LOST: "...In Translation"

[rj_anderson]

Firstly, this was a great episode. Some of the character-backstory eps have seemed contrived and unsatisfactory, and at times the parallels between past and present were pretty forced. But I loved how this tied into "House of the Rising Sun", showing us some of the same events from Jin's point of view. Until this ep I assumed he must have killed somebody the night he came home and washed the blood off his hands. Finding out that he'd actually saved the guy's life by beating him up was a nifty twist, and yet it made just as much or even more sense. I really felt sorry for Jin in this one, which is more than I did before.

Like yahtzee63, I had all kinds of love for Jin's adorable, perky dad. And the ending was heartbreaking. I don't really understand why Jin would just give up at this point, but there's always the chance for him and Sun to reconcile later on. (I suspect Jin is not long for this world, though. Some major character has to die [and stay dead] before the end of the season, and losing Jin makes the most sense, to me. Some have suggested Hurley, but dude, I would cry so hard I don't even want to think about it. Not to mention that it seems pretty blatant to kill off the one character on the whole show who isn't slim and buff and gorgeous. This isn't Baywatch, after all.)

A few random notes:

My usual amusement at Sawyer was somewhat muted by the fact that it made no sense to me that he would buy his way onto Michael's raft, seeing as up until this point he has shown no particular zeal whatsoever for getting off the island, much less sufficient desperation to risk clambering onto a barely seaworthy vessel that very likely would end up being the death of him somewhere in the middle of the ocean. (Unless he's a lot more determined to get revenge on Robert Patrick than I was giving him credit for.) The whole Sawyer-on-the-raft scenario seemed pretty contrived, and I wasn't buying into the anger and betrayal routine when he caught Jin in the jungle. I think it might have worked with a little more buildup or explanation, but as it was, meh. Also, Sawyer was looking pretty scruffy and unpleasant this week. I guess they felt they had to make up for last week's Festival of Sawyer Prettiness, which was so over the top it was almost funny.

It's embarrassing just how much I love Locke. Just when I think I can't possibly love him more, I do. Somebody joked on the TWoP forums a couple of weeks ago that they want to marry him and have all his crazy babies, and I totally know what they mean. My DH gets a big kick out of Locke as well, but he also has this theory that the real Locke is dead at the bottom of a lake somewhere on the island and that eventually they're going to find the body. Which begs the question of what exactly this pseudo-Locke who has stolen his shape might be (the monster, perhaps?) but I haven't inquired about that too closely... Anyway, what I enjoy most about Locke is the way that he never says what you're expecting him to say or reacts the way you're anticipating. When you think he's going to go into Mystical Guru Mode, he says something incredibly dry and commonsensical (like last week's "Well, now, that would be silly," which just about ended my life). I don't think that aspect of the character is ever going to get old for me, particularly not with Terry O'Quinn delivering the lines.

I totally did not see it coming that Walt burned the raft. And yet, as soon as Locke said it, it all made perfect sense, even before Walt said that line about being sick of moving from place to place. Up until that point I'd really wondered if Locke had set the fire, seeing as he loves the island so much. But instead they made Locke the willing keeper of Walt's secret, which makes even more sense. But anyway, the moment it became clear that Walt was the culprit, I looked at my husband with my jaw literally hanging open and made "Buh... guh... awuh?!" noises for a few minutes -- I was really that flabbergasted by it. I have to say, despite the show's faults (and it certainly has them), Lost has to be the most consistently clever series I've ever watched.

Call me a psycho, but am I the only one who, upon hearing that Mr. Paik had told Jin to deliver the watches to his "associates" in Sydney and Los Angeles, immediately sat up straight and burst out, "OMG, he's with The Covenant!" Remember how all the Covenant bigwigs back in S3 had fancy watches with some Covenant gizmo in them? And Lauren and Sark ran around collecting them when they made their big power play in "After Six"? I'm not saying this will ever be affirmed on screen, but I can't help wondering if the watches were an intentional Alias shout-out. Mr. Paik is clearly some kind of criminal bigwig, after all.

Which reminds me -- I really thought that both Sun and Jin knew, back in "House of the Rising Sun", that her dad was a powerful guy not just in the economic sense, but that he was into some scary, shady business. At least, Sun's frightened/worried reaction when Jin told her in that episode that he'd gone to work for her father gave me that impression. So finding out in this episode that Jin thought he had to hide the truth about Sun's father from her took me by surprise. I'm wondering if the writers played a bit fast-and-loose with continuity here, or whether there's some extra dimension to the story we don't know about.

Hurley's walkman finally cutting out during the final montage was hysterical -- the best soundtrack-killing moment I've seen since He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Hee!

*pause*

What? Why are you looking at me like that?

Anyway, it pretty much goes without saying that I love this show and can't wait for next week. Only don't hurt my Hurley, dudes! He gets cramps when he runs!

Comments

[yahtzee63.livejournal.com]

Call me a psycho, but am I the only one who, upon hearing that Mr. Paik had told Jin to deliver the watches to his "associates" in Sydney and Los Angeles, immediately sat up straight and burst out, "OMG, he's with The Covenant!" ... I'm not saying this will ever be affirmed on screen, but I can't help wondering if the watches were an intentional Alias shout-out. Mr. Paik is clearly some kind of criminal bigwig, after all.

You weren't the only one. And remember how, when Syd and Vaughn were trapped in North Korea, the person Katya wanted contacted in Korea was a guy called Mr. Kwon?

Okay, I know "Kwon" is like "Jones" in Korea, but still.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

I have obviously forgotten something significant, since I have puzzled over this for a couple of days and still can't figure out what the connection is between LOST and "Mr. Kwon". Was Kwon the government guy that Jin beat up, or something?

[jcobleigh.livejournal.com]

There is one little detail I noticed (as did one of my coworkers) that makes me really curious about Hurley. When Jin went to talk to the government official the first time and the government official's daughter was watching television, there was someone who looked a lot like Hurley on the screen. It went by so fast it was hard to say for sure, but I don't believe in coincidences on Lost.

[ljrags.livejournal.com]

We saw it. My DH rewound the tape to prove me wrong and he ended up with the slack jaw! {G} I can't figure out WHY Hurley was on Korean tv, but it was him.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

I know why, sort of, but I won't spoil it for you. Somebody translated the Korean on the bottom of the screen when Hurley is shown getting into the limo. :D

[risti.livejournal.com]

I totally did not see it coming that Walt burned the raft.

I actually saw this one coming right from the start, but then, the first episode I watched was the last one that focused on Walt and his dad(I'm still learning everyone's names here...)

An unrelated question that has been running through my head the last couple of weeks, that I figured you might know the answer to. When is Claire due? Are they saving up the giving birth episode for the season finale?(which would make sense, IMHO.)

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

We don't know her due date, but it should be pretty soon. She was eight months pregnant when they crashed, and they've been on the island almost a month by show time. When the birth will happen, however, is anyone's guess. You might be right about the season finale, but it could also happen before that -- in fact I'd almost say that it has to happen before that, as there are still a significant number of episodes to go and she can't stay pregnant forever.

[jcobleigh.livejournal.com]

I was as surprised as you to learn that Walt burned the raft. Before that revelation, I thought that Locke burned the raft and attacked Sayid when he was looking for the French woman's signal at the end of "The Moth". In the next episode, "Confidence Man", when Sayid confronted Locke about the attack, Locke redirected attention over to Sawyer saying:

So it seems that whoever attacked you has a reason for not wanting to get off the island. Maybe someone who is profiting from our current circumstances. And from what I've seen, you and Mr. Sawyer share certain animosity.

In "...In Translation", Locke uses a similar tactic to cause people to think other islanders burned the raft. What makes his case fall apart is that Locke has a very good reason for not wanting to be off the island: if he leaves the island, he might become paralyzed again. However, no one on the island knows about this, so his arguments make sense to them, but seem suspicious to me.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I don't know who knocked Sayid upside the head, but it could have been Locke, for sure. After all, he bashed Boone upside the head and knocked him out in a very similar fashion just a couple of episodes ago.

[ms-pie.livejournal.com]

I absolutely loved the way they've done Jin and Sun's backstory. Both episodes were lovely, and I like the different POVs. It is hard to do that and not seem repetative but it really worked. Their story is just *so* may favorite on this show...

As for Walt, I actually did see that coming, but only because I suspect he has these hidden powers that accidently set off things (like Polar Bears and fires). Clearly, too much Rambaldi on the brain!

[ljrags.livejournal.com]

We really liked the episode. I was totally surprised that Locke gave Shannon the time of day (but I am sorely afraid for Sayid). Clint looked over at me and asked, "Why are guys falling for Shannon?" {G}

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

I like Shannon, for some strange reason. I have no idea why, but I do.

[titaniawaking.livejournal.com]

I loved Hurley's CD player cutting out! It was funny on the surface, and kind of reflective of the time that's passing on the island, cutting them more and more off from the world, in a subtle and amusing way. Great song, too.

[reveilles.livejournal.com]

This was a truly great episode with both heart and head moments. I was surprised by Walt burning the raft, but I realized that it made sense. I love Locke (and I don't think he's a shape-shifting monster in Locke's skin). I think Shannon wants to turn over a new leaf but will lapse into old patterns and hate herself for it, even as Sayid gets hurt and walks away from her. Shannon's another candidate for being killed off, IMO. I'd prefer that Jin stay and Shannon go, personally. :) Jin's ability to fish makes sense now that we know he grew up a fisherman's son. I loved finding out that Jin coming home with blood on his hands signified that he'd put his own neck on the line to save someone, instead of killing them. I don't think there's inconsistency about Jin not wanting to tell Sun about her father--Jin might simply not realize that she knows more about her father than he thinks she does. He has been holding her up on a pedastal; I never got the sense that they were the sort of couple that confessed all their fears to each other. Their fight on the beach at the beginning and then his decision to walk away from her at the end seemed to be heartbreaking to me--but then when he got the space away from her and the opportunity to help Michael, and she got the space away from him and the opportunity to finally wear the clothes she was comfortable in and to go swimming, I realized that this separation is far better for both of them. I heartily believe that it's only temporary now.

Hopefully, we'll see more of Sun, now that everyone knows they can speak to her. I'm looking forward to Jin learning to speak English--maybe his first lessons would be from Michael and Walt, even. :)

One point of confusion from the last episode: in the break-up scene between Jin and Sun at the end, when Sun speaks English and says that he had made her believe that he loved her again, and couldn't they go back to the beginning?, I wasn't sure whether she was speaking passionately in Korean (Or Japanese? I was under the impression that that Jin and Sun were Japanese, but I could be wrong.) or English. If English, he couldn't have understood her and then he would not have turned around at that point. If Korean/Japanese, then why do we hear the line in English? They go back to speaking in Korean/Japanese right after she finishes her outburst.

Hurley on TV in Asia! LOL! Love it and I can't wait for next week! I totally agree that they shouldn't kill off Hurley. He's a breath of fresh air amongst the island full of The Young & Buff, With Issues. Though I wonder if he will lose weight as the months wear on.

I'm hoping that we get to see Rose again, too, or maybe meet some of the other 30-odd people from the crash (in ways other than, "oh look! The bad guys killed some random person and his body just washed up on the beach! His name was STEVE. STEVE DOE.")

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure what was going on with the switch to English either. At first I thought that they were just dropping the subtitles and that he would reply in English as well, but then he went back to Korean and so did she. All I can think is that she felt the desperate need to tell him what was on her heart, and yet couldn't bring herself to say it in Korean so she blurted it out in English.

And yeah, it is Korean, not Japanese.

LOL on STEVE DOE.