This long-titled episode is the eleventh of the series and season one, and definitely the first really action-packed episode since the Pilot. In the episode, with the revelation that Ethan was never on the plane, the survivors rush to find the missing Claire and Charlie, whom they realize have been taken. Leading the way is Jack, who feels guilty after never believing Claire's claims that she was in danger. Flashbacks in this episode concentrate on Jack's decision to stand up to his father and fight for what is right. So let's get started!- The survivors realize that Claire and Charlie have been "taken" by Ethan. However, what they don't know yet is that the Others only want Claire, and that Charlie will just be an expendable pawn. It's unknown why the generally friendly (according to flashbacks) Ethan has gone so bad, but my guess is that it's some psychological need to prove himself to Ben, who coldly left Ethan out of the kidnapping of Alex all those years ago.
- Boone volunteers to go with Locke. This is the beginning of a master-apprentice relationship that will eventually end with Boone's death.
- Sawyer asks "Who the hell is Ethan?" showing that he neither knows nor cares for many of the other survivors. He'll repeat this line when referring to Nikki and Paulo weeks later.
- Boone tells Locke the etymology of redshirts, a term that will be used by fandom to describe expendables like Frogurt, Doug, and Arzt for years to come.
- Walt shows his abilities while playing a game of backgammon with Hurley. His abilities certainly seem unconsciously telekinetic, more emotional than deliberate.
- Walt tells Hurley that Hurley owes him $20,000, and Hurley tells Walt he'll get it. This statement seemed silly the first time around, but seven episodes later, when we discovered that Hurley was the lotto winner, it made perfect sense.
- In flashbacks, Jack rats out his father's alcoholism to the hospital board, causing his father to lose his license. Christian will then travel to Australia, where he'll meet Sawyer, and tell Sawyer that he believes Jack did the right thing.
- Ethan hangs Charlie, and Jack resuscitates him, although barely. This is an instance (in a very long line of instances) that Charlie has brushed with death, leading fate to course-correct until Charlie actually does die.
- And then there's that wonderful moment that is perhaps the best moment of the first season: Locke and Boone find the hatch. It's submerged in the ground, covered by canopy and foliage. It's the first hint we've gotten of the DHARMA Initiative, even though DHARMA has long abandoned it, their pet project, after the massive purge. Desmond is underneath them in the hatch, carrying out the same routine that he has been for the past three years. Though it won't even be opened until the end of this season, this hatch is almost literally the tip of a completely new iceberg that will be the main focus of the rest of the show. Too bad Locke and Boone don't realize that there's a door nearby.
And that's it for episode 1x11, "All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues." You can discuss the episode in this forum thread, read others' posts about it at the rewatch hub, and edit the episode's article.
ahh I love the part with walt saying "but you owe me $20,000" and hurley saying you'll get it.. It really shows the writers knew exactly what was going to happen to these characters and who they really were before the show was even created.
ReplyDeleteMy theory on Walt is whatever he imagines, happens. He imagines throwing the knife, and he throws it right. He imagines birds, and some fly toward him. He imagines a polar bear and it appears. He imagines getting two sixes or whatever in backgammon and gets it.
ReplyDeleteYeah, there was a lot of backstory hinting at Walt's abilities in the first 2 seasons, but he's been largely absent for a good while, now growing up fast in Noo Yoik, and we still don't know how it fits into the story. Will we find out in season 6??
ReplyDeleteThis was the episode which really hooked me in, the introduction of the Others, and their seemingly violent ways captured the imagination. I didn't really appreciate how big the finding of the hatch was, but even first time round I knew it was a major moment in the show
I don't think Jack resuscitating Charlie in this episode is an instance of him defying fate. It could be read as foreshadowing, but not as part of that "course correction" thread.
ReplyDeleteI say this because I take it to be Desmond's power of prescience that allows him to mess with the natural course of events at all. Jack was always going to resuscitate Chaz; it was meant to happen.
What a great title!!
ReplyDeleteI can't think of a single character on Lost who doesn't have daddy issues. It's almost as hard to think of a character who has not had a hand in killing someone at one point or another.
Ethan was doing his own thing when he abducted Claire and Charlie. He was not following orders from the Others. I think his main motivation behind taking Claire was that he want a child of his own, much like Ben wanted Alex for himself.
Bdub- I don't think he was defying the Others in kidnapping Claire. The Others have some kind of obsession with pregnant women (as we know from the last episode of season 3 when they raid the beach for women so that they can test if they are pregnant). They say this is because pregnant women die on the island, however I don't think that alone would make the Others go to such extreme lengths if their interest is totally benevolent. It seems more likely that they have some kind of ulterior motive.
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with the theory of Ethan trying to prove himself. We've seen that sort of behaviour in several of the Others - Goodwin, Tom, even Juliet - most of the time they're good, but then they're extremely ruthless when working on behalf of the Island.
ReplyDeleteEthan took Claire as part of the Others investigation into the pregnancy issue. Exactly the same reason Ben wanted Sun, Kate etc. at the end of season 3.
I agree about Ethan.. I would like to guess that when people act like Ethan does (or Juliet, Goodwin in future episodes) This is the 'Sickness' that Rousseau was talking about.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly matches the behaviour of the other french surviors after their brush with smokey..? Its that sort of arrogant calm voice and asking for things without any need of justification or motive (except doing it for the island).
Here's a quirky thought. If women pregnant on the Island died at a certain point...why not just send them off Island and save their lives? Hell, they have the sub and by Golly ole Richard seems to zip in and out of the civilized world at will. Obviously money is no object to birthing babies anywhere on Earth.
ReplyDeleteSo why are these wonderful Others letting the women die or tricking Juliet into working for them? For that matter why not just do abortions on anyone that gets pregnant or use birth controll for that matter. How about sending a couple off Island to make babies and then bring them back.
I have to agree with josh in saying that Jack saving Charlie is NOT a corse correcting event. Only desmond has that a power. Umm can anyone remember Why Desmond has the power? This releates to daniel coming to the conclusion that he could change the past, because it was his present (end of season 5), witch lead him believeing that he could set off the bomb.
ReplyDeleteNow that I'm on that area of thought. Doesn't a nucelar bomb release electro-magnetic radation when it is set off? I'm intrested to see how the bombs EM field and the unique pocket of energy's EM field would reactr to each other.
This coupled with Miles line of "what if we are the ones to create the incident" and the fact part of the hatch was found in such a mess that is couldn't be entered.
On the other hand the bomb was set off at the bottom of the vertical shaft the the survivors found. I'd have to assume that the vertical tunnel the kate was lowered down would be completely destroyed IMO. ending thought before it becomes too tangental.
Robbie, I don't remember Walt getting a polar bear to appear. My best guess is that you mean the incident when Sawyer shot the polar bear. Was the comic book shown with the polar bear page in that episode? So if it was Walt who made the polar bear appear, that attacked sawyer, then how the hell did it get from the the other island. Wern't all the animals kept on the smaller sister island? Whenever Walt uses his abilities any other time it is extremely subtle, almost like the power is trying to hide it self(not saying it is). i.e. When walt wants attention from his step father the bird slams into the window.
Since's it mentioned and I can't wait till the episode it happened in. Anyone have thoughts on why Locke lost feeling in his legs when boon died? I have a sneaking suspicion that it was Mr.X. Thoughts anyone?
all for now
Ace
P.S. I think I've found the meaning of 8. but thats for the finale Blog :P :)
There is one episode in the first season where Walt is wandering around looking for Vincent...as usual...and he is chased by a polar bear. He hides in that huge banyan tree like the others have and the bear can't claw his way into him. Some fans swear that as the bear digs and claws it is growling "Walt" kinda like the bird supposedly saying "Hurley" I think James and Michael are with him and go down a vine to rescue him.
ReplyDeleteI can see where a bear or real life animal would find it hard to get into a banyan tree..those suckers can grow and cover a lot of ground. Kate hid in it when Smokey was after them. But even the thickest banyan tree couldn't keep out smoke ya know. Maybe there is something about the tree that is a safe place.
You said the Hatch was the first hint of DHARMA. I think Sayid discovering the cable in “Solitary” beats it.
ReplyDeleteI also imagine Ethan’s impetus for kidnapping Claire, not planned by the Others BTW, is more closely related to his issues over his pregnant wife dying in “childbirth”.
When Ethan laid into Jack he said something along the lines of:
ReplyDelete"If you don't stop following me, I'll kill one of them."
After he leave Jack says to Kate:
"I won't let him do this... not again."
Time loop?
And aa to whether Charlie neatly dieing, in the very next episode there's a line that suggests his death was always on the cards (my take on it anyway).
I think the reason Ethan suddenly kidnapped Claire was simply because Hurley had the passenger manifest and he was about to be discovered. I believe Juliet explained this in a later episode.
ReplyDeleteThe sad part is that in the 2004-2007 episodes, Hurley never pays Walt his $20,000 debt, even when Walt visited him.
ReplyDeleteHow about Locke saying to Boone "Don't you feel it?" moments before they discover the hatch.
ReplyDeleteThere has to be something/someone at work here, another early indication of what was to come.
My hunch is that Jacob was guiding Locke at this stage, but then he has already looked into the 'eye' of the island.
Joyce, Juliet had asked Ben if she could take pregnant women off the island, but Ben refused. Ben was very strict about that, even if it meant the women would die. He obviously trusted that Richard, Ethan and Tom would come back.
ReplyDeleteClaire's kidnap would have been a foregone conclusion once Ben knew about her pregnancy. Ethan pre-empted it as his cover was about to be blown.
Great post for a great episode. I'm really enjoying the rewatch.. It's hard not to watch episodes ahead of time. I have to force myself not to disregard the schedule.
ReplyDeleteI would hope that Hurley gave Walt a bundle of cash when he was back. It would be odd if he did not, especially as Walt is mother-less, and now father-less (probably). That's what I'd do anyway!
A bit off topic but since the numbers and Hurley are being discussed i thought i'd raise a question...Could the numbers be linked to the Oceanic Six for some reason? 6 numbers - 6 people?
ReplyDeleteDid anyone else notice what Kate said about her father being in the army? She mentioned how she went hunting with him and how at home he was in the forest, would the timings work for Kate's father to have been in the army at the same time as the army was on the island???
ReplyDelete