Tuesday, April 6, 2010

LT360: First Impression: Happily Every After

Woah.

Cotton candy.

Never have I felt like I got so many answers and then realized I got nothing. Like poof. The more I thought about it the more I realized there were no answers. Like cotton candy.

And I liked it.

Consider the titled, "Happily Ever After". Oh, really? That ending escaped me. Did that mean that starts Desmond on the path towards a happy ending because I didn't see him reach one. One might argue the coffee date was the happy ending, but with Mrs. Hawking around, nothing is going to be happy for Desmond.

PAST TIE-IN'S

Readers of TIDBITS know that I do not like past references and tie-in's for the sake of having them. For example, the 60-year old Scotch. I can do without that.

Or Desmond staring at a sailboat - that was much better as it was referred to implicitly instead of explicitly.

However, some were very good - for example, did you notice at the opening scene where Zoey is saying they gave him some shot. When they showed his arm she applying a bandage and it reminded of the time the Others were drawing blood from everyone they captured. That is a quality tie-in.


HE'S SPECIAL

So Dez is one of the few people on earth who can withstand an enormous pulse of electromagnetic energy. Interesting, but you can't make a living at it. But it allowed Desmond to see enough of the past (or was it the future) to come on board with Widmore's plan to...well, welcome to LOST.


SAYID

This show is a master at cliffhangers as Sayid walks out and invites Desmond for a stroll...and Desmond says YES. How odd.

Remember how Desmond could foresee Charlie's ways of dying? Maybe he can see even more of the future and following Sayid is the way it must be.


DANIEL

Oh, I've missed Daniel Faraday. Nice to see him back and a great explanation to the journal. I was so hoping he had written, "Desmond is my constant!"

So what are we learning? Is it that things we call Deja Vu is really our memory of a past "loop"? And some folks can recall more of the past than others can?


ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

This episode seemed to really focus on love. I hadn't seen that coming. Was the message, "Follow your heart and all will be right"? Why then are so many people working to keep Desmond from his true love?

At one point I was convinced that Desmond had to return to push the button...but this time do not run away. His orders would be something like, "This time keep John Locke away from the computer!" But we didn't really end up there, did we?


MORE QUESTIONS

What is Desmond going to do with the manifest from Flight 815? Who are the "they" he is going to show it to? I figured he wanted to find Charlie's dream girl, Claire, but then that line about "they" threw me off track. Hmmm...

Wonder who Penny's mother is (making her a half-sibling to Daniel-Charles-Eloise)? Wonder if it matters.

What is Widmore's plan for Desmond?

What is Sayid's/Locke's plan for Desmond?

What is Jacob's plan for Desmond?

Can someone tell me where we've seen George, the driver, before? Do you get the feeling he works for Widmore or the "other" side?


GRADE: B+

Perhaps it was the pleasant walk down memory lane with Charlie, Daniel and Penny...but I liked this episode. Again, it made me think until my brain hurt. Simple is not my thing and this show is anything but simple. Can you imagine coming in on Season 6 with a curiosity? Yikes!

Anyway...never have I liked the feeling of getting so much while getting so little. This episode almost convinced me that this show could go on for another season. And for that, I give this episdoe a nice grade. Not great, but very, very strong.

Enjoy,
KC

7 comments:

Diana said...

I agree with getting so much while getting so little. George was on the freighter and in the room with Sayid and Desmond when Des' mind was time traveling back. George died at the end of the episode.

P.S. I was glad the thunderstorms didn't knock out my t.v. reception tonight.

Anonymous said...

Ben said...
Well, I can agree that we received little this episode, but my cotton candy tasted less like sugar and more like old overused cotton.

I'm getting real tired of this melodramatic BS that's getting no where.

Therefore, I've decided to stop watching the shows until the finale, (5 weeks, right?), and run them back to back, like I did the 1st season.

Desmond's character is shot for me, since Cusick's appearance as the villain in the "Dead Like Me" movie. Before, I might've carried over a respect from his appearance as Jesus in some movie, and I'm no Christian...but now Des seems like a fake to me, no matter what he does. Thanks alot Cusick.

See you at the end,
Ben

Mike said...

Things I liked:
-Little shout outs to past events/episodes. I.E. the props and paintings in ATL Charles's office, Desmond's flashbacks, Penny running the stairs instead of Desmond at the end, etc. I am really surprised I didn't hear a "I'll see you in another life brotha" quote.
-Returning characters. Charlie and Faraday mostly. Loved that Daniel was rocking the skinny tie look again. Also, the limo driver is George Minkowski. The same guy from the Contstant that died bc of his flashes. In the Constant episode, before he died he mentioned that he was on a "Ferris wheel". It would have been neat, and would also raise more questions, if we saw him on a Ferris wheel in the ATL. Fun fact, the actor playing Minkowski won an Oscar this year.

Things that I'm confused about:
-Mrs. Widmore didn't want Desmond to see the guest list? Does she know about the MTL? Is she evil or possibily the MIB!? Does she want the ATL to stay where it's at since its "perfect" for most people?
-Desmond at the end. Willing to help Widmore at the drop of a hat and then moments later willing to go with Sayid. I think that's a good point when you mentioned that he is probably looking into the future again. All I know is that I'm more confused on how this is all going to end. It's good to see Desmond back though and it looks like he will indeed be playing a big part in the end. I was always kind of worried that they would kill Desmond off this episode with the title of the episode and his troubles in real life off set.

Overall the episode just drew the curtain back a little on the ATL story and didn't add too much to the MTL story. I was expecting a lot of answers this episode but really I don't think I got any except for a glimpse of what is to come. Next episode will be a Hurley episode and by the previews we will be seeing at least 1 of the original season 1 characters. I'm also guessing that we will see Libby, Mr Ecko, and maybe some more dead Losties next week. The end is almost near!

Grade: C+

Esteban said...

George Minkowski was the first victim of the sickness that the Kahana crew got when their minds were tripping in time

M Schmitz said...

George was one of the men on the boat who lost his mind due to temporal displacement.

(http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/George_Minkowski)

I wonder if that will ever be explained- it could go nicely with what Desmond is supposed to do.

Unknown said...

George was the radio tech on the freighter in season 4, he was in the episode The Constant I think, strapped to the bed, also having flashes and eventually dying.

Adrian said...

Hey KC,

We have seen George, last name Minkowski (sp?). He was the communications tech on the freighter, so yes...he did work for Widmore. And like Desmond, he was skipping and it killed him. Just a guess, but I think we will see him on a ferris wheel very soon...go back and watch "The Constant."

I laid out my guess for a potential ending today. I think you know the site address. Check it out. In short, I think the two timelines will coverge...become one. That's the cliff note short short short notion anyways.

As for your other questions? I have no idea..."wanna try another stick?"