Friday, February 22, 2008

Thoughts on Eggtown...

Why do Kate's episodes keep leaving me cold? It's not the character or the actress who plays her (i.e., Evangeline Lily) both of whom are hot. The main problem has been her flashbacks, which I've found increasingly dissatisfying as the series has progressed. Kate seemed like such an effortless ass-kicker to start. I suppose, on some level, I'm disappointed her backstory wasn't revealed to be more like Alias or La Femme Nikita.

I was afraid a similar complaint would taint my appreciation of Kate's flash forward as well. And for most of Eggtown, my fear appeared justified. But that jaw-dropper of an ending just about redeemed the episode. What creeped me out the most was how Aaron called Kate "mama" -- I can't wait to see how she adopts him as her child. I just hope whatever happened to Claire isn't the letdown that What Kate Did turned out to be...

This development particularly intrigues me because of my speculation (see The Star of Jacob ) that Aaron might become an evil Anti-Messiah if raised by someone besides Claire. The psychic, Richard Malkin, was very insistent that "great danger" surrounds Aaron, and that Claire's "goodness" must be an influence on his development. Many, myself included, figured he meant that Aaron must not be raised by an Other.

But remember Sam Austen's explanation of why he didn't tell Kate that Wayne was her real father? Sam said he knew Kate would kill Wayne and implied she had murder in her heart. Think about that -- Sam has waged war personally but Kate was the real killer between the two of them. Kate has apparently evaded legal liability for her crimes, but I have to wonder if this will still come back around in the form of Bad Aaron...

Here are some other thoughts and questions I had about Eggtown:

* My initial reaction to the card scene was that Charlotte seemed to be testing Daniel's psychic powers -- perhaps to remember the future. After rewatching several times, however, I agree with DJ and others, who believe the scene was really about Daniel's memory loss problems. Great catch!

* I like the memory loss explanation because it fits well with Mikhail's notation in the Flame that he's "forgotten so much," and Ben's rueful comment about Richard still remembering birthdays. Memory issues could also explain why the CC referred to Daniel's "caretaker" during the crying scene in Confirmed Dead (thanks to
Wayne Allen Sallee for the find). It's too bad Stephen Tobolowsky has such an important role on Heroes -- a Sammy Jankis sighting is in order.

* What did Miles mean by his comment that he knew what Ben can do? Was this purely a reference to Ben's money and influence off Island? Or does Miles know about Ben's ability to commune directly with Jacob, and thereby exploit the Island's miraculous natural properties?

* Interesting that Frank and Sayid never made it back to the freighter. It's possible they're still bouncing around in hyper-space like the rocket. Or maybe the trip always covers the same distance from the perspective of the traveler, but may take varying lengths of time from the perspective of observers on the Island or Freighter. If it's the latter, Sayid and Frank will pop out near the Freighter after some random interval of time with no sense of how long they've been gone.

* Another possibility -- the second sat. phone number calls the immediate past. In fact, Frank and Sayid already *did* make it back to the Freighter. They're being interrogated by Minkowski, which is why he doesn't answer the phone. The second number reached Regina in the past, before the helicopter returned.

* If the preceding scenario turns out to be the case, the second phone line may be a kind of Fail-Safe. In emergencies, the brief time differential can be used to change the immediate future, thereby averting the crisis. Such an effect could also explain how someone (Jacob?) exploited the Island's existence out of phase with the world's timeline to change the fate of Oceanic 815.

* Interesting how Locke has become so authoritarian, like Ben before him. Is this a reflection of their personalities or Jacob's? Some believe the latter is really a good guy, but I personally have my doubts. I get a Grand Inquisitor vibe from the
Island's ghostly patriarch...

* Who is paying for Kate's attorney and that nice house where she and Aaron live? Oceanic? Charles Widmore? Ben? All of the possibilities seem disturbing and point us back to the Anti-Messiah speculation.

* Finally, I wanted to thank you all for stepping in with your excellent comments while I was gone. There was a time the lights on this blog would have gone out if I weren't here to tend them. It's so gratifying to know that's no longer the case. Week after week, you readers thrill me with your thoughts and insights -- keep them coming!

23 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow - it looks like I'm the first one to post...

I guess the thing that surprised me and left the biggest question in my mind was why there was 8 survivors of the crash but only 6 made it back. It sounds like 2 people died on the way back to civilization. Otherwise, why would the survivors mention them at all???

I hate to say that I had a feeling that Claire wouldn't make it back but I don't understand why Hurley wasn't more apologetic to Charlie about her (assuming) death.

James Elliott said...

Fact: Ben made it back and is not one of the Oceanic 6. Maybe Claire got the same treatment as to thwart her would-be adoptive parents of Aaron, to only give him up to Kate for protection.

Claire got on a helicopter, could be the same one Ben got on....

There could have been people who got off the Island that weren't on the flight (Juliet, Ben, Desmond), and there could be people who want to go into hiding but were on the flight.

The 6 we know:
Sayid, Jack, Kate, Hurley, _______, ______. My guess is for Jin and Sun

lil-bee said...

I cant breathe.
Ok after two minutes...now I can breathe and James, I really really really hope your right! About Jin and Sun =] well i wouldnt care really but it would be a great beginning for them and their baby! I wonder why Sun said 'my baby' when talking about moving back to Korea =S I'm sure Claire could decide to keep it if she wanted and with all that fame I dont think anyone could make her leave her kid?? Damon is a super genious, I didnt know what he was going on as regards to the child till the last minute when Kate called him Aaron! Kudos...cant wait to see what BM has to say!!!

Unknown said...

But if they did that for Claire just to thwart adoptive parents (that we don't know even really exist), Kate who was facing a life in prison would have probably received the same treatment. And what about Sun & Jin who were facing her very vindictive father upon their return?

Anonymous said...

Anyone else find it interesting that Darlton got to work in their original plans for the pilot episode into "Eggtown". If you remember, Jack was supposed to die and Kate was to assume the leadership/hero role. When Jack testified, that's basically the story/lie that he told. I just found that interesting.

Anonymous said...

a few days? I found your blog a week ago and read for about 2 hours! I have been spoiled and hate waiting!

Just kidding...looking forward to your insights. Here's to your continued fine work.

Anonymous said...

Daniel's got some memory-loss issues... Maybe that's why he didn't know why the 815 news upset him so much?

Wayne Allen Sallee said...

dj, good call on faraday. i've thought that kate had aaron since last season's cliffhanger. but i assumed claire made it of island. re: how kate had aaron even as she awaited trial, my assumption, going on the prosecution asking if jack still loved kate, was that part of the "cover story" might be that aaron was kate and jack's kid. how long was the ff after their return? that's what i'm curious about, not their sequence, but the amount of days/months.

@bigmouth: work obligations, huh? you've taken richard alpert's place on the show. where do you work? well...it's not exactly in portland...

Anonymous said...

dj,
I am totally with you on Daniel having memory loss (or short term memory lost). A lot of people think he has psychic powers, but doesn't Charlotte say something like, "ok, it's been five minutes, what are the cards?" He's so jittery and uneasy, I think he's borderline losing it. Besides, isn't Miles the one who has that type of power out of the 4? Daniel is there for the science, which he's probably good at, but can be easily handled/dealt with/discredited if the public ask him about the island's properties when/if they get back.

Would love to hear what do you think guys/gals? This one has been bugging me!

Lolagrrl said...

Ummm... So technically, Aaron isn't one of the Oceanic 6, right? ;)

lil-bee said...

The first episode we get introduced to Daniel, hes shown watching the TV about Oceanic Flight 815...and he was crying??? Hmmm I dont know why I am remembering this now but maybe there is a hint as to what might have happened...if Kate and Jack were protecting the people that were left behind why would Danny cry so much? All of them seemed pretty disturbed by the news...I wonder what happens next. BM come back!!! WE NEED YOU!!!

Anonymous said...

lil-beeyotch -
you're totally on to something. Daniel is remembering that from past events - like in a time loop, and when he sees it, it's like, "here we go again"...and he breaks down cause he know's things are happening the same way again.

Anonymous said...

Daniel's flash in that episode was a flashback, but it might have more to do with a Desmond style time loop. If Daniel ends up doing the same type of thing, he could be in that situation with the memory of being on the island as a sort of preja vu, if that was actually a word.

Anonymous said...

That's a tough one, about Faraday...

I really like the character. He's a nice guy, very caring, excited about his work... good person.

And personally, as silly as this is, I don't want him to be special in any way. Weird that I should want something, right? But in my mind, he's great as he is and he doesn't need any strange powers to separate him from the pack. He's a brilliant scientist and that's enough for me.

But of course he seems to have a tragic flaw... memory loss. It's not entirely clear what the extent of it is, but it's there. It's just really inconsistent so far... he remembers some things while others seem to slip his mind. Most of the time he's perfectly aware of the past and the present. We've seen the slips at least 4 times now...

1. He had no idea why he was crying. That's got to be a bitch. (And I'm almost certain this was a flashBACK.)

2. He paused before telling Jack his name... he seemed to be thinking about it. (Inconsistency, however, in that he remembered he should be expecting to meet someone named "Jack".)

3. Miles angrily screamed at him, "don't you remember!?" when we first met Miles. Miles was explaining what "tell my sister I love her" meant, and poor Daniel looked so lost. Yeah, good one man, had Jack and Kate actually been a threat, you'd have forgotten the warning and would've been pwned by now. =\

4. The card scene, which really gave it away and made the aforementioned scenes stand out to me.

I don't know what could be causing it, and I don't think it's anything like Desmond's stuff.

I also like to think Desmond's ability is unique, and I'm looking forward to seeing him interpret things that don't involve Charlie getting killed. Desmond is another favorite of mine and I can't wait to see the writers explore his character much more.

Same with Locke... I really feel for him, wanting to be a good leader, asking his companions (Sawyer in this case) if he's doing a good job at that, being lost and confused about what comes next... He's just so insecure. I hope things start looking up for him soon.

Unknown said...

About Faraday - I just assumed he was a savant/autistic. People who are that amazingly intelligent usually have difficultly living in the real world because they forget to take care of themselves and are too sensitive to the world around them.

Anonymous said...

Yar, that's also a possibility and that may just be all there is to it. I could quite easily be engaged in a self-fulfilling prophecy, seeing things that don't exist just because they fit into my little supposition.

Wayne Allen Sallee said...

@dj, lil-b, and the rest: I mentioned after the freighter episode that Faraday was crying because he knew Widmore was going to call on him, that Faraday was a "company man," a go-to guy. dj made the first call on the short term memory loss, and as I've thought on it, I'm wondering if Faraday has done more "missions" for Widmore and upon his return, there's a different kind of Room 23waiting for him. Eventually he would have his memories screwed up. But that crying at the wreckage, I think it was because something triggered in him to knowing Widmore would be calling. Faraday and Charlotte are the only two that are supposed to be on the Island, now that we know Miles tricked himself into the mission to blackmail Ben. Anyone wonder if "Eggtown" had to do with Locke's cooking or more Easter Eggs that we missed or caught or haven't realized yet?

@bigmouth: I saw you on the Oscars backstage, rearranging the envelopes to match The Numbers.

Anonymous said...

Interesting episode. Parting thoughts? Kate is NOT to be trusted. Some thinks she displays a maturity in the future with protecting 'her baby.' Once a schemer, always a schemer. Also, I'm getting a really bad feeling about what our 'survivors' did to get off the island. Not only WHAT they did; but, WHO they did it to...

lil-bee said...

Anonymous,
I really hope that hes not stuck in some sort of time loop like Desmond bcuz they guy already seems pretty fucked up and it would really suck if he had to suffer loopings as well =[
Sorry Wayne I must have missed that...hmm interesting but how did you come to that conclusion??
Did they ever show the conclusion to when those two random guys called Penny up and said we found it or something? It was agessss ago, season 2 i think =S and they never explained why Desmond was able to go back and forth in a loop =[
I dont think Hurley could hurt anyone to get off the island btw...but I am interested in finding out about the Oceanic6, Sayid working for Ben and also how they got off the island, etc, etc..
Oh and I would think that with all the publicity the Oceanic6 would get, Kate is paying for her own attorney/home??
Also has anyone discussed on whether Abaddon works for Widmore or not?? He certainly cant work for Oceanic, he seems to know so much...ahhhh stupid exams, I need to watch Lost all over again!
PS - they keep saying this is the series with the answers...I hope this aint the last season =|

Anonymous said...

I'm with you on the whole Kate episodes being bleh. I came away incredibly let down by this episode after the first 3 were killer (and I even dislike Sayid). Not to come off as bragging but the ending didn't even lift the episode up as at some point early in the episode when they first referred to her kid I for some reason assumed it was Aaron (Once again, I'm sure many other figured this as well).

And I looooovvvvvvvvve the character of Locke but it's incredibly frustrating watching him now. What happened to the precise, I know just what the hell I'm doing killer I loved from season 1. Now he's still the season 3 gimp (thought he had been resurrected at the end, guess not) and it's obvious he's about to blow it.

Not sure if I could agree with that comment about Jack not being there and the place not being a democracy, wasn't Jack always a near dictatorship as well with his constant "I don't want to be a leader but you all will do my plan otherwise I'll fold my arms and furrow my eyebrows".

But I agree with your comment that the helicopter travel time to the passengers will seem relatively short, but when they come out it will be a day or two later. I do like the idea of phoning the past though, slick!

This episode was unfortunately, but my view could be skewed by the fact that I really dislike the Kate character, almost as much as Jack.

Wayne Allen Sallee said...

@lil-b--I'm a full-time writer in downtown Chicago and see enough people who do anything their bosses expect of them. Initially, my thoughts were that Faraday seemed to be the go-to science guy, he's the one wearing a vest and tie on the Island, and I just assumed that he really was crying because he hated getting calls from Widmore or whomever his boss is. It was a gut feeling, but now I understand the memory loss and somehow, the images of 815 brought back a memory, maybe from another Widmore cover-up.

@bigmouth: happy to see your post and your take on things. I, too, find Kate's backstory episodes make the hour seem more like filler, but at least the Island stuff this time around helped me not yawn too much.

machramm said...

I just wanted to answer a couple of questions that have been posed ... I think Kate is able to pay for the house and attorney because of the (most-likely) generous settlement she received from Oceanic as survivor of their crashed flight. I think Aaron is one of the O6 because in the preview for "Eggtown" at the end of "The Economist" the announcer said another of the O6 would be revealed. I suppose it could be argued that Kate was the one revealed, but I would say that she already was a known O6 although those words were not explicitly stated reagerding her until "Eggtown". Also, the statement by the annaouncer at the end of "The Economist" was made while showing a clip of Kate getting out of a car wearing designer sunglasses and with flashbulbs going off - obviously confirming that she is one of the O6 - and therefore leaving no new O6 to reveal in "Eggtown".

Another subject...

Anyone seen these dates: http://darkufo.blogspot.com/2008/02/official-revised-abc-lost-schedule.html

Another break and fewer episodes! (if these dates are accurate)

Lolagrrl said...

Ok... This may as well be the place for me to say this but do any of you get the feeling that NOTHING in Season 4 was "supposed to happen?!?"

It all makes me go back to the Desmond ep in S3 when he turned the failsafe key... everything in Season 4 seems "wrong" and that it will all be course corrected eventually. I can't help but think that season 4 will end in the exact spot where season 3 ended except this time, Jack doesn't answer the phone.

Any thoughts?