Wednesday, February 10, 2010

LT341: What Kate Does – First Impressions

CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE?

Why does every good show and scary movie involved characters who don’t share information with each other? TALK PEOPLE! For example, when Sawyer was announcing his department from Club Temple why didn’t anyone speak up?

In fact, why hasn’t the group of Others sat the Survivors down and said, “Ok, here’s the deal. We are going to draw pictures and talk you through this thing. First, don’t leave the Temple or Smokey could get you. In here you are safe from the smoke. Second, this is why you are here.” And so on. ARGH!

As my mind was mentally screaming this at the screen this episode another thought kept trying to enter: they can’t tell them or it would be pure free will. Let me explain that. If you are on a game show and you know what is behind Door #1, #2 and #3, then when Monte Hall asks which door, it isn’t really free will anymore. In other words, free will requires ignorance of future events. Sort of the same way that Jack had to be the one to offer Sayid his poisoned pill.


LIAR, LIAR!

I’ll bet 95% of viewers now look at the Others as Ben described them, “We’re the good guys”. And yet they can’t help but tell lies. It seems there is a clue in this fact, but who knows?

Last night we had the Interpreter announce, “I just lied to him”, when describing how he told Sayid that he passed the test. Maybe I’m getting my theological doctrines crossed, but don’t the good guys have to tell the truth?

I go back to the free will points made earlier because…well, I have to. It is the only way to explain Ben’s persistent lying. Recall that Mrs. Hawking sort scoffed at Jack’s inquiry as to the truth of Ben’s words by saying, “Probably not.” It is like it is expected. Perhaps they just aren’t allowed to share information or it ruins the test/experiment/life challenge.

We also observed the two Others who were escorting Kate and Jin warning each other about keeping one’s mouth shut. How odd.


ASH POWER

There was a lot in last night’s show, but it seems to me that the ash isn’t getting the top billing it deserves. We saw it being dusted over Sayid’s body in this episode. So what’s up with this fairy dust? In LOST fashion, the ash leaves me with more questions than answers such as:

Was the ash around the cabin meant to keep Smokey out or Jacob in?

Was the ash possible collected from the fire pit where Jacob was burned?

Why didn’t Sayid repel from the ash like a vampire would to holy water?

Depending on how you answer the first question, then wouldn’t Sayid repel from the ash only if he were good like Jacob?

There is something we are missing here and it seems it would helpful with learning other things if we could figure out what “thing” doesn’t like ash and sonar.


I M SICK

Bonus points if you remember where we first saw the title of this section, “I M SICK”. Answer: I recall it first on the mural in the Swan Hatch.

The sickness/illness/disease/infection seems to be the same thing and it was center stage last night. Sayid has it and the only cure seems to be death. Yikes!

Let’s review who has been “sick” for sure. I know the French team came down with a bad attitude. This was after all of them (except Danielle) went down into that Smokey hole when they first arrived. They come out and they were possessed (as I choose to call it).

And we know that John Locke seems to have the sickness in some sense.

Then we see Claire. See looked sick to me. And she shot the Others as if she knew who to kill. I mention this because she wasn’t just taking out anything that moved since she seemed confused when she saw Jin. Is there some aura around the Good Guys that sick people can see and that becomes the target of their rage?

Some rules of sickness are starting to fall in place as I see it:

Rule 1: You must be dead
Rule 2: You must not be buried
Rule 3: You must be on the island

Using these rules we now understand why Amy (picnic with first husband, Paul) wanted to bury the two Others before they headed back to Othersville. And she really wanted Paul’s body to be carried back. Now I understand sentiment as much as the next man (which is say, we don’t understand it one bit), but people! There’s Others coming to check on the missing men. Think anyone heard the gunshots? Let’s move out. But Nooooo! First we have to bury two guys and then we can fold the blanket and head home. With my rules in mind, that all changes and they DID need to bury the bodies.

Christian – dead, not buried, on the island = sickness

French team – killed in the hole, not buried (or would being underground count as buried? Hey, I have a rule adjustment…

RULE 2-1: You must not have a religious burial

Harper (Goodwin’s wife, the therapist) - she MUST be dead, not buried, and she shows up to give Juliet the message to go kill Charlotte and Daniel

Walt – now that is a tough one…the rain scene and speaking backwards is just beyond explanation at this point.

Sayid – as seen in this episode

Claire – MUST be dead, not buried, on the island and very sick

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MJ, my co-worker and fellow LOST-fanatic, said today, “Maybe they all died at the time of the crash and Smokey has them all re-animated.” Hmmm…


OVERALL GRADE

I give this on a B+, maybe even A-.

We got a lot of answers along with the normal dose of questions, but we GOT answers and some stuff.

I actually downgrade the show and will more if they continue the “reminiscing stuff”. I’m talking about the, “Don’t you remember? You hit me with your gun three years ago?” Hey, we are bright viewers, we like puzzles, so let us figure a few of these out on our own! It is starting to remind of all those TV-to-movie movies that seem bent on throwing a tribute out to original show factoids.

I like the slower episodes for it is the people interaction and dynamics that makes this show great. It is the mental challenge and watching how the Survivors adapt that’s the good stuff.

Now TIDBITS is all about over-analyzing, so here goes: when actors have a crying scene, I can’t help but “remove myself from the show” for a little bit and wonder how hard it must be to make oneself cry on demand. I see it some music videos and honestly, I only cry on a sad song the first 10 or 20 times. These actors and musicians have sung it probably 500 times before the video is made and yet, tears on demand! With that whole prelude in mind, I really was convinced by Sawyer. Kate, not so much, but some of the mouth movements and breathing motions…heck, I think he was real. I mean, real as far as actor’s go – he really did that scene on the dock service.




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Thanks for reading!

Enjoy,
KC

2 comments:

SMG said...

I am always intrigued by the whispers! Any news on what they were saying during last week's episode? And I am SHOCKED you didn't have anything on Ethan showing up! He creeps me out, even more than Ben.

KC said...

Hi SMG,

In reverse order...

...see today's post and we did finally mention Ethan. It was interesting how he seemed opposed to using any needles this episode, but had no problem back in the Medical Hatch and in Claire's "Cave Dream".

...I'll dig around from any whisper updates. Check the posts for a section if something comes up.

...keep writing. I have to moderate comments now to avoid spam, but keep writing...I answer every email or comment eventually.

KC