LOST DISCOVERIES

LOST:

Man of Science, Man of Faith

Created by: Jeffrey Lieber, J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof

Written by: Damon Lindelof

Directed by: Jack Bender

Air date: Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Man of Science, Man of Faith: Scary Nightmares

A Soulful Spike Society Review

www.soulfulspike.com

OK, everybody. This is Lost we’re talking about, so we can dissect the fireworks between various characters or we can talk about the wacky island hijinks. Oh, what the heck. Let’s talk about both.

Sciency Faith, Faithy Science

We all know what the episode title is supposed to make us think. It’s Jack versus Locke, squaring off in opposite corners. Doctor Jack, all rational and “there is no mystery here folks”. Locke, all metaphysical “the island will heal you and give you what you need” man.

But is that what we really saw? All episode long we’re presented with opposing pairs of characters, constantly shifting over any kind of line you try to draw between what is factual and what is believed or felt.

* Jack says it doesn’t matter what the shaft leads to if it won’t help them shelter and save all the passengers. Locke urges calm as Kate and he perform tests to determine the depth of the shaft and suggest methods of exploration. “Save lives”, says Jack. “See inside”, says Locke.

* Hurley questions Locke about his decision to ignore Hurley’s warning not to set off the explosive charges.

* Flashback!Jack must make a speedy medical decision which will save one life while (possibly) costing another.

* Charlie argues that the CFL is, well, crazy, and thus potentially not the most reliable source of information. Sayid seems to disagree.

* Sayid urges Shannon not to go into the jungle after Vincent, rightly pointing out that the dog has wandered off before and always come back on his own. Shannon holds on to her duty to take care of Walt’s dog and thus appears to be lead to a vision of Walt himself, sending some kind of warning.

* Jack asks Hurley about the numbers. Hurley gives him the Reader’s Digest condensed version of the curse and doesn’t seem to be believed.

* Flashback!Jack’s dad says that Jack was too harsh with his patient Sara (“extremely unlikely to have moment or feeling below the waist”), telling him instead “you might want to try handing out some hope”.

* Shannon tells the group about seeing Walt and hearing whispers. Charlie tries to stop this from causing panic: for example, telling Sun that Jin and the raft are fine.

* Jack calls on the group to stay at the caves, listing their resources and describing a plan of defense. Everything will be OK as long they stick together – “I promise”, he says, calling on their belief in him as a leader. Locke decides to return to the shaft – doubting that it is the smart thing, but tired of waiting.

* Jack and Sara’s fiancé chat about the likely future and are obviously coming from very different places.

* Kate follows Locke to the scene of the hatch. Locke sends Kate down into the shaft first – a sensible order, considering their relative body weights. The possibility of being eaten by the island monster is mentioned, and they’re only sort of joking.

* Although Hurly tries to convince him otherwise, reminding him of his earlier speech to the group, Jack also goes to the hatch.

* Etc., etc. etc.

Think about the examples mentioned above. Do they seem to be straightforward examples of pure rationality or pure belief? Is the same character always the “scientist” or the “faithful”? I could be totally wrong, but I would suggest that this episode is not trying to somehow present these two ideas (or even the two characters of Jack and Locke) as standing on opposite sides of a mythical line, nor is it trying to have either “side” win. It’s pointing out the complexity and layers of all the characters – in all their very messy and very human variety. And I haven’t even brought up the whole Desmond thing yet – our “miracle” guy who’s running stadium steps like “the devil’s chasing” him.

Goin’ Underground

We should have been expecting it. The cliffhanger from last year pointed the way to the new landscape we’d be exploring this year. The final camera shot had us asking “what’s down there?” and the opening shot of the second season answered us. Swanky digs in which Desmond works out, showers, shoots up and listens to some really bitchin’ music.

Some, including myself at times, have complained that we didn’t get enough answers to the island mysteries last year, but I’m starting to question how accurate an assessment that is. While we may not have discovered all the answers behind the various phenomena, we’ve actually explored the main island locales and handled the initial survival issues from last year pretty thoroughly. Caves and beach, areas to create settlements - check! Fresh water, hunting in the jungle, fishing in the sea, crops growing in the clearing – check! Groups forming, leaders leading, attempts made to call for help, raft created to seek out help – check! Discovery of past wrecks and crashes, discovery of wacky survivors of same past wrecks and crashes, discovery of island defense system – check!

So now we get new areas to explore – new characters to mix things up with our merry band of castaways – new difficulties and challenges and dangers to be overcome. Injectible drugs and remote controlled spy mirrors! Sneakers and computers and strange supplies in crusted-over containers! Magnets and spotlights and gun totin’ guys who mysteriously appeared and disappeared earlier in our lives! Our playhouse has just been expanded and remodeled. And it looks like we’ll start down the path to our other new see our other new toy box next week – when the second cliffhanger is explored and we find out more about the fate of Michael, Jin, Sawyer and Walt. Will Walt be our ghostly connection between the two groups? Will we get to visit the mysterious “Others”? Will Sawyer be alive and, more importantly, shirtless? Tune in next week to find out.

What Worked?

· The scariness. Creepy shots of the mirror spy system; Shannon and Sayid in the jungle and Walt’s sudden appearance and unspecified warning; the sudden beam of light and Kate being sucked into the shaft; Jack’s exploration of the underground bunker. A lot of “jump and eep” moments.

· The multiple layers in each of the characters. We’ve gotten to know them in the past season, we’ve seen their histories and how they’ve been changed by their island experiences. While the flashbacks will still continue to give us more insight about the nuances of these people, we don’t need them in the same way as earlier.

· All the cool little touches. “Make your own kind of music . . .”; darkness and torches adding to the spooky feeling; the clever bantering lines by Hurley and Charlie; the wacky underground computer room; and so on.

What Didn’t?

• For me, the flashback didn’t provide enough of a link to the current storyline. I can see a bit of what they were trying to accomplish with it, but it never really grabbed me as much as I think it should have. Locke speaks a line to Jack and this introduces the first flashback – “Why don’t you want to go down there?” – and that should have been a strong clue to how the flashback storyline would comment on the present. While I could see some connection, the flashback theme seemed too vague at times.

The Missing: Update

Jack – Matthew Fox

Hair!!!! Floppy sloppy 90’s hair!!!! OMG that’s so cute and kewl! Seriously though Jack, what’s up with Desmond? Is he your very special guardian angel or something? And if he is, do you want him to shoot Locke?

Kate – Evangeline Lilly

Kate, you’re always working the angles. Yes, you help people along the way, but you’ve always got your eye on your own reasons and goal. Look where it got you! Hope you’re ok – but I’m guessing we won’t find out next week.

Sawyer – Josh Holloway

Sawyer – we miss you!!! We want to know if you’re alive! We want to know if you’re shirtless with a sexy wound! We want to know where you are!

Sayid – Naveen Andrews

You are so Shannon’s bitch. Also - what are you not telling Charlie and the others? Um. Not “the Others”, but the others. The others from the same plane you were on. Um. The ones we saw last year, not the ones from the tail of the plane that are on another part of the island turning into cannibalistic half-animal mutants. Or whatever.

Locke – Terry O’Quinn

You are so still the island’s bitch! Also, how is your former paralysis related to Jack’s former patient-bride Sara’s former paralysis? Wow. Try saying that 3 times quickly.

Charley – Dominic Monaghan

When Charley is the voice of reason and calm on the island? You know you’re in deep trouble.

Claire – Emilie de Ravin

Claire – where were you and the baby?

Hurley – Jorge Garcia

Dude! You finally told someone about the numbers! Yay! OK, it didn’t necessarily go that well, but still. Points for breaking out of your shell and trying. Shall we start calling you Cassandra?

Shannon – Maggie Grace

Shnnon: When you finally decide to be responsible, you don’t mess around, do you? ‘Course, you’re also half out of your mind with grief, lack of sleep, and stress, but hey! I’m sure that alone wouldn’t be enough to make you hallucinate a creepy semi-drowned Walt vision, right? So he was either really there or using his psychic powers to project a warning to you.

**bangs head on desk**

(Oh, and Boone? Still dead.)

Michael – Harold Perineau

and

Walt – Malcom David Kelley

Where are you guys?!?! Alive? Dead? Grabbed by mutant cannibalistic half-animal “Others”? Desperately searching for your son? Clinging to the debris of your raft? Psychically projecting an image of yourself to a half-crazed dog-searcher in the jungle? Arggggg! Maybe we’ll find out next week.

Sun – Yunjin Kim

and

Jin – Daniel Dae Kim

Sun! Don’t give up hope! I’m sure Jin is still clinging to the debris of the raft while planning how to help Michael search for Walt and sexy wounded Sawyer while hiding from the mutant cannibalistic half-animal “Others”! (OK, I’m beating that into the ground, aren’t I?)

Vincent – The Dog

You’re the real power behind all of this, aren’t you Vince old buddy old pal?

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