Follow the Leader

Greetings Losties! After our Follow the Leader recap today, only the omgwtf season finale awaits us! Can you believe the season is over? Can you believe it’s May? Can you believe that 2009 is in its 5^th month? I’m getting old. Ugh. Anyways, let’s dive in, shall we?

This episode is titled, “Follow the Leader,” which, if you know me at all, had me immediately jumping all over the Peter Pan references. Doc Jensen apparently caught them too: “The game of the same name is central to the story line of the author’s play and book; a song of the same name is part of Walt Disney’s beloved 1953 animated musical adaptation. These various versions intersect with Lost in any number of ways: magical islands inhabited by peculiar tribes of people working at cross-purposes, death and resurrection, ticking bombs, lost boys, never-aging enchanted beings, and more. Peter Pan gives us ”The Peter Pan Complex,” describing maturity-challenged adults who can’t deal with reality and so try to change it (see: Jack), not to mention ”The Tinker Bell Effect,” which according to Wikipedia ”describes those things that exist only because people believe in them” — things like ”a rule of law” (see: Horace Goodspeed, ”We have a rule of law!”) and ”deities” (See: Jacob).” The idea of following who leads you and Tinkerbell in particular has me worried. Tink frequently leads Wendy to her potential death. Read here one of my favorite passages of the book:

Tink was not all bad; or, rather, she was all bad just now, but, on the other hand, sometimes she was all good. Fairies have to be one thing or the other, because being so small they unfortunately have room for one feeling only at a time. They are, however, allowed to change, only it must be a complete change. At present she was full of jealousy of Wendy. What she said in her lovely tinkle Wendy could not of course understand, and I believe some of it was bad words, but it sounded kind, and she flew back and forward, plainly meaning “Follow me, and all will be well.” What else could poor Wendy do? She called to Peter and John and Michael, and got only mocking echoes in reply. She did not yet know that Tink hated her with the fierce hatred of a very woman. And so, bewildered, and now staggering in her flight, she followed Tink to her doom.

Is this the same infliction currently affecting John Locke? Is he only capable of being all good or all bad? Where exactly is he leading The Others? Is Jack leading Ellie and Richard to treachery? Or is it Richard himself luring them in and directing everyone to their doom? As a result, Doc wants us to consider the potential of a brutal, bloody, betrayal in next week’s finale. After witnessing the death (yes death, Boo-Urns) of Daniel Faraday, Jack and Kate try to make a break for it only to be pounced upon by Widmore.  As they’re held captive, Ellie flips through Daniel’s journal, the journal she supposedly gave him. She’s confused as the presence of her handwriting on the first page. I’m confused about the color of the ink and how it’s magically changed from green to black. Seems to reflect Doc Jensen’s observer theory yet again.  Ellie immediately believes Jack and Kate’s story regarding Daniel’s lineage, most likely because she recognizes the same man to whom she held a gun more than 20 years earlier. The same man who disappeared right before her eyes.

Back in Dharmaville, Radzinsky (who has easily become a member of the “We will cheer when you die” club that Nicky and Paulo started) holds Juliet and Sawyer captive.  Deciding that Sawyer’s holding out too much info, Phil (another member of the club) thinks that beating up Juliet is the way to get Sawyer to talk. Across camp, Hurley, Jin and Miles take advantage of the chaos, and attempt a breakaway as well. Pierre Chang intercepts and, in another hilarious Hurley encounter, quizzes Hurley on the facts of 1977 to prove that they are in fact frrrom the fyutchaa. While Hurley is a bit slow on the responses, Chang is pretty easily convinced here in my opinion. Then again, it’s probable that he knows the island’s capabilities, which is why he follows Faraday’s initial request: evacuate the island.  He heads back to the security station to order the evacuation, only to discover the poor way in which Radzinsky and Phil seem to be handling their situation. Radzinsky insists to Chang that he’s now in charge (uh…really?) though Sawyer, “proposes a deal to Radzinsky: if he and Juliet can leave the Island on the submarine, he will tell Radzinsky everything he wants to know. As a result, he demands that Sawyer draws a map of the Hostiles’ location.”

Over in Hostile territory, Widmore and Eloise have a mysterious yet unheard quarrel, which no doubt includes Ellie informing Charles that she’s just killed their future son. Jack and Kate get their first view of Charles Widmore here, and Ellie and Richard agree to take them to the bomb. On their way, along with another redshirt named Erik, Kate is visibly uncomfortable with the idea of erasing everything that’s ever happened. She comments on Jack’s unchanging devotion to this new plan. ‘Do you know who you sound like?” She screams. Doc notes, “Jack’s zealous pursuit of meaning is totally reminiscent of early Lost Locke, the guy so desperate for significance he could see grand purpose in…pushing a button every 108 minutes. Which actually ended up having a grand purpose. Still: crazy.” When they arrive at an underwater tunnel, Kate takes a stand, and expresses her desire to head back to Dharmaville. Though Richard and Ellie seem ok with her abandoning the party, Erik threatens to shoot her if she leaves. Baaad idea Erik, the gunshot we hear is not tearing into Kate abdomen, but Erik’s, as Sayid emerges from the bushes, gun in hand. Their reunion is a bit awkward, as Sayid listens to Jack’s plan of changing the future and informs them that he has already done so, by killing Benjamin Linus. Unfortunately, Kate tells him, Ben lived, and with her help. The look on Sayid’s face is pretty priceless here. I was half expecting him to go Iraqi torture machine on Kate’s ass. As Kate heads back (sucking pretty bad at her “I will find Claire” quest) the rest swim an uncomfortably long underwater tunnel into a section of The Temple. I was kind of shocked at this “burial” of Jughead. Seems as if the just kind of stuck it in a room and left it there and hoped that was good enough.

Over at the docks, Hurley, Jin and Miles watch as Dharma Initiative members line up to board the Galaga. Here, Charlotte and her mother reluctantly board and Miles gets to witness the harshness and dismissive way with which Chang treats his mother, realizing it was only to ensure her safe departure. My question is this: If in fact, whatever happened happened and everyone evacuates now, how are there so many Dharma members there to murder during the Purge? Chang did insist on women and children evacuating, so it’s clear why Roger Linus, Radzinsky etc. are still present. But there didn’t seem to be that many Dharma members to begin with. I’m wondering how the Hostile’s then simply didn’t outnumber them, and why Ben had so many people to gas.  Miles and Hurley notice that Sawyer and Juliet are boarding the sub, and though Hurley thinks he must have a plan, he insists that Sawyer would never just leave them there. Oh…really? Sawyer seems pretty content to get the hell off the island, claiming that he’d buy Microsoft and bet on the Cowboys in the ‘78 Superbowl. (I’ll go along with the Microsoft thing James, but betting for the Cowboys is never ok). He comforts Juliet by reminding her that the Dharma buttheads have no actual authority in the real world, and that he has no intention of going to Ann Arbor. Riiiiiight there’s still a real world out there we all completely forgot about. One where Sawyer can embrace his love of disco and Juliet can get a head start on her 80’s power suit and coke habit. Their content little life is interrupted yet again when none other than Kiss-me-Kate boards the sub, providing an awkward moment for all. Doc says, “‘What was it that Hurley said?’We have to save him, because Sawyer would never leave us behind.’  But he did. Sawyer made a show of muttering ‘Good riddance’ toward the Island and then descended down into a sub, thus sealing the deal on the apparent sell-out of his castaway friends. I say ”apparent,” because I refuse to believe Sawyer — who had been heroically born again as a hero and leader during his Dharma idyll — would really leave his pals high and dry. I’m guessing Mr. LaFleur, being Dharma’s security honcho and all, knows the sub’s departure protocol — and I’m betting that it includes a stop at Dharma’s underwater Looking-Glass station before it leaves the Island’s vicinity. I’m thinking it’s here where Sawyer will make his move. And given how in sync he and Juliet are, I think Mrs. LaFleur knows exactly what her super-cool common law hubby has in mind. ‘’Don’t worry,’ Hurley said. ‘’Sawyer always has a plan.’”

Back in the present time on our main island, Locke, Sun and Ben have made their way from the abandoned Dharmaville to the beach where The Others have put up camp. When last we saw this incarnation of The Others three years ago, Ben and Locke had ordered them to The Temple and headed out to see Jacob. Then the whole moving of the island happened and the time jumping and then Locke making it stop. Do we assume that The Others experienced the time jumping as well? If so, why didn’t they get stuck in 1977 when Locke stopped the island from jumping? Perhaps their relationship with the island is so intense and long that they were immune to the time traveling experience and sickness? Now I’m wondering (perpetually) where are Rose and Bernard?  1977 or the present? Vozzek69 has an interesting idea on The Others. He says, “I’ve had the impression that the Others have all been guardians of LOST’s time loop, living only to keep it alive. Somewhere down the line, a horrific event takes place that needs to be avoided. I think most of us can agree by now that the release of the island’s inner energy causes time to fold back on itself, looping over and over again. This loop of time must begin somewhere and end somewhere (the incident? the 815 crash?), but everything in between is the only thing that matters to the Others. This is where they reside, and this is what they protect. So these people survive on and on, living from generation to generation, making sure that everything happens up to and including the important point where time folds back upon itself. They have knowledge passed on from forever ago, and their agents (Hawking, Abaddon, etc…) use this knowledge to ensure that everything happens in proper order. Richard is the Other’s constant. Since he never dies, he’s the keeper of all the advanced knowledge – he passes this on to each successive chosen leader. He knows what must be done and guides everyone accordingly. And if I were him, I’d probably be bored out of my skull right about now, too.” Vozzek also has some awesome ideas on Hurley, so I implore you to read the whole post. Also note that the Ship in a Bottle that Richard is building resembles The Black Rock.

Locke tells Richard he has a new purpose, and requests his presence on a mission, while Ben informs Sun that Richard has been around for a very, very, very long time as a sort of “advisor.” Hmm… a clue perhaps as to Richard’s role? Doc Says, “’And he has had that job for a very, very long time.” In other words, Richard is kind of like Tinker Bell, an Island sprite that serves the lost boys (and girls) who wash up on the island of Neverland and aspire to become its next Peter Pans. FUN FACT! Tinker Bell’s name, according to Barrie’s book, is a reference to ”tinkers” — artisans charged with fixing broken pots and pans. Is that what Richard is trying to do? Fix something? The Island? Jacob? Then again, maybe Alpert is Pan himself — specifically, the Greek god Pan, who, like Tinker Bell, was a sidekick to bigger gods. To the Greeks, Pan was the god of shepherds, which fits Alpert. To older traditions, Pan was an attendant or agent — an ”advisor,” if you will — to Cybele, the great mother goddess. FUN FACT! There’s a maze of tunnels under the Island — and there’s a Guillermo Del Toro movie called Pan’s Labyrinth that includes a fairytale about an underworld princess who escapes her realm and dies, and yet leaves her father with hope that she may be resurrected and live again, forever….See? Isn’t this fun?” Sun shows Richard the 1977 Dharma Recruitment photo that includes her husband and asks Richard if he was here when they were here. Sadly he confirms that he was, and remembers them because he “watched them all die.”

The next encounter is a mysterious one and confusing, I’ll leave it to Lostpedia to summarize: “Later in a private conversation with Sun, Locke implies he believes their time-traveling friends are not dead. Locke asks Richard if he still has the compass he gave him three years ago, Richard says he does. Locke asks Ben to join him and Richard on the journey. Ben wonders if Locke doesn’t trust him around his former people, but Locke informs him that he isn’t afraid of anything he can do anymore. Locke tells Sun to stay behind, and that he will be back in a few hours, and that she has his word that he will find a way for her and Jin to be reunited. Locke, Richard, and Ben then leave with the compass on into the jungle. During the trip Richard asks Locke where he has been the past three years, Locke is surprised he doesn’t know. Locke tells him that they are going to the beach craft (where Locke flashed to during the Island’s time movements), and after that they must find Jacob. When they have almost arrived, Locke tells Richard that he must treat a man’s wound at the beach craft, and then tell him to bring everyone back to the Island, and to do this he has to die. Locke then tells Ben that the man is Locke himself. While Richard tends to the time-traveling Locke, the other Locke tells Ben that he knows that Ben has never seen Jacob, which surprises Ben. Richard then tells Locke that he seems pretty convinced about what he made him do to his past-self, especially since he said to him that he was going to die, Locke tells Richard it was the right choice.”

It was interesting to see this encounter from the other side, though Richard’s confusion about the time traveling and Locke’s knowledge is getting sort of unbelievable at this point. He’s an all knowing and ageless figure and he’s visibly confused by encountering Locke over and over again through various points in time, which seems odd. Though Locke does seem ageless himself at every encounter, I wonder if Richard is just reminded of himself. The compass seems to be in a never ending time loop. When Locke asks Richard if he has it from three years ago, he means his experience of three years ago. In Richards’s experience, he’s had the compass for 50+ years. A Lostpedia theorist says, “We see Richard pull out the same compass out of his pocket that Locke gave to him back in the 50’s, which was given to him by Richard in 2007/2008 under the instructions of Locke. This creates a paradox and it becomes difficult to explain who the true owner of the actual compass is. If Richard received it from Locke and kept it close by with him for the past 50+ years, only to give it back to John, it creates an endless loop of compasses, and can indicate that the actual compass does not have a true owner.”

Later, Locke makes a rousing speech to the rest of The Others and convinces them that they need to head to see Jacob and demand answers, and assures Sun that Jacob will help with the return of the O6 from 1977. Locke’s demands echo, yet again, The Wizard of OZ.  Doc thinks, “Correct me if I’m wrong, but did we just witness the completion of a profound role reversal on Lost? Because Locke’s rhetoric is that of the rational skeptic, demanding empirical proof before committing his trust to some great and mighty Oz. Jack is now the man of faith; Locke is now the man of science.” Richard is skeptical and Ben, also unconvinced, asks Locke his true plans. Locke ever the blunt reveals: he’s out to kill Jacob. On DarkUFO, they say, “There definitely has to be a Jacob. Not only have we seen his cabin, but we’ve heard him speak. We’ve also seen him actually re-wind time: at the end of Locke’s first encounter with him, we saw that broken lantern (and the fire it started) instantly fix itself. We saw a ring of ash around Jacob’s cabin, which originally seemed like it might’ve been there to protect it from being discovered or seen. Later on though, it became more and more obvious that the ring of ash was probably there for the opposite reason: to keep Jacob IN. We also saw a very worried look on Ben’s face when he saw that the circle had been broken, almost as if he were worried that something had escaped. Incidentally, this is also when we started seeing quasi-evil Christian and Claire.” Back at the beginning of his post, Doc began, “‘Follow the Leader,’ the episode instructed, but what are you supposed to do if your leaders are off-their-Jacob-rockers crazy? Here’s Jack Shepherd, wild-eyed destiny zealot, determined to detonate an H-bomb hidden in the ancient tunnels of the Island in order to produce a paradox that will rewrite history. Crazy. And Kate let him know it, revolting and vowing to work against him, though he gained an ally in ”My Life Sucks” Sayid. Here’s John Locke, glowing with a supreme, even ethereal self-confidence that felt downright disconcerting, driving his tribe of wilderness-wandering others toward a face-to-face meeting with their mercurial and never-seen god, Jacob. Crazy… On one hand, it was thrilling to see Jack and John large and in charge. They acted like heroes…but we were left with the unsettling possibility that their respective endeavors will make them out to be horrible, misery-producing villains by season’s end. And there remains the haunting prospect that both are actually being played by puppet masters hiding in the shadows…or even walking among them in plain sight.” I’m very intrigued by this Locke and jack character switcheroo, and kind of expected it from a couple seasons ago during the whole “Man of Science, Man of Faith” debacle. Even so, Locke is about to head into a conflict, and Jack may or may not be lured into a Tinkerbell like betrayal. I close with this humorous pic sent by a friend:

~ by iamtheisland on May 9, 2009.