing.

Betrayal. Shame. These words resurfaced a number of times. Sun betrayed her husband – a husband, who, while far from perfect, would do anything to be with her. And Sun shamed her father – granted, a father that doesn’t deserve much to begin with.

How Sun’s backstory juxtapositions itself with her lying to Jin once again on the island just further reiterates that she can never reveal the whole truth. We don’t have a clear idea of the timeline, but the speculation that Sun’s baby is not Jin’s continues to grow.

As for Jin – when you think about his love for Sun, this question needs to be asked: what good has it brought him? Sun was unfaithful. Jin shamed himself by being Mr. Paik’s muscle.

Yet, there is no question their love for each other is strong, even more so since the crash. The island was, indeed, the panacea to their marriage – at least for now.

Finally, we end with Jack, who is either sedated (food drugged?) or has been completely broken down by Juliet in one fell swoop. I knew Jack was weak, but he has surpassed even my low regards for his mental toughness.

This time Ben is his “interrogator” as he calmly introduces himself as Benjamin Linus. It is in this final scene that we learn what many suspected – Jack is going to be asked to do something of the utmost importance. Ben will not say what (of course), but that at a certain time, Jack will have to make a decision. Jack is hesitant to believe anything that Ben tells him, and with good reason. But Ben is being upfront. He reveals that he has been on this island his entire life, which seems ultra-important and opens the doors to numerous questions (wouldn’t his age predate DHARMA, for instance).

To prove that the Others have contact with the outside world, Ben rails off a number of facts that have happened since Flight 815 crashed. One fact is that the Red Sox had won the 2004 World Series. This echoes back to comments from season one made by Jack’s father, who blamed all of his shortcomings on fate, i.e., “that’s why the Red Sox will never win the World Series.” Jack doesn’t believe any of it until Ben has one of his underlings roll in a television and play the clip of the Sox celebrating their championship. This was a really nice plot device used by the writers as the meaning behind it once again brings it back to Jack’s father.

Now Jack remains in limbo as he awaits the million-dollar “favor.” What it is, and the potential repercussion of this “choice” is shaping up as the climax of this six-episode story arc.

So Subtle It’s Probably Meaningless:

Benjamin Linus - as in the Peanut's Linus, of course, the smartest and most philosophical of the Peanut gang. Linus was well-known for his passive resistance and clever use of his intellect, and in that context, he has a similar temperament to Ben, minus the blue security blanket.

Maybe Ben is trying to find the Great Pumpkin. Well, not really, but there’s a metaphor to be extracted.

As Charlie Brown fans may know, Linus is a true believer in the Great Pumpkin, and while he tries to convince the rest of the Peanuts to believe, they always lose faith, while Linus keeps his.

In LOST, we can look at the Others’ goal as the Great Pumpkin, whatever that might be. Along the way, faith in the cause will waver, but it is Ben’s job to keep the lemmings in order, for believing in the Great Pumpkin is imperative.

Season 3 - Ep. 1 - "A Tale of Two Cities"

Initial Episode Response:

The season 3 premiere of LOST, entitled “A Tale of Two Cities,” may not have been as appetizing as last year’s premiere, especially for the mythology-based fans. Typical LOST episodes are ripe for a second or third review as picking up the smallest subtleties to the overarching plot of the series is half the fun.

But “A Tale of Two Cities” is a rather standard “exposition” episode that is often seen/read in the early stages of storytelling. And given the schedule of this season, with a pod of six episodes (serving as one story arc) before a long hiatus, it makes sense from a writer’s standpoint to establish new characters (the seemingly gentle but manipulative Juliet), new settings (the Others’ little suburban utopia and an abandoned animal sanctuary stamped with DHARMA insignias) as well as establishing Jack, Kate and Sawyer’s anomalous situation. We also learn that Ben a.k.a. “Henry Gale” is, in fact, the crown of the Others’ monarchy.

After this episode, we should now be heading to the “complication” or conflict component in the story (Sayid, the sailboat and possible rescue), and then move towards the “rising action” and so on.

Analysis:

Aside from one of the more ingenious LOST openings (taking a page out of last year’s season opener), the episode runs formulaically, which was both bad and good.

Bad because LOST has been anything but formulaic in its storytelling and, as a result, we felt like more was needed - another twist, another clue.

But it was also good because the most important element of the episode was not the mystery of the island or the Others as a whole, but the mystery of a single character – Juliet.

“A Tale of Two Cities” was as much a Jack-centric episode as it was Juliet-centric. There is an aura of complete uncertainty about her motivations. Yes, she follows Ben, rank and file, like a good little soldier. But there is tension, almost animosity, between her and Ben. It could very well be the Others' version of the Locke-Eko dynamic.

In the very opening scene, Juliet appears to be on the verge of tears while gazing in the mirror. She tries to put on her “happy face” as her “routine” day of muffin baking and book club meetings is set to begin. In retrospect, we don't know if she is simply upset over the end of a possible relationship with Ben, or if it is much deeper, i.e., is she becoming nauseous from their island utopia.

Also, her selection of Stephen King’s Carrie and the reaction from Adam, the uptight book club member, who classifies the book as “popcorn” and “by the numbers,” lacking metaphors and filled with religious fanaticism [as opposed to science?], seems to symbolize Juliet's own modest revolt against Ben, and maybe even to their society's ideology. Again, it all depends on how much you want to read into it. Either way, Juliet appears to be the weak link in the Others’ proverbial chain.

And that is a perfect segway to Jack.

There’s a reason why Jack, Kate and Sawyer are all being treated in very adverse ways; and more so, a motive as to why Jack, the de facto leader of the Flight 815 survivors, was the one that remained completely isolated.

The Others know Jack inside and out. And they have a dossier to prove it. While Juliet calls out Jack for being "stubborn," she/they also realize he is a more reasonable, persuadable and, well, weaker “subject.” We may not know exactly what is going on, but it is evident that they aim to extract something from him. And so this episode greatly serves as phase one of the Jack "breaking" – challenging him to “let go,” to give in, which he eventually does. Perhaps, in the end, taking Sawyer and especially Kate is more for leverage against Jack, i.e., Ben says, "we wouldn't want anything to happen to Kate." But either way, Jack is undoubtedly the main target of their mental mind-games, at least based on this episode.

As for his flashback, it was a better one than usual for Jack in terms of truly learning something about his darker side. The good doctor has a severe problem when not in control; when he should just let go, he labors to do so – it’s a flaw he has struggled to correct, or to simply recognize.

For the first time, we see this unusual, nearly psychotic side of Jack, as he can’t let go of his ex-wife, Sarah, or at least not until he finds out the name of the man who stole her from him. Jack stalks her at work and files through her cell phone number listings, desperately trying to find out the name of her new love interest, and, in the process, even accusing his father of being the man in question.

This unhealthy, obsessive trait within Jack is new to the viewer, though one could have expected such a weakness given his stubbornness (as Juliet accurately points out) as well as the numerous times Jack’s father, Christian, told him that he had trouble letting go. And that’s what this episode, at least from Jack’s psychological standpoint, was all about.

At the very end, when Jack finally has the chance to learn the name of Sarah’s new lover, he instead asks if she is happy. For Jack, this is a major change. He may still love Sarah but he realizes that if he does care for her this much, all that matters now is her happiness. Jack has finally liberated himself from his obsession. At the same time, he gives in to Juliet (this time for real) by sitting in the corner of the room so she can safely give him food, but Jack, for now, has seemingly been drained emotionally – good job, Juliet, indeed.

But the most interesting aspect of Jack’s flashback is once again his father. Guilt is a word that quickly comes to mind.

Christian turned out to be the weakest Shephard, but he was attempting to battle his alcohol addiction. Jack snapping at the AA meeting, essentially telling him how terrible a father he has been and then physically attacking him, sent Christian down a road of no return – operating on a pregnant patient while intoxicated (and killing her and the unborn), losing his job, and heading to Australia, where he ultimately drank himself to death.

This is not to say that Christian’s fate wouldn’t have led him down a similar path if Jack had acted differently, but it was the cause in this instance; Jack lives with this burden. Sarah's last line - "look at the bright side, at least you have something to fix" – was powerful and heartbreaking because we know that Jack could not fix his dad.

So Subtle It's Probably Meaningless:

Either Jack Bender is a fantastically detailed and virtuoso director, or I’m making nothing into something.

Check out these screen caps of Juliet (from the teaser) and Jack (from the final act) in “A Tale of Two Cities.”



The split/blurred/disjointed or whatever-you-want-to-call imagery here seems almost purposeful and telling. They are such similar shots that one wonders if this is foreshadowing a potential bond between Juliet and Jack.