And here comes the end of season one. It's a two hour epic, and that's why it took me just a little bit longer to get it done than it would normally. Regardless, let's get started. In "Exodus, Part 2," with the
dynamite retrieved, the team faces the task of bringing the volatile substance back across the Island to
the Hatch. Meanwhile,
Charlie and
Sayid set off to rescue
Aaron after
Danielle kidnaps the child from
Claire.
- Hurley tells Arzt that "it's all in [his] head." Hurley will soon be thinking that it's all in his own head after receiving a visit from his imaginary friend Dave.
- Locke mentions his love of games. This is a theme that's never been fully explored. Perhaps the entire games motif is actually a reference to Jacob and his nemesis, who are playing games with the survivors?
- We see the Hurleybird, a giant flying creature that appears to call out Hurley's name. It's really creepy, but we don't know where it's from or why it's calling Hurley's name.
- Locke stands still thinking that the monster won't attack him, but from the fear in his eyes when he actually see the monster, we can tell that this black smoke is not what he saw in "Walkabout."
- The monster tries to drag Locke into a hole -- does this hole lead to the tunnels under the Temple wall? Was it trying to possess him like it did Montand and the others? And, if the monster is Mr. X like I think he is, is he trying to possess Locke now instead of waiting until he's dead?
- Locke almost being pulled into the hole is reminiscent of the scene in "The Incident" with Juliet being dragged down the hole. Juliet pleads with Sawyer to let her go, like Locke does with Jack. The difference is, Jack doesn't let go.
- Jin gives Michael a watch, which he'll later pawn off in order to get a gun that he can't even use to kill himself.
- It appears that fate is trying to keep Hurley from boarding the plane, as opposed to fate making it possible for the other passengers to board. Does the Island not want Hurley?
- Locke tells Jack that he believes in destiny, he just doesn't know it yet. And how true this is...by the end of season five, Jack is spouting out that he's working as an agent of destiny.
- Danielle says that she heard the Others coming for the boy. And strangely enough, she was right. This means that the whispers are caused by the Others, but how, if most of the Others are at the barracks or Hydra Island?
- And then we meet Tom, the Other who leads the mission of taking Walt off the raft. Sawyer will later shoot him for this, killing him.
- And then the hatch is opened...it's a long ladder, leading down into something that the audience can't see. But we all know what's down there now: a bunch of '70s electronics and an angry bloody Scotsman.
And that does it for "Exodus, Part 2." Look for the blog for the next episode, "Man of Science, Man of Faith," 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.
oooo first post!!!!
ReplyDeleteNo big posts today...I hope.
I do agree with Sam in the fact that Locke saw something different in walkabout. Locke asks Jack to let him go. What bothers me is why. This seems like another one of those retarded idea Locke tends to have. Anyone have any thoughs?
Sam could you clairify your fist bullet? I getting lost on subject agreement. Hurley tell Arzt what, and in who's head.
As for Hurley possibly tring to be kept off 815 by the island is an intresting idea...It seems like we are coming across more and more hurley cyclictral(really bad spelling) ideas. Is it me or is he the only one to be effected like this. Most other time jumping wierdness has been explained. Daniel and charlottes thing, Richard helping Lockes leg and so forth. Could Hurley be the key to all this? Anyone feel free to jump in I'm very "lost" on coming to any good conclusions today.
Ace "Dhrama free for 5 post" Willco
Interesting note about Hurley, how fate seems to be keeping him off the plane.
ReplyDeleteThis goes along with a thought I had rewatching "Dave" last week. Dave's goal is to get Hurley to kill himself. If on-island Dave is more than Hurley's imagination (Darlton referred to him as "figment of imagination slash apparition,") maybe Smokey is trying to do away with Hurley because he will be an important force for Jacob/light/good. We've certainly had hints that Hurley will be important.
Sam, you got it all wrong. When you said Jack didn't let go in the Incident, you are implying that Sawyer did let go. He didn't let go, Juliet did.
ReplyDeleteIs there any other info on the Hurleybird? Or is that a lost cause to pursue? But on the same note, the Hurleybird could be along the same lines as the Island trying to get Hurley to freak out and kill himself. Or maybe the Hurleybird was saying Hurley's name as a curse or like "curses, it Hurley!" The good guy!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea about Fate trying to keep Hurley from getting to the island. Also "idledandy" for noticing Dave trying to have Hurley kill himself. I always hated the "Dave" episode until you suggested it may be Black Shirt's way of having Hurley off himself -- but why?
ReplyDeleteLike may others, I'm starting to feel Hurley is going to take up Jacob's side in this final light vs dark battle. For one, Hurley is the only person besides Locke who got to see "Jacob"'s cabin, and there's got to be a reason for this. And two, Jacob gave Hurley and especially long speech in "The Incident" giving Hurley the right to choose.
Two things struck me from this episode... well, three, but two big things: one, we finally see the smoke monster in all its glory.
ReplyDeleteTwo, the Hurleybird. It clearly screams, "Hurley," twice. In a later episode ("Live Together, Die Alone"), Hurley will comment on hearing it. If you go to Wikipedia and look up "Horus" you will see a depiction of that Egyptian God that is found in the Louvre. To me, that looks like the Hurleybird.
Surely Hurely (ha!) is important to the whole story. I don't think he fought fate by getting on flight 815. Sure, it looked like he missed the flight, but that doesn't mean he wasn't destined to be on it. And yes, Jacob's appearance to him affirms his importantance.
I'm guess the Hurleybird is either a direct reference to Egyptian deity, something that seems to be emphasized in the show more and more (not the bird as a reference to Egyptian gods, but the presence of the Egyptian gods themselves), or an incarnation of Jacob. At the least, the bird could be a messenger of Jacob. If I remember correctly, the bird screams at Hurley shortly before Smokey comes on the scene. If Jacob's enemy is Smokey, the bird could be warning Hurley about Smokey.
And we see Smokey and Locke wants Jack to let him go, which is an odd reaction. But, after all, Locke looked into its "eye" and saw it was beautiful.
After that, there's important dialogue between Jack and Locke. It's so important I'll post it below:
JACK: That thing was taking you down the hole and you asked me to let you go.
LOCKE: It wasn’t going to hurt me.
JACK: No, John, it was going to kill you.
LOCKE: I seriously doubt that.
JACK: Look, I need for you – I need for you to explain to me what the hell’s going on inside your head, John. I need to know why you believe that that thing wasn’t going to...
LOCKE: I believe that I was being tested.
JACK: Tested?
LOCKE: Yeah, tested.
JACK: I think...
LOCKE: That’s why you and I don’t see eye-to-eye sometimes, Jack – because you’re a man of science.
JACK: Yeah, and what does that make you?
LOCKE: Me, well, I’m a man of faith. Do you really think all this is an accident – that we, a group of strangers survived, many of us with just superficial injuries? Do you think we crashed on this place by coincidence – especially, this place? We were brought here for a purpose, for a reason, all of us. Each one of us was brought here for a reason.
JACK: Brought here? And who brought us here, John?
LOCKE: The Island. The Island brought us here. This is no ordinary place, you’ve seen that, I know you have. But the Island chose you, too, Jack. It’s destiny.
JACK: Did you talk with Boone about destiny, John?
LOCKE: Boone was a sacrifice that the Island demanded. What happened to him at that plane was a part of a chain of events that led us here – that led us down a path – that led you and me to this day, to right now.
JACK: And where does that path end, John?
LOCKE: The path ends at the Hatch. The Hatch, Jack – all of it – all of it happened so that we could open the Hatch.
JACK: No, no, we’re opening the Hatch so that we can survive.
LOCKE: Survival is all relative, Jack.
JACK: I don’t believe in destiny.
LOCKE: Yes, you do. You just don’t know it yet.
Yes, that's long, but it's very important to the themes of the show. We now know that it wasn't just coincidence that brought the 815 survivors together.
Finally, I like that the episode ends with Locke and Jack looking down the shaft underneath the hatch. It's a great picture of what has happened in Season 1: they've scratched the surface of the depth of the island and are about to enter the depths of its mysteries. And I think it shows how Jack and Locke are so important and will probably be there right at the end of the entire series.
Jacks comment about Locke and games really gave me the creeps… the same theme as with Locke explaining Backgammon to Walt. It is really fun to rewatch the show through the lens of 'the incident'.
ReplyDeleteBut I don't believe that 'Esau' is smokey.
I think smokey is 'Esaus' dog.
If smokey is the man in black and vice versa, then how was Ben able to summon smokey to attack Keamy etc?
ReplyDeleteJoe, as far as Ben summoning Smokie... It's possible Black Shirt has been giving Ben and the Others certain assumptions/abilities with Smokie over the years - including the ability to summon it.
ReplyDeleteAnd assuming that Ben and Locke are the central players in Black Shirt's scheme, then he'd probably send Smokie to Ben's aid when Keamy's team was about to kill/capture them all. Keeping Ben and Locke alive was in Black Shirt's interest.
I have a couple of random ideas...
ReplyDelete1. RE Locke and the Smoke Monster... I know there are a lot of people who believe that the monster judges people, and with that in mind, the difference between Locke this time and the first time he saw the Monster is that now he has the guilt of Boone's death with him. Perhaps the monster was trying to drag him into a vent so it should judge him or perhaps it already judged him and was trying to kill him... or something else along these lines...
2. RE Hurley nearly missing the plane... Perhaps fate isn't something beyond Jacob and his Nemesis, but they are each opposing hands of fate. The Nemesis could have been working to keep Hurley off the plane, while Jacob could have been working to get him on the island.... or something like that...
one thing i noticed when watching the episode in which ben goes to the smoke monster and sees alex, is that the monster behaves weirdly in the episode. usually ben can summon it but it doesn't come while locke is there. so locke makes ben go to the monster instead and then when ben falls through the floor locke "goes to get some rope" and disappears for awhile. then the smoke comes and then right after the smoke leaves locke comes back. so maybe the smoke can't be the smoke and locke at the same time and thats why it couldn't come at first.
ReplyDeleteas for the smoke being a judge... i don't think it is. i think that it judges people based on whether or not they can be manipulated. ben and locke and eko all stayed alive after a face down with the monster, but then when eko became certain he was killed. and that pilot in the first episode was a good guy as far as we can tell (based on lapidus assertion that he was a committed husband) so i don't see why he would be killed if the smoke judges good and evil.
furthermore the mib (who some have theorized controls the monster) thinks all humans are bad or at least that was the implication from his conversation with jacob. so wouldn't he just judge everyone if he really was judging if they were bad people. besides lost has made a point of not having any "evil" characters over the years. there is always some reason the characters (including the antagonists) have for flawed actions so why would they judge their own characters as "bad" by having them get eaten by a "judge." i think it would undercut the point.
ReplyDeleteA few things that stuck with me:
ReplyDelete-Arzt, who is very tempermental, dies after saying the nitroglycerine is very tempermental.
-Sun looks at her wedding ring then out to sea, where Jin has gone. Altho Jin returns to her this time, the next time his "ship/raft" explodes, she thinks he's dead, UNTIL she sees his ring.
-Shannon asks Sun,"Who do you think is punishing us?" Sun replies, "FATE" So Sun believes in destiny, putting her on Jacob's side.
-Sun asks Claire what Aaron means. Claire doesn't know. Later Mr. Eko will tell her.
-Locke does nothing as smoke monster drags him to his "destiny". Last season, Jack refused to help boy Ben, doing nothing because that leads to his destiny.
-Jack and Locke working together again, on the same path, getting the dynamite and blowing the hatch.
-Jack and Locke's conversation after Jack "saved" John from Smokie. "Each one of us brought here for a reason. Destiny chose us. Island brought us here. Boone is a sacrifice the island demanded. It's a line of destiny--events leading to this point. Survival is all relative." This reminds me of the conversation between Jacob and the Nemesis. They discussed how the violence and killing was leading forward. It's all progress. Part of the process. Locke sounds more like Jacob here.
nago, I agree with that last point and I think that will be a major theme for the last season; the differences with Locke and Jack will paralel with Jacob and Nemesis.
ReplyDeleteSeeing as it's widely thought that the smoke monster is Nemesis (or some agent thereof), is it possible that Jacob has some similar form as well, and this could be what John saw to start with? Keeping in mind that that was (moderately) sane, in tune with the island Locke.
The other thing, with Hurley being stopped getting to the island, I'm surprised no one mentioned how this is completely opposite to how Jacob emplored him to go to the island the second time. Someone mentioned something along the lines of the people controlling what Hurley does through the bird and Dave. I'm starting to get the feeling, as someone mentioned, that Hurley is ultimately going to be pivotal to the story, perhaps being the deciding factor in some sort of Jacob and Nemesis battle.
Rousseau didn't say when she heard whispering about the boy - and since we weren't there when she did hear it, we can't be sure whether she heard actual whispered conspiring by the others or "the whispers" of unknown origin.
ReplyDeleteOr is Hurley so good that if he's on the island, a shift happens?
ReplyDelete