Get LOST, Matt! Pt. 2

I’m not even going to write a clever intro because Matt provided me with a SIX PAGE DOCUMENT. I appreciate thoroughness.

We see you over there laughing, Matt. I may still have bird seed in my hair. Goodness knows it’s still in the car.

…

I want to start by saying … WOW! Season 2 completely blew this show wide open. I mentioned it on Twitter, but it seemed like every question they answered, two more were asked. Before I get to the questions regarding Season 2, I’d like to take a look back at the questions I had following Season 1 and see how many I can answer.

1. What’s down the hatch?
   This was answered all throughout the season. Desmond. The Dharma Initiative. Food. Power. An armory. An orientation tape. A computer. An alarm. A secret, invisible map revealing more stations. And oh yeah, a friggin’ huge electromagnet.
2. Who was Ethan and why did he try to kidnap Claire’s baby?
   As I saw it, Ethan was either a physician or someone posing as a physician and part of what I’ve dubbed as “Dharma Medical.” During Claire’s visions, he kept telling her he needed to keep the baby because there wasn’t enough vaccine for both of them. When we first saw Ethan, he was a very menacing, forceful character. Yet in Claire’s memory, he at least acts kind and caring. However, he is drugging Claire to convince her to give them her baby. Why? I still don’t know. We DID find out that Danielle Rousseau’s daughter is alive and well and the exact age we thought she’d be. She keeps warning Claire to leave and get out because they’ll end up killing her after they take Aaron. Yet, at the end of Season 2, Alex is revealed to be part of the “Others.” Still wondering about that one.
3. What was the weird mixture John concocted to drug Boone?
   Still not sure on that one.
4. What is the “Smoke Monster?”
   Again, still not sure. We get a better look at it as it confronts Eko, but I’m still not sure what its purpose is other than the “island security system” as Rousseau described it. Why didn’t it hurt Eko?
5. Do we hear from Rousseau again?
   Indeed we do. She goes with Claire and helps her in her search for “Dharma Medical.” She also finds out her daughter is still alive.
6. Where did Rousseau’s power source come from?
   Still not sure exactly … but given that the stations across the island are powered by … the large electromagnet, I’m guessing … I’m wondering how she came across it all.
7. Where did the pirates take Walt?
   Ah yes. To their little village on the north side of the island.
8. Were the pirates the actual Others?
   It seems that way.
9. What’s the deal with the numbers?
   Well, other than being the code to stop a very large electromagnetic eruption, I’m still wondering how the numbers were first picked as this code.
10. Why are the numbers bad luck for everyone around those associated with them?
    Hmm. Still not sure. I’m not convinced it’s just a coincidence. The jury is still out.
11. Where in the South Pacific is the island?
    Desmond mentioned something about being able to travel west to Fiji in a matter of days, which would put it between South America and Africa.
12. How is Locke so in-tune with the island?
    Still don’t know. He royally screwed things up at the end of Season 2, though…
13. Where did the polar bear come from?
    After noticing a shark at the beginning of Season 2 with the Dharma logo on its tail, I’m beginning to think the bears and sharks were put there as security measure to ensure the test subjects never left the island.
14. How long has the Black Rock been on the island?
    No clue.
15. Did anyone survive from the tail section?
    Oh my yes. Yes they did.

There’s your quick Season 1 summary. Some questions answered completely, some partially, some none at all. Now … on to Season 2…

1. Season 2! I remember finishing that one. I don’t think I was ever more excited about the show than right after that finale. In fact, I know I wasn’t because it was over that summer that I went podcast crazy. Listening to any old LOST podcasts?
   I couldn’t agree more. Season 1 was great as it introduced us to nearly everyone, but it kept everything contained in the two camps. Not much happened anywhere else on the island – at least not compared to Season 2. Now that we know about the hatch, Dharma, Desmond, “Henry”, the other survivors, and the “Others”, the storylines have multiplied and we’re finding out that more and more people either met or had some sort of interaction before they ever boarded Oceanic 815. I actually haven’t listened to any old podcasts. I assume they were a little easier to come by when the show first aired as everyone was at the same point in the show. With all the spoilers out there right now, I hesitate digging for podcasts without stumbling upon something I need not see.
2. I can recommend some if you are interested.
   Absolutely! If you know of some that only go to the Season 2 finale, please share!
3. I want to give you a word of encouragement: You made it through the season that probably the most people checked out on. A lot of people considered the extra background information on the main characters to be tedious. I liked it. I think enjoying that specific aspect of the show played a huge part in me enjoying the series finale.
   I honestly don’t see how people could check out on this season. I was never bored and never thought things needed to “move along.” The background information helps you understand what’s happening now. Why characters are making certain decisions. Most importantly, the flashbacks allowed us to see how different people knew each other, if only briefly, before they all boarded the plane. I don’t believe the flashbacks are just extra tidbits to help us understand who these characters are, though that’s certainly part of it. They’re answering questions by connecting people before the flight. If you were to watch only what’s happening once the plane crashed, you’d be missing out on so much story development. I haven’t seen a show that develops such deep, multifaceted characters and storylines as this one. One I can really sink my teeth into. I love it. Liz, I’m glad you said it played a huge part in you enjoying the series finale because I’m as entrenched in the flashbacks as I am the current story. I hope the same holds true once I finish the series.
4. So, what did you think of this season?
   • I only have Season 1 to compare it to, but I thought that everything Season 1 did, Season 2 did it better. It didn’t take anything away from Season 1, it just expanded on nearly everything there was to expand on … especially the characters. Heck, I’m almost to the point of calling the island a character. And I’m so Dharma crazy right now, I’ve gone to the point of making the Dharma Swan the wallpaper on my iPhone. First, we’re all led to believe the Dharma Initiative is just a big science experiment. Locke certainly thought so. The Pearl station – revealed as a monitoring hub for the other six stations on the island. Then, we find out all the records kept from the observations taken by the two subjects at the Pearl station were never meant to return to the headquarters. The tube led to the middle of the friggin’ jungle! Talk about an “OH … MAN!” moment for me. No no, the button is not just some hamster wheel to keep the subjects thinking they’re saving the world. That was Locke’s thinking. Desmond tried to convince him otherwise. Then Locke decided to not push the button. Oops. The huge electromagnetic eruption convinced me something MUCH bigger is at play here. I have a lot of questions about this part in particular, which I’ll ask here shortly.
   • We found new characters this season: Ana Lucia (RIP), Libby (Elizabeth, who knew both Desmond and Hurley before the flight, RIP), Eko, Bernard, Desmond, Alex, Henry Gale (who, because of my unguarded ear, I know as Ben in future seasons), the Others (who are just pretending…?), Kelvin Inman [known to me as Byron Hadley, captain of the guards in The Shawshank Redemption] (who convinced Sayid he’s capable of torturing a man and who was also Desmond’s partner at the Swan), and the mysterious Dr. Marvin Candle … or Dr. Mark Wickmund (from what I can tell, one of the head honchos of the Dharma Initiative). Candle? WICKmund? Something’s fishy with this guy…
   • We learn a LOT about characters already established. Locke starts losing faith in the island and in his purpose on the island. Sawyer shows signs of actual emotion, yet is still able to keep his sharp wit (which I enjoy). Sun turns out to be … pregnant?! Goodness, ANOTHER baby on the island? Granted, she’s in the early stages, but you know it’s coming. Jin is trying to learn English. Hurley’s past is a lot more complicated than I thought. The whole “Dave” situation was incredible to discover as it unfolded. Sayid looses Shannon, but his overall character really doesn’t change. Hard to put into words, but it seemed like he took more of a secondary role this season. Jack and Kate show flashes of a potential romance. The brief kiss, the whole net situation, but nothing really develops. We learn a little more about each of them, but nothing that really stuck out to me. No big “changes”, if you will. Claire discovers a dump truck load about her brief time in captivity. That story wasn’t completely fleshed out – so there’s still some questions there. Charlie – still struggling with the heroin – but more from a temptation standpoint. He’s really maturing. And Michael. He’s starting to lose respect from me.
5. Ben, eh ?
   My, oh my. As I mentioned earlier, before I was into Lost, I’d see characters here and there and hear some names, etc. etc. I knew this guy as “Ben”. Then all of the sudden, in the middle of Season 2, this guy Henry Gale shows up caught in Rousseau’s net. He claims he’s not the person Rousseau keeps warning everyone about, but he’s cut down regardless. He’s eventually locked away in the now empty armory and questioned by nearly everyone and keeps the same story afloat about his balloon crashing and his wife dying. Then we start to see slips here and there that maybe he’s not quite who he says he is. I kind of had an idea he was one of the Others from the beginning. Especially when he starts pitting Jack and Locke against each other. Getting in their heads. There were times I thought he might be ok, but again, having known Henry wasn’t his real name, I knew better. Then Michael came, set him free so he could get Walt back, and Henry was free to run back to his clan. We find him again in the finale. Now I’m eager to see what he and the Others will do come Season 3.
6. In case you weren’t aware, Michael Emerson’s appearance was only supposed to be a 3 or 4 episode story arc. But he’s just that good.
   I wasn’t aware! But I can clearly see why they kept his character going. While his role in Season 2 may not have seemed like much, the way he played Henry was perfect. I would’ve been very disappointed if he wasn’t brought back. It’s amazing how the performance of an actor can completely alter a show’s direction.
7. Who is your favorite character as of the Season 2 finale? Still Locke?
   Another tough question. I have a hard time deciding what would constitute a “favorite” character. I thought Eko around the middle of the season. He was a man of faith, kept his cool, rationalized everything, yet still had the intimidation factor. But at the end of Season 2, I don’t have a clear-cut favorite. Who am I most eager to find out more about? Desmond. Henry (err…Ben).
8. Least favorite?
   Michael. I know he lost Walt. He has that sympathy vote going for him. But his knee-jerk decisions really took a toll this season. The issue of his desire for Walt came up again this season when Miss Klugh was questioning him. For someone who wants his son back so bad, he doesn’t seem to know a whole lot about him. Then, once he was able to get Walt back, he took Walt and the boat and got out of dodge. That pretty much sealed it for me.
9. Do you have any favorite episode(s) from this season?
   It’s never just one, is it? J “One of Them” – where we first meet Henry Gale. I wasn’t expecting that at all. It basically took Season 2 in a completely new direction. “Lockdown” – the mysterious lockdown of the hatch (which can apparently be easily triggered as Desmond showed us) revealed the invisible map of the Dharma stations. Henry also decided not to hurt Locke because Locke is “one of the good ones.” Hmmm. And “Dave.” Finding out all of that about Hurley’s past really stuck with me. Not sure why, but it was a very powerful episode.
10. You’re getting into territory where one could have a least favorite episode. Were there any you didn’t enjoy this season or found particularly tedious?
    Just one … and it wasn’t the whole episode. “S.O.S.” didn’t really do anything for me. The Bernard and Rose storyline isn’t my favorite. It doesn’t add much to the overall happenings, so this one seemed a bit tedious.
11. What questions does this season leave you with? (The season that may raise more questions than any other.)
    I’ll make it simple with bullet points.
    • Again, what is the smoke monster?
    • Where did the numbers originate? Do they have something to do with the crew in the Antarctic at the end of Season 2?
    • Is there anything to the “bad luck” of the numbers?
    • What’s the deal with the Black Rock?
    • What’s Locke’s connection with the Island? He’s one of the “good ones?”
    • Who, specifically, are the Others?
    • Sawyer mentioned the name “Zeke” to the (fake) bearded Other. Is that anything … or am I just over analyzing?
    • Hurley mentioned the washer/dryer being “newer” than anything else. How’s that?
    • What’s the big polar bear connection? So far: they’re seen in the first Dharma film, Hurley’s comic book, young Walt was given one as a gift by Michael in a flashback, the real bear on the island…
    • Kelvin Inman, Desmond’s partner … is also an American army specialist who talked with Sayid? Eh?
    • What is Alex (Rousseau’s daughter) doing with the Others?
    • Why was Libby in the mental hospital? And was that before or after her meeting with Desmond?
    • Do the doomsday hieroglyphics have a specific meaning?
    • Dr. Candle/Wickmund – purpose?
    • Why was the copyright on the Swan Station film 1970 and the copyright on the Pearl Station film 1980…?
    • The Others are apparently pretending … to be what?
    • What’s with all the quarantine talk? Written on the hatch, lots of talk about disease, Desmond crashes and is picked up by men in suits…
    • Why the edits and splices in the orientation films?
    • What happened during the electromagnetic eruption?
    • Dharma isn’t just an experiment … is it?
    • Why was Kelvin drawing an “invisible” map?
    • The ice station at the end of the finale … Antarctica? Who are the two guys there?
    • What happens with Michael and Walt?
    • Still wondering about the whole deal with Claire’s baby. Why did they want him if they were after Walt? What’s the deal with Walt? I’m drawing comparisons with Star Wars … like they’re discovering he has a special power…
    • WHAT THE HECK IS WITH THAT FOUR-TOED STATUE?!
12. And…the 4-toed statue? How did you feel about THAT? Got any predictions? As a fan of the Planet of the Apes films, this one had the wheels in my head a’turnin’!
    WHAT ON EARTH WAS THAT THING?! I didn’t even recognize the four toes until Sayid pointed it out. I actually paused the DVD and just studied the statue for a bit. Nothing led up to it, nothing was said after they found it. It’s still a complete mystery … as if the writers just wanted to plant a seed. I’m beginning to think we won’t hear more about it for a good while … just to keep suspicion aroused. I have ZERO predictions about what it could be. ZERO. Planet of the Apes was the first thing that popped into my head when I saw the statue. I mean, I don’t even know what to do with that. Talk about something completely out of left field.

Well, now comes Season 3. You’ve got a change of scenery, new characters, and all new mysteries coming your way very soon. Enjoy, Matt!

Related posts:

1. Get LOST, Matt! Pt. 1
2. Book Review – The Gospel According to LOST by Chris Seay
3. The end of (kind of) the end