Recap of Episode 6.1 "LA X" - Part 1
This might be the best text message I have gotten all year... it arrived just after the Season 6 premier last night and it read "No bright flash of light, no time travel... but man my head hurts"
I imagine quite a few Lost freaks are feeling that way this morning and I am guessing that is exactly what Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse had in mind when they wrote this episode... and much of the previous 5 seasons for that matter.
Before I dive too deeply into last night's episode I want to take a quick second to notify you of some changes to SethIsLost.com this season. For one, we have a new sponsor... Collector's Edge Comics. Welcome Steve and all of the boys! Secondly, I have heard from a NUMBER of you asking for more regular updates. Let me give you a tip when emailing me. Threats are not a good way to get me to write more. However since I know you are all craving any and all Lost info I am going to be posting a little differently this season. To provide as much info as soon as I can, I will have a preliminary recap up on the site either the night the episode airs, or as is the case this morning... the following morning before the Bob & Brian segment. It won't be an in depth recap like you've seen from me in the past. But don't worry, the in depth break down will come.
The first recap (and the Bob & Brian Segment) will hit highlights of the episodes. Then, I want you to post your questions and theories in the comments sections. After I have had a chance to get a 2nd viewing in and have had some time to chew on all of the craziness in each episode I will post a more detailed recap that will hopefully answer most of the questions you all come up with.
So,.,. Back to "LA X". There was a TON to cover from this episode, so this recap is going to focus ONLY on what I have to take as the major theme from last night... choice. This show has been about a lot of things over the years but one of the themes that has always persisted is the idea of destiny... that things were meant to be. But how do destiny and free will exist together? In last year's finale right before Jacob is killed by Ben he tells him he has a choice. Jack clearly had a choice when determining whether or not to blow up an H-Bomb on the island. While it has been presented that destiny has seemingly controlled much of what has happened to our characters it is important to realize that within every one of those scenarios choices had to be made.
What is interesting is that throughout our survivors time in 1977 it would seem that all of the choices they made may not have been their choice at all. If you follow the "what ever happened, happened" theory while it would seem that Kate made the choice to save young Ben's life, we know from seeing what played out afterward that is probably what always happened. (I will have more on this and the idea of time and how we perceive it in part 2 of this recap.)
Similarly, it seems that dropping the bomb to blow up the Swan also fall under whatever happened, happened. Since Jack and the rest are still on the island that they were simply "fulfilling their destiny" by dropping the bomb which appears to be the cause of "The Incident" rather than stopping it from happening.
But of course Damon and Carlton can't make it that easy on us. We are also presented with the alternate scenario... that Jack's plan worked. Juliet tells us it did. We saw Jack, Boone, Charlie and all the rest in the plane as Flight 815 landed. So I will leave you with this to chew on... in the season 5 DVD Bonus Features disc, Carlton regularly refers to Ajira Flight 316 as a "Bizzaro" version of Flight 815. I think the reality where the plane lands is a similar "Bizzaro" sort of reality. Viewers of the show FlashForward (which borrows from Lost, so why shouldn't they return the favor) should remember a conversation between Olivia Benford and Lloyd Simco where they realize that had she chosen to go to Harvard, the 2 of them would have been living next door to each other and Lloyd's eventual wife ended up living their instead. Lloyd talks about the theory that the choices we don't make in this universe are actually made by us in parallel universes and much like in Ms Hawkings view of the word, choices we don't make that we were supposed to make sometimes course correct. In the case of FlashForward, Lloyd and Olivia's paths crossed even though she never went to Harvard... it just happened years later.
Perhaps the Bizzaro 2nd reality is meant to show us how our survivors are meant to interact and change each others lives, even if the plane never did crash. We've already seen how Jack and Locke might come together. How the situation has lead Jack to be the one with faith while Locke says his condition is irreversible.
OK... that is enough to think about for now. Tune into Bob & Brian around 8:50am today to hear us talk more about Lost. Once I get the chance to watch it again I will put a more detailed post up about the episode. Post all of your questions to the comments section and hopefully, we will all come up with some answers together.
Stay Lost.
I imagine quite a few Lost freaks are feeling that way this morning and I am guessing that is exactly what Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse had in mind when they wrote this episode... and much of the previous 5 seasons for that matter.
Before I dive too deeply into last night's episode I want to take a quick second to notify you of some changes to SethIsLost.com this season. For one, we have a new sponsor... Collector's Edge Comics. Welcome Steve and all of the boys! Secondly, I have heard from a NUMBER of you asking for more regular updates. Let me give you a tip when emailing me. Threats are not a good way to get me to write more. However since I know you are all craving any and all Lost info I am going to be posting a little differently this season. To provide as much info as soon as I can, I will have a preliminary recap up on the site either the night the episode airs, or as is the case this morning... the following morning before the Bob & Brian segment. It won't be an in depth recap like you've seen from me in the past. But don't worry, the in depth break down will come.
The first recap (and the Bob & Brian Segment) will hit highlights of the episodes. Then, I want you to post your questions and theories in the comments sections. After I have had a chance to get a 2nd viewing in and have had some time to chew on all of the craziness in each episode I will post a more detailed recap that will hopefully answer most of the questions you all come up with.
So,.,. Back to "LA X". There was a TON to cover from this episode, so this recap is going to focus ONLY on what I have to take as the major theme from last night... choice. This show has been about a lot of things over the years but one of the themes that has always persisted is the idea of destiny... that things were meant to be. But how do destiny and free will exist together? In last year's finale right before Jacob is killed by Ben he tells him he has a choice. Jack clearly had a choice when determining whether or not to blow up an H-Bomb on the island. While it has been presented that destiny has seemingly controlled much of what has happened to our characters it is important to realize that within every one of those scenarios choices had to be made.
What is interesting is that throughout our survivors time in 1977 it would seem that all of the choices they made may not have been their choice at all. If you follow the "what ever happened, happened" theory while it would seem that Kate made the choice to save young Ben's life, we know from seeing what played out afterward that is probably what always happened. (I will have more on this and the idea of time and how we perceive it in part 2 of this recap.)
Similarly, it seems that dropping the bomb to blow up the Swan also fall under whatever happened, happened. Since Jack and the rest are still on the island that they were simply "fulfilling their destiny" by dropping the bomb which appears to be the cause of "The Incident" rather than stopping it from happening.
But of course Damon and Carlton can't make it that easy on us. We are also presented with the alternate scenario... that Jack's plan worked. Juliet tells us it did. We saw Jack, Boone, Charlie and all the rest in the plane as Flight 815 landed. So I will leave you with this to chew on... in the season 5 DVD Bonus Features disc, Carlton regularly refers to Ajira Flight 316 as a "Bizzaro" version of Flight 815. I think the reality where the plane lands is a similar "Bizzaro" sort of reality. Viewers of the show FlashForward (which borrows from Lost, so why shouldn't they return the favor) should remember a conversation between Olivia Benford and Lloyd Simco where they realize that had she chosen to go to Harvard, the 2 of them would have been living next door to each other and Lloyd's eventual wife ended up living their instead. Lloyd talks about the theory that the choices we don't make in this universe are actually made by us in parallel universes and much like in Ms Hawkings view of the word, choices we don't make that we were supposed to make sometimes course correct. In the case of FlashForward, Lloyd and Olivia's paths crossed even though she never went to Harvard... it just happened years later.
Perhaps the Bizzaro 2nd reality is meant to show us how our survivors are meant to interact and change each others lives, even if the plane never did crash. We've already seen how Jack and Locke might come together. How the situation has lead Jack to be the one with faith while Locke says his condition is irreversible.
OK... that is enough to think about for now. Tune into Bob & Brian around 8:50am today to hear us talk more about Lost. Once I get the chance to watch it again I will put a more detailed post up about the episode. Post all of your questions to the comments section and hopefully, we will all come up with some answers together.
Stay Lost.
Was wondering if you were still alive and going to be updating this website. Thought I might have to find a different one.
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Huzzah! Seth is alive!
I'm wondering if we're going to see how the survivors would end up on the island even if the plane didn't crash or how their lives wouldn't have been different. After all, Locke & Jack's exchange could lead to Locke walking after all...
So the show is clearly boiling down to Jacob vs Nemesis. Was Locke truly special or was it a time loop snafu? In some ways it seems like he was just a pawn for Nemesis to use against Jacob... but then Locke could speak to Jacob and interacted with his agents (assuming Sr Shepard is actually an agent of Jacob and not lying as well).
Do you think there are actually 2 "smoke monsters"? It seemed to confirm last night that the smoke monster is Nemesis but that doesn't explain some of the actions we've seen it take. Could Jacob also take the form of a smoke monster and we'll have to recheck scenes to determine which we were seeing at times? (Jacob or Nemesis)
This blog should really have a stickied entry with running questions that are filled in as the season goes on. Are we going to get the rest filled in on Widmore vs Ben or is that for us to use our imaginations on?
Also, do you think we'll get actual explanations as to Jacob's and Nemesis' plans or is the whole show depicting their version of Backgammon?
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I think Jacob's point to Ben in the Season 5 finale (and it would apply to Jack and the bomb, since you brought it up) is that you DO have a choice. But the "dark figure" who now takes the appearance of Locke would say that they have a choice, but placed in the same circumstances they will always make the same choice. They would also debate whether or not something could happen that would change the circumstances.
I go back to a point you made in your recap of the S.5 finale about mobius loops. I think what we're seeing is two alternate scenarios: one where the loop was broken, and one where it was not.
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If you've never seen the movie Sliding Doors go rent it. The movie is about a women coming home from work where in one scenario she gets on the subway in time, and the other scenario someone gets in her way and she doesn't make the subway. From there the movie splits into two. She makes the train, makes it home in time to (I won't ruin the movie). If she misses the train she doesn't get home in time. Point being that whatever road you travel down in life, what's meant to be is meant to be. Things have a a way of correcting themselves. Much like Seth's recap saying that either Jack and Locke meet on the island, or they meet in the waiting room. Either way, they're going to meet.
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I disagree with you that the bomb went off from Juliette pounding on it with that rock. Whenever the island travelled through time, there was the white light and everyone had the headache - very similar to what happened at the end of season 5. I think the bomb will actually tie-in to the actual last episode. Sort of like a Soprano's-esque "what happened?" final moment.
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Listened to you on B&B this morning, and I agree that Sayid is Jacob reincarnated. Always love when shows play the "Jesus card" as when they dragged Sayid out of the water in a crucifix-manner ... leaves no doubt Sayid is now the 'savior' of the island and a reincarnation of Jacob. Glad they didn't go as far as waiting 3 days and rolling a stone away from a tomb ....
Question I do have ... New Locke being "disappointed" in the people who were waiting outside Jacob's home? Not quite sure what he's disappointed about, was hoping you could shed some light ... thanks!
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@Locke's Disappointment
I think it's just a power play right now and an effort for Nemesis to keep control of those others. He probably wasn't disappointed about any single thing, just messing with their heads.
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I don't have an answer for you. But one theory I have heard is that Locke/The Man In Black/Smoke Monster is actual the "Good" power on the island and we is disappointed they were fooled by Jacob. I personally don't buy it... but its a theory.
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In the theory of "good vs. evil" which we know is involved just by the existence of Jacob and the man in black, do you think the man in black was manipulating everyone and everything from the fifties up until Jacobs death to get the loophole that he needed? The reason I ask is every show up until Jacob was killed, ended with the word LOST against a black background, as soon as Jacob was killed it became a white background. Was Jacob just stringing the man in black along? He did say in somewhat a mocking tone " I guess you found your loophole" and did nothing to defend himself against "evil Locke" like he knew what was coming. I'm wondering what you thing of this possibility.
Thanks;
Jim
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It seems to me that MIB/Smokie is not from Earth. The comment that all he wants is to go home is interesting. He doesn't seem human. Bullets bounce off him and he can turn into an smoke entity seems like he may be from another planet. Maybe his UFO landed on the island by mistake and he was trapped there by Jacob.
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A great film that shows the parrallel universe theory and how everything comes together as it should even tho it occurs in different ways is Sliding Doors. The outcome is always the same. The Universe unfolds as it is meant to...
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I'm not entirely convinced that there are alternate realities going on. Oceanic 815 flew over the island on September 22, 2004. Ajira 316 crashed in 2007. This is when our characters are currently on the island.
I have to believe that while the bomb and Jack's 'reset' plan worked, Jacob was still able to bring the characters back to the island, albeit, not on Oceanic 815 on September 22, 2004. Just a theory.
I'm not sure why our characters were seemingly blasted from 1977 to 2007, but I wonder if it has anything to do with when Ajira 316 went down. When Ajira 316 went down, Sun, Ben and the rest stayed on the plane in 2007. Jack, Kate, Sayid and Hurley were whisked into the past. Considering that "it worked," I believe that Jack, Kate, Sayid and Hurley were blasted back into 2007, where they should have been.
The big questions with this theory, then, are:
what happened between 9/22/04 and the flight of Ajira 316,
was the Ajira flight actually the plane that brought everyone there,
why is Juliet there since she wasn't on Ajira 316,
accepting that Juliet is there, should there now be 2 Richards (from past Richard being blasted to 2007 where Richard already existed),
and IF the past has been rewritten, why does everyone still have a linear memory of past events?
Like I said, just a theory, but Jack seemed like he had a little too much déjà vu on that new Oceanic 815.
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Why was Desmond on the plane? He would have been on the island, wouldn't he? And how would the island be underwater? and yet still look just like it did on the surface?
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Love listening to you on Bob and Brian, you have quite the insight. I would like to make a suggestions unrelated to Lost. It is very hard to read the white lettering on the black background, actually any color is bad on black. Would be nice if you could change it. Also I tried copying and pasting and it wouldn't work and I am assuming because of the white on black.
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Simply copy the text by highlighting it and pasting it into your document (ctrl+c >> ctrl+v). You're absolutely correct the pasted text is "white" so just highlight it and change the color so it visible.
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Seth, how about this for an idea: If Juliet says that "it worked", how about the events on the Island now being the "Bizarro World"?
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First off, I love this blog. Thank you for posting your thoughts. Secondly, I don't know if anyone else is bothered by this, but can you reverse your background and body copy. The black background with white copy is really hard to read. Thank you.
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What is your opinion on Desmond on the plane?...Is he really there?...or just in jacks mind. I don't think he interacted with any other characters. Since in that reality Widmore would have been on the island at the time of the bomb, he surely wouldn't be around to cause Desmond to want to enter the sail race...or have a daughter?
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What are the results of the bomb detonating?...Who would die in the nuclear blast on the island in the 70's, and effect the LA X timeline. Widmore, Ellen Hawking?...Do Penny and Daniel exist?...did Miles and Charlotte make it off the island?
Did the bomb even detonate?...It look awfully like a time jump...they never show it...Does the island time jump Juliet and the bunch before she detonates it?
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Seth,
Great recap. Lots of questions but the two for now. Why did Jack have blood on his neck when he was on the plane? Why did they make a point to say the water was not clear and it did not heal the cut hand in the Temple?
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Has anyone thought that they aren't in an actual alternate reality and that we are really seeing what happens after the "end" of the show. I know Damon and Carlton like to hide things in plain sight so maybe what happens at the end is somehow the Losties sink the island and almost like a reset button they go back to life as if the island didn't exist. So that's why Desmond is on the plane (he never crashed on the island) Hurley is still the luckiest man alive because those numbers aren't cursed and on and on. Not the strongest of all theories but something to think about.
Also was wondering what you thought about Fake Locke (Flocke) telling Richard nice seeing you out of those chains. You think he was a prisoner on the Black Rock?
Also how do you see Widmore fitting in this season?
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@Richard in chains
That one is easy. Richard served Jacob. Jacob is now dead. That line was a sly dig at Richard that Jacob was dead and he was "free" from his service. The chains were a metaphor.
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Or Nate... could it be that Richard first came to the island on the Black Rock... where we say sets of chain that held slaves/prisoners. That could easily be it too.
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Or, knowing the show's writers, it's all of the above!
(actually, I was assuming the temple occupants were the black rock crew)
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Should I feel proud of myself for knowing that "the man-in-black" was the smoke monster!? I first figured that out it was him when rewatching Dead is Dead, when fake-Locke took Ben to the temple to be judged! It was obvious when as soon as fake-Locke left, the smoke monster appeared! And then when the monster left, soon there-after there was Locke. But what I didn't get is why the "man-in-black" has supernatual powers, like being bullet-proof, or turning into smoke, but Jacob seems to have no powers!? Well, I suppose that will change in the future, because Jacob never seems to be flustered or worried! He must have something up his sleeve!
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I knew something was off when desmond sat next to jack on the plane. desmond was on the island and was the cause of the crash. whats up with that? why did we not see boons sister?(sorry forgot her name)I'm still lost when it comes to the man in black. How did he take over lockes image? unless he died as well. I hope they tell us how the Blackrock got there and if Jacob was on it.
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http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/02/02/lost-premiere-damon-carlton/
This is a great read for anyone who is interested
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I noticed another small difference between the two 815 flights! I think every hardcore LOST fan knows what row Jack sat in on the original 815 flight when it when down. Row 23! On the bizarro flight he was in row 24....
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also, jacks hair was long enough to part. 9/22/04 it was short, like real short!
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Hurley's good luck in the parallel universe i believe is a result of not playing the infamous lottery numbers due to the hatch never being built and hence no computer to enter the numbers into...the same logic applies to Desmonds ability to be on the plane...why he appears on the plane, I have no idea. Keep the posts coming Seth...it's crunch time!
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Fake John Locke/possibly MID/smoke monster said: I want to go home.
whoever or whatever it is, I feel this is the same entity who was in the cabin and said "help me" to John Locke.
It's been stuck there and wants to get out, wants to go home.
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This is my first time posting here, but I'm really curious how some of these people got on the flight considering some were driven there by other people. Take Locke for example. He was told to go the australia for the walkabout by Abbadon (I believe) because widmore wanted him to get to the island. If the island is sunk, why would he have been told to go there still?
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When Kate, Jack, Hurley and Sayid first arrive at the temple and are being questioned as to who they are, the stewardess (Cindy) steps forward. She says something to the effect of 'I know who they are- they were on the FIRST plane. They were on Oceanic 815 with me.' Maybe I'm just so turned around by now that I'm missing something, but was there a SECOND plane? What was that referring to?
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Okay. Nevermind. My fiance just reminded me that of course there was a second plane: Ajira 316. Duh. Shows how easily you can turned around.
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I'm pretty sure the 2nd plane was the Ajira plane ...
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Upon watching this episode a second time, this line stuck out to me. In my previous post I noted that I'm not convinced that these are alternate realities, especially since the events are taking place in 2004 (on the plane and in Los Angeles) and 2007 (on the island).
Regarding Cindy's quote, she doesn't specify whether or not Oceanic 815 crashed. I assume that now, (since "it worked") the plane did not crash. Is it possible that Cindy and the new "others" crashed on a completely unrevealed flight? She IS a stewardess for an airline that frequently flies over the Pacific. Perhaps there is a SECOND Oceanic plane that she was referring to, since she is not a stewardess for Ajira Airways.
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I'm assuming the second plane she is referring to is the Ajira Airways Flight 316.
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I agree. It does hurt my eyes. But, if I get my Lost fix it's worth the pain. lol
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Seth-
when taking sayid to the water to be healed the "others" asked why the water wasn't clear? jacob was already in the water?
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I just got thinking about the thing with desmond and jack on the plane. It does seem like they are trying to imply that jack is having deja vu to his time on the island, but didn't jack actually meet desmond briefly before the island? They were running up and down those stairs. Now, I can't say whether that still happened in the "alternate reality" but it seems that could be why jack recognized desmond.
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What was that last exchange between Sawyer and Juliet about? At first she seemed a little "out of it," saying almost random things, before "coming to" and then wanting to tell Sawyer important before she died. Miles later discovered that she wanted to say "it worked." But what worked?
Also, do you think we will see (island) Claire at all? I'm curious as to how she ties into the latest happenings on the island. And for that matter, will there be any effect, or any consequence, by not returning her son to the island?
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In the recap show, they referred to "The Man in Black" (in Locke's form), and the "Ageless Stranger". The writers and/or producers are gigantic Stephen King fans, as am I. Usually both of those titles are used to describe one being. Even though "he" goes by different names. But always represents evil.
I found the shackle comment interesting as well. Could this comment be metaphorical? Perhaps Richard Alpert was being forced to serve whoever was in charge? And now that the Man In Black has effectively taken out Jacob, Alpert must serve him.
And yes, Sayid is now Jacob.
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