Here Be Spoilers!!! LOST discussion

[Jan]

Ask and you shall receive....(hmm...where've I heard that phrase before...<g>)

We can openly discuss the latest episodes and various observations about the Lostaways here. Anybody wanting to remain spoiler-free, turn back now before it's too late! Run, RUN!!!

Jan

[Jan]

Just to start things off...

Anybody have any speculations as to what 'infection' it is that Danielle has referred to? I think it's twice she's mentioned it.

Jan

[WorkerCaste]

Agreed. I'm amazed at how much I've come to like Jin's character considering that all the dialog is subtitled. I'll admit to a little skepticism at how competent Sun has been considering how sheltered she must have been but it's not a major thing.

Actually, I got the impression from Sun's flashbacks that she was more independent and less sheltered before she married Jin. The competency she has demonstrated seems to be around herbology, possibly a little medicine. If she studied plants, it wouldn't be unusual for that to have covered homeopathic or medicinal applications of the plants. Seems like something safe for a rich girl to study, too. Dad would probably approve.

[WorkerCaste]

Just to start things off...

Anybody have any speculations as to what 'infection' it is that Danielle has referred to? I think it's twice she's mentioned it.

Oops! I forgot that I'm an hour behind! Haven't had a chance to watch that last one, yet, and on my current schedule I'll probably wait and watch the whole thing next week. After today I'll steer clear until I've seen it.

[Jan]

Actually, I got the impression from Sun's flashbacks that she was more independent and less sheltered before she married Jin. The competency she has demonstrated seems to be around herbology, possibly a little medicine. If she studied plants, it wouldn't be unusual for that to have covered homeopathic or medicinal applications of the plants. Seems like something safe for a rich girl to study, too. Dad would probably approve.

Yeah, that's a good point. Jin seems to have put her on a major pedestal. As soon as they split up was when she got involved and started helping Jack out.

Jan

[Radhil]

The infection might tie a few things together when you think about it. The context that Danielle uses implies that it affects peoples minds. The exact wording I think she used was that she had to kill them afterwards, once they were infected. The only reasons for that are (a) contagion (b) ending suffering (c) now a threat/mentally unstable/rabid (d) all of the above.

Extending that - our erstwhile kidnapper looked kinda green in a few scenes, didn't he? Maybe the Others (supressing Nicole Kidman every time I hear her say that) are other survivors gone savage, because of this infection.

The details are vague, like any good theory, but the possibility is there. Doesn't explain the focus on babies. Unless it's for snack food, but aside bad jokes of that nature, that'd be really dumb.

And c'mon. I want some reavers in this show. REAVERS!

EDIT - It'd also extend the premise quite a bit. The first season has been getting to know all these folk, and these folk getting to know each other, and learning to survive and make do in this place. What happens if you up the pressure... increase the requirements to survive against hostile people... who'll be savage then....

[Jan]

Extending that - our erstwhile kidnapper looked kinda green in a few scenes, didn't he? Maybe the Others (supressing Nicole Kidman every time I hear her say that) are other survivors gone savage, because of this infection.

<confused> Who? I missed last week's episode. Did somebody get kidnapped in between poisonings and other hijinks?

Jan

[Radhil]

<confused> Who? I missed last week's episode. Did somebody get kidnapped in between poisonings and other hijinks?

Jan

Er, not last week, several weeks to months ago. Claire and Charlie's kidnapper. Whose name I keep struggling to remember. Ethan, I think.

[Jan]

Er, not last week, several weeks to months ago. Claire and Charlie's kidnapper. Whose name I keep struggling to remember. Ethan, I think.

Yeah, Ethan was the kidnapper. I'm still confused, though, 'cause Ethan's dead-Charlie killed him. Were you thinking of the school teacher guy...Artz, I think? He didn't seem to belong with that bunch at all, I thought. Last week's the first time he's appeared, right?

Jan

[Radhil]

No, I was thinking back to exactly how Ethan looked. Namely throughout that ep just before Charlie shot him. Maybe it was just the fact that he was playing jungle-stalker-survivor in the usual massive downpour, but I thought the guy looked sick. I might be imagining things. *shrug*

And yeah, Artz just showed up last week, culled like magic out of the no-name extras. Smart trick that.

[Jan]

No, I was thinking back to exactly how Ethan looked. Namely throughout that ep just before Charlie shot him. Maybe it was just the fact that he was playing jungle-stalker-survivor in the usual massive downpour, but I thought the guy looked sick. I might be imagining things. *shrug*

Ah, gotcha. Sorry, I was being rather dim, wasn't I? Yes, I agree that there did seem something wrong with Ethan but it's not clear whether it was physical illness or mental stress/fanaticism. For that matter, maybe he'd visited the plane where Boone was hurt and sampled its cargo.

Can't wait to see next weeks finale. I think I read that the second hour will be commercial free so that'll be a whole lot of extra story.

Jan

[Radhil]

Right then. Work kept me from watching the finale until tonight.

Big jip on the hatch reveal. Damnit. It's open. It goes down. Gee, who wudda thunk.

On the other hand, we got to see a lot more of our "beast" than ever expected. Er, in a manner of speaking. Did freak me out enough though, so it worked.

My expected reavers turned out to be New England fisherman. Can't say yet that this is an improvement or not.

Danielle is feral and violent, but not crazy. This is an improvement.

Artz. That was a good way to kick things off. It got me. Saw it coming a light year away, and it still got me. They have a good director/producer/editor/what-have you on this. Timing was perfect.

The final montage, all the passengers, all the elements, all the little threads right there in the plane. Awesome. And that fleeting look between John Locke and Jack.

This will be in my DVD collection, at least, season 1.

[WorkerCaste]

I have FINALLY gotten to watch the last 3 hours of Season 1. Certainly didnÆt overwhelm you with a lot of answers, did they? LetÆs see, as a basis for discussion letÆs consider the questions we might have at this point û taking into account all the answers they gave us in the finale.

How is it that the island is unknown and that radio waves seem to be blocked from coming on to or going out from the island? Where is the island?

Why do things crash or wreck on the island, how long has it been going on, how many stranded parties have there been, and what happened to them.

Are there other survivors from previous wrecks or perhaps even the tail section of the Oceanic flight? If so, whatÆs happening to them?

Who are the Others and why, if theyÆre human as they appear, do their voices pop up in the woods? (This is an upgrade from ôDo the Others exist?ö)

Why are the Others interested in children and where is Alex now?

Why do the Others set up a smoke signal? Who are the signalling?

What did Danielle have to do with ClaireÆs kidnapping?

What the heck is the island security system and what, exactly, is it securing?

WhatÆs under the hatch, and was WaltÆs warning to Locke prophetic? Where did WaltÆs warning come from?

WhatÆs up with the numbers?

How good was the phsycic advising Claire? What makes her child special? Was there some outside influence in choosing AaronÆs name? (Shining light; messenger)

Did students actually ever learn anything useful from Artz, and why does Vincent look like a female golden in some shots?

Thoughts or additions?

[Radhil]

What did Danielle have to do with ClaireÆs kidnapping?

Either Danielle ran into Claire as Calire escaped the Others, or Danielle was actually the first person to try to attack Claire before she was kidnapped, rather than Ethan.

What the heck is the island security system and what, exactly, is it securing?

As Danielle said. It's securing the island. Now the question is, why does the island need securing...

WhatÆs under the hatch, and was WaltÆs warning to Locke prophetic? Where did WaltÆs warning come from?

Walt seems to be borderline odd. Suffice it to say, you can be sure it was prophetic.

WhatÆs up with the numbers?

4 8 15 16 23 42

I swear I'm playing those next lotto chance I get.

How good was the phsycic advising Claire? What makes her child special? Was there some outside influence in choosing AaronÆs name? (Shining light; messenger)

Probably only knew about half of what was going on. Knew, obviously, that Claire's baby was in danger, that it was vital Claire raise it, and that Claire would survive the crash if he put her on the plane. I'm guessing that he presumed this would isolate the baby - I doubt he saw the whole picture, because it's likely he created the very situation he predicted.

Did students actually ever learn anything useful from Artz, and why does Vincent look like a female golden in some shots?

They probably learned how to be sullen. Cranky teachers make cranky students.

And they very well could be using two dogs, depending on which one is "ready" to shoot, animals being tempermental even when trained well.

[WorkerCaste]

Great! Some thoughts!

Either Danielle ran into Claire as Calire escaped the Others, or Danielle was actually the first person to try to attack Claire before she was kidnapped, rather than Ethan.

There's another option that occurred to me, which I tend to favor. Perhaps Danielle was responsible for Claire's escape. Ethan didn't seem happy about her escaping, and Claire didn't seem in any condition to do it herself. After all, Ethan had managed both her and Charlie on the trail. Danielle would have the skills, and at that point she may have either been trying to prevent what had happened to her with Alex, or she might have been thinking ahead to trading the baby. I'd give her the benefit of a doubt and go with helping Claire. The scratches could be because Claire was so disoriented that she was fighting everyone.

As Danielle said. It's securing the island. Now the question is, why does the island need securing...

True, but does that mean securing the island against the people who happen to arrive, or making sure the people who get wrecked there can't leave, or perhaps securing portions of the island. The system isn't omnipresent, so are there specific triggers? Is it perhaps under someones control so it appears when they think it's needed? It appeared when the pilot was giving them information and they were trying to use radio equipment. It appeared when they were trying to get dynamite. Can anyone else remember what was happening the other times it appeared?

Walt seems to be borderline odd. Suffice it to say, you can be sure it was prophetic.

I'm with you on that. Of course, that means Locke is receiving some message to open the thing, and Walt is receiving a message to leave it closed. Are there two phsycic factions at work on the island? Good and Evil? Which is which?

4 8 15 16 23 42

I swear I'm playing those next lotto chance I get.

I wonder if these numbers are getting played significantly more than other numbers.

And they very well could be using two dogs, depending on which one is "ready" to shoot, animals being tempermental even when trained well.

Sorry, that was a joke on my part. The part of Vincent is played by Madison, a female golden. It's probably cosmic payback for all the years Lassie was played by a male dog.