Egads, Losties! We had ourselves a crazy week with “Namaste” hitting our TV’s evening. This episode was one of those great mid-season-could-have-been-a-finale/premiere episodes where all kinds of crazy crazy shit happened!
Before we go any further…is Christian alive or dead? This appearance might lend itself to the “alive” argument, but it could have also been a “Ghost of Christmas Past” kind of setting where Christian could interact with the environment without interacting with the events occurring. Like a pensieve, Harry Potter style. It’s the question I think the most about at this point, and what’s fascinating is that it can be stretched to question other things about our sordid Island past. Like, was Locke’s father/the original Sawyer dead when he was brought back to the Island and the Island reanimated him? Could Locke be one of our own hero’s daddy? Fathers and sons have always been thematically important to the show and I think the Christian quotient may lead to reveals about both the Island’s “powers” and connections amongst the castaways. I’m tellin’ ya!
The baby Ethan reveal blew my balls away. I have nothing more to add to this.
The entire episode was jam-packed with juicy, juicy bits, like any time Hurley came by to close out a scene or the reunion of Juliet and Kate at Orientation. I even jizzed myself a little bit when I realized Ajira Air Flight 316 was landing on the very runway (nay, the foundation!) that Kate and Sawyer had built during their time in captivity with the Others, circa Season 3. The meat and potatoes of the episode, though, was the meeting of Jack and James.
James’s ascension to the top of the survivor heap has been just as much about him actually living long enough to become the leader, as it has been about him growing into the role much more naturally than either Jack or Locke (or Ben, for that matter) had when the position was thrust upon them. He is the true embodiment of a leader forced into the position: unwitting, yet completely willing to act when the moment arrives. His defense of this position was eloquent, particularly the bit about Churchill, and properly asserted his dominance on the Island.
Jack seemed all too happy to let someone else lead the way, a position I didn’t expect, but was pleasantly surprised to witness. I super-dug his moment with Juliet, but I loved that he took the Juliet-James pairing in welcoming stride. He just seems genuinely happy to return to a universe that can make sense to him, even if it doesn’t always work to his advantage.
I do think, though, that Sawyer came out at the end. To so blatantly mark your territory to an “opponent” who has clearly stepped aside was “the Old Sawyer” and one that I kind of thought we were done with. It’s not that I expected the two of them to crack open some beers and play a game of pinochle, but I don’t think Sawyer’s parting remarks were entirely necessary. I don’t think that I disagree with the idea that James wouldn’t revert back into his old ways when his former nemesis comes back to New Otherton, but I was hoping for a little bit more maturity, a running trait in all of the men that come into my life!
Before we part ways for another several days, I’d like to touch upon the question of why Sun and Ben aren’t with the rest of the survivors in 1977. Our host, Bobby, believes that Sun’s intentions may be keeping her from achieving her goal. After all, she did make a deal with Whitmore before flying to L.A. to meet up with the rest of the 6. I think this is a compelling argument, and one I can’t refute for lack of any substantial evidence. He also thinks Ben couldn’t be in two places at once, but quickly took that back once it was pointed out that Sawyer had to have existed in two times at once during the skipping-Island factor. We can easily, though, continue to trace the ill-intentions theory with Ben, though I think it can be filtered down even farther.
I don’t think Ben is supposed to have ever come back to the Island at all. I think that his not being with the rest of those “present” in 1977 is the Island’s way of shunning Mr. Linus. Conversely, the Island is testing Sun due to her mal-intent. Interesting questions…
And so, fellow Losties, we’ve meet then end of our weekly pow-wow.
Keep twiddling those dials,
WAIT!!!
Daniel Farraday...where is he? I don't know! I don't know!?
~Romulus
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