After the breakneck pace of “Ab Aeterno,” it was time for Lost to slow down a little bit. The latest episode of Lost , the Jin and Sun-centric “The Package,” brought things back down to Earth, but like a good game of chess, the pieces are all moving into places. “The Package” brought back one of the most important pieces on the Lost chess board, too, a character we’ve been patiently waiting to make a return to the Island and confuse us with more time madness. Good episodes are likely ahead. See you in another life (aka below the “read more” tag), brother. Let’s discuss “The Package.” Patrick Klepek, Still Locked Up With Walt In Room 23: 1) There’s something fishy going on with open wounds on Lost . It was mentioned at one point that the “sickness” only infects someone with an open wound. Sayid was shot, then submersed in the Temple and became “sick” after an interaction with the Man in Black. Jin’s leg was ensnared in Claire’s trap, creating a large open wound — perfect for infection, right? In last night’s episode, Man in Black tells Jin he should let the wound air out, a piece of advice that Jin doesn’t seem to keen on. And when Sun is tending to her long-deserted garden, Man in Black conveniently shows up the moment after she cuts her finger open. There’s something going on with Man in Black’s fascination with open wounds. I suspect you can’t be “infected” without one. 2) Jack Shepard is a confident man these days. The back-and-forth between him and Sun on the beach reminded me in more ways than one of conversations Jacob’s had with people he’s trying to convert. Jack spent that conversation ensuring he has Sun’s trust and confirmed that trust with a handshake. Man in Black and Jacob both tend to seek a handshake or place their hand on someone they’re looking to manipulate, leading me to believe that our boy Jack may have already become the new Jacob. That one’s a bit out there, I know, but the coincidences are starting to add up, so I’m going to throw it out there officially: Jack is the new Jacob. 3) “The Package” ended up referring to one Desmond Hume. It’s taken far too long for Desmond to return to the Island, but there’s probably a good reason for that: he’s going to really mess things up for everyone. “The rules don’t apply” to Desmond, as Faraday once told us, and that could mean interesting revelations for both Jacob and the Man in Black, since their whole Island-based game is based on a set of specific rules the two of them have to follow. If Jacob and Man in Black are two forces balancing each other out, can Desmond tip the scales? Joseph Baxter, Planning To Sue Rosetta Stone After Running Into A Tree: 1) After coming off a tour de force of answers and revelations from “Ab Aeterno,” we knew “The Package” was probably going to find the show taking a breather. Despite that, I still took the prospect of a Sun and Jin-centric episode as a strong possibility we’d actually get to see their big reunion. From our perspective, it has been two whole seasons since the sometimes-happy couple had been together, and their big moment in the spotlight this season seemed like the right time, as bigger things were certainly on the horizon. Well, no dice, but Lost is the kind of show that can fail to meet one’s expectations yet still prevail. In this case, we got a bit of a lifeline on this front, in Jin’s new status as Widmore’s prisoner/DHARMA liason. Plus, the moment where Jin got to browse Sun’s camera and see pictures of little Ji Yeon for the first time, knowing that he’s missed a part of her childhood was absolutely touching. The buildup has been successfully refreshed and at this point, I wouldn’t have it any other way. 2) It’s interesting that little Ji Yeon has been brought up. We found out last night in the sideways that Sun was pregnant. Conventional thinking might have one believe that Sun being mortally wounded (in the stomach, no less) has somehow put little Ji’s sideways existence in jeopardy. However, we know via Juliet’s “Prime World” examinations on Sun, that her daughter was conceived on the Island. The conception process is not one that has the kind of poetic leeway that would have one particular person able to be conceived in different scenarios. If my parents opted to conceive a month earlier than when I was, then it wouldn’t mean that I would be a month older. It would mean that I would not exist! Therefore, let me throw a bit of a Hail Mary out there: Ji Yeon is the “Kwon” candidate. Why? Because she was conceived on the Island and doesn’t exist in the sideways world, which could make her an anomaly who is uniquely special. I also get the feeling that the sideways world is without an “official version” of Desmond, either. His presence on sideways Oceanic 815 was not only hugely anachronistic, but he appeared to be aware of something that everyone else was not. It was almost like he was on that plane knowing that it was connected to some event, making sure that it went as planned. Very Jacob-like. 3) We’ve seen Lost utilize parallel play in the past, but in “The Package,” the concept seemed to be in overload. A few examples. Last night, as an act of his newly-solidified faith in the Island, Richard concocted a plan to destroy the Ajira 316 plane to prevent Smokey from leaving the Island. Yet, in season 3’s “The Man From Tallahassee,” Locke’s restored faith in the Island inclined him to destroy the old DHARMA submarine used by the Others to prevent Jack from leaving the Island. Deja vu much? Last night, we saw Smokey chase-down Sun while she was tending the garden, only to result in her getting knocked out. In season 2’s “The Long Con,” in a plot hatched by Sawyer, Charlie attacked Sun, knocking her out while she was tending the garden. De ja vu much? Last night, Widmore’s people ambushed Team Smokey with a barrage of stun darts. Yet, in the season 2 finale “Live Together, Die Alone,” the Others used stun darts to subdue the Lost ies after Michael’s double cross. Additionally, that two-part episode’s big shift was also a grand reappearance of, get ready for it…Desmond. 4) The infamous Paik Rolex makes its return. In this case, we learn that its sideways world destination was to be part of a pay-off by Mr. Paik to kill its carrier, Jin. Whether or not that was its intended purpose for Paik’s properly-married son-in-law doppelganger may be something we’ll never know. Ironically enough, its status as “death swag” in the sideways is almost the exact opposite as its fate in the present world, which had it being pawned-off by Michael and perhaps through some Island magic, would not allow Michael to commit suicide. 5. In the preview post for this episode, I made a joke about Jin tied up in the freezer being similar to an infamous scene in Pulp Fiction . While I don’t think I’m the first person to bring up the Tarantino comparison, it does seem the sideways is legitimately starting to become a glorified Tarantino flick. Think about it: the out-of-order narrative style, irreverence, hitmen, gangsters, freaky hostage situations, convenient tie-ins. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure that there is a purpose behind the sideways that is extremely relevant and will ultimately pay-off in the end (fingers crossed). I’m not going to break out the term “jumped the shark,” but I do feel that we’re venturing into territory that makes it difficult for the audience to get excited for the events that take place within that realm. We need something soon to let us know why we’re seeing what we’re seeing. The symbolism that the sideways events represent will only take it so far. That being said, a phenomenal idea for the season 6 DVD/Blu-ray would be a bonus, full-length movie made exclusively with mashed-up scenes from the sideways. Andrew Pfister, Who Believed “The Package” Was In His Pants: Well, I was kind of right about last night. 1) We got another awesome old character cameo in Sun and Jin’s flash-sideways. But instead of the annoying and worthless Paolo (whom I just mentioned as a joke, anyway), we got the awesome and biclyoped Mikhail. Well, he started with both eyes, anyway. I also liked the second dose of Kreepy Keamy, who definitely is the most unsettling actor I’ve ever seen on TV. 2) The “package” kept under lock-and-key was in fact Desmond, but I was wrong (so far, at least) about Penny. Widmore alluded to being kept away from her, so I suppose that means that she’s not on the sub…but how did he manage to separate the couple? What exactly happened to them after Ben’s ill-fated attack at the LA pier? 3) Sayid got a little crazier (does he care who Desmond is? He seemed to show no real reaction at the docks), and even though she didn’t really have any lines, Claire seemed like she was starting to realize just how fouled-up her immediate surroundings are. 4) I was wrong about Sun and Jin reuniting, but that brings up my biggest takeaway from last night’s episode (aside from that saucy Sun moment): this is only the second time that a flash-sideways has been left unresolved (the first being Sawyer). And again, if the flash was unresolved, the Island situation was also unresolved. Are we going to see if James catches up with con-man Sawyer and if Sun survives the gunshot wound? Is that even going to be relevant? Still too many questions surrounding the split dimensions, and when Damon Lindelof updated his Twitter with “Next week, the conversation will change,” I hope that’s what he’s referring to. 5) Sawyer: “That would be ridiculous.” Perfect.
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Reacting To The Newest Episode Of Lost: "The Package"
