Sundown

[Locke_on_wood]

Choose Ye This Day

This season has focused a lot on free will and we get a chance to see how each side in the Jacob-Loki conflict deal with that concept. On the one side, Jacob makes a big deal out of people making their own choices while in the background he and the Others are employing all sorts of machinations to get them to do whatever they want them to do. Loki sees these behind-the-scene maneuvers as manipulations and thus undermining the free will of the subject. Loki makes no mention that he employs those same manipulations he accuses Jacob of using. Loki is professing his own kind of free will and we get a taste of it in Sayid’s comment that what the “people do is . . . up to them.” They have the choice to follow Loki or be destroyed. We can see the same dichotomy between democratic republics like the United States and dictatorships like they had under Saddam Hussein. Under a dictator, the only choice you have is do what you are told or be killed. In a republic, you have a multitude of choices but you also have a government trying to manipulate you. Take, for example, the tax code. The complexity of the tax code is there to manipulate taxpayers into doing certain things by rewarding them with deductions and write-offs. The Others have a similar philosophy, they want the people coming to the island to make their own choices, but they are going to manipulate them into making the choices the Others want them to make.

I’m not saying that both camps are not heavy handed in the implementation of their systems because we see that both have similar styles when it comes to inspiring devotion. Loki has promised Claire that she will get Aaron back and Sayid that he will get either Shannon or Nadia back (they both died in his arms). I will not be surprised if he promises Sawyer that he can have Juliet back in the end as well. These seem like empty lies, but that is the way Loki operates. The Others used Juliet’s sister’s life as a bargaining tool to get Juliet to stay on the island and help them with their baby problems. (Whether that was a Ben lie to get her to stay or Jacob using his powers of healing can be debated.) This episode, Dogen reveals that Jacob promised to save his son’s life if Dogen would come and stay on the island. Again, Jacob it seems does have that power to heal him, but the important thing there is that Jacob used Dogen’s guilt at being responsible for the accident to get him to agree never to see his son again.


Variables

I noticed that Loki gave Kate, tagging along behind Claire after the fall of the temple, the same look he gave Jin when he found him in Claire’s shelter. That look to me said that he didn’t expect to see them there or didn’t count on them being part of his fold. I think Jin and Kate could cause problems for Loki, but only if they begin to see things for what they are. Kate is obviously not fully aware of what Claire’s condition is. She tries to rescue her from the pit during the attack on the temple and then follows her out confusedly into Loki’s gaze. Ben similarly does not fully realize what Sayid’s condition is when he goes to the pool to gather him. He quickly sees that something is not right with him and scampers off. In order for those not under Loki’s control to have any chance of stopping him, they need to understand what they are up against.

Keamy-cal Warfare

While Sayid did not interact with any Others in TL2, he did interact with two of the mercenaries hired by Charles Widmore. Just as Jin and Kate did not fully appreciate who they were dealing with in Claire, Keamy did not realize who he was dealing with. Sayid was able to singlehandedly take down the mobsters and protect his brother’s family. It has been a common theme for Sayid to want to put the past behind him, but fate has always thwarted his plans. He has this innate violence within him that bursts forth when he needs it to – kind of reminds me of the Incredible Hulk minus the green skin and purple trouser remnants. This episode definitely reinforced the idea that Sayid is the guy you want on your side.


Find A Buddy

It will be interesting to see how Jin and Sayid interact now that they are together. We have Jin and Sayid as a team, Claire and Kate as a team, Locke could hook up with Jack if he changes his mind about the possibility of surgery. Are we going to find Sawyer hooking up with Hurley next? Could be based on the foreshadowing on the plane.


Just Another Day in Paradise

It is looking like the redemption (or quasi-redemption) that each Lostie gained on the island has followed them into TL2. Is TL2 their final state after the island “fixes” them? Locke is adjusted to his wheelchair life and is with the woman he loves, Jack is a good father, Claire has Aaron, Hurley is lucky, Rose is comfortable to live out her final days, Sayid is mostly keeping out of trouble, etc, etc. Maybe this is how the two timelines are reconciled with each other. When Jacob wins the day on the island, each can go on living their TL2 lives in peace.


Missing Pieces

Miles has united with Ilana, Sun and Frank. Hurley and Jack are together. Kate and Jin are tentatively with Loki and Sawyer is sticking with him at his convenience. There are two x-factors now: Richard and Ben. We last saw Ben hiding in the temple and getting left behind by both Loki and Ilana’s groups. We last saw Richard on his way to the temple running like a scared rabbit. I wager the two will hook up and most likely try to align themselves with the new Jacob – Jack Shephard.

[LostMommyOf3]

So you're callin' it...Jack is the new Jacob

[Oryx]

I think Hurley is a good candidate for Jacob. Jacob is grooming him the most. *flag*

[Tink]

Hmmm, I don't seem to recollect where we heard that the "candidate" was to be a replacement for Jacob.

[LostMommyOf3]

In the cave.

[BriarRose413]

I really don't support Jack, Hurley, or anyone being the replacement for Jacob.

They're all good candidates, otherwise, their names wouldn't have been written down. It's too easy to think it would be Jack. They are leading us to think that - so I automatically take that with a grain of salt. If it is him, I'll eat humble pie.

The other thing I'm thinking is that the reason there were so many candidates named is Jacob knew it would come down to a showdown with MIB...and that MIB would have "swayed" candidates to his side. So Jacob had to have alternates...and the one that gets the prize is the one that has the faith, has the good heart, has the "oomph" to earn it.

And....

Maybe the replacement is not for Jacob, but for Dogen? Maybe Jacob knew Dogen would be killed...and Dogen obviusly had a special place there for a reason. (I don't really think this is it, but it could be...)

[Locke_on_wood]

I would be all for Hurley being the new Jacob, it just seemed like The Lighthouse set us up to think that it would be Jack - probably because Jacob was working harder to get Jack on his side. But if the kid in the jungle is Jacob, maybe Jacob will be the new Jacob. That answer would be too easy though, so I prefer to stay on the fence about who the kid is.

Jacob may be dead, but he's not really gone. Hurley is able to see him and interact with him and be his spokesman much like Richard was for Jacob. So I'm thinking that Hurley is the new Richard.

I like Briar's idea of Jack being the new Dogen, they seem to be connected to each other - both are leaders who are somewhat uncomfortable with the role they are in. Dogen used the language barrier to disguise his discomfort, Jack has been kind of going the other direction and acting irrational.

If Hurley is the new Richard, then Jack would be the new leader of the Others because I foresee Jack leading and Hurley being his right hand man who has connections to Jacob.

This would fit with Jack being the new Dogen, because I think that Dogen had taken over the leadership role in the three years that Ben and Locke were gone. Now that Dogen is gone for good, Jack can step up as the new leader.


In all this discussion of Other heirarchy, I wanted to add something that I failed to address in the column. Ilana, Bram and the others on the Ajira flight seem to me to be Jacob's elite bodygaurds. That is one reason that they burst in to the foot and why Loki was compelled to destroy them. Ilana was upset that she was unable to fulfill her position and protect Jacob, but now she has kicked it into high gear and is ready to battle it out with Loki in the final island battle.

[LostMommyOf3]

I agree LDUb...elite body guards. They are different somehow. When Jacob went to visit Illana in the hospital it seemed that she knew a lot already. When she came to the Island she knew lots of things that no one else knew! I am wondering why she first went to the cabin when it seemed clear that she knew Jacob was in the statue

[Tink]

And Frank!!! What about Frank??!!

He's just there . . . he doesn't seem overly alarmed by any of it . . . has he played before?

Now he's palling around with llana . . .

Are candidates really replacements? I'm not so sure . . .

[Locke_on_wood]

Could be one of Loki's lies that the candidates are there to replace Jacob. He does after all "lie" in the shadow of the statue.

[Tink]

<hi 5z Ldub>

Good one!



I'm in the camp of: Jacob isn't dead; candidates aren't replacements for him but for Richard (poor poor Richard) and Ben; and Jacob knew all along how this version was going to play out

[LostMommyOf3]

Hmmmm...Jacob himself said he died and now Hurley is the only one who can see him. Plus we saw his body burn up. I'd have to put myself in the Jacob is really dead camp. I could buy that candidates are replacements for Richard, but not Ben. Richard has talked about how they select their leaders and that it's a process that begins at a very young age. Richard sure didn't know anything about candidates though.
Richard ------> "Candidates, what are you talking about crazy smoke man?!"
Poor, poor Richard, I agree. He's been doing his job for a long time!

[scuba]

Haven't read it yet Ldub, but I'm here to grab it and send it to all your fans. They are nagging me because I'm late sending it this week.

[Tink]

Our list of candidates have very little in common . . . hard to find the commom variable . . . I guess I have to stop thinking that a replacement for Jacob would have to be another Jacob; it could also be a completely different game piece.

Yes, Jacob's physical being is gone . . . but we really don't know what he was . . . I think that the boy that we saw was a manifestation of him. He is able to come to Hurley in a form that Hurley recognizes and is able to continue his 'game' without arousing suspicion.

Wouldn't it be interesting if Aaron was to be the replacement for Richard? That would be a good reason for the side of Flocke and Claire to want him off the island. I've been pondering this as the Dalai Lama is going to be in Madison soon (he seem's to come annually) and the story of the Panchen Lama has been in the news quite a bit. This would only make sense if Richard aged . . . and perhaps he does now that the island is out of it's 'stasis' or whatever is was doing before the last flash.

[LostMommyOf3]

Well, Richard is apparently mortal! He wore a gas mask during the Purge...and he also has glasses. So that's an interesting idea about Aaron...he's always seemed so important and if that doesn't pan out in any way I'm going to be a little disappointed. Littleton was on the cave wall crossed off, but perhaps MIB crossed Aaron Littleton off since he was now off the Island All hope is not lost.


Unrelated but relative to this episode...we learned of Dogen's deal with Jacob. Jacob apparently makes deals as does MIB. Well, back when Claire died and became un-dead, I mean, was claimed, I proposed that somehow in her unbetweenness, she was offered a reward for her service to the Island as an un-dead. Her reward was for her mom to come back to health and out of her coma as was seen in the FF's. I think that makes more sense now. Perhaps MIB offered her anything she wanted if she's work with him, be her friend if you will. Voila, mom is back to normal.

[McLost]

I like that Lmo!! Do you think he told Claire that she would have to give up Aaron completely, or maybe just temporarily? Do you think (with Dogen) it was done with trickery, meaning once he arrived on the island, Jacob told him that he could never see his son again or do you thin Dogen knew that detail before coming to the island?

[LostMommyOf3]

I don't think that MIB told Claire that she'd have to give up Aaron. Just that they'd leave him for now or something. Then when she started getting all about where he was, MIB directed the anger at the Temple Others.

Haven't thought of the details of Dogen's deal

[Tink]

Does (or did since he can no longer change according to Llana) Flockey only take the form of dead people?

And I keep wondering if Jacob did some smoke work as well .. .

[BriarRose413]

Well, if Jacob were smoky like too...it might explain why Locke when meeting it, looked into it and said it was beautiful. If that were Jacob, and Locke being a candidate.

Could also have been Jacob we heard in episode one, running along the beach area in the woods, to protect the LOSTies from MIB?

Very interesting to think about...when and where we've seen Smoky...if there are two. I mean, jacob is there to protect the island...and Smoky was a security system, right?

I think MIB can only take the form of dead people...it hasn't been confirmed, but my gut tells me that.

[LostMommyOf3]

Well, if Jacob were smoky like too...it might explain why Locke when meeting it, looked into it and said it was beautiful. If that were Jacob, and Locke being a candidate.

Could also have been Jacob we heard in episode one, running along the beach area in the woods, to protect the LOSTies from MIB?

Very interesting to think about...when and where we've seen Smoky...if there are two. I mean, jacob is there to protect the island...and Smoky was a security system, right?

I think MIB can only take the form of dead people...it hasn't been confirmed, but my gut tells me that.

I am pretty sure he can take the form of anything dead at least. When all the spiders came to get Nikki an Paulo we heard the chickachicka sound of the monster. Also Dogen said to Sayid "he will probably take the form of someone you know, someone who has died" THat's pretty solid stuff IMO. I also believe that Vincent is Black Smoke, but there's no proof of that....yet

[BriarRose413]

Not my Vincent!

[McLost]

I'm hoping Walt didn't know.