What follows is my recap from TVGasm.com verbatim.
Unfortunately, the pictures from the site aren't included.
Look Both Ways Before You Cross Your Ex.
I can honestly say that I know how "Daybreak" felt. Being a midseason replacement is tough.On one hand, no one expects you to live up to what you're replacing, but at the same time, if you don't keep the majority of the audience interested and engaged, you don't last long.I wanted take a second to acknowledge and thank TVGasm for running the contest and all those who voted to give me the opportunity to try to replace EdHill.
Thank you.
I also wanted to acknowledge my worthy opponent, Warren. I hope that we see more of his writing in the future around here.Finally, a tip of the cap to my predecessor, EdHill. He created the audience for Lost recaps and I'll do my best to keep the majority of that audience interested and engaged.
Ok, end of speech.
After months of waiting, speculating, theorizing and anticipating, Lost fans finally get the episode we've been waiting for. The very first episode to focus on one of those evil "Others" rather than one of the more familiar Lost-aways. Enigmatic Juliet gets her very own episode and we get to find out if Jack's surgical blackmail technique is good enough to give Sawyer and Kate a chance to escape.
Why do I have the feeling that when this episode ends I'm gonna have more questions than answers? Oh, right, I'm a masochist...er, Lost fan.I always end up with more questions than answers.
Juliet sits on the beach, clutching a zippered case of some kind. She looks like she's contemplating something. Finally she heads indoors, passing Ethan on her way to the end of the hall. Assuming that Ethan is still dead and buried on Island 1.0, this must be a flashback.In the room Juliet enters, a woman in a head scarf sleeps beside a nightstand that holds a familiar looking octagonal symbol. She wakes up when Juliet sits down on her bed and fills a syringe from a familiar looking medication bottle that was in that case she was carrying. From the light but serious banter between the two women, we get the sense that this isn't an evil scientist/victim relationship. Of course, Ethan and Claire had some banter between them and we all know how that turned out. Oh, wait, no we don't.
The mystery woman wonders if Juliet is hesitating because she's worried it won't work or because she's concerned that he will find out. The needlephobic out there all turn away at this point. The needle is for the mystery woman's belly, reminiscent of the injection that Ethan gave Claire back in the Staff Station. Once the injection is over, we find out that Juliet is the mystery woman's sister. So, probably not an evil scientist/victim relationship. We also find out that the two women aren't in one of the hatches on the island, but in Miami.
Back in one of those hatches on the island, Ben's heart rate monitor is working overtime as he bleeds out of that incision Dr. Jack made in his kidney sack three months ago. Juliet watches calmly as Jack takes control of the operating room and, apparently, the whole situation. The final scene from the end of the first half of the season replays, just the way we remember it. Jack gives Kate instructions to get away and radio him when she's safe. To be sure that it isn't a trick, he gives her a way to confirm that she's really ok, by telling him the story that he told her they day they met. It's great to see Jack effectively take charge this way. It's also great because we can pretty much count on his screwing it up somehow.
"Kate, dammit, RUN!" he shouts at her through Danny's walkie. Fortunately, it's Kate and Sawyer on the other end of the walkie and not, say Charlie and Claire. Both of the Island's Most Wanted have enough ass kick left in 'em to overpower their captors and take the upper hand.
Back in the O.R., Tom instructs Juliet to stop the bleeding and stitch Ben up. According to Jack, she isn't qualified. Maybe she isn't. Of course, maybe she is.
Returning to the cage match, Kate's captor is down and out, but Danny's got some fight left in him. That's just fine with Sawyer. Remember what happens when you press the big knife and fork button three times? So does Danny.
Shocking.
After Sawyer and Danny do their version of the Electric Slide and Kate takes a second to lock the two unconscious men in the cage, it's Run Through The Jungle time.
In the O.R., Juliet issues orders to bring the two captives back. She banks on Jack's humanity, betting that he won't just let a patient die on the table. If you were wondering if Dr. Juliet the fertility doctor had the same kind of upstanding moral fibre, her instructions to kill Kate and Sawyer if necessary gave you your answer.
Back in the world, Juliet and her cellphone are in the Miami Central University Bio-Research Lab. Judging by the music, she isn't supposed to be there. The cellphone call she answers is to confirm her appointment with a Dr. Alpert from Mittelos Bioscience. You can learn more about him here: Mittelos.
As she's filling her purse with more of that mysterious serum (Hmm...mysterious serum...) she was injecting into her sister, the lights come on, forcing her to duck behind a desk to hide. A man and woman enter, and I'll be damned if I didn't think it was Kate for a minute. What is it with the lookalikes on this show? This woman looks like Kate, Ethan looks like Kate's cop husband, Juliet looks like Jack's ex-wife. Bio-research, genetic engineering, twins, lookalikes...nah.
If they trot out a Hurley lookalike I'll scream.
When the new arrivals start to get cosy, it looks like Juliet will get away with it, until her phone rings. Again. A ninja she ain't.
Turns out that the man is actually her ex-husband, Edmund. Ed questions her about her presence and introduces her to the woman, Sherry. At this point, we know two things about Edmund:
1. He knows what Juliet is up to.
2. He's a prick.
In the operating room, where Ben is slowly but surely bleeding to death, Juliet calmly informs Jack about the fact that they aren't on Island 1.0 but in fact are on Island 2.0, a smaller piece of land 2 miles from the one Jack thought they were on.
Jack's counter punch is to tell Tom about Juliet's plot to make sure that Ben didn't make it out of surgery. It's unclear whether or not Tom believes him, but Tom's no dummy. He sends her out, reminding her that she already told him she couldn't help. I bet Tom lives to regret sending Jack's only assistant away while the patient lies on the table...
As Danny gets released from fish biscuit prison, Kate and Sawyer make it to the beach and see just how far away their island is. They need a boat. Obviously the Others have to get back and forth between the two islands, so there must be a boat, right? Or a sub...
Sawyer's sarcastic suggestion that they stop and ask for directions gives Kate the idea to do just that. She radio's Jack.
Without warning, bullets start to fly. Somebody shoots the radio out of Kate's hand! Impressive. Assuming of course that they were aiming at the radio. Apparently, Juliet wasn't kidding about killing them if necessary.A running gun battle through the jungle ends when Sawyer fires the last of his bullets. The two doomed lovers share a look that says "Nice doin' ya!" and resign themselves to their fate. Just when Jesse has Kate in his sights, out of the jungle comes salvation. It's Alex and her sling-shot! Once again, it's Run Through The Jungle time. She leads them to a camouflaged hidey-hole that fools their pursuers.
"Nice to meet ya, Sheena."
Tom wants to know if Juliet really asked Jack to kill Ben. Ben's kinda interested in the answer to that question too. Waking up in the middle of spinal surgery would be pretty traumatic for the average person. Ben seems to take his unexpected consciousness, and the fact that he very well could die in the next 27 minutes, pretty much in stride. All he wants is to talk to Juliet. I bet they have history.
Sherry, the new research assistant, fetches Juliet to Edmund's office. We learn that his full name is Edmund Burke, same name as a semi-famous British philosopher who was despised by, among others, Karl Marx. Edmund wants Juliet to collaborate with him on whatever research she's doing, barely disguising the implied threat that he'd make her borderline criminal research public and ruin her.
Tom, the new Jack assistant, fetches Juliet to Ben's office.
Sawyer and Kate find out that in order to get off the island, they're going to have to help Alex rescue Karl. No, not Karl Marx the despiser of Edmund Burke, a different Karl. Alex's boyfriend, Karl. We all remember Karl better as "Chachi" from Kate's old digs.
Ben and Jack have a little chat about what's happening inside Ben's open wound. Jack actually seems concerned about whether or not Ben is in pain. Me? I'd be looking for the nearest box of salt.Once Juliet arrives, Ben gets Jack to allow him to speak to Juliet privately. Jack and Tom observe the conversation through the theatre window. In a bizarrely civilized moment, Tom actually introduces himself to Jack. Awkward silence ensues. We learn that Juliet and Ben have history. I'm shocked.They finish they're conversation, but unless you read thin, rat-like, barely moving lips upside down, what was said is a mystery. Whatever it was, Juliet is now going to help Jack's friends to escape, providing that Jack finishes the surgery.
Dr. Alpert is pitching a job at Mittelos Bioscience to Juliet. Seems like a dream job, including freedom and even a medical mystery for her to solve. Unfortunately, her ex-husband would never let her take the job, and he's got the ammunition to keep her in line. Mittelos doesn't seem prepared to take no for an answer, but Juliet figures that he wouldn't let her take the job unless he were hit by a bus.
"Whatever you think I am? I'm not. I'm not a leader, Mr. Alpert. I'm a mess."
She may be a mess, but she's a mess with a pretty good head on her shoulders. She takes the time to check the closed circuit tvs that are monitoring the island to try and figure out where the fugitives are. She isn't impressed when she sees that Alex is with them.
"Oh, hell."
Alex, Sawyer and Kate use the Wookie prisoner gag to get past Aldo. Have I mentioned that Aldo isn't too bright? We learn that Ben actually is Alex's Dad when Aldo calls for him on her instructions to call her Dad. Aldo wisely gives up Karl's location before Kate has to do knee surgery with a rifle. Ok, so he's not a complete moron.Sawyer seems surprised that she'd actually shoot a man in the knee. Somehow, I'm less surprised.
Karl is being "programmed" in a similar to, but somewhat more modern version of, the "reprogramming" used in "A Clockwork Orange". The images and noises we see are destined to be immortalized on the Lost chat boards as they get dissected in minute detail. Suffice it to say, it's not fun.They get him out, but he's in bad shape.
Juliet tells Danny that they're going to let the fugitives go. On Ben's orders. Danny isn't convinced.
The research that Juliet was doing has managed to impregnate her sister, Rachel. A Widmore Labs Pregnancy Test confirms it. All Rachel needs to do now is get healthy so she can see the kid grow up. Between that remark and the headscarf we are meant to think "cancer" but there are other possibilities.Juliet runs to Ed to give him the news. He's so impressed that he manages to step out in front of a major plot device...er, bus.
Jack questions Tom about why they didn't just take Ben to a proper medical facility for treatment. Tom is just about to explain why the sky turning purple and Ben needing Jack's help are related, when Jack nicks another plot device...er, artery. Not on purpose this time.
At Alex's boat, Karl comes around long enough to warn Sawyer that Danny is behind him.
Sawyer looks like he's ready to reprise the Electric Slide with his old dance partner, but he doesn't have a gun and Danny does. Just as Danny is about to pull the trigger, salvation comes out of the jungle. Again. This time, it's not a sling-shot and it's not Alex. It's Juliet, gun ablazing. How many freakin' guns are on these two islands anyway? Danny won't be dancing the Electric Slide or anything else, ever again. Three to the chest and he joins his wife in Other Heaven.
Jack enlists Tom to act as a nurse. Tom's about as good around blood as Hurley. Where's Sun when you need her? Come to think of it, where is Sun anyway? Or Hurley or any of the other Lost-aways? I know that King Jack is the big kahuna, but I want to know what Locke and Saayid are doing right now. Sure, they don't have anyone shooting at them, but they're important too...
Juliet sends Kate and Sawyer off to "safety and freedom" on Island 1.0 but forces Alex to stay behind by reminding her that the only way her father will let Karl live is if Alex stays. What a sweetheart that Ben is. Where's that box of salt?
Kate radios Jack back in the OR. She relates the story from their first meeting, about how Jack had accidentally cut the nerve sack at the base of his patient's spine. How the fear he felt was so....real. How he counted to five, let the fear do it's thing and then it was gone. And how he fixed her. Naturally at that moment he manages to fix Ben. He makes her promise that she won't try to rescue him. Interestingly, we never hear her agree... Kate and Sawyer paddle away.
In a morgue, Juliet watches the sheet being pulled over Edmund's face. She's given some paperwork to sign, but she's too upset to sign anything.
Jack is monitoring Ben through the theatre window. He and Juliet discuss the surgery and Jack naturally wants to know what's next. He also wants to know what Ben said that made Juliet want to save his life. Me too!
As she cries next to the body of her dead ex-husband, someone offers Juliet a tissue. It's Ethan He of the hallway "hello." As she's about to try to figure out where she knows Ethan from, Dr. Alpert interrupts her train of thought. He and Ethan have come to try to convince Juliet to join their team. In a morgue? How creepy is that? She puts together the fact that she said that she wanted her ex to be hit by a bus with the presence of Alpert at such an awkward moment. Alpert expertly reflects the guilt for Burke's death back onto Juliet.
"You shouldn't blame yourself."
Riiiiiight.
I know that I wouldn't blame myself when I had a spooky guy from a shady company meeting with me over the still warm corpse of my ex to blame instead...
Mr. Persistent makes another attempt to pitch her the job. All they want is six months. She can be back before her sister gives birth. She's naturally surprised that he knows about Rachel's pregnancy, but he explains that they are very thorough. You gotta be thorough to get a bus in just the right place at just the right time...
Oh and a little hitch. Rachel can't come, because the job's Not In Portland.
Jack still wants to know what Ben said.
3 years, 2 months and 28 days (You just know that right now somebody is doing complex calculations to figure out how to tease those numbers into the numbers...) is how long she's been on Island 2.0. Ben promised her that if she got Jack to do the surgery, save him and helped Jack's friends, he'd finally let her go home.
Remember way back at the beginning when I said that I thought I'd end up with more questions than answers after this episode?
Lost fan. Masochist. Same difference.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Episode 08 - Flashes Before Your Eyes
What follows is my recap from TVGasm.com verbatim.
Unfortunately I could not include the pictures from the website.
You can't go Hume again.
First off, this week's episode has a few things that need sorting out.
Most importantly from my point of view, MacCutcheon Whiskey. Being something of an aficionado of the single malt, I was intrigued by multiple references to a whiskey that I'd never heard of. Google to the rescue. Plug "MacCutcheon" and "Scotch" into the search engine and BLAMO! Not one mention of a single malt. What IS mentioned is a "MacCutcheon Variation", which is a series of moves in the game of chess. I don't know what that means in the grand scheme of the story, but I do know that I can't drink it.
So. MacCutcheon Scotch is a made up brand of very expensive 60 year old single malt. Before all of you ask how I know it's a single malt when they never mention it specifically, ALL great Scotch is a single malt.
Secondly, was what we saw technically a flashback? Did it reflect events that actually occurred or was it just in his head?
Yes and no. Yes, we'll call it a flashback (mainly because I can't think of a better word for it - flashduring? flashover?) and no, the fact that he seems to have legitimate precongnitive abilities makes a pretty good case for it NOT being all in his head.
That's probably not good news if you happen to be a Charlie fan.
The final head scratcher to be dealt with is Desmond's friend, Donovan. When we first met him, my brain started screaming. At first I thought it was from a lack of single malt, but it turns out that it was because Donovan and the girl we see him with reminded me of the DeGroots in the Dharma Orientation Film from the Swan Hatch. A concerted googling sorted out that it's not the same actors, but I won't be at all surprised if there are DeRoots of DeGroots at work here.
Let's have it then, brotha.
After a brief opening shot of Desmond walking out of the jungle, we cut to Charlie and Hurley rooting through Sawyer's stash of books, food, medical supplies and shocking amounts of pornography. While Charlie thumbs through the porn, Hurley is leafing through one of Nabokov's lesser known works, Laughter in the Dark also known by the title "Camera Obscura", which is pretty much the practice version of his classic "Lolita". The novel revolves around a respected art critic who leaves his wife and child for a much younger woman. She betrays him for a former lover, but he is so blinded by love that he has to be physically blinded before he recognizes the truth about her. Funny that Sawyer has this particular book in his stash, considering what he and Kate have done on "Camera Obscura" lately. I wonder if Jack ever read this one? He probably should...
I didn't delve as deeply into the plot lines of the pornography.
Just as the porn is about to get to the good part (notice I didn't say 'reach its climax'), the well developed story is interrupted by Desmond, come to bring Charlie and Hurley to a little staff meeting in the jungle. Locke, Saayid and Desmond bring the two into the inner circle of those who know that Eko is dead and warn them so that they can be a calming influence on the rest of the group when Locke announces the bad news about Eko. Speaking of the inner circle, where are Nikki and Paulo? Did he find another working toilet?
While Charlie is trying to get a better explanation than "The Island killed him" out of Locke, Hurley notices that Desmond is acting oddly. Hurley has been looking askew at the formerly naked Scotsman since the whole "Locke's speech" moment he shared with him way back when. Without warning, Desmond bolts off through the jungle. The other men follow, having no idea what's going on.
Stripping as he runs, Desmond plunges into the ocean. The rest of the stunned assembly just stands around until someone spots another person in the water. A remarkably calm Sun strolls up with baby Aaron, paying no attention to the hubbub all around her and informs Charlie that Claire went for a walk.
Claire seems to have tried to take that walk on the water, because that's her out there face down in the ocean.
Can someone please explain why non-swimmer Charlie is the only one who wades out to help Desmond drag the unconscious woman to shore?
Desmond manages to keep Charlie out of the way long enough to resuscitate Claire with CPR technique that is at least as bad as Jack's. Charlie begins to look askew at Desmond too.
"How did you know? How did you know she was drowning?"
Hurley has the answer. "I'll tell you how he knew. That guy? See's the future, dude."
As ever, the big man has the line that sums it all up.
Charlie is determined to figure out the secret to Desmond's improbable rescue of Claire, hatching a plan to get the Scot "really bloody drunk" with some of Sawyer's stash of booze and pry the answers out of him when he's soused. Fortunately, there's a bottle of "Let's Get Demsond Drunk & Find Out How He's Able To Predict The Future" scotch in the stash for just such an occasion.
It's a bottle of MacCutcheon and for some reason, that name makes Desmond laugh. It also makes him decide to take Charlie up on his offer to share a drink to apolgize for his less than grateful behavior towards Desmond after the rescue. The three men set to some serious drinking.
Serious drinking leads to some seriously bad singing. Fortunately, before the Islander's Boys Choir can break into a rendition of "The girl with one leg and heart of gold" (Why the HELL would Hurley ask for a song about "drinkin' and fightin' and girls with one leg" anyhow?), Inspector Pace begins the interrogation. He and Hurley do a "good cop, hammered chubby cop" thing until Desmond storms off into the night.
Charlie turns him around by calling him a coward. The two men wind up on the ground, Desmond emphasizing his points with repeated and enthusiastic throttling Charlie's neck. Charlie gets choked a lot on this show...
"You don't want to know what happened to me. When I turned that key. You don't want to know. You don't want to know. YOU. DON'T. WANT TO KNOW."
YES. WE. DO!
Cut to Desmond turning the key.
This is Desmond's eye. This is Desmond's eye opening. This is Desmond's eye realizing that it's flat on it's back and covered in blood. Oh, and this is Desmond's eye realizing that it isn't on the island and that's not blood it's red paint.
Desmond has awakened to find himself in his flat, drunkenly attempting to paint his ceiling a startling shade of red. Unlike previous characters when they "flashback" Desmond seems to momentarily confused at his current situation. By the look on his face, we get the sense that this isn't a flashback in the sense that we've grown used to.
A clock with the numbers 1:08 catches his attention as Desmond dresses and heads to an interview with Charles Widmore, Penny's formidable father. We even hear the infamous "beep" that the hatchbound are familiar with. For those interested, I timed it and from the time you hear a very faint beep behind him to the time Penny's coffee is ready is almost exactly one minute. Perfectly normal amount of time to reheat coffee. Not a perfectly normal microwave alert sound though. Not surprisingly, it gives Des a bit of a deja vu.
Penny is most supportive of her man, and suggests that he doesn't need to have a job from her father. Desmond feels that he needs to have the man's respect and he intends to get it. Desmond should have spent more time with Jin. He could have picked up some pointers on how to deal with the Uber-rich father of your intended. Maybe if Desmond beats the hell out of a government minister on Mr. Widmore's behalf...
As he announces himself for his appointment, a delivery man brings a parcel for 815 to the reception desk. He also brings Desmond another one of those pesky deja vu's. Even the painting in Widmore's office gives Desmond pause. It's a polar bear and an upside down Buddha, done in a very familiar style.
Of course, if you want to get picky, it also reminded me of the Wampa that almost kills Luke Skywalker in the snow cave in The Empire Strikes Back.
*Geek factoid* - The "Wampa" was played by "DES WEB" in the movie. No joke.
In an awkward moment during the interview, Desmond compliments Widmore's model sailboat and Widmore tells him about the "'Around the World" solo race that his foundation sponsors. Again, Desmond seems to experience a vivid deja vu.
When Mr. Widmore offers him an administrative position, Desmond reveals that he came, not for the job, but to ask for Mr. Widmore's daughter's hand in marriage. Mr. Widmore acknowledges the noble gesture and moves to the sideboard where he keeps his liquor.
I had to rewind this 5 times to be certain but, when Desmond first sees the afore mentioned Polar Bear/Buddha, he sees it over his right shoulder and the bear is on the left, the Buddha on the right. When the camera comes back to Desmond, the painting is over his left shoulder and the Buddha is now on the left side of the artwork. There don't appear to be any large mirrors over Desmond's right shoulder, so this is either an accidentally "reversed" shot OR some kind of clue. I'd spend more time on it, but Papa Widmore is talking Scotch and needs my attention.
He asks the increasingly pleased with himself Desmond if he knows anything about Scotch, which he does not. Widmore relates the story of "Admiral Anderson MacCutcheon" of the Royal Navy who retired with more medals than any man before or since.
Jules Verne fans will remember that "Admiral McCutcheon" was a character in 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. If you are unfamiliar with 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, it's about a submarine. Verne's masterpiece has all sorts of fun, possibly Lost related bits in it. For instance, the passengers aboard the Nautilus visit the sunken city of Atlantis, "Nemo" means "No One" in Latin which probably alludes to Homer's The Odyssey, and most disturbing of all, the book ends and never reveals the ultimate fate of Captain Nemo and the Nautilus...
*Geek factiod* Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje played a supporting role in the 1997 made for TV adaptation of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.
Turns out that MacCutcheon's crowning achievement wasn't winning a battle or turning the tide of a war, but a very expensive Single Malt Whiskey. Widmore pointedly pours only one small dram into one of the two glasses he sets on his desk.
"This swallow is worth more than you could make in a month. To share it with you would be a waste, and a disgrace to the great man who made it." If he's not worthy to share Widmore's whiskey, he could never be worthy of his daughter.
In a frustrated rage, Desmond throws off his tie and stands helpless in front of the office building. Someone sings "Wonderwall" not far away and we are not surprised to see Charlie strumming away on his guitar, busking his little hobbit heart out for a few bob. Desmond recognizes Charle Hieronymus Pace (I could find no significance to the name "Hieronymus" that would be relevant to the story, which surprised the hell out of me...) and starts having what I can only call an "active" deja vu. He remembers events that haven't happened yet, like the rain.
Best exchange of the episode: Desmond rants "We were on an island" to which Charlie responds "We are on an island, mate. This is England."
Looking suspiciously like Gerald and Karen DeGroot, two people are discussing a thesis when Desmond interrupts them. The man, Donovan, is a physicist and long time friend of Desmond's. The woman remains unnamed. I chose to call her "Fake Karen". Not that it matters, since we don't see her again. Yet.
Desmond wants Donovan's opinion on time travel. Donavan does what any sensible physicist does when confronted by someone ranting about time travel. He buys him a pint and asks him point blank, "Are you bloody insane?"
Naturally, Desmond doesn't think he's insane. He wants Donovan's expert opinion on the posibility of time travel. Donovan figures that Desmond's newfound memories and precognitive ability are the product of his psyche dreaming up a way to prove to Penny's father that he can be a great man. He even attempts to demonstrate his newfound abilities by predicting the outcome of the football game on television and the identity of the next person through the pub door after a familiar song starts to play on the jukebox. Not surprisingly, his predictions don't come to pass. A very confused Desmond returns home to Penny.
When she finds out that her father didn't hire Desmond, she suggests that they celebrate the fact that "Fate has spared you a miserable existence under the employ of Widmore industries." She loves him despite his failure to impress her father, because he's a "Good man" which in her experience is hard to come by. After the way her father played on Desmond's emotions with that unnecessarily mean spirited bait and scotch, I tend to believe her.
Shopping for a ring, Desmond meets a shopkeeper played by Fionnula Flanagan. Since we never learn her name, we'll call her She of the Nice Chestnuts.
*Geek factiod* Fionnula Flanagan played Data's Mother on Star Trek the Next Generation. Actually, she played an android that had been built to replace Data's Mom and didn't know it, but why nitpick.
When she shows him a modest engagement ring and he agrees to take it, our beloved "flashback" format takes a sharp left turn into uncharted territory.
She won't let him take the ring.
The fact that she won't let him buy the ring isn't the bit that takes us off the track, it's why she won't let him buy it.
It seems that this lovely little white haired lady knows all about Desmond. Not only that, she knows about the sailing race, the island, the hatch, the button and even the failsafe key and she knows for a fact that he's meant to change his mind about marrying Penny and wind up pushing that button.
Most interesting quote of the episode: "And if you don't do those things, Desmod David Hume, every single one of us is dead."
Us? Us who? "Us" as in "everyone" or "Us" as in a group of people that She of the Nice Chestnuts belongs to? Or maybe "Us" as in people who can see the future? Jewelry store owners? People who can use "sodding" in a sentence with a straight face?
She of the Nice Chestnuts takes Desmond out for a walk and some chestnuts. Along the way, she spots a man in red shoes and points him out to Desmond, but Desmond is focussed on figuring out how She of the Nice Chestnuts can know so much about him and his tricky memories. As he decides that she must be a figment of his subconscious come to talk him out of marrying Penny, the scaffolding behind where they are sitting collapses, right on top of He With the Funky Red Shoes.
The only thing we can see of him is his funky red shoes. I half expected the toes to curl up and shrink back under the rubble.
The valiant Mr. Hume realizes that She of the Nice Chestnuts knew that He With the Funky Red Shoes was going to be flattened in just that way at just that time. He wants to know why she didn't try to save him. As she explains, saving the man today would do no good as the universe has a way of "course correcting" and He With the Funky Red Shoes will die sooner, rather than later, no matter what she tries to do to save him. Fate.
Desmond's fate is to push that button and while he may not like it, it is to be the only truly great thing he ever does. His answer to the unspoken question between them is to ask the cost of the ring. It seems that it's to be "Des/Penny Vs. Fate" (Worst pun ever).
On his way to meet his beloved, he passes a (FAKE!!!) poster for Armed Forces recruitment. (It's definitely a fake because the proper British spelling of one of the predominant words is honoUr, not HONOR as it is spelled on the poster. No wonder Desmond looks like he's getting a headache.)
As they walk along the Thames, they decide to get their picture taken. Something to show the grandkids. It's THE picture that we've seen in the hatch and on Penny's bedside table. Just after they take the photo, Desmond does as his path dictates and breaks poor Penny's heart by breaking up with her.
She thinks he's being a coward, but really he's doing something much more difficult. He's following a destiny that he doesn't want but knows that he must.
Back at the pub, he eyes the MacCutcheon but orders a pint of the cheapest. Once again he hears that familiar song and events unfold as he predicted to his friend the previous night.
He channels Ebenezer Scrooge and realizes he can "Still change things." A quick warning to the bartender gets him to duck out of the way of Jimmy Lennon's cricket bat. Of course Jimmy Lennon's cricket bat has to go somewhere when it misses the bartender. That somewhere is upside Desmond's head. He might want to rethink this changing things business.
The crack of the bat brings him back to the island, lying naked in the jungle after the hatch implosion. He runs frantically for the hatch and finds the giant pit where it used to be. He knows that this is VERY bad.
At least SOMEONE is paying attention to the fact that the hatch represented something real and probably really dangerous.
In the rubble, he finds the picture of the once happy couple. He begs to be given another chance to go back and change things.
Once again, we are back at the beach with the boys. The previous "Choke the Hobbit" scene is replayed for us and after that, Charlie helps a bloody drunk Desmond back to camp. He pushes for an explanation. Desmonds "Life Flashing Before Your Eyes" moment has continued happening. He's still seeing the flashes, but now he's seeing flashes of things that haven't happened yet.
He has tried twice now to save, not Claire, but Charlie. The lighting strike he diverted from Claire's tent would have killed Our Man Pace and when he learned it was Claire in the ocean, non-swimmer Charlie would have drowned trying to save her. Desmond prevented both, but since the universe has that way of "Course Correcting", Charlie going to die.
I'm gonna miss him!
Unfortunately I could not include the pictures from the website.
You can't go Hume again.
First off, this week's episode has a few things that need sorting out.
Most importantly from my point of view, MacCutcheon Whiskey. Being something of an aficionado of the single malt, I was intrigued by multiple references to a whiskey that I'd never heard of. Google to the rescue. Plug "MacCutcheon" and "Scotch" into the search engine and BLAMO! Not one mention of a single malt. What IS mentioned is a "MacCutcheon Variation", which is a series of moves in the game of chess. I don't know what that means in the grand scheme of the story, but I do know that I can't drink it.
So. MacCutcheon Scotch is a made up brand of very expensive 60 year old single malt. Before all of you ask how I know it's a single malt when they never mention it specifically, ALL great Scotch is a single malt.
Secondly, was what we saw technically a flashback? Did it reflect events that actually occurred or was it just in his head?
Yes and no. Yes, we'll call it a flashback (mainly because I can't think of a better word for it - flashduring? flashover?) and no, the fact that he seems to have legitimate precongnitive abilities makes a pretty good case for it NOT being all in his head.
That's probably not good news if you happen to be a Charlie fan.
The final head scratcher to be dealt with is Desmond's friend, Donovan. When we first met him, my brain started screaming. At first I thought it was from a lack of single malt, but it turns out that it was because Donovan and the girl we see him with reminded me of the DeGroots in the Dharma Orientation Film from the Swan Hatch. A concerted googling sorted out that it's not the same actors, but I won't be at all surprised if there are DeRoots of DeGroots at work here.
Let's have it then, brotha.
After a brief opening shot of Desmond walking out of the jungle, we cut to Charlie and Hurley rooting through Sawyer's stash of books, food, medical supplies and shocking amounts of pornography. While Charlie thumbs through the porn, Hurley is leafing through one of Nabokov's lesser known works, Laughter in the Dark also known by the title "Camera Obscura", which is pretty much the practice version of his classic "Lolita". The novel revolves around a respected art critic who leaves his wife and child for a much younger woman. She betrays him for a former lover, but he is so blinded by love that he has to be physically blinded before he recognizes the truth about her. Funny that Sawyer has this particular book in his stash, considering what he and Kate have done on "Camera Obscura" lately. I wonder if Jack ever read this one? He probably should...
I didn't delve as deeply into the plot lines of the pornography.
Just as the porn is about to get to the good part (notice I didn't say 'reach its climax'), the well developed story is interrupted by Desmond, come to bring Charlie and Hurley to a little staff meeting in the jungle. Locke, Saayid and Desmond bring the two into the inner circle of those who know that Eko is dead and warn them so that they can be a calming influence on the rest of the group when Locke announces the bad news about Eko. Speaking of the inner circle, where are Nikki and Paulo? Did he find another working toilet?
While Charlie is trying to get a better explanation than "The Island killed him" out of Locke, Hurley notices that Desmond is acting oddly. Hurley has been looking askew at the formerly naked Scotsman since the whole "Locke's speech" moment he shared with him way back when. Without warning, Desmond bolts off through the jungle. The other men follow, having no idea what's going on.
Stripping as he runs, Desmond plunges into the ocean. The rest of the stunned assembly just stands around until someone spots another person in the water. A remarkably calm Sun strolls up with baby Aaron, paying no attention to the hubbub all around her and informs Charlie that Claire went for a walk.
Claire seems to have tried to take that walk on the water, because that's her out there face down in the ocean.
Can someone please explain why non-swimmer Charlie is the only one who wades out to help Desmond drag the unconscious woman to shore?
Desmond manages to keep Charlie out of the way long enough to resuscitate Claire with CPR technique that is at least as bad as Jack's. Charlie begins to look askew at Desmond too.
"How did you know? How did you know she was drowning?"
Hurley has the answer. "I'll tell you how he knew. That guy? See's the future, dude."
As ever, the big man has the line that sums it all up.
Charlie is determined to figure out the secret to Desmond's improbable rescue of Claire, hatching a plan to get the Scot "really bloody drunk" with some of Sawyer's stash of booze and pry the answers out of him when he's soused. Fortunately, there's a bottle of "Let's Get Demsond Drunk & Find Out How He's Able To Predict The Future" scotch in the stash for just such an occasion.
It's a bottle of MacCutcheon and for some reason, that name makes Desmond laugh. It also makes him decide to take Charlie up on his offer to share a drink to apolgize for his less than grateful behavior towards Desmond after the rescue. The three men set to some serious drinking.
Serious drinking leads to some seriously bad singing. Fortunately, before the Islander's Boys Choir can break into a rendition of "The girl with one leg and heart of gold" (Why the HELL would Hurley ask for a song about "drinkin' and fightin' and girls with one leg" anyhow?), Inspector Pace begins the interrogation. He and Hurley do a "good cop, hammered chubby cop" thing until Desmond storms off into the night.
Charlie turns him around by calling him a coward. The two men wind up on the ground, Desmond emphasizing his points with repeated and enthusiastic throttling Charlie's neck. Charlie gets choked a lot on this show...
"You don't want to know what happened to me. When I turned that key. You don't want to know. You don't want to know. YOU. DON'T. WANT TO KNOW."
YES. WE. DO!
Cut to Desmond turning the key.
This is Desmond's eye. This is Desmond's eye opening. This is Desmond's eye realizing that it's flat on it's back and covered in blood. Oh, and this is Desmond's eye realizing that it isn't on the island and that's not blood it's red paint.
Desmond has awakened to find himself in his flat, drunkenly attempting to paint his ceiling a startling shade of red. Unlike previous characters when they "flashback" Desmond seems to momentarily confused at his current situation. By the look on his face, we get the sense that this isn't a flashback in the sense that we've grown used to.
A clock with the numbers 1:08 catches his attention as Desmond dresses and heads to an interview with Charles Widmore, Penny's formidable father. We even hear the infamous "beep" that the hatchbound are familiar with. For those interested, I timed it and from the time you hear a very faint beep behind him to the time Penny's coffee is ready is almost exactly one minute. Perfectly normal amount of time to reheat coffee. Not a perfectly normal microwave alert sound though. Not surprisingly, it gives Des a bit of a deja vu.
Penny is most supportive of her man, and suggests that he doesn't need to have a job from her father. Desmond feels that he needs to have the man's respect and he intends to get it. Desmond should have spent more time with Jin. He could have picked up some pointers on how to deal with the Uber-rich father of your intended. Maybe if Desmond beats the hell out of a government minister on Mr. Widmore's behalf...
As he announces himself for his appointment, a delivery man brings a parcel for 815 to the reception desk. He also brings Desmond another one of those pesky deja vu's. Even the painting in Widmore's office gives Desmond pause. It's a polar bear and an upside down Buddha, done in a very familiar style.
Of course, if you want to get picky, it also reminded me of the Wampa that almost kills Luke Skywalker in the snow cave in The Empire Strikes Back.
*Geek factoid* - The "Wampa" was played by "DES WEB" in the movie. No joke.
In an awkward moment during the interview, Desmond compliments Widmore's model sailboat and Widmore tells him about the "'Around the World" solo race that his foundation sponsors. Again, Desmond seems to experience a vivid deja vu.
When Mr. Widmore offers him an administrative position, Desmond reveals that he came, not for the job, but to ask for Mr. Widmore's daughter's hand in marriage. Mr. Widmore acknowledges the noble gesture and moves to the sideboard where he keeps his liquor.
I had to rewind this 5 times to be certain but, when Desmond first sees the afore mentioned Polar Bear/Buddha, he sees it over his right shoulder and the bear is on the left, the Buddha on the right. When the camera comes back to Desmond, the painting is over his left shoulder and the Buddha is now on the left side of the artwork. There don't appear to be any large mirrors over Desmond's right shoulder, so this is either an accidentally "reversed" shot OR some kind of clue. I'd spend more time on it, but Papa Widmore is talking Scotch and needs my attention.
He asks the increasingly pleased with himself Desmond if he knows anything about Scotch, which he does not. Widmore relates the story of "Admiral Anderson MacCutcheon" of the Royal Navy who retired with more medals than any man before or since.
Jules Verne fans will remember that "Admiral McCutcheon" was a character in 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. If you are unfamiliar with 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, it's about a submarine. Verne's masterpiece has all sorts of fun, possibly Lost related bits in it. For instance, the passengers aboard the Nautilus visit the sunken city of Atlantis, "Nemo" means "No One" in Latin which probably alludes to Homer's The Odyssey, and most disturbing of all, the book ends and never reveals the ultimate fate of Captain Nemo and the Nautilus...
*Geek factiod* Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje played a supporting role in the 1997 made for TV adaptation of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.
Turns out that MacCutcheon's crowning achievement wasn't winning a battle or turning the tide of a war, but a very expensive Single Malt Whiskey. Widmore pointedly pours only one small dram into one of the two glasses he sets on his desk.
"This swallow is worth more than you could make in a month. To share it with you would be a waste, and a disgrace to the great man who made it." If he's not worthy to share Widmore's whiskey, he could never be worthy of his daughter.
In a frustrated rage, Desmond throws off his tie and stands helpless in front of the office building. Someone sings "Wonderwall" not far away and we are not surprised to see Charlie strumming away on his guitar, busking his little hobbit heart out for a few bob. Desmond recognizes Charle Hieronymus Pace (I could find no significance to the name "Hieronymus" that would be relevant to the story, which surprised the hell out of me...) and starts having what I can only call an "active" deja vu. He remembers events that haven't happened yet, like the rain.
Best exchange of the episode: Desmond rants "We were on an island" to which Charlie responds "We are on an island, mate. This is England."
Looking suspiciously like Gerald and Karen DeGroot, two people are discussing a thesis when Desmond interrupts them. The man, Donovan, is a physicist and long time friend of Desmond's. The woman remains unnamed. I chose to call her "Fake Karen". Not that it matters, since we don't see her again. Yet.
Desmond wants Donovan's opinion on time travel. Donavan does what any sensible physicist does when confronted by someone ranting about time travel. He buys him a pint and asks him point blank, "Are you bloody insane?"
Naturally, Desmond doesn't think he's insane. He wants Donovan's expert opinion on the posibility of time travel. Donovan figures that Desmond's newfound memories and precognitive ability are the product of his psyche dreaming up a way to prove to Penny's father that he can be a great man. He even attempts to demonstrate his newfound abilities by predicting the outcome of the football game on television and the identity of the next person through the pub door after a familiar song starts to play on the jukebox. Not surprisingly, his predictions don't come to pass. A very confused Desmond returns home to Penny.
When she finds out that her father didn't hire Desmond, she suggests that they celebrate the fact that "Fate has spared you a miserable existence under the employ of Widmore industries." She loves him despite his failure to impress her father, because he's a "Good man" which in her experience is hard to come by. After the way her father played on Desmond's emotions with that unnecessarily mean spirited bait and scotch, I tend to believe her.
Shopping for a ring, Desmond meets a shopkeeper played by Fionnula Flanagan. Since we never learn her name, we'll call her She of the Nice Chestnuts.
*Geek factiod* Fionnula Flanagan played Data's Mother on Star Trek the Next Generation. Actually, she played an android that had been built to replace Data's Mom and didn't know it, but why nitpick.
When she shows him a modest engagement ring and he agrees to take it, our beloved "flashback" format takes a sharp left turn into uncharted territory.
She won't let him take the ring.
The fact that she won't let him buy the ring isn't the bit that takes us off the track, it's why she won't let him buy it.
It seems that this lovely little white haired lady knows all about Desmond. Not only that, she knows about the sailing race, the island, the hatch, the button and even the failsafe key and she knows for a fact that he's meant to change his mind about marrying Penny and wind up pushing that button.
Most interesting quote of the episode: "And if you don't do those things, Desmod David Hume, every single one of us is dead."
Us? Us who? "Us" as in "everyone" or "Us" as in a group of people that She of the Nice Chestnuts belongs to? Or maybe "Us" as in people who can see the future? Jewelry store owners? People who can use "sodding" in a sentence with a straight face?
She of the Nice Chestnuts takes Desmond out for a walk and some chestnuts. Along the way, she spots a man in red shoes and points him out to Desmond, but Desmond is focussed on figuring out how She of the Nice Chestnuts can know so much about him and his tricky memories. As he decides that she must be a figment of his subconscious come to talk him out of marrying Penny, the scaffolding behind where they are sitting collapses, right on top of He With the Funky Red Shoes.
The only thing we can see of him is his funky red shoes. I half expected the toes to curl up and shrink back under the rubble.
The valiant Mr. Hume realizes that She of the Nice Chestnuts knew that He With the Funky Red Shoes was going to be flattened in just that way at just that time. He wants to know why she didn't try to save him. As she explains, saving the man today would do no good as the universe has a way of "course correcting" and He With the Funky Red Shoes will die sooner, rather than later, no matter what she tries to do to save him. Fate.
Desmond's fate is to push that button and while he may not like it, it is to be the only truly great thing he ever does. His answer to the unspoken question between them is to ask the cost of the ring. It seems that it's to be "Des/Penny Vs. Fate" (Worst pun ever).
On his way to meet his beloved, he passes a (FAKE!!!) poster for Armed Forces recruitment. (It's definitely a fake because the proper British spelling of one of the predominant words is honoUr, not HONOR as it is spelled on the poster. No wonder Desmond looks like he's getting a headache.)
As they walk along the Thames, they decide to get their picture taken. Something to show the grandkids. It's THE picture that we've seen in the hatch and on Penny's bedside table. Just after they take the photo, Desmond does as his path dictates and breaks poor Penny's heart by breaking up with her.
She thinks he's being a coward, but really he's doing something much more difficult. He's following a destiny that he doesn't want but knows that he must.
Back at the pub, he eyes the MacCutcheon but orders a pint of the cheapest. Once again he hears that familiar song and events unfold as he predicted to his friend the previous night.
He channels Ebenezer Scrooge and realizes he can "Still change things." A quick warning to the bartender gets him to duck out of the way of Jimmy Lennon's cricket bat. Of course Jimmy Lennon's cricket bat has to go somewhere when it misses the bartender. That somewhere is upside Desmond's head. He might want to rethink this changing things business.
The crack of the bat brings him back to the island, lying naked in the jungle after the hatch implosion. He runs frantically for the hatch and finds the giant pit where it used to be. He knows that this is VERY bad.
At least SOMEONE is paying attention to the fact that the hatch represented something real and probably really dangerous.
In the rubble, he finds the picture of the once happy couple. He begs to be given another chance to go back and change things.
Once again, we are back at the beach with the boys. The previous "Choke the Hobbit" scene is replayed for us and after that, Charlie helps a bloody drunk Desmond back to camp. He pushes for an explanation. Desmonds "Life Flashing Before Your Eyes" moment has continued happening. He's still seeing the flashes, but now he's seeing flashes of things that haven't happened yet.
He has tried twice now to save, not Claire, but Charlie. The lighting strike he diverted from Claire's tent would have killed Our Man Pace and when he learned it was Claire in the ocean, non-swimmer Charlie would have drowned trying to save her. Desmond prevented both, but since the universe has that way of "Course Correcting", Charlie going to die.
I'm gonna miss him!
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