Thursday, October 12, 2006

Lost goes local

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read this if you haven't watched the second episode of the third season of Lost.



Hi, I'm Ben, the other one, the not-other.
Confused? Read on...

GENERAL IMPRESSION

Let me say right off the bat: The beginning of this new season of Lost is absolutely fantastic. Not only do we learn a lot about the others, the episodes are also masterfully written and directed. I feel like the overall "quality" of the show has improved.
Talking about "direction", we have a lot less handheld camera shots, and a lot more creativeness (the aerial shot of Othersville, and this opening shot of the ballerina falling down - which was stunning). It seems obvious to me there's a lot more money going into the making of every episode, as it should considering the ratings...

THE RED SOX STORY

I'd like to talk some more about the ending to this second episode, because it combined so many good elements.

One: Jack (and ourselves) realizes the others have access to the outside world. To see a baseball game play in the world of Lost was just staggering!

Two: the acting was just amazing, with Michael Emerson bringing to Ben (Henry's real name) an edginess and crazyness that are compelling. And Matthew Fox is always perfect.

Three: the producers managed to include in the story a historic event we all remember, and that absolutely defines this time of Fall 2004: the Boston Red Sox victory at the world series. Not only was it funny, but it also places the series in our world, with references we all know (that also includes Bush re-election).

In a time where most series take place in an other reality (in 24 or Prison Break, the presidents have different names etc.), Lost, maybe the most "fantastic" of real series, decided to tell us: this happening somewhere in YOUR world. And it's great.



The only complaint I have has to do with the Red Sox. I said we all remember their victory, but actually, it's every American (and possibly Canadian) who remembers. To the rest of the world, the world of Baseball, not to mention the Red Sox's curses of the Bambino, is totally unknown.

When I watch american TV, I always wonder how an international audience will appreciate it. Until now, one of Lost's strength was how international, how not American it was: with its Iraqi, British and Australian characters. With its south-pacific location.

For sure, this episode will be greatly appreciated all over the world, for its quality, but the whole exchange between Jack and Ben about the red sox will go totally undercover.
If Jack ever has the chance to share this with Charlie, expect him to answer: "The Boston who have won what?".

THE OTHERS

Finally, here's my theory about the others. Scratch that, here's the truth about the other! It looks crystal clear to me.

There are two questions: "where do they come from?" and "what do they want?".
Honestly, where they come from has no importance. I expect it to be revealed sometime this season. Another crash, Dharma people or subject revolting, whatever.

What's really interesting is "what do they want?". Well, like Ben said, I'm convinced they're good guys. They choose to live on this island for reasons that are their own and are extremely happy about how perfect and suburban their life is (in a kind of Shyamalan's The Village -like scenario).
When the plane crashed, Ben immediately realized that adding 40 people to their little thing would screw everything up, so he decided they should be integrated over time. And so the whole thing is a process to integrate, few by few, our heroes into their world. - starting with Jack, Sawyer and Kate. They never kill unless their own life is in danger (and never asked Michael to kill anyone), and even captured all kids early so they don't have to go through the hardships of survival. I'm sure they're somewhere in Othersville, happy and being cared for. They even tried to make sure Claire would deliver her baby in all safety! Seriously, this is so obvious, you're all really dumb!

Why else would they let Walt (and its special powers) go, realizing he'd be happier with his dad? Of course, not everything went according to plan (Rousseau's daughter and her teen angst, Ethan going crazy), and not everything will (Jack is too stuborn - Juliette and others are obviously not that happy about Ben's leadership). But this is why we watch.

LAST NOTE:

We know now the show is not in-temporal. It take place (or at least starts) in 2004. For now, it's not a big deal. Let's just hope it will be the same 5 years from now, if the show is still running. Imagine them hearing about Katrina for the first time in a 2011 episode!

Anyone else noticed all big important characters have extremely simple names?
Jack, Kate, John, James (sawyer's real name), Micheal and now Ben. Wonder where this is going...

The other Ben, the not-other, out!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Okaaay, so the Others just want to integrate the survivors from the crash few by few? Kidnapping people and having them crush rocks under the threat of shoking doesn't sound like the obvious way to integrate them into your group, does it? :)
If the writers come up with such a crappy revelation, I swear I'll stop watching the show. Or not. But if I don't, it'll be only for the sake of Evangeline's so-damn-cuteness ;)

Ben said...

Yes, it all makes sense.
I should maybe add that of course, while integrating them, they still want to be in control of their lives and the way they do things.

If they had just gone and welcomed all the crash survivors, it would have been too many too fast. Yes, kidnapping seems odd, but Sawyer and Kate have had time, while working (doesn't seem so hard, by the way) to look around and realize they're people, like any other ;-)

Who knows, maybe they're even actually building their own future house?

And btw: "so-damn-cuteness"? Even though she is "so-damn-cute", I'm not sure u can say that :-)

Ben said...

Also, here's another theory I've read about on EW TV Watch's comment section.
Did you notice how nobody's under 18 among the others? Maybe they need an baby to pursue their linage, and after trying to kidnapp pregnant Claire, they want Sawyer and Kate to produce one for them? ;-)

Anonymous said...

Ah, but you're forgetting one important element, Ben. THE POLAR BEARS!!!!!!!!!

'The Others' are actually just minions enslaved by the polar bears who in turn are puppets of the black smoke in the forest.

And the black smoke is coming from the Hawaii studio where the writers of Lost live... The only way they can keep thinking up this crazy crap is by by smoking a lot of HASH!!!

;)