LOST: "Special"

[rj_anderson]

Yes, I finally got my computer back and was able to see this. Haven't caught this week's TAR yet, but I was a weak person and got someone to tell me what happened, so I may never get around to watching that one. Lost, though... I may have a little difficulty staying away from spoilers in the form of promo pics, but otherwise, if you try to tell me anything about future episodes of the show, I will plug my ears and yell "LA LA LA LA LA" at you until you go away. Nothing comes between me and my visceral, unsullied Lost experience.

And now, my comments and observations on "Special", in random order:

Harold Perrineau is a really terrific actor. I just ached for Michael in this episode. As usual when you get these backstories, a lot of little details suddenly make sense and I find myself much more compelled by and sympathetic to his character than ever before. Especially when he took the entire blame on himself for coming to collect Walt, rather than tell the truth and give Walt cause to feel he'd lost both of the only parents he'd ever known -- that got me right. here. *thumps chest*

Baby!Walt was the cutest. baby. ever. And I am normally unmoved by babies in diaper ads and such, but aw!

We have a lot of artists on this show, don't we? Con artists (Kate, Sawyer, Shannon), musical artists (Charlie), and of course the classic, starving kind, as represented by Walt and Claire's ex-boyfriend.

The scene where Charlie tries to resist Claire's diary was cute, but predictable -- or maybe, as yahtzee63 suggested, it just went on a couple beats too long. Dom does a good job of the character and I do like him, but I'm not as compelled by Charlie as I feel I ought to be. He's sweet, like Claire said. That's about it. I'm not hungering for another Charliecentric episode or anything.

Hurley, as always: hilarious. When does this guy get his own episode? Is his backstory that irrelevant/boring, or is it actually so explosively relevant that they're saving it for sweeps?

More Sun, please. Sun is always good. Unless they're going to cook up an adultery plotline between her and Michael, which I really hope not. Mind you, I suspect that Jin is not long for this world island, which would be sad because Hurley + Jin = comedy gold, but on the other hand, makes sense in terms of freeing Sun to take a larger role in the plot.

Okay, there is a difference between Sawyer being his usual snotty, bratty self and just being mean for no good reason at all. I mean, nicknames and things said in the heat of the moment are one thing, but that snipe at Charlie was pretty cheap. On the other hand, it did give us that delightful comment, "You hit like a ponce." Now that was a great Charlie moment. I need a "hits like a ponce" Sawyer icon now.

More with the Sawyer thoughts, I've figured out why I like him. It's not just because his snark is sometimes funny, it's because he's so completely uncool. People over on TWoP have been comparing him to Sark, but frankly, the two characters couldn't be more different in this respect. Sark is the essence of cool (and this may be why I've never quite warmed to him). He always lands on his feet, and he doesn't break or bend easily. If he screws up, he's always very good at covering it and making it look like somebody else's fault. Sawyer, on the other hand, tries very hard to be cool, but it's all bluster -- he's just a mouth on legs. And the thing is, he knows deep down that he's not cool, and everybody around him knows he isn't cool, and he makes a fool out of himself so beautifully (like wearing those girly sunglasses, or trying to open Kate's suitcase by dropping it out of the tree) and other, even more obviously uncool people like Hurley get to mock him for it, and you're never quite sure whether he's really seething with resentment over his own failures or whether there's a rueful, yeah-I-know-I'm-a-dork quality to his smile. I have to say I like that about him, in spite of all his other and less easily borne faults, both as a person and as a character (i.e. I don't really buy into the guilty-conscience-leads-me-to-self-isolation-and-self-punishment thing, it just seems too contrived. I am no more moved by Sawyer's angst in that respect than I am by Kate's).

The best part, at least for my personal amusement: Boone has "sidekick" permanently branded into his forehead. He and Locke are totally like Batman and Robin, if Batman had a serenely sunny disposition and Robin needed to lighten up. Also, I never really paid attention to Ian Somerhalder before in any respect, but I have to say, the scruffier and grottier and grimier he gets, the better he looks. I always thought he was too pretty before: now, not so much. And I liked the way he blew Shannon off -- not too casually, still not quite able to look her in the eye, but definitely sending the message that she can't control him any more.

As others have remarked, the CGI on the polar bear was hilariously bad.

Did anybody pay attention to the other things in Walt's comic book? I remember catching a glimpse of an evil-looking purple alien strapped (?) to a chair and hooked up like a medical experiment (?); a city in a transparent bubble; and of course the polar bear. All these things clearly Mean Something. I think other people have suggested the VR scenario before, where the castaways are actually not on a desert island at all but are the victims of some experiment forcing them all to share the same dream/nightmare in an artificial environment: this would explain a lot of otherwise odd features on the island, and the fact that people like Walt and Locke appear to be able to influence reality with their minds. On the other hand, this idea is a bit too much like The Matrix for my personal comfort, and I have to hope there is some better twist on the whole thing.

All in all, a very fine episode. And whoa! I did not see that ending coming. What now?

Comments

hee!

[ariadnie.livejournal.com]

Hive mind! I just came over here to ask the same thing! It appears to be down, and I've spent the last hour surfing aimlessly, lost.

Speaking of Lost, (worst segway EVAH!) I saw this episode - it's only the 2nd episode of the show I've watched, and I enjoyed it. I concur that Harold Perrineau is great; I always liked him on Oz. The other episode was about the bald guy who's befriended Walt and the ending of that episode. Just. Killed. Me. If only someone would remind me to turn on the TV every Wed. I could really get into this series.

[reveilles.livejournal.com]

Especially when he took the entire blame on himself for coming to collect Walt, rather than tell the truth and give Walt cause to feel he'd lost both of the only parents he'd ever known -- that got me right. here. *thumps chest*

Me too! jcobleigh was also affected by this realization. Michael has a wonderful combination of nobility and immaturity in him. It makes complete sense that he doesn't have good parenting skills yet. Walt's knife-throwing ability and tendency to "have weird things happen to him" could be a interesting plot devices...I'm looking forward to him not being treated as just a kid on the show; after all, he's the only kid--he'll mature and grow up quickly. I'm just hoping Michael gets that sooner rather than later.

And Locke the Wise Father? Locke just keeps getting cooler. LOL on the Batman and Robin comparison! "...if Batman had a serenely sunny disposition and Robin needed to lighten up." I completely agree with your assessment of Boone. Way too pretty before. Now he's getting better, though the whole sidekick-puppy-dog-devotion thing makes me smirk. After Boone blew Shannon off, jcobleigh muttered something like, "He's less annoying now. But he still has attractive eyes."

My personal theory on Locke is that he was Special Ops earlier in life, went through a debilitating accident, and was reduced to working at a boxing company. Though it really wouldn't be a bad storyline if he was just someone obsessed with nature skills who finally got the chance to use them.

Hurley, as always: hilarious. When does this guy get his own episode? Is his backstory that irrelevant/boring, or is it actually so explosively relevant that they're saving it for sweeps?

I was wondering the same thing. I'm looking forward to it! I find his customary "Dude, ..." opening greeting a welcome one. Everyone else is imploding or freaking out or causing dramatic havoc of one sort or another. Hurley might be comic relief, but he's got a serious side, too. I really like that scene with him and Charlie early on: "You think that just because I'm fat, I must be hoarding all the food?"

Regarding Sawyer, he makes a fool out of himself so beautifully is a great assessment. I still don't like him and I'm not holding any secret wishes that he'll magically reform and become a good guy. I think he really does enjoy having people hate him; a self-aware jerk who knows that he's got power because he has hoarded a lot of stuff. It's a power trip; people have to come grovelling to him to ask for stuff. He rubs in how grating it is to have to come to him, because he likes making people squirm.

Regarding a VR world, ...this would explain a lot of otherwise odd features on the island, and the fact that people like Walt and Locke appear to be able to influence reality with their minds.

I disagree. Brian referred to Walt causing weird things to happen around him throughout Walt's childhood. This would imply that they've all been in a VR world for years, instead of just when they got to the island. I certainly believe that Locke has decided that there's some Deeper Thing going on on the island and is open to it, in a trusting, child-like sort of way. I don't think he knows anything, other than the idea that he can be a kind of guide by putting people in touch with the essence of the island by isolating them in it.

All in all, a very fine episode. And whoa! I did not see that ending coming. What now?

AARRRGGGGH! Our local station transmitted it a few minutes behind schedule and our VCR cut off recording just when Locke and Boone had gone into the jungle at night (LOL on them doing that just after Jack told Charlie that it wouldn't be a good idea :), and something moved in the underbrush. Then--static. Blue screen. A resigned realization that I'd have to wait a week to find out what happened. Then you go and post this comment! So spill the beans--email me privately, if you don't want to spoil anyone here. :)

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

Anyone who's read this far presumably doesn't care about spoilers.

Boone and Locke are in the jungle, while Locke whistles for Vincent. Something rustles in the undergrowth. Locke grips his knife. He and Boone go tense. It's too big to be a dog -- is it the Unconvincing CGI Bear? No -- wait --

The branches part and a figure stumbles into the half-light, with tangled hair and a mud-streaked face. Locke breathes the answer: "Claire?"

THE END. Or should I say, TO BE CONTINUED?

[jcobleigh.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I was really annoyed with our VCR/Cable Company since we got to watch Locke and Boone tense, but missed the branches parting.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

Yes, missing a cliffhanger is always most annoying. Glad I could help.

[reveilles.livejournal.com]

Whoa! Didn't expect that to happen! Can you tell if she's still pregnant?

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

You can't tell for sure, but it doesn't look like it.

[crunkette.livejournal.com]

Hurley, as always: hilarious. When does this guy get his own episode? Is his backstory that irrelevant/boring, or is it actually so explosively relevant that they're saving it for sweeps?

I think I read and interview or something somewhere that said we won't get Hurley's backstory until pretty much the end of the season. *woe*


As others have remarked, the CGI on the polar bear was hilariously bad.

Yes. Yes it was.

...man, for a show that basically had the most expensive pilot EVER, you'd think they'd have decent computer dudes working for them.

Unless they spent most of their budget on the pilot, lol.


Did anybody pay attention to the other things in Walt's comic book? I remember catching a glimpse of an evil-looking purple alien strapped (?) to a chair and hooked up like a medical experiment (?); a city in a transparent bubble; and of course the polar bear.

I wonder if the alien has connections to Michael’s accident and recuperation? I can only imagine he'd be black and blue (and purple!) and hooked up to things for a good portion of his recovery at first. And then the wheelchair. Micheal’s drawing to… the picture in the comic book? Maybe I’m just grasping at nothing here, lol. I should go back and look at the other pictures in the comic book some more… all I remember is the polar bear, because I remember it from the first polar bear incident…