io9
Appendectomies! Everybody's getting them — a major character in last night's episode of Lost ("Something Nice Back Home") and my brother-in-law last week. Of course, BIL had fancy-pants arthroscopic surgery in a hospital, not on a piece of airplane wreckage with Dharma-brand instruments—and I'm pretty sure he didn't want to stay conscious through the procedure. (Maybe they're both lucky the little devil wasn't pulled out through the closest possible orifice.) Lucky for me—and the rest of you who prefer action Lost to melodrama, Lost—"Something Nice Back Home" didn't turn out to be the Jack/Kate/Juliet soap opera I feared. Oh, there were some soapy/sappy moments to be sure, but on the whole it was a solid episode. More about the show, and nothing about my in-laws, after the jump.
Appendectomies! Everybody's getting them — a major character in last night's episode of Lost ("Something Nice Back Home") and my brother-in-law last week. Of course, BIL had fancy-pants arthroscopic surgery in a hospital, not on a piece of airplane wreckage with Dharma-brand instruments—and I'm pretty sure he didn't want to stay conscious through the procedure. (Maybe they're both lucky the little devil wasn't pulled out through the closest possible orifice.) Lucky for me—and the rest of you who prefer action Lost to melodrama, Lost—"Something Nice Back Home" didn't turn out to be the Jack/Kate/Juliet soap opera I feared. Oh, there were some soapy/sappy moments to be sure, but on the whole it was a solid episode. More about the show, and nothing about my in-laws, after the jump.So Jack has appendicitis, even though as Rose points out in a Dramatic Moment, people on the island don't get sick, they get better—except for everybody who's died, of course. Juliet decides to operate, and sends Sun to the medical station to get instruments. Daniel goes along because he knows what the instruments look like, Charlotte goes along ... just because ... and since nobody trusts her at all and Daniel only marginally, Juliet sends Jin along with a gun. This excursion gives Jin the opportunity to find out that Char speaks Korean—which he uses to his advantage (along with the threat of skills acquired during his hit-man past) to get her to promise to take Sun off the island when the helicopter arrives. Unlike Jin, I didn't notice that Daniel and Char have a thing going on, quite possibly because I find her so very annoying. (Loved Rose's "Just watch your tongue, Red"!) Does Char even have the authority to get Sun on that helicopter anyway?
In a flashforward, we see Jack and Kate shacked up in connubial bliss, right up until Jack catches a glimpse of his father, and then gets a call from Hurley's doctor. Hugo's institutionalized ("he's crazy," in Jack's professional opinion), and now he's refusing to take his meds, isn't sleeping, and doesn't believe his therapist exists. He does, however, have a message for Jack from Charlie, who's a regular visitor: "You're not supposed to raise him, Jack," meaning Aaron, of course. This freaks Jack out, as does Hurley's assurance that, per Charlie, Jack will soon have a visitor. Of course, it's his dad, this time in the waiting room, nicely dressed in a dark suit and white shoes. Jack immediately starts popping pills. He also gets wildly jealous of Kate, who needs to do something for Sawyer, who we find out CHOSE to stay on the island. Jack gives Kate a hard time about not being related to Aaron, but doesn't seem to know that he, in fact, is Aaron's uncle. This is clearly the beginning of Jack's furry mad man phase.
Meanwhile, Miles, Sawyer, Claire, and Aaron are still trekking through the jungle to the beach. As they pass through the site of the ambush, Miles hears Rousseau and Karl's last moments, falls to his knees, and uncovers their bodies—damn! Rousseau is really dead!—which freaks out both Sawyer and Claire. Sawyer doesn't trust Miles at all, and puts a "restraining order" on him around Claire after he catches Miles looking at Claire like he's never seen her before. But Miles isn't interested in Claire the way Sawyer thinks he is (project much, Sawyer?), but as someone "sensitive" in the psychic sense—and maybe he hears Charlie, too. I also think Miles has recognized Aaron as, well, an "individual of interest." After the four of them barely escape death at the hands of Kearny and crew (thanks to Lapidus) Claire is visited by Christian Shephard—her dad as well as Jack's—and follows him into the jungle, where she disappears, leaving Aaron behind.
This and that:
- Jack reads to toddler Aaron from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865), specifically from Chapter 2, "The Pool of Tears." Here's the full quote—because it's one of my childhood favorites, and because it was an excellent fit in last night's episode:
Alice took up the fan and gloves, and, as the hall was very hot, she kept fanning herself all the time she went on talking: "Dear, dear! How queer everything is to-day! And yesterday things went on just as usual. I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think: was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is, Who in the world am I? Ah, THAT'S the great puzzle!"
- Aaron's got a toy Millennium Falcon!
- Is that a piece of twine Island Kate is wearing as a headband? Surely there's a box of Dharma-logo hair ribbon somewhere on the island.
- Jack picks up a newspaper with the headline "Yankees Bludgeon Red Sox in Series Sweep." Anybody got a theory on why there have been so many NY-Boston world series references? Obviously, it's an easy way to mark time, but knowing Lost, there's probably more to it than that—or is there?
- Island Jack has an appendectomy but Future Jack has no scar?
- Lately every time toddler Aaron pops up in an episode, his cherubic good looks combined with the storyline that seems to suggest he is Very Special make me think of the Infant Jesus of Prague—especially as the latter appears in John Waters's Multiple Maniacs.
Comments
I think the Sox/Yankees thing is just a way to get out of saying what year it is back home. When/if this actually comes to pass again, they'll say "it was 20xx"
Maybe Aaron is the hybrid child of Baltar and Six.
It was nice to see Hawkins wife from Jericho get a better haircut.
Watching her speak Korean made me culturally offended. Even though I'm Irish.
I'm glad you post these late in the afternoon because by now I've wasted several office hours reading recaps at other sites and can dazzle you with theories. My current favorite being...
Claire is dead. She died a few episodes ago when the freighties attacked, and she's been a ghost since (or whatever passes for undead on the island). That's why Miles looks at her funny.
Also, future Jack has the scar. You can see it in screencaps people have posted online.
"Jack gives Kate a hard time about not being related to Aaron, but doesn't seem to know that he, in fact, is Aaron's uncle."
Jack throwing this in Kate's face ("YOU aren't even related to him") suggested to me that Jack knows that Claire is his half-sister in the future timeline. Anyone else?
"... but doesn't seem to know that he, in fact, is Aaron's uncle."
I thought that line indicated that Jack knew full well he was Aaron's uncle. He was responding to Kate saying he shouldn't be around "her son" in his condition. Seemed to me like Jack was saying Kate shouldn't be making such claims when she, unlike himself, isn't even related to Aaron. I guess we'll find out sometime in the near future.
@extracrispy: Would that make Aaron dead too? I mean she came out of that house carrying him. Its a good theory though. It would explain why she saw her dad, but then again I think he's not dead either.
I still think several of them are gods, thats why they don't die, but I'll have to write that up later. Basically the show and the island is one giant battle of Science and Religion, similar to American Gods.
@extracrispy: Yes, as you may have figured out, there's lag time between when I write this and when it's posted - so people come up with different theories in the interim. Keep dazzling me!
I agree with Tim Faulkner... Future Jack knows he's Aaron's uncle. The Millennium Falcon was symbolic of this... Luke, like Aaron, was raised by his uncle.
@Garrison Dean, King Awesome: Nah, Aaron wasn't in the house with her when they attacked. Hurley was holding him while he was playing Risk.
Problem is, the Sox and Yankees can't play in the World Series (they're both AL teams), so the headline could refer to almost any year--they share a division, so they play each other multiple times every season.
@wheatstraw: Baseball features many "series," not just the World. It is definitely a solid marker in the real timeline. Jack is in '07.
Is it just me or does Aaron look like he has Downs Syndrome? Granted he's been asleep both times we see him in flash forwards, but still. Kid's face looks funny.
I don't think Claire's dead. Nor do I think Jin dies. Both Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse said that next season is about the reasons why the Oceanic Six need to get back to the island. I think Jack finding out he has a half-sister that he's supposed to reunite with his nephew is as good a motivation as any for him to want to go back.
We also know that Jack won't be able to kill himself because Michael's already tried and been met with massive fail.
Sun needs to get back to Jin, obviously. I think it's curious that Kate is the only member of the O6 that doesn't have ghosts from her past nagging at her to get back to the island.
Also, the "nice couple in L.A." that Claire's psychic had lined up for Aaron is definitely Jack and Kate, but I wonder why they apparently aren't supposed to raise Aaron themselves.
Oh, and the person Kate is communicating with is most certainly Sawyer's baby-momma, since we know that they knew each other before Kate got on Flight 815.
@extracrispy: Ah yeah... you're right. Well then it makes the theory even more sound.
Maybe the Millenium Falcon that Jack kisses his sister Clare.
* means that *
Maybe I'm just naive, but I think the Yanks/Sox stuff is more of an intentional coincidence. Maybe Abrams or Cuse are hardcore fans, so they made the numbers Yankee stuff, and now are just milking it to divert attention from the big reveals. Thus making them more impactful.
I think it's high time we declassified Aaron as a "person of interest" because he is most definitely not actually interesting.
Oops, I meant Jack's future is '06.
I'm not super-savvy on Lost theories. Has it been all-but-confirmed that the Smoke Monster is showing up as dead people/Jack Shepard? That was the first thing I thought of when the smoke alarm went off in the lobby of Jack's office.
Whoops. I meant "showing up as dead people/CHRISTIAN Shepard"...
@Tim Faulkner: I actually think you were right the first time, and it was '07. The ew.com review pointed out that the paper also says 5-0, which was the score at the end of a 3-game sweep in '07.
So the three phases we've seen so far of Jack, off island, in order:
Lying for Kate in Court Jack
Happy Uncle Owen Jack
Drunken mostly suicidal Jack in 'We've gotta get back' mode.
Is his dad's visit what pushes it over? It seems like a key factor in his drinking.
Also, does anybody else get the feeling we'll see the doctor that wrote his prescription again? Something weird there.
Actually Jack does have an appendectomy scar in the future. If you look at this thread you'll find a bunch of screen caps highlighting it.
@92BuickLeSabre: Eh, whichever it is, it serves as a signpost in the real timeline. I just happen to not know/care what time that sign points to -- well, it's only important that it's roughly a couple/few years later but a couple of years ago (in our present).
@girraffesack: I'm more interested in what happened between stage 1 and 2. How he got Kate and became interested in Aaron. I pretty much presume Jack always, eventually becomes a drunken, suicidal douchebag.
If the Sox timeline is some sort of clue it has the clear distinction of being the first one I don't give a sh1t about on this show.
@girraffesack: So the fact that Future Jack seems to have lost all his body hair is a clue you can totally get behind?
It is possible that Jack and Kate are not in the future but are in an alternate time line, one in which the Red Sox did not make their comeback and got swept?
@extracrispy:
IF thats a clue, its the second one who's thread will not be read by me.
We are racking these up pretty quickly!
"Not supposed to raise him" was suspiciously vague.
I wonder if it refers not to Aaron, but to Jack raising his father from the dead--meaning Jack himself is unwittingly responsible for his dad's appearance.
@exlawyer: No, because we've already had confirmation that the Sox did win that one. Well... sure, anything's possible in Lostworld. But no.
"You're not supposed to raise him" is suspiciously vague.
It is possible this refers not to Aaron, but to Jack's father, who he is unwittingly raising from from the dead each time he appears.
@Ma1agate: "Both Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse said that next season is about the reasons why the Oceanic Six need to get back to the island"
Please tell me you're kidding. I thought this was the last season. They're not seriously going to drag this out any longer... Someone tell me this is a joke.
Note: Jack does have an appendectomy (spelling?) scar - it can be seen as he turns in the scene where he is in the white towel and Kate is in the shower, rather early in the episode.
I remember clearly because I was looking for it due to the preview about his appendix - and I'm a stickler for consistency and was curious if they gave him one. It's very faint and not a puckered scar, but more like a linear discoloration of his skin.
I would say it's pretty much impossible that the article refers to a Yankees-Sox playoff series ... or that if it does, the producers screwed up bigtime. Even in an out-of-market newspaper, coverage of an ALCS would almost never be in an article that small, on the inside of the sports section.
@Pinkhamster
Please tell me you're joking and haven't heard that the show is lasting 6 seasons, with the last 3 being cut to 16, but this 4th season had to be cut down to 13 due to the strike, the 13th episode however will be double-length or normal episode run time. You don't seriously think they could rush the ending with only 3 episodes for this season.
"I'm not super-savvy on Lost theories. Has it been all-but-confirmed that the Smoke Monster is showing up as dead people/Jack Shepard? That was the first thing I thought of when the smoke alarm went off in the lobby of Jack's office. "
Haha, that's a nice catch. But i think it was a battery low beep, not a smoke alarm.
Did anyone else catch that the beep Jack's coffeemaker made when he pushed the on button was the same as the beep from the hatch timer alarm?
It might just be making a mountain out of mashed potatoes but I think this means something...
@Airport_Whiskey: yeah, I caught that too..
Maybe the logic of Lost operates on a higher plane than I am able to comprehend, maybe I'm a just little slow - in any case, can someone explain to me:
1) Why the possibility of Charlotte and Daniel running away was such a concern, when they are otherwise under zero security
2) Why Daniel knowing what stuff looks like meant Charlotte also had to tag along to the medical facility
3) How Jin knowing Charlotte speaks Korean gives him any leverage over her whatsoever
4) Why Jack and friends have not snapped and violently extracted information from Charlotte long ago?
This season makes my head hurt.
@Airport_Whiskey: "mountain out of mashed potatoes" Yes!I'm totally stealing that!
Also, Jin's scene w/Charlotte was badass; Kate's T&A was ridiculous; and isn't this the first time a "ghost" went all corporeal with physical contact, Christian holding the baby?
@Garrison Dean, King Awesome:I don't know that I would consider them "gods" (supermen maybe?), but your 'faith v. science' angle merits examination. There's definitely two opposing forces grappling for control of the Island.
I think the series will ultimately play out as a showdown between Jack and Locke, representing the opposing sides. Locke is clearly being subsumed into the "Ben" camp, and the Widmore camp will begin to exert control over Jack via the device of him needing to help Desmond to protect Penny, 'brotha'.
Oh, and Michael Emerson should have about a hojillion Emmys. Damn if Ben Linus isn't the greatest TV bad-guy since the one-armed man.
re: " (Maybe they're both lucky the little devil wasn't pulled out through the closest possible orifice.)"
They're doing that now, at least for gallbladders:
[www.nytimes.com]
They'll pull it out of the vagina, mouth or rectum now... I won't be surprised if they start doing the same for appendices.
@Tim Faulkner:
"I pretty much presume Jack always, eventually becomes a drunken, suicidal douchebag."
As opposed to his normal sober, life loving, douchebag self.
Don't know what his issue is. Kate's genuinely ecstatic response to his proposal should have left him with little doubts about her fidelity. Hell, if it was me, I wouldn't care who she was banging, as long as she was still banging me too. ;)
@Pinkhamster:
Not at all. There are to be six seasons total. I believe it's the first time a show has been able to contract its seasons that far out. This season, season 4, is the beginning of the second half of the larger story arc.
Lindelof and Cuse said specifically that this season is about how the O6 get off the island, next season is about why they need to get back, and the final season will be about what happens when they finally do get back.
Also, it's clear that Jack would have been completely happy with Kate and Aaron, but for the fact that there are 815'ers left on the island. That's why Shepard the elder shows up, and Jack immediately starts drinking and popping pills to make it go away. Since he can't kill himself, he's got to find a way back.
I bet the O6 are going to find a way to track down Ben through Sayid and find a way back through him.
"Jack picks up a newspaper with the headline "Yankees Bludgeon Red Sox in Series Sweep." Anybody got a theory on why there have been so many NY-Boston world series references? Obviously, it's an easy way to mark time, but knowing Lost, there's probably more to it than that-or is there?"
This was in reference to the 2005 5 game sweep of the red sox by the yankees that pretty much ended the sox's playoff hopes. That would place Jack and Kate in late August 2005. From Wikipedia:
"August 18- 21, 2006: The Boston Massacre 2: The Yankees defeat the Red Sox 2-1 at Fenway Park, completing a five-game sweep of the Red Sox in the first five game series between the teams in 33 years, evoking memories of 1978's "Boston Massacre". The Yankees outscore the Red Sox 49-26 and push their division lead to 6.5 games over the second place Red Sox. Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy dubs it the "Son of Massacre".[9][10] The second game of the series, which the Yankees won 14-11, took four hours and 45 minutes to complete making it the longest 9-inning game in major league baseball history. The Yankees cruised on to win the division while the Red Sox never recovered from the series loss as they failed to make the playoffs and fell to 3rd place for the first time in years behind the Toronto Blue Jays"
[en.wikipedia.org]
It also ties Jack back to his Father who obviously plays a role in the episode...my interpretation is that it means, as his father said to Sawyer in the bar and to jack using the red sox as analogy, nothing really changes and is a warning to jack that he will fail as a father to Aaron in the same ways his father failed him at the end of the day. The inevitable reversal of his good fortune.
Why does Juliet always look guilty?
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