6061

I loved Mr. Eko, he was conflicted in a marvelously Lost way, but his primary purpose seems to have been to put Locke back on track. Once doing that, he was too much a duplicate man of faith, even if they only offed him because the actor wanted to pursue other things. Last time I saw the actor in something, he had put on weight in an alarming fashion, so I’m not sure he is fit to look like the character. Though take a good look at Jack - his face has slimmed down this season.

Jack sitting on the beach at the very end, finally found, learning to temper science with some faith, containing the MiB unLocke who wants to do nothing but kill him as another plane/boat/submarine/starship approaches, seems a natural ending.

6062

I’m pretty sure that I read that a lot of the stuff that ended up in Locke’s lap was intended for Eko. When AAA wanted off the show, they moved it over to Locke.

6063

No doubt. It was a shame because I really liked the character. Oooooo, the scary black guy. No, not really - look, he is a philosophical priest! Wait, no, he really is the scary black guy, but trying to find his way. Lots of depth, lots of potential - pity AAA (no, I never remember how to spell his name, either) wanted off the island. I’d love to see him back for the final season for some final closure, but alas that it isn’t going to happen.

6064

I understand why people keep saying this from a narrative standpoint (based on the info we know currently) but when they reveal the true nature of Jacob/MIB, I just wonder if this ending is still going to make sense.

6065

It seems both, inconsistent and not mutual though. In the original timeline, Daniel noted that Desmond is his constant. And the sideways timeline, meeting Desmond apparently didn’t do anything for Daniel. Well, he didn’t touch him, but he already had some sort of flashback before that anyway when he scribbled down the formula. He also hinted at him meeting Charlotte being a possible trigger.

6066

It would seem to make sense in that the whole purpose of this has been to find a replacement for Jacob, who evidently foresaw his own demise after hundreds of years. Now, it’s possible that that replacement might be able to effect the one thing that Jacob couldn’t (or wouldn’t) do - end the threat of the MiB in a permanent fashion, which would mean that they could all just sit on the beach, languidly drinking Dharma beer a la Corona commercials. Or maybe the alternate time-line is saved by the action and that’s how it ends. But eternal threat and eternal staving it off, yin and yang, are thematically the most consistent with the show, so even though there might be a resolution for the characters, the dilemma is eternal, as we each try to be found.

6067

Sure, it can be. I just don’t think there’s enough evidence to conclude is definitely is.

I think the rules are different for those who are dead in 2007, which implies Locke’s near-death experience will be enough to wake him, no constant required (although I just watched it again… he is NOT smiling when he’s hit. Far from it.).

When he rolls over on his back and opens his eyes? That’s not a smile?

I disagree strongly that Desmond didn’t need a constant, though. He didn’t have any sense of purpose until he met Penny: he was just trying to solve his own little mystery. Now he’s a man with a mission. He’s been “awakened” in both timelines – he may not know exactly what he’s doing, but he knows the outlines, and he’s got confidence and is no longer afraid or anything.

But that’s not what a Constant does (at least as previously demonstrated). A constant keeps your brain from going to mush and you dieing, as George and that rat did.

Hugo is also now “awakened” and shows a lot more gumption in both timelines… he’s suddenly a leader and not a follower.

But Jack is also changed without any ‘awakening’ yet.

The one thing still missing in the stakes. Why does this matter? What happens if Smokey gets off the island? Why should we care? And what do the alt-characters have to do to help their counterparts? Questions, questions, and not a long time to clear them up.

As long as the answers aren’t crap. But we’ve been misled by the producers before. (How is Michael not a ghost now? Is Jennifer Love Hewett or Patricia Arquette going to show up and help him go into the light?

6068

I follow what you’re saying. I will just be curious to see if it will be as metaphorical as that. I have a sneaking suspicion that there is going to be a twist at the end.

I’m also becoming more and more suspicious as to the validity of the alternative timeline. When they have memories of the original timeline they are having memories of things that have already happened. I’m beginning to wonder if the alternative timeline isn’t something of a construct that is happening after the events of the original timeline rather than concurrently. (Do we receive a clue from Eloise when she repeats the line that “whatever happened, happened”?)

Also, Pierre Chang in the alternative timeline (i.e. 2004) looked around the same age as he did in 1977. Coincidence?

6069

Or, American Idol is beating the crap out of Lost’s ratings by a 2:1 ratio and ABC doesn’t want to go head-to-head with the AI finale.

6070

Here’s what I’m thinking… Jacob grants wishes, so a long time ago he granted Unlocke a wish to become what he is now. And part of that was to stay on the island.

Unlocke wants off the island, but he has to kill Jacob, which he did. But one of the Candidates can replace Jacob. So Unlocke needs them to all leave. He can’t just kill them because they are immortal while they are candidates.

Widmore is even more diabolical. He too wants to remove all the candidates so he can become the last candidate and assume Jacob’s power. We know Widmore is a candidate because Ben said that he can’t kill him in the past when they met up.

Widmore has some plan to use Desmond to take over the island, and Unlocke has some plan to use the plane to fly off the island.

Obviously, at some point, someone else will become Jacob because Widmore’s and Unlocke’s plan will fail. And that person will start granting wishes and end the show.

6071

I liked this episode, but holy crap, yeah, it felt like they clubbed us right over the head with that explaination. I suspect it felt like that at least in part because it was Hurley who uttered the explaination.

I’ve always liked Jack.

6072

I may be misremembering but didn’t the little boy show up at another moment where Smokey was setting up to kill someone he wasn’t supposed to?

6073

They can still give some closure for his fans if they get creative: Character in the alt timeline, watching TV, hears announcement of Mr Eko being elected President of Nigeria or doing something else interestng.

6074

He showed up when Smokey was talking to Richard (who we now definitively know came down on Jacob’s side).

6075

…who is then exiled in a coup, and then assassinated (hey, all they need to do is swing a deal for the footage from The Bourne Identity).

6076

This is a wonderful idea! I want to see more of this, Lloyd! I want to see more of this Lloyd!

6077

“I’ve spent my entire life training to give you a safety demonstration that’s the dynamite oriented companion to the handgun safety demonstration in Pulp Fiction.”
-Ilana “Kaboom” LNU

“Have you met Ilana? She has an explosive personality.”
“Did you know she’s dating Leslie Arzt?”
“Yes, I think they’re a dynamite couple.”

Hurley should get a time-out for doing that to the Black Rock before Kate had a chance to play with dynamite.

6078

As for Jack and Locke being constants, I believe they had their chance to go all doe-eyed for each other at the baggage claim area. Neither of them seems to haunted by that meeting. Locke even tore Jack’s card up.

Also, I can’t help but wonder what the hell is going on media-wise back in 2007 civilization. They must be baffled that all(?) of the Oceanic 6 disappeared again on another plane crash!

6079

Yes but didnt that kid have blond hair? This one had dark hair?

6080

I think so. Could there be a light and dark version of the boy? Twins perhaps?