Verrrry mixed feelings about this episode.
The Good
SmokeLocke's strategy was pretty brilliant - when Jack mentioned that they wouldn't die unless they killed themselves I think a lightbulb physically manifested above my head. I'm a little curious as to why SmokeLocke didn't just allow them to try and escape in the plane and blow themselves up, but I suppose that might have been harder to trap Jack.
Most the sidestory in LA X was pretty solid too - we have more creepy intrusions from the Lost world, and a pretty solid Locke story to boot (which has always been one of the show's strong points). This was the first time that it really occurred to me that a very potential ending to the show is to have the LA X world be the "real" one and have the island disappear. Or perhaps they can continue to co-exist, and the LA X can stand as the "happy" ending, even if they keep killing off characters.
Sayid's fate was certainly better than some suspected it might be - essentially that he was not a zombie assassin for the AntiJacob all the way to the end. Sayid was still Sayid, just a little sickly. That said, he got very little room to breathe before getting to that point. We had his coming to Jesus, I mean Desmond, moment ... and then boom. So I'm willing to put it in the plus column, but considering the amount of time we've spent in the last few episodes having characters largely just walk around ... it feels like he could have been given a little more space to evolve.
The Bad
Speaking of room to breathe ... while I found the end of the Kwons touching and romantic, it seemed to top off a very odd handling of their relationship in general this season. Having spent a good deal of time trying to find each other, Sun's bizarre aphasia, the emphasis on their child - this seemed like a very abbreviated cap to otherwise well developed characters. Sayid's death was at least heroic.
I'm also feeling a bit for Claire right now. As a character, she's turning into a bit of ping pong ball.
The writers are clearly raising the temperature slowly, maybe a little too slowly, but I'm still very optimistic for the final episodes.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
TV Watch: Lost, The Candidate
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4 comments:
Raising the temperature slowly? Are you serious?
Killing off Sayid and then having the Kwons die literally holding hands left me pretty f--king distraught. I don't see how you can kill off three principals like that and claim the temperature is rising slowly.
Seeing the Kwons reunited was one of my long-time hopes for this show. It was deeply relieving to see Jin carrying flowers in the hospital in LA X. So, yes, there is another reality that may end up being the real one, and that's how the writers may have their cake and eat it too. Emotionally wrenching death scenes and hearts broken in one world and sweet relief and happiness in the other.
Is the island done with Lapidus?
Yeah, when their deaths occupy such a small part of an overall episode and the previous action is mostly getting to boats, getting on boats, going to islands, leaving islands...
It was a big pop for sure, but a long walk to get there. We're reaching a boiling point, but I don't think we've hit it yet and I don't think we'll really see it next week.
Mostly I think these last few episodes have been moving the chess pieces around and then this one was clearing off part of the board.
And I'm guessing Frank shows up at a timely moment later. No body, no death, is my working theory.
It seems that this season, the more I like a character, the more they get dicked around and the sooner they get killed. Sayid has long been my favorite and his turn as the mindless baddy this season has been disappointing. Finally he turns around only to have a quick exit avec C4. Suck.
Then the Kwons who I can't say are the most interesting characters on the show have always been a couple of my favorites.
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