
We've hit episode 1x19, "Deus Ex Machina." It's the last episode of the week, marking the end of our first three-episode week of the rewatch. After a mysterious dream,
Locke sets out with
Boone to find a crashed
Beechcraft, in the hope it will lead him further on his quest to open the hatch. Meanwhile, at the beach,
Sawyer begins to suffer from severe headaches. Flashbacks in this episode concentrate on
Locke's first meeting with his biological
mother and
father.
- Okay, I have to start with an analysis of the mousetrap discussion that Locke has with the kid at the beginning of the episode. "Well, you start with all these parts off the board. And then, one by one, you build the trap - shoe, bucket, tub - piece by piece it all comes together. And then you wait 'til your opponent lands here on the old cheese wheel. And then if you set it up just right, you spring the trap." Does this not eerily remind you of the way that Jacob's nemesis meticulously plotted out a way to kill Jacob, eventually changing his appearance to be like that of Locke, in order to kill Jacob, or "spring the trap?" It's very interesting.
- Emily tells Locke that he was immaculately conceived. While this is obviously a lie in order to get Locke to seek out his real father, it's rather interesting to look back at Locke's birth, which we saw in "Cabin Fever." Emily was forced into premature labor when she was hit by a car after running from her mother, who did not want her going out with a man who was almost twice her age (presumably Cooper, Locke's father). She was then put into premature labor and delivered the baby, giving him a name but eventually giving him up to a foster home.
- In Locke's vision, he sees a bloodied Boone. Bloody Boone has popped up again in another vision he had, in the sweat lodge. Though Boone appeared to be normal at first, after Locke climbed an escalator who found a bloodied Boone.
- In another part of his vision, Locke sees the Beechcraft crash, an event he will later actually witness during the time flashes in "Because You Left."
- Cooper pours Locke some Scotch. He later pours Locke another kind of alcoholic drink, some MacCutcheon whiskey (the kind that Widmore likes) before pushing him out of a window. While Cooper's actions in this episode aren't quite as drastic, pouring a drink for himself and his son is a dead giveaway that this character is up to no good.
- Sawyer mentions that his uncle died of a brain tumor. There's a very good chance that he's referring to his uncle Doug, the uncle who took him in after the deaths of his parents. You'd know uncle Doug from his conversation with Sawyer in the flashbacks of "The Incident," during which he begged Sawyer not to continue writing that fateful letter.
- Locke pulls a rosary from a branch and hands it to Boone. He then pulls down the body of a Nigerian priest, who is known by fans as "Goldie." Locke's not so sure that Goldie's a priest, and he's right on the money: Goldie, like all the Beechcraft's passengers (save one) is a drug dealer who actually saved Mr. Eko's life when he shoved him out of the plane in a selfish act.
- Sawyer has a sexually transmitted disease. This fact has fallen by the wayside, but he's been quite the spreader, potentially giving it to Ana-Lucia, Kate, and Juliet.
- The Island seems to be taking away Locke's ability to walk, perhaps as he strays further and further away from his purpose (opening the hatch). He's lost the ability to walk several times while on (and off) the Island. Is his ability to walk contingent on himself following his purpose?
- Boone throws Locke the Virgin Mary statues filled with heroin, which will be a big hallmark in Charlie's redemption story on the Island.
- This is the first time we hear the voice of Bernard, during his conversation with Boone over the radio while in the Arrow station. The voice says "We're the survivors of Flight 815," though some believed it said "There were no survivors of Flight 815," which would have tied in nicely with season four had the communication been with someone on the outside.
- The plane then falls to the ground, mortally injuring Boone. Tom, the Other, will later move the plane to cover the hatch leading to the Pearl, though it will be uncovered by Locke and Eko several days later.
- Locke pounds on the hatch door, unwittingly giving hope to a suicidal Desmond, who turns on the light. This event was later seen from afar by Locke and Sawyer. Locke will, in retrospect, say that he needed the pain of this event to get to where he was.
And that's it for the episode. Look for the blog for the next episode, "Do No Harm," soon. You can discuss this episode in this
forum thread, read others' posts about it at the
rewatch hub, and
edit the episode's article.
Some excellent observations, the most striking of which (for me) being the one about Uncle Doug. Not huge in terms of the mythology, but its a good indicator of how tightly written the show is. Who would have thought that Uncle Doug would get another part in the saga? Lesser writers would have made that relative any old guy, but those "Lost" scribes are on another plateau.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I would like to think that Sawyer HAD an STD. To know that he has sullied so many of our characters, and to think that they as well as he are running around trying to take care of cold sores or other such ailments is kinda gross and disheartening. But perhaps your right, and perhaps Season 6 will start with Sawyer wincing as he pees in a bush somewhere.
Great summary again, thanks for the effort!!!
ReplyDeleteSam, we don't know that Sawyer had an STD - it was at the end of Jack's "exam" and I think the question itself pissed off Sawyer. So, it's a bit ambiguous. If he does have an STD, does that make him "a carrier"?
ReplyDeleteGood observations on the moustrap conversation.
I wonder if the title is really referring to Locke as the "Deus" of deus ex machina. One would think it is referring to the plane, but it's hard to tell. That title, plus the claim (even if it proved false) that Locke was immaculately conceived, seem to be hinting at who Locke is. His dream about the plane and Boone is another example of his supernatural connection to the island. And, finally, was it the island that caused his leg injury, saving him from the fate that Boone experienced?
I was always under the assumption that Jack was pulling Sawyer's leg. You know, kinda like:
ReplyDeleteJack "You have and STD!"
Sawyer "What?!"
Jack "Just kidding, you just need glasses."
Its odd that Locke always looses his ability to walk when near that beachcraft. This is either, due to accident or something more mysterious. is there some connection here?
ReplyDeletespeaking of locke's leg, isn't the reason he can't walk because he has a mysterious piece of shrapnel sticking out that he can't feel? in season 5 doesn't he actually get a piece of shrapnel stuck in him? perhaps they are the same shrapnel and locke somehow became briefly unstuck in time. it always seemed random that he just had that piece of metal in his leg suddenly.
ReplyDeletedoes anyone believe that the reason for locke having the flash of the beechcraft crash is because he did see it in his new past, giving him a memory and therefore boones death too?
ReplyDeleteJust like when farraday talked to desmond at the hatch door and desmond 'remembered' the conversation in a dream.
Anyone else pick up on the fact Locke said he played Mousetrap with his BROTHER?!? Could this be an early sign of the Jacob/Not Locke relationship?
ReplyDeleteI think the Brother comment would hint more towards a relationship between Ben and Locke.
ReplyDeleteHe asked Sawyer how often he had outbreaks. which to me points to herpes. but, it is not confirmed. I felt that Jack was just saying that to tick off Sawyer because Kate was sitting there.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone feel that the visions were leading Locke to The Pearl and not The Swan? Since finding the plane had no relevance on Locke getting into the hatch.
ReplyDeleteIf Locke had discovered the Pearl, He would have seen Desmond in the hatch, found the orientation video, and figured that the button was just an experiment.
After that, who knows. Would Desmond remain in the hatch. Who can say how that would change the show?
Bdub,
ReplyDeleteEntering the numbers every 108 minutes in the hatch was not an experiment. Dr. Chang (whatever his handle was in that Pearl video) was lying, for whatever reason. We know from "The Incident" that there was a very real problem with electromagnetic power and we also know by the end of Season 2 that the failsafe key had to be turned.
So, the people in the Pearl station were really the ones in the experiment.
Good catch on the brother comment. Ed S. I've been thinking a bit about familial relations of the main characters of Lost, particularly the parent-child relationships.
Everyone, go watch the mousetrap scene again. (It's right at the beginning of the episode.)
ReplyDeleteI try to not to look too hard into details, but I can't help seeing the connection between the "game" that Jacob and his nemesis are playing. Locke says the game starts with everything off the board (the island?) and that the trap is built piece by piece until the trap is set. Then you wait for your opponent to land on the "old cheese wheel" to spring the trap. I beleive Locke is fooled into moving the island. Remember, Christian (who could be Smokey, who could be Jacob's enemy) tells him to move the island. Ben moves it. Then Christian has Locke move it. Perhaps this was all part of the trap that would allow Ben and John to get off the island, Locke to die, and Smokey/Jacob's enemy to take on Locke's form and trick Ben into killing (we think) Jacob.
That could very well be pushing it, but maybe it works. After all, what's with the donkey wheel moving the island?
Perhaps Locke's brother was just one of the foster siblings he had.
ReplyDeleteSam great post. I had a quick thought...
Do you think when we get through season 3 we could do a quick recap of the mobisodes prior to starting season 4? The mobisodes are in canon, and as far as when they appeared it was in between 3 and 4. Thought it would be cool to have a quick recap on them.
I know this isn't cabin fever yet but who do you think struck Emily with the car? Or was it just fate? The nurse said John was a miracle baby and a fighter.
God I love Locke. I really hope the real one rises again and plays hero. =(
Didn't Locke get the shrapnel when the Swan blew up? I remember the shrapnel. The dude does heal fast on the Island.
ReplyDeleteIt sure seems a lot of folks get hurt via car. Emily, Claire's Mom, Jack's wife, Michael, Kates saves the farmer, Cooper being in a car wreck and waking up on the Island, etc.
ReplyDeleteI know the FDW is a portal but I still believe folks are jumping thru time and space on their own. That sub maybe made short trips such as moving expectant mothers off island, but it seems a ruse for long distance transport to me. Subs aren't the smoothest ride, but drinking a tranquilizer seems a bit much to me.
I am getting the impression that these poor folks are repeating a time line. The Black Rock wasn't the first group to land on the Island. Perhaps the original others are descendants of several of Jacob's battles with MIB. Rewatching the episodes are revealing that all of them at least had a vague memory of being there before. Maybe the 815 Losties are the last best attempt by Jacob to best his enemy.
Sawyer probably had gonorrhea. He tells Jack in "Lockdown" that he needed amoxicillin after a trip to Tallahassee. (This is just one of the many references to Tallahassee!)
ReplyDeleteRegarding Locke's brother, I direct your attention to the 4/16/07 podcast!
Yup, these are the kind of observations that I like to read. Some of the other bloggers have made some rediculous assumptions and are busy trying to make incidents on the show fit their theories. None of that here...
ReplyDeleteI don't have any 07 podcasts, can someone fill me in? I've noticed that Locke says something similar in "Outlaws" about a mother and sister which are inconsistent with his parental issues.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, the shrapnel didn't cause him to lose feeling in his legs, the Island was already sapping the feeling from him, therefore he did not feel it.
The shrapnel was from the trebuchet that Locke and Boone built in an attempt to break open the hatch door. When the trebuchet broke the piece of metal got stuck in Locke's leg.
ReplyDeleteIn relation to Brians comment to Bdup, in my opinion Marvin Candle wasn't lying as such but rather making the subjects of "real experiment" believe their job to be important.
In the last episode of Season 2, the A-Team on their way to the Others camp with Michael pass the exit point for the pneumatic tube which connects with the Pearl. I thought that the Swan experiment (as communicate to the Peal people) was actually be undertaken on the Pearl people. I.e. how many useless, unimportant reports will they fill out before they stop. Obviously Dharama weren't interested in the reports as they prob would have had the tube end at the barracks if they did.
Also does anyone have any ideas why this episode is called this.
ReplyDeleteI understand that D.E.M means bascially the plot point which gets the story where it needs to go but doesn't actually need to be explained so long as you suspend any disbelief on that issue.
i.e. in back to the future time travel is made possible by the flux capaciter. What that is or how it actually works is never explained, but it doesn't need to be for the purposes of the story provided you simply accept the notion that it allows one to travel through time.
I can't really see the DEM in this episode except if it's maybe the fact that Locke is experiencing his own DEM as he believes "he is meant to do this" for no other reason than he believes.
Sawyer did not, in fact, have and STD. It was Jack who was trying to be a "smart @ss" while in the presence of Kate and Sawyer. Men are so weird sometimes......
ReplyDeleteI'd like to think that Jack abused his role as doctor to humiliate Sawyer in front of Kate, and hopefully (but unsuccessfully) keep Kate from ever wanting to sleep with him. But no - Kate must be turned on by STDs, because she was with him on the island at least several times.
ReplyDeleteBut did Sawyer actually admit he has an STD? No. Jack got him to admit to having sex with a prostitute, but I think Sawyer was onto Jack's sick little game by the time he asked, "Do you have any STDs?" He just gave Jack a dirty look, and by time Jack asked, "How long since your last outbreak?" Sawyer just got pissed and left - he never actually admitted to anything. But if he actually does, and he gave it to Kate, I'd say it was not very safe for Jack to sleep with Kate during those 3 years that they were off-island, unless the both got tested.
Anyway, as for Locke, I loved the clues I saw this time around. The Mousetrap game was definitely a bigger deal after seeing the Season 5 finale. I think Locke's references to a brother and a sister and a mother who believed in reincarnation are all explained by his statement in this episode that he had a lot of foster families.
But I've never understood anything about when or why Locke loses the power to walk at certain times. It seems almost inexplicable - or just whenever it's dramatically convenient for the writers. I think it's interesting, though, to illustrate that Locke was suddenly feeling no pain in his legs. I say "suddenly" because it would seem to me that if your legs were immune to pain for the past several weeks on the Island - or since being able to walk again - you would have noticed long before. I got the sense that he only realizes this when his attention had to be brought to him by Boone regarding the shrapnel in is leg.
And then I wondered if, in the next episode, when Sayid asks Locke "Why did you lie?" if he was referring to Locke lying to Boone about not being able to walk. Was it a con to get Boone to climb up to the beechcraft? I wouldn't think so since it appears he couldn't see the plane until he was on the ground, but... Locke replies to Sayid, "I made a mistake." This seemed more like remorse for tricking Boone and accidentally letting him fall to his death than for lying to Sayid in that moment.
But I could be totally off.
For a parallel of Locke never being able to climb to the drug runner's plane, look to Sisyphus and the Stone.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sisyphus
It's listed in this article as "Sisyphean Challenge"
i think the mouse trap explanation was more to foreshadow the way Locke's mother and father set up the con to steal Locke's kidney
ReplyDeleteHave any of us thought that it is odd that Locke was in foster care all his life?
ReplyDeleteIn the 50's babies were pretty much adopted as soon as they were available. Because the science of fixing infertility was mostly non existant there was no shortage of adoptive parents. And as a tiny baby he wouldn't have done anything to make a family not want to keep him. I know that older kids would get shuffled around from home to home.
I was not saying that the button was an experiment. I was just saying that anyone who watched the Pearl video would assume that the button had no purpose.
ReplyDeleteSince we might be dealing with a changing time line, I was just wondering how that would affect the characters.
As for the title, "Deus Ex Machina," there's an explanation of what that means in the Lostpedia article on this episode. Better yet, check out the Wikipedia article on those words. Basically, a "deus ex machina" is a plot device in which something turns up out of nowhere to solve what was a seemingly unsolvable plot point. It literally means "god from the machine" - in Greek dramas the actors playing gods were lowered down on cranes, or "machines." In this episode, the question is whether the reference is to the Beechcraft, Locke, his dream, or something else, like the light that turns on in the hatch at the end, which gives Locke the encouragement to go on.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, the phrase "deus ex machina" comes from a work by a Roman poet named Horace, which makes me think not so much of Horace Goodspeed as Horus the Egyptian god.
As to why Locke was raised in foster homes: well, it explains why he felt "lost" before and is now at home on the island. If he was raised in a stable adoptive home, his character would be much different. He wouldn't have longed for the love and acceptance of his father, which led to his being pushed out of a building and healed/brought to life by Jacob. If he hadn't been in that wheelchair, he wouldn't have met Abaddon, who told him to go on a walkabout. If he didn't go on that walkabout - well, if he didn't try to go - he wouldn't have been on 815.
Agree with anonymous: the mouse trap dialogue is foreshadowing the events of that episode. Perhaps on some level the writers also could have been connecting it to the bigger picture, but the primary purpose of the metaphor is clearly to intimate at what will happen with Locke's mother and father.
ReplyDeleteFrom "Deus ex machina" (Season 1)
ReplyDeleteKid: What's that?
Locke: A Game. It's my favorite game, actually. It's called mousetrap. I used to play it all the time with my brother.
Kid: How do you play?
Locke: You start with all these parts off the board. And then, one by one, you build a trap. Shoe, bucket, tub. Piece by piece it all comes together. And then you wait until your opponent land here on the ol' Cheese Wheel... and then if you set it up just right... you spring the trap.
---> That's what we saw in Season 1.
---> If you watch it again after Season 5, you see:
From "Deus ex machina" (Season 1)
Kid: What's that?
Locke: A Game. It's my FAVORITE GAME, actually. It's called mousetrap. I used to play it all the time with my BROTHER.
Kid: How do you play?
Locke: You start with ALL THESE PARTS OFF THE BOARD. And then, one by one, you BUILD A TRAP. Shoe, bucket, tub. PIECE BY PIECE it all comes together. And then you WAIT until your opponent land here on the ol' Cheese WHEEL... and then if you set it up just right... you SPRING THE TRAP.
Let's not ignore the WHEEL & BROTHER parts of that dialogue...